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- Q&A Columns
- Contest Photos
- Contest News
- Athlete Profiles
- Product Reviews
Arranti Recyclable Dual Chamber Pouch
It seems our friends at Arranti really don’t like to sit still when it comes to innovation, even during the troubling times of the pandemic. Recognized as the #1 packaging supplier in the sports nutrition industry, we’ve seen Arranti’s packaging being used by many of the top supplement brands for protein bags, labels, and more. We were so impressed when we saw Arranti launch the Dual Chamber Pouch technology, which fans saw in Mutant Mass and Mutant Whey, allowing you to have 2 flavors in one package!
During our interview with Jeff Herrington, President and Founder of Arranti, recapping his time at the Dubai Muscle Show, he mentioned the newest packaging innovation they’re bringing to the sports nutrition industry. He showed us the new Recyclable Dual Chamber Pouch. This will be a 100% recyclable product, which consumers can return to the store to be recycled. The environmentally friendly new packaging will also have a special new finish that is a tactile, rough glaze finish to the exterior of the pouch. Clients have said they’re looking for packaging that is more unique and harder to match, which helps to prevent knock-offs.
That’s not even all that’s in the works. Jeff said that Arranti is already working on compostable packaging coming soon. And within the next 6 to 8 months, they’re working on rolling out Bamboo packaging products. This is a weed that grows like crazy and can be found in abundance. There are strains that can grow up to 3 feet per day. Options for bamboo packaging products we may see include tissue paper, and even rigid products.
Expect to see Jeff and the rest of the Arranti team back at the Dubai Muscle Show in 2022, at the 2022 FIBO in Germany next April, and they also have a great booth planned for the 2022 Arnold Sports Festival. We look forward to seeing all the new innovations coming from Arranti over the next year.
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RUSKIN Sports College raised £150 for charity after taking part in the Macmillan Cancer Relief Biggest Coffee Morning, writes Year 11 pupil Abbey Brooker.
Students at the school raised the money by selling drinks and a large selection of cakes, biscuits and pastries.
Members of staff from the school helped greatly by initially buying or baking the food and drinks on offer.
The pupils sped to the stalls after lessons.
Those who were selling the coffee and cakes were kept very busy collecting the donations from the eager crowds that didn’t seem to be becoming any smaller as break went on.
The students would like to thank the staff, especially Emma Grant, for making the day possible.

domain: news


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HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Beijing officials acknowledged nearly one-fifth of locally produced goods targeted at domestic consumers suffered from quality-control problems and failed to meet safety standards, according to reports.
The admission comes at a time of growing scrutiny over the safety of Chinese products which are exported to overseas markets.
The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, a government consumer safety group, reviewed 114 types of products made by more than 6,300 companies and found that 19.1% of them were substandard, according to The Wall Street Journal, which cited figures published on the department's Web site. The figures were from a study that was done in the first six months of 2007. See Wall Street Journal story (subscription required)
In a separate instance, earlier this week China's Ministry of Health reportedly recalled two brands of diapers popular in rural areas which were contaminated by fungus.
The inspection and quarantine agency said 26 categories of products topped the list for quality problems. These included bottled water, canned fruit, dried fish, linens, and grass-cutting equipment, among others.


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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Police are looking for a man accused of using a skimmer device to steal bank information.
On Friday, police released a surveillance photo of the man suspected in the crime.
A detective showed Channel 9 how small card readers can be. Thieves use pin-sized cameras to record while bankers enter their PINs, police said.
“The PIN makes it so they can easily get cash out of another ATM. They will just copy the card or counterfeit the card,” said CMPD Detective Kevin Stuesse.
Police said they are still looking for the man accused of installing the skimmer at a Huntersville shopping center.


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Burberry said it has become the first fashion brand to team up with gaming streaming platform Twitch to livestream its next fashion show. Instead of a catwalk, Twitch will play host to a browser. A chat function will create a “personal and inclusive experience”, according to the brand.
For Burberry’s spring/summer 2021 show, guests can experience the catwalk show live on the Amazon-owned platform on 17 September 2020. No guests will attend in person and instead, guests will be immersed virtually. Burberry will show various angles of the show at once through one livestreaming window.
Rod Manley, chief marketing officer at Burberry, said in a statement: “Burberry has always been a brand of firsts and partnering with Twitch continues this legacy. Twitch unlocks an exciting new space where our Burberry community can be digitally transported to feel like they have a virtual seat at our live show.”
New York Fashion Week is currently taking place via live stream. Burberry was the first luxury brand to livestream a catwalk show in February 2010.


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Chuck Sudo writes at Chicagoist:
We shouldn’t be shocked that businesses and budding entrepreneurs use historic moments to parlay them into a little bit of scrilla. It’s the American Way. We stopped counting the number of knock off t-shirts printed to commemorate President Obama’s election, or Michael Jackson’s death two years ago, or Sears tying advertising to the recent tornadoes in the South, or the seemingly endless stream of “Never Forget” paraphernalia that still trickles from the 9/11 faucet and businesses that still hold Martin Luther King Day “white sales.” We’re not even shocked that a trove of merchandise and events capitalizing on the Osama bin Laden raid are already up and looking for someone’s discretionary income. We only question the taste of some of the endeavors.
The photo in this post comes from a Miami nightlife promoter who wasted no time in organizing a “Na na na, Hey Hey, Goodbye” party to celebrate bin Laden’s death at a strip club, with the late al Qaeda leader’s image photoshopped onto a flyer with two women we can assume aren’t virgins he met in the afterlife.
Capitalizing on Osama’s death isn’t relegated to just the titty bars. Online t-shirt resource Cafepress.com sent out press releases yesterday declaring themselves a “cultural barometer of public opinion.”
“The CafePress community of 6.5 million users has already created over 1,000 new products in less than 24 hours,” the press release read. That community has already created t-shirts and other tchotchkes with slogans such as: “America: Winning!”; “Sorry it took so long to get you a copy of my birth certificate. I was too busy killing Osama Bin Laden”; “5/1/11: We Remember 9/11”; “Osama Bin Hit”; and “Justice Served.” Perfect for the person in your life who expresses his patriotism with a coffee mug or a baby onesie.
Read the full post at Chicagoist


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LONDON, Sept. 10, 2020
LONDON, Sept. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report "Agriculture IoT Market by Component (Hardware, Software, Services), Application (Precision Farming, Smart Greenhouse, Livestock Monitoring, Smart Irrigation, Others), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2027", published by Meticulous Research®, the agriculture IoT market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.2% from 2020 to reach $32.7 billion by 2027.
Agriculture IoT refers to the adoption of advanced technologies for producing higher yield from farms in order to cater increasing food demands and enhance productivity by optimizing fertilizer use for increased efficiency. Deployment of smart devices based on IoT is changing the way agriculture data is being handled, processed, and delivered. The global agriculture IoT market is witnessing consistent growth owing to the growing use of precision farming techniques and increasing adoption of IoT and cloud-based solutions. In addition, the extensive government initiatives towards encouraging modernized farming techniques, rise in population, increase in demand for high quality food products, and shrinking arable land are driving this market. However, the lack of data privacy and security coupled with lack of internet infrastructure in agriculture industry are some of the key factors restraining the upsurge of the global agriculture IoT market.
Impact of COVID-19 on the Agriculture IoT Market
The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has affected several end-use sectors, as most operations are temporarily suspended across major manufacturing and processing hubs. Prior to the outbreak, industries were actively competitive due to Industry 4.0, which led them to adopt various technologies to a greater extent. The agri-tech sector was also flourishing with the adoption of new techniques, such as IoT and big data analytics. However, with the sudden outbreak of this pandemic, several sectors have stopped their ongoing production and projects, which has affected businesses associated with the incorporation of technology. In addition, the immediate financial impact on farmers has already resulted in a massive reduction of non-essential spending and investments.
Due to the rapid dip in demand and unavailability of raw materials, workforce, and assets, production plans are expected to change on a much higher frequency. This would slow down the adoption of agriculture IoT solutions, as farmers are inclined to manage their business with existing technologies and resources. Furthermore, farmlands that had incorporated agriculture IoT solutions, which exist in the severely affected regions, are expected to explore a proactive deployment of automation technologies to decrease worker density throughout their operations.
Considering the lockdown and restriction across the globe, a moderate decline in the growth of the agriculture IoT market is considered in the 1st quarter of 2020. Post this quarter, farmers are expected to restart their production and ensure maximum usage of agriculture IoT solutions for various applications. Also, the farmlands are enforced to reduce the number of workers working at the same time, which, in turn, will increase the possibilities of usage of agriculture IoT solutions. This is projected to improve the services market for agriculture IoT solutions. Besides, the use of agriculture IoT software solutions that are primarily segmented as data analytics and management is expected to rise to a greater extent, as farmers would start making data-driven decisions for faster growth of their business. Further, the investments in this market are expected to recover at a steady pace, resulting in a market recovery for agriculture IoT solutions from 2022 onwards.
The global agriculture IoT market is segmented on the basis of component (hardware, software, and services), application (precision farming, smart greenhouse, livestock monitoring, smart irrigation and other applications), and geography.
Based on component, the hardware segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the overall agriculture IoT market in 2020. The growing demand for automating agricultural processes and increasing innovative products offered by start-ups are some of the major factors driving the growth of this segment. Also, affordable prices of sensors are triggering the adoption rate of sensing and monitoring devices, which is further expected to accelerate the growth of this segment.
Based on application, the precision farming segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the overall agriculture IoT market in 2020. The factors driving the growth of this segment include extensive government initiatives regarding the incorporation of precision farming techniques and rising adoption of modernized practices to improve farm productivity. Further, the yield monitoring segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the precision farming market in 2020. Yield monitoring helps farmers with adequate information to make educated decisions about their fields by allowing farm equipment, such as smart harvesters and tractors, to collect a huge amount of data, including grain yield, moisture levels, and soil properties, among others.
The agriculture IoT market scope varies greatly across different continents. The reason for this lies in the pace of technological development across different parts of the world. Large number of companies in North America are offering IoT solutions to enhance the agricultural output and leverage the benefits obtained from integrating new technologies, such as 5G and cloud computing with IoT solutions, which help to streamline the agriculture businesses. Presence of majority of established agriculture IoT players and start-ups have boosted the growth of the overall agriculture IoT market for the North American region. With respect to revenue, North America is currently the major market and expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. However, the rising government initiatives towards digitization, strong inclination of businesses and governments toward storing and processing data locally, and growing adoption of agriculture IoT by the farmers in the region are helping Asia Pacific to register the fastest growth in the global agriculture IoT market.
The report also includes extensive assessment of the key strategic developments adopted by the leading market participants in the industry over the past 4 years. The agriculture IoT market has witnessed larger number of new product launches in recent years. For instance, in November 2019, Trimble, Inc. (U.S.) introduced GFX-350™ display and NAV-500™ guidance controller to provide a cost-effective option for farmers. This enabled farmers to adopt the latest precision agriculture technology for their daily operations. Similarly, in June 2019, Komatsu Forest (Japan) launched a product, MaxiVision, that helped the forest machine operators to visualize the state and conditions of the forest. This enabled operators to closely analyse the land and forest conditions and subsequently take further actions in their operations.
The global agriculture IoT market is consolidated and dominated by few major players namely, Deere and Company (U.S.), Trimble Inc. (U.S.), AGCO Corporation (U.S.), Raven Industries (U.S.), Delaval (Sweden), GEA Group (Germany), Agjunction (U.S.), Antelliq (France), Ponsse (Finland), Komatsu Forest (Sweden), Farmer's Edge Inc. (U.S.), The Climate Corporation (U.S.), DICKEY-john (U.S.), and CropMetrics LLC (U.S.) among others.
Scope of the Report:
Market by Component
Market by Application
Market by Geography
Agriculture Drone Market by Product (Hardware (Rotary Blade, Fixed Wing, Hybrid), Software), Application (Precision Agriculture, Livestock Monitoring, Smart Greenhouse, Irrigation, Precision Fish Farming), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2025
Precision Farming Software Market by Delivery Model (Local/Web, Cloud, SaaS, PaaS), Application (Yield Mapping, Crop Scouting, Irrigation Management, Inventory Management, Financial Management), Services Provider, by End-User (Agriculture, Horticulture, Floriculture, Animal Husbandry), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2025
Agriculture Analytics Market by Application (Farm Analytics, Livestock Analytics, and Aquaculture Analytics), Component (Solution and Services), Farm Size (Small, Medium Sized, and Large), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025
Micro Irrigation Systems Market by type (Sprinkler, Drip), Component (Drippers, Polyethylene Tubing, Irrigation Valve, Filters), Crop Type (Plantation Crops, Orchard Crops, Field Crops), Application (Farmers, Government), and Geography- Global Forecast to 2024
Irrigation Controllers Market by Type (Smart Irrigation Controller, Tap Timer, Basic Controllers), Irrigation Type (Sprinkler Irrigation/Sprinkler, Drip Irrigation), And Application (Non-Agricultural And Agriculture)- Global Opportunity Analysis And Industry Forecast (2018–2023)
Digital Transformation Market by Technology (IoT, Cloud, Big Data, AI), Process Transformation (Customer, Operation, Product, Workforce), End-use Industry (Retail, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Insurance), Industry Size - Global Forecast to 2025
About Meticulous Research®
Meticulous Research® was founded in 2010 and incorporated as Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd. in 2013 as a private limited company under the Companies Act, 1956. Since its incorporation, the company has become the leading provider of premium market intelligence in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.
The name of our company defines our services, strengths, and values. Since the inception, we have only thrived to research, analyze and present the critical market data with great attention to details. With the meticulous primary and secondary research techniques, we have built strong capabilities in data collection, interpretation, and analysis of data including qualitative and quantitative research with the finest team of analysts. We design our meticulously analyzed intelligent and value-driven syndicate market research reports, custom studies, quick turnaround research, and consulting solutions to address business challenges of sustainable growth.
Mr. Khushal Bombe
Direct Lines: +1-646-781-8004 (North America)
Visit Our Website: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/
Connect with us on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/meticulous-research
Content Source: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/press-release/medical-image-management-market-2027/472


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Summer Fashion Event To Benefit American Heart Association
On May 19, the hottest ticket in town (and the best deal) will be the Village Arcade Shopping Center’s inaugural Red Hot Summer fashion show, where Houston trendsetters will chill out with a cool cocktail to get a glimpse at this season’s latest warm-weather must-haves at BamBou Lounge in Rice Village from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The show will highlight the latest summer looks from Banana Republic, Chico’s, Em & Lee, Everything but Water, Gap, Gap Body, Gap Kids, Gymboree, Hemline, JoAnn’s, Juliet & Romeo Couture, Soma, Talbots, and White House Black Market.
Tickets are $30 each and include two drinks and sample gourmet foods from some of Village Arcades’ restaurants. The show benefits the American Heart Association (AHA) and its many programs, including the organization’s highly successful Go Red For Women movement to educate women about heart disease and stroke prevention.
Presenting sponsor is Weingarten Realty Investors, owner of the Village Arcade, which is currently home to 32 retailers, 14 restaurants and three spa/salons.
“Weingarten is proud to host an event that not only highlights the great fashions, food and spaces that our tenants at Village Arcade have to offer but also benefits such an important cause–the American Heart Association,” said Jennifer Massey, Weingarten marketing specialist.
“All revenue from ticket sales benefits AHA, so we’re hoping for a huge turn-out for what promises to be a fun event for everyone,” she said.
“This is the second time the American Heart Association has partnered with Weingarten on a fashion show for our organization. Our supporters love it, and we make new friends and build awareness of our important mission … all while having a great night out,” said President of the AHA Guild and popular fashion blogger and Houston marketing Consultant Roz Pactor.
Local celebrity, Rebecca Spera, host of the television show “Mirror/Mirror” will serve as the show’s emcee.
For more information, or to purchase tickets to the show, visit www.ahavillagearcadefashionshow.org, or call 713-610-5000. An after-party follows at BamBou Lounge with Latin dancing and live music.


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FROM THE TECH NEST: Thrillcall Launching New iPhone App
Thrillcall.com, the most comprehensive and accurate online listing of live music events and tickets, has created an iPhone app (coming soon to Android and already launched in SF) to provide all their amazing website features in the palm of live music fans’ hands. The official launch of the LA branch of their city-by-city national rollout is on Wednesday, April 18th.
This app is what every live music fan needs to not only stay in the know about music and upcoming shows but also to grab tickets while on the go. The following launch parties will be taking place in Los Angeles on Thursday, April 19th and Saturday, April 21st:
Thursday, April 19: The Roxy (Nico Vega, Standing Shadows, Loquat and A House For Lions)
Thursday, April 19: The Viper Room (Secondhand Serenade [solo acoustic], DJ FallUp [Dim Mak Records] and Laura Via)
Saturday, April 21: W Hotel (industry event/ASCAP panel) bands include (Ocha La Rocha, Danna Richards, Alexander Cardinale and Native June [acoustic set])
Saturday, April 21: Hard Rock Hollywood (Tournament of Hearts, Purple Crush, Immune and Djinn)


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For Indian Drugmakers, This Is The Best Performing Business During Pandemic
While Indian pharmaceutical firms saw their business grow in the quarter ended June aided by increased demand amid the Covid-19 outbreak, the bulk drug segment was the outperformer.
The active pharmaceutical ingredient business, or raw materials that go into making medicines, benefited from the curbs on imports from China after a border scuffle left around 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese military personnel dead in June.
With China at present supplying more than two-thirds of the bulk drugs that Indian pharma firms use, the companies are now looking to make the most of the disruption in the global supply chain and the shift away from the world’s second-largest economy by ramping up domestic production.
- Growth in gynaecology, pain and anti-diabetic therapies aided growth, Cadila Healthcare said.
- Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd. attributed its performance to opportunities following the supply-chain disruptions.
- Laurus Labs Ltd.—with profit surging more than 10 times in the first quarter—said in an exchange filing that traction in the API categories like anti-diabetic, central nervous system and proton pump inhibitors led to its improved financial performance.
Even larger companies have seen their API business grow in the last two years and expect the trend to continue.
- Divis Laboratories Ltd., the second-largest API player, said in its earnings call the boost to its business was led by shortage in certain segments following the ban on Chinese imports and increased demand for certain therapeutics. Goldman Sachs said in its July report that the company’s growth was due to its top-selling APIs: naproxen sodium (a pain-relief drug), dextromethorpha hydrobromide (cough suppressant) and gabapentin (oral capsule used to treat partial seizures).
- Dr Reddy’s Labs said higher volumes of certain products, increased new product sales and favourable foreign exchange rates aided growth.
- New contracts and better realisations helped Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.’s API business, according to its annual report.
- Granules India Ltd. expanded capacity at one of its key units Bonthapally in Telangana to make paracetamol APIs. It also launched new molecules, including methergine (used to control postpartum haemorrhage), methocarbamol (muscle relaxant) and metformin (used to treat type 2 diabetes) contributed to its growth, it said in its annual report for 2019. The company said in its annual report for 2020 that its API unit-4 in Visakhapatnam has started contributing to Ebitda growth with higher margin products.
- Aarti Drugs Ltd. said at an earnings call that traction in its antibiotic therapeutics—or drugs used to treat bacterial infection like ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and norfloxacin—aided growth in the year ended March.
And companies expect the momentum to sustain.
The active pharmaceutical ingredients market size is slated to grow by $60.56 billion through 2024, Laurus Labs said in its annual report.
Asia was the largest market for APIs in 2019, and the region will continue to offer maximum growth opportunities to market vendors through 2024, the report said. Growing partnerships between Asian API manufacturers and global vendors, along with policy revamp in the region, preferring intellectual properties, will significantly encourage the API market growth in Asia, it said.
India’s API industry is the third-largest globally, and contributes approximately 57% of APIs to the prequalified list of the World Health Organisation, KPMG said in a report in April.
Support From Government
The Indian government’s plan to localise manufacturing of 53 critical APIs and intermediates is expected to provide an impetus to drugmakers as heavy dependence on imports from China was a concern. That stood at 68%, according to KPMG.
According to Goldman Sachs, the market model—which assumes gradual erosion in Chinese imports over the medium term—suggests that the annualised revenue growth rate of domestic API manufacturers would improve by 400 basis points to 14% by 2026.
KPMG also expects the API Industry to grow at an annualised rate of around 8.6% over 2024, signifying its future potential and evolving global importance. The growth will be aided by increased focus on newer geographies, transition to speciality segment and strong domestic demand, it said.


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Who owned Jordans Furniture?
Jordan’s Furniture Co., the Avon-based furniture powerhouse, will be purchased by Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire Hathaway Inc., a holding company controlled by billionaire investor Warren Buffet, for an undisclosed sum. The deal is estimated by analysts to be worth $200 million to $300 million.
Where does Jordan’s Furniture come from?
Jordan’s Furniture is an American furniture retailer in New England….Jordan’s Furniture.
|Founded||Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1918|
|Headquarters||Taunton, Massachusetts , U.S.|
|Key people||Eliot Tatelman Barry Tatelman (until 2006)|
What is the quality of Jordan’s Furniture?
Material Quality Jordan’s Furniture offers a high-end experience for a higher than average price point when it comes to their offerings. Most customers find Jordan’s Furniture pieces to offer fair value for the price with positive feedback about initial quality.
Who owns Jordan’s Furniture Canada?
After years of success, David Jordan-Knox, grandson of Edwin and current President launched a new era with a new flagship store at 1470 West Broadway. This store successfully combines Fine Furnishings and Floor Coverings under one roof as well as our Head Office.
What happened to the other owner of Jordan’s furniture?
BOSTON — Jordan’s Furniture, a Boston retailing legend known for its owners’ campy radio and television advertisements, is being sold to a subsidiary of billionaire Warren Buffett’s company, it was announced yesterday.
Does Elliot still own Jordan’s furniture?
The Tatelman brothers continued to run Jordan’s together until 2006, when Barry left to launch a Broadway production company. Eliot continues to serve as president and CEO.
Does Warren Buffett Own Jordan’s furniture?
Bay State-based Jordan’s Furniture opened its first store in Connecticut the other day, and billionaire Warren Buffett was there for the ribbon-cutting. Buffett, whose company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns Jordan’s, joined the chain’s pony-tailed CEO Eliot Tatelman at the event in New Haven.
Where is Jordan’s furniture headquarters?
East Taunton, Taunton, MAJordan’s Furniture / Headquarters
Is Jordan’s Furniture related to Jordan Marsh?
Tatelman, the president and CEO of Jordan’s Furniture (no relation to Jordan Marsh) noted that his recollections of the iconic village “brought back great family memories.” In 1998, when Macy’s took over Jordan Marsh’s Downtown Crossing location, they sold the Enchanted Village to the city of Boston.
What is BridgeIT?
With the help of our knowledgeable sleep technicians, BridgeIT creates your personal mattress profile by analyzing your sleep position and habits. BridgeIT recommends a few mattresses that match your sleep profile and budget, without making preferences for brand name. You can then try out your mattress recommendations.
What happened to the other Jordan’s furniture guy?
Barry Tatelman, a former longtime resident of Wayland, is leaving the company to pursue show business interests and will help produce a Broadway show and a TV series, his brother Eliot said Thursday.
What happened to Barry and Elliot Jordan’s furniture?
The brothers sold the company to billionaire investor Warren Buffett in 1999, but have continued to run the stores and star in commercials. While Barry Tatelman is venturing into a new career, Eliot said he still enjoys the furniture business.
What happened to Barry from Jordans furniture?
Barry Tatelman, the younger half of the sibling team, Eliot and Barry, of Jordan’s Furniture, had been the public face of the company until his departure in 2006 to pursue a career as a Broadway producer. The brothers’ commercials satirizing other ads have been a staple on local TV stations for 30 years.
What happened to the other Jordan furniture guy?
Tatelman remains busy. Under his production company, Off the Couch Productions, he is set to produce his latest project – a stage adaptation of the 1990 film, “Crazy People,” starring Daryl Hannah and Dudley Moore.
Who is the CEO of Jordan’s furniture?
Eliot Tatelman (1972–)Jordan’s Furniture / CEO
When did Jordan Marsh go out of business?
Allied also operated a separate group of stores in Florida called Jordan Marsh Florida, which was disbanded in 1991….Jordan Marsh.
|Fate||Bankruptcy, acquired by Macy’s|
|Headquarters||Boston, Massachusetts Miami, Florida|
When did Jordan Marsh close?
1996Jordan Marsh / Ceased operations
Does Jordan’s Furniture Call before delivery?
Are You Prepared? We will call you 2 days before with a 3-hour assigned time frame, which cannot be changed. Please note: Due to ferry schedules and additional delivery complications, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket customers will receive an 8 hour time frame between 8am and 4pm that cannot be changed.
What happened to the second Jordan’s furniture brother?
What happened to the other Jordan furniture brother?


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Talk Fusion received the communications solutions products of the Year award for its video chat service last August. The award recognizes voice, data, and video communication products and services that have been grown exponentially in the previous year. This award was the second one that Talk Fusion received from the Technology Marketing Corporation in 2016. Rich Tehrani is the CEO of TMC. Rich said that he was honored to announce Talk Fusion as the winners of the prestigious award. He recognized the company’s position in the communications industry and the innovative products that they developed.
The Video Chat product was developed using WebRTC technology. It allows anyone to communicate face-to-face using any device. The app is available on Google Play and iTunes. It has been praised for its simplicity. The full version of the product had only been live for five months at the time when the company was honored with the award. Bob Reina is the CEO and founder of Talk Fusion. He said that it was only the beginning and that they had huge plans for the future of the product. Rich stated that the company was dedicated to staying at the top of the industry through the video-chat app. He finished by saying that this was only the first step in the development of a complete video marketing solution.
Ryan Page is the chief technology officer. He stated that the award was a confirmation of the innovative nature of the company. He said that the award was priceless and added that the processes that Talk Fusion used were responsible for the achievement. Last year was a big one for the company. It saw them release various products. They released a WebRTC recorder and an instant payments site. Talk Fusion is a company based in Florida. It offers video marketing solutions. The company was started in 2007. It was the first company to introduce an instant payment compensation plan. Talk Fusion prides itself on upholding ethics when conducting business. It is a member of the direct selling association. The company has a team of independent associates who market its products in more than a hundred countries.


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App developers are facing increasing scrutiny from clients who want to make sure that there is no breach in privacy
A low-cost revolution is showing in the kind of apps Indians are downloading: they are shopping, ordering food, hailing taxis and dating on apps.
Robosoft recently released a banking solution called Kuber that helps co-operative banks quickly set up a mobile banking experience and offer it to their customers.
Four-hundred kilometres to the south, in the coastal town of Udupi, Rohith Bhat, Robosoft’s founder, had a very pragmatic reason for shifting from Mumbai.
Indian app developers are excited about working with senior Apple executives at the proposed design and development accelerator in Bengaluru
Robosoft, Codecraft, Chipsy and relatively smaller firms like Wristcode are hiring these code jocks for their customers, globally
With 35% users each in the US and Asia Pacific region and the remaining in Europe, 99Games is one of the first Indian gaming studios to hit this success.
Robosoft will use the money to hive off its subsidiaries 99Games and Global Delight as separate companies, as well as to expand its services and products


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Consumer virtual reality has been available since 2016. While striking up lots of positive coverage upon release, the excitement for VR has died down since. At E3 2018, VR is alive and well, though it’s not the paradigm shift some though it could be.
Two of the three main producers of VR had a presence at E3 this year: Sony with its Playstation VR and Oculus with its Rift, and each had something to show off during their press conferences.
Bethesda made it clear during their conference that VR is one of their priorities they are interested in exploring further. In 2017, Bethesda released Doom VFR, Fallout 4 VR and Skyrim VR. Bethesda, even though they are not a first party studio, have shown the biggest commitment to the medium. They announced a new VR game on stage this year. Pete Hines, the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Bethesda, announced Wolfenstein: Cyber Pilot, a new VR title set in the Wolfenstein world.
He also announced that the new downloadable content for 2017’s Prey, Typhon Hunter, would be receiving a port to VR headsets. Later in the conference Todd Howard, Director of the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series, confirmed that its upcoming Elder Scrolls: Blades would be available for PC VR along with crossplay to mobile.
During its show, Bethesda announced seven brand new titles and three of them were either exclusively VR or included VR support.
Ubisoft, another studio not working on VR hardware, had a little something to show in the VR space on it’s stage. In partnership with Elijah Woods’ SpectreVision studio, Ubisoft showed off a new trailer for Transference, a game originally announced in 2017. Ubisoft has worked on several VR games in the past, including Eagle Flight and Star Trek: Bridge Crew.
Ubisoft even has one title that didn’t make an appearance at E3. Space Junkies from Ubisoft Montpellier. The game is still in development with no confirmed release date. The commitment to keep VR a part of the conversation showed Ubisoft is open to working in the VR gamespace.
The conference with the most to say about virtual reality was Playstation, due to it having its own dedicated VR hardware. In the days ahead of E3 Playstation made one new announcement every day. During this run up, VR was very prominently shown off.
June 6th saw the announcement of Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s new game Tetris Effect, playable with or without the PSVR. June 9th saw the new game from Zoink! studios Ghost Giant. The next day saw confirmation that Beat Saber from Hyperbolic Magnetism would be coming to the VR platform.
Trover Saves the Universe was revealed during Playstation’s stage show as a VR compatible title. It’s the newest title from Squanch games, developers of Rick and Morty: Virtual Rickality and Accounting+.
Finally during Sony’s post show coverage they had one last surprise for VR owners. From Software is working on a new game entitled Déraciné. Not much is known about Déraciné other than it will be a first person exploration game with elements of time travel.
The only other conference to have any mention of virtual reality was the PC Gaming Show. Oculus came out and showed off Stormland, developed by Insomniac Games. With Oculus being one of the sponsors of the PC Gaming Show it was surprising there was only one VR announcement.
While virtual reality has not set the world on fire, it’s a new technology with potential that developers are only beginning to unlock. Content from dedicated studios has not slowed down and the quality of these titles has only increased. Games like Beat Saber continue to bring new audiences to the medium and as that audience grows, so too does publishers desire to contribute the space.


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House of Fraser will open its first UK store in almost a decade today, anchoring the new Rushden Lakes development in Northamptonshire.
The 64,000 sq ft space will be the first to showcase’s HoF’s new experiential vision for its future, which new chief executive Alex Williamson will be charged with developing and executing.
The £12m space features a champagne bar and restaurant overlooking the nearby lake as well as a standard Café Nero concession and a Hamley’s shop-in-shop. The historic toyshop has links with HoF via its shared chairman Frank Slevin and its Chinese ownership.
This is not the only new store that House of Fraser has been busy working on however. A new store anchoring a £300m development in Chester is planned for 2021.


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DevCom visited the IT Arena – one of the largest tech conferences in Eastern Europe, which took place this year offline on 30 September – 1 October in Lviv.
About IT Arena
Since 2014, the IT Arena has gathered the global tech community in Lviv.
More than 5,000 tech professionals from more than 40 countries visit the IT Arena annually. Among them are representatives of global technology companies.
This event once again provided a unique opportunity for leaders of the tech industry and international media to discuss the most relevant topics and learn about modern technologies.
As part of the event, on October 1, the final of the Startup Competition 2022 was held at the Lviv National Opera. The most essential thing is that the market is developing, and investors are looking for promising ideas.
DevCom is a full-service software development company headquartered in Florida, USA.
Main areas of expertise: Software and application development for ISVs and companies of all sizes, from small businesses to international groups.
The company provides a full range of IT consulting services, from developing a product idea to its final implementation. Specializes in Cloud / DevOps, Web / Mobile / Desktop, SaaS, BI / Analytics and UI / UX, focusing on five main market segments – healthcare, logistics, fintech, retail and non-profit organizations.
Read more about the IT company DevCom here.
Two days of intense discussions
The two-day event brought together international tech experts, tech companies management, government officials, media & influencers for an offline event.
During the IT Arena, participants had many opportunities to learn about trends in the tech industry, establish long-term business relationships and share ideas about the future of technology.


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Seth Farbman is saying goodbye to Spotify.
The company’s CMO, who has been in the position for three and a half years, will be leaving the post at the end of September to “pursue other opportunities.” Until then, he will play a role in the transition. The news was announced in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing.
“I came to Spotify to build a world class marketing organization and establish the Spotify brand as the leader in music, culture and innovation,” Farbman said in a statement that accompanied the SEC filing. “By all measures, we’ve achieved those goals, but we’ve also done something most companies only dream of doing—we’ve turned affinity for the Spotify experience into love for the brand. I have all the confidence in the creative, capable team in place.”
Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek thanked Farbman in the filing for his “hard work” during his tenure and said he played “a pivotal role in establishing our brand around the globe and building the remarkable team that will carry us into the future.”
Under Farbman’s leadership, Spotify has produced several memorable campaigns, most notably those that leaned on the music streaming service’s user data with humorous results. Others included a collaboration with director David Fincher and a subway station takeover that paid homage to David Bowie. Before moving to Spotify, Farbman served as CMO of Gap.
Spotify has not announced who Farbman’s replacement will be. The company declined to provide additional comment.


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Digital Entertainment Asset (DEA) wants to disrupt traditional ad using blockchain technology.
Answer-to-Earn is a new business model in the Web3 gaming space. This is a model that enables companies in the space to promote their services among GameFi users. A May 24 press release by the Singapore-based Digital Entertainment Asset (DEA) said that the company has developed the Anser-to-Earn model to help GameFi projects promote their services to players.
The proof-of-concept initiative built on PlayMining will enable companies in the Web3 space to conduct quizzes and surveys. Participating players in the GameFi space will be rewarded with cryptocurrencies and NFTs for their efforts.
Scheduled for launch in Q3 of 2023
The service, which has been scheduled for launch in Q3 of 2023, is inviting companies and entities to be a part of the Web3 advertising initiative.
Naohito Yoshida, the co-founder of DEA, said that the evolution of answer-to-earn is a natural sequence to the play-to-earn concept. He added that the company will ensure that the former is designed to be “more approachable than traditional GameFi. He said that people wouldn’t need to be knowledgeable about cryptocurrency wallets, blockchain technology, or even Web3 to participate in X-2-Earn.
DEAP tickets for lottery
He said that the simplicity of the service would be such that all the user needed to do was login and select a quiz category. After completing the quiz, the user is rewarded with DEAP tickets. The ticket entitles them to participate in a lottery. The lottery winner would receive DEAPcoin ($DEP).
The release said that the company is partnering with other entities to make the service available to a large userbase and not just the PlayMining community. DEA said that it has already confirmed the first client interested in the proof-of-concept initiative. It is Eole Inc., a Japanese survey app company whose product is “Rakuraku Renrakumou.”
A new form of income for more people
The DEA said that this initiative is designed to disrupt online advertising.
“Gamification and Web3 incentives can make ads a new form of income for more people,” said DEA CSO Tatsuya Kohrogi. Being in control of the information and preferences you provide to the platform and being rewarded a portion of the advertising fees for participating is a new model and opens up opportunities for users and advertisers.”
He added that the company will create a more useful ad experience, not just for the 2.7 million members of the PlayMining community but for ‘others’ who share in the ad revenue.


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Cannabis investments continue to break records in 2019, but is it a trend that can keep pace in a rapidly evolving industry?
Join us Thursday, Feb. 21, at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT for an MJBizDaily Investor Intelligence Webcast with Viridian Capital Advisors.
In this webcast, Scott Greiper and Harrison Phillips will share data on trends related to cannabis capital raises, M&A transactions and IPOs and reverse takeovers/mergers, including deal terms, structures and valuations as well as key sectors and geographies
This post is from Marijuana Business Daily. We encourage our readers to continue reading the full article from the original source here.


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Amazon and Viacom announced a new multi-year licensing agreement on Tuesday that brings thousands of episodes Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., MTV and Comedy Central shows to Amazon Prime. The deal is an expansion of a previous deal Viacom and Amazon signed in 2012, and comes in the wake of the loss of Viacom content from streaming rival Netflix.
While the terms of the new agreement weren't disclosed, people familiar with the deal told Mashable that it was "in the hundreds of millions" and classified it as Amazon's biggest content deal to date.
And good news for European users: Amazon Lovefilm customers in Germany and the UK will be getting some of these shows later this summer. Given the difficulties of international content deals, it's impressive that Amazon will be able to offer a subset of programming to its customers outside the United States.
While content from across Viacom's networks are included in the deal, Amazon is putting special focus on its offerings for kids.
"Kids shows are one of the most watched TV genres on Prime Instant Video," said Bill Carr, Amazon's VP of digital video and music, in a statement about the deal.
Amazon Prime users will have full access to the Nick and Nick Jr. shows, and select shows from Nick and Nick Jr. will be available on Kindle FreeTime Unlimited — a service our own Pete Pachal has called "Amazon's secret weapon." Kindle FreeTime Unlimited is a cheaper subscription offering for Kindle Fire owners that gives them access to an assortment of kid-friendly video programming.
Amazon Prime Instant is available on the web, as well as Roku, iOS, Kindle Fire, Xbox, PlayStation 3 and a number of smart TVs and Blu-ray players.
Do these new shows make you more likely to consider an Amazon Prime subscription? Let us know in the comments. As for me, I'm off to watch Teen Mom 2.
Image courtesy of Nickelodeon


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What to Know
- The outdoor movie series will include a drive-in favorite and in-person, socially distanced events
- Various locations, including Verdugo Park in Glendale and King Gillette Ranch in Malibu
- Artisanal street eats and live music will also return
Coming across Jurassic-style high jinks in a beautiful, tree-dotted setting?
You might want to have your running shoes ready, and not wear anything too shiny or reflective, lest you catch a raptor's eye.
But for plenty of people who adore prehistoric adventure, the kind that plays out so thrillingly on the big screen, a visit to King Gillette Ranch in Malibu on May 15 will be all about relaxing (not running) and savoring some scaly-clawed cinema.
Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
For "Jurassic Park" is stomping onto the drive-in scene, a sizable sign the one of Southern California's major outdoor movie series is back and ready to entertain in airy and spacious settings.
That series? It would be Street Food Cinema, the taco-it-up, enjoy-some-tunes, take-in-a-movie happening that has become a summertime staple over the last decade.
Well, yes, 2020 did change that up that pattern, for a time, but the summer of 2021 is looking brighter for safely observed outdoor pursuits, including the enjoying of classic blockbuster and fan-fave films.
Note that “Jurassic Park” will be a drive-in treat, while movies still to come will be in-person affairs (just check the schedule).
At those nights, attendees will be well-spaced before the screen and event organizers will be observing a number of safety protocols, including contactless check-in.
A chance to savor sublime street fare, long a sup-tastic centerpiece to the series, is back, too, as is live music.
As for the films and locations on the 2021 line-up?
"Jurassic Park" starts its all off with a T. Rex-sized roar on May 15, as mentioned, while "Black Panther," "Dirty Dancing," and other favorite flicks will roll out as June deepens.
You can buy a ticket for pod, if you wish: The price for a two-person pod is $46, while a single adult ticket is $23.
Find the full slate of films here, plus prices and details, then stay tuned for more announcements about music acts, food trucks, and what this SoCal cinematic gem has in store for later in the summer.


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Digital banking has gained a lot of space here in Brazil, but do you know why?
After the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses closed and even went bankrupt, for a period, chaos settled over the Brazilian territory and the country lived many days of uncertainty and challenges. With the crisis brought by the pandemic, default rates rose, credit interest rates also went up, and people, especially those from lower classes, were increasingly running out of credit options. The bureaucracy of having to leave home to resolve some financial issue at the bank branch made the situation even more complicated, as many people were prevented from leaving their homes.
So, in the face of this rather scary scenario in the country, entrepreneurs saw one (or many) gaps that fit a new business: digital banks! The fintechs emerged and gained strength during the pandemic period precisely because they offered what traditional banks could not: lower credit rates, and more ease in time to solve anything without leaving home, just by accessing an application, which in turn was complete and with several functions.
Because of the ease brought by digital banking, people have embraced this new model of banking. And, it worked! Traditional banks, for a while, were losing ground among customers, and even had to rethink their strategies and redesign their apps, and completely change the way they communicated with their customers. Of course, since it was the digital banks that provided the BaaS technology so that the digital banks could actually function as financial institutions, they were never going to lose the space they had gained over many years in the financial sector. However, customers' preference for digital banking has caused traditional banks to rethink their operations.
This movement transformed the entire financial and banking industry: banks were almost forced to embrace Digital Transformation, while new fintechs and digital banks grew and gained more and more space among the Brazilian population. According to the survey "Digital Onboarding Ranking 2021", 75% of Brazilians prioritize opening accounts in digital banks, while 75.8% of Brazilians would trade traditional banks for digital banks because of the easier bureaucracy.
As an efficient and innovative answer to meet the demands of the banking industry amidst Digital Transformationthe Banking as a Service (BaaS) solution empowers traditional banks and fintechs to adopt agile and scalable digital models, strengthening their market position and meeting customers' growing expectations.
By adopting the GWCloud solution, banks can rely on a complete and integrated platform that offers essential features for digital banking, such as online account opening, payment processing, transaction management and customer engagement services. With an intuitive and user-friendly interface, users have the convenience of performing all their financial activities from the comfort of their homes, using mobile applications or web platforms.
In addition, the solution enables the reduction of operational and bureaucratic costs, thanks to the automation of processes and the elimination of the need to physically travel to the bank branches. This brings greater financial accessibility to the lower strata of the population, who often face difficulties in obtaining credit or accessing traditional financial services.


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Amazon’s Echo might have had a go-g0 2017, but the web giant’s smart assistant could just be getting started.
And to keep momentum up, Amazon is reportedly courting potential advertisers for its Alexa voice platform.
Generally, companies looking for some Echo exposure have developed Alexa skills, software add-ons that convey consumer information and news, or connect to outside apps. Now the company might be ready to let sponsors promote products directly through Alexa. According to CNBC, Amazon is in talks with large consumer goods companies such as Procter & Gamble regarding Alexa ads.
An Amazon spokeswoman told WWD, “There are no plans to add advertising to Alexa.” And P&G did not immediately respond to WWD queries on the topic Tuesday afternoon.
But if Amazon is able to build out a sizable voice commerce business, experts believe ads in some form or another could ultimately follow.
Voice ads could show up as search results from Alexa, whenever a user conducts a related product search. Or it could be a promoted recommendation whenever someone asks, “How do I clean a red wine stain?” or “What’s the best skin-care routine for combination skin?”
The time may be ripe for Amazon, as consumer interest in its smart speakers grows. The Echo Dot, the most affordable model, swept Amazon’s holiday sales chart as the best-selling product on the marketplace. The retailer said it sold “tens of millions” of Echo devices, and analysts believe Alexa will accelerate commerce sales by $10 billion to $11 billion in 2020.
In a note to investors last month, RBC analyst Mark Mahaney wrote, “With tens of millions of users and 20,000-plus skills, we see Alexa’s value prop as becoming increasingly powerful, as awareness and ownership ramp.”
That’s music to Amazon’s ears. Despite its dominion over online commerce, the company ranks fifth for digital advertising across U.S. companies, according to eMarketer. Sponsored listings on its site make up most of its ad business, and they are estimated to increase 42 percent next year, drawing $2.4 billion — impressive growth, but the ad portion of the business is still much smaller than Google’s, which clocks in at $40.1 billion, and Facebook’s, which rings in at $21.6 billion.
That’s an enormous gap, and even if Mahaney’s right, Alexa advertisements alone won’t be enough to close it anytime soon. But if this new ad model gets traction — without irritating consumers or diminishing the user experience — it could set off a voice advertising race across the category.
And that could make 2018 the year Alexa ads really get under way, speeding voice commerce right along with it.


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By Kevin O’Toole, Managing Director, Sky Connect
In the last 18 months, we went from bricks and mortar, to click and order.
And whilst moving bricks and mortar businesses to online out of necessity during the course of the pandemic was no easy feat, we’ve seen SMBs innovating to create new digital products and services that better serve their customers (whether online, or offline). And it’s working. According to a survey from Sky Connect, 79% of small British businesses noted that they have had to adapt their business model as a result of the pandemic, whilst three quarters (75%) also said that they feel optimistic about the future of the company.
Part of this resilience stems from businesses investing in the right tools and technology to adapt. In fact, according to a report from McKinsey and Company which looked into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on technology adoption and digital transformation, more than half of companies said they were investing in technology for competitive advantage, or refocusing their entire business around digital technologies.
Despite these successes, challenges remain. As Britain’s bricks and mortar SMBs grow their digital offerings alongside their physical presence – be it products or services – we’re witnessing increased pressure on broadband services to deliver a fast and reliable service.
The good news is, by working with the right provider and putting customers at the heart of the decision-making process, SMBs can continue to reap the rewards of their innovation.
A new kind of strain on our digital infrastructure
Whilst network providers are trained to cope with sudden bursts and surges in web traffic – such as for streaming big sporting moments – this ‘surge’ in internet traffic is here to stay as the lines between the online and physical world become more blurred.
Customer behaviour is changing. E-commerce has become vital for businesses to reach their customer-base and improve revenue. For businesses to remain competitive, they’ll need the infrastructure that allows them to deliver a quality online service, at speed. That means reliable, high-speed connections are required to enable payments, support online sessions and facilitate virtual experiences.
Therefore, as we look to the longevity and success of SMBs post-pandemic, these businesses are under increased pressure to increase investment in customer-centric broadband services over the coming 12-18 months.
Adopt and adapt
This is an industry wide trend. Let’s take the fitness industry as an example of an SMB adapting to deliver a seamless experience for customers. At the peak of the pandemic, gym chains were vulnerable to losing customers. Unable to leave the comfort of their own homes, consumers were looking for new ways to keep fit and motivated. Gym chains like Pure Gym pivoted their business model in order to deliver their once in-person gym classes to their community of consumers online. Making these available on-demand gave consumers the flexibility to work out on their own schedule. For this to be successful, this video content had to be delivered across a quality broadband service.
Experience vs price
Networks have never been more important than they are right now. For SMBs continuing to innovate and adapt their product offering, we recommend:
- Working with a broadband provider that delivers a technology driven service which is relevant and accessible – from offering full fibre, fast broadband services, to 4G back-up, its about ensuring you’re equipped with a service that delivers a reliable and consistent service to customers
- Opting for broadband speed, reliability and customer service over price – whilst we’re all looking for the cheapest deal, opting for a package at a lower cost often means a lower quality service. This can lose you business. Invest for long-term success
- Putting your customers at the heart of your decision making – by ensuring you understand what your customers need and opting for a service that allows you to flex to these demands
Small business broadband is at risk of becoming a ‘race to the bottom’ with cut-price vendors driving down prices to unsustainably low levels, whilst under-investing in customer service and technology.
Quality, reliable internet access is critical to so many aspects of running a small business, from payments, to marketing and customer service. To thrive, grow and win new customers, it will be vital that SMBs focus on avoiding expensive and embarrassing outages, by investing in a broadband service that allows them to deliver a reliable and speedy service. Afterall, it’s their reputation on the line.


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Global revenue for online TV and video over fixed broadband networks will reach US$34.99 billion in 2018, according to new forecasts by Digital TV Research.
The research predicts revenues in this space to almost double in the next five years, with the revenue to climb from just US$3.98 billion recorded in 2010 and an expected US$15.94 billion in 2013.
Online TV and video advertising is expected to help drive this growth, contributing revenues of US$7.4 billion in 2013 and US$16.4 billion in 2018. However, advertising’s share of total OTT revenues is tipped to fall from 60.6% in 2010 to 46.9% in 2018.
The fastest growing OTT revenue stream will be subscription video-on-demand, said Digital TV Research, claiming that while the likes of Netflix and Hulu Plus are well established in North America, international markets have so far been “relatively untouched”.
It predicts that SVOD revenues will climb from US$1 billion in 2010 to $6 billion in 2013 and $13 billion in 2018, with the number of homes paying a monthly fee for online video to reach 67.8 million by end-2013 and160.6 million in 2018.
This will “stifle the pay-per-view or rental market somewhat,” said the research, though these revenues are still expected to climb from $207 million in 2010 to $2.10 billion in 2018.
“The OTT TV sector is on the brink of a huge take-off as the key players expand internationally, broadband penetration increases, technology advances and as new partnerships are announced on a daily basis,” said Simon Murray, principal analyst at Digital TV Research.
By 2018, 520 million homes in 40 countries will watch both paid-for and ad-supported online television and video, up from 182 million in 2010, according to the forecast.


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Of course, it’s easy to puzzle at the juxtaposition of traditional sexual morality (“I fell for the greatest feminist lie: casual sex has no consequences,” one story declares) alongside adulatory coverage of a president who wasn’t known for his fidelity (a dating piece is illustrated by a photo of Donald and Melania Trump). And it’s easier still to make fun of the abject fawning over Trump world celebrities — though it’s not clear if the worshipful tone is any gentler than the standard celeb mini-profile in one of the legacy fashion magazines Franklin and Redfield disdain.
Franklin, who did a summer program at Conde Nast and once thought she’d go into the fashion industry, says she feels particularly alienated by women’s magazines. “The stuff they were writing in these magazines, whether it was BLM or a lot of pretty far left social advice, it didn’t reflect my values,” she says. “They do a ton of headlines that are outrageous — sex this, sex that, I had an orgy with seven guys.”
There were also sins of omission, in Redfield’s telling. “A lot of us on The Conservateur really admired the beautiful women who worked for Trump. And they never got their due in the fashion media. We were outraged that one of the most beautiful first ladies in American history did not have her time to shine as had been done before in Vogue. So we ditched our subscriptions and got to writing.”
The Conservateur’s sense of its niche also represents a certain amount of culture change in the capital, where ambitious post-collegiates working in politics once had relatively similar (square) tastes, whatever their ideology. Like the rest of the country, we’ve drifted further apart, even if, unlike the rest of the country, people in the game are still much more likely to encounter members of the other team as they go about their jobs.
Under her own byline and on social media, Franklin can come off as a censorious culture warrior. “I just don’t understand how so many people think it’s normal to bring their children to these creepy, perverted, and bizarre drag shows,” she tweeted this week. But in conversation, she profiles like an optimistic and relatively down-to-earth businesswoman, albeit one who has the odd tic of referring to herself and her adult female colleagues and readers as “girls.” At 24, she’s been married a year (she met her husband on the Trump campaign, where he did outreach to Evangelicals) and is currently expecting their first child, a daughter. The business, she says, will work if it can stay useful. “We like to just give general advice — hey, you have an internship, what should you wear. We’re about to release our fall fashion guide this week.”
For the record, fashion is one place where the platform’s house style differs from that of the Trumps. “The Conservateur girl style is all-American rather than more European,” Franklin says. “That’s definitely our brand.” This fall’s musts: knit dresses, tube dresses, cowboy boots, white tanks, blue jeans, loafers, and charm necklaces. She’s also into cowboy hats. Ivanka’s look, it ain’t.
Franklin and Redfield wouldn’t be the first D.C. types to launch a publication that aims to focus on general-interest subjects with a we-just-happen-to-be-conservative identity. The Daily Caller once promised high-minded rigor. IJR was going to be full of memes and fun. But the demands of traffic were hard to resist in a culture where the market rewards rage-stoking. Both companies wound up with much darker, meaner reputations. (In Why We Did It, his new book on the descent of conservatism, oppo-staffer-turned-GOP-apostate Tim Miller vividly chronicles IJR’s fall away from the “balanced-diet content strategy” toward harsher, incendiary “digital heroin.”)
Franklin says that if it goes that far, she’d prefer a subscription model, something that creates less pressure toward clickbait. “We’re builders, not wreckers,” Redfield adds. But a site with stories like “The Case for Resisting Vaccine Peer Pressure” also can play in the rougher neighborhoods of the Internet even without a nudge from the traffic gods. Conversations tend to hop from fashion and magazine-making to what’s best for the team. “We were very careful at the beginning to make sure we framed the conservative movement in the best light possible,” Franklin tells me. They were recently invited to meet with Mike Pence to discuss the future of the pro-life movement.
But worrying about things that might upset the mix is all down the road a bit. For now, they’re busy trying to line up the new cover girl. The Lara Trump piece was a smash, their highest-traffic item; it also sent a bunch of traffic to their merchandise store when Trump posed in one of the Conservateur hats. Next up for a luxe photo shoot, they hope: Kristi Noem, the Trump-aligned governor of South Dakota.
Soruce : https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/09/02/a-right-wing-answer-to-vogue-00054520


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Billionaires contribute daily to the “common good”—not only through charity, but through human ingenuity and the progress and prosperity that produces for all of us.
By Kerry McDonald – May 9, 2020
I ran into a neighbor on the street the other day and we chatted about life at home during COVID-19 and how we are all coping with social distancing. I mentioned how grateful I am that our nearby Whole Foods market seems well-stocked (except for toilet paper).
She made a comment about how billionaires like Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, which also owns Whole Foods, should really be less greedy and share their wealth. (She didn’t know that Bezos has donated $100 million to US food banks during the pandemic, but charity is beside the point.)
The dominant narrative that billionaires are greedy and big companies like Amazon are monopolistic, exploitative tyrants is not only misguided but deeply troubling for the future of prosperity and human progress. This rhetoric is nothing new. Successful businesspeople have long been smeared as robber barons who take and take, detracting from the “common good.” But this rhetoric and these smear campaigns fail to recognize just how much these billionaires give. And I don’t mean give in terms of charity.
They give by doing, by building, by creating, by inventing. They give by making products or offering services that people want to buy at a price they want to pay in pursuit of things they want to do, and employing thousands of people who choose to work for a wage they choose to accept.
They give by creating value for people, free of force and in an open marketplace of voluntary exchange. In the case of Amazon and Bezos, it got big and he got wealthy by building a superior product that millions of people freely choose to use because they can get goods they want at lower prices and faster speeds, freeing up their precious time and resources to devote to their own personal pursuits.
Amazon is a marvel of modern enterprise, and is one of the few companies keeping our emaciated economy from completely collapsing during this public health shutdown. Instead of disdain, the people who built these companies deserve our respect and appreciation. They are the builders and the creators, the thinkers and the doers. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt reinforced this point recently in a virtual presentation to the Economic Club of New York. He said:
Think about what your life would be like in America without Amazon, for example. The benefit of these corporations — which we love to malign — in terms of the ability to communicate … the ability to get information, is profound — and I hope people will remember that when this thing is finally over. So let’s be a little bit grateful that these companies got the capital, did the investment, built the tools that we’re using now and have really helped us out. Imagine having the same reality of this pandemic without these tools.
Yes, imagine. In her classic book, Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand did just that, showing what life would be like if we mistake success for greed, achievement for exploitation, and progress for oppression. Billionaires, like Bezos, who have built great companies contribute daily to the “common good”—not only through charity, but through human ingenuity and the progress and prosperity that produces for all of us. During this pandemic, Audible, an Amazon company, is offering hundreds of its children’s audiobooks, and many of its adult books as well, for free. Atlas Shrugged is one of them.
We can, and should, balk at attempts to corrupt the process of voluntary exchange when business and government become entangled. That isn’t capitalism, it’s cronyism and it poisons the promise of free markets.
Economist Dan Mitchell describes the difference as being pro-market or pro-business, with the former acting as a champion of free enterprise and trade while the latter relies on government handouts and business buffers in the form of subsidies and bailouts.
Government officials trying to woo Amazon with subsidies and preferential treatment to build additional headquarters in a particular city is an obvious example of being pro-business at the expense of a dynamic free market.
Entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos assume enormous risk and invest significant time, energy, and resources into inventing products and services that people want and need. They spot an opportunity to create value for others, and build a business around that idea using their own originality and will. If they succeed in creating something that others value, they will be rewarded financially; but even Jeff Bezos isn’t as rich as you think. Most billionaire wealth is inextricably linked to the companies they built, continuing to generate value for others, continuing to give.
Kerry McDonald is a Senior Education Fellow at FEE and author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom (Chicago Review Press, 2019). She is also an adjunct scholar at The Cato Institute and a regular Forbes contributor. Kerry has a B.A. in economics from Bowdoin College and an M.Ed. in education policy from Harvard University. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband and four children. You can sign up for her weekly newsletter on parenting and education here.


text: 2017 was a record year — but unfortunately not for a reason we should celebrate. More stores closed in the US in that period of 12 months than any other year on record. Last year’s closures even managed to beat the previous record of 6,163 store closings in 2008 — mid-financial crisis. Why, then would any digital-native brand ever think about opening a brick-and-mortar store in this climate? Ecommerce is the future, right? Well, not exactly. Ecommerce giant Amazon reported sales of $1.27 billion for its brick-and-mortar stores, while digital-only ecommerce brands like Bonobos and Warby Parker doubled down on their investment in physical stores as well. Everyone is talking about stores closing, but at the same time, some of the most successful ecommerce brands are shifting offline to in-store. What would drive successful digital-native brands to follow what seems like a risky expansion strategy? There’s a very simple reason: it works.


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Digital TV News: Vimeo
True Royalty TV scales D2C service with Vimeo OTT technology
Oct 29, 2019 – True Royalty TV has announced that it is using Vimeo’s OTT technology to accelerate its direct-to-consumer business. Vimeo now powers True Royalty TV in all markets, including the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
News categories: Vimeo, True Royalty TV, Kathleen Barrett, Gregor Angus, Apps, Australia, Canada, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Ireland, New Zealand, OTT, UK, USA
Worldwide TV shipment growth hits 8-year high
Jul 1, 2019 – Worldwide TV shipments are riding high, ending 2018 with the strongest growth rate this decade, with value up by 6%, according to Futuresource Consulting. 8K shipments will grow from 0.2 million units in 2019 with a 130% CAGR through to 2023.
News categories: Futuresource Consulting, Matthew Rubin, Digital TV, Market Research, Smart TV, Worldwide
Vimeo adds support for AV1 codec
Jun 13, 2019 – Vimeo has announced support for royalty-free video codec, AV1. The AV1 codec enables high-definition and ultra-high-definition video content to be streamed to audiences at a reduced bitrate without compromising visual quality.
News categories: Vimeo, Naren Venkataraman, Vittorio Giovara, Nathan Egge, Content Distribution, Digital TV, OTT, Worldwide
U.S. broadband households watch two hours of alternative content on a computer each week
Jul 12, 2018 – Research from Parks Associates reveals that U.S. broadband households watch an average of two hours of alternative content on a computer each week from sources including Facebook, SnapChat, YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion.
News categories: Parks Associates, Brett Sappington, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT, USA
Vimeo to acquire Livestream and launch Vimeo Live
Sep 26, 2017 – Vimeo has announced an agreement to acquire Livestream, the leading live video solution. Vimeo also rolled out its own Vimeo Live product, offering professional live streaming capabilities directly through its platform for the first time.
News categories: Vimeo, Livestream, Anjali Sud, Mark Kornfilt, Digital TV, MnA, OTT, Worldwide
Vimeo helps power two Lionsgate OTT offerings
Sep 6, 2017 – Vimeo has announced that its video technology will help power two of Lionsgate’s over-the-top (OTT) offerings, the Laugh Out Loud comedy service and the Tribeca Shortlist streaming service for movie lovers.
News categories: Vimeo, Lionsgate, Kathleen Barrett, Julie Uhrman, Apps, Digital TV, OTT, USA
Vimeo ups speed with Akamai Media Acceleration
Mar 21, 2017 – Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM) has announced the availability of Akamai Media Acceleration, designed to improve viewing experiences for OTT video consumers and accelerate video game and other software downloads.
News categories: Akamai, Vimeo, Scott Brown, Naren Venkataraman, Content Distribution, Digital TV, NABShow, OTT, Worldwide
TV accounts for 94% of UK video advertising
Mar 9, 2017 – An analysis by Thinkbox of 2016 video consumption in the UK shows how total video viewing – and viewing of video advertising – breaks down.
News categories: Thinkbox, Lindsey Clay, Digital TV, Market Research, UK
Vimeo adds 360 video support
Mar 8, 2017 – Vimeo has introduced support for 360 video. Vimeo aims to provide a home for creators to learn new techniques, upload, share, and sell 360 videos, while viewers can discover 360 videos from the world’s best creators across multiple platforms.
News categories: Vimeo, Anjali Sud, Sara Poorsattar, Digital TV, OTT, VR, Worldwide
- Contentos integrates Theta Network decentralized video delivery for COS.tv
- SeaChange selected by Midco to monetize video streaming service
- Apptopia and Braze release state of streaming industry report
- Edge Networks announces 'Evoca' ATSC 3.0 pay TV service
- Allegro DVT releases AL-D21x video decoder IP family with AV1 support
- Nielsen and Sinclair Broadcast announce multi-year renewal
- Verimatrix introduces DRM for video protection between devices
- Deltatre unveils SaaS platform for real-time, data-driven UX decisions
- Omdia cuts 2020 TV shipment forecast by 10 percentage points
- Comscore research shows continuing surge in U.S. daytime TV viewing
- FCC proposed rule change to support ATSC 3.0 distributed transmission
- VideoAmp creates combined Smart TV and STB viewing dataset for the U.S.
- Roku OS 9.3 begins roll-out
- Italian local re-broadcaster RAS goes live with Synamedia virtualized DCM
- Altice Europe terminates discussions on acquisition of Partner Communications
- Asia Pacific set for 417 million SVOD subscribers
- Velocix introduces CDN software for 5G video streaming
- Comscore sees notable rise in U.S. streaming usage
- Movies Anywhere app comes to LG Smart TVs
- Singtel puts HOOQ into liquidation


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Celebrities and their plastic surgeries are common knowledge. However, the instances of celebrities whose plastic surgeries went horribly wrong are not discussed in the open. elitecelebsmag attempts to reveal some cases of plastic surgery which went horribly wrong. In a blog given on their website, elitecelebsmag has revealed a list of 75 celebrities whose plastic surgeries took a turn for the worse.
Celebrities face constant pressure to maintain their best look for the cameras as well as their audiences. The obsession for perfection and beauty has led famous people to take drastic steps – plastic surgery. However, reports indicate that most plastic surgery do not always give better results. elitecelebsmag has featured some cases of celebrities plastic surgeries gone horribly wrong.
A visit to their website reveals the names of 75 celebrities whose plastic surgeries resulted in the worse results. The first on the list feature Donatella Versace. The world knows Donatella Versace as a top fashion icon who is also the vice-president of the brand ‘Versace’. As such, the world expects her to have a glamorous look. But sources revealed that various plastic surgeries have left her looking horrible. Pictures available at the website show that she is now almost unrecognizable. Jackie Stallone, mother of famous actor Sylvester Stallone is also another example of plastic surgery disaster. In spite of her earlier achievements and reputation, she is now infamous only for her surgery disaster.
The blog has also shed light on the disastrous plastic surgeries of Latoya and Michael Jackson. The Jackson family are in the news for all the wrong reasons. Media reports show that Michael Jackson and his sibling are now unrecognisable from their original looks. Apart from these mentioned celebrities, elitecelebsmag has also listed the names of other 71 celebrities whose plastic surgeries went horribly wrong. More details of this can be accessed from https://elitecelebsmag.com/plastic-surgery-gone-wrong/
About elitecelebsmag: It is an online celebrity news magazine. elitecelebsmag has recently provided a list of 75 celebrities whose plastic surgeries were disastrous. Pictures are also given alongside the news.
Illinois – Chicago


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PARIS (AP) — France’s finance minister says the government didn’t oppose a merger deal between carmaker Renault and Italian-American rival Fiat Chrysler.
Speaking on FranceInfo news broadcaster, Bruno le Maire said the government’s key priority is to strengthen the alliance of Renault with its longtime Japanese partner Nissan.
He said a merger with Fiat Chrysler “remains an interesting opportunity.”
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He added: “We have never vetoed it. We simply asked five additional days to study the operation.” He noted that Nissan was hesitant about it.
Fiat Chrysler had proposed a 50-50 merger that would have created the world’s third-largest carmaker worth almost $40 billion. Earlier this month, the group pulled the proposal, citing political conditions in France.
The French state is Renault’s biggest shareholder with a 15% stake.
The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.


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“Behnam’s Compelling Case: Why Stablecoins and Ether Should Be Classified as Commodities – Insights from Tokenhell”
speculative investments. He also argued that treating them as securities would stifle innovation and hinder their potential to revolutionize the financial industry.
The debate over how to classify cryptocurrencies has been ongoing for years, with regulators struggling to keep up with the rapidly evolving technology. The CFTC and SEC have both been working to establish clear guidelines for the industry, but their differing opinions on the matter have caused confusion and uncertainty for investors and businesses alike.
Behnam’s stance has been welcomed by many in the crypto community, who see it as a step towards greater regulatory clarity and a more favorable environment for innovation. However, some experts have warned that treating cryptocurrencies as commodities could also have unintended consequences, such as increased volatility and market manipulation.
The Senate Agriculture Committee hearing also touched on other issues related to the crypto industry, including the need for greater transparency and accountability in the market. Several lawmakers expressed concern about the potential for fraud and scams, and called for stronger measures to protect consumers.
Overall, the hearing highlighted the complex and evolving nature of the crypto industry, and the challenges that regulators face in trying to keep up with it. As the debate over how to classify cryptocurrencies continues, it remains to be seen how the industry will ultimately be regulated, and what impact this will have on its future growth and development.


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A new whisky experience is set to open in Glasgow city centre after receiving a licence to sell alcohol.
Glasgow’s licensing board approved an application from Fred’s Whisky, which was described as a “specialist whisky concept”.
Board members were told the South Frederick Street venue will be a “fantastic addition” to the city.
Niall Hassard, representing the company, said the shop was being set up by three “leading, independent whisky aficionados” — including the Sunday Herald’s whisky columnist Andy Gemmell.
Although dedicated to whisky, the shop may sell some other craft spirits, the board was told.
“This isn’t just a shop, this is more experiential,” Mr Hassard said.
“It’s aimed very much, in keeping with Glasgow’s wider positioning in terms of tourism, to give people not just the opportunity to buy whisky, but to come in and learn about whisky.
“There will be a significant amount of education involved in this.”
Councillors on the licensing board agreed to hand a provisional premises licence to the company.
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Cllr Margret Morgan said: “I’m very, very happy to see this. I know there have been a lot of organisations in similar situations promoting gin and gin tasting.
“I just like to see whisky being restored to Scotland’s national drink.”
Mr Hassard told the board how spirits stocked in the shop would range from entry level malts at £30 to impressive blend whiskys and “exclusive and rare” whiskys over £1000.
“We’re nowhere near the stack it high, sell it cheap mentality,” Mr Hassard added, describing the new concept as “very exciting”.


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A frozen novelty manufacturer is voluntarily recalling certain ice pops that are sold in 15 states for possible listeria contamination.
According to US Recall News, Ziegenfelder Co., of Wheeling, West Virginia, is recalling about 3,000 cases of Budget $aver Cherry Pineapple Monster Pops and Sugar Free Twin Pops because of the possible health risk.
The ice pops were distributed to retail grocers in 15 states:
- New Mexico
- New York
The ice pop products were delivered between April 5 and April 19, US Recall News reported.
The Cherry Pineapple Monster Pops carry the UPC code 0-74534-84200-9, and have lot codes D09418A through D10018B.
The Sugar Free Pops carry the UPC code 0-74534-75642-9, and have lot codes D09318A through D10018B.
So far, there are no reported illnesses or incidents involving the products.
More from the FDA can be found here.
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Over 20% of adults worldwide ‘actively trying to increase protein intake’
Additional reporting by Niall Claffey
Over a fifth of adults worldwide are actively trying to increase their protein intake, according to Bord Bia.
Over 150 representatives from the Irish meat industry gathered at Bord Bia’s Meat Marketing Seminar to review the global meat industry in 2019 and look ahead to the opportunities and challenges of 2020 and beyond.
The seminar is taking this morning, Friday, January 10, in Naas, Co. Kildare, and features representatives from the industry at government, producer, and processor levels.
Analysis from Bord Bia, presented at the seminar by Rory McDonnell from Bord Bia’s Thinking House, found that over a fifth of adults worldwide are actively trying to increase their protein intake and the future role of meat will evolve:
“Meat continues to have a fundamental role in diets worldwide, now and into the future, even as consumption of lab meats and vegan replacements rises.
The nature of this role is changing with consumer expectations around meat greater than ever.
“Meat must be able to satisfy primal needs for nourishment, health, indulgence, reward and convenience.
“Furthermore, people want to be informed about the meat they purchase and will respond to claims that instil trust and confidence,” McDonnell explained.
The research, which examined global meat trends, featured primary research with UK and Irish consumers.
The purpose of the study is to support the industry to unlock potential value from the fast changing marketplace, according to the state agency.


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All machines eventually break down. Self-driving vehicles are no exception. Autonomous vehicles pose two problems for the future of vehicles. The removal of the driver means there is no person providing feedback on how the vehicle performs over time. You are removing the point-person who says “something feels wrong, this needs to be checked out.” […]
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Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk may think flying cars are a bad idea, but several companies are working to make them a reality as early as next year.The vehicles these companies are working on aren’t the same from flying cars from “Back to the Future.” Rather, they are pursuing electric, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft […]
Over the last decade, the stock price of Domino’s Pizza has crushed that of Apple, Google, Amazon, and Facebook mainly because it stopped making pizza that tasted like cardboard. Now it’s innovating on the labor front with plans to test robots as substitutes for your friendly pizza delivery guy. “With our growth plans over the […]
Right now, you can head over to a local Volvo dealership and test drive a 2017 Volvo S90. With the push of a button, drivers can watch the car take over steering to stay within a lane, slow itself down in rush-hour traffic and accelerate — up to 80 mph — on the highway. It’s […]
While most of the attention around autonomous vehicles has centered on “everyday drivers,” there is one effort that goes off in an entirely different direction. An offshoot of Formula E, Roborace aims to launch a parallel series of races conducted entirely without human drivers. The effort has taken longer than planned, but is getting closer to […]
The AImotive office is in a small converted house at the end of a quiet residential street in sunny Mountain View, spitting distance from Google’s headquarters. Outside is a branded Toyota Prius covered in cameras, one of three autonomous cars the Hungarian company is testing in the sleepy neighborhood. It’s a popular testing ground: one […]
Chevrolet Bolt EV self-driving prototype The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is a crucial car for General Motors in more ways than one. With an EPA-rated 238-mile range and $37,495 base price (before federal, state, and local incentives), the Bolt EV considered a groundbreaking electric-car game changer.
BMW unveiled a concept for the interior of driverless cars on Wednesday at a press conference in Las Vegas at CES. The concept, dubbed the BMWi Inside Future, showcases how BMW envisions its autonomous vehicles may look when they start to hit the market. The interior concept is centered on connectivity and includes a panoramic display […]
Futurist Thomas Frey listed 128 things, from jobs like valets and couriers to things like road rage and stoplights, he believes the driverless car era will reduce or render obsolete by 2030.Though the transition to this autonomous car era won’t be smooth, it will bring with it fewer accidents and fatalities due to human error […]
Commuting isn’t fit for today’s or tomorrow’s workforce—it’s time for a people-centric upgrade.


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HOW THE AFTERMARKET CAN HELP SQUARE THE DECARBONISATION CIRCLE
At N!BF 2020 Dr Levy Tillman, of the World Economic Forum, and Matthias Ballweg, from the ‘think tank’ Systemiq, spoke about the WEF’s Circular Car Initiative, which NEXUS is supporting. They emphasised the importance of the aftermarket playing a key role in this drive to decarbonise the automotive manufacturing industry, to help prevent climate change. Below is a summary of the key points.
Why do you think the aftermarket has a strong role to play in the Circular Car Initiative?
If the aftermarket does not seek to evolve rapidly in the next decade then it is going to be out of business. The risk that I am talking about is much bigger (than then normal risks you are used to) and the consequences are very serious. The ‘killing curve’ is the measurement of the carbon dioxide concentration level. What it shows is 62 years of increases in the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere. Humanity is having a huge impact on the atmosphere of our planet. We have roughly 10 years to bend this curve downward. This curve, measuring sustainability and climate change, is the number one risk in the decades to come.
We need you in the global aftermarket to help us solve this problem.
What steps do we need to take to decarbonise the aftermarket industry?
One step is to go from traditional engines to electric vehicles. In this way we will be able to decarbonize the electricity supply, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide by two thirds. But to eliminate it fully we need to completely decarbonize the manufacturing process, and the aftermarket will be a critical part of that.
It will require trillions of dollars of investment and new policies that are going to affect billions of lives. However, a new generation of customers are not going to support an industry which is operating in opposition to their fundamental long-term interest and values.
Today, the automotive industry is the second most intense consumer of resources in the world after food, so we have to change to be part of the solution. When you sell a car in the United States, on average it costs $36,000. Almost half of that cost is in materials but 18 years later, when the vehicle goes into a junkyard, that vehicle cost is less than $10,000.
So, the good news is there is a lot of value that we can recapture if we invest more in the design and the materials used, and the automotive aftermarket can be part of that process.
If we do circularity correctly, and get the business model and the materials side right, then this business can be a trillion dollars opportunity. That is why the WEF is collaborating with NEXUS and other partners to create three different communities that will shape the future of automotive circularity.
What will be the first step?
Firstly, we are going to create a policy roadmap that will guide the circularity future for materials and new business models. We are going to ensure that as this process transpires, the aftermarket will be one of the critical lenses through which we will overview this transformation.
At the end of the day, the world that we intend to create will see the average vehicle managed as part of a fleet, and the maintenance and management of the fleets will be significantly more rationalized.
This means there will be a view of full lifecycle ownership. With a fleet management approach, the value of the vehicle will change completely. The entire system has to be re-educated with a proper policy.
The circularity process is critical for the future of the environment, for the future of your children and for business.
Will electrification play a bigger role than circularity?
Both will play an essential role. Fleet managers look at their vehicles in a different way. When I want a car, I want something fast and luxurious, while a fleet manager wants something which is functional, something not very expensive and is going to maintain its value and something which is going to make value at the end of its life. The electric vehicle works in a much better way in this sense. The battery you can recycle, and it is much less expensive to maintain and to fuel.
With wide-ranging experience providing consultancy to major businesses, Matthias Ballweg uses his expertise to enable leaders to bridge sustainability / profitability trade-offs, while realising the future of mobility.
Since 2019 he has worked for the ‘thinktank’ Systemiq, which is dedicated to achieving the objective of the Paris Agreement, which is to limit any rise in global temperatures to 1.5 °C.
Dr Levi Tillemann
Has more than a decade’s experience in automotive innovation and policy. He leads the WEF’s Circular Car Initiative and is a globally recognised expert on micromobility, autonomy and electric vehicles. He is a founder of, and senior advisor to, the consulting group Valence Strategic. Dr Tillemann served in the Obama administration as an advisor to the Department of Energy and is author of The Great Race: The Global Quest for the Car of the Future.


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There are some speculations now that the Heparin contamination was intentional and done deliberately for the 13 countries that received the contaminated Heparin. This is a shocking revelation and will scare people from buying products from countries that are not really friends. In a way, deliberate contamination is an act of war against innocent citizens of another country.
This is similar to cops never buying food that they cannot see visually being prepared. The juvelines at the counter have typically encountered cops before and they see the food preparation as an opportunity to pass on some body fluids to the cops. This makes cops a great fan of doughnuts, Subway and Quiznos.
So China has a lot of explaining to do now. I wonder how many such abuses happen with other food items and medicines that come from other countries.


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Local discovery of interests has turned a little more interesting in India. According to Techcircle, Playcez, a Delhi based startup that boasts of boring weekends and evenings becoming history soon, has raised a seed round from angel investors Rajesh Sawhney of GSF Accelerator, Mukul Singhal of SAIF Partners and iXiGO founder Aloke Bajpai. In doing so, the startup that was the part of the GSF India accelerator program has become the first graduate GSF India accelerator to raise investment.
Though the investment figures have not been revealed but according to TNW, Playcez has sealed a 6-figure US dollar seed round — which is said to be just short of $1 million — led by Sawhney himself (representing GSF India) and Mukul Singhal of SAIF Partners. Along with the funds, Singhal will provide advice and support around the company’s business model which continues to evolve as a world class product and get greater consumer traction. In addition to this, Aloke, iXiGO founder, who has been one of the early mentors to have closely mentored the team in terms of product development, would be in close assistance too.
Playcez which has 8 days to go live has been a mobile first company. The local discovery model of the company would mine social data in real time, monitor check in data of services like Foursquare and use algorithms to suggest popular locations in their given locality. The app that was built in 5 weeks during the GSF India incubator program, at present has a presence on iPhone app that is also currently in the private beta stage. The iOS app at present is focusing on interests like data for food, nightlife, adventure and business categories. Going further the company wants to grow its presence on Android platform too.
Not that Playcez is entering a virgin market but keeping the focus on mobile first would definitely boost their growth. Especially when everyone in the market is talking about the integration of local, social and mobile.