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Sustainable food news – by GreenWise staff
2nd November 2015
Bidvest Foodservice and a ‘green alliance’ made up of food industry giants, Unilever, Premier Foods, Delifrance UK, Vegware, and Jacobs Douwe Egberts have today launched plate2planet, a ‘one-stop-shop’ digital platform that aims to address the growing demand in the food sector for useful and practical information about sustainability.
The platform will share green knowledge, including ‘how to’ guides, case studies, handy tools, supply chain stories, guidance on regulations and best practice examples for those working in the industry.
Duncalf said plate2planet’s collective wealth of knowledge was “unparalleled” in the industry. “Our aim, in sharing these resources in a single space, is to support the entire industry to make small but effective changes which can ultimately have a huge impact on a global scale, and on profit margins. Our message is that by working together we can truly enact positive change,” she said.
A recent survey by the Sustainable Restaurant Association revealed that 83 per cent of consumers said sustainability directly affects their dining choices. Bidvest said making sustainable business choices is a challenge for caterers to navigate, who face ever-evolving changes to sustainability policy and regulation as well as to consumer demands.
“Caterers are looking to drive successful green initiatives that truly add value to their own community, customers and their bottom line but many of them tell us they do not have the resources to research trends, find new suppliers or dissect complicated reports and Government documents,” Duncalf said.
Commenting on the launch, Sarah Robb, channel marketing manager at Premier Foods, said: “We are thrilled to be involved in this initiative. At Premier Foodservice we believe we have a crucial role in helping to build a sustainable future for the industry and we’re continually looking for ways to reduce our environmental footprint and minimise our impact; whether that’s through the sourcing of local ingredients, reducing emissions or buying responsibly to ensure the upmost quality and authenticity of our products. We believe this is an excellent platform for the foodservice industry to share best practice and work collaboratively in driving the sustainability agenda forward.”
Peter Bolger, national account controller for Bidvest at Unilever Food Solutions, added: “The launch of the new digital platform platetoplanet.co.uk is perfectly in line with Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan, which is our blueprint for sustainable business.
Also partnering on the site is Planet First, the sustainability consultancy that provides The Planet Mark a certification for organisations that want to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to sustainability. Bidvest is the first food service company to sign up to The Planet Mark and is keen to see its suppliers adopt the ‘kitemark’.
Steve Malkin, ceo Planet First and founder of The Planet Mark, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering on Plate2Planet. 90% of BidvestFoodservices’ customers claim sustainability is important to their business and at Planet First and The Planet Mark we believe every organisation can be sustainable and can contribute to a planet where everyone can thrive.
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BY BARB BERGGOETZ
Come early November, the familiar Flat Steve cutout seen for years on South College will have a new home on Bloomington’s north side.
That’s when the bigger-than-life-size cardboard image of Furniture Exchange owner Steve Birch will take its place in a big window at the store’s new location in the former Suburban Lanes bowling alley at 2634 N. Walnut.
“He’s also going to be on the side of the building, but that’s going to be somewhat of a surprise,” says Birch.
Birch has co-owned the store at 424 S. College with his wife, Mindy, since 1997. But they and another partner sold the property, including adjacent commercial and student rentals, to the Bloomington/Monroe County Convention Center in 2011. Since then, they have been leasing the furniture store space.
The new location, Birch says, has advantages over the present two-story building with no air-conditioning and little parking.
“It’s almost double the square footage, so we’ll display nearly twice as much inventory,” he says. “We’ll have almost 22,000 square feet on one level. That’s going to make it easier for people to shop. And we’ll have air conditioning.”
The new site, north of Ind. 46, is in a small commercial area where Birch will have 40 parking spots. “It’s going to be much easier for people to get in and out, and much more visible,” he says.
Birch was already looking for a permanent location when he and George Schermer, a friend and local businessman, grew interested in the vacant Suburban Lanes property. Schermer says he’s been renovating the building since purchasing it for $270,000 in April 2014. A new roof is up, the bowling lanes are gone, and much of the building’s south side limestone has been replaced by display windows.
“It’s very unique,” says Schermer. “Construction is from the 1960s and it has an interesting, one-of-a-kind beam-and-truss system with 140-foot wooden beams running the length of the building.”
The showroom, expected to open November 1, will offer 70 percent new and 30 percent used furniture, including living room, dining room, and bedroom pieces. Birch says the inventory is priced to appeal to younger people and those who don’t want higher-end furniture.
“It’s essentially going to be a new showroom,” says Birch. “It’s going to be a beautiful building.

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Although marketed on the Internet as "natural," the popular weight loss supplements known as Brazilian diet pills contain potentially addictive ingredients, researchers say.
In the April 5 online edition of the American Journal on Addictions, Dr. Pieter Cohen, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School, and colleague Benjamin Smith, tell the story of a 29-year-old who needed psychiatric care to kick her addiction to Brazilian diet pills.
Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers in 2006 of dangers associated with the diet pills, they remain popular and easy to order online.
"What we have seen and what the FDA has found is that, unfortunately, there are dozens of products that are sold as dietary supplements that are contaminated with pharmaceutical compounds," said lead researcher Cohen.
To read the full HealthDay News story--Go Here Now.


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Supermarket data from Kantar Worldpanel revealed that Co-op sales edged 0.2 per cent higher year-on-year in the 12 weeks to July 7, although its market share remained under pressure, dropping from 6.6 per cent to 6.4 per cent.
The group, which is battling to plug a £1.5bn hold in its banking division's balance sheet, has suffered falling food sales since the 12 weeks to February, according to Kantar.
It remains the fifth biggest grocery retailer behind Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons, but has been losing ground to rivals.
Strong growth from competitors such as Waitrose and the discounters Lidl and Aldi have hit the Co-op, as have increased moves by the big players into the convenience market in recent years.
The Co-op had a combined share of 9.1 per cent at the time of its £1.56bn deal to buy Somerfield in 2008, but has seen this drop sharply since then.
Kantar's figures also showed that Sainsbury's was once more the only one of the "big four" supermarkets not to lose market share in the three months to July 7, holding firm at 16.5 per cent as sales grew 3.8 per cent.
Tesco saw its share slip from 30.7 per cent to 30.1 per cent, while Asda fell from 17.3 per cent to 17 per cent and Morrisons declined from 11.9 per cent to 11.7 per cent.
Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl were the star performers again, with Lidl reaching an all-time high with a 3.1 per cent share and Aldi retaining its record 3.6 per cent.
Sales growth at Waitrose - the supermarket arm of the John Lewis Partnership - stood at 10.9 per cent, nearly three times the market average, giving it a 4.8 per cent share, up from 4.5 per cent a year earlier.
Edward Garner, director at Kantar Worldpanel, said Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl now account for 11.5 per cent of the grocery market, 3.2 percentage points more than they did four years ago.
"This trend has cut deeply into the available market share for the bigger retailers who are now having to compete for a contracting middle ground," he added.


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The night that online jewelry retailer Blue Nile releases earnings, Amazon puts out a press release that says its Q4 jewelry sales were up 120% year over year, and it has great jewelry offerings for Valentines Day. Here's what's odd:
- The press release is late - Amazon already announced Q4 results, and didn't say much about jewelry on its conference call.
- No absolute numbers are given, so the 120% rise is meaningless. (It was probably off a small base, given Amazon's late entry to the jewelry category.)
- The press release is a perplexing amalgam of a financial press release and a marketing press release. If Amazon wanted to report numbers for one of its businesses, why throw in details about its Valentines' Day selection? And if it wanted to advertise its Valentines' Day selection, why throw in financial numbers?
Conclusion: Amazon was trying to detract or benefit from Blue Nile's earnings release and conference call.
Quick comment: How odd. Jeff Bezos is a better guy than that. And Amazon is a better - and larger - company than that.


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New virtual reality technologies and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic have combined to create a market for virtual try-on tools in the fashion and beauty business. But these brands must take care, as Estée Lauder, Louis Vuitton and Pandora Jewelry, among others, have been hit with lawsuits alleging that their virtual try-on tools violate biometric privacy laws. Before launching a virtual try-on tool, seek out the advice of a qualified privacy law attorney in order to best position the brand for success – and not a lawsuit.
Biometric data is a person’s unique physical characteristics. Biometric data includes fingerprints, voiceprints, retina scans, hand scans and face scans. When using a virtual try-on tool, a person typically must either capture or upload a photo of their face, hand, or body (depending on the item being virtually “tried on”), into the company’s website or mobile application. Because that photograph contains the user’s biometric data, the company needs to comply with the relevant biometric privacy laws.
Generally, biometric privacy laws require any company that collects or uses biometric data to maintain policies and procedures to use this data securely and transparently. The goal of these laws is to prevent the misuse of biometric identifiers, as there is a high potential for identity theft among other serious data privacy concerns.
Currently, there is no federal biometric privacy law. Instead, certain states have put biometric privacy laws into place. To date, Illinois, Texas and Washington are the only states that have enacted biometric privacy laws. Arizona, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Tennessee and Vermont have all proposed biometric privacy laws.
The issue with biometric privacy laws is that companies have to comply if the person using the try-on tool lives in a state that has these laws. In other words, even if the company does not have an office in the state, the company must comply with the biometric privacy law if just one person who lives in that state uses the try-on tool.
For example, Estée Lauder was recently sued by an Illinois woman after she uploaded a photo of her face to their website and used their virtual make-up tool, because the cosmetics company did not have a public data retention policy as required by BIPA. Even though Estée Lauder never specifically targeted Illinois residents in advertising campaigns, and despite the fact the company has no offices or employees in Illinois, the judge held that Estée Lauder must comply with BIPA because its general marketing strategy to sell cosmetics includes Illinois residents. See Kukovec v. Estée Lauder Companies, Inc., No. 22 CV 1988, 2022 WL 16744196 (N.D. Ill. Nov. 7, 2022).
As that case illustrates, in the age of online shopping, fashion and beauty brands don’t always know where their customers are located. Brands should take care to comply with state biometric privacy laws in case a person logs on to their website, uses a virtual try-on tool and lives in a state with this type of law.
Typically, a biometric privacy law will require that any company collecting biometric data must publicly publish a written policy establishing guidelines for maintaining and permanently destroying that information. Also, these laws usually prohibit a company from collecting a person’s biometric data unless the company informs the person that the data is being collected, how long the data will be stored and receives written consent from the person. These laws frequently prohibit the company from selling or profiting from individuals’ biometric information.
The important thing for fashion and beauty brands to understand is that any virtual try-on tool must comply with the biometric privacy laws before you launch the try-on tool. This means that the company needs to have a public written data retention policy and capacity to receive consent from the users prior to launching the try-on tool, otherwise, risk a lawsuit.
These companies should keep in mind that only one user from Illinois, Texas or Washington would be enough to trigger a biometric privacy lawsuit if the company is not compliant with those state laws.
The takeaway for fashion and beauty companies is not to shy away from virtual try-on technology, but rather to appreciate the importance of careful data privacy maintenance. Fashion and beauty brands should ensure compliance with biometric privacy laws prior to collecting, processing, storing or sharing that data – no matter where their company is located – in case a user in a state with such a law accesses the tool. If you would like to discuss biometric privacy laws further, reach out to a member of our team.


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For the seventh year in a row, Ford Mustang® – which celebrated its 58th birthday this Sunday – is the world’s best-selling sports coupe, according to Ford analysis of registration data from S&P Global Mobility*.
Mustang retains its sales crown for 2021 led by the pinnacle of 5.0-liter V8 performance, Mustang Mach 1, and the track-ready Mustang Shelby® GT500®, the most powerful street-legal Ford in history and the most advanced Mustang ever for street, track or drag strip use.
“When enthusiasts around the world get into a Mustang, they unlock that feeling of freedom and experience the open road,” said Kumar Galhotra, president, Ford Blue. “That feeling, along with iconic design, awesome powertrains and a passionate global community all contribute to making Mustang a sales leader for the seventh year in a row.”
Ford looks to continue this momentum with five new special editions in the lineup, including Mustang Ice White (also available on Mustang Mach-E), Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition, GT California Special, Coastal Limited and Stealth. From Mustang
EcoBoost® to Shelby GT500, there is a special edition at every performance level for muscle car enthusiasts. Mustang Mach-E, the newest member of the Mustang family, also had a successful 2021 as one of the hottest products at Ford. In addition to a strong first full-year of sales, the Mustang Mach-E earned a trophy-case worth of press awards, including the coveted North American Utility Vehicle of the Year honor, Car and Driver’s 2021 EV of the Year, 2021 Wards 10 Best award and a 2022 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award. Mustang Mach-E was also recently named a finalist for the 2022 World Car of the Year.


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Kognitos, a builder of generative artificial intelligence (AI) for business automation, has completed a $20 million Series A funding round, bringing its total venture capital raised to $30 million.
This company will use the new funding to enhance its platform capabilities, expand its partnerships and integrations with other business applications, and drive wider adoption of its automation platform, Kognitos said in a Thursday (Nov. 30) press release.
Founded in 2020, Kognitos aims to revolutionize the way business applications are developed and used by enabling machines to understand and communicate in human language, according to the release. The company leverages generative AI and a deterministic English interpreter to eliminate the risks of hallucination and biases commonly associated with AI, while providing the benefits of generative AI to business users.
One of the key advantages of Kognitos is its ability to accelerate automation without the need for traditional automation skill sets, the release said. This means that organizations can streamline their processes and reduce costs while empowering business users who are already familiar with the English language.
Prominent companies across various industries have already adopted Kognitos to enhance their operations, per the release.
Kognitos addresses the challenge of automating complex processes by utilizing natural language processing automation (NLPA), allowing business users to automate processes using plain human language, according to the release.
The platform integrates with enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and other common business applications, providing a dynamic learning experience that continuously improves automation based on business user interactions, the release said.
Kognitos has also unveiled its Exception Center, an exception handling interface aimed at business users, per the release. The company has also introduced multi-modal automation functions, including voice transcription, image comparison, image manipulation, QR code support, data visualization and PDF form filling.
PYMNTS Intelligence has found that 40% of executives said there is an urgent need to adopt generative AI. Large language models (LLMs) have the potential to free up huge swaths of human work hours, potentially impacting 40% of all working hours, according to “Understanding the Future of Generative AI,” a PYMNTS and AI-ID collaboration.


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GlaxoSmithKline tees up ‘Haleon’ brand name for consumer healthcare spinoff
From more than 2000 potential candidates, GlaxoSmithKline chose Haleon as the name of its consumer healthcare company spinoff. The newly announced brand is a mashup of the words ‘hale’ meaning in good health, and ‘leon’ which is associated with strength, the company said.
GSK began with an initial list of 2050 potential names, running testing and research with consumers and healthcare providers to find the most appealing possibilities as well as weed out the candidates that didn’t connect. The list was narrowed down to fewer than 20 names that were then run through legal checks.
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China says goodbye to Pokémon GO: the game will be prohibited in the most populated country in the world
The title, developed by Niantic, wasn’t having a very good time in the Asian country, but now the struggle will end (literally) thanks to the decision of the Chinese authorities.
The smartphone game’s global influence has been decaying over the last months, but the Pokémon GO’s legacy remains intact and will be used as an inspiration for developers interested in this kind of apps.
The game was one of the most popular mobile products of the last year, to the point that it was able to reach every corner of the planet without too much trouble, and after several months, when everybody thought that the game had no more to tell, China proceeded to declare the game a “threat against geographic security”.
Although this is no surprise to anybody – China has a severe distrust of videogames – this time the negative reaction on the government’s part was born because the security forces were very worried about having an incredible quantity of civilians wandering around the streets searching fictional creatures, which may suppose notable risks of security and logistics.
The authorities were uneasy that these kind of apps send and receive geographic data constantly, and that’s why the Chinese Association of Audiovisual and Digital Publications declared:
Although the game has given a positive example for the growth of the industry, some incidents showed that it posed a threat to the security of geographic, transport and personal information.
It is important to emphasize that this kind of prohibition doesn’t only affect the popular video game famous for its iconic creatures, but also to all the apps that use similar technology (i.g Augmented Reality). This decision may prevent Chinese people to enjoy apps that use the phone’s camera to include unreal elements to the world around us in the future, and sadly they may have to say goodbye to them.
Although the eastern country had shown a little bit more flexibility with video games in the last few years, this experience serves as an excellent reminder that some companies still face serious difficulties in this market – complications that they don’t have in American, European or even Oceanian countries.
If you liked this article, follow us on Twitter @themerklenews and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest bitcoin, cryptocurrency, and technology news.


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Swedish financial services giant Klarna announced a partnership with cryptocurrency brokerage firm Safello in a press release published February 17. This collaboration allows Safello’s 180,000 users to buy cryptocurrency directly from their bank accounts.
Klarna provides payment solutions for over 90 million consumers in 17 countries. It is Europe’s most highly valued private fintech ($10.65 billion valuation), ranking 5th on 2020 CNBC Disruptor 50 list. Klarna offers a single API that complies with EU’s open-banking regulations, ensuring a secure, compliant cryptocurrency access to a wider section of the European population.
Klarna’s Senior Commercial Manager Philippe Rousseau looks forward to the partnership. He told PR Newswire Cision, "For over 15 years, Klarna has developed a mature and secure financial ecosystem that opens up a range of opportunities for increased innovation and competition. Safello is a textbook example of consumer-centric innovators who can leverage the strength of our developer-friendly, open banking infrastructure and we are very much looking forward to the partnership.”
Safello is a fully regulated Swedish cryptocurrency brokerage boasting around 900M+ in exchanged value. The company’s goal is to make cryptocurrency accessible to more people through industry-leading speeds and a user-friendly platform. Safello boasts a recognizable list of backers that include White Star Capital, Northzone, and Erik Voorhees.
According to Safello CEO Frank Schuil, "This is a match made in heaven. Klarna shares our vision of offering a superior user experience without compromising security and compliance. Besides, open banking is an exceptionally exciting area that will play a key role in our future plans.”


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The recall applies to models from 2004 through 2006 in the U.S. and Canada. The announcement came just days after a South Carolina man was pronounced dead due to a faulty airbag inflator exploding with too much force, killing him with shrapnel.
According to the Huffington Post, car companies will be recalling an additional 5 million vehicles that are equipped with the faulty inflators which were manufactured by Japanese company Takata Corp. While some of the recalls were prompted by the South California accident, the rest are thanks to failures in lab testing.
While the now legendary VW diesel scandal basically eclipsed every other major news story in the automotive world last year with 11 million affected vehicles, this airbag inflator mess is potentially even bigger with 14 affected automakers totalling 24 million vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration expects recalls to expand further.
This airbag problem has killed 10 people and injured over 100 worldwide.
Ford says owners will begin receiving letters about the recall the week of February 22. Ford customers can also head over to the Ford website to check if their vehicle is affected.


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Both eCommerce and bricks & mortar companies are exploring various channels to not only retain current customers but attract new business.
The retail market has become so competitive that loyalty and reward programmes are widespread and are adapted to suit current market conditions.
These programmes are now much more than a mere once-off merit or point-based offering, says Frik van der Westhuizen, Marketing Director at LoyaltyPlus, a leading independent Customer Relationship Management (CRM) company.
“These programmes are now very much linked to brand strategy and development. It is about doing business in a customer-centric ecosystem, which is extensively based on customer or user experience and personalisation of every touchpoint in the trade process,” says van der Westhuizen.
He states that loyalty-based programmes can be traced back to the mid-19th century when US traders issued their customers with copper tokens that could be redeemed for future purchases. These evolved into stamps and box tops, and eventually into the more modern form of loyalty programmes.
Iconic brands, from Starbucks to Uber to Subway– and everything in-between, have structured their loyalty or rewards programmes to defeat their market rivals and “capture” the customer.
Consumer loyalty offerings
“History shows that during the 80’s, consumer loyalty offerings like frequent flyer miles and time-share, became increasingly popular… It was in the 90’s when card-based retail loyalty programmes caught on and retailers were looking to leverage foot-traffic and secure return business,” said van der Westhuizen.
Digital communications and the growth of cloud architecture in business has once again triggered a change in loyalty-based programmes, especially how they are channelled to the market.
“We’re no longer talking about individual loyalty programmes or offerings in isolation… Today it is more about loyalty strategy in business. Retailers are now using digital resources like social media to reward customers for their business, and offer incentives to build their customer bases,” van der Westhuizen adds.
The introduction of mobile technology and apps has also revolutionised customer interaction. Today, the retailer or merchant has the means to engage a mass audience of customers directly and immediately in real time.
As LoyaltyPlus explains, digitalisation has enabled businesses to personalise their offerings to customers, to bring the customer into the process and empower them to take ownership of engagement with their brand of choice.
“We are now in the fourth industrial revolution and customer engagement or relationship management has had to keep up with consumer demand. We are excited to witness the growth and development (and innovation) that has been applied to retail and trade today,” said van der Westhuizen concludes.


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DE-STA-CO announces the debut of its “Showroom on Wheels” traveling, exhibiting vehicle. The Showroom on Wheels will be visiting North American industry trade shows and customer sites beginning in March, with initial stops planned for the Southeast. It debuted at Automate 2011, which took place at the McCormick Place in Chicago.
The vehicle is 24 feet long, with an interior large enough to accommodate the complete DE-STA-CO product line mounted on multiple display boards. Even large-scale products are displayed, including valve-actuated pneumatics, a pick-and-place robot, and a coin stamping machine featuring DE-STA-CO’s CAMCO® products. A large video monitor swings out so that it can be viewed through the open side door, allowing video programs to be displayed in conjunction with product demonstrations and training sessions.
“The Showroom on Wheels enables us to take the full DE-STA-CO product line on the road to give customers a close-up look at all that we offer,” says John Bubnikovich, director of global marketing and segment strategy. “We’re looking forward to driving it from coast to coast to let people see and feel the outstanding quality we build into every one of our products.”
DE-STA-CO is a global automation and workholding company, providing productivity solutions for the industry since 1915. Quality, innovation, and service have made the company a leader in the design and manufacture of cost reducing, flexible automation solutions for industrial customers around the world. For more information go online to [www.destaco.com].


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Você já imaginou fazer compras a qualquer hora do dia sem ter que sair de casa? Immediate Media Co is the special interest content and platform firm. Best Deal TV was the latest in a line of tv procuring channels, a business that started when Sundeep Malhotra’s HomeShop18 created a flutter – as well as a class – seven years ago.
Now, after months of finding her feet and messages from those that as soon as tuned into the shopping channel, she decided to set up on her personal on social media. Take a look at the massive Labor Day savings from The Shopping Channel. Anonymous, BROADCAST PROGRAMS ENGINEER, MAJOR GERMAN BUYING CHANNEL.
Nintendo has announced that it plans to close up the Wii Store Channel on January 31 2019. The corporate has hosted just a few reside shows about new products up to now 12 months or so, similar to one for Sony’s action camera last November. You don’t want have a warehouse stuffed with merchandise at the time you apply, but you do have to be certain which you could ramp up manufacturing rapidly if you are accepted.
In Might 2017, the channel introduced a brand new emblem and tagline, “Right now’s Purchasing Selection”. Final March, Amazon launched Style Code Reside , a daily stay online present that appeared like an try and convey the home purchasing channel into the 21st century.
In addition to the tv channel, TSC also has several businesses and merchandise associated with and integrated with the television channel. Glassdoor has 20 The Shopping Channel opinions submitted anonymously by The Purchasing Channel workers.…


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World of Warcraft devs have confirmed players be able to fly in the new Zerith Mortis area, coming with Shadowlands’ final major content update – Patch 9.2.0 Eternity’s End.
The update will introduce a brand new zone to WoW called Zerith Mortis. Unlike Korthia and The Maw, members of the community will eventually be able to fly around this area.
In an interview on November 11, WoW senior level designer Sara Wons confirmed flying will be coming to Shadowlands’ final new zone.
Flying allowed in Zerith Mortis
Speaking to french gaming site Millenium, Wons said flying would be unlocked through the new Cypher of the First One’s progression system.
“Yes, in the end you will have the flight in this area thanks to the decryption system. So you will have access to that!” Wons said in the interview.
The Cypher of the First Ones is a new feature coming with 9.2.0. With it, players will access rewards and secrets as they learn more about the First Ones and decipher their language.
Other rewards we know about so far include access to legendary items and exclusive tier sets as well. So, it seems we’ll be able to add flying to that list as well.
New Eternity’s End flying mounts
To go along with this new open airspace, Blizzard is introducing two new flying mounts for 9.2.0.
One is a large white eagle, while the other is something that’s never been available as a flying mount before: a giant airborne spider.
The ability to fly in Shadowlands zones so far was unlocked at the end of a questline just after the release of patch 9.1.0.
It remains to be seen what the exact requirements for Zenith Mortis will be, but we’ll update this piece as soon as we know exactly how to unlock it.


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Sober October, Dry January and even the draconian One Year No Beer, are calendar challenges that are popping up in conversations and on social feeds.
The "sober-curious" movement was also a topic under discussion at the BevNET Live Winter 2019 show in Santa Monica, Calif., this week. A panel discussion on the low/no alcohol trend packed a Loews Santa Monica conference room Monday.
One of the speakers, Sharelle Klauss, the founder and CEO of DRY Soda Company, talked to Campaign US about the market and marketing plans for the company she launched in Seattle in 2005.
Being sober curious and trying a sober challenge is appealing "as people are looking to keep their edge," said Klauss."As a culture, we push alcohol, but I think we are seeing a culture shift."
DRY, a line of lightly sweetened, botanically inspired bubbly beverages, will stage a Dry January marketing campaign to bring attention to the brand and the movement.
The company also announced a strategic investment and partnership with Sans Bar, the Austin alcohol-free bar. Together they are hosting the Sans Bar x DRY 2020 National Pop Up Tour. Featuring music, entertainment and a booze-free environment, the event will kick off in Seattle January 10 before hitting Atlanta, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, New York and 10 other cities.
DRY’s Dry January campaign will include a partnership with Dr. Pepper
Schwartz, a sociologist, and sexologist and television personality centered around the theme of 31 Days of Doing it Dry. "It’s not what you are giving up, it’s what you are gaining," said Klauss.
Brian Balthazar, the television producer who launched the Today Show’s fourth hour with Hoda and Kathie Lee (notorious for their day drinking) and runs the Dr. Thirsty cocktail blog, will create a zero-proof cocktail for DRY’s January celebrations.
Also next year, Klauss will segue the DRY Sparkling Sodas brand to Dry Botanical Bubbly, which she believes will better underscore the elegant and celebratory nature of the line, which features lavender, cucumber, blood orange and other sophisticated flavors.


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According to Facebook no two formats are equal in terms of effectiveness. “These days people talk a lot about the second screen, but it’s not clear anymore which screen we’re talking about,” said Mark Rabkin, Facebook’s VP of Ads and Business Platform. That reality means that advertisers need to measure different ad formats differently.
People’s attention wanes the fastest in feeds, like on Facebook or Twitter, since an ad is merely one piece of content among many – so the bar for capturing attention is high. But feeds are likely to help forge deeper connections if an ad quickly communicates a message or grabs people’s attention, says Facebook, offering massive scale and reach.
According to Facebook, most people are comfortable with pre-roll and mid-roll video ads they can’t skip, as long as the videos aren’t too long.
A majority of people watch such ads until completion; more than 70% do so for Facebook’s own midroll ads. Facebook says that advertisers can take advantage of these high completion rates by getting to the point quickly: 6-seconds and 15-seconds are emerging as standards for video ads, says the company’s research.
As for unskippable ads, people have become accustomed on tapping on the skip-button as soon as it pops us and zapping through the creative. So, advertisers should consider the first five seconds, what Facebook calls the “pre-skip portion” as an independent high-reach ad placement, and focus on the rest to provide more information to people who have demonstrated their interest.
Facebook, for its part, is urging advertisers to rethink mobile advertising, by pushing out shorter, more attention-grabbing ads in a variety of different creative formats.
Dua, T. (2018, January 5). Facebook Says People are OK with Video Ads that Interrupt Content, as Long as They Are Short. Business Insider.


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Blockchain technology has turned into a force that is disrupting the global financial market, particularly within the finance and banking industry. American Fintech Council (AFC) recently published its white paper on The Impact of Blockchain Technology on American Fintech which sheds some light on this topic. Key players in this industry have already witnessed the power of blockchain technology, and are now fully behind it, as evidenced by statements from various providers like Nasdaq, Capital One and others involved in the world of finance and banking.
What is blockchain technology?
A blockchain is a digital ledger in which transactions made in bitcoin or another cryptocurrency are recorded chronologically and publicly. The technology, created by Satoshi Nakamoto (an alias for an anonymous person or group) provides a way to record, transfer and store data securely. First developed as part of the digital currency bitcoin in 2009, blockchain has spawned a number of other applications beyond its use with cryptocurrencies—for example, it has been used to timestamp documents and verify transactions without a middleman.
How does it work?
In a blockchain-based payment system, there are no intermediaries. That means transactions go directly from one party to another through a secure network, rather than through a central server. The network consists of computers that keep track of all transactions and prevent fraud by verifying each transaction before it’s added to a block (the latest transaction) on a digital ledger.
Two parties set up a transaction and agree to how it will be carried out. They both then add their own digital signature (called a public key) to the transaction, which can only be unlocked using a secret private key. This way, each party can send money from one account to another without having to go through an intermediary – keeping fees low and preventing fraud.
How will blockchain change fintech?
Blockchain technology can help better track where money is coming from and where it’s going. It should eliminate a lot of money laundering as well as that concept called trash banking or pyramid schemes. This will make life easier for consumers, but there are other benefits too.
The blockchain will allow people to invest in anything they want with ease, rather than being restricted by banks who decide what you can invest in. This makes investing more accessible to everyone, not just those with money. In addition, companies are also able to get funding easier through blockchain because investors won’t have to go through banks and other intermediaries who charge fees for their services.
3 Ways Blockchain Can Help American Fintech
As blockchain technology continues to gain popularity and attention, many companies are beginning to explore how it can improve their business. However, despite being such a hot topic in finance, many executives remain unsure as to how they can apply blockchain technology to benefit their company. Fortunately, there are three ways that you can use blockchain technology to help your fintech company: 1) Reduce costs associated with financial transactions; 2) Provide greater transparency and security for financial transactions; 3) Improve efficiency when making payments.


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On Wednesday, August 1, Steve Bercu, CEO and co-owner of BookPeople, in Austin, Texas, and ABA vice president, was one of four panelists to testify at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the Marketplace Fairness Act (S. 1832).
On Wednesday, August 1, Steve Bercu, CEO and co-owner of BookPeople, in Austin, Texas, and ABA vice president, was one of four panelists to testify at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the Marketplace Fairness Act (S. 1832). The legislation would give states the right to require remote, online retailers to collect and remit sales tax for in-state purchases and contains a small-seller exception of $500,000. The legislation was introduced by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Mike Enzi (R-WY).
At the hearing, Bercu stressed to the committee that the current failure to equitably collect sales tax promotes “a behavior that has been called ‘showrooming,’ in which consumers spend the time and resources of bricks-and-mortar stores to inform themselves about products, and then make their actual purchases online to avoid paying the sales tax.” He noted that “I have had the misfortune to observe this in my store many times, but what is somewhat discouraging in a small-ticket environment like mine becomes cause for apoplexy in big-ticket worlds. Peers of mine have spent hours explaining every aspect of various cameras and other electronic gadgets only to have the customer tell them they intend to buy online to save the hundreds of dollars due in sales tax.”
Bercu told the committee that retailers “can all compete on price and match any price offered online, but we cannot sell without collecting the sales tax. This [legislation] would level that playing field.”
“We are grateful to Steve for taking the time to travel to Washington, D.C., to testify at this important hearing,” said ABA CEO Oren Teicher. “On behalf of booksellers and other Main Street retailers, Steve was able to clearly and convincingly articulate the true costs of sales tax inequity. It's very encouraging to see that, based on comments at the hearing, most of the Senate Commerce Committee understood the need for a federal solution, and we are thankful for Senators Alexander, Durbin, and Enzi for their leadership on this issue by introducing and sponsoring the bill. As Steve made clear in Wednesday's hearing, the time has come for sales tax fairness.”
Along with Bercu, appearing at the hearing in support of the legislation were: Paul Misener, vice president for Global Public Policy for Amazon.com, and Scott Peterson, executive director for the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board. Speaking in opposition to the bill was Steve DelBianco, executive director for NetChoice Coalition.
In the majority statement, Committee Chair Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), a co-sponsor of S. 1832, said: “There is a growing bipartisan consensus around the country that Congress should address this issue. In West Virginia, we are fighting to keep our small towns vibrant — we need local retailers to make that happen. I believe we can have both a vibrant Main Street economy and e-commerce businesses. And, let’s be honest, allowing states to collect sales taxes on online purchases will not stop the growth of e-commerce. But, no matter where or how the purchase is made, our communities need the revenue from these sales to fund basic functions of government. That is only right.”
“The Marketplace Fairness Act is simple, it is about states’ rights, and it is about fairness,” said Sen. Enzi at the hearing. “At a time when state budgets are under increasing pressure, Congress should give state and local governments the ability to enforce their own laws. This will give states less of an excuse to come knocking on the federal door for handouts and will reduce the problem of federally attached strings. It will give states a choice to reduce property taxes or other taxes.”
“Brick and mortar retailers -- the backbone of many communities -- are required to collect sales and use taxes while internet retailers do not,” Sen. Durbin noted. “That gives online retailers a 5 to 10 percent price advantage over local businesses that create jobs and invest directly in our communities. This price difference is killing our small brick-and-mortar retailers. That’s not fair and it’s not right. Small businesses in my home state of Illinois don’t want a handout from Washington. They don’t want special treatment. All they want is a level playing field. The Marketplace Fairness Act would level the playing field for small businesses by allowing states – only if they choose – to treat brick and mortar retailers the same as remote retailers.”
Sen. Alexander stressed that he has “a conservative governor, a conservative lieutenant governor, and a conservative state legislature that think it’s their business, not Washington’s, to decide whether Tennessee should collect state sales taxes from everybody, or just some people, and whether to give out-of-state businesses a 10-percent discount when they sell things in Tennessee. This is an 11-page bill about two words: states’ rights. Washington’s biggest problem is that it makes too many decisions that ought to be made in Tennessee by families, communities, and the state.”
Misener noted that Amazon believed that “most of the important questions” regarding creating “an even-handed framework to collect sales tax” have been answered.”
Peterson noted that the impact of unpaid sales tax is not just a matter of an individual state not collecting what its tax law says should be collected. “The sales tax is too often the price difference that turns local retailers into display cases for consumers who come in and try out the product and then go home and buy online. According to the Department of Commerce, e-commerce sales doubled from 2005 to 2011 and e-commerce sales in the first quarter of 2012 increased 15 percent more than the same quarter in 2011. E-commerce sales are increasing at a rate greater than total sales and the difference are sales that would have otherwise gone to a local retailer.”
In opposition to the bill, DelBianco attempted to bolster his argument by noting during his testimony that BookPeople's website had collected the incorrect sales tax on an attempted order. However, the point appeared less than persuasive when Senator Durbin explained that this only stressed the importance of S.1832, as it would force states to simplify their tax laws to make it easier for retailers to collect and remit, and that in BookPeople’s case, the proposed bill would exempt the bookstore from having to collect because BookPeople's gross remote sales do not exceed $500,000 per year.


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From Tetris blocks to official Marvel superheroes, the UK’s burgeoning passion for fancy dress has turned the Morphsuit into a global phenomenon, selling millions worldwide every year and even being donned by Harry Styles. Now the British creators of the all-in-one spandex Morphsuit have unveiled ‘MorphCostumes’ and guarantee to get you more reactions, more laughs, more friends, more fun and ultimately more famous.
To start the costume revolution, MorphCostumes recruited an ex-NASA engineer to design a new range of digitally animated costumes as well as recruiting renowned YouTube prankster Rahat to design a range of four prank costumes and an accompanying series of prank videos. Then, to showcase the costumes to the world, they recruited real fans from their Facebook page to show MorphCostumes infiltrating parties across the planet.
Check out the full range of costumes at morphsuits.com, and watch the new video clip below.
DIY has three MorphCostumes to give away - to be in with a chance of winning one, simply sign up to our mailing list, follow us on Twitter or Facebook, or send us a tweet using the below widget. The closing date for entries is Thursday 25th September.


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Radiancy, which is incorporated in the US with R&D facilities in Yavne, Israel, produces non-invasive skincare devices for hair removal, skin rejuvenation, and acne and psoriasis treatment applications. The company's cosmeceutical devices are based on its patented LHE (Light Heat Energy) technology that utilises light and heat.
"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you?" is a quote Radiancy attributes to Yoda in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. As well as an indication of the company's ambitions, perhaps that is where its founders find their inspiration for their space-age skincare technology.
Founded in 1998 by Dr Zion Azar, the company's president, and Pini Shalev, its chief executive officer, Radiancy's shareholders also include world expert on cardiac devices Professor Shlomo Ben-Haim and Dr Lewis Pell.
Ben-Haim and Pell have something of a Midas-touch where medical technology is concerned and have already been involved in several successful healthcare companies, including Biosense, which was sold to Johnson & Johnson in 1997 for US$400 million (€332 m) in shares, and InStent, sold to Medtronic.
The shareholders are expected to offer UK£10 million (€15 m) worth of shares for sale in the flotation, which is to be aimed at institutional investors and underwritten by Panmure Gordon, part of Lazards investment bank. Panmure Gordon will receive an over-allotment option worth 15 per cent of the gross amount raised by the company.
Radiancy, which trebled its profits to US$3.2 million (€2.6 m) last year, on sales of nearly US$12 million (€10 m), is expected to be valued at more than UK£100 million (€150 m).
The monies raised from the flotation will reportedly go to fund new product launches. Radiancy's products are currently sold in more than fifty countries, mainly through local distributors, but also directly through branches in the US, Singapore, and Spain. In the UK, its products are distributed through Ofex-listed Enhance Technology.
To date, Radiancy has marketed its products to the professional sector, for use by physicians and in beauty salons, but is believed to be turning its focus to the mainstream consumer market, as evidenced by the launch last November of an acne treatment for home use.
The company is preparing to launch No! No! (no hair, no pain), a palm-sized hair removal device initially aimed at the female market and then for men, at the end of the year. The product will be test-marketed in Brazil and Russia before being rolled out across the globe and Radiancy seems to anticipating similar blockbuster success to that of the Star Wars trilogy.


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Hints, tips and happenings
Learn about the latest projects, fixes, solutions and marketing that Website Success are working on...or just what the team are up to generally.
Site redesign for Chichester author
Jun 17, 2015
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Is your website as safe as you think?
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No45 Dental Website Redesign
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Today is the launch of the new and improved website for No 45 Dental. This has given the website the professional and expert feel you get from the business on a day-to-day basis. With the new d...
What will be different in your business this summer?
May 28, 2015
What will be different in your business this summer? Standing still is not an option if you want your business to thrive. Join us for a half day seminar on Tuesday 9th June 2015 at Hilton Avisfo...
Great news | Website Success
May 22, 2015
This week Website Success has received the fantastic news that we are now trusted partners of The Entrepreneur's Circle. The Entrepreneur's Circle is the UK's largest membership organisation commit...
Website Success redesign for Pro Copy
May 20, 2015
Website Success' Development team is making good progress on yet another project; this time a website redesign for existing client, Pro Copy Digital. The site will also be fully res...
May 15, 2015
With Google's mobilegeddon done and in full effect another search engine giant has started showing signs of crossing over. Bing has recently released a tag for web links to allow users to know if t...
Growth within Website Success
May 08, 2015
Website Success has expanded a bit further this week with the new addition of Andy Greenway. Andy will be joining the technical development department, as an apprentice, to allow the business to of...
Mobile-friendly sites launched
May 07, 2015
In light of Google's latest update favouring mobile-friendly websites, our Web Development team at Website Success has been extra busy. We have been inundated with requests to make sites mobi...
What is Social Media?
May 01, 2015
Social media is one of the most used and important tools of the 21st century, everyone is using it, and it doesn't seem like it's going anywhere soon. Social media has become so integrated into so...


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FDI in retail can boost farm sector
The Government seems to be in a fix over the issue of allowing FDI in retail. Conflicting reports have emerged in the last couple of weeks on the investment ceiling to be permitted for opening up the sector to foreign competition. While one report states that only 49% FDI will be allowed initially, another piece pegs that cap at 51%. Anything over 50% gives a company majority control. That would be fairly difficult to achieve given the stiff opposition from the Left parties, the chief prop of the Congress-led coalition. On the other hand, anything less than majority could keep big MNCs at bay. A few of them have made it clear that they won't enter the Indian retail sector unless given a majority control in their ventures. Which way the cookie will crumble only time will tell.
The media reports also talked of restrictions to be placed on foreign players. The Government may initially allow overseas retailers to set up shops only in major cities. Again, there will be limits on the number of outlets for each company, the size and nature of the outlets. Besides, FDI will be allowed in phases and in select areas only, something that China did when it allowed FDI in its retail sector back in 1992. Could it be that the New Delhi is following in the footsteps of the Middle Kingdom, which has benefited a great deal in the 13 years since it first dismantled the entry barrier in retail. Or, is it the fear of opposition by the communists that has prompted the Government to adopt a 'go slow' approach on this critical but controversial issue.
The Government's cautious stance on the politically sensitive issue is understandable since he Left parties have made no bones about their opposition to opening up retail to foreign investors. Their main fear is that the entry of MNC giants like Wal-Mart, Tesco and Carrefour will throw the hundreds of thousands of the neighborhood kirana store owners out of business, leading to millions of job losses. Another concern is with regard to the pricing power of the global retail giants which the communists say will squeeze out the suppliers and hurt farmers. The Left are also worried that the foreign retail majors will hurt domestic players with the practice of predatory pricing and become monopolies. Plus, they say most of these stores will be focused on major cities and big towns, resulting in a skewed urban development. "The negative effects in terms of job losses and the displacement of traditional supply chains by the monopoly power of multinational retailers far outweigh the supposed benefits..." the Left parties said in a recent note that reiterated their opposition against FDI in retail.
There are others who also argue against FDI in retail. And, they are the Indian retail players like Pantaloon. Though one must add that they are not totally against FDI in retail, but are seeking more time to scale up before they come face to face with their global counterparts. Pantaloon chief Kishore Biyani says its not whether FDI should be allowed in retail or not, but when and how. The Chinese allowed 100% FDI only in 2004. For a decade it allowed only one foreign outlet per province, something that the Indian Government is likely to emulate, when it formally announces the opening up of the sector to FDI. Biyani, also the Chairman of CII's retail panel, says Indian players need at least Rs200bn to build scale. Surely, they can't mop-up such huge sum of money in a few months. Even 2-3 years may not be enough. At least 5 years is what they are asking for. May be they are afraid of the global retail giants dominating the local landscape as they possess a lot of financial muscle vis-a-vis the Indian retailers.
But, if one looks at the experience of countries like China and the US, one gets a feeling that the apprehensions of the Left parties as well as the local retailers are misplaced. In America, which is by far the most matured retail market in the world, 95% of retailers are single store operations. Now, they may not be as small as our grocery shops, but are still small when looked at from the US perspective. Some of the world's largest retailers, like Wal-Mart, JC Penney, Target, etc. are American. Notwithstanding the dominance by these large players, the smaller 'mom-n-pop' stores still co-exist with them, though one may not find them in the same vicinity as the big retailers. And, even though their market share is getting eroded slowly, they still account for just under 50% of the total American retail trade.
Similarly in China, the top 10 retailers (both domestic and international), had only 9.6% share of the $628-bn retail market in 2004. This was up from 2.9% in 2000. Moreover, only 17 out of the total 78 foreign retailers in China are in this list, including Wal-Mart, Tesco, Metro and Carrefour. These 17 retailers totted up a turnover of $13.8bn, giving them a miniscule share of 2.2%. However, it must be noted here that the foreign retailers got full access to the Chinese market only last year and hence the above data must be looked at in a different angle i.e. against only the top 100 players. Seen through this prism, the foreign retailers' accounted for 23% sales while China's public sector retailers had a 32% market share and private retailers owned 45%.
Meanwhile, the kirana store owners in India also face a threat from the domestic players, who have aggressive expansion plans for the future. In addition, few of the country's large corporate houses like Reliance, the Tatas and the Munjals, etc. too have mega plans for the retail sector. So, the grocery shopkeepers will feel the heat from these companies in any case, which is a point the communists ally of the Government fail to appreciate. According to John Menzer, Vice-Chairman and CEO, Wal-Mart, "Small businesses have their own competitive advantages. They have their own model, offer a different product mix, and keep their customers happy. I think small businesses can grow and prosper with Wal-Mart". Even in China, where FDI in retail was allowed long time back, small vendors of vegetables and fruits coexist with the hundreds of superstores, who are perceived to be the biggest threat to the kirana shops. Even in India, where organised retailers have started mushrooming in big cities, the grocery shop owners have not been wiped out.
Those who are against FDI in retail are also missing an even bigger point. The one concerning backward linkages with the agriculture sector, efficiency in supply chain that foreign retailers can bring and the huge opportunity in farm exports. India can attain huge savings by merely improving the supply chain. Some 20-40% of all fruits and vegetables grown in the country goes waste due to poor transportation, storage and handling infrastructure. Also, for every rupee that an Indian consumer spends, the farmer gets only 20-22 paise, as against 70-80 paise in developed markets. If large retailers, whether domestic or foreign, directly source through farmers, realisations will go up for the farmers, consumers will have to pay less and the retailers will get higher margins.
Though one may argue that the supply chain efficiency can also be brought in by the local retailers too, the moot point is that the global giants like Wal-Mart can substantially improve the fortunes of India's farm sector by directly linking it with the global supply chain. Remember, China's agriculture exports to the US nearly trebled from $3.86bn in 1999 to $9.96bn last year. India, on the other hand has made only a marginal progress, with its farm exports to America rising from $3.19bn in 1999 to just $4.28bn.
In the recent past, the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, the President, the Vice-President, the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, all have spoken of boosting agriculture growth to have a GDP growth in excess of 8% on a sustained basis. This Government came to power on the promise of making life better for the large section of India's rural poor. The retail sector is one such opportunity for the Congress-led coalition to turnaround the rural sector. The Prime Minister and his colleagues in the Cabinet are aware of this. All that is needed now is a strong political will. Just do it Dr. Singh


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The latest digital issue of Cranes & Access is now online and available to read or download
Mammoet’s 2,500 tonne class Focus30 crane has completed its first job
IPAF has rolled out its new digital ePAL app in 26 countries with a further 20 to follow
The US government has ordered 60 fully specified 46ft Snorkel A46JRT articulated boom lifts
Trackunit has acquired the Industrial IoT division of US based ZTR
There are just two more weeks left until the long awaited return of Vertikal Days
The latest digital issue of Cranes & Access is now online and available to read or download.
German remote control specialist HBC-Radiomatic has formed a partnership with German autonomous control specialist Reichhardt Steuerungstechnik
Tadano has added the Flex Base outrigger system to the 130t Demag AC 130-5 All Terrain crane
UK access rental company AFI has equipped its delivery fleet with live tracking systems
Trackunit has appointed Chi Sen Gay as senior vice president to lead its new Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore
Software investor Hg Capital has purchased a majority stake in telematics/tracking company Trackunit from Goldman Sachs and GRO Capital
Liebherr has developed its Smart Tyre System to reduce tyre wear on its reachstackers.
Point of Rental’s employee-led charitable donation group ‘Point the Way’ has gained US 501 charity status.
UK access rental company PG Platforms has taken delivery of two Multitel truck mounted telescopic platforms
Haulotte has completed its Building Information Models (BIM) library with 12 new models made free of charge to download
Haulotte has published a BIM library to cover a number of its aerial lift and telehandler products
France’s ATM Levage has taken a 75m Ruthmann T 750 HF truck mounted lift
German remote control company HBC-radiomatic has expanded its facility in Kentucky, USA


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On Wednesday, Suffolk University announced that some of its students have launched some ventures through its crowdfunding course. The ventures made their debut on December 6th, with two dedicated to the people of Haiti.
The University stated that is Sawyer Business School introduced the crowdfunding course in Fall 2016, which requires students to launch campaigns to fund their own startup companies through crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. Management and Entrepreneur professor Jenni Dinger, who co-teaches the course, stated:
“Crowdfunding continues to enjoy tremendous growth worldwide. Given that crowdfunding is still a relatively young capital source we are continuously learning what works and what doesn’t. What has not changed is that the process of creating and preparing a campaign acts as an accelerator of sorts, prodding nascent entrepreneurs to take action.”
The ventures are listed below:
- Marbre by SJ, founded by Suffolk junior Shereen Jan in partnership with Suffolk junior Kristy Fitzgerald, is a minimalist jewelry line that incorporates reclaimed marble into precious metal pieces.
- Sadiq Smoke, founded by Suffolk junior Kamraan Sadiq, is a silicone-insulated hookah bowl with wind guard.
- Sawed-Off Souvenirs, founded by Suffolk senior Greg Speliotis, creates a variety of cups and barware for sports fanatics made from broken bats.
- Happy Homes, founded by Suffolk seniors and entrepreneurship majors Nick Kellicker and Rafic Korban, is a social venture aimed at providing affordable and sustainable housing for the people in Haiti.
- Dentists for Humanity is a Cambridge-based healthcare non-profit focused on providing dental care to underprivileged communities around the world and mentorship to dental students,


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Labour calls for new Morrisons owners to provide assurances following £7bn bid
The Labour Party has called on the new owners of Morrisons to to "protect workers, pension fund holders and local people" following private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice's (CD&R) successful £7bn bid at an auction earlier today.
CD&R was vying with a consortium led by the Softbank-owned Fortress Investment Group for the Bradford-based supermarket. It was successful in the auction process with a 287 pence a share bid, beating out Fortress, which offered 286 pence.
Seema Malhotra MP, Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, said “Morrisons is a much loved British firm which has been rooted in communities up and down the country for over 100 years. The new owners must urgently deliver binding assurances for workers, pension fund holders, and local people.
“Government has a responsibility too. It must ensure that the new owners are responsible, long-term investors, seeking to build the business for the future and that decisions taken are also in the public interest.
“We cannot see a repetition of previous cases where business have been loaded with debt and asset-stripped. Morrisons is a great British company which must be safeguarded for the future.”
Both CD&R and Morrisons have yet to comment on the outcome of the auction.
Kevin Hollinrake, the Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton, has also been seeking written assurances that Morrisons will continue to pay UK corporate taxes if it is bought by a private equity firm.
"I am not against private equity investment but we have to make sure they do not benefit from any in-built tax advantage," he told The Yorkshire Post earlier this week. "We must do more to establish and maintain a fair and level playing field for all businesses that operate in the UK."
However, CD&R has previously assured that Morrisons would remain headquartered and registered in the UK and would continue to pay taxes in the UK should the US-based provated equity firm be successful.
Morrisons' board is expected to recommend shareholders accept the new offer at a shareholder meeting slated for October 19.
Bradford-based Morrisons started out as an egg and butter merchant in 1899. It listed its shares in 1967 and is Britain’s fourth-largest grocer after Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda.
The battle for Morrisons, which has been running since May, is the most high-profile of a raft of bids for British companies this year, reflecting private equity’s appetite for cash-generating UK assets.
CD&R’s victory marks a triumphant return to the UK grocery sector for Terry Leahy, the former chief executive of Britain’s biggest supermarket chain Tesco, who is a senior adviser to the firm.
Morrisons is the second UK supermarket chain in a year to be acquired by private equity after a buyout of Leeds-based Asda completed in February.
Sainsbury’s has in recent months been mooted as another possible target for private equity and investment companies.
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With Samsung’s latest flagships making their landing this MWC, we were expecting the device to make some waves, and now that DxOMark has completed their testing on the Samsung Galaxy S9+, it turns out its camera is pretty darn amazing.
As smartphones are packing even larger displays, one company has just introduced what appears to be the smallest phone in the world. Imagine a device that’s roughly the size of a USB thumb drive which you can use for voice call and text. On top of that, its tiny 200mAh battery is rated to last up to an incredible 3 days on a single charge.
ASUS Malaysia is introducing a new smartphone that will compete with the “FullView” smartphones from Huawei, OPPO and vivo. Introduced as the Pegasus 4S in China, this smartphone comes with a tall 5.7″ display and a huge 4,310mAh battery.
Looks like Asus has finally jumped on the 18:9 display bandwagon and has just announced their first smartphone to feature such a screen.
The Samsung Galaxy smartphone family is getting a whole lot bigger. After having the Galaxy S, A, E and J series, the Korean maker is about to launch its new Galaxy C line up that could overlap with its current Galaxy A (2016) smartphones.
Launched at [email protected] earlier today, Acer’s latest mid-range offering not only has a rather odd name (that would sound totally at home at the shampoo aisle) but also a gigantic battery that apparently keeps fresh for up to two days.
A new leak about Samsung’s C series smartphones drops a potential release date and a small tidbit about its construction.


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China Evergrande Group has reportedly started repaying investors in its wealth management products with real estate.
The company has more than $300bn in liabilities and is facing a liquidity crisis. It is working to raise funds to repay its lenders and suppliers, Reuters reported.
On 23 September 2021, Evergrande has a bond interest payment of $83.5m.
Investors wanting to redeem wealth management products for physical assets can approach Evergrande investment consultants or visit local offices, the company said in a WeChat post.
Approximately $6bn (CNY40bn) in the company’s wealth management products are outstanding, news agency Caixin said. These type of products are usually held by retail investors.
Specifics regarding payment methods and details are contingent on local conditions, Reuters added citing a customer service representative.
Wealth management product investors can select discounted apartments, office, retail space or car parks for repayment, as per a proposal viewed by the news agency.
A stock exchange filing earlier this month revealed that Evergrande repaid CNY219.5m in overdue debts due to supplier Skshu Paint with three unfinished property projects. In total, Evergrande had repaid overdue debts worth CNY234.74m to Skshu.
Last month, China’s central bank warned Evergrande’s senior executives that the company must lower its debt risks and prioritise stability.
On 10 September 2021, Evergrande agreed to repay all of its matured wealth management products soon.


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Dead Favours brought the good times back to Galatos last night with help from their buddies, Ekko Park.
Its Jared and Kyle of Dead Favours up at The 13th Floor to help us celebrate New Zealand Music Month with this acoustic version of Sink Or Swim.
Here’s Dead Favours with a brand new video for Move On.
Dead Favours are celebrating the release of their second album Riffing & Yelling with a nationwide tour. Produced by Six60’s Chris Mac, Riffing & Yelling, will be released in a two-part series. The first part ‘side a’ will release on Friday 21 May and ‘side b’ in Q4 of 2021.
13th Floor Photographer Chris Zwaagdyk was at Powerstation last night shooting Villainy and openers, Dead Favours and Sit Down in Front. We’ll have a review along shortly, but for now, enjoy the images.
With 45 acts, five stages and a stunning harbour vistas the Capital’s best day out for music fans promised a great party to close off an exceptional summer. Now in its 11th year this sold out festival has rightly earned its iconic status, alongside Laneway, Rhythm & Vines, the former Big Day Out and Splore, among others. It’s also the best way to see the greatest number of Kiwi bands all in one place. So, did it live up to the reputation? Tim Gruar packed a rain jacket, his notepad and his camera to head along and find out.


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Song of Samsung sings for eSys's supper
Appoints HDD distie
Samsung has fingered eSys as its global hard disk distributor.
Samsung storage sales manager HJ Song said: "With a global partner on board, Samsung plans to concentrate on building the number of direct retailer and reseller accounts putting us in a strong position once the storage market levels out."
eSys UK general manager Ashish Kapahi harmonised: "eSys is increasingly becoming recognised as a value-added distributor which is why Samsung have appointed us to distribute their leading hard disk drives."
According to their press release, the move follows the "withdrawal of Maxtor from the hard disk drive market".
Or, more accurately, Maxtor was acquired by Seagate last year in a $2bn deal. Seagate says Maxtor will continue as a retail brand and it will swallow its OEM business, creating a scary-big magnetic behemoth. ®


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The Commerce Department announced Tuesday it will impose small import duties on Chinese-made solar cells, disappointing a handful of U.S. solar panel makers who complained of being undercut by subsidized Chinese firms and who wanted stiffer penalties.
The Commerce Department set preliminary countervailing duties for subsidized Chinese firms at 4.73 percent for Trina, 2.9 percent for Suntech and 3.61 for all others.
The decision was hailed by U.S. companies that install solar panels and U.S. companies that export solar manufacturing equipment. Investors also welcomed the news; Suntech’s shares soared 14 percent and Trina’s jumped 7.85 percent.
But the manufacturers who brought the case said they still hope that higher tariffs might be added in mid-May for separate dumping allegations.
The case has split the U.S. solar industry. SolarWorld, a maker of solar panels, led a group of seven manufacturers in a bid to persuade Commerce to “halt . . . an ever-rising tide of heavily subsidized solar cells” from China that it said was putting U.S. firms out of business. Other solar businesses, however, opposed any duties, noting that they would make solar panels more expensive and hurt American consumers as well as workers who install the devices.
“The rates were very low, which is a huge victory for the U.S. solar industry and its 100,000 employees,” said Jigar Shah, president of the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy, which opposes import tariffs. “On the topic of whether the Chinese government is systematically oversubsidizing its solar industry, they were found not guilty.” He said the decision would not significantly raise the price of solar panels.
The Commerce Department will review the countervailing duties later this year. Meanwhile, companies importing solar panels made in China will have to put money in escrow until the duties are final. Moreover, the duties are retroactive for 90 days.
The Commerce ruling also closed a key loophole, said Timothy C. Brightbill, a lawyer at the firm Wiley Rein who represents the U.S. solar panel makers. Commerce said its duties apply to Chinese solar cells regardless of where they are assembled into larger panels or modules. Chinese companies had publicly discussed circumventing tariffs by assembling panels in third countries.
Brightbill said he hoped that the Commerce Department would raise the countervailing duties when it reviews them, but Shah said it was rare for the department to raise duties after setting a preliminary level.
Brightbill also said that an investigation into anti-competitive factors in Chinese glass manufacturing could later add to the import duties because glass is a key component in solar panels.
“Today’s announcement affirms what U.S. manufacturers have long known: Chinese manufacturers have received unfair and WTO-illegal subsidies,” Steve Ostrenga, chief executive of Helios Solar Works in Milwaukee, said in a statement. Helios is a member of the group that brought the trade complaint.


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22 Miles has released AR Plug-in, its feature release for mobile wayfinding applications, which it will demonstrate at DSE 2018 in booth 1543.
Visitors can now find any destination with a superimposed pathway app from their phone camera. 22 Miles designed this to make mobile wayfinding more intuitive and match the standards set out by the likes of Google Maps.
The 22 Miles mobile app capabilities support features such as 3D wayfinding for outdoor campus and interior floor maps; menus, product browsing, and search; smart search directory; meeting and event booking; emergency notifications; social media, surveys, forms and Google Maps for local amenities and offsite locations; indoor positioning support via Bluetooth beacons (BLE) and Wi-Fi access points; and of course, augmented reality route visualization (AR) plug-in.
To expand further on the AR Plug-in, users can get promotions in real time throughout their navigational experience, as notifications alert them of deals within their proximity. The plug-in can integrate with existing organizational apps, and 22 Miles offers app design services for end users.


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The Energy Saving Trust grants ‘verified’ status to the QRL Radiator Group for its T22 Compact radiator – marking the creation of a new, dedicated radiator category for the efficiency organisation.
The EST’s verification scheme provides independent evaluation of product performance for energy-efficient products. After reviewing the results of extensive testing, the organisation awarded the recognition to QRL’s flagship T22 Compact panel radiator (part of its hi-lo, Barlo and Warmastyle ranges). The verification compared the T22 Compact with like-for-like products from its eight main market competitors — with QRL’s model consistently coming out top in terms of heat output performance.
The compact radiator panel will now be listed as a verified product in its own category on the EST Register, the organisation’s online database of energy-efficient products. It will appear as the first and only radiator entry, alongside other heating systems and components, including boilers, heating controls and chemical inhibitors.
Elaine Berry, client relationship manager at the Energy Saving Trust, commented: “As an organisation that seeks to help consumers and businesses save energy and money, we recognise the importance of taking a holistic approach to heating system efficiency. Emitters are a crucial part of this, because just like other system components, they can have a significant impact on overall performance. That’s why it’s so important to opt for an efficient model wherever possible.
“As such, we felt strongly that radiators deserved their own category, and are pleased to welcome QRL’s T22 Compact as the first member. Our verification showed that the product is very clearly leading the market in terms of heat transfer, offering unparalleled performance and the fastest heat-up times available.”
The Trust’s verification revealed that the radiator had the highest heat output on the market — and the best compatibility with lower-temperature heat sources such as renewables. The results also showed that it has the highest number of water channels per metre, as well as the lowest water and steel content — all of which are aimed at making the fastest heat-up times.
Mike Wright, product development manager at QRL Radiator Group, added: “To be the Energy Saving Trust’s first verified radiator is a huge accolade, and we’re extremely proud to be part of what we see as a landmark development. This is not just a verification of QRL’s performance capabilities — we’re also confident that it will help bring an important issue to the industry’s attention: radiator efficiency. Emitters are consistently overlooked when it comes to efficient heating specification, which can seriously compromise wider system performance, and that’s something that we at QRL are working hard to change.”
Energy Saving Trust verification is also underway for several other products in the company’s panel radiator range, with the results expected later this summer.


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Xiaomi foldable phone is seemingly a prototype at this stage, which means there could be many improvements that will be made before the device is ready for commercial announcement
Xiaomi is finally entering the niche club of smartphone makers betting on foldable smartphones to contribute to the innovation. The Chinese company has officially showcased its first foldable smartphone, joining the likes of Samsung, Motorola, and LG that are also expected to release their foldable phones this year. Xiaomi Senior Vice President, Wang Xiang has shared a video of what looks like a double-folding phone from the company.
In the video shared by Xiang on Twitter, the Xiaomi devices can be seen folding from either into the centre, turning it into a smartphone with only the active screen on front. There are minimal bezels on the device, as seen in the video. Moreover, the MIUI on the device has been optimised for the change in the display orientation – in the full tablet mode, the UI is vertical while in the smartphone mode, it’s the regular phone UI.
Excited to share this video of a special Xiaomi smartphone from our President and Co-founder Bin Lin. It is the world’s first ever double folding phone — that’s pretty cool, isn’t it? #xiaomi #foldingphone #technology pic.twitter.com/iBj0n3vIbW
— Wang Xiang (@XiangW_) January 23, 2019
Xiaomi SVP revealed in a post on Weibo that the company’s ‘double folding phone’ uses a four wheel drive foldable shaft technology to implement a foldable display. Xiaomi also claims it’s the “world’s first double folding phone”. Meanwhile, Samsung is also gearing up to reportedly launch its Galaxy F foldable phone at its Unpacked event.
The Xiaomi foldable phone is seemingly a prototype at this stage, which means there could be many improvements that will be made before the device is ready for commercial announcement. Xiaomi has not detailed on the timelines for the announcement of its foldable phone, although, it is expected the company could showcase it at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 slated to kick off in February.
Talking to the commenters on his post, Xiang asked for name suggestions for the phone. While there were many names being proposed, a few that piqued Xiang’s interest were OrigaMi, Mix Flex, and Dual Flex. It will be interesting to see whether Xiaomi comes up with its own name for the foldable phone or chooses one of the suggested ones.


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Just over ten days after the approval of the 13-inch model, today painted on the systems of the National Telecommunications Agency that of the new 15-inch Touch Bar MacBook Pro.
Here is the A1990 Type Approval Certificate:
And here, some photos of the unit sent to Anatel:
Although still unavailable in our country, the prices of the new MacBooks Pro are already set by Apple Brazil:
- R $ 16,199 – 13 ″ with 256GB SSD
- R $ 17,799 – 13 ″ with 512GB SSD
- R $ 21,299 – 15 ″ with 2.2GHz Core i7, Radeon Pro 555X and 256GB SSD
- R $ 24,599 – 15 ″ with 2.6GHz Core i7, Radeon Pro 560X and 512GB SSD
Now, it's only a matter of days before they are released.


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It has now been five years since Ralph & Russo became the first British fashion house to receive accreditation to the couture schedule in over a century – and, remarkably, it has still been less than a decade since the company first launched. Now, with stores across the globe, 300 employees to its name, masses of A-list fans including Angelina Jolie and the Duchess of Sussex, and a growing list of clients spanning every age group, the couple behind the wildly successful business talked to us about what it takes to run a truly modern couture house.
“I think being relatable even if you are very high-end is what makes you relevant,” Tamara Ralph, the label’s co-founder and creative director, tells me backstage after the house presented its couture autumn/winter 2019 collection in Paris.
For the show, Ralph & Russo took over the British Embassy, erecting a 90-metre long catwalk in the grounds, and sent colourful and fantastical ballgowns out into the Paris sunshine. The collection, which was inspired by the 1930s Art Deco movement, made for a few breathtaking moments, particularly when the exquisite bridal finale gown appeared, a dress that took 12,400 hours to make and included 1,500 organza ﬂower appliqués that were stitched on by hand.
The closing wedding dress at a Ralph & Russo couture show is always a sight to behold and this one was no different. Ralph explains that the chance to truly show off this detailed level of craftsmanship is unique and important for them – and is why she thinks the concept of the fashion show might adapt, but it will never disappear.
“The fashion show will always be the best opportunity to showcase what you are about that season – you could never experience what you see out there when you’re watching the show in any other way, but I do think that it will evolve. I am sure that it will be very different in a few years time and we might see a shift into the digital age and that’s exciting, but I think the fashion show as a concept will always exist.”
“The shows are a very important way for us to demonstrate what the brand is about and our level of work and craftsmanship,” Michael Russo, co-founder and CEO adds. “It helps us to demonstrate that we are really proud of the essence of the house because sometimes it is difficult to translate that in other means.”
But, like any luxury fashion house, Ralph & Russo also gets the opportunity to showcase its craftsmanship to the world via the red carpet. Thanks to its romantic, princess-worthy gowns, the house has become a favourite for many of the most famous women in the world to wear for their most important moments. Angelina Jolie, for example, chose a skirt suit by the house when she met the Queen, while the Duchess of Sussex opted for a glitzy gown by the brand for her engagement photographs. For the red carpet, stars including Amal Clooney, Beyoncé, Penelope Cruz, Bella Hadid, Priyanka Chopra, Jennifer Lopez and many others have opted for the label on the most prestigious of occasions.
And this celebrity endorsement is undoubtedly powerful, Ralph confirms.
“We do see an immediate effect if someone in the public eye wears one of our designs. Of course, it depends on the person and the event but it’s really instant traction with social media – it spreads globally very fast.”
Celebrity and social media influence is very powerful for any fashion house right now, as is the impact of sustainability and climate change, which has caused many consumers to try to cut down on their shopping in order to lessen their impact. While the very high-end Ralph & Russo customer might not be reducing how much they buy, they have definitely become more inquisitive about where it comes from.
“Yes I think people are now much more conscious of what they are buying,” Ralph says. “Our customer is not necessarily buying less, but is much more conscious of how and where the piece has been produced, which is amazing.”
While fashion is changing at a dramatic rate because of a number of these factors, the world of couture is changing too – and this, Ralph says, is why it is still relevant today.
“I think that couture will always have a presence," she muses. "It has grown and changed a lot even since when we first started out with our brand. It’s become really quite global – we have customers in nearly every single country in the world. And more than this, it's very much a younger demographic now – it’s not just a lady over a certain age, we now have customers from every age range you can possibly think of, from babies to teenagers, and there has been huge growth in the number of 18-25 year olds buying in last two to three seasons."
And, the designer explains, it is these younger customers that are proving the relevance of couture in the modern world.
“They want pieces that they can mix into their everyday lives, pair with streetwear and just wear it day to day. It’s really a nice transition into modern couture.”


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Netizens MOCK G-Dragon’s Clothes And Fashion After Seeing His Latest Airport Photo
Although G-Dragon is known for being one of the biggest fashion icons in Korea, it appears that his wardrobe choices aren’t always a hit with fans.
In fact, after seeing recent photos of the BIGBANG member at the airport, netizens couldn’t stop criticizing his appearance. In fact, in addition to claiming that the YG Entertainment singer can’t dress himself, many even laughed at his appearance, mocking his position at the top of the Korean fashion industry.
Find out what Netizens had to say about this article below!
Koreaboo has collected reactions from Netizens who commented on the original article from our Korean source. The below comments are the most popular comments at the time of this article being published.
[ +616 / -65] Look at this fool. He probably must likely won’t serve in the normal military
[ +529 / -58] It is understandable that Hyungdon dissed his fashion
[ +476 / -139] He really can’t wear clothes well hahahaha
Source: TV Report


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Business Finance - PwC gets into gear in mid-market.
A new website aimed at growing and middle market business has been launched by a firm one might least expect it from.
PricewaterhouseCoopers widely considered a multinational for multinationals, is bent on reinforcing its dedication to the middle market through its new site ‘Driving Ambition’.
One of the slogans that slides across the site as you log on, ‘You’re in the driving seat, think of us as your navigator’, is the essence of the site and the drive behind the new campaign.
Hype-free, the site is candid and informative and, more importantly, it is free. Routemaster enables users to log inquiries by selecting their market sector and business topic. The user is then either directed to information held on PwC’s global site or is able to register the inquiry via email for a more personal touch.
Central to Driving Ambition is the interactive website backed by a call centre that routes inquiries to regional offices.
Keith Anderson, senior partner at PwC’s Leicester office said that since the merger between Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand public perception of the firm has been skewed.
‘The two firms got to where they were by nurturing middle market business,’ said Anderson, who is responsible for Driving Ambition.
‘It’s about confirming externally our market position. Afterall between 35% and 65% of our business around the world is in serving local companies with ambition,’ he said.
The government’s e-envoy annual report for 2000 put the number of businesses connected to the internet at 90%. In the US the comparative figure is 93%.
With these statistics, Anderson is confident the benefits of Driving Ambition will reach the small and medium-sized market.
‘I’m staggered by amount of information they (one-person start-ups) know about their target market, and so on. We’re finding individuals much more e-literate. The younger the start-up the more au fait they are with what the internet can do.’
‘Last week the level of hits we were getting was quite encouraging. And we’ve got people calling our contacts,’ said Anderson, but he wasn’t able to offer any concrete statistics.
The campaign’s cost of around #600,000, PwC believes is worth its weight if it means the firm is able to ‘reinforce the essence of what we’re about.’
And it doesn’t matter which ‘gear you’re in’ as the site offers advice for every stage a growing business faces.
‘The key point in regard to the website is that PwC is an inclusive brand. Whatever stage a business is at, whether it’s looking to expand, or just has a business plan, we can help. It’s not a one size fits all,’ says Anderson.


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Greenspan generally upbeat on prospects of economy
The Federal Reserve is ready to raise interest rates more quickly than its current "measured" pace if inflation suddenly worsens, Chairman Alan Greenspan said yesterday.
Still, Greenspan delivered a generally upbeat assessment of economic prospects to Congress, seeking to allay concerns that a pronounced dip of economic activity in June could turn into something more severe. He said a slowdown in consumer spending, which accounts for two-thirds of the total economy, appeared to be "short-lived," with preliminary indications that July growth was already rebounding.
The economy was moving through a "soft patch," based on a number of weaker-than-expected statistics in June, he said.
Delivering the Fed's midyear economic outlook to the Senate Banking Committee, Greenspan said that in most respects economic conditions through the first half of the year have "been generally quite favorable," with overall growth at a strong rate that has finally generated notable job growth.
House rejects bill to require expensing of stock options
The House voted yesterday to block a rule that would require companies to count stock options against their profits, after a party-splitting debate over corporate accountability, economic growth and jobs.
The vote was 312-111 for a bill overriding a proposal by the rule-setting board for accounting. The board wanted to force publicly traded companies to record as an expense all forms of share-based payments to employees, including stock options.
Similar legislation has stalled in the Senate, where Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., opposes it.
Shelby criticized the House action as "political interference" in the work of accounting experts. "I will continue to fight any effort to pass similar legislation in the Senate," he said.
The Associated Press


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Uber files to go public as losses mount
Ride-hailing giant Uber has filed to go public in New York in an initial public offering (IPO) that could be one of the largest technology floats ever, while still losing billions.
The firm reported an adjusted loss before interest and tax of $1.9bn for 2018, and forecast its operating expenses “to increase significantly in the foreseeable future”.
Its operating loss was $3bn while revenue for the year came in at $11.3bn, according to documents filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
“We will not shy away from making short-term financial sacrifices where we see clear long-term benefits,” wrote chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi in a letter that was included in the filing.
Read more: Lyft's brutal debut set to push down Uber IPO price
Uber is expected to fetch up to $10bn (£7.6bn) in the listing, which could reportedly occur in May and value the company at up to $120bn. The firm did not disclose details on the size, date or pricing of the upcoming offering.
Listing under the ticker “Uber”, it has raised nearly $20bn in debt and equity funding to date, making it the most well-capitalised pre-IPO firm ever. Softbank’s Vision Fund was named as its largest shareholder, with a 16.3 per cent stake.
Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick, who was ousted from the firm in 2017 amid controversies over company culture, owns an 8.6 per cent stake as its third biggest shareholder. The holding could be worth around $9bn.
Read more: Lyft shares hit new lows on reports of record Uber float
The tech firm’s float follows that of US rival Lyft, which pocketed $2bn in its Wall Street debut last month.
"The company’s most immediate problem is that it is losing approximately $700m per quarter, with it difficult to see this changing in the short term," said Quilter Cheviot analyst Ben Barringer.
"The outlook for growth is weak and the outlook for profits potentially still weaker."
Users covered around 26bn miles using the Uber app last year, with Uber reporting 91m monthly active users across ride-hailing and its food delivery app Uber Eats. This was up 33.8 percent from 2017, but growth slowed from 51 percent a year earlier.