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WWF promotes a wide range of management measures to ensure the maintenance of healthy stocks and the recovery of depleted fish populations, in particular highly commercial fish stocks, such as tuna and whitefish species.
Our approach focuses on:
- creating transparency at sea: strenghtening fisheries monitoring and credible control systems that will help curb illegal fishing practices, and advocating for strong laws against bycatch
- working with Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) to get the right management measures and rules in place
What is bycatch?
This “incidental” catch is called bycatch.
A reliable system for seafood traceabilityIn a groundbreaking statement issued during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos last year, WWF joined public and private sector leaders calling for a new global seafood traceability system to ensure that consumers, businesses and governments have full access to information about commercial marine fishing practices.
Creating such a reliable system will require harmonizing both legal and commercial practices across national boundaries and the whole seafood industry, ranging from small-scale producers to global retail chains in the EU, US and Japan. The statement recognizes the urgent need for tracing fish products from "bait to plate" to link markets to sustainability and ending illegal, unfair fishing practices all over the world.
More info here.


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Texas: TABC investigates cheap liquor sold as top shelf
By Myra Arthur
What you drink might not be what you think.
Since April, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has investigated bars, clubs and restaurants for switching top shelf liquor with cheaper brands and serving it to unknowing customers.
TABC investigators collected 153 samples from 68 retailers statewide by using undercover investigators who ordered “straight” samples of top shelf liquor by brand.
Forty samples from 21 of the retailers contained substituted liquor.
One of the bars serving substituted liquor is located in San Antonio, although the TABC will not release the name of the bar since its investigation is ongoing.
The cities in which the suspicious samples were collected include Houston, El Paso, College Station, Dallas, Fort Worth, Odessa, Addison, Mesquite, Irving, Katy and McAllen.
The TABC will not yet release the names of any of the businesses involved or information on the brands of liquor that were swapped.
Additional testing is still being conducted on the retailers that provided substituted samples.
If a retailer has only one violation and no previous history of liquor swapping, it will likely be given a warning.
Other retailers could face thousands of dollars in fines or lose their liquor licenses.
This is the first time the TABC has conducted such an investigation thanks to new equipment that allows testing of liquor samples.
The agency chose which retailers to test based on “areas of concern” identified by supervisors in the field.
Investigators did not test liquor stores or chains.
No other information was released.

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It’s Earth Day, and that means a lot of companies have released news of their plans for reducing, reusing, and recycling to help solve pollution problems of all types.
|Zuru is shifting to using 100% recycled plastic in its popular Bunch O Balloons product line. Image courtesy Zuru.|
Zuru, a toy and consumer goods company out of Hong Kong, announced a sustainability program for its top-selling Zuru Bunch O Balloons brand, including a transition from plastic polybags to sustainably sourced paper bags.
The program will prevent an estimated 800 tons of single-use plastic from entering the supply chain each year and enable consumers to recycle all elements of their product, regardless of local regulations. Beginning this August, all Bunch O Balloons plastic stems and caps will be made from 100% fully certified and traceable post-consumer-recycled plastic.
“The Bunch O Balloons program showcases our all-in commitment to a full-circle approach to sustainability,” said Anna Mowbray, Chief Operating Officer. “We are changing to 100% recycled plastic in our manufacturing, essentially giving it a new life rather than seeing it end up in landfills and the ocean, as well as providing consumers easy opportunities to recycle after use.”
Zuru’s partnership with recycling company TerraCycle, which launched last September, will continue, enabling consumers to ship at no cost Bunch O Balloons parts, balloon pieces and foil bag packaging. The program is currently offered in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
Zuru is also working to provide better labeling to help consumers identify plastics that can be recycled. By June 2021, the company will have its molds adapted so that each toy component will have the correct plastic grade and recycling logo, where relevant, to help increase the rate of recycling.
Making old plastics new again
Ineos and Plastic Energy announced a collaboration to construct an advanced plastic recycling facility to convert waste plastic into raw material to make new plastic. First trials of product produced from Plastic Energy’s patented technology, called Thermal Anaerobic Conversion (TAC), which transforms previously unrecyclable plastic waste into Tacoil, have been completed.
The new raw material has been successfully converted into virgin polymer through the Ineos cracker at Köln, Germany. The plastics made from this trial will now be used by selected customers and brands to demonstrate the benefits of the process. Production at the new facility is targeted for the end of 2023.
“This represents the delivery of another important milestone in the Ineos sustainability strategy,” said Rob Ingram, CEO, Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe. “To take plastic waste back to virgin plastic is the ultimate definition of recycling and will create a truly circular economy solution. This will enable us to offer another opportunity for our customers to help them meet their pledges and commitments in this area.”
Ocean-bound plastics diverted into tech products
HP Inc., a technology company that produces a portfolio of personal systems, printers, and 3D-printing solutions, released news of its latest Z by HP mobile workstation, which incorporates ocean-bound plastics.
UL, an independent and standards development, testing, and certification organization, announced that HP received its first Recycled Content Validation for ocean-bound plastics from UL for five resins that contain recycled content from ocean-bound plastics. HP said that it is the “first company to achieve validation from UL” to the UL 2809 Environmental Claim Validation Procedure (ECVP) for Recycled Content standard, which now includes auditing of social responsibility procedures.
HP has upcycled more than one million pounds of ocean-bound plastic, roughly 35 million plastic bottles, into its products. It initially used ocean-bound plastic bottles to manufacture its Original HP ink cartridges, through a partnership with First Mile Coalition. Since then, HP has scaled the use of ocean-bound plastic across its portfolio of products.
“HP believes that what’s good for the environment is good for both business and society,” said Ellen Jackowski, Global Head of Sustainability Strategy and Innovation. “We recognize the importance of third-party validation in bringing recycled content claims to market. Validation to UL’s recycled-content standard helps ensure we are transitioning to a circular economy reliably and transparently, while creating a positive social impact for plastic collector communities. HP is reinventing its supply chain to accelerate the strategies that are in direct alignment with sustainable development, and, in turn, helping to solve some of the most pressing global issues of our time.”


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Tag - Injunction
Shortly after winning a sales injunction against old but infringing Samsung devices in the second patent trial, Apple has suffered a reversal of the verdict from an appeal by Samsung. The US Court of Appeals in Washington on Friday overturned the jury verdict in the second patent trial, which awarded Apple a largely-symbolic $120 million award after finding that Samsung had infringed on three Apple patents. In the appeal, the court found no infringement in one case, that two other Apple patents were invalid, and that Apple was liable for infringing a single Samsung patent.
A ruling from the US District Court in October is causing more hurt than first realized, as Aereo ist now turning to layoffs as a way hold resources for the future. Between offices in New York and Boston, the company is letting go of a large number of employees. More devastating is the coming closure of the Boston office, which Aereo expects to shut down on November 12.
On Wednesday, US Federal District Court Judge Lucy Koh ruled on two motions in the ongoing leftover matters related to the first Apple vs. Samsung patent trial from 2012. The first ruling denied Apple the opportunity to recover attorney's fees from Samsung related to its guilty verdict on trade dress claims, and the second returned a $2.6 million Apple bond the company had put up to enforce a sales injunction against the Galaxy Tab 10.1, which was found to have copied Apple's iPad technology. No action was ever taken on the ban due to the appeals process, and both companies have since agreed to drop the injunction.
Two years after the first Apple-Samsung patent trial, the big winner in that case -- Apple -- has dropped a motion to cross-appeal a portion of Judge Lucy Koh's final verdict. The action means that the company has officially given up hope of seeing any product bans on the 23 Samsung products found guilty of copying Apple technology, though the matter is largely moot as none of the products are still offered for sale anyway. Despite the clear victory in the jury trial, Judge Koh twice refused to issue sales injunctions on the infringing Samsung products.
The case for the use of the color magenta in the mobile marketplace filed by T-Mobile against Aio Wireless, an AT&T subsidiary, has dealt a blow to the smaller no-contract carrier by a federal court. An injunction has been granted in favor of T-Mobile which restricts Aio from further use of the color.
Apple and Samsung were in court on Thursday in front of US District Court Judge Lucy Koh, with the former arguing that its successful verdicts against Samsung entitles it to sales bans on the affected products (even though none of them are still offered for sale). Samsung, meanwhile, protested that the injunctions would "create fear and uncertainty" among suppliers, since Apple could seek bans on current and future products as well.
As of 9PM local time in Germany, users in that country are finally -- after 19 months -- able to activate push email services from iCloud. The previous block was due to a patent dispute with Google-owned Motorola Mobility over a patent on a push-type messaging originally granted for beepers, and which has in the intervening months been found invalid for four separate reasons by a court in the UK, and later on in three different courts in Germany.
As the deadline nears for the ITC's ban on some older models of iPhones and iPads to take effect, a growing chorus of companies and individuals have begun calling for an overturning of the ban by the Obama administration in the wake of a lack of action. Two Republican and two Democratic senators have signed a letter urging United States Trade Representative Michael Froman (who has been delegated the decision) to reverse the ITC ban, mostly on the grounds that sales injunctions over Standards-Essential Patent (SEP) disputes are unnecessary.
Apple has filed a request with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) for a stay on an import ban against older models of iPhones and iPads pending an appeal pending in a federal court. The sales injunction, which affects GMS versions of the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 with cellular option, may go into effect in as little as a month if the 60-day Presidential Review on ITC sales bans lapses without action. The injunction was a surprising move on the part of the full commission, which had preliminarily found in Apple's favor in a case over 3G patents owned by Samsung.
In an initial hearing on the lawsuit between David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital and Apple, where the former party is attempting to prevent a shareholder vote on a "preferred stock" proposal, a judge has sided with Einhorn and found that Apple could be breaking US Securities & Exchange Commission rules by "bundling" three issues into one shareholder voting item. At the same time, the judge didn't indicate that he couldn't find any "irreparable harm" in the proposal, lessening chances of an injunction.
Now AAPL Stock: The symbol you provided ("AAPL") doesn't appear to be registered
Cirrus creates Lightning-headphone dev kit
Apple supplier Cirrus Logic has introduced a MFi-compliant new development kit for companies interested in using Cirrus' chips to create Lightning-based headphones, which -- regardless of whether rumors about Apple dropping the analog headphone jack in its iPhone this fall -- can offer advantages to music-loving iOS device users. The kit mentions some of the advantages of an all-digital headset or headphone connector, including higher-bitrate support, a more customizable experience, and support for power and data transfer into headphone hardware. Several companies already make Lightning headphones, and Apple has supported the concept since June 2014. http://bit.ly/29giiZj
Apple Store app offers Procreate Pocket
The Apple Store app for iPhone, which periodically rewards users with free app gifts, is now offering the iPhone "Pocket" version of drawing app Procreate for those who have the free Apple Store app until July 28. Users who have redeemed the offer by navigating to the "Stores" tab of the app and swiping past the "iPhone Upgrade Program" banner to the "Procreate" banner have noted that only the limited Pocket (iPhone) version of the app is available free, even if the Apple Store app is installed and the offer redeemed on an iPad. The Pocket version currently sells for $3 on the iOS App Store. [32.4MB]
Porsche adds CarPlay to 2017 Panamera
Porsche has added a fifth model of vehicle to its CarPlay-supported lineup, announcing that the 2017 Panamera -- which will arrive in the US in January -- will include Apple's infotainment technology, and be seen on a giant 12.3-inch touchscreen as part of an all-new Porsche Communication Management system. The luxury sedan starts at $99,900 for the 4S model, and scales up to the Panamera Turbo, which sells for $146,900. Other vehicles that currently support CarPlay include the 2016 911 and the 2017 models of Macan, 718 Boxster, and 718 Cayman. The company did not mention support for Google's corresponding Android Auto in its announcement. http://bit.ly/295ZQ94
Apple employees testing wheelchair features
New features included in the forthcoming watchOS 3 are being tested by Apple retail store employees, including a new activity-tracking feature that has been designed with wheelchair users in mind. The move is slightly unusual in that, while retail employees have previously been used to test pre-release versions of OS X and iOS, this marks the first time they've been included in the otherwise developer-only watchOS betas. The company is said to have gone to great lengths to modify the activity tracker for wheelchair users, including changing the "time to stand" notification to "time to roll" and including two wheelchair-centric workout apps. http://bit.ly/2955JDa
SanDisk reveals two 256GB microSDXC cards
SanDisk has introduced two 256GB microSDXC cards. Arriving in August for $150, the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card offers transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s for reading data. The Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card can read at a fast 100MB/s and write at up to 90MB/s, and will be shipping sometime in the fourth quarter for $200. http://bit.ly/294Q1If
Apple's third-quarter results due July 26
Apple has advised it will be issuing its third-quarter results on July 26, with a conference call to answer investor and analyst queries about the earnings set to take place later that day. The stream of the call will go live at 2pm PT (5pm ET) via Apple's investor site, with the results themselves expected to be released roughly 30 minutes before the call commences. Apple's guidance for the quarter put revenue at between $41 billion and $43 billion. http://apple.co/1oi1Pbm
Twitter stickers slowly roll out to users
Twitter has introduced "stickers," allowing users to add extra graphical elements to their photos before uploading them to the micro-blogging service. A library of hundreds of accessories, props, and emoji will be available to use as stickers, which can be resized, rotated, and placed anywhere on the photograph. Images with stickers will also become searchable with viewers able to select a sticker to see how others use the same graphic in their own posts. Twitter advises stickers will be rolling out to users over the next few weeks, and will work on both the mobile apps and through the browser. http://bit.ly/29bbwUE


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Teriyaki Madness Poised for Growth and Success with New Corporate Team
Fresh Asian Food Franchise Brings on Experienced Group to Accelerate Expansion; Strengthen Support Structure
DENVER— With a new store opening every two weeks, Teriyaki Madness, a Denver-based fresh Asian food franchise, has revamped their executive team by bringing on seven highly-experienced individuals to help accelerate system-wide growth. Each of the new corporate faces at Teriyaki Madness boasts extensive backgrounds in the fast casual service industry and are ready to help build a strong brand presence for Teriyaki Madness nationwide.
“Teriyaki Madness is in a completely new life stage. We’re growing quickly and consistently, and we need an executive leadership team that understands the restaurant industry and can help us keep the Teriyaki Madness brand strong and profitable as we continue to expand,” said Michael Haith, CEO of Teriyaki Madness. “The new team is poised for success and we’re excited to see everyone come together and take the brand to new heights.”
Further validating that the new team additions are improving upon a history of positively supporting its current owners, Teriyaki Madness was recently awarded the Franchise Business Review’s Franchisee Satisfaction Award for the second year in a row. This award proves the brand’s owners are truly invested in the concept and reaping the rewards of a selecting a franchise with low initial investment, solid ROI and potential for long-term growth.
The primary goal of the new, highly-skilled executive team will be to launch Teriyaki Madness’s renewed franchise development objectives with a bang and increase overall franchise sales, while offering a solid support system for new franchisees. Spearheading the new team will be CEO and Chairman Michael Haith. Haith has over 30 years of experience in the restaurant and franchise industry and is determined to put Teriyaki Madness on a path of success with his newly appointed team that includes:
- Liz Worley, Director of Marketing: As Director of Marketing, Worley will be leading the mission to fine tune the voice of Teriyaki Madness in order to more effectively communicate the fun and refreshing customer experience available inside the restaurants. She will also be instrumental in helping franchisees build sales and a strong customer base in their markets.
- Alison Satriana, Franchise Development Manager: Satriana was brought aboard the Teriyaki Madness team to help support the accelerated franchise growth anticipated for the concept. With Teriyaki Madness’s aggressive growth plan in place, Satriana will be responsible for educating all parties interested in opening a Teriyaki Madness on the great investment opportunity available to them.
In addition to Worley and Satriana, Haith has brought on the following new members of the Teriyaki Madness team:
- Rusty Schaffer, Director of Supply Chain; Eric Richardson, Director of Construction; Tyler Antikainen, Communications Manager; Bobbi Capps, Support Manager; and Shanlee Kasson, Corporate Training Manager.
Teriyaki Madness appeals to customers seeking an alternative to traditional fast-casual opportunities such as pizza, burgers and subs. With made-to-order entrees featuring homemade sauces, fresh vegetables and natural ingredients, this fresh Asian grill serves healthier, heartier, customized meals in seven minutes that leave guests fully satisfied. For more information on Teriyaki Madness, visit www.TeriyakiMadness.com. For more information regarding the restaurant franchise opportunity, visit: www.franchise.teriyakimadness.com.
About Teriyaki Madness
Teriyaki Madness, a fast-casual, Asian restaurant concept featuring a Seattle Teriyaki menu was founded in 2003 and began franchising the brand in 2005. Teriyaki Madness is committed to unconditionally satisfying guests by offering delicious, made-to-order Teriyaki dishes prepared with all natural, fresh ingredients that are served quickly, at a reasonable price in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. The “Fresh, Fulfilling, and Fits your Life” concept was recently recognized by QSR Magazine as one of the Best Franchise Deals for 2014. The brand is dedicated to “Spreading the Madness” so that everyone can experience the best teriyaki on earth.


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There are 600,000 homes in Texas and Florida alone that need re-roofed or repaired and results over the next month will give some sign of how much the resulting squeeze on building materials will benefit suppliers over the next year, reports Reuters.
Shares in firms like USG Corp, Owens Corning, Eagle Materials Inc, Beacon Roofing Supply Inc and GMS Inc have jumped about 10-20 per cent since Hurricane Harvey and Irma struck the region a month ago.
But data and industry estimates suggest there may be more to come as sector firms unveil their results for the third quarter and give clearer guidance on the impact on the prices they pay and charge for materials now in high demand.
As the attached graphic shows, the impact of past storms has taken months to work through in the value of suppliers and will typically boost the shares by far more.
"Prior storm events suggest prices can increase 10 per cent or more for many kinds of materials, with those price effects moderating in a few quarters and returning back to economic fundamental trends," National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Chief Economist Robert Dietz told Reuters.
Local government estimates used by analysts from brokerage Jefferies suggest that around 10 per cent of housing stock affected by the storms in the two states requires work.
That should spur low to mid-single digit annual rises in sales volumes for wallboard, flooring, insulation and roofing analysts say.
Up to Wednesday's close, USG shares are up 18.4 per cent since markets began to prepare for an unusually stormy hurricane season, GMS-19.6 per cent, OC-18 per cent, BECN-15.2 per cent and EXP-13.9 per cent.
Hurricane Harvey struck on Aug. 25. For comparison, in the six months after Hurricane Katrina's catastrophic landfall in Louisiana in 2005, shares in USG rose 94.7 per cent, Eagle Materials' 58.6 per cent and Beacon Roofing 27.9 per cent.
Some supply chain disruptions due to the hurricane could increase raw material costs for manufacturers, tempering some of the benefits that they get from higher demand.
"There are going to be some short term headwinds (for building products companies) due to cost and reduced volumes," Jefferies analyst Philip Ng told Reuters.
But he also added that the companies should still benefit just because Houston and Florida are very large markets.


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SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Senator calls on Amazon to do more about price gouging sellers on its site
A United States senator is calling on Amazon to do more about price-gouging on its platform.
Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) wrote an open letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, saying Amazon needs to clean up its third-party Marketplace, citing instances of face masks and hand sanitizer going for prices far above regular market rates. Sen. Markey acknowledged that Amazon has been cracking down on third-party sellers who violate Amazon's policies, but called them a "first step," noting there were "continued reports of price gouging and a lack of transparency" that "have left consumers exposed to unfair trade practices."
"Internet-based retailers such as Amazon.com have a particular responsibility to guard against price gouging in current circumstances as consumers -- who are finding the shelves of local brick-and-mortar stores bare, and who may wish to avoid venturing into crowded stores and shopping malls -- turn to the internet," he continued.
Sen. Markey concluded his letter by calling on Amazon to answer questions about its policies and enforcement, requesting a response by March 18.
As public officials call for more action, what can regular consumers do if they see suspected price gouging?
According to Amazon, customers who find listings they suspect are engaged in price gouging are urged to reach out to Amazon's customer service. They can then tell the customer service representative about the product; the customer service rep will get the complaint to the right team to follow up.
Etsy removes coronavirus-related products from its online marketplace
Amazon isn't the only online marketplace facing issues stemming from coronavirus fears.
According to Buzzfeed, Etsy has removed all items mentioning the "coronavirus" or "COVID-19." Etsy is an online platform for sellers whose products are "handcrafted, vintage, custom, or unique."
Etsy cited safety reasons for taking down the product listings. "In order to keep our marketplace safe, our team is prioritizing taking down any listings that claim to protect against coronavirus," an Etsy spokesperson said. "In the past few days alone, we have removed thousands of items that make such medical claims. We have also taken down hundreds of items that attempt to exploit the developing coronavirus situation. Our teams continue to automatically and manually review and remove items that violate our policies."
However, sellers are complaining that all products tagged with "coronavirus" are being removed or hidden, not just those making false health claims. One seller told BuzzFeed that her crocheted models of the actual virus, meant to assist with science education, were removed from search results.
Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.
CONSUMER CATCH-UP: U.S. Senator calls on Amazon to do more about price-gouging, how customers can report suspected price gouging, and Etsy removes all coronavirus related products
7 ON YOUR SIDE
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Mo. AG Koster warns of 'smishing' scam targeting smart phones
The Missouri Attorney General’s office is warning the public of a new scam that’s targeting smartphone and cellphone users.
The scam is known as "smishing," and it involves text messages telling recipients that they’ve won prizes or gift cards from big-name retailers such as Wal-Mart or Costco and instructs them to claim them by clicking on a link. Attorney General Chris Koster (D) says clicking the link will infect phones with malware that gives identity thieves access to personal information.
“When you open the attachment, it has the capacity to infect your telephone and actually suck out information, like your Social Security number or other pass codes, that could lead to the demise of your personal credit records," Koster said.
For now, Koster recommends deleting any text messages with links unless the recipient knows and trusts the sender. They can also ask credit reporting agencies to place security freezes on their credit reports.
“We’ve had a number of complaints here at the Attorney General’s office, so I know that it’s more than a just handful of Missourians that are experiencing it," Koster said. "Frankly, it strikes me as such a dangerous aspect of technology, we’ve got to find some way to combat it.”
Cellphone and smartphone users wanting more information can call the Attorney General's consumer hotline at 1-800-392-8222, or visit ago.mo.gov on the web.
Copyright 2021 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio.


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With car and truck sales hitting the skids, dropping 37% in March, automakers, are ramping up innovations and designs. President Barack Obama’s attentiveness to American automakers and determination to revive the ailing industry was made clear with the ousting of General Motors Corp. CEO Rick Wagoner last week.
In an effort to boost the lagging U.S. auto industry, and fulfill his campaign promise to green up the nation, Obama has pledged to get 1 million hybrid plug-in vehicles on the road by 2015. Seemingly taking heed to the mission, automakers unveiled a number of luxury environmentally friendly vehicles at the New York Auto Show held on April 10-19 at the Jacob Javits Center.
These aren’t your typical Toyota Prius-style, compact coupes. Rather, luxury makers including BMW and Mercedes-Benz are changing the game, adding their signature touch to these revamped vehicles. Take a look.
Lincoln C Concept
Combining the space of the 1961 Lincoln Continental with contemporary sleekness, the C Concept car is the latest environmentally friendly vision from Ford’s Lincoln-Mercury division. The C’s 1.6 liter EcoBoost engine uses “direct-injectionâ€ technology for up to 20% better fuel economy and 15% fewer carbon emissions than larger displacement engines, Ford says.


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Samsung Galaxy A9(2018), the world’s first smartphone with four rear cameras, is set to launch in India on November 20. On Wednesday, Samsung sent invites to the media to confirm the launch of the Galaxy A9(2018) in India. The smartphone launched at an event in Kuala Lumpur last month and unveils four rear camera sensors.
As per IANS sources, The Price of Samsung A9(2018) will be around Rs 35,000. Samsung Galaxy A9(2018) will be available in three colour variants – Caviar Black, Bubblegum Pink and Lemonade Blue. According to the 91Mobiles report, Samsung Galaxy A9(2018) could retail for a price at Rs 39,000. 91Mobiles claims to found a source code on Samsung India Official Website.
Samsung A9 (2018) has Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC under the hood, with four cores clocked at 2.2Ghz and four cores clocked at 1.8Ghz and it runs on Android 8.0 (Oreo). It has 6.3-inch FHD+(1080×2220 pixels) infinity display Super AMOLED display with an aspect ratio of 18.5:9 with a PPI of 410. The smartphone is coupled with either 6GB RAM or 8GB RAM and both variants will be available with 128GB of internal storage which can be expanded via Micro SD Card up to 512GB.
On camera specifications, it has quad camera sensors on the rear panel, 24-megapixel primary sensor with an aperture of f/1.7, a 10-megapixel telephoto sensor featuring 2X optical zoom and an aperture of f/2.4, 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera with 120-degree lens and f/2.4 aperture and a 5-megapixel depth camera with a f/2.2 aperture. There is also a 24-megapixel front-facing camera with a f/2.0 aperture. On connectivity, it sports 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac(dual-band,2.4 GHz and 5.0GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C, NFC and a 3.5mm headphone jack.


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The Private Label Manufacturers Association is preparing for its annual trade show in Chicago. From Sunday, Nov. 12 through Tuesday, Nov. 14, supermarkets, supercenters, drug store chains, mass merchandisers, convenience stores, online retailers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, discounters and even military exchanges will be on hand, looking for new products and identifying new suppliers.
Filling three large exhibit halls in Chicago’s Rosemont Convention Center, the PLMA show will feature more than 2,700 exhibit booths from store brand manufacturers in virtually every product category imaginable. Tens of thousands of products will include shelf stable, fresh, frozen and refrigerated food and beverages; grocery non-foods, cleaning and general merchandise; and health and beauty, personal care and OTC.
New for this year will be a special exhibition for private label housewares, which will showcase the increasingly wide range of kitchen and home products being offered by retailers under their own brands, while at the same time presenting manufacturers in these categories the opportunity to exhibit and meet a wide representation of private label buyers.
This year's show is particularly notable because private label market share has reached nearly 25% of unit sales in the United States and is expanding faster than national brands. The annual speakers and seminar series will, therefore, be focused on the latest research, news headlines and consumer trends and what their effect will be on retailers and their brands across all categories.
Utilizing more than 1 million-sq.-ft. of total floor space, PLMA’s trade show exhibitors demonstrate the vast private label capabilities of U.S. manufacturers. Hundreds of international exhibitors and pavilions also offer products from Italy, France, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, Turkey, Israel, India, South Korea, Vietnam, China and Taiwan, as well as from Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Chile and Brazil.
Each year, PLMA’s New Product Expo provides buyers attending the show a means to help navigate the extensive assortment by putting a spotlight on the newest products and marketing concepts for store brands that are being featured by exhibitors on the trade show floor. Additionally, PLMA’s Idea Supermarket showcases store brands programs, products and packaging from more than 50 leading retailers across North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.
The Rosemont Convention Center is 10 minutes from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and located within walking distance or a short shuttle bus ride away from major hotels. For information on attending or exhibiting at trade show, contact PLMA at 212-972-3131 or firstname.lastname@example.org.


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The Carlyle Group, a private-equity firm with $180 billion under management, is investing in Beats by Dr. Dre. That’s the popular brand of headphones and other audio gear founded by hip-hop artist and producer Andre Young, a.k.a. Dr. Dre, and music mogul Jimmy Iovine.
Carlyle’s investment is reportedly worth $500 million, though neither company would confirm that figure or comment for this story. Carlyle’s involvement follows the exit of Taiwan-based smartphone-maker HTC Corp., which sold its $265 million stake in the company back to the founders last Friday.
Carlyle has previously taken on consumer brands such Dunkin’ Brands and AMC Entertainment. Carlyle managing director Sandra Horbach said in a statement that: “We are confident that Beats will continue to drive innovation and growth in the premium audio accessory market, particularly as the proliferation of smart phones and tablets stimulate increased consumption of digital media.”
Most consumers of digital media, especially music, listen on middling-quality car speakers, earbuds or headphones that cost under $100.
But Frank Wells, president of the Audio Engineering Society and editor of Pro Sound News, says that’s probably not what music fans want for listening to the latest club sound, such as hip hop or electronic dance music.
“The Beats headphones are designed to give somewhat of that visceral bass-thump experience that moves your body,” says Wells, “the physical feeling of it rattling your head.”
Beats already controls more than half the premium headphone market in the U.S., according to Ben Arnold, director of industry analysis and consumer technology at the NPD Group. Beats range in cost from $100 to $400.
Arnold says increasingly, the big growth potential for the company isn’t head-rattling club-goers.
“Now consumers are watching movies on HBO Go and Netflix,” says Arnold. “People are playing so many games on their mobile devices. We see that growth really propelling the headphone market.”
Arnold says people spend so much time consuming media this way, they increasingly demand a high-fidelity listening experience.
He says Beats is also poised to expand into audio accessories that don’t sit on our heads. The company’s sales are growing in portable speakers, licensed automobile-audio systems, and audio software, both in the U.S. and abroad.
There are plenty of skeptics of the headphones’ quality, and price point. San Diego smartphone developer Jesse Ridgway, 24, tried his roommate’s Beats headphones back in college. He says he could certainly afford a pair himself, “but I just don’t think it’s the best use of money, because the sound quality of most audio is not good enough to the point where you’ll notice the difference.” He compares buying a pair of $200 or $300 headphones to “buying a big plasma-screen HDTV to play your VHS tapes.”
To counteract that frugalista attitude, Beats is betting on the cachet of Dr. Dre and his music career. It worked for consumer Nathan Gallaway. He’s 26, works for a wireless carrier in Chicago and has just started an independent film company.
“It actually is a great deal of money,” Gallaway admits, adding that “luckily my mother isn’t still looking over my purchases.” But he also thinks it’s worth it. He relishes listening to his favorite music, Motown and rock and roll, on his Beats headphones, and says they reveal more layers of music than cheaper headphone brands he’s tried. He adds that he used to lose or damage his headphones frequently, but now that he has expensive ones, he takes better care of them.
Finally, he says, while Dr. Dre’s celebrity didn’t attract him, the fashion statement he could make with the headphones did. “Not only did I like the sound quality, the colors drew me in as well. I wanted something to personalize my style.” He chose dark blue. “That really matched me,” he says.
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Most teams that have deals with StubHub allow sales up to two hours before game time.
A couple of years ago, the Cubs shifted that deadline to six hours before game time, which meant that if you wanted to look there for tickets to an afternoon game, you had to do it the night before or very early in the morning, because the cutoff time for a 1:20 p.m. start was 7:20 a.m.
This won’t be the case in 2017, says Danny Ecker in Chicago Business:
In a move that will help StubHub generate more ticket transactions on game days, the team is lifting a rule that cut off ticket sales on the site six hours before a game.
On top of that, the Cubs will eliminate fans' ability to scan digital tickets at Wrigley Field using any app other than StubHub's or Major League Baseball's Ballpark app.
The Cubs enacted the six-hour rule for StubHub sales several years ago when the team was awful and tickets were reselling for fractions of face value on game days. As game times would approach, resellers on StubHub would race to the bottom to unload tickets, decimating the team's ability to sell them anywhere near what they wanted to.
But the market for Cubs tickets has increased drastically after the team's World Series victory. That's why the team decided to give StubHub, its official secondary ticket market partner, a reprieve and allow sales on the site up through game time this year.
The catch, of course, is listed in the second paragraph above. Since the Cubs have also eliminated print-at-home tickets, the only way you can now get in to Wrigley Field is with:
- A season ticket
- A box-office printed ticket
- The MLB Ballpark app or StubHub app
As a result, fans who buy tickets on the secondary market from a site other than StubHub would have to have a hard copy of the ticket or arrange for the seller to forward the ticket using the MLB Ballpark app.
This is, as Ecker writes, partly an attempt to battle counterfeit tickets, something the Cubs say was a big deal during last year’s postseason. But he also says this is a way for the Cubs to exercise more control over the ticket market. Probably not coincidentally, this gives the Cubs more data on who is actually using the tickets and where the source is.
I can tell you that I saw quite a number of people using print-at-home tickets in the bleachers over the last few years. For those people, it might not be a big deal for them to use their smartphones for digital ticketing. For others, or older people who might not have smartphones, they’re likely going to have to have box-office tickets mailed to them or held at will call.
The bottom line, if you are a single-game ticket buyer: Make your plans accordingly, so you’re sure to be able to get into the ballpark after you have bought your ticket.


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Amway targets turnover of Rs 2,500 cr in 2012
Direct selling FMCG company today said it is targeting a turnover of Rs 2,500 crore next year and is also planning to set up its own manufacturing facility in India.business Updated: Jun 20, 2011 18:41 IST
Direct selling FMCG company on Monday said it is targeting a turnover of Rs 2,500 crore next year and is also planning to set up its own manufacturing facility in India.
Amway India registered a turnover of Rs 1,790 crore in the 2010 financial year (Jan-Dec) and currently has a seven contract manufacturing facility in Baadi, Himachal Pradesh.
The company has planned to set up a manufacturing unit which will be bigger than Baadi, company's Vice-President (East) Diptarag Bhattacharjee told reporters.
The proposed unit will not be set up in northern region as the company already has a plant here. The plant would cater to the increasing demand of Amway products in the country as well as to enhance the target, he said.
Bhattacharjee added that the company has taken several steps including expanding the vendor facility at Baadi and the proposed new in order to achieve the turnover target of Rs 2,500 in 2012.
First Published: Jun 20, 2011 18:36 IST


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However that could soon change. Oddworld’s creator Lorne Lanning reportedly spoke with Sony exec Shuhei Yoshida and asked him about the future of PlayStation, and what the PlayStation 5 could look like. According to Lanning, “I said, ‘well, what does the PlayStation 5 look like?’ and he said ‘you mean if’. […] I said ‘are you willing to say that on a stage?’ and he said ‘yeah, it’s an if’.”
Based on this, it sounds like Yoshida is uncertain about the PS5’s existence, which brings us back to our earlier point in which instead of waiting 7-10 years for a new console, companies like Sony could be considering more frequent upgrades instead. In fact there are rumors that Sony is working on an upgraded PlayStation 4 called the “NEO”.
Sony is not alone in this either as Microsoft is also reportedly developing upgrading Xbox Ones. Lanning adds, “It was a really interesting thing and he didn’t give me a clear answer, but he’s hinting at [needing] to be more agile. None of us know what the future really looks like, so how do we adapt faster? To me that’s the way he was thinking about it […] The idea that you’re going to be releasing a piece of technology that lasts seven years into the future, I think, is less and less viable.”


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Georgia Approves Increased Athletic Budget Pac-12 Paces Ahead Of Other Conferences In Revenue Hope Solo Re-Emerges In Nike Marketing Inside Auburn's Football Ticket Policy UGA's New Nike Deal Worth $40.8M ND's Swarbrick Addresses Paying Players Slive Discusses Debuts Of CFP, SEC Network Milwaukee Wants Development Pact With Bucks Adidas, Nike Bid On Michigan Apparel Deal Nevada Waiting To Pay Cost Of Attendance
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WISCONSIN BADGERS READY TO SIGN APPAREL CONTRACT
Published June 2, 1995
The Univ of Wisconsin is close to signing an apparel contract with a leading athletic manufacturer, according to Bob Wolfley of the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL-SENTINEL. The deal would reportedly be similar to the one Nike has signed with Illinois, in which Nike paid the school $3.5M for "allowing the sportswear company to outfit all of its athletic teams." Vince Sweeney, Wisconsin Dir of Athletic Marketing/ Licensing, said they have had discussions with both Nike and Reebok, but anticipated talks with others. Nike closed a seven-year deal with Illinois earlier this week for the rights to sell Illini apparel and market itself as the school's "exclusive supplier of shoes and uniforms" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL-SENTINEL, 6/1)....Wisconsin will name their new 18,000-seat arena after WI Sen. Herb Kohl, the owner of the Bucks. Kohl donated $25M and will be a consultant to the project (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 6/2).


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In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz on Friday, Activision announced that it's moving game studio Vicarious Visions under the umbrella of Blizzard Entertainment, where its staff of some 200 developers will now be "fully dedicated to existing Blizzard games and initiatives." Vicarious Visions' latest project was Tony Hawk 1+2, which we called "everything you'd want from a remake of a 20 year old game."
Vicarious Visions has been an Activision studio since 2005, and has history with the Tony Hawk series going back even further than that. Starting in 2002, Vicarious Visions developed the (surprisingly good) Game Boy Advance versions of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. Over the last decade Vicarious Visions has made dozens of games on handheld platforms and worked on other successful remakes, like the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. The studio was responsible for Destiny 2's excellent PC port.
Tony Hawk 1+2 seemed like a breakout success for the studio, and an ideal foundation for remakes of the beloved Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4. But it seems unlikely that Vicarious Visions will be the developer behind those remakes, should they happen.
"After collaborating with Vicarious Visions for some time and developing a great relationship, Blizzard realized there was an opportunity for [Vicarious Visions] to provide long-term support," Activision told GamesIndustry.biz. It seems like the studio will now be focused on contributing to existing and upcoming Blizzard games like Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4.
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Wes has been covering games and hardware for more than 10 years, first at tech sites like The Wirecutter and Tested before joining the PC Gamer team in 2014. Wes plays a little bit of everything, but he'll always jump at the chance to cover emulation and Japanese games.
When he's not obsessively optimizing and re-optimizing a tangle of conveyor belts in Satisfactory (it's really becoming a problem), he's probably playing a 20-year-old Final Fantasy or some opaque ASCII roguelike. With a focus on writing and editing features, he seeks out personal stories and in-depth histories from the corners of PC gaming and its niche communities. 50% pizza by volume (deep dish, to be specific).


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Global food prices have surged to a new all-time high.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) food price index averaged 159.3 points in March, up from the previous month’s 141.4 points, which had itself broken an earlier record of 137.6 points scaled 11 years ago in February 2011.
The release Friday of the benchmark gauge for international food prices came on the day the Reserve Bank of India kept its key policy interest rates unchanged. This, even as its monetary policy committee warned about “elevated global price pressures in key food items” imparting “high uncertainty” to the inflation outlook and “warranting continuous monitoring”.
The FAO index, which is a weighted average of world prices of a basket of food commodities over a base period value (in this case, taken at 100 for 2014-16), has exhibited huge volatility in the last two years through the Covid-19 pandemic and now the Russia-Ukraine war.
The index had crashed to a four-year low of 91.1 points in May 2020, due to demand destruction triggered by pandemic-induced lockdowns across countries. But as demand returned with governments lifting economic activity and movement restrictions, supply chain disruptions — from shortages of everything, from harvesting labourers to packaging materials and shipping containers — came to the fore.
The supply shortages have worsened with the Black Sea region tensions, leading to the index moving up almost 24 points or 17.5% between January and March (see chart).
The FAO’s cereal and vegetable oil price indices hit record highs of 170.1 points and 248.6 points, respectively, in March. That isn’t surprising, given Russia and Ukraine’s combined share of 28.3%, 19.5%, 30.8% and 78.3% in global exports of wheat, corn (maize), barley and sunflower oil, respectively. All these were projections for 2021-22 made by the US Department of Agriculture in early-February, before the Russian invasion happened.
Since then, port closures in the Black Sea and Azov Sea, plus Russian banks being cut off from the international payments system, have resulted in massive shipping disruptions from this key agri-commodities supply region.
FAO’s meat and dairy price indices, too, averaged 120 points (an all-time high) and 145.2 points (highest since April 2014), respectively in March. These have possibly been driven by the increased cost of cattle feed ingredients (maize, soyabean, groundnut, mustard and cottonseed oilcake) and prices of animal fat (butter, ghee, beef tallow and pork lard) tracking vegetable fats (especially palm oil). Besides, lower milk production has been reported from major suppliers, including New Zealand, Western Europe and the US.
From India’s standpoint, the comfortable level of public wheat and rice stocks – way above the required minimum buffer norms – should provide some insulation against soaring international food prices. Further, high global prices have enabled the country’s agricultural exports to grow by 19.9% and reach a historic high of $50.21 billion in 2021-22.
But the downside to this is that farmers are also paying much more for diesel, fertilisers and crop protection chemicals – whose prices have also gone up alongside Brent crude and other international commodity prices. The real challenge, whether it is to do with availability of fertilisers or monsoon rain, will come in the ensuing kharif planting season from June.


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Samsung gets serious about artificial intelligence
When people think of Samsung, they think more about specific pieces of hardware than they do about a platform with a thriving developer ecosystem. But, the Korean electronics giant would very much like to change that and hopes that today's Samsung Developer Conference in San Francisco marks a turning point.
Samsung mobile chief DJ Koh sat down with Login on Tuesday to talk about the company's work to unify its far-flung divisions, its relationship with Google and how the company has moved forward from the disastrous Galaxy Note 7 scandal.
The bottom line: The company is the dominant player in Android and a force in appliances and home electronics, but has a ways to go to be seen as a serious player in software and AI. Its initial efforts with Bixby got off to a slow start amid delays.
Here are some highlights from the conversation:
- Koh said Samsung Electronics different divisions are finally collaborating strategically and the relationship is the closest is has been in his 33 years at the company.
- "There is clearly a firewall between mobile and semiconductor - they have their own customers," he said. "But my point in terms of preparations for the future, new technologies are coming in AI IoT, VR, AR,. ... How can we meet the challenge in terms of that we are unified as one company."
Lessons from the Note 7:
- "It's very much a painful memory. When I look back a year ago it was so sad and very much a difficult and tough time. My two driving principles were accountability and transparency – both inside and outside of Samsung. I was trying to keep two principles one is my accountability not only inside of Samsung but out, and the other was transparency."
- The company tested thousands of devices and batteries as part of an extensive investigation, implementing new safety measures, including an 8-point battery safety test designed to avoid a repeat.
- "I'm very happy nothing happened S8 and S8+ and Note 8. I want to gain back customers love and trust in the brand and products. I'm not relaxing at all."
On Software and Services and relations with Google:
- "Our software and services are not just a new thing," he said, pointing to Samsung Pay, digital health efforts and the Knox security suite.
- As for things with Google, Koh said the relationship is the best it has ever been, noting that he met recently with CEO Sundar Pichai.
Update: At the developer conference on Wednesday, Samsung announced a new version of Bixby and said it was unifying its disparate cloud efforts under the SmartThings moniker.


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Blue Apron (APRN), the struggling meal-kit delivery service, has a new CEO. Co-founder Matt Salzberg is stepping down from his role as CEO and President, replaced by CFO Brad Dickerson. Salzberg has been named Executive Chairman, and he will retain his position as chairman of the board of directors.
This management shuffle comes after a disastrous few months for Blue Apron. The company went public in June at $10 per share, well below its original $16 to $17 range. After two quarterly reports, it's clear that Blue Apron's growth story was a mirage. Heavy spending on marketing hasn't prevented an exodus of customers, and ongoing issues at a new distribution facility are adding to the company's woes. The stock now trades for around $3 per share.
Dickerson told Bloomberg in a phone interview that his focus will be on improving profitability and boosting margins. That would be a shift from the current strategy of hurling marketing dollars at new customers who ultimately drop the service after a few weeks. It's the right move, but the company needs to go one step further. Blue Apron needs to admit that what it sells is a luxury product, not a mainstream alternative to the grocery store.
An inefficient middleman
Blue Apron's marketing is centered around cutting out the middleman, which in this case is your local grocery store. But Blue Apron is itself a middleman. For Blue Apron to send out a meal-kit, it needs to carefully pack ingredients into a giant box at its distribution center and then send that box on its way via a delivery service like FedEx. No part of this process is cheap, especially with its new facility having so many problems.
There's no way this process can be more efficient or cheaper than what a grocery store does to get products onto its shelves. That's why Blue Apron's isn't even in the ballpark of being profitable, despite its prices being dramatically higher than the grocery store.
Blue Apron doesn't offer a value proposition, and the convenience factor is minimal. Ingredients are portioned, but there's still plenty of prep work left to the customer with a Blue Apron meal. There's no way for Blue Apron to compete on price with a grocery store given its current business model, leaving the company with two options:
Option 1: Reposition Blue Apron as a premium service, and stop spending so much trying to acquire new customers. All the scale in the world won't make Blue Apron more efficient than a grocery store. Try to make more money from the most loyal customers, perhaps branching out into selling cooking supplies and other related items. There's certainly a market for high-quality ingredients, however overpriced, although this puts a hard limit on Blue Apron's size.
Option 2: Sell out to or partner with a grocery chain and distribute through that chain. Meal kits make a lot more sense if that shipping cost can be eliminated. Meal-kits could either be bought in-store or distributed through a grocery pick-up service, like Kroger's ClickList or Wal-Mart's online grocery service. This would bring down the cost, making Blue Apron more viable as a mainstream option.
It was clear when Blue Apron went public that its business model didn't make any sense. The company's financial results and the stock's performance bear that out. Dickerson's focus on margins probably means that the company will opt for something like Option 1, reducing its focus on adding new customers and instead looking to better monetize its existing customer base.
This new profit-focused strategy could work. But with so much competition, in the form of other meal-kit companies like HelloFresh and traditional grocery stores offering a range of pick-up and delivery options, I still wouldn't bet on Blue Apron.


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Canon Marketing Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (“Canon”) announces the launch of the image RUNNER ADVANCE (“iR-ADV”) DX series – a smart range of A3 and A4 colour/monochrome laser multi-function devices (“MFDs”). As the way we conduct businesses evolve along with technology, the image RUNNER ADVANCE DX is aimed at driving digital transformation (“DX”) for businesses to stay competitive. Building on the success of the iR-ADV portfolio, a repeated winner of the coveted BLI Copier MFP Line of the Year Award1, the new iR-ADV DX series brings together technological advancements that help businesses improve their operational efficiency and productivity, increasing connectivity and information security in one remarkable lineup.
“As companies move into the digital age, Canon is helping businesses future-proof themselves with secure cloud connectivity and efficient collaboration. Canon’s products and solutions are pushing companies to stay agile whilst driving digital transformation”, said Masato Yoshiie, Senior Director of Business Imaging Solution Centre at Canon Marketing Malaysia.
“The new iR-ADV DX series is a response to the latest market trends and demands, designed to support optimal cloud connectivity and modern workplace productivity. As more people are working from home in the new norm, our iR-ADV DX series allows employees working remotely to access information and collaborate anywhere, at any time. At Canon, we are committed to helping our partners and customers seamlessly integrate print and digital when adopting digital workflows at any stage of their digital transformation journey”, added Yoshiie.


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The Ultraviolet initiative is pegged to be a hot topic at IBC this year; Irdetos Christopher Schouten gives Broadcastpro ME an insight into the technology. The Ultraviolet initiative will launch in the US and the UK later this year and is being backed my major Hollywood studios. The initiative will allow end users to purchase […]
The Ultraviolet initiative is pegged to be a hot topic at IBC this year; Irdetos Christopher Schouten gives Broadcastpro ME an insight into the technology.
The Ultraviolet initiative will launch in the US and the UK later this year and is being backed my major Hollywood studios. The initiative will allow end users to purchase digital copies of movies that can be stored online and transferred between devices without additional cost.
Christopher Schouten, senior director solution marketing for Irdeto told BroadcastPro Middle East: The reason the Ultraviolet consumer brand entity Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) was founded was to address the concern of Hollywood studios that there was no unified system for digital delivery for premium Hollywood content which would replace physical DVDs and Blu-rays.
Members of DECE include Warner Bros. Entertainment, Netflix, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and Best Buy.
The objective is to create an ecosystem in which consumers license content once and use it on different media,” stated Schouten.
Once purchased, Ultraviolet content belongs to a household and not just to an individual. The account is maintained on the Ultraviolet website where up to six users and twelve devices can be registered. Content can therefore be accessed on these devices. However those rules could change over time, according to Schouten.
Speaking about whether Ultraviolet will replace physical media like DVDs, he pointed out: There will continue to be people who will prefer physical media but the DVD publisher can include electronic rights with the dvd. There will be an Ultraviolet coupon inside a DVD or Blu-ray disk.
As of now, Ultraviolet is not supported by Apple or Disney. Schouten feels that the success of the initiative will depend on how actively consumers support it and is positive about what it has to offer.
On a consumer perspective openness of Ultraviolet content is very convenient. Also, people that have bought into that ecosystem are satisfied. The fact that Ultraviolet is supported Hollywood studios means access to newer and fresher content that is premium.
The Middle East however may still have to wait a short while for Ultraviolet.
Stated Schouten: As soon as it is feasible to launch in the Middle East, it will. The Middle East will benefit from the experience of initial trials. There is no speculation yet. Using my own logic DECE will be supported by major global content manufactures who will be looking at supplying to global markets including the Middle East obviously.


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Comments /4838 Views / Thursday, 25 October 2012 00:04
amanté, Sri Lanka’s first brand of world-class intimate wear, was unveiled in Sri Lanka yesterday, celebrating the Sri Lankan consumer’s endorsement of premium lingerie.
Gracing the Sri Lankan market for the first time after a groundbreaking launch in India in October 2007, amanté offers Sri Lankan women access to international-standard intimate wear, customized to suit the unique contours and preferences of the South Asian woman.
As a subsidiary of MAS Holdings, South Asia’s largest intimate apparel exporter and manufacturer, amanté revels in its guaranteed product integrity.
With 25 years of excellence in the field, MAS Holdings services a clientele of the most renowned lingerie brands in the world. amanté expertise is combined through global design studios, experienced designers, insight to the latest international trends and technologies, along with an integrated supply chain to offer consumers pristine quality, premium lingerie.
As the first Sri Lankan lingerie brand that endeavoured to venture in to the world, the team behind amanté carried out extensive research before entering the vast and yet somewhat conservative Indian market.
In 2010, amanté was voted ‘Product of the Year’ by the Indian consumer in the largest independent survey carried out in India. Despite India’s cultural inhibitions towards lingerie, amanté’s focus on customer centric innovation proved to be their biggest differentiator, making them a formidable brand in the short span of five years.
With the same successful formula in mind, the brand now wishes to tap in to the Sri Lankan market of fashion savvy, discerning and contemporary women between the ages of 21-45; women who want to feel good about themselves, women who are now more confident and fashion conscious.
Also the benefits of the brand add to its value; technical superiority that gives the best fit with no discomfort, durable colour-safe products, the finest quality fabrics and accessories, leaving room for no misconceptions. Specifically designed to fit South Asian women, amanté is bound to stand out in the market due to the perfect fit it is ready offer to the Sri Lankan consumer.
“We focused greatly on the preference of Sri Lankan women, and manufactured products in accordance with their requirements in mind. The bottom line is, she ultimately makes the decision for herself as to which lingerie brand makes her look good, fits well, and is available at the right price,” stated Ajay Amalean, Director of MAS Holdings and amanté.
“That is exactly what amanté is here to offer, adding to it some world-class fashion and panache.”
The brand’s passion for perfection has already made amanté one of the leading contenders in fashion, fit and innovation within the premium lingerie segment in India. The team expects similar recognition from Sri Lankan consumers, offering them a special launch offer price on products for 2012.
Ajay asserted: “We refuse to compromise with our product and brand experience, and wish to offer the modern Sri Lankan woman a brand that understands her body the way she does. She is no longer making a choice, but a statement.”
Amanté aims to offer two fashion collections per year, and is available from 24 October at three department stores in Colombo and suburbs, namely, Cotton Collection at Dharmapala Mawatha, the Hyde Park Corner Glitz outlet, and Cool Planet located in Pelawatte, as well as the anything.lk online store and outlet at Thimbirigasyaya.
The brand’s retail presence will be expanded further in the future with plans to expand to 50 outlets by 2013. The company also plans to launch an exclusive amanté outlet in the near future.
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As a result of the Bandwagon effect we tend to make job choices according to other people’s opinions or follow what the majority does In a highly competitive and unstable job market like today we may have to make job choice ...
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Being named a winner of the AO Global 250 awards is a testament to Marin's continued success working hand-in-hand with the world's largest advertisers and agencies
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) July 17, 2008
Marin Software, provider of the leading enterprise-class paid search management application for advertisers and agencies, today announced that it has been chosen by AlwaysOn as one of the AO Global 250 Winners. Inclusion in the AO Global 250 signifies major developments in the creation of new business opportunities in the global technology industries. Marin Software was specially selected by the AlwaysOn editorial team and other industry experts spanning the globe, based on a set of five criteria: innovation, market potential, commercialization, stakeholder value, and media buzz.
"The AO Global 250 winners have excelled in key strategic areas in the global technology markets," said Tony Perkins, founder and CEO of AlwaysOn. "We congratulate them for their success in introducing new tools, services, and platforms that are driving the next phase of innovation and creating real value at an economically uncertain time."
Marin Software and the AlwaysOn Global 250 Top Private Companies will be honored at the AlwaysOn & STVP Summit at Stanford scheduled to occur on July 22-24, 2008 at Stanford University. This two-and-a-half day executive event highlights the significant economic, political and commercial trends disrupting the global technology industries, and features the most innovative companies, eminent technologists, influential investors and journalists in keynote presentations, panel debates and private company CEO showcases.
Marin Software offers the industry's first enterprise-class paid search management application, helping advertisers and agencies manage their SEM programs to save time and improve financial performance. A complete software-as-a-service solution for paid search management, Marin Search Marketer, includes cross-publisher campaign management, automatic keyword generation and submission, flexible revenue tracking and bid optimization, and business-level analytics. Marin Software serves some of the world's leading advertisers and their agencies, including Zappos, ZipRealty and Avenue A | Razorfish. Customers benefit from Marin Software's pay-as-you-go, SaaS model which deploys in a day with no required destination URL changes.
"Being named a winner of the AO Global 250 awards is a testament to Marin's continued success working hand-in-hand with the world's largest advertisers and agencies," said Chris Lien, CEO of Marin Software. "The paid search advertising market is growing at a phenomenal rate, expected to reach nearly $27 billion by 2011, but it is becoming more and more complicated for marketers to navigate every day; Marin's next-generation search marketing application helps them get the most out of their paid search spend."
The AO Global 250 was selected from over hundreds of companies, nominated by a panel of industry experts in the online technology, media, entertainment, enterprise and greentech sectors from around the world. A full list of all the AO Global 250 winners can be found on the AlwaysOn Web site at http://alwayson.goingon.com/permalink/post/27959.
About Marin Software:
Marin Software provides an enterprise-class paid search management application for advertisers and agencies. Marin Search Marketer™ addresses the workflow, analysis and optimization needs of professional search marketers, saving time and improving financial performance. Marin offers a 30-day, full-featured free trial with pay-as-you-go pricing and is designed for those who are spending at least $50,000 monthly on paid search. Marin is funded by Benchmark Capital, Amicus Capital and various angel investors. Customers include Avenue A | Razorfish, a division of Microsoft, Zappos.com and ZipRealty.
AlwaysOn ignited the open-media revolution in early 2003 by being the first media brand to launch a community blog network. In 2004, AlwaysOn continued to lead the industry in innovation by engaging its bloggers in a social network. AlwaysOn is also revolutionizing the media business by applying its open-media principles to its executive event series (Stanford Summit, OnHollywood, OnMedia, GoingGreen, NordicGreen, and Venture Summit East and West) and quarterly print "blogozine". No other media brand has dared to create such open interaction with its readers and event participants.


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Holyrood distillery launches gin brand
THE first whisky distillery to start production of single malt in Edinburgh since 1925 has turned its hand to gin.
Local ties are at the heart of the latest launch from Holyrood Distillery – Height of Arrows gin.
The new gin takes its name from the Gaelic word for Arthur’s Seat, which the distillery sits in the shadow of.
Stuart Berry, business development executive for Holyrood Distillery said the gin was inspired by the local area – meaning whisky has been influential in the flavour profile.
Berry said: “It is a whisky influenced gin and we’re connecting to heritage as much as we can.
“Edinburgh itself is just dense with so much history so it’s our inspiration, but we don’t want to be stuck in the past, it’s about bringing the past into the present.”
Berry reckons the new gin – priced at £34.95 RRP – offers a more full bodied experienced than other gins on the market.
Nick Ravenhall, managing director of Holyrood Distillery, said: “In Height of Arrows, we have made a gin that is distilled from our DNA as whisky makers. In whisky making we work with simplicity.
“We’ve taken this same mind set to Height of Arrows and created a complex gin born from juniper alone taking centre stage.
“Our hope is that gin fans will be thrilled to explore a new direction in modern gin; one that elevates today’s gin drinking experience.”


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- 3 units of electricity to go 175 km
- 75 kmph top speed
- 22 degrees gradient climbing ability
- Tubeless tyres
- Li-Ion battery pack option
Okinawa Scooters launched the Okinawa Praise electric scooter to critical acclaim especially with its specifications. Look at these numbers!
Mr Sonendra from Lucknow, shares his Real Life EV Story!
He modified his Hero Electric Photon which had a Lead Acid battery into a super duper Lithium-Ion based e-Scooter!
Do read to find out more and also watch his video!
Chalo Dilli Tour: Day 3 and 4 - CleanMotion, URV Enterprises, Okinawa, Hero Electric and Mahindra Electric
Day 3 and 4 of our Chalo Chilli tour was very hectic but very exciting!
We visited DLF Mall of India at Noida to check out the work CleanMotion is doing. We met some amazing people at URV enterprises who are going to launch disruptive EV products soon. We then met the EV community and members of EV industry in an event organised by us. We thank Mahindra Electric, Hero Electric and Okinawa for showcasing the e2o Plus, Hero Electric Optima Li-Ion and Okinawa Ridge e-Scooter.
Going by the tremendous response of its test launch of Optima Lithium Battery E-Scooter, Hero Electric, the pioneer and front-runner in the Indian Electric two-wheeler industry, is now set to launch its entire range of high energy density Lithium battery Electric Scooters, this October.
Tork Motors wants to interact with the community in a big way as they prepare to launch their T6X electric motorcycle.
Its refreshing to see a company wanting to work with the community and recognizing the efforts.
Ather Energy revealed the S340 - India's first smart electric scooter at the SURGE conference in Bangalore.
This e-scooter will be a game changer for the Indian e-bike market due to its connectivity features, uber cool dashboard, its lithium-ion battery, quick charging times, more power than current generation VRLA based e-bikes and remote diagnostics.
Young India Power Systems is developing, India's first ever, All-Electric, Lithium-Ion battery based, All Indian Super Cruiser.
With a stated top speed of 132 kmh and range of 500 km. This is surely going to be a game changer in the Indian 2 wheeler electric bike industry, who have only built electric scooters. This electric bike would appeal to larger variety of the market.
For a long time, physically challenged persons have had to get their two wheelers modified on their own to add two extra wheels. This has meant that the wheels are not covered under manufacturers warranty or vehicle insurance.
Hero Electric has taken up the cause of solving this issue with its Optima Plus special ability electric scooter.
By Team Ather
We at Ather energy have an update, regarding the development work of 'S340' - The next generation electric scooter.
'S340' is the much anticipated electric scooter that will raise the bar to a very high level as compared to current generation e-bikes being sold in India.
We have an update about the in-house Battery Management System(BMS) that is being developed and rigorous testing of the 'S340' at ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India), Pune. We also have moved to a new office!
Update May 2016 -
The company Morello Yamasaki is now focussing on RnD on a new next generation lithium-ion based e-bike platform.
They wont be releasing any new products including Nirbhaya until beginning of 2017.
Also they plan to rebrand and change their name. We will keep you posted!
Original Blog - 26/03/2015
Given the atrocities that happen to women in Indian cities from time to time, an electric vehicle company is thinking ahead by
launching an e-bike called 'Nirbhaya' with innovative safety features for women riders. This e-bike will be manufactured and sold by the Ahmedabad based Indo-Japanese electric two-wheeler manufacturer, Morello Yamasaki.
Let me congratulate Ather on their success in getting funding of $1 million. They have done a lot of hardwork to deserve it. But let me warn that Mahindra had invested 20 times more in the Mahindra e2o and are struggling to sell. Let's not repeat the mistakes of e2o.
But before coming to that let me say that Raju Venkatraman, Sachin and Binny Bansal have given the Indian Automobile industry a big boost by investing in the Ather idea. If successful, this will surely change the face of motorcycling not only in India but also in Africa and South East Asia.
Over the last year at PlugInIndia we were really heartened to see that there are multiple startup-bike-developers who are trying to develop their own e-bikes. And all of them from India. There were at least seven such startups who contacted us which proves 2 things - one there is a lot of development going on and second most of them are in unorganised sector.
Which would be the first company to mass produce a powerful Electric Bike?... Honda?...Yamaha? … Ducati?
Wrong…the answer is Harley!... Yep you heard it right Harley Davidson!
Automotive Engineer Josef Memmel is not only an expat and businessman but above all he is a visionary who is passionate about Electric Vehicles and the environment. He has designed quite a few electric bikes, some of which have solar roof. The vehicles with Solar roof do not need to be manually plugged in to be charged. His own bike has never been manually charged till date.
Mr Johnson's excellent blog on the state of e-bikes in India, makes good reading. The current generation e-bikes are really stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea.
Lets face it, most e-bikes that are sold in India are under powered, take 7-8 hours to charge, use unreliable lead acid batteries and have not sold well and thus have not made a dent in the Indian two wheeler market.
All of this is about to change. There is hope for the Indian two wheeler industry to have an electric future.


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Posted by | Ray Cornelius
Fans of Beyoncé will have an opportunity to view the Grammy-winning singer’s most recognizable costumes at the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame beginning July 22.
The new exhibit includes everything from the singer’s show stopping Givenchy gown that she wore to the 2012 Met Ball to her scantily clad white tank top and J Brand shorts she rocked in her “Crazy in Love” music video. It also features her one-sleeve black leotard from the “Single Ladies” video and her Thierry Mulger gold metal body suit with gold pumps from the “Sweet Dream” video.
“The Single Ladies video is one of the most iconic videos in Beyoncé’s visual history. It’s no doubt that the costume, replicated by thousands around the world was a result of the videos viral assault,” says Beyoncé’s personal stylist Ty Hunter.
A fixture in the music business for the past 15 years, Beyoncé’s exhibit marks the first time a non-inducted artist will have their personal items on display in the museum. Congrats Bey!
Click here for more information!
Photo Credit: Wifflegif.com


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Against the backdrop of rising uncertainties in the world, China is willing to work with the European Union to safeguard multilateralism and promote free trade so as to make more contributions to economic globalization and global economic recovery, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday.
Li made the remarks during his meeting with European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen in Beijing, noting that both China and the EU are major economies in the world, and both are each other’s biggest import source and major export market.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the EU, Li said. Beijing hopes the upcoming China-EU Leaders’ Meeting next month will be fruitful, he added.
Katainen is in Beijing to attend the 7th China-EU High-level Economic and Trade Dialogue, which was co-chaired by Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and Katainen.


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Over the upcoming holiday weekend, tens of thousands of Iowans will be declaring their independence from their houses and heading off on road trips. Brian Ortner, spokesman for Triple-A Iowa, says travel records are being forecast for the four-day weekend, both for the Midwest and for the nation.
For the nation, Triple-A predicts 50-point-seven million Americans will be traveling over the long weekend, which is over two-million more than over the 4th of July last year. As far as the travel industry is concerned, the pandemic is a distant memory now, as all travel numbers are back to where they were before COVID-19 disrupted the world.
Since the majority of travelers will be in cars, trucks, SUVs and other motor vehicles, gasoline prices are key, and Ortner says compared to a year ago, they’re down considerably.
The financial news isn’t all good for vacationers, though, as Triple-A also says airfares and hotel rates are more expensive than last year.


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“Las Vegas—Jurors Friday awarded more than $16.4 million to a Lowe’s patron who suffered permanent head injuries from a 2013 fall at one of the company’s stores. Hendrickson v. Lowe’s Home Centers LLC, A-13-687418-C.
The award came as jurors concluded the company’s negligence caused Kelly Hendrickson to slip and fall in water in the garden department of its South Fort Apache Street store as she was looking at palm trees. Hendrickson, whose head struck the concrete in the fall, permanently lost her senses of taste and smell among other injuries.”
You can read the rest of the story by following this link


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THE Southern Co-operative store in Wickham has been presented with the 2013 Community Business Award by Wickham Parish Council, in appreciation of its contribution to the local community.
Not only has the shop presented both Wickham Scout Group and Meon Valley Lions Club with £10,000 from its community support card scheme, but every week staff go into Wickham Church of England Primary School to mentor pupils and help them learn to read.
They also go along to Ashley Down Nursing Home each month to spend time chatting with residents living there.
The council described the store’s work as ‘excellent’.
Pete Wearn, who has been the store’s retail business manager for the past two years, said: ‘It’s great for the store and colleagues who work here to have this recognition from the people of Wickham and we are thrilled to have won this award.
‘As a co-operative, giving back to the community is part of our core values and it is important for the store to be part of local life here in Wickham.’
The shop will soon be announcing which local causes will share in a £20,000 grant from its 2013 fund.


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Cisco, AT&T agree to work together / San Jose firm hopes to foster ties with telecom customers
Eager to build alliances with telecommunications firms, Cisco Systems will work with AT&T to sell and develop services for corporate customers, the two companies will announce today.
The benefits to both could be substantial.
AT&T will use Cisco gear to beef up computer network security for its business customers and, in some cases, manage their networks for them. Cisco will use its huge sales force to push those services.
Although both companies declined Monday to provide financial details of the agreement, industry analyst Mark Bieberich said it will help AT&T reach the business customers who already trust Cisco while boosting the amount of equipment Cisco sells.
"The better Cisco's relationships are with AT&T, WorldCom and Sprint, the better the chances are of selling them more carrier gear," said Bieberich, senior analyst at the Yankee Group market research firm. He does not own stock in either company.
Cisco's agreement with AT&T is similar to an alliance the San Jose firm formed late last year with SBC Communications. Such relationships have become a key element of Cisco's strategy.
Although Cisco sells more computer networking equipment than anyone else to large corporations, its sales to telecommunications companies have not fared as well. Seizing more of that market has become one of Cisco's top priorities.
Telecommunications carriers, in turn, are desperately searching for new ways to make money. Many are now offering to manage computer networking services for their clients, allowing those clients to avoid buying and running the pricey equipment themselves.
Carlos Dominguez, Cisco's group vice president for the U.S. service- provider market, said many small and mid-size businesses previously couldn't afford the staff to run such systems. The new partnership with AT&T will go after those customers, among others.
"Before, they didn't have the information technology departments to be able to put this all together," Dominguez said.


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Today at High Gear Media, Mercedes-Benz confirmed a new four-door coupe and a blind man drove a Toyota Prius. We previewed the 2012 New York Auto Show and we compared two three-row crossovers. All this and more in today's car news, right here on The Car Connection.
You can help High Gear Media win an award for our green-car coverage.
Here's your official 2012 New York Auto Show preview.
DriveSRT released a teaser of the 2013 Viper's interior before its debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show.
Mercedes-Benz confirmed production of a new four-door coupe.
The Fiat 500 crossover is coming to the U.S. next year.
We reviewed the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan and liked the premium interior.
Mercedes-Benz plans on halving its platforms by 2015.
A blind man drove a Toyota Prius with help from Google.
We compared the 2012 Ford Explorer to the 2012 GMC Acadia.
Last year, a record 80 million vehicles were built globally.


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Skilled professionals in Jamaica can look forward to a new platform to assist with getting access to new customers.
Clickawayja is Jamaica’s first digital platform that connects skilled professionals; like plumbers, hair dressers and electricians, with prospective customers. The app allows users to request skilled providers, keep track of work and also includes a marketplace for promoting various services.
The Clickawayja app is the first of its kind in Jamaica and the Caribbean and is another sign that Jamaica is moving fast towards digital growth in line with first world standards. Created by serial entrepreneur Mr. Tajay Mohan, Clickawaya is poised to be a sought after tool for skilled workers island wide.
“Gone are the days of paying for a job that has not been completed, the app is transparent and easy to use. It serves as a point of contact for skilled professionals such as: Plumbers, Mechanics, Hairdresser, Refrigerator Technicians and Barbers, to gain work.” Clickawayja CEO, Mr Mohan shared.
As a skilled professional that signs up to the app, you can create a profile and upload your experience, work photos and all other details. Prospective customers can then view your profile and request a quote for a specific job; once both parties agree on the scope and price, then they get started on the project.
“Using the Clickawayja app means anyone from anywhere in the world can manage work men here in Jamaica. The app facilitates completing your transactions, booking a professional, sending quotations, making a payment, issuing receipts or writing a review,” says Clickawayja Brand Manager, Miss Alicia-Ann Roxborough.
The app benefits both skilled professionals and customers alike; creating more visibility for those seeking new jobs and more accountability for those looking for skilled workers.
The Clickaway app is available in both Google and Apple stores.


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Manganesh Mahesh Mahishi originally came to fame 25 years ago when he “landed on Earth from an undisclosed little pocket in the galaxy.” Back then, Mahishi was interested in producing documentary films about paper plates. Yesterday, wearing a white robe and white flowers in his hair, Manganesh Mahesh Mahishi — now famously known as the founder of Peace Kitchens, Inc. — talked to an audience of 360 billion via closed circuit t.v. His new mission: to establish cooking facilities in every corner of the universe to promote peace.
“Not only will those of you who decide to support our kitchens create peace in the cosmos, you will also insure that every being under, over and in the sun will eat. Our kitchens will produce universe friendly foods. Every time one of our meals is prepared, together we will send the message that peace is for real. It is alive. It will all begin with our powerful chefs who are specially trained in the ancient art of yogic cooking. This practice sends out powerful vibrations that reduce stress, crime and violence. With thousands of chefs practicing yogic cooking, peace will have no choice but to burst out all over.” As an added benefit, Mahishi also described his plans for “unused food management.” Mahishi said all unused food will be donated to local homeless shelters and low cost housing developments.
Over the last year, Mahishi has already established a few test Peace Kitchens in the US. “The results have already surpassed our initial hopes,” said Mahishi.
Mahishi also announced plans for pre-packaged Peace Kitchens’ salad dressing to be sold around the globe. “This way everyone can have a reminder of our Peace Kitchens’ mission,” stated a serene Mr. Mahishi. He ended his press conference by urging all “to consciously promote peace. Let Peace Kitchens show you the way.”
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated or minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp. peanut butter (or other nut butter)
3 Tbsp. seasoned rice wine vinegar
Place mustard, garlic, shallot, ginger, oil, vinegar and peanut butter in a blender. Mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


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Nike dropped its first “Just do it” commercial Wednesday, two days after revealing Colin Kaepernick as the face of its 30th anniversary marketing campaign. The two-minute video titled “Dream Crazy” is narrated by the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, only fueling some people’s outrage at the company — particularly over at Fox & Friends.
“Is Kaepernick’s so-called sacrifice worthy of such celebration?” Kilmeade asks.
It’s a hard “no” for Gillespie, who argues that the NFL quarterback — who took the Niners to the Super Bowl in 2013 and the NFC Championship the following year — “didn’t sacrifice anything.”
“His career was over,” says Gillespie, who adds that Nike “mis-assessed middle America” with its campaign.
“If they want to make an ad about sacrificing, why don’t they go all the way?” he says. “If this is Nike, put Jesus on there.”
Kilmeade calls the ad, which also features LeBron James and Serena Williams, “phenomenal” minus the fact that Kaepernick is in it. “These guys achieved a lot,” he says. “He was benched for [former Niners quarterback] Blaine Gabbert on the worst team in the NFL … next thing you know he’s bigger than Muhammad Ali.”
The president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., also weighed in on the campaign. Spoiler alert: He’s not a fan. Don Jr. “fixed” the ad by replacing Kaepernick’s face with a photo of his father.
A post shared by Donald Trump Jr. (@donaldjtrumpjr) on Sep 5, 2018 at 3:24pm PDT
As for President Trump, he believes Nike made a “terrible” decision by choosing Kaepernick, but said the company’s ability to make its own business decisions “is what this country is all about.”
“I think it’s a terrible message that they’re sending and the purpose of them doing it, maybe there’s a reason for them doing it,” Trump said in an interview with the Daily Caller. “But I think as far as sending a message, I think it’s a terrible message and a message that shouldn’t be sent. There’s no reason for it.”
He also said, “As much as I disagree with the Colin Kaepernick endorsement, in another way — I mean, I wouldn’t have done it, in another way, it is what this country is all about, that you have certain freedoms to do things that other people think you shouldn’t do, but I personally am on a different side of it.”
The first commercial for the controversial campaign will air during Thursday night’s NFL regular-season kickoff game. You can check the full video out, below.
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 5, 2018
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:


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There have been more than enough Bugatti Chiron photos surfacing online these past few weeks, but we haven’t yet gotten a glimpse of its front end, that is until…this video was captured by AUTO BILD TV as it tries to get around a truck hauling lumber on a narrow road. A horseshoe grille is visible, along with the same headlights found on the behemoth Bugatti Vision GT. Continue reading for another video and more information.
“The new ‘hypercar’ from the VW Group is reportedly using the same 8.0-liter W16 quad-turbo engine as its predecessor, but the total output is being raised to approximately 1,500 HP. Chances are, electric motors will contribute and allow it to reach a top speed of around 290 mph or over 460km/h,” reports Car Scoops.


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GAZPROM GAS SALES RECORD
PLATTS - 01 Feb 2021 - Russia's Gazprom said Feb. 1 its gas sales in Europe and Turkey rose to their highest ever level for the month of January, reaching 19.4 Bcm.
European gas demand last month was buoyed by cold weather across the continent, with several countries seeing extremely low temperatures during the month.
Gazprom's pipeline supplies in January were partly constrained by lower booked capacity via Ukraine, but the company more than offset the reduced flows by selling more from European storage.
In a statement, Gazprom said its sales last month to the Far Abroad (Europe plus Turkey, minus the countries of the former Soviet Union) were 45.4% -- or 6.1 Bcm -- higher year on year.
"Purchases from Gazprom were increased, in particular, by large consumers of Russian gas," it said.
January 2020 was a poor month for Russian gas sales to Europe by comparison due to warm temperatures, a slow ramp-up in deliveries via Ukraine after the renewed transit deal in December 2019 and high storage stocks.
Gazprom's biggest markets in the Far Abroad all increased purchases this year, the company said.
In Germany -- comfortably the gas giant's biggest export market -- sales rose by 32.4%, Gazprom said, without giving actual volumes.
Sales also rose in Italy (by 221.5%), Turkey (20.8%), France (77.3%), the Netherlands (21.2%), and Poland (89.9%).
Gazprom also said its exports to China -- which are not included in its data for the Far Abroad -- ran at 2.5% above the contracted volume in January.
Flows were also 2.9 times higher than in January 2020, it said.
Gazprom began exports to China via the 38 Bcm/year capacity Power of Siberia pipeline in December 2019, with flows starting up at around 10 million cu m/d.
The latest data suggest flows now at closer to 30 million cu m/d, which on an annualized basis would top 10 Bcm for 2021.
That would be in line with previous Gazprom statements that exports would increase to around 10 Bcm in its second full year of operations -- 2021 -- before then increasing to capacity in the mid-2020s.


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The FINANCIAL — When it comes to small car connectivity technology, the Ford Focus scores big, according to the editors at Connected World magazine.
“Ford is honored to receive this award from Connected World magazine,” said Paul Russell, Ford Focus brand manager. “The award embodies the global nature of the Focus with its fun-to-drive character and smart technology customers are looking for.”
According to Ford, connected World editors base their awards on three broad factors: safety, convenience and information options.
Safety encompasses active safety features and distraction-free driving, including hands-free and vehicle safety features, emergency response services and stolen vehicle/roadside assistance features.
For the convenience judging, editors focus on overall comfort and driver/owner convenience. Criteria include remote access to the vehicle, vehicle diagnostic information, traffic and navigation features, as well as driver assistance programs.
Finally, editors focus on vehicles providing information options in a distraction-free manner; these attributes include streaming content, device-pairing capabilities, social media connections and Web connectivity.
“The Ford Focus sets a high bar in the small category when it comes to connectivity with MyFord Touch and SYNC,” said Peggy Smedley, editorial director, Connected World magazine. “They just keep getting better and better. No other car in its class comes close to offering such a high level of safety, convenience and infotainment. Techies and non-techies alike are enjoying this connected ride.”
Since going on sale in March 2011 as a 2012 model, the new Ford Focus has been awarded several industry and consumer awards, including being named to Car and Driver’s 10Best list and Automobile Magazine’sAll Stars.


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June 09, 2006
NEW YORK (June 9, 2006) -- To improve the car-buying experience for women, CarsMagazine.com announced Thursday the launch of AskPatty.com, an online community for women to receive expert automotive advice.
According to officials, car dealerships can subscribe to the AskPatty.com online service by becoming a "female friendly certified dealer" after completing the AskPatty.com dealer certification program. Executives added that female consumers will benefit from the information and expert advice on AskPatty.com.
"AskPatty.com fills a real need for women and car dealerships to work on improving the car-buying experience of a new or used vehicle," said Jody Devere, president of AskPatty.com. "CarMax recently surveyed more than 9,800 women about what was lacking most in their car-buying experience and the results revealed that buying a car continues to remain a hassle for women. AskPatty.com provides women with the advice and information needed in order to feel empowered and confident when negotiating the purchase of a new or used vehicle."
According to officials, dealers will be able to link their Web sites to AskPatty.com, which will provide a new source of qualified female consumers who consider AskPatty.com a trusted brand. Through AskPatty.com, women who visit the site will be able to receive car-buying assistance and locate "female friendly" dealerships.