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Before we start discussing about this, let me assume you folks know what sexting is. Okay. Now that we're good to go, let me inform you that the US Patent and Trademark office has approved Apple's Patent application submitted back in 2008 for a technology that would be used as an anti sexting tool.
It would basically serve as a tool that can control the messages received and sent from the iPhone. The technology would be most probably used by an application that would act as a parental control for your kids' iPhone that can scan messages coming to the device and evaluate the text in the message. Should it find any inappropriate content, it either alerts the administrator or simply deletes the offending text and if needed, the entire message.
Great tool, if you happen to be a concerned parent. Not quite so if you're a kid who's been having some fun with you iPhone!
Folks over at French website Mobifrance has posted pics of what is thought to be Palm's upcoming update to its existing line up.
Thats right. We have been hearing about the impending arrival of the Palm Pre 2 since the past few days - but had no visual evidence to prove the existence of such a updated handset -until now, that is.
Take a look at the pics below.
These look nothing like the existing Palm Pre's, do they? The phone is running WebOS 2.0 and from what we can see, it still has a similar display as the original Palm Pre.
The internals however see a major upgrade. How does a 1GHz processor with with 512mb of RAM sound? The Palm Pre already had compelling hardware and multitasking abilities back in 2009 - the new hardware would definitely add to its capabilities from whar we infer.
Anyone betting on an early November launch for this one?
Apple has just released the latest version of iOS 4.2 (build 8C5115c) and iOS SDK 4.2 to its developers. Available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, it is also complemented by the release of a beta version of iTunes 10.1 Beta 2 with the AirPrint update.
Here is the list of confirmed features:1. Multitasking, Universal inbox and game center on iPad2. New Fonts in notes3. Orientation lock switch changed to mute button4. New Default Lockscreen Keyboard5. Safari gets search for text feature6. iPad gets tethering support
The iPad also gets a new animation sequence whilst multitasking. Apart from all these, the pre installed YouTube application on all iOS devices will now get the option to list the videos as public, private or unlisted
iOS 4.2 will allow users to tether iPad’s 3G data connection to another device like the laptop as well.While it wold be a while till the final version trickles down to iOS devices, how does the new features on this one sound to you?
Samsung has just made another addition to its Android based Galaxy line up of phones. The Galaxy K, as the phone is known comes loaded with Android 2.2 Froyo.
The Galaxy K seems to be a scaled down version of the Galaxy S and boasts of a 3.7-inch AMOLED Plus touchscreen display, a 1GHz processor, support for Adobe Flash 10.1, 8GB of on-board storage, WiFi, and Bluetooth connectivity.
The Galaxy K, as of now is only available in South Korea as of now. But then we can expect this one in other markets too in the near future.
The Galaxy K costs almost 800,000 Won in Korea. That translates to around $710 USD for an unlocked, SIM free handset. Very expensive!
Microsoft has finally announced Windows Phone 7 along with 10 new handsets based on the platform at an event held at New York earlier today.
The new OS, which was first seen earlier this year is considered to be one of the most important announcements Microsoft has made in recent times and is expected to give fillip to its sharp declining market share in the smartphone OS arena.
The new handsets would be made by major players in the smartphone arena - including HTC, Samsung, LG and even Dell. Microsoft has tied up with as many as 30 carriers across the globe for its Windows Phone 7 laden phones. In the U.S., the Windows Phone 7 handsets would arrive on AT&T and T-Mobile. Handsets for Sprint and Verizon are still in the pipeline.
Lets now check out the handsets. Seven handsets have were officially showcased at the launch today. These are the Dell Venue Pro, HTC 7 Mozart, HTC 7 Trophy, HTC HD7, HTC Surround, LG Quantum and the Samsung Focus. Other than these there are the likes of the LG Optimus 7, Samsung Omnia 7 and the HTC Pro about whose existence we know of.
Almost all the handsets have similar specs considering the requirements for Windows Phone 7. Anyway, lets see what these handsets have in store for you. We start with the
Dell Venue Pro
The Dell Venue PRO has a vertical slide out keyboard that makes the already long phone quite long! It comes with a huge-ish 4.1 inch AMOLED display capable of WVGA resolution. The processor is a Qualcomm Snapdragon running at 1 Ghz. It also has a 5 megapixel camera at the back.
HTC 7 Mozart
the Mozart, the first of the HTC handsets gets a 1Ghz processor alongwith 8GB of internal memory. It has a 3.7 inch display and an 800 x 480 pixel resolution. It supports 900MHz/2100MHz WCDMA/HSPA networks as well as quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks. The highlight of the phone is its 8 megapixel camera – which stands out from the rest of the Windows Phone 7 phones which come only with a 5 megapixel sensor.And of course, it can capture videos in HD.
HTC 7 Trophy
The HTC Trophy gets a 3.8 inch WVGA display and supports HSDPA, Wi-Fi, SRS WOW HD audio technology. Like almost all the other phones, it too has a a 5MP autofocus camera with support for HD video recording. The phone comes with 576MB RAM and yeah, its the same Snapdragon that you'd find inside this one too. How boring is that?
The Surround is one of the most interesting handsets I have come across in recent times. It happens to be a device that supports Dolby Mobile and SRS surround sound. If that wasn't all, it has slideout speakers! The display is a 3.8″ one capable of a resolution of 480×800 pixels. And yeah, its the same 5 megapixel shooter and processor here too.
The LG Quantum has a 3.5 inch display and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It comes with 16GB of memory as well as 256MB RAM.Priced at USD 199 for a two year contract on AT&T, the phone also gets Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g and a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash.
What do you think about these handsets and about Windows Phone 7 in general?
Microsoft is getting ready to launch a bunch of Windows Phone 7 powered handsets at the event scheduled to be held tomorrow at New York.
While we are still not sure what models these would be, there is speculation that the trio of Samsung, HTC, and LG are expected to unveil devices tomorrow. In the US, AT&T and T-Mobile - both are in the fray to launch Windows Phone powered handsets on their networks.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega will deliver the keynote in the morning after which there would be an open house session where attendees could try out the first retail version of Windows Phone 7 devices.
We would be looking closely at the launch and would be updating the site as we get more information.
Over to you Microsoft!
Google's own URL shortening service Goo.gl has finally went public. Now, if your response to that would be some thing like, "What? Wasn't it public since last year or so? Haven't you been seeing Goo.gl links all over Twitter? How then can a service "go public" even as it was being used for the past few months?" then please let me explain!You're right. You have been seeing Goo.gl links all over the place. But let me ask you, were you able to auto shorten URL's of your choice until now? You have been clicking, clicking clicking, right? Until now, certain Google applications were the only ones allowed to use the Goo.gl short URL. That service is now open for the public at large to try out now. Quite a difference, eh?Goo.gl has in its sight already popular URL shortener's like bit.ly and is.gd.Goo.gl has been around since December 2009 and it has taken almost an year to reach a public launch. If you're still wondering as to what more features does Goo.gl offer over others, here are a few:How about automatic spam detection, and “near 100% uptime since our initial launch,” as claimed by the company? Bit.ly and a few others have been known to face downtimes in the past. Like the others, Goo.gl also gets URL-tracking features using which you can view URL history, traffic sources, referrers and visitor profiles for countries, browsers and platforms.Anyway, you might want to head here and try the product without any further delay.
If you happen to be a potential iPhone 4 user out side the US and are planning to get one squarely because you wanted to badly use that cool FaceTime video chat feature, you might want to read further before you invest your hard earned dough in buying the latest iteration of the iPhone.
Apparently, the new iPhone 4's FaceTime feature isn't everyones favorite and some carriers and (even Governments) have banned the application. If you legally get an iPhone from a country where it has been banned, your lovely FaceTime video chat dreams hereby lies in tatters.
Anyway, Apple has put up a support document that would help potential iPhone 4 users avoid a pitfall and buy the phone only to realize their favorite feature missing. (Yeah, we know how that feels!)In the document, Apple has coolly put the blame for the disabling of the feature on the local "carriers" when it says “FaceTime is not available on this carrier”.Interesting, huh?
Google has announced in a blog post that it would be shutting down its GOOG-411 service soon.
GOOG-411 was started back in 2007 and was a free information service that used voice recognition technology. It enabled a common user, a non internet based platform to contact businesses from a user's phone. Available only to Canadian and US citizens, the service will shut down on November 12, 2010 – barely a month from now .
According to Google, the GOOG-41 service was the precursor to many new voice based technologies that has since then come up. These include Google’s Voice Search, Voice Input you find on Android smart phones and Voice actions. The reason they want to shut down GOOG-411 is because they would like to direct all their resources to build the next generation voice based apps – apart from adding voice recognition ability to a host of other Google products.
For those of you who are disappointed about this turn of events, here is a little breather. Google has confirmed that an alternative text messaging based service would still remain active.To use that service, text the name of a business to 466453 ("GOOGLE"),and you'd get your search results in the form of an SMS!Isn't that cool enough?
The Chinese are at it again! While there is nothing new about iPhone knockoffs emerging from that country, this latest one takes the usual knock off thingy to new levels. We have come across an iPhone knock off that apart from being visually similar to the original Jesus phone from the fruit themed toymaker, also boasts of running dual operating systems!
Other features of the phone include a 3.6 inch capacitive display that is multi touch capable. Sadly, the only thing missing would be that retina display. The phone runs both Android and Windows Mobile 6.5 and you can choose what OS to boot in to at startup. Now that is cool!
The Windows Mobile restriction also means that the screen wouldn't be capable of displaying more than 65k colors. The phone will come with 512/256 MB of storage. There is a decent 5 megapixel camera at the rear that should be good at taking casual pictures.The phone is available in China (obviously) and costs around $257. What do you think about this one? [Via MicGadget]


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Technology stocks have been on fire in 2023 thanks to cooling inflation, strong economic activity, and the robust jobs market.
The Nasdaq-100 Technology Sector index has risen an impressive 40% as a result, outpacing the S&P 500‘s rise of 16% by a significant margin. Wall Street believes we are in the middle of a bull market already, as the S&P 500 has risen more than 21% since hitting a low on Oct. 12, 2022.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see tech stocks continue their solid rally, and that’s good news for celebrated investor Cathie Wood. As the founder and CEO of investment management firm ARK Invest, Wood is well-known for making big bets on companies capable of disrupting the industries they operate in.
Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF has already benefited from the favorable market in 2023 with a gain of 40% year to date. Twilio (TWLO 1.88%) is the eighth-largest holding in this exchange-traded fund, and Ark Invest continues to regularly add to its position in this cloud stock. It’s still trading at an attractive valuation despite gaining 34% so far this year. Let’s look at the reasons investors shouldn’t miss this opportunity.
Twilio’s rapid growth makes the stock a no-brainer
Twilio released its second-quarter results last month. Revenue was up 10% year over year to $1.04 billion, thanks to the growth of its customer base as well as a slight jump in spending from its existing customers.
Twilio ended the quarter with about 304,000 active customer accounts versus 275,000 a year ago. Its dollar-based net retention rate, which compares the spending of its customers in a quarter to the spending from those same customers in the year-ago period, was 103%. A reading of more than 100% in this metric means the company’s existing customers adopted more of its offerings or increased their use of them.
More importantly, adjusted earnings jumped to $0.54 per share from a net loss of $0.11 in the year-ago period, driven by the company’s focus on reducing costs. It expects this solid bottom-line growth to continue in the current quarter with $0.35 per share in earnings at the midpoint of its guidance range.
Analysts expect the company to finish the year with $1.72 per share in earnings as compared to a loss of $0.15 in 2022. This bottom-line momentum should extend into 2024 and 2025 as well.
Investors can expect the stock to soar big time
The cloud-based contact center market was worth an estimated $17 billion in 2022 and could hit annual revenue of $69 billion in 2027, according to Mordor Intelligence. That’s a market expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26%.
Twilio’s 2022 revenue of $3.83 billion implies that it controls 22% of this market. Assuming it can maintain this approximately 20% market share over the next several years, annual revenue could jump to almost $14 billion.
The stock currently trades at a price-to-sales ratio of 3. Carrying that forward and combining it with the revenue outlook above, the company’s market cap could reach $42 billion. That represents a 250% gain from current levels.
The company is also integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its solutions to widen its customer base. Twilio recently launched CustomerAI, a platform that uses predictive and generative AI tools to help companies improve their customer service.
With the use of generative AI in the customer-service market expected to see a 24% CAGR over the next decade, Twilio is pulling the right levers to make the most of its end-market opportunity.
Investors could do well buying this Ark-approved holding while it’s still trading 85% below its all-time high. Such a bargain may not be available much longer given Twilio’s opportunities for long-term growth.

domain: news


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Most of us are now overweight or obese, according to official stats. In England, more than 60 per cent of adults and 30 per cent of children aged 2-15 fall into these categories.
Obese children are more than twice as likely as their thin classmates to die before the age of 55. They are also far more likely to suffer, throughout their lives, from diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, some cancers, and infertility. A Government report recently estimated that obesity will cost the NHS £6.4 billion per year by 2015.
Why are children so fat?
Sugar certainly plays a role; the number of empty calories and difficult-to-digest trans fats in processed foods is doing damage. Or it could be the dastardly scheming by owners of chicken takeaway joints, who set up by school gates and lure youngsters with the savoury scent of deep-fried battery birds.
Perhaps it is because many of us don't sit down to three proper meals a day – and certainly not with our children. The rise in childhood obesity has coincided with a fall in home cooking. Changes in family structures have played a role; as more mothers have entered the workforce, with both parents going out to work, family dinner has suffered: more than half of British families sit down to eat a meal together three times a week or fewer.
So here's what will stave off obesity in your children: eating more homemade meals.
The US Department of Agriculture estimates that eating just one meal a week outside of the home can mean an extra two pounds in weight gain per year for the average person. But the average person doesn’t eat just one meal out per week; 7.7 billion informal meals are eaten out in Britain each year, which translates to 124 meals per year for every person in the United Kingdom, or about 2.5 per week. And that’s just an average; sometimes for work, and largely for pleasure, I eat more like 5-10 meals out per week. I try to eat at fairly healthy places that I trust, but even at high-end restaurants, while the quality of ingredients is higher than in most fast-food restaurants, the salt content is far higher than what I would prepare at home.
Cooking for your family forces you to pay attention to what you are consuming. The rise in fast food consumption, and eating meals out, has led to a significant caloric intake over the past few decades.
Remember when Andrew Lansley (pictrured) said two years ago that we, as a nation, needed to cut our caloric intake by about 5 billion per DAY? If we don't reverse the trend, our children will trend towards obesity.
In many households, both parents work, meaning there's little time to prepare elaborate meals each night. Here are five ways you can start encouraging healthy eating at home this week:
1. Stop making separate food for the kids. This is time-consuming and unnecessary, unless you insist on eating chillies in every dish. Once a child is about one year old, cooking separate dishes really is no longer necessary, and simply fosters picky eating. I find it curious that parents will devote weeks to sleep- train their children, and expect grown-up behaviour in that realm, but then allow their children to say that they will only eat chips and sausages.
2. Jamie's 15 Minute Meals: I used to find Mr Oliver's shtick about as appealing as a bakewell tart – too many layers of cheerful but sickly sweetness. But this book is full of quick and appealing recipes, inspired by cuisines from around the world, but modified to suit British grocery stores and tastes. Plus, unlike many recipe books, this offers nutritionally complete meals. The Keralan veggie curry, which features chickpeas, pineapple and cauliflower, is a favourite in my house.
3. Seasonal produce: It is wise – in the interest of economy and taste – to keep in mind what fruits and vegetables are in season. This wheel of British fruits and vegetables and their seasons is very useful. Seasonally-organised cookbooks – of which the River Cake Green book is my favourite – offer excellent inspiration for timely child-friendly recipes that use fruits and vegetables at their peak.
4. When in doubt, make a frittata/tortilla. This is a cheap and tasty way to give your family protein and a variety of vegetables, it takes 15 minutes to make (many recipes estimate 30 minutes, but if you use a grill, you can have something on the table far faster than that), and you can eat the leftovers cold.
Try this red pepper and feta recipe out for a start – and then get experimenting.
5. Get your children involved in preparing their meals from the very beginning. Shop AND cook together on the weekends in preparation for the week. It's never too early to get a child involved in meal preparation. My toddler loves peas and has been shelling them herself since they turned up on the veg stall at the market a few weeks ago. Yes, she spills quite a few of them on the floor. But shelling peas makes interesting work for small hands; I can usually prepare most of the rest of dinner while she shells the peas.


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168澳洲10官网直播APP：统计查询开奖号码、澳洲幸运10开奖结果查询号码官网: Busting the ‘Model Minority’ myth
Asian Americans are often expected to comply in the workplace. Eos chief marketing officer Soyoung Kang shares how she defied stereotypes to get to where she is today.
Twitch CMO Rachel Delphin on stability, AI and non-gaming streams
Twitch aims to prove stability to marketers with a focus on TwitchCon and creator tools.
McDonald’s celebrates 40 years of McNuggets in new campaign
Integrated campaign was devised by Leo Burnett.
Stagwell cuts 300 staffers as client spend slows, leading to Q1 revenue decline
The holding company attributed the decline to comparisons with above average results in 2022 and slowing client spend amid a workforce restructuring.
Meet Gamer Jack: Jack in the Box hires head Twitch creator
Fans will get mystery boxes as part of the celebration.
As election cycle heats up, candidates must be wary of using AI in campaign ads
Disinformation, ethics, bias and misleading voters are among the challenges candidates must be aware of as they enter the 2024 race.
5 ways Amazon Advertising remains recession-proof
The e-commerce giant continues to ‘buck wider advertising trends.’
Campaign Chemistry: Invisalign CMO Raj Pudipeddi
Pudipeddi chats about how Invisalign is fighting inertia among orthodontists and dentists, the brand’s foray into the metaverse and working with creators.
Meta ad highlights Instagram's teen supervision tools for parents
Spot was created by Rattling Stick.
The ‘anti-influencer influencer’: why more advertisers are signing up to Reddit
Alex Underwood, Reddit’s global head of agency development, discusses the unique perks of Reddit culture, the future of its agency partnerships and his quest to deepen advertisers’ understanding of the platform.
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The race to find TV’s new currency
Measurement providers offer alternatives during this year’s upfront.


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Friday’s Mid-Day Movers: 3 Stories Driving Markets
The major stocks were trading higher Friday after an encouraging report on the overall economic activity. As of 12 p.m.:
|DIJA: +0.39% to 15293.31||S&P 500: +0.45% to 1657.97||NASDAQ: +0.48% to 3481.72|
|Gold: -2.64% to 72.16||Oil: +0.45% to 22.26||U.S. 10-Year: +3.75% to 19.35|
Here are three stories helping shape the market on Friday afternoon:
1. Consumer Sentiment Hits Highest Level Since July 2007: Despite an overall sluggish economy, consumer sentiment in the United States reached its best level in almost six years.
According to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan’s preliminary reading, consumer sentiment in early May rose to 83.7, compared to 76.4 in April. This is the highest level for the index since July 2007. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey called for a modest increase to 77.9. In fact, the preliminary reading beat every estimate in the survey… (Read more.)
2. What Happened at the IRS, and Is Obama Accountable? Last week, Lois Lerner, who leads the Exempt Organizations Division at the IRS, issued an apology admitting that the agency had engaged in “inappropriate” targeting of conservative 501c(4) groups during the 2012 election. According to Lerner, lower-level IRS employees pursued additional review of groups containing keywords like “tea party” or “patriot” that were suspected of violating the conditions necessary to qualify for tax-exempt status.
An audit released by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration on May 14 determined that “early in Calendar Year 2010, the IRS began using inappropriate criteria to identify organizations applying for tax-exempt status to review for indications of significant political campaign intervention”…(Read more.)
3. Is Amazon Guilty of Exploiting the British Tax Rulebook? Just following Google Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) denial of the claim that its business is disguising the way it operates in order to minimize its U.K. tax bill, Internet retailer Amazon.com Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) tax affairs are now back under the spotlight. Reuters reported Friday that the British Parliament will re-summon Amazon to clarify how its U.K. activities warrant its low corporate income tax bill.
Because Amazon claims that it operates a single European business out of Luxembourg, rather than a multinational structure of independent subsidiaries in different countries, it believes it should only pay taxes in Luxembourg… (Read more.)
Don’t Miss: Does Jamie Dimon Wield Too Much Power?


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Black Friday In The Digital Era
What is Black Friday?
In the US, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, and since 1932, it has been regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Thus, most of the major retailers open very early, sometimes even overnight (at 4 am or 5 am, or even at midnight!), and offer promotional sales. The use of the term ‘Black Friday’ can be traced back to the 1960s. Usually, it is being referred to pedestrian and vehicle traffic as seen from the air in large cities. But some say, it’s because stores make so much profit, that they are going from being “in the red” to being “in the black”.
News reports show that starting 2005; this has been the busiest shopping day of the year. The annual retail spending bonanza that is Black Friday falls on November 25th this year.
Black Friday going online
It’s common for devoted shoppers to camp outside of stores over the Thanksgiving holiday to secure the first place in line for Black Friday. But with Internet technologies developing, a large number of people who were trying to avoid Black Friday stampedes, but still wanted to save money, moved their shopping online. Comfortably shopping without having to leave the house became more and more attractive over the years. Many entrepreneurs have already made the good income by selling their product online, and so can you! And this is where Qubit Labs come in to help you set up a powerful e-commerce website and/or application for your company. If you want to attract large numbers of customers, especially on occasions like Black Friday, you will need to keep your website fast, functional and operational, and our specialists will create one just like that for you.
Cyber Monday changes E-commerce
Over the years, retailers started noticing that many consumers, who didn’t find what they needed or were too busy to shop over the Thanksgiving weekend, were shopping online from home or work on Monday immediately following Black Friday. So, in 2005 the neologism Cyber Monday was invented by the National Retail Federation’s division Shop.org. Ever since then, Cyber Monday has been the day on which online retailers have been offering e-commerce deals to consumers.
Even though large amounts of money are being spent on Black Friday, last year’s in-store sales didn’t go as well as they used to: the average sum spent per consumer dropped 1.4%. On the other hand, e-commerce and online retail saw their best days ever! According to global analytics, 2015’s Cyber Monday saw the heaviest day of online spending ever recorded: whole $2.28 billion were spent on online purchases by desktop computer users. And if you include sales from mobile device users, Cyber Monday sales surpassed $3.1 billion. Check out this great breakdown of Cyber Monday of 2015 for more details!
Most popular tools used by online stores
Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals made prominent. The customer should see them right away!
- Creating a sense of urgency by including a countdown timer
- Building trust, or example with Trust seals, phone numbers customers can call if they have questions, and guarantees
- Making value propositions and competitive differentiators clear. In other words, explaining what makes your store better than others.
- Personalizing offers and targeting messages based on a customer’s search history, for example.
- Encouraging customers to share promotions, which spreads the reach of the website.
- Reliable, quick and easy-to-use mobile version
As you see, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two excellent occasions for you as a seller to revamp your website or to have a new one developed according to latest trends. And maybe you’d like to try outsourcing website stuff to a vendor to get more time for dealing with your core responsibilities during your high season.
To sum up, these are some of the most popular tools used by online stores nowadays. Good luck!


text: IMF expects economic growth to hit 6.8%The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects the UK economy to see growth of 6.8% this year. Although this is slightly lower than the 7% predicted in July, it would still represent the fastest growth in the G7. The IMF also believes the UK will see growth of 5% in 2022, a 0.2% increase on its previous forecast. The IMF said the global economy is set to grow 5.9% this year and 4.9% next year – with these 0.1 percentage points lower than previously suggested. The IMF expects most advanced economies to return their pre-pandemic growth trends next year as supply chain issues ease, and to exceed it by about 1% in 2024, while merging and developing economies (excluding China) could fall back and remain 5.5% below their pre-pandemic forecast by 2024. Despite outlining the levels of growth it expects, the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook warns that there is “great uncertainty” about economic performance, pointing to the potential impact of inflation.


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A development prototype believed to be the production version of Skoda's first electric vehicle has been spied at the Nurburgring this week, ahead of a likely debut later next year.
"But, wait. It's a Volkswagen Tiguan!" However, this particular Tiguan has been stretched slightly and is wearing stickers that indicate it's running an electric powertrain – we already know Volkswagen is only doing standalone 'ID.' electric vehicles from now on, so this isn't previewing an electric Tiguan.
Porsche's upcoming 718 Cayman GT4 RS has been snapped again, this time being put through its paces on the track.
Launched this year, the new GT4 Cayman won plenty of fans with its naturally-aspirated engine and balanced handling. But more is more in the world of Porsche, and there's clearly more to be extracted from the 718 GT4 package.
Tesla Nurburgring record attempt: everything we know so far
After a week of hype, Tesla is yet to put down a fast lap at the Nurburgring in its attempt to wrestle the electric-car lap record from the Porsche Taycan.
If you haven’t been able to read every word on the internet about this bold record attempt, this story will give you a rundown on all we know so far.
Alfa Romeo will bring a combined the ultra-limited NRING Giulia and Stelvio to Australia, celebrating the performance of its hottest cars around the famed Nurburgring Nordschleife.
Just three Stelvio and four Giulia NRING models will make the trip to Australia, priced from $189,900 (+$40,000) and $182,900 ($37,000) before on-road costs respectively,


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Dale Sander has been appointed chief financial officer of Avita Medical, a regenerative medicine company. Mr Sander has more than 20 years of experience, including serving as chief financial officer of 4 medical device and pharmaceutical companies and 11 years within public companies. Current chief financial officer Tim Rooney will become chief administrative officer, responsible for global operations and supply chain management, human resource and information technology. Both executives will be based in Valencia, California.
Frank Lesko has resigned as non-executive director of Tyranna Resources.
David Huang has joined the board of Wolf Petroleum as non-executive director. Mr Huang has extensive global and executive experience.


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The Kenyan government has set up a multi-sectoral working committee to coordinate enforcement of various regulations affecting food safety in the country.
This follows recent trends of illegal activities in the food sector such as adulteration, poor hygiene, improper handling and misuse of chemicals.
The committee brings together ministries related to food production, safety, trade and enforcement of regulations.
These are the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation, Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives and the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government.
Speaking after the inaugural meeting, Livestock PS Harry Kimutai said the government has committed itself to support the production of safe food to ensure the growth of a healthy and secure nation.
“The various government agencies represented here are directly involved in ensuring food safety and would like to assure consumers that food in the markets, including meat products, is safe for consumption. The committee has further discussed mechanisms that will enhance enforcement to rid the market of the few unscrupulous traders,” Kimutai said.
The committee deliberated on five immediate action points; How the government will enhance enforcement of food safety regulations, review of the legal framework to harmonise regulations for effective food safety and commit to engage the private sector for a robust self regulation mechanism.
It also looked into formulation of a capacity building plan for the market actors and creating consumer awareness on safety of food products.
“The responsibility to enforce regulations on food safety and security is enshrined in various laws and organizations. It is therefore necessary that enforcement of these regulations is done in a coordinated manner, which is why we have formed this multi-agency team,” the PS said.
The committee has also roped in the State agencies responsible for enforcement of food safety standards like the Kenya Bureau of Standards, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Department and Directorate of Veterinary Services, among others.
Also present at the meeting were non-state actors like the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, the Kenya Markets Trust and the German development agency, GIZ.
READ ALSO:Dissecting standardization in Tanzania
Other agencies in the multi-sectoral committee include the National Police Service, National Intelligence Service, the Kenya Dairy Board, Pest Control Products Board, Agriculture Food Authority, Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation, the National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project and the Kenya Cereal Enhancement Program.


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Stone crab season, South Florida's favorite time of the year, begins October 15, which means you'll soon see those sweet claws showing up on menus and at your favorite seafood market.
Though many Miami restaurants — from steakhouses to seafood shacks — offer the claws, there's one place most famous for the delicacy: Joe's Stone Crab.
The Miami Beach icon will open for its 106th season October 15 at precisely 5 p.m. Wrap your head around the fact that Joe's is one of the few things in South Florida that's hit the century mark.
The restaurant actually predates Miami Beach. The original owner, Joe Weiss, opened a small seafood shack on Collins Avenue in 1913, two years before Miami Beach was incorporated as a city in 1915.
The restaurant has grown into a major celebrity hangout and huge operation, but it remains family-owned and -operated since the days when Joe Weiss served seafood to beachgoers. Joe's chief operating officer, Stephen Sawitz, is a direct descendant of the Weiss family and is the restaurant's heart.
His goal is to keep the restaurant's standards up to those that have made it a favorite among the famous and infamous. Consistency is key, according to the restaurant executive, as evidenced by the staff at Joe's — many who've worked there for decades.
Sawitz believes in small changes — such as the time he tweaked the menu cover a few years ago. In fact, the only thing that really changes are the stone crabs. From one year to the next, the annual stone crab crop differs, and Sawitz doesn't know what the season will bring until the first traps are pulled up Tuesday, October 15.
According to the restaurant executive, the word from crabbers is that it's looking good out there. Though Joe's opens the first day of stone crab season, fresh claws won't be delivered to the restaurant until Wednesday, October 16. Nevertheless, being one of the first people to eat at Joe's is an annual ritual for many Miamians, who celebrate everything from birthdays to engagements at the famed restaurant.
As always, Joe's doesn't accept reservations, and a wait for a table on a Saturday night could be hours. There's no trick to skipping the line, but there is a strategy: If you want a seat, get there early. Generally, diners who show up before 6 p.m. have a good chance of being seated quickly. And there's always Joe's Take Away next door, where the same claws are sold in a more casual atmosphere.
If patience isn't your virtue and you can't wait for a taste of stone crabs, Claws for a Cause, a fundraising dinner for Children’s Home Society of Florida, will take place this Sunday, October 13, at 6:30 p.m. Online ticket sales are closed, but there might be last-minute seats available. Contact Jamie Bertolis at firstname.lastname@example.org or call 561-402-0823 for more information.
Joe's Stone Crab. 11 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-673-0365; joesstonecrab.com. Opens October 15 for dinner and October 18 for lunch.


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Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste has resigned with immediate effect, while new information has come to light relating to "accounting irregularities" that require "further investigation".
In an announcement yesterday, the group's board reported that it was in talks with the company's statutory auditors, and had approached PwC to carry out an independent investigation.
The announcement came on the eve of Steinhoff's expected date to file its 2017 results – the company now says it will publish the audited 2017 consolidated financial statements "when it is in a position to do so", and will determine whether any prior financial statements will need to be restated.
The board has appointed its chairman, Christo Wiese, as executive chairman on an interim basis. In addition, Pieter Erasmus, the previous CEO of Pepkor Group, has agreed to join him in an executive advisory capacity to assist with managing the group’s retail interests around the world.
Steinhoff has said it will update the market as the investigation proceeds.


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So, it was great news that tech giant Apple wanted to set up a manufacturing unit in India. But thanks to stringent laws and regulation in the country, that plan seems fraught with difficulties.
Also, it seems that the Indian government is in no mood to grant concessions to Apple which it had sought in order to move ahead.
Ever since Apple announced plans to enter India in the manufacturing sector, it has been asking for a number of concessions from the commerce and industry ministry, including a conducive ecosystem, tax benefits and easier labeling and packaging norms.
According to a Times of India report, the industry ministry seems unlikely to ease norms governing local sourcing for the manufacturing of iPhones. It believes that when no such concessions have been given to any other phone-maker, Apple should not be treated differently.
The ministry is also aware of the fact that offering incentives only to Apple could invite criticism from other companies.
Similarly, the Finance ministry is also not in favour of tax incentives as it wants to keep a firm grip on government revenues.
A group of senior officials from ministries, including commerce and finance, electronics and information technology, commerce and environment will now deliberate on the incentives sought by Apple and make the final decision.


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Automobile companies are always in a battle to come up with the newest features for their vehicles. First came in dash-GPS, then back-up cameras, and now inflatable seatbelts. Ford is releasing its backseat inflatable seatbelts on several more of its 2014 vehicles as an option.
Ford first offered its safety first inflatable feature with the 2011 Explorer. Their inflatable belt combines a shoulder seatbelt and a tubular-shaped airbag that inflates upon impact. During a crash, sensors determine when the inflatable belt should be deployed and when signaled, the belt is rapidly inflated with compressed gas. Obviously the main focus of this optional feature is safety. The safety technical leader from Ford said this about the inflatable seatbelt;
“The inflatable belt is designed to help reduce head, neck, and chest injuries for rear-seat passengers, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to such injuries.”
This inflatable technology is now available as an option on several of Ford’s vehicles, including the Fusion Hybrid, Fusion Energi, Flex, and Taurus. For everyday use, the inflatable belts operate like conventional safety belts and are compatible with car seats and boosters. During a crash, the inflatable belt helps distribute the crash forces across more of the passenger’s torso, up to five times more than a traditional belt.
The inflatable belt option costs $190 extra, a big discount in comparison to the Explorer’s option price of $595. With more car buyers focusing on safety, it wouldn’t be a big surprise if more people start purchasing the inflatable belt option and more car companies begin creating their own version of the technology for their vehicles.


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Last month, Adobe held its annual Adobe MAX conference in Los Angeles. And what an event it was. Across a creativity-filled three days, the Adobe team wowed audiences with some seriously impressive innovations, not least with announcements on the next generation of its Creative Cloud apps.
An almost 15,000-strong audience sat in awe as Adobe project leads revealed major updates to the company's flagship titles, including Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, Illustrator CC, InDesign CC, Premiere Pro CC and Adobe XD. And even more excitement filled the room when Premiere Rush CC, Adobe's first all-in-one, easy-to-use video editing app, was introduced, swiftly followed by the preview of two new apps, Photoshop for iPad and Project Gemini, a new drawing app driven by Adobe's new AI Sensei technology.
The magic of MAX
To celebrate the innovation unveiled at Adobe MAX 2018 and the upcoming CC release, Adobe is hosting an exclusive event in London on 28 November, which will bring together some of the most creative minds in the UK. And you can be there too via Adobe's live stream.
Attendees will get to spend the evening being inspired by TED-style talks from luminary speakers, among them, Patricia Bright, one of the fastest-growing lifestyle Content Creators in the UK with a following of over three million spanning the globe. Multi-award-winning Bright is a self-made entrepreneur, having launched a hugely popular beauty product with MAC Cosmetics. Completing the impressive line-up is MinaLima, the graphic design duo of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts film series, and Rufus Deuchler, Principal Manager of Creative Cloud Evangelism at Adobe, who will demonstrate how you can use Adobe’s next generation of Creative Cloud tools in your next creative project.
Trust us when we say this will be an evening of inspiration you won't want to miss. So mark 1900 (GMT) on the 28 November in your diary, bookmark the live stream and join us and some of the UK's brightest minds at the Adobe Creative Meetup, right here on 28 November.


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Engineering fair showcases possible future technology for everyday life
A bike pump, a balloon and some sugar become a prosthetic hand thanks to some clever engineering.
Common objects are being transformed into possible life-changing technologies at the University of Calgary’s engineering design fair.
Those objects could be as common as a balloon, some sugar and a bike pump.
“We put some sugar in a balloon and we reverse a bike pump, and when you pull on the bike pump, our balloon gets rigid or hard, and if you have that formed around an object, you can actually pick up the object,” said Tyler Anker, engineering student.
Anker’s team created the simple device to act as a prosthetic arm for people who might not have access to one otherwise, and it only cost $25.
“The beauty in our project is that it’s so simple and anyone can make it,” he said. “In other countries where people couldn’t afford that or people struggle with amputations, we think it could be pretty useful.”
That kind of invention is just one of many at the Schulich School of Engineering’s 2017 design fair, held Monday morning at the Olympic Oval. Students have been working on their ideas since September, and even in the case of low-tech designs like the balloon arm, some pretty high-level engineering concepts are used.
“In general it’s a robotics application, and it’s still not one of the mainstream ones, it’s kind of just being researched right now,” said Anker.
Other teams also used a low-tech approach to create designs that could solve real-world problems.
“I think the main message we are given is you always want to make a profit,” said Shalese Baxandall, engineering student. “But a lot of people don’t consider doing something to help others.”
Baxandall’s team created a simple robotic hand that would be cheap to manufacture in third-world countries, and some of the team members plan to continue developing the idea beyond the fair.
“We plan on working with Innovate Calgary and seeing the feasibility of getting our product out there and who we can collaborate with in order to keep the project running,” she said.
That kind of innovative thinking is what the school encourages in students.
“This is a chance for the students to really demonstrate their skills and come up with meaningful and creative solutions to open-ended real-world problems,” said Arin Sen, University of Calgary engineering professor. “These are problems that companies are facing right now and they are saying maybe the students can help us out, sometimes students can be very creative and be able to see things from a different perspective.”
Some of the teams are making their designs freely available on the internet in the hopes that it will help people around the world solve common problems.
You can take a look at how to make the balloon arm prosthetic here.


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BlackBerry is not giving up on the smartphone race just yet. The Canada-based company best known for retaining their signature physical keyboard on their flagship devices is once again trying their hand at creating an all-touchscreen phone.
Serial leaker Evan Blass posted fresh images of BlackBerry’s upcoming all-touchscreen phone, which according to him has been renamed to the BlackBerry Motion.
Just last month, photos showing the Motion’s backside surfaced online.
BlackBerry has previously confirmed that the Motion’s main features will be its 26-hour battery life along with IP67 water and dust resistance, a first for the company.
Aside from these, there really aren’t a lot of tech specs out yet but the Motion is rumored to sport a 1920 by 1080 Full HD screen, a Snapdragon 625 processor and 4GB of RAM that all runs on a massive 4,000 mAh battery pack.
The BlackBerry Motion is expected to come out sometime this month.


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AutoGuide News Blog
The AutoGuide News Blog is your source for breaking stories from the auto industry. Delivering news immediately, the AutoGuide Blog is constantly updated with the latest information, photos and video from manufacturers, auto shows, the aftermarket and professional racing.
Truth be told, that already happened with the Dodge Dart, which we reported on during the Detroit International Auto Show last month. That said, it’s still significant that the company is going to launch something new in that segment, considering they haven’t really appealed to the compact market. That is, unless you call a PT Cruiser appealing, which we flatly refuse to do.
The 100 will borrow underpinnings from Fiat, just like the Dart, though this one will be a five-door instead of a sedan that looks a lot more like the Alpha Romeo Giulietta (pictured above).
Speaking of looks, the car spied by Road & Track has some interesting touches we didn’t see when the first concept debuted at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. For example, we can see that the rear door handles are hidden, not something common to American cars. It also looks as if the head and tail lights will sport LEDs.
We don’t have details, but the fact that there will be a Dodge and Chrysler version of essentially the same car will position the company nicely to offer product differentiation. The Chrysler will likely be more comfort-oriented, leaving the Dart open as a sportier version for younger consumers.
[Source: Road & Track]
Now that the Dodge Caliber production has ended, Chrysler will no longer have a hatchback offering in any of their models. It turns out that Chrysler has been thinking the same thing and is possibly considering building a compact hatchback for their Chrysler brand.
Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne spoke to USA Today and revealed the consideration of a Chrysler 100 compact hatchback. Though the vehicle hasn’t been approved for production yet, Marchionne also noted that it would be exported as a Lancia if it does come to fruition.
So given that Marchionne stated it would be exported, it’s a safe bet that the 100 hatchback would be produced and built in America, or “Imported from Detroit” as Chrysler likes to say. There is probably a real good chance too that it’ll be based on the new Dodge Dart, which is replacing the now defunct Caliber.
[Source: USA Today]


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The holiday shopping season in the United States officially began the day after Thanksgiving and lasts until New Year?s. Retailers are looking at one of shortest holiday shopping seasons in years, because this year Thanksgiving fell late in November. Brian Purchia has more.
For retailers, the holiday season can be the difference between a profit or a loss for the entire year. So they are doing everything possible to entice their customers to spend. Allen Marcus works for the toy store FAO Schwartz.
?We're just going all out right now. The mood seems to be really positive."
This means sales, and lots of them. Mark Vitner is a retail analyst and he says some stores are cutting prices by up to 70 percent.
?I don't think it's possible to pay full price. I'm sure there are some retailers out there who aren't discounting at all but almost everyone is discounting aggressively."
But with the threat of a war with Iraq, a shaky economy and fears of job losses, retailers are nervous about how much consumers may be willing to spend.
?Because the economy is the way that it is, and we are in the situation that we are, we are a little bit more conscious of what we spend, and how we buy and what we do.?
However, early returns show that the big sales and promotions may be working. Economist Michael Niemira
"Well, the season got off to a strong start actually, and this is good news for the industry, and for the whole season in fact."
Wal-Mart set a single day record last Friday with 1.4 billion dollars in sales. And for all retailers, sales for the 2 days after Thanksgiving rose 10.9 per cent from last year. It is still early, but many shoppers like these have already bought presents for their family or friends. And this may be a good indicator for retailers and the U.S. economy as a whole.
?We go overboard for our children and our grandchildren." "They are not going to get shortchanged." "We're spending too much probably."
Economists are looking to the holidays for a sign of a possible economic turnaround. And a good holiday shopping season might mean a better 2003 for everyone.


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Retail real estate is a fast-paced and ever-changing industry. Keep up to date with the most recent developments, find out about our latest successes, and read our insights on the hottest topics. Read something interesting? Join the conversation on Twitter @HDHrealestate.
Property Week speaks to our director Simon Black, head of HDH’s travel retail team, about the travel retail ‘growth bubble’ away from wider retail struggles and …Read more
American outdoor and sportswear brand Columbia, advised by Harper Dennis Hobbs (HDH), has acquired its newest store in France at the 30,000 sq m Village …Read more
Swedish menswear label A Day’s March has retained Harper Dennis Hobbs (HDH) to advise on further European expansion, following the launch of its first UK …Read more
Modern Indian restaurant group Kricket has secured a permanent home in Brixton and a new site at The Television Centre, White City, advised by Harper …Read more


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jamie from Slashdot reports about the Manila Bulletin‘s and ZDNet Asia‘s article on a Pinoy math enthusiast finding a fast way to decode RSA encryption – the most commonly used encryption and authentication algorithm in the world today. As provided by jamie, a cleaned-up transcript of the pinoy: Leo de Velez, and Ron Rivest’s (the “R” in RSA) emailed conversation may be found here, but be warned – it’s quite mathematical. In this transcript, Leo de Velez also mentioned that the Manila Bulletin agreed to wait for more information before printing the article, which Edu Lopez of that newspaper simply failed to do.
AI as Fact Checker: Algorithm Identifies Fake News2018/10/11
AI as Fact Checker: Algorithm Identifies Fake News – Geek.comhttps://www.geek.com/tech/ai-as-fact-checker-algorithm-identifies-fake-news-1754452/?utm_source=email&utm_campaign=whatsnewnow&utm_medium=titleFake news dates back further than a bullying president and Twitter. But the 125-year-old tradition of yellow journalism may have finally met its match. Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) and the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) developed a new system that […]
How to watch Apple’s September 12 event on any device2018/09/11
How to watch Apple’s September 12 event on any device – TechRepublichttps://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-watch-apples-september-12-event-no-matter-what-device-youre-using/Apple has announced the date for its next event: September 12, 2018. September is typically the time Apple announces new products, so fans are sure to want to tune in. Related
Raspberry Pi-based ZeroPhone promises ‘an open-source, Linux-powered’ handset2018/09/07
Raspberry Pi-based ZeroPhone promises ‘an open-source, Linux-powered’ handset | ZDNethttps://www.zdnet.com/article/raspberry-pi-based-zerophone-promises-an-open-source-linux-powered-handset/A project to build the $50 phone has been launched on Crowd Supply. Related


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It’s been said before on MotorMartin that MG Motor UK will only continue its impressive increases in sales by continuing to concentrate on both excellent products and expanding their dealer network to cover all areas of this great and pleasant land of ours. Someone at MG Motor UK clearly agrees as we have the soon to be launched MG XS and further emphasis on the spread of dealerships with MG marking its return to Nottingham with the opening of an all-new, purpose-built dealership. Councillor Vivienne McCrossen, Mayor of Gedling Borough Council, was in attendance to formally open MG Nottingham and welcome new customers.
It’s been shared with MotorMartin that the official launch kicked off at 10am, and MG Nottingham welcomed everyone from local and surrounding areas to join the celebrations. Guests also got up close with the MG range, which includes the MG3 and the MG GS. The event saw customers meet the new team and enjoy complimentary tea, coffee and nibbles. Excellent news.
Mark Campbell, Director at MG Nottingham, explained to MotorMartin recently that: “The opening weekend couldn’t have come soon enough for our team. After all the hard work we had put in to getting to this point, we were really excited to get the doors open, meet our customers and start finding them their dream cars. MG is a name synonymous with the British motoring industry, and we’re extremely proud to be able to bring the new range to the people of Nottingham. We look forward to welcoming everyone to the new site.”
Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing at MG Motor UK, also commented to MotorMartin: “We’re really excited to see the MG brand back in Nottingham. The showroom looks fantastic and we’re sure the dealership will be a huge success. Providing excellent customer service is very much part of MG’s ethos and we’re confident MG Nottingham will deliver this on every level.”
The new dealership can be found at: 295 Westdale Lane, Mapperley, Nottingham, NG3 6EW and is definitely worth a visit.
To find out more about MG Nottingham, MotorMartin certainly recommends that you visit: www.mgnottingham.co.uk and have a browse at what’s on offer.
Where will you go?


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If you watched the Super Bowl yesterday, you may have noticed a particular ad vying for your attention between plays. The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), a lobbying agency, made a commercial claiming that laxatives were used in plant-based meat.
The spot, which aired in the DC market, showed a spelling bee where a cute child had to try and spell “methylcellulose,” which the spelling bee guide defined as “a chemical laxative that is also used in synthetic meat.” A voiceover went on to say that meat alternatives contain dozens of chemical ingredients and “if you can’t spell or pronounce it then maybe you shouldn’t be eating it.”
The commercial is a clear swipe at plant-based meat companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, both of which are already battling naysayers (including chains like Chipotle) who claim their product is too processed or artificial.
But Impossible Foods at least didn’t take the challenge lying down. The alternative meat company clapped back by releasing a parody of the CCF’s ad. In it, another spelling be contestant has to spell a much simpler word: “poop.” The pronouncer, played by Impossible Foods’ CEO Pat Brown, defined it as the bacteria-filled stuff that “comes out of your butt” and is also “in ground beef we make from cows.”
A voiceover then goes on to state that out of 300 samples of ground beef tested by Consumer Reports in 2015, all of it contained fecal bacteria (even samples from grass-fed and organic cows). “Just because a kid can spell poop, doesn’t mean that you or your kids should be eating it,” the spot concludes.
This isn’t the first time that the CCF has thrown shade at meat alternatives. Just last week the group took out a full-page ad in The New York Times featuring two lists of ingredients. On the top it asked “Fake Meat or Dog Food: Which is Which?”
It’s also not the first time that Impossible Foods has taken a stand against alt-meat critics. Last May the startup published a strongly-worded rebuttal against an article claiming that plant-based meat contained weed killing chemicals.
It’s tempting to dismiss the CCF, which is a right-wing organization with a sketchy-at-best agenda, as biased extremism. The lobbying group is “supported by restaurants, food companies, and thousands of individual consumers,” and it seems safe to assume that at least some of those companies have a stake (steak?) in the meat industry. Of course they want to criticize plant-based meat any way they can — and an easy tactic is to frame it as synthetic, heavily processed, and “fake.”
Personally, I think yesterday’s commercial-off goes to show that when it comes to the fight for consumer’s protein choices, there are lots of ways to spin it. Yes, plant-based meat has more ingredients, including some unfamiliar ones. But just because you can’t pronounce them doesn’t mean they’re inherently bad for you. In fact, as CNET points out, methylcellulose is an ingredient that’s also used in baked goods and desserts, making it relatively innocuous.
Meat, on the other hand, has a very simple ingredient list. But there are plenty of unsavory aspects to the meat industry, including environmental costs and the whole eating-dead-animals thing. It goes to show just how critical a role that marketing will play in framing consumer perceptions of meat, both plant-based and traditional.
Yesterday’s commercial-off illustrates that criticism against plant-based meat is not going anywhere. In fact, the more that the alternative meat space grows in popularity, the more fire it will attract from beefy opponents. Impossible and others should be ready to weather the storm (and fight back), both on the advertising field and off.


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The bank has informed its staff that personal bankers, cashiers, operational specialists, assistant and branch manager roles will be cut in 2014. A spokesperson explained the move stating: “More and more people are choosing to use smart phones and technology for everyday transactions – using branches only when they need access to expertise. We are responding by investing in the channels that customers are increasingly using, whilst improving customer service.”
The Unite union has reacted angrily to the news accusing Barclays of making a “colossal mistake” adamant that “Barclays customers want well-staffed branches and would prefer to deal with the highly trained and professional staff that currently service their branches”.
Barclays retorted: “The way in which our customers access their banking services is changing rapidly. More and more people are choosing to use smart phones and technology for everyday transactions – using branches only when they need access to expertise. We are responding by investing in the channels that customers are increasingly using, whilst improving customer service. This means training staff so they can provide that expert support but also reducing staffing levels in our branches where there is over capacity.
“As a result of technological changes, we will be able to provide better service for our customers with fewer staff in our branches. Today we have outlined a voluntary redundancy scheme for those colleagues who are interested.
Barclays has signed contracts with six of the fintech startups that just graduated from its second New York accelerator programme.
Company card killer Pleo has raised $3m in new funding as it prepares for public launch in the UK and Denmark.
Cheques are become less and less common in the UK according to new research from global market research firm Mintel which claims contactless card use has overtaken cheque payments in the UK for the first time.
Payments for digital and physical goods made mobile operating system-based payments platforms like Apple Pay and Android Pay are expected to boom in the next few years according to new analysis from Juniper.


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Statement on the organic certification of aquaponic crops
The Aquaponics Association released a sign-on statement to express its view against a lawsuit that is attempting to strip organic eligibility from hydroponics and other container-based agriculture.
The Aquaponics Association released the 2020 Statement on the Organic Certification of Aquaponic Crops to explain to policy-makers, the media, the public and other industry players that aquaponics is a perfect fit for the Organic label; and that losing Organic-eligibility will set back this vital, sustainable industry. Over 200 organizations and individuals already signed the statement.
“We have to raise our voices to keep aquaponics, hydroponics and other controlled-environment growing eligible for USDA Organic certification. A lawsuit against the USDA is attempting to strip organic-eligibility from hydroponics and other “container-based” agriculture, which will impact aquaponics growers,” the association said.
See the full statement and signatories here.
In addition to this public sign-on statement, the Aquaponics Association has formally signed an Amicus Brief to the Court, expressing its view that aquaponics and other “container-based” growing must remain Organic-eligible. The Amicus brief was organized by the Coalition for Sustainable Organics.
This campaign will persist even after the court case. You can sign here.


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Download Blue Origin Jeff Bezos Pictures. Blue origin's first flight to space with humans onboard included the billionaire jeff bezos, his brother mark bezos, wally funk and oliver daemen. Jeff bezos will set off for the edge of space tuesday morning on his company blue origin's first commercial flight.
The demand is very, very high blue origin founder jeff bezos thanked the workers and consumers of another company he founded: Founded in 2000 by jeff bezos, the founder and executive chairman of amazon. The tycoon, however, has also attracted criticism for putting his fortune into space tourism amid concerns over working.
The team traveled more than 60 miles above earth.creditcredit.tony gutierrez/associated press.
Blue origin's first flight to space with humans onboard included the billionaire jeff bezos, his brother mark bezos, wally funk and oliver daemen. A successful mission for blue origin will further. Jeff bezos, the world's richest person, and three crewmates blasted off from the west texas desert on tuesday aboard his company blue origin's billionaire jeff bezos, founder of ecommerce company amazon.com inc, and his brother mark board ahead of their scheduled flight aboard blue origin's. Jeff, mark, wally and oliver are now unbuckling their harnesses and experiencing weightlessness.


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New FPS coming from Crytek UK
TimeSplitters creators Crytek UK (once know as Free Radical) are said to be working on a brand new first-person shooter, that will mark the start of a new IP.
The Nottingham-based developer was saved from the financial brink by a Crytek take-over earlier this year, and the firm's talents are once again being put to good use in the FPS genre for which both studios are famous.
"We are currently concepting up an original IP that we hope will become a defining game series for the UK studio," enthused local boss Karl Hilton speaking to Develop.
"However, in reality, the opportunity to make any kind of original FPS genre game where we get to focus on the quality of both the multiplayer and single player experience is what drives people at the studio.
"We have a strong history of creativity here, and we want to take that forward with Crytek and the CryENGINE 3."
- Valve's Chet Faliszek has been confirmed as the first developer session for EGX Rezzed 2015
- One area from Zelda Wii U is as big as the entirety of Skyward Sword
- Telltale's new collaboration is with Mojang, on a Minecraft story game
- Franklin voice actor indicates GTA V story DLC is on the way
- Red Dead Redemption, LA Noire and Bully sequels will come when the time is right says Rockstar
- Telltale teases another collaboration with another game developer
- New Company Of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault trailer recognizes the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge
- New Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare trailer focuses on character customization
- Splash Damage's free-to-play shooter Dirty Bomb coming to Steam in the new year


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THE Ministry of Commerce reduced income inward remittance of seafarers to US$50,000 from over
$200,000 per year to grant import permits for electric vehicles (EVs), according to a notification released on 26 October. As per the statement released on 13 October, if those Myanmar citizens including seamen transferred their foreign wages to the local banks, they were entitled to import one EV which value is equivalent to five per cent of the inward remittance worth more than US$200,000 per year. Except for those receiving monthly salary, others were allowed to import electric vehicles or electric motorcycles which is equivalent to five per cent of the remittance if they made inward remittance worth $50,000 per year.
To bolster the growth of the electric vehicle industry and promote environmental conservation
activities, import permits for electric vehicles or electric motorcycles are granted for inward remittance of foreign salary or other wages of Myanmar citizens as a special programme. The ministry changed the inward remittance amount to $50,000 for all Myanmar citizens receiving foreign salaries including seafarers in line with the notification released on 26 October. If an individual’s remittance does not meet the amount of the EV or electric motorcycles, they can import them collectively. This action of EV import permit is effective from 16 October 2023. The following contact phone 0673408433 and email firstname.lastname@example.org of the ministry can be reached and contacted for further details.
Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar


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Parent of Monster.com opens SC customer center
Published: Tuesday, December 2, 2008 at 10:44 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, December 2, 2008 at 10:45 a.m.
FLORENCE -- Here's some good economic news in a rather bleak economy. The employment-services company Monster is opening a customer service center near Florence.
Groundbreaking for the 75,000-square-foot facility is set for today. The facility is expected to open next fall and bring 350 new jobs for the area.
The New York-based company reported 2007 revenue of $1.35 billion, employing 5,200 people across 36 countries.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
Comments are currently unavailable on this article


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Dollar General Sets Profit, Sales Records in Q1
June 4, 2013,
GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn.-Dollar General began its fiscal year by setting new records for first-quarter net income and net sales.
Net income in the quarter, which ended on May 3, rose 3.1 percent to $220.1 million. Net sales increased 8.5 percent to $4.2 billion, including a pickup of 2.6 percent in same-store sales. Rick Dreiling, Dollar General's chairman and CEO, said the sales gains came largely from strong growth in the consumables category, offset by weaker sales in seasonal and weather-related products.
For the remainder of the year, Dreiling said, Dollar General is projecting same-store sales growth of from 4 to 5 percent, with consumables continuing to provide a key driver. "Sales of non-consumables are expected to remain challenging, and we anticipate a continued shift to lower margin items within consumables and higher inventory shrink," he said.
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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Up & Coming Leaders - The home industry is in capable and visionary hands as this year’s 40 Under 40 list attests. Today’s young leaders span all disciplines and varied levels of operation.
- Omnichannel Retailing - In the Mobile App World, Time is Money


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How to protect your plate against dangerous pesticides.
Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases its list of the most pesticide-laden produce items calls the Dirty Dozen.
And every year, it creates a media tidal wave of coverage. It shows up everywhere, and seemingly sets off a storm of feear in the hearts of every fruit and veggie lover, banishing the thought of ever eating a non-organic plant.
The question begs, is there really nothing we can do about these harmful pesticides? Not according to our third-party lab studies.
These third-party lab studies proved that if you wash your produce properly with Eat Cleaner Triple Action Fruit & Vegetable Wash, you can get rid of over 99% of the “toxic” and “cancer-causing” agents. The truth is, water alone can not remove oil-based pesticides. You need something that can chelate non-water soluble substances, safely. And simply just buying organic produce doesn’t mean you’re immune from pesticides.
Eat Cleaner even removed 95% of the toxic pesticides from whole, porous strawberries. Just watch this video to see how easy it is to use – and how gorgeous those strawberries look. They tasted even more amazing!
For less than the price of a couple lattes, you can enjoy cleaner, safer, longer lasting fresh produce!


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Following the longstanding scarcity of foreign exchange which no doubt has negatively affected the country’s economy, two of Nigeria’s leading commercial banks, Zenith Bank Plc and First Bank of Nigeria have announced reduced limit on international spending transactions using their naira debit cards to $20 and $50, respectively per month.
By this review of spending limit, customers of these banks can only use their Naira debit cards for foreign transactions not above N10,000 for Zenith Bank Plc and N22,000 for First Bank of Nigeria in a single month.
Zenith Bank in a note emailed to its customers earlier on Wednesday and sighted by BigNaira added that international ATMs and point of sales (POS) transactions would be temporarily suspended.
“Please be informed that we have temporarily suspended the use of Zenith Bank Naira cards for International Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cash withdrawals and POS transactions,” the email said. “Additionally, the monthly card International spend limit for web transactions has been reviewed from $100 to $20.”
Zenith urged account holders needing a higher spend limit to approach its branches and “request for a foreign currency debit or prepaid card, which are available in US dollar, pounds and euro variants.”
In a similar case, First Bank on Thursday, announced that due to “current market realities on foreign exchange,” it reduced the spending limit.
“We’ve reviewed cross-border transaction limits for the Naira Mastercard and the Naira Credit Card to $50 monthly. For increased transaction limits, please use your Visa Debit Multicurrency Card, Visa Prepaid (USD) Card and Visa Gold Credit Card to enjoy transaction limits up to $10,000 and other exciting benefits.”
What you need to know
The Naira debit card was designed for Nigerians to use their naira-denominated debit cards to pay for transactions billed in US dollars online. What this simply means is that for every foreign or dollar based purchase made online, debits are made directly from their naira accounts at current exchange rates.
This is not the first time Nigerian banks have reviewed dollar based transactions using Naira debit cards. In 2018, GTCO’s Naira debit card spending limit was as high as $3000 which later was reviewed by the bank down to $1,500.
As of 2018, GTCO’s Naira debit card spending limit was as high as $3,000 per month and this was when Dollar inflows into the country were fair, but within two years, things have gone worse for the country.
Since the beginning of the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, Nigeria has struggled to earn FX, especially from the sale of crude oil and this has put huge pressure on the local currency.
For two different times this year, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has had to adjust the value of the Naira to the Dollar this year first from N306 to N360 and then to N380.
On March 25, 2020, GTCO announced a yet another spending limit policy which reviewed it to $1,500 from $3000 per month.
“We would like to inform you that the monthly spending limit on your GTBank Naira Mastercard has been reviewed from $3,000 to $1,500 for your international online and POS transactions effective March 25, 2020,” the bank had said in a message to its customers.
However, as shocks from plunging crude prices gripped the country, reducing its dollar inflows, the lender once again reduced its international spending limit from $1,500 per month to $500 per month in the same March. Less than six months later, the lender further reduced the spending limit from $500 to $100 per month.
One year after, it has reviewed the spending limit to $20.
Meanwhile, GTCO is not the only Nigerian commercial bank that has gone through this lane. UBA February 24, 2022 also announced a downward review of its dollar spending limit to $20.
“In line with our promise to keep you updated on services, we have reviewed Naira Card limits for international transactions, and this will take effect 1st of March, 2022,” the bank said.
“Remember you can use your UBA Dollar, Pounds or Euro Card for international POS, ATM, and web transactions,” UBA’s mail read. “If you do not have one and would like to subscribe, please visit a branch close to you.”
There are wide speculations that more Nigerian banks will make the announcement in the coming weeks. Sterling Bank and Union Bank have also reportedly said their new limit was also $20 a month.
Nigerians have reacted with displeasure on social media against the new limits as they restrict their ability to pay for international transactions like Netflix subscriptions, ads on Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms.


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IMMEDIATE RELEASE - NEWS RELEASE
Edmonton, AB - Maternity care consumers are encouraged by the Government of Alberta's Budget 2016 commitment to increase midwifery funding by $11 million over three years. With approximately 400 additional courses of care per year for the next three years, about 1200 more families per year will benefit from midwifery care by the end of the third fiscal year; however, many maternity care consumers will still remain on the wait list for midwifery care.
"While MaternityCare Consumers of Alberta Network (MCAN) remains encouraged by our government's responsiveness to the consumer-led push for better access to real choice in maternity care, and while consumers are grateful for every additional opportunity to seek midwifery care, more than one thousand families on the wait list this year will still not have the chance to obtain the maternity care they desire," said Misti Lee McFarlane, acting President, MCAN. "With an estimated birth rate of more than 57,700, midwives will be catching well under ten per cent of Alberta-born babies at the end of this three-year period. Unfortunately, upcoming midwifery graduates may still not be able to work in the province that trained them."
The announcement of a three-year commitment to steady funding increases for midwifery services gives Alberta midwives - and consumers - reassurance of funding past a one-year period. MCAN is confident in the work the Alberta Association of Midwives, Mount Royal University, and various other stakeholders are doing to develop a sustainable funding model for midwifery care and is encouraged by the government's support of this model.
Consumers have been working incredibly hard to advocate for midwifery care and women's rights to choice in childbirth. While the process for change is slow and complex, our voices are being heard and we are moving towards real change. Maternity care consumers will not stop advocating for change until midwives have a long-term contract, a sustainable funding model with dollars that follow the consumer - not the provider - and until every Albertan woman has the unconditional ability to choose where, how and with whom she births.
MCAN is the provincial body that represents Alberta consumers on important maternity care health policy and other initiatives. MCAN advocates for Alberta women's rights to make informed choices and have equal access to publicly funded, quality maternity care of their choosing in their community (whether provided by midwives, physicians, or obstetricians). To learn more about MCAN, please visit www.maternitycarealberta.com
For more information, please contact:
Misti Lee McFarlane, Acting President, MCAN


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Muscat: KONE, one of the leading elevator and escalator companies in the world, has announced their joint venture with Oman's Assarain group.
KONE has been operating in the Sultanate as a division of Assarain Enterprise since the 1980s and has captured a strong market share with over 1,000 installations nationwide, said a company release.
This joint venture is aimed at further strengthening the market presence in the country and benefitting customers with a robust sales and service network.
The Assarain group has been at the helm of business development in Oman since its inception, building an impressive and diverse portfolio of international brands and businesses.
Today, as a multi-million dollar international group, its diverse interests span construction, property development and leasing, national infrastructure projects, consumer products, food distribution, travel and insurance and health care.
KONE was founded in 1910 in Finland and since then has been committed to understanding the needs of its customers by providing industry-leading elevators, escalators and automatic building doors as well as innovative solutions for modernisation and maintenance.
It was the only elevator and escalator company ever to have made it to Forbes magazine's top 50 most innovative companies in the world two years in a row.
For over a century now, the company's innovations continue to set benchmarks for the entire elevator and escalator industry. One of its most popular and talked about invention is the revolutionary machine room less elevator concept using their EcoDisc permanent magnet synchronous motor.
KONE has also pioneered the introduction of eco-friendly products that save energy directly or indirectly. The success of their technology and design is evident with them posting an annual net sale of 6.3 billion euros in 2012.
"KONE and Assarain Group's strategic partnership will enable various clients utilise path breaking technology and advancements and help hundreds of customers they serve," said Khalid Said Al Wahaibi at a function to mark the occasion.
KONE is supplying MonoSpace and TranSys elevators, TravelMaster and TransitMaster escalators and autowalks for the new Muscat International Airport.
This project is considered as one of the most valuable infrastructure projects in Oman and KONE products will ensure smooth and efficient travel for up to 12 million passengers annually.
The Assarain Group's hallmark is quality and with their new joint venture, it is evident that they will continue to enhance National development in the Sultanate in many different ways.


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Another piece of the former Nortel Networks empire has been sold, with the Canadian company's interest in a Korean operation going to LM Ericsson for US$242 million.
Nortel announced the sale of its 50 per cent plus one share interest in LG-Nortel Co.Ltd, the company's joint Korean venture with LG Electronics Inc., late Tuesday
The agreement marks the sale of one of only a few remaining assets of Nortel, formerly Canada's biggest information technology company and once a leading global vendor of telecommunications equipment.
Still remaining are a variety of patents and Nortel's Passport division, which provides non-optical equipment and was a piece of the Metro Ethernet Networks division that did not sell to Ciena Corp. in a US$521-million transaction last year.
A spokeswoman for Nortel said it's still unclear what will happen to the remaining assets, which would also include potential tax-loss recoveries that could be used by a profitable company.
"Nortel will assess other restructuring alternatives for its remaining businesses in the event it is unable to maximize value through sales," said Nortel representative Jamie Moody in an email.
LG-Nortel was established in 2005 to provide telecommunications equipment and network solutions to customers in Korea and around the world.
The sale is subject to approval of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and must meet certain regulatory conditions.
Earlier this month the financially battered Nortel received another extension to its creditor protection to the end of July, in order to give the fallen Canadian technology company more time to complete a court-supervised restructuring.
The company filed for court protection in the United States, Canada and other jurisdictions in January 2009, and has since sold most of its major operations to former rivals.
At its peak during the 1999-2000 technology boom, Nortel was Canada's most valuable company after the telecom equipment maker went through several years of rapid expansion and diversification funded by debt and stock sales.
But starting in 2001 Nortel suffered a precipitous decline in sales, due to a combination of factors including the merger or demise of many of its customers, economic slowdowns and an accounting scandal.


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A group of technology pioneers known as “on-chain ninjas” have registered an emulator for the famed Nintendo 64 (N64) video game console on the Bitcoin network.
This initiative is part of a larger campaign aimed at preserving classic video games using blockchain technology. Trevor Owens, CEO of Bitcoin Ordinals portfolio tracker Ninjalerts, revealed that this move was taken as part of their ‘Pizza Ninjas’ project.
N64 Emulator enrolled on Bitcoin network
According to Owens, Ninjalerts developers successfully enrolled an N64 emulator on the Bitcoin network using the Ordinals protocol. This action underlines their commitment to the conservation of ‘critically endangered games’. Owens emphasized the care with which his team operates to avoid copyright issues. Instead of registering games under copyright, the project focuses on registering titles that belong to the public domain.
The project is not only about preserving video games, but also about encouraging conversations within the conservation community about how endangered games can be legally preserved on the blockchain. Earlier this year, Ninjalerts registered a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) emulator on the Bitcoin network, with which the company not only wanted to save games, but also explore the technical possibilities of Bitcoin Ordinals.
Similar steps have been made by other developers
The trend continued with other developers taking similar steps, such as a pseudonymous developer called “Mini Doge” who enrolled the iconic 1990s first-person shooter game Doom onto the Dogecoin blockchain.
Owens believes that this trend of recording games on the blockchain will continue to grow as people look to preserve the cultural history of which games are an important part. However, he warns of the need to respect copyright laws and calls for finding legal ways to protect this heritage.
Challenges surrounding intellectual property
The challenges surrounding intellectual property and the ability to delete data from the blockchain remain. Owens emphasizes that once uploaded to the blockchain, it is likely impossible to remove this information, which makes for interesting discussions about the reaction of intellectual property holders.
With research showing that nearly 90% of classic games released before 2010 are endangered, Owens emphasizes the critical importance of preserving gaming history. He compares video games to film and music as essential parts of culture worth preserving for future generations. Owens concludes by believing that the Bitcoin blockchain provides an ideal place to record these important cultural artifacts in perpetuity.


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When talking to groups about the political economy of trade protection, I always mention concentrated benefits versus diffuse costs. Public choice theory explains many bad policies, of course, but tariffs and subsidies are excellent examples of interventions that benefit the few at the expense of the many.
Congress, or specifically two members of that esteemed body, have recently provided me with a textbook example. The Generalized System of Preferences is a federal program that offers duty-free access to the U.S. market to certain goods from certain developing countries. Or, I should say, was a federal program, because it expired on December 31. My opinion of the program is ambivalent at best, but one cannot deny that the program brings real cost savings to American consumers and businesses -- to the tune of $580 million a year -- through lower import duties.
But those duty savings are, apparently, worthless in the face of special interest politics. From Inside U.S. Trade on January 6 [$]:
An Alabama sleeping bag manufacturer that benefited from the expiration late last year of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program is now taking further steps in an attempt to ensure that Congress does not renew the program this year in the same form.
Exxel Outdoors CEO Harry Kazazian this week said his company is in the process of expanding its U.S. plant by adding workers and increasing production, and that this expansion is occurring as a direct result of the fact that Congress allowed the GSP program to expire on Dec. 31.
Under GSP, Bangladeshi sleeping bags that competed with the Exxel Outdoors product were able to enter the U.S. duty-free. On behalf of Exxel Outdoors, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) last year refused to let any renewal of GSP pass that would not remove at least some sleeping bags from the scope of the GSP program (Inside U.S. Trade, Dec. 23).
With the future of the GSP program still uncertain, Kazazian said he is now expanding his Alabama plant in part to put pressure on Congress to either not renew the GSP program, or renew it in a modified form that would exclude imported sleeping bags from its scope.
Kazazian said that if GSP is renewed in its old form, he would have to reverse his expansion plans. He reasoned that members of Congress may be more willing to accommodate Sessions and remove sleeping bags from GSP if faced with the prospect that renewing the program in its full form would lead to the firing of U.S. workers.
"I can't see how anyone would make any decisions against us," he said in an interview this week. "We are going to work as hard as we can to make sure sleeping bags are exempted from the GSP."
These expansion plans must be really something if they can justify holding up such a broad program, right?
Kazazian said that he plans to hire 20 additional employees to start a fourth production line at the Alabama plant. He said he will commence the first phase of its expansion this month by investing in additional equipment and retooling the plant's operations.
That's right, readers. The GSP expired and millions of U.S. consumers and businesses (not to mention developing country exporters) are being penalized to save a hypothetical 20 (that's two-zero) jobs that don't even exist yet. The jobs being lost by businesses that depend on the GSP to keep them competive are, apparently, not worth consideration. And as for consumers' buying power being eroded, well forget it.
Come back, Mancur Olson. Your country needs you.


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US out of home (OOH) ad spending has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, with digital OOH leading the way in growth rates. A new report [download page] from VIOOH in partnership with MTM finds that advertisers and agencies in the US are expecting to boost their spending on both digital and programmatic OOH, with the latter seeing an expected uptick in usage in the coming year.
Some 46% of the US advertising and agency executives surveyed for the report said they intend to plan, place or buy programmatic OOH in the next 12 months, up from 43% who did so in the previous 12 months. That would put programmatic OOH on par with digital OOH, for which 47% are intending to plan, place or buy in the next year, down from 53% who did so in the past year.
Overall, respondents estimated that over the past 18 months, more than half (56%) of campaigns have included programmatic DOOH, up from 47% who said the same last year. Looking ahead, respondents expect 61% of their campaigns to include programmatic DOOH in the next 18 months.
These OOH formats are benefiting from the opportunities they’re providing advertisers. Some 47% believe that digital OOH is among the media developing the most innovative opportunities for advertisers, while 41% said the same about programmatic DOOH. These ranked 3rd and 8th, respectively, among the 14 media types listed.
The media type offering the most innovative opportunities for respondents is social media, per the report, and this channel can go hand in hand with programmatic DOOH campaigns. In fact, social media is the channel that the largest proportions would consider running alongside programmatic DOOH for both performance and brand-led campaigns.
Advertiser and agency executives project increases in their budgets for both digital OOH and programmatic DOOH formats. Some 21% expect to more than double (101-200% increase) their spending on digital OOH in the next 18 months, and a similar share (20%) expect the same for their programmatic DOOH spend. Meanwhile, a further 72% and 73%, respectively, forecast smaller increases in ad investments in these formats.
Among those who are increasing their budget for programmatic digital OOH, the majority are moving from traditional OOH, though half are adding new budgets.
To get the most out of these plans, virtually all expect to invest in building their programmatic DOOH expertise.
For more, download the report here.
About the Data: The results are based on a survey of 200 advertiser (100) and agency (100) executives in the US.


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Could ditching DVDs save the planet? Billions of kg of CO2 could be saved by scrapping the discs, researchers claim
- Scientists say that using streaming services is better for the environment
- Their research found that DVD players are wasteful and not very green
- Also driving to a store to buy or rent a DVD in itself releases more CO2
- They suggest the rise of sites like Netflix and YouTube is good for Earth
- And they say it might be time to get rid of DVDs forever
A trip down to the local video, and more recently DVD, store has become a thing of the past thanks to the rise of video streaming services.
Companies including Netflix and LoveFilm let viewers indulge in back-to-back episodes of hit TV series at the click of a button.
Now, a new study has shown that streaming can be much better for the environment, requiring less energy and emitting less carbon dioxide (CO2) than some traditional methods of DVD renting, buying and viewing.
New research published in the journal Environmental Research Letters suggests that it would be more 'green' to scrap DVDs in favour of using streaming services. This is for two reasons, one that DVD players use more energy than comparable streaming services and also that people sometimes have to drive to buy or rent DVDs
The researchers, who published their study today in the journal Environmental Research Letters, cite modern devices such as laptops and tablets as the reason for this improvement.
This is because they are much more efficient than older, energy-sapping DVD players.
Furthermore, the driving that is required to go and buy, or rent, DVDs makes this method much more energy- and carbon-intensive.
NETFLIX'S MOVE TO TV
Netflix has signed a deal with three small cable-providers in the US to become a regular TV channel.
agreements with Atlantic Broadband, RCN Telecom Services and Grande
Communications gives the internet streaming site's subscription service a
channel on TiVo boxes that the companies provide their customers.
It debuted on Atlantic and RCN in late April and is now expanding on to Grande's service.
A significant proportion of the energy consumption and carbon emissions for streaming comes from the transmission of data, which increases drastically when more complex, high-definition content is streamed.
The study was carried out by researchers from Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory in California and Northwestern University in Chicago.
They estimated that if all DVD viewing in the US was shifted to streaming services in 2011, around 2 billion kg of CO2 emissions could have been avoided and around 30 petajoules (PJ) of energy saved.
That's the equivalent of the amount of electricity needed to meet the demands of 200,000 US households.
They estimated that in 2011, 192 PJ of energy was used, and 10.4 billion kg of CO2 emitted, for all methods of DVD consumption and streaming in the US.
From this, they calculated that one hour of video streaming requires 7.9 megajoules (MJ) of energy, compared to as much as 12 MJ for traditional DVD viewing, and emits 0.4 kilograms (0.9 pounds) of CO2, compared to as much as 0.71 kg (1.6 pounds) of CO2 for DVD viewing.
Video streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube, Vimeo and Hulu have risen hugely in popularity in the last few years and have successfully dented the sales of DVDs - but the researchers say it might be time to scrap the format completely
To arrive at their results, the researchers compared video streaming with four different types of DVD consumerism: DVDs that are rented from online mailers; DVDs that are rented from a store; DVDs that are purchased online; and DVDs that are bought from a store.
Video streaming was limited to TV and movies and did not include shorter videos that are streamed online through YouTube, Vimeo and so on.
They found that video streaming and the online rental of DVDs required similar amounts of energy; however, the renting and purchasing of DVDs from a store were much more energy intensive, due to the impact of driving.
'It's a modern-day equivalent of the debate about which is more environmentally sound - the disposable or the cloth diaper,' says Lead author of the research Arman Shehabi from Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory.
'Our study suggests that equipment designers and policy makers should focus on improving the efficiency of end-user devices and network transmission energy to curb the energy use from future increases in video streaming.
'Such efficiency improvements will be particularly important in the near future, when society is expected to consume far greater quantities of streaming video content compared to today.'
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