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10 businesses tackling the plastic waste problem
Plastic is choking our planet. Inspired by Plastic Free July, we take a look at 10 businesses that are taking on this huge problem and turning it into a huge opportunity.
“There is a real problem when one year you can take your fish home in a plastic bag, and the next year you take that plastic bag home in your fish.”– Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, speaking at the EU’s Circular Economy Stakeholder Conference, March 2017.
One million plastic bottles around the world are consumed every minute. Over eight million tonnes of plastic waste ends up in our oceans every year, and, if things continue as they are, this figure is set to double by 2025. This means that the ocean will have more plastic (by weight) than fish by 2050. At least two thirds of the world’s fish stocks have ingested plastic.
Pho Quoc in Vietnam – photo courtesy of ClearlySo’s Simon Evill.
It is becoming near impossible to ignore: we have a huge problem with plastics, which is threatening our environment, our health, and our economy. But while the statistics surrounding our plastic consumption are terrifying, this monumental challenge also brings a wide arrange of opportunities…
The environment and the economy do not have to contradict one another. For example, each year $80 – 120 billion of plastic packaging material is lost to the economy due to its short first-use cycle, and this does not include additional costs of after-use ‘externalities’, such as plastic waste reducing the productivity of vital natural systems such as the ocean. This is according to the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation industry report “The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the future of plastics”, which calls for a new collaborative approach and action plan for industry, cities, governments and NGOs to improve the environmental and economic outcomes of the current plastics economy.
The New Plastics Economy is envisioned as one that captures the many ‘pockets of opportunities’ out there surrounding our plastic consumption and plastic waste management. In recognition of Plastic Free July, we’ve chosen 10 businesses that are changing our relationship with plastic.
MacRebur – tarmac made from waste plastics
The variety of plastic packaging that we use – from its compound type, colour, purity and level of contamination, composite materials and weight – means that it can be incredibly difficult to recycle. Just two months ago, the Recycling Association called out Pringles and Lucozade for being “recycling villains” due to their complicated (composite) packaging. Black plastic, as another example, often cannot be sorted by the sorting systems used in recycling, meaning it ends up in landfill.
Here are some companies finding their way around these challenges or helping others to do so.
TerraCycle have built their business by “recycling the unrecyclable”, becoming a global leader in hard-to-recycle waste. TerraCycle partners with brands, manufacturers and retailers to offer recycling programmes around the world – for example, TerraCycle has joined up with Garnier to offer a free recycling programme for all Garnier beauty product packaging.
Enval’s microwaved induced pyrolysis process (breaking down plastic using micro-waved induced heat) is the only method for recycling plastic aluminium laminates (aluminium foil sandwiched between plastic layers used in everyday packaging such as toothpaste and juices). Enval’s process can extract fragile aluminium foil without damaging it, and the plastic component degrades to form a mixture of hydrocarbons, which is separated into gas, which can be used to generate electricity, and oil, which can be sold as fuel or feedstock for speciality chemicals. This unique solution provides a sustainable and economically viable end-of-life solution for this kind of plastic packaging.
Clothing is a surprising contributor to plastic waste, as many clothes made with nylon and polyester contain tiny microfibres that get flushed into the ocean with every machine wash. When you then consider our addiction to fast fashion – in Britain alone we threw out a staggering million tonnes of clothes just last year – you’ll see which is why you’ll see this blog features several companies championing a more sustainable approach to fashion.
Worn Again started as an upcycling company focused on corporate textiles, turning old uniforms into airline seat covers and such, but now they have moved focus and are developing a ‘closed loop’ solution. Working across the global textile industry, with partnerships with brands like H&M and Puma, they aim to create a circular supply chain through new chemical textile and textile recycling technologies.
MacRebur have developed an enhanced asphalt solution for roads made from 100% waste materials, including unwanted plastics destined for landfill. Their product, MR6, is a conglomeration of carefully selected polymers, which can be used in the making of hot and warm mix asphalts to create a more cost effective and longer lasting asphalt solution.
Upcycling is the process of converting low-value materials that would otherwise be recycled or go to waste into different products or desirable materials. As a process (and a philosophy) and unlike recycling, it doesn’t require the complete breakdown of materials into their constituent parts, and so can be far more resource efficient.
Any parent will be familiar with the problem: the rate at which babies grow out of their clothes. It can be expensive, and a huge drain of resources. That is why Danish circular economy company Vigga developed a subscription service for baby clothes.
Parents pay a monthly subscription to get delivered organic children’s clothing – when the clothes no longer fit, you send them back and in return get some bigger sizes.
Founded in 2010, Isle of Wight-based Wyatt & Jack have spent the past seven years building a sustainable supply chain for their bags. With great creative flair, they re-purpose a wide range of materials that would otherwise end up in landfill, including these pretty nifty tote bags made out of recycled PVC from bouncy castles.
Ooho! ‘s “water bottle”
Arguably the best way to cure our plastic addiction is to get rid of it entirely. Or to be more specific, to use design principles and new packaging materials to design out plastic waste from our consumption of it as a useful material.
The following companies are highlighting the potential for a plastic-free future.
Skipping Rocks Lab is a sustainable packaging start-up in London and the creators of Ooho! – water in packaging you can eat. These shiny round globes are made of water in biodegradable packaging made from plants and seaweed. The packaging is edible, can be flavoured and coloured, and takes 5x less CO2 and 9x less energy than producing PET plastic bottles. Until their fully-automated production machine is up and running, Ooho! is currently only found at events, so keep your eyes out at any festivals you might attend, and watch this space…
Snact, a former ClearlySo client, is tackling food waste by taking fruit and veg that is too “ugly” for the supermarkets and turning it into delicious fruit jerky snacks. Their commitment to sustainability doesn’t stop there: they’ve partnered with TIPA to provide 100% compostable packaging – at no extra cost to the customer.
The clue is really in the name with this one – Unpackaged is a concept store based in Muswell Hill where consumers can buy loose goods without any packaging. The concept is simple: bring an empty food container from home, tare it on a scale, fill it with as much as you like of a certain produce, and then pay by weight.
Houdini collect worn-out clothes to recycle into new garments, sell second-hand versions of their gear, and are shifting towards an access model through clothing rental rather than ownership. But most interestingly, they have also developed high quality items made entirely out of organic and biologically decomposable materials, and earlier this year they held a dinner made from food grown in their clothing.
Thanks to recent campaigns, such as Plastic Free July, and government policies such as the UK’s 5p plastic bag tax, there is more awareness than ever about plastic waste. The growing demand for companies, products and services that are tackling this problem presents an exciting opportunity for both businesses and investors. My Ecoffee cup 🙂
Finally, here are some extra, easy tips for avoiding plastic:
Reusable coffee cups. Every year over 100 billion disposable coffee cups go to landfill! Ecoffee Cup are one example, and what’s more they’re made out of bamboo – the world’s fastest growing and most sustainable crop.
Reusable water bottles. At ClearlySo, we all use bottles courtesy of Give Me Tap.
Use bars of soap, shampoo and conditioner. Lush have a good range of plastic free products.
Biodegradable coffee pods. Another one for coffee lovers – Halo pods make compostable capsules.
Buy in bulk. Buy your soap in bulk and reuse the bottles – in the ClearlySo office we use The Soap Co.
Bring your own plates, cutlery etc. We’re lucky to have some great market stalls around our office, so have started taking along our own bowls etc. instead of using their plastic containers.
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ClearlySo Responsible Consumerism team’s shortlist of impactful food and drink brands to enjoy during the festive period and beyond!


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Felixstowe container haulier Searon Logistics, which employs more than 100 staff, has closed down. The operator told MT it had shut its doors and staff were “in the process” of being made redundant. The company held O-licences in the East, North East and West of England regions, with its Felixstowe depot authorised for 60 HGVs. It also shared an operating centre with Turners (Soham) in Castleford. Turners MD Paul Day said he was “aware of the situation” regarding Searon, but […]
JDL Logistics, which entered into administration last month, is to close down in the next few weeks with the loss of all jobs.
Marks & Spencer has reported significantly reduced lead times and shipping costs in the last year after adopting a new optimisation system from EV Cargo Technology.
Purfleet-based Youngs Transportation and Logistics has acquired the transport division of Southampton-based container business Eldapoint.

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October 09, 2013 8:15AM
What has been a vacant storefront in downtown Pittsburg will soon be the location for a new project for Pittsburg State University’s Enactus group.
Krimson Kultuur, the new Enactus store that will sell products from the 10,000 Villages organization, will be located at 111A W. 4th Street.
“It’s such a relief to finally have a set location in place,” said Shelby Brooks, Enactus member and project chairperson. “We’ve worked really hard to plan this new venture, and having a location set means we can truly start moving forward with those plans and see it all play out.”
Students and other volunteers are now working to clean and decorate the store in advance of its Nov. 14 grand opening.
“We have a lot of work to do before we’re ready to open to the public, but we’re definitely ready for that challenge,” Brooks said. “This project means a lot to us and could have a significant impact on our community, so the work it will take is absolutely worth it.”
In September, Enactus received a Pritchett Trust grant in the amount of $10,850 to help fund the store.
Jeff Wilbert, Pittsburg’s downtown development director, worked closely with Enactus to help the students find a location for their store.
“I really appreciate PSU’s Enactus students wanting to bring their store to the downtown district,” Wilbert said. “I see this as one more opportunity for the university and City of Pittsburg to work together for the betterment of not only the students but the entire community. They are a very dedicated, hardworking group of students who set out on a mission and work until it is accomplished.”
Founded in 1946, 10,000 Villages sells handmade gifts, jewelry and other pieces of art that were produced by artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Product sales help pay for food, education, health care and housing for artisans who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed.
Sam Bogle, Enactus president, said the goal for the local store is ultimately to provide job opportunities and experience for the local unemployed.
“One of the things we very much want to achieve through Enactus is helping to employ the unemployed,” Bogle said. “The store will initially be run by students in our group, which will be great experience for them. Over time, though, we’d love to use the store to provide employment opportunities for people in town who need to gain valuable work experience.”
Brooks said store hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday beginning Nov. 14.


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Eventually, in response to continued and widespread ad blocking, more web sites will have to charge for its content and access.
There is an Internet controversy brewing that could change the face of net neutrality, and completely alter the landscape of Internet browsing forever.
Advertising on the Internet is different than advertising on television because it is so well targeted to the website user. But, even though the advertising could be of some interest to the website visitor, it is intrusive because there is so much of it, from pop-ups to side screens to sponsored content.
To address the onslaught of website advertising, some consumers, perhaps as many as 200 million, are now using ad-blocking programs such as Adblock Plus to block advertising on the websites they visit. Similar programs can be downloaded as apps on mobile devices as well.
If advertising does not get to the consumer, its effect is neutralized. If advertising on websites is not going to be effective, it is not going to be used. If it is not used, websites can’t make money from advertising, and ad dollars are the motor that runs the Internet from a cost basis as it exists today.
At its Worldwide Developers Conference last week, Apple showed off its new iOS 9 web browser, but did not promote the fact that app developers will be able to create ad-blocking software for its Safari mobile browsers. Apple is one of the few companies that don’t rely on advertising, so it can afford to determine which sites gets its ads through to consumers and which do not.
At present, the way the Internet works is that most content is free of charge because the content provider can offer advertising to companies who pay for the privilege of running their advertising on the website. If advertisers decide that business model is not effective, they will stop paying for the privilege, and website access will stop being free.
Eyeo, which makes Adblock Plus, says its product has been downloaded more than 400 million times. That’s 400 million customers who are not getting the advertising targeted at them, advertising that pays for the website those 400 million people are using.
There are a large number of estimates about how much advertising is being blocked, but no definitive research. Web sites that are visited by more tech-savvy consumers are the ones most likely to see their ads blocked. Video game sites, for instance, often see ad blocks, and there are some estimates that as many as half of all ads are blocked on those types of sites.
Web publishers are trying to get around ad blocks. Some use less intrusive advertising, while others are coming right out and telling consumers that if they block ads, the website publisher will have to charge for content.
Some sites are blocking users who use ad-blocking software. European companies are being very aggressive in this area, and several media groups in Germany have sued Eyeo for constraint of trade.
Some companies producing ad-blocking software, like Eyeo, have reportedly created what are being called “whitelists”, a list of companies that pay Eyeo not to block their advertising, which some people see as extortion. Either way, it changes the face of net neutrality.
Meanwhile, companies that produce the smartphones, tablets and laptops as well as operating systems are now banning ad-blocking apps and downloads. However, alternative web browsers are advertising the fact they allow ad-blockers, and consumers are downloading those web browsers on their devices to use for searching the Internet.
And it goes on. There are designs now for ad-blocking software that not only blocks advertising on web sites, but blocks it on apps as well.
In the end, advertising companies will pay only for ads on sites that are not blocked. Web browser companies will do whatever it takes, including paying, to make sure advertising gets through. Ad block producers will continue to offer “whitelists’’ to websites or advertisers to allow certain ads, those that have made a “contribution’’ to get on the whitelists.
What all this means is that eventually, Internet access will end up costing more as advertising dollars dry out. Remember “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.”
Kent McDill is a staff writer for Millionaire Corner. McDill spent 30 years as a sports writer, working for United Press International and the Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Ill. From 1988-1999, he covered the Chicago Bulls for the Daily Herald, traveling with them every day through the nine-month season. He also covered the Bulls for UPI from 1985-88, and currently covers the team for www.nba.com. He has written two books on the Bulls, including the new title “100 Things Bulls Fans Should Know And Do Before They Die’, published by Triumph Books. In August 2013, his new book “100 Things Bears Fans Should Know And Do Before They Die” gets published.
In 2008, he resigned from the Herald and became a freelance writer. The Herald hired him to write business features and speeches for the Daily Herald Business Conferences and Awards presentations.
McDill also writes a monthly parenting column for the Herald’s Suburban Parent magazine.
McDill is the father of four children, and an active fan of soccer, Jimmy Buffett and all things Disney.


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On Wednesday, we got our first look at the F1 series since being acquired by Electronic Arts back in February. In anticipation of its July 16 rollout, Codemasters and EA allowed the release of some early next-gen gameplay footage of F1 2021 from various EA Gamechangers. YouTuber AR12Gaming got the first crack at it and dished on the ‘Braking Point’ career mode, new damage physics, and more.
F1 2021 All-new Career Modes Explained
The biggest reveal of course is the new ‘Braking Point’ story mode. According to Codemasters, the career mode spans around five-to-six hours and sees gamers race as Aiden Jackson, an up-and-coming F2 driver looking to make it to Formula 1. The mode spans the 2019 F2 season before shifting into the 2020 and 2021 F1 campaigns. Players will have the chance to sign with Aston Martin, Alphas Tauri, Alfa Romeo, Haas, or Williams. ‘Braking Point’ aims to be a character and relationship-driven story, inspired by Netflix’ Drive to Survive series. F1 fans will even see the return of F1 2019 rival Devon Butler, Jackson Ellis-style. Another addition is a co-op career mode. Now, two gamers can embark on an F1 journey together as a team, or against each other. These two modes add to the the standard career, MyTeam, and Real-Season Start.
New Damage Mod and Customization
An entirely new damage mod is making its way into the game as well. The new physics seek to create more realistic crash damage and scrapes. Not to mention, added customization which allows stickers to be added to the halo and selection of a victory radio message.
F1 2021 speeds towards a release this summer on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Want to talk sports and/or games with the fastest growing community in gaming? Join the conversation by registering at the official Sports Gamers Online Forums, and check out our Twitter and Facebook pages as well as our growing YouTube Channel!


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B&M is being sued by Australian singer Kylie Minogue after branding various items in its homeware range with the name “Kylie”. The discount retailer has been forced to defend its decision after the furnishings designer Ashley Wilde, who designs and makes “Kylie Minogue at Home”, issued a legal challenge alongside the pop star accusing it of deliberate imitation. Though B&M has since renamed the bed linen products “Camilla”, it is refusing to pay damages of £10,000 for the case to be dropped
Luxury online fashion retailer Yoox Net-A-Porter (YNAP) has edged closer to being absorbed by Richemont after its board of directors gives the green light.
Furniture and interior design retailer Made has hired Adrian Evans as its new chief financial officer while announcing it has commitments for £40 million of equity funding. Evans joins from the Yoox Net-A-Porter (YNAP) Group where he worked for over 10 years in various senior management roles including commercial director, finance director and strategy director.
Shoppers are increasingly looking to in-store technology for customer service versus personal assistance from store associates.


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Posted by Sheila Shayon on July 18, 2012 10:27 AM
One woman, somewhere in the world, becomes a victim of sex trafficking, forced prostitution, gender-based violence, or maternal mortality every 90 seconds. Now, a powerful cabal of producers, NGO’s, gamers and celebrities have joined forces in a transmedia project of unprecedented proportion to address this heinous reality.
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, the acclaimed book by Pulitzer Prize-winners Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, is the centerpiece of the project which includes a four-hour PBS miniseries (trailer above), mobile games in India and Africa, websites and educational materials, and a social action game coming to Facebook in November.Continue reading...
Posted by Chana Mayefsky on August 10, 2011 09:00 AM
Apple accused of e-book price fixing, as Amazon Kindles social interactions and rolls out cloud-based reader.
AT&T bid for T-Mobile faces California review.
Baidu shuts down Twitter-like service in China.
Banana Republic Facebook fans get first dibs on Banana Republic's Mad Men collection.
BlackBerry's fall from C-Suite to High Street riots in U.K. could damage brand.
Disney CEO Bob Iger seeks "great characters, great stories."
Kate Moss-inspired web ad banned in the U.K.Continue reading...


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Ancillary revenue company Plusgrade has acquired loyalty commerce platform Points for $385 million. Montreal-based Plusgrade and Toronto-based Points first announced the deal in early May.
Plusgrade says the combined entity will generate more than $3.5 billion in new revenue opportunities this year for its 140 airline, hospitality, cruise, rail and financial services partners across 60 countries.
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Ken Harris, Plusgrade founder and CEO, says the merger helps the company “continue to build upon our vision of becoming a global ancillary revenue powerhouse, enabling our global travel partners to unlock revenue and deliver outstanding travel experiences for their customers.”
“We are excited that two Canadian companies, one in Montreal and one in Toronto, are joining forces to create a uniquely Canadian success story with a global footprint and impact,” he says.
Plusgrade helps airlines, cruise lines and rail operators generate
new revenue from seat upgrades and other premium services. Last September private
equity firm Novacap acquired a “substantial equity interest” in Plusgrade.
Points’ platform enables reward programs to simplify and enhance
the way members can use their loyalty currencies.
Points CEO Rob MacLean calls the acquisition “transformational.”
“Combining Points’ loyalty expertise with Plusgrade’s capabilities in unlocking new sources of revenue for travel partners represents an exciting opportunity, particularly in an industry poised for a strong recovery,” he says.
Plusgrade and Points will continue to operate with their existing leadership teams.


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Investigators are trying to get Amazon to give up recordings from an Amazon Echo found in the home where a murder was committed. But Amazon is putting up a fight to protect the privacy of a customer.
The murder happened in November of 2015 in the home of James Bates. According to the investigation, Bates invited two friends to his house for drinks. At some point, the other two men went into the hot tub and according to Bates, he went to bed. When he woke the next morning, one of the men lay face down in the tub. An Amazon Echo was in the room at the time and police are trying to get Amazon to turn in the recordings.
“Amazon will not release customer information without a valid and binding legal demand properly served on us,” the company said in a statement. “Amazon objects to overbroad or otherwise inappropriate demands as a matter of course.”
The case and the request for recordings from Amazon could go to the higher courts. Bates, who was arrested in February on suspicion of first-degree murder, is presently free on a $350,000 bond. A discovery hearing in his case is scheduled for March.


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BIRD'S EYE VIEW: Electric Hooner reveals Tesla sportscar love
13 November 2008
Guy Bird is our editor-at-large and political columnist
We know about new transport secretary Geoff Hoon and his alleged love of cycling, but now he's revealed some go-faster auto dreams - and guess what - they're electric, writes Guy Bird
Could Geoff Hoon turn out to be less annoying than we feared as transport secretary? If his presentation at the Electric Vehicles International Experts meeting last month is any guide, there are a few positive signs.
In that speech he unsurprisingly 'bigged up' various low CO2 vehicle solutions, going for spins in both an electric van already used by Tesco and Center Parcs and an electric sportscar - "I thoroughly enjoyed my drive in the latest Tesla this morning" - but he also seemed to realise such vehicles are not yet the panacea other political types have suggested previously.
Here's an excerpt: "As we all know, we aren't going to get there overnight. For electric vehicles, we know many of the hurdles. Primarily, the cost of batteries but also their range, the development of recharging infrastructure and the upfront development and retail cost of new models."
These are not the words of a dreamer at least. He goes on with these not so impractical thoughts: "There's a growing recognition of the need to adapt - not just among environmental campaigners or the political elite, but right across the country. We can take advantage of that. For instance, here in the UK we now have more families with two cars than no cars. What if we can persuade them to make their 'runabout' their green car? Of course, there's still the issue of upfront cost for electric cars. But we already know that electric vehicles can be run at a fraction of the price of regular petrol models and the servicing costs are lower as well."
From a fleet angle, pool cars, urban depot-based delivery vans and low mileage fleet drivers could be some of the first real beneficiaries of electric power.
The reason why the 'electric experts' bothered to listen to the transport secretary's speech was no doubt the announcement of various cash pledges to help the 'greening' process.
The first is the Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstration Programme. Through the scheme the Government will fund two or three electric vehicle demo projects across the UK, aiming to run up to 100 vehicles emitting under 50g/km of CO2 to test their wider viability. The second is up to £20m for UK research and development competitions to improve the performance of electric, hybrid and low carbon vehicles. And finally, as an added detail to the already established DfT's Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme - aimed at public sector fleets early-adopting such technology - Hoon announced more fleets getting involved and also the shortlisted companies competing to become the official eco vehicle suppliers.
The bigger fleet list now adds Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, and Newcastle City Councils along with the Coventry Low Carbon Fleet Partnership and those pitching to supply low carbon vans includes Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Land Rover, Nissan, Smiths and even LDV.
Maybe Tesla's first UK fleet deal could be just around the corner. You never know.


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Vitality chairman touts future of juice business
By CHASE SQUIRES
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 13, 2000
DADE CITY -- The sweet aroma of freshly squeezed oranges has wafted over Dade City for the last time.
But the future of the former Lykes Pasco juice plant seems promising as the new owners expand into the high-profit arena of private label juice packaging, the company's chief executive said Monday.
Bob Peiser, chairman of Tampa-based Vitality Beverages Inc., made his first public appearance in Dade City before about 85 people at a joint meeting of the Rotary and Kiwanis clubs to discuss the future of the local plant and his rapidly expanding company.
Peiser said Vitality is moving aggressively in the private label and industrial juice market,and it isexpanding through acquisitions in Canada and Europe. The future of Dade City's plant, with about 600 employees, depends on the success of the company's plans, but it appears secure under a new mission, he said.
Dallas-based investors bought much of the Lykes business last year, including the trucking arm and the Vitality Food Service industrial juice supplier in Zephyrhills.
The new owners renamed the Lykes Pasco juice plant "Pasco Beverage" and went on to buy processing plants in Polk County, New Jersey, Illinois and California It also bought two Canadian food service companies and a Dutch juice company. The entire operation has been brought under the Vitality Beverages name.
Peiser said that while Lykes Pasco was part of a closely held private company, Vitality leaders are considering a public stock offering, although a target date or even a final decision to go public are still in the future.
The private-label juice-arm packages condensed and reconstituted juice for retail outlets under store brand names, including Wal-Mart, Winn-Dixie, Albertson's, and A&P, with Pasco Beverage controlling about 60 percent of the North American market, Peiser said. Consumers buying the house brands are actually buying juice packed in Dade City, without ever knowing it, he said.
"Corporate brands are becoming very, very important," Peiser said. "We're catching a wave at a very important time."
Peiser said when he took over he found a company in bad shape. A failed bid in the premium juice category pitted Lykes against giants Tropicana and Minute Maid and proved costly for the company. The organization had gaps in management and too many employees, and the Dade City plant was running at 40 percent capacity, he said.
"We have spent a large part of the last 11 months fixing what was, for the large part, a pretty broken company," he said.
Vitality moved juice squeezing operations to Polk County, closer to the major citrus growing centers. The juicing operation at the Dade City plant closed, and the equipment inside is for sale, Peiser said.
The plant is finished processing fresh fruit, he said.
But the profitable juice packaging operation at the plant is running well and will grow. Vitality is building arrangements not only with its Canadian divisions but also with the Ocean Spray label, and the company continues to look at new products such as mixed juices and better ways of marketing existing lines.
The company is moving away from squeezing oranges and toward higher profit areas of marketing, packaging and distributing, Peiser said. The company is expanding its efforts in coffee, iced tea and hot chocolate distribution.
"Think non-carbonated, think wet, think non-alcoholic," Peiser said.
But while Peiser said he is fascinated at seeing people pay up to $3.50 for a bottle of water, Vitality isn't expected to venture into that competitive market, he said.
The company is also steering away from fresh fruit shipping, he said. And despite new trade agreements with China, Peiser said he does not envision pushing his company into the expensive proposition of fighting for such a large, untested market.
The future, Peiser said, is in restaurant supply, expanded juice offerings under private labels at the supermarket and in supplying industrial users such as hospitals.
Mayor Scott Black, who held a job at the old Lykes plant as a teenager, said Monday he was encouraged by what he heard, both on the business end and in Peiser's promise to be more open and involved in the community.
"We'll keep meeting with them in the coming months," he said. "We want to know what we can do as a community to help them."
© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.


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Sometimes it takes a tragedy—maybe even two tragedies—to change a paradigm. But just as Houston and parts of the west coast of Florida will never be the same after the double disasters of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in the space of just a few weeks, neither will the insurance business, which has “discovered” how effective drones can be during major emergencies.
Executive SummaryTwo damaging hurricanes that made landfall in Texas and Florida this year may change a paradigm, according to Louis Ziskin, CEO of DropIn. With roads impassable, drones are a quick and easy way for insurers to get a full view of what customers are facing and to determine how much effort and money it will take to rebuild, he writes, also suggesting that the efficiency of drone-assisted claims handling can improve the industry's reputation in the eyes of customers.
Already in the midst of the storms and their immediate aftermath, drones are being used to assess damage, look for survivors and determine where repair crews for utilities need to be dispatched. AT&T, for example, is reportedly using drones to detect exact locations for damaged cellular sites that have caused outages for nearly 150,000 Internet, TV and phone customers; Verizon began using them already last October, after Hurricane Matthew. Power companies in both Texas and Florida have been using drones to scope out damage and assess how best to dispatch repair teams, according to local news reports. And the Red Cross has been using drones to provide emergency assistance to Harvey storm victims. (Source: Aug. 31, 2017 dronelife.com article, “Drone Industry Aids Red Cross in Hurricane Harvey Response,” describes FAA-authorized disaster response flights; see also, Sept. 7, 2017 press release from UPS, the Red Cross and drone-maker CyPhy Works, describing a public-private partnership to launch a drone pilot program in a one-week, on-site test—the first Red Cross test using a tethered drone to assess damage after a major natural disaster in the United States.)
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BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe Framed In Vintage Photos
Mercedes-Benz isn't the only German automaker involved in the art scene, as BMW plans to exhibit a series of retro photos featuring the 6 Series Gran Coupe at Paris Photo LA, an international photography show held at Paramount Pictures Studios. The photos were captured in the lens of German photographer Uwe Düttmann, and take inspiration from burlesque and film noir.
The series is composed of 15 different photos, featuring two models striking classic burlesque poses with the car. Dressed in '40s fashion, the models pose inside and outside the Gran Coupe for a clash of old-versus-new contrast. Four of the photos will be showcased at Paris Photo LA, which celebrates 10 years of its partnership with BMW.
Also making an appearance at the exhibition is the BMW M1 Art Car painted by Andy Warhol in 1979. The car will be displayed along with some rare behind-the-scenes footage of the pop artist painting the classic racing livery. The show runs from Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28.
What do you think of these 6 Series Gran Coupe photos?


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To gauge how Petco Park has transformed the downtown dining scene, look no further than Tin Fish, the casual seafood restaurant steps away from the park.
Opened during the final stages of the ballpark’s construction, Tin Fish notes on its website that its “hours (are) subject to change depending on Padres Baseball home games …”
During the season, Tin Fish owner Jerry Levy consults Padres attendance projections to calculate how many servers, food runners, bartenders and kitchen staff he may need on a given night. Levy knows the Dodgers and Giants are always big draws, so he ramps up staffing levels to a high of about 35 employees.
The turnstile formula is specific: 17,000-21,000 is a small crowd; 22,000-28,000 medium; 30,000-45,000 big.
Before a recent game against the visiting Detroit Tigers, for example, Levy said a crowd of 35,908 — big — was anticipated, so he’d bring on more staff that night.
“It’s all in the numbers,” he said. “Attendance equals the amount of business … when attendance goes down, sales goes down.”
With an enviable location at the trolley stop at the entrance to the Gaslamp and across from the Convention Center, Tin Fish’s financial success is based on more than baseball, but Levy said Petco Park has indisputably made a winner out of all the bars and restaurants downtown.
“For the total industry, those (81) games they have a year equal quite a bit of revenue,” he said.
In the 10 years since the first pitch was thrown at the park, restaurants of every sort have opened in downtown San Diego.
The intimate Parisian-chic Cafe Chloe. The supercelebrity outpost Nobu. The hipster craft beer and burger joint Neighborhood. The party-before-during-and-after the game pub Bub’s @The Ballpark. The chef-driven foodie favorite JSix. The rustic exotic-meat emporium Cowboy Star. And more upscale steak and seafood houses than you can shake a Panko shrimp at.
“The ballpark has been the central focus point of the entire development of downtown — for restaurants and residents,” said Philip Shayne, general manager of The Oceanaire Seafood Room, on Fourth and J.
“The value of it over the years has been unbelievable.”
Leslie Wade, the former longtime executive director of the East Village Association, said Petco Park’s opening has had the most direct impact on Gaslamp restaurants and sports bars that cater to fans.
In the expanding East Village, the effect on the dining world has been related but ancillary, she said. Though, like a play to the plate or a base-stealer taking off, timing is everything: the park opened during a go-go economic cycle and housing boom.
“What the ballpark did was it gave the market — investors in real estate and restaurants — confidence to go really far to the east (of Sixth Avenue), where a lot of people didn’t feel comfortable 10 years ago,” Wade said.
“Instead of all of that housing in the Marina District, Little Italy, Cortez Hill, it accelerated all that housing east.”
Housing translated into residents, which spurred demand, foot traffic, more confidence in the area, more investment, and so on.
“All the stars aligned at the right time,” she said. “Had the ballpark been completed in 2008, none of that would have happened, and those restaurants wouldn’t have gotten that funding either.”
To capitalize on the crowds flooding downtown during the season, some restaurants entice fans with pre- or postgame deals.
“Baseball is back! Home game super slugger specials 5-7:10 PM” advertised the Gaslamp Strip Club in early April, offering a $19.95 “Major League” steak dinner and noting its location “Just 2 blocks from Petco Park.”
Shayne, of The Oceanaire, acknowledges that most baseball fans aren’t looking for a fine dining experience. Yet, the restaurant still benefits from increased foot traffic in the area, he said, and the $1 oysters and small plates for $6 sell well before the game.
Oceanaire used to offer a “Hitting Home” dinner discount, but ended it when it became clear it was drawing more non-baseball fans than those heading to Petco Park.
And the gripe that the crowds of Padres faithful, and the traffic they generate, scare off other diners?
“We’re a destination restaurant and have valet parking. If you’re coming to Oceanaire, you’re not going to mind valet parking,” Shayne said.
“Overall, there is no detriment to the ballpark, or all those condominiums going up.”
Levy, the Tin Fish owner, can think of one time his business struck out.
“We used to stay open until the end of the ballgame but that backfired during the first game that went into extra innings,” he said.
“The whole staff was just standing around. I can’t have people standing around.”
5 game changers
Over the past decade, new downtown restaurants have made splashy debuts, become neighborhood fixtures or closed with little fanfare, just like in any other part of the city. But the following five eateries are among those places that started a trend or signaled a new level of dining downtown.
Cafe Chloe: An early pioneer in the East Village when it opened in late 2004, Cafe Chloe bills itself as “San Diego’s First European Cafe.” A place where locals could go for an urbane vibe and Parisian bistro food, the sophisticated spot for charcuterie, moules, fromage and steak frites quickly became a favorite with chic-seeking San Diegans from throughout the county. Cafe Chloe, 721 9th Ave. (619) 232-3242;
JSix: Among the trendy hotels that have sprung up around Petco Park, the Kimpton boutique chain’s Hotel Solamar brought the most culinary cred to the area in 2005. Its fine-dining eatery JSix opened with noted chef Deborah Schneider. In 2006, Christian Graves took over the kitchen and just oversaw the restaurant’s $1.5 million overhaul. JSix, Hotel Solamar, 616 J Street. (619) 531-8744;
Neighborhood: Hipsters invaded the East Village in 2007 when Neighboorhood ushered in the era of gourmet burgers, craft beer and lots of ’tude. (No ketchup for you!) In the words of its website: “As a pioneer in the proliferation of San Diego’s ‘gastropub culture,’ Neighborhood fights the perception of what a beer establishment can and should be … ” Neighborhood, 777 G. St. (619) 446-0002;
Nobu: Celebrity chefs, local and national, have lent their names to several downtown restaurants. But when global celebrity icon Nobu Matsuhisa and partner Robert DeNiro put their imprimatur on San Diego in 2007, the city joined Las Vegas, London and Tokyo on the list of locales deigned worthy of a hot spot outpost. Nobu, at the Hard Rock Hotel, 207 Fifth Ave. (619) 814-4124;
Bottega Americano: When it opens this summer, Bottega Americano will bring a first-of-its kind “foodery” to San Diego, along the lines of New York’s Eataly. The $3 million, approximately 8,000-square-foot gourmet marketplace, restaurant and bar is perhaps the strongest indication yet of the maturity of downtown’s dining scene. Bottega Americano, 1195 Island Ave.,
SPECIAL REPORT: PETCO PARK AT 10
- Is Petco success on ballfield, at box office?
- East Village: The next 10 years
- It all began with a walk-off in the Park
- Petco among the best, what about the rest?
- What to make of Petco Park
- Promised renewal of East Village largely fulfilled
- Petco Park timeline: 20 yrs of MLB
- East Village artsy, with an urban edge
- Ballpark district development: The numbers
- Petco: 10 memorable games
- Six reasons to catch a game at Petco Park
- How Petco Park changed the downtown dining scene
- 10 years in, were Petco naming rights worth it?


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Understanding that educating the Chinese luxury consumers comes before commerce, the newly launched members-only fashion website Bomoda offers China’s 200 million luxury consumers an opportunity to learn about those Western brands beyond the current handful of favorites.
Expanding China’s fashion education is key to the continued growth of the Chinese luxury market.
Run by a staff of eight in New York and other correspondents in London, Shanghai, and Beijing, Bomoda expects to attract 200,000 members by the end of the year.
The website, founded by Brian Buchwald, Alain Rothstein, Suki Sun, and Mark Angelillo, expect to secure an additional $1 million in capital according to WWD, that Buchwald said, will be put toward developing a mobile app.
Within a year, once a solid membership is secured, the founders plan to launch an e-commerce branch of the site. For the moment, Bomoda exists to make Chinese luxury consumers aware of the goings on in the fashion capitals of the world: London and New York now, Paris, Milan, and Tokyo later. Members have access to a newsletter published four times weekly, as well as a Weibo group with exclusive fashion and pop culture content. Bomoda is only published in Chinese.
To create buzz, merchandise from brand partners such as Michael Kors, Jill Stuart, and Tom Bins are offered in raffles to those members who refer five friends to Bomoda. “Bomoda recognizes the exceptional opportunity with Chinese customers and retail tourists, and they have created a unique vehicle in which to reach them,” Stuart said.


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Latest report shows that demand is above pre-crisis numbers, but there are still capacity constraints
September 2021 data for global air cargo markets showed that demand continued to be well above pre-crisis levels. However, capacity limitations continue, as noted by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs), was up 9.1% compared to September 2019, while capacity is 8.9% below pre-Covid levels. There are a variety of factors affecting global air cargo demand, IATA points out, including supply chain disruptions. These—alongside the resulting delivery delays—are resulting in long supplier delivery times.
“ … Severe capacity constraints continue to limit the ability of air cargo to absorb extra demand,” says Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general. “If not addressed, bottlenecks in the supply chain will slow the economic recovery from Covid-19.”


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Allianz UK CEO John Dye has said that recent prices from the insurer have reflected the current climate of claims inflation.
“We have seen a deterioration in the performance of theft. It is almost as if the economy has been in recession as theft and arson tick up when the economy is under pressure.”
“While Mark Carney might tell us we are not in recession we can see an increase in theft claims both in terms of the number of them and their cost.”
Dye noted that the insurer believed that
The Insurance Age team examine the most read stories for the week commencing 3 June 2019.Subscribe to our daily newsletter for all the latest news
- GRP-owned Sagars buys Thomas Cook
- Three directors out as Policy Expert buys loss-making Sure Thing!
- Hiscox creates Cyber Exposure Calculator
- PIB's £50m spending on brokers in 2018 revealed
- Insurers could face fines for £4bn dual pricing "rip off"
- Markel launches tech sector proposition
- Zurich-owned N&G launches new small craft product


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You Made it Happen!
March 11, 2015
By Mt. Bethel Children's Consignment Sale Committee
Ever heard the saying, “You’ll never know the lives you touch this side of Heaven?” Last week, the Consignment Sale and Baked Goods Sale was proof of that statement. We want to thank the 390 consignors, numerous volunteers, the bakers, and of course the shoppers. We want to extend a special thanks to all of the consignors, especially those who donated their items. Your donation helped support 31 families and 20 missions, ministries, and other charitable organizations. The remaining donated items are headed to West Virginia, Honduras, and Romania as well as several local organizations. We were able to raise over $21,000 that will go to financially support local missions and foreign missions that count on our support throughout the year. The Bake Sale raised over $1700 and will be able to offer their own Women’s College Scholarship this year with money raised from both the fall and spring sales. We encourage you to come join the fun at the fall sale of truly living out Colossians 3:14, “Above all, clothe yourself with love, which binds us together all together in perfect harmony.”
Mt. Bethel Children’s Consignment Sale Committee


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A new report from FixYa reveals the most common issues reported for four leading models.
The Galaxy Gear may or may not be selling well, depending on who you ask, but it'll a custom ROM for the smartwatch will definitely be available soon.
Samsung believes that more customized apps will help convince consumers to pick its smartphones, tablets, and TVs over competing products and create loyalty.
Will the move help Gear become a viable part of the mobile market. (Hint: probably not.)
According to reports, the curved Round is a limited run only for the Korean market.
A partnership with Samsung resulted in Note-specific features like S-Pen doodles and multi-screen views in Twitter’s new Android app for tablets.
Samsung introduces a 5.7-inch curved phone for sale in Korea.
Is Samsung making a serious run at the smartwatch market, or is the Gear just a clumsy experiment?
Samsung has returned to the onerous practice of region locking with the Galaxy Note 3, and that means you'll need to shell out big bucks to use the tablet abroad.
Samsung announced its Solutions Exchange program Wednesday that will help companies write and deploy mobile applications on Samsung smartphones and tablets.


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Twitter has finally answered a big piece of the long running question of how it plans to make money. At Ad Age’s Digital Conference in New York, the company revealed “Promoted Tweets,” an advertising system that will allow businesses to have their tweets highlighted in search results, and eventually, in the Twitter stream and third-party applications.
The platform is currently being piloted by a number of big brands – it’s not yet self-serve like Google AdWords or Facebook’s advertising offerings. Nonetheless, there’s much to be excited about, and looking at Promoted Tweets in light of other recent developments at Twitter, there’s a ton of potential for what the platform could one day mean for small businesses.
What It Is
Thousands of companies – large and small – are already on Twitter. Promoted Tweets introduces a way for these businesses to gain extra exposure for their messages. For example, if you own a coffee shop, when a user searches for “coffee” on Twitter, you’ll conceivably be able to have a tweet from your business sit atop the results.
However, these ads shouldn’t be thought of like traditional forms of online advertising, like a banner or even a text link in search, but rather an extension of what you’re already doing on Twitter. Promoted Tweets will sink or swim – quite literally – based on the response they get from users.
In a system that Twitter is calling “resonance,” ads will be judged based on how users engage with them, through actions like replies, retweets and clicks. If an ad doesn’t get enough engagement, it will be removed from the system.
The key to making effective use of Promoted Tweets, then, will be to create the same type of engaging messages you already do organically on your account, investing some money into the system when you have a particular tweet that you’d like to give an extra push.
Currently, big global brands like Best Buy, Starbucks and JetBlue are testing Promoted Tweets. However, for the platform to be useful to small businesses – especially those that are primarily brick-and-mortar – you’ll need the ability to target Promoted Tweets based on location. While Twitter hasn’t yet announced this capability, there’s reason to believe it will eventually be part of the platform.
Twitter has already made its “trending topics” feature location-based, so you can see what people in your city are talking about. The microblogging service now also lets users attach their location to every tweet, and its advanced search features let users filter to find tweets near them. As its location features continue to evolve and gain adoption, expect them to become a part of the Promoted Tweets platform.
Until recently, applications for using Twitter on mobile phones were all developed by third-parties. But in April, the company releases its own BlackBerry app, acquired the company that makes Tweetie (which will become Twitter for iPhone), and announced plans for an Android application. Expect these applications to be GPS-enabled – meaning they’ll know a user’s location – and in turn create an opportunity for businesses to target Promoted Tweets based on a user’s whereabouts.
More to Come
We’re still at the dawn of Twitter’s monetization plans. Until Promoted Tweets are available to more advertisers and become a part of the Twitter stream, the impact of the platform will be fairly limited in the small business realm. Nonetheless, there’s plenty of reason to believe that Twitter’s ad model could evolve into a staple of the small business online marketing mix, creating an unprecedented opportunity to communicate with current and potential nearby customers in real-time.Image courtesy of iStockphoto, WillSellarep


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Several states have been taking some bold steps to try to hamper the manufacture of methamphetamine, and it's time for the Washington Legislature to do the same.
In Oregon, legislators are considering what would once have been seen as a drastic step: sharp restrictions on selling over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines. The Washington Legislature passed some restrictions earlier this year, but they really don't go far enough: they exempted liquid and gel-caps, which have now been shown to be as easy to convert into meth as the hard pills.
The problem is that one of the key ingredients in these medications is "pseudoephedrine," which is essential in creating meth. Meth cooks have been going into stores and supermarkets and simply purchasing hundreds of these common cold and sinus decongestant pills, then processing them into methamphetamine. Approximately 300 cold pills can be turned into about 25 does of meth, according to a U.S. Senate report.
A year ago in Oklahoma, the state passed a law a year ago that bans cold tablets with pseudoephedrine from retail outlets. Now, only pharmacies are allowed to dispense these tablets, and those buying the pills are required to show photo identification and sign a log when they purchase the medicine. As a result of the new law, the number of meth labs in the state was reported to have dropped by 80 percent after this bill went into effect.
The meth cooks have been producing methamphetamine in makeshift and highly toxic labs. These drug labs -- so far this year in Washington state, more than 400 have been discovered -- produce toxins that can poison people and the environment.
Just last week, the Washington Department of Ecology issued a chilling alert: Meth cooks have been dumping their lab waste at local, state, and national parks and campgrounds. WDOE officials put out a warning to families and outdoor recreationalists to look out for "suspicious products" including propane tanks, starter fluid, shredded lithium batteries, lye, empty cold medicine packages, glass jars, funnels, hypodermic needles, plastic tubing, and containers of acetone, toluene, and Coleman fuel. If used in the manufacturing of meth, these items can contain chemicals that will attack your eyes and lungs.
Also, the material being dumped in the woods can be flammable -- yet another offshoot problem of the meth trade, given the likely high fire danger our region is facing.
The entire meth "industry" is a scourge all across this nation, in rural and urban settings alike. The drug highly addictive and highly destructive to a user's physical health. In addition, meth users can turn violently unstable.
Meth is destroying lives, overwhelming our law enforcement agencies, draining financial resources, and trashing our environs.
Unfortunately, big drug companies that make these cold pill products still seem to be more concerned about their profits than the general health and welfare of the citizens of this country, and have been fighting any restrictions on sales. But in recent months their lobbying has, thankfully, been increasingly ineffective in the face of the many problems meth use has been generating.
Our elected representatives in the Washington Legislature -- State Reps. Bruce Chandler and Dan Newhouse, and State Sen. Jim Honeyford -- can help the cause by supporting restrictions on the sale of these medicines in our state. This is a crisis that won't wait.


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What a way to start the New Year, knowing there’s a decent chance you’ll be fired before the year is out.
HP didn’t exactly send its PR minions to tell this tale. Instead it made the revelation in an SEC (News - Alert) filing. With the new 5,000 pink slips, the total number of HP workers laid off will hit 34,000 – that’s a decent-sized town.
“Due to continued market and business pressures, as of October 31, 2013, HP expects to eliminate an additional 15 percent of those 29,000 positions, or a total of approximately 34,000 positions, and to record an additional 15 percent of that $3.6 billion in total costs, or approximately $4.1 billion in aggregate charges. HP expects to record these charges through the end of HP’s 2014 fiscal year as the accounting recognition,” HP said.
HP may not have much of a choice, of course. The company ultimately answers to Wall Street , so these cost cutting moves are often imperative. But the company faces a more fundamental issue: It assimilated two huge legacy companies in the form of DEC and Compaq, and even many years later are still saddled with the responsibility to support these old customers.
At the same time that HP absorbed thousands upon thousands of workers, the market was shifting under its feet. First the PC market became pure commodity, and then the same thing happened to the server business. Adding insult to injury, the move to the cloud was best made by the most nimble companies, startups, Amazon, Google (News - Alert), and even Microsoft (which has made a credible well-rounded play).
HP is a fine company with many terrific technologies. But now it has to find a new central meaning for its existence. IBM is mostly a services company, and Dell (News - Alert) is still a go-to company for data center infrastructure. However, neither of these outfits is guaranteed to return to their glory days.
While the layoffs will surely rub employees the wrong way, many will be alarmed by reports that workers in India will be largely spared. In an interview last year, HP CEO Meg Whitman said of India “We not only have all our business units here, but also our R&D and back office.”


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Published: 1 August, 2023
Change, something which has arguably always been at the centre of the advertising industry, has been more dramatic in recent years. The impending death of the third-party cookie has meant that marketers and tech vendors have had to reassess how they reach consumers effectively without infringing on their privacy (and breaching ever-tightening regulations).
Concurrently, the emergence of new channels — such as mobile gaming, connected TV (CTV), and programmatic digital out of home (pDOOH) — has meant that there are more mediums than ever before on which people can spend their time. While this poses the new challenge of measuring increasingly fragmented consumer attention, it also means that brands have more avenues and opportunities to reach their desired audiences.
Continue reading: ExchangeWire


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Standard & Poor's Ratings Services cut its rating for Saks Inc. on Thursday, saying the luxury retailer will likely have a weak fourth quarter as shoppers curtail spending because of the recession.
The agency cut its rating on the New York company to "B," from the already junk rating of "BB-," but the outlook remains stable.
"The rating change reflects our belief that the company will be more challenged than previously expected by the current weak economic environment in the U.S. and the turmoil in the financial markets," Standard & Poor's credit analyst Diane Shand said in a statement, adding that the company's credit measures "deteriorated significantly" in the third quarter.
Saks, a high-end department store chain, has been hobbled by slower consumer spending, even at the luxury level. The chain mainly caters to well-heeled customers, many of whom may not be as affected by the economic downturn but are still spending less. Saks also sells to "aspirational" shoppers who may buy clothing and other nonessential items beyond what they can afford. Those shoppers have been sharply restricting their spending on more expensive items.
Last month, both Moody's and Fitch cut their ratings on the company.


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Seychelles-headquartered cryptocurrency change KuCoin has launched an exchange-traded fund (ETF) tied to main nonfungible token (NFT) belongings like Bored Ape Yacht Membership (BAYC).
KuCoin’s NFT ETF Buying and selling Zone went reside on Friday, the agency announced. The brand new funding product is launched in collaboration with NFT infrastructure supplier Fracton Protocol.
The KuCoin NFT ETF is a Tether (USDT)-dominated product that marks specific underlying NFT belongings like Bored Ape Yacht Membership. BAYC is one in every of 5 NFT ETFs that KuCoin is launching. Buying and selling underneath the image hiBAYC, the asset is an ERC-20 token representing 1/1,000,000 possession of the goal BAYC within the BAYC meta-swap of Fracton Protocol.
The ETF goals to extend liquidity because it allows publicity to NFTs through the USDT stablecoin as a substitute of Ether (ETH). It additionally eliminates the dangers and considerations round managing NFT infrastructure components like wallets, good contracts and marketplaces like OpenSea.
Along with hiBAYC, the funding covers CryptoPunks (hiPUNKS), Koda NFTs (hiKODA), hiSAND33 and hiENS4. Beginning with hiBAYC on Friday, the funding product is scheduled to checklist hiPUNKS on Aug. 4. Listings for hiKODA, hiSAND33 and hiENS4 can be introduced at a later date, the change stated.
The ETF marks an necessary milestone in KuCoin’s efforts to speed up the institution of the NFT market by decreasing the funding threshold of main digital collectibles.
The change has been targeted on creating the NFT sector, launching the interactive NFT launch platform Wonderland in April 2022. KuCoin additionally rolled out Windvane, one other NFT market offering an NFT launchpad, mint, commerce, administration and different providers.
“KuCoin will proceed to supply user-friendly merchandise for buyers, permitting them to simply take part in NFT investments,” KuCoin CEO Johnny Lyu stated. In accordance with Lyu, KuCoin is the primary centralized crypto change to help NFT ETFs that enable customers to take a position and commerce prime NFTs straight with USDT.
Associated: US federal company points authorized advisory on NFT investments
KuCoin shouldn’t be the primary to discover NFT ETFs, although. In December 2021, registered funding adviser and fintech agency Defiance launched the world’s first NFT-focused ETF on New York Inventory Alternate Arca. The ETF tracks an index of corporations which are working or plan to function within the NFT and Metaverse sectors.
- Nftnews Today Polygon’s First Set of Web3 Music NFTS to Launch in Jan 2023
- Nftnews Today ApeCoin, Flow, Chiliz Jumps Up
- Nftnews Today Nifty News: Reddit NFT mints reach all-time high, EU’s $400K Metaverse party flops and more
- Nftnews Today Opera Crypto Browser to enable instant NFT minting through launchpad
- Nftnews Today Nifty News: Porsche 911 NFTs, BMW files Web3 trademarks, Baby Shark’s NFT game and more…
The journalist is a writer and digital nomad. Loves thinking, learning, and writing about all things Web3, particularly its impact on major creative industries.


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Altron lands Microsoft licence
JSE-listed technology firm Altron says it has been awarded a licence to sell products and service support to clients on behalf of Microsoft as it continues its push to fill the gap left by EOH.
The licensing solution provider (LSP) contract allows Altron and five other companies to enter into Microsoft licensing deals with large enterprises, the company said.
The contract is indefinite with an option to review it annually, Altron said.
This agreement comes as Altron is positioning its recently acquired subsidiary, Altron Karabina, to be the go-to partner for everything Microsoft, Altron Group CEO Mteto Nyati said.
In August, Nyati said Altron planned to fill the void left by companies such as EOH.
The troubled technology company, whose own licensing agreement with Microsoft was terminated over governance concerns, particularly its work with the public sector through EOH Mthombo, has been struggling to rehabilitate its public image as a result.
Altron has been named the Microsoft licensing solution provider in South Africa. CEO Mteto Nyati spoke to Business Day TV about what this means for the overall growth potential of the business.
Altron is positioning itself for a future where the bulk of its revenue will come from its digital segment driven in large part by cloud services and partners such as Microsoft and Amazon. Cloud services include data storage and software offered over the internet, often referred to as “the cloud”.
“This LSP contract will position Altron Karabina as partners to customers that embark on digital transformation. Customers invest in technology to increase sales, improve operational efficiencies, transform customer and employee experience and drive innovation. Altron Karabina will help them extract business value quicker,” Nyati said.
Through its subsidiary, Bytes UK, the company is Microsoft’s biggest LSP partner in that country. Altron is one of the few JSE-listed outfits that has had success in the UK in recent years.
Altron plans to extend that position to its SA operation, with Altron Karabina working closely with Bytes UK to duplicate their success locally.
Altron Karabina MD Grant van der Wal said: “The LSP licence allows us to launch our software services division, adding to our Microsoft competencies in data and analytics, artificial intelligence, customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, modern workplace, Azure and DevOps.”
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Croc smiles all over the place: shoe brand bites back
The company makes a ‘big statement’ with lawsuits as copycats clog the market
The ungainly but comfy Crocs clogs reached new heights of popularity during the pandemic as not only the ideal work-from-home shoe but as a fashion statement spotted on the feet of Justin Bieber and on the Oscar red carpet worn by Questlove.
With that popularity, however, also came copycats that has the manufacturer suing Walmart, Hobby Lobby Stores and 19 other companies alleging trademark infringement related to the shoes.
Crocs said in a complaint filed in Denver that a “rise in consumer online shopping has enabled the sale of infringing footwear on an unprecedented scale”. In a separate action, Crocs has asked the US International Trade Commission to issue an import ban of shoes that copy its trademarked name or designs...


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March 13, 2008
Runaway with Runway Looks
Feminine, flirty, and oh so fabulous -- and we're not talking about the clothes! L.A. fashion week is also about beauty.
"Extra" goes behind the scenes at the Veronika Jeanvie fashion show with Fred Segal stylist, Paul DeArmas, who says you can get the glamorous runway look -- in a matter of minutes. Watch!


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NEW YORK – Johnson & Johnson issued a massive recall Friday of over-the-counter drugs including Tylenol, Motrin and St. Joseph’s aspirin because of a moldy smell that has made people sick.
It was the second such recall in less than a month because of the smell, which regulators said was first reported to the company in 2008. Federal regulators criticized the company, saying it didn’t respond to the complaints quickly enough, wasn’t thorough in how it handled the problem and didn’t inform the Food and Drug Administration quickly.
The recall includes some batches of regular and extra-strength Tylenol, children’s Tylenol, eight-hour Tylenol, Tylenol arthritis, Tylenol PM, children’s Motrin, Motrin IB, Benadryl Rolaids, Simply Sleep, and St. Joseph’s aspirin.
The FDA and Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare Products said they did not know the number of bottles recalled. The FDA said about 70 people have been either sickened by the odor – including nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea – or noticed it.
The smell is caused by small amounts of a chemical associated with the treatment of wooden pallets, Johnson & Johnson said. The FDA said the chemical can leach into the air, and traced it to a facility in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico.
The New Brunswick, N.J., company said it is investigating the issue and will stop shipping products with the same materials on wooden pallets.
The FDA said McNeil knew of the problem in early 2008 but made only a limited investigation.
“McNeil should have acted faster,” said Deborah Autor, the director of the FDA’s Office of Compliance of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “When something smells bad, literally or figuratively, companies must aggressively investigate and take all necessary action to solve the problem.”
The FDA sent McNeil a warning letter for violating manufacturing standards and failing to report and investigate the problem in a timely way, Autor said.
Johnson & Johnson has 15 days to respond.
In November, McNeil recalled some Tylenol Arthritis Caplets due to the smell. Almost three weeks ago, the company expanded its recall to include more batches of Tylenol Arthritis Caplets.


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Battlefield Bad Company 2 may have suffered from one of the rockiest starts in recent memory, but that didn’t stop gamers from flocking to DICE’s latest frag-fest in droves. In fact, the overwhelming weight of millions of players is what crushed Bad Company 2’s servers to begin with.
"In the first 48 hours we had such a tremendous rush to multiplayer gameplay that our servers experienced overwhelming demand," said executive producer Karl Magnus Troedsson. "This is a testament to the massive response players have had worldwide for the extraordinary action experienced in the Battlefield sandbox."
Better still, if you’ve been waiting on the sidelines to dive in, the coast is now officially clear.
“DICE and EA have brought more servers online," he explained. "We now have enough capacity to handle all BFBC2 connections seamlessly and we continue to monitor online play daily."
Hey there, beleaguered Battlefield Bad Company 2 players. Feel like you’ve been tricked into paying to be part of an extended beta test? Well, sad to say, the storm’s not over yet. At 12 PST tonight, EA brought the servers down yet again for more maintenance. This comes, of course, after a weekend of more ups and downs than a botched entry of the Konami Code. But, if it’s any consolation, there is a silver lining to your sufferings.
“PC currently has more people playing and are in game servers than both the consoles,” said associate producer Gordon Van Dyke.
Don’t break out the confetti just yet, though. We’ve won the battle, sure, but we haven’t quite won the console war.
“The PC had more players than either console not more than both consoles combined,” Van Dyke added. “You'll need to work to beat both consoles’ combined effort.”
Still though, that’s certainly something. See, publishers? If you build it with PC gamers in mind, they will come. So learn from EA and DICE’s example – well, minus the server part, obviously. And speaking of servers, maybe Ubisoft might be willing to take a few pointers from DICE once it gets out of this DRM-heavy rebellious phase. We sure hope so, anyway.
EA recently released its Q3 fiscal statement, and it’s a magnitude seven doozy. Not to be a downer, though, but first on the release schedule is The Waiting Game, as most of these titles won’t be out until the second half of 2010.
First up, Crysis 2’s positioned itself deep within the overgrown jungles of 2010’s holiday season with an October-December 2010 release window. Medal of Honor and massively multiplayer cops ‘n’ robbers sim All Points Bulletin, meanwhile, are both dropping between the months of July and September. As if three whole games weren’t enough, EA also announced a new Dragon Age title for early 2011.
It’s not all good news, however. For some mystifying reason, the mega-publisher’s decided to release Dead Space 2 on every platform under the sun – even handhelds! – except the PC. Well, whatever. We don’t need the pants scared off us. We’ll take off our own pants. That’ll show ‘em.
In what appears to an ill-advised attempt to save a few bucks, Electronic Arts has decided to pull the plug on 25 game servers. EA was forced to cut 1500 jobs back in November, but apparently that wasn’t enough to put their house in order. This new method of cost-cutting, though, comes at the expense of their customers.
While it might make sense to shut some of these down (i.e. Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 07 for PC), a few are fairly recent games. One game about to lose its servers is Madden 09 on all platforms. That’s a bit of a shocker seeing as it’s just over a year old now.
Could Madden 10 see a similar fate in a year’s time? What if a game doesn’t hit sales goals? Maybe EA will do a quick cost analysis and shut it down. These are certainly questions EA’s prospective customers will have to ask themselves from now on. The shut downs will come in waves with the first, and largest, coming on February 2nd. Hit the jump for the full list.
As part of a restructuring plan that involves – among other, less heartbreaking things -- laying-off 1,500 employees, EA recently placed nearly all of Mercenaries developer Pandemic on the chopping block.
Studio founders Josh Resnick, Andrew Goldman, and Greg Borrud are leading the mass exodus, with roughly 200 former staffers in tow. Pandemic’s still-twitching remains will be moved to EA’s Los Angeles studio, where games under the Pandemic brand name will continue to be developed.
If it’s any consolation, though, the development community is doing a great job of making sure Pandemic’s fine folks land on their feet. Among others, Gearbox is inviting former Pandemic employees off the cold streets and into the perpetually warm state of Texas.
As always, we wish the best of luck to everyone affected by this unfortunate turn of events.
The original Mass Effect rocked our socks. Its DLC, though? Not so much. Fortunately, if a Microsoft Expert Zone retailer quiz is to be believed, BioWare’s making up for Mass Effect’s DLC deficiency in a big way with Mass Effect 2.
According to the quiz, planned content includes “episodic combat via DLC, weapon and armor packs, new downloadable characters for the campaign experience, new downloadable worlds, as well as full campaign expansions for download.”
Here’s hoping that BioWare doesn’t also take the EA Renegade route and peddle things like cheat codes and cosmetic upgrades for exorbitant prices.”Exorbitant,” in this case, meaning “anything other than free.”
Looks like Spore knows how to take a hint. PC gamers weren’t quite ready to herald the game as the second coming of The Sims, so it’s jumped gaming’s ship and gotten into show business. And fortunately, thanks to a little common sense on EA’s part, someone not named Uwe Boll is walking Spore down the red carpet.
Chris Wedge, who birthed the $1.9 billion-grossing “Ice Age” film franchise, is set to be the intelligent designer behind Spore’s big screen debut. Meanwhile, Greg Erb and Jason Oremland, who recently wrapped up writing Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” are penning the script. Twentieth Century Fox is partnering with EA to produce the whole thing.
"I'm always looking for unique worlds to go to in animation," Wedge said. "From every perspective -- visually, thematically and comedically -- the world of 'Spore' provides the potential to put something truly original on the screen."
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll probably learn a bit about yourself in the process. What’s not to like?
Have your grains of salt at the ready, people, because this one’s a doozy. According to a bit of Wall Street chatter, Microsoft’s got its sights set on none other than gaming giant Electronic Arts.
“There’s talk that Microsoft might be interested in acquiring Electronic Arts,”said Frederic Ruffy, options strategist at WhatsTrading.com. “It’s unsubstantiated chatter, but it’s out there.”
As such, analyst Trip Chowdhry is cautioning investors from counting their chickens before they’ve hatched, and is preemptively declaring this rumor hogwash.
"Our contacts just don't see Microsoft buying Electronic Arts, no synergies whatsoever, and also not Microsoft's corporate primary focus right now," Chowdhry told Reuters.
Shame, that. We were hoping to see Faith from Mirror’s Edge leaping improbable distances with Master Chief. Or maybe a scrimmage between the Cogs and Locusts from Gears of War in Madden? You know, Mutant League Football style?
BioWare recently released some spankin’ new Mass Effect DLC, but, uh, it seems like they forgot to tell everyone. Titled “Pinnacle Station,” the Mass Effect DLC made a minimal impact upon landing, mostly because there was little-to-no pre-release hype associated with its launch. Oh sure, there were some hints – a wink, a nudge, and even a leak – but not a(n official) word from Microsoft or BioWare.
You’d think it’d be in your best interest to promote a new addition to your two year-old game, seeing as how most people have probably shelved it at this point. But then, we’re not marketing experts, so what do we know?
Anyway, the DLC costs five Washingtons – or one Lincoln – and gets Shepard and co. back in shape for Mass Effect 2 with 13 brand new combat missions.
Another week, another game calls in sick for 2009. So, Battlefield 1943, what’s your excuse? After all, it feels like you’ve been out on consoles since, well, 1943. What’s the hold up? Said producer Gordon Van Dyke:
“We haven't released a Frostbite [DICE's game engine] built game on PC, so going into this project we lacked a starting foundation we had on Console. There are also many different and unique only challenges to the PC that has lead to us pushing the release even further to Q1 CY 2010 [early next year].”
“This was a hard pill to swallow, but it was absolutely needed to ensure the features and functionality that PC Players have come to expect from Battlefield on PC are not missing. Things like support for DirectX 9 and 10, higher player count (up to 32-player matches), wide peripheral support i.e. Joysticks for flying, VoIP, and ranked server provider hosting. So it was and still is the absolutely right decision, for quality sake, to not release until it is ready.”
Disappointing as it is, you can’t really argue with that. See you front-and-center in 2010, Battlefield 1943. Until then, at ease, soldiers.


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The Amazon Jungle Lodge Run by Feminists
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
Some founders lost their husbands to create this space.
By Melissa Kitson
Their husbands tried to stop them. They failed. And now, thanks to the determination of nine Kichwa women, Sinchi Warmi, a jungle lodge in Ecuador’s Amazonian basin, is open for business. Meaning “strong woman” in Kichwa, Sinchi Warmi is a fitting name for a project that took nearly 10 years to get up and running — and left at least six women without husbands.
Surrounded by tropical rainforest, the lodge is an ideal place to experience Kichwa culture. You can take part in a guayusa tea ceremony, which involves drinking the caffeine-filled brew and describing your dreams. You can wander the forest trails as monkeys leap from tree to tree. Or say hello to the 2-meter-long Amazonian fish that comes to the surface when applauded. Yes, clap your hands and the fish will appear.
They said women should be in the house, in the chacra [produce garden], looking after the kids.
Meliza Andy, a Sinchi Warmi member
Sinchi Warmi began as a women’s artesania group in the small community of San Pedro. The women met every week to weave, showcase their art at expos and dream of running their own business. But not everyone was happy about the initiative. “The men didn’t support us because we were all women,” says Meliza Andy, a Sinchi Warmi member. “They said women should be in the house, in the chacra [produce garden], looking after the kids.”
After they secured funding from a nongovernmental organization and built the far-flung lodge, it was not an instant hit. “Some of the women were upset,” Andy explains, as they expected guests to arrive the next day. Of the 12 original members, four left and were replaced by Andy and the children of the founding members. The younger generation quickly started promoting the lodge online, and little by little business improved. From 20 guests in its first year, Sinchi Warmi now welcomes 1,600.
Visitors can drop by to sample traditional Amazonian food — like palmita, smoked fish and blindingly colorful tropical fruit. Handmade jewelry and artesania from local Kichwa communities are also on offer. Or you can spend the night ($40) in a cabana overlooking the fish-filled pools. The accommodation is modest: Expect cold showers, and there are no mirrors, thankfully — who wants to see themselves after a day in the jungle? But you’ll wake up to the trills and squawks of Amazonian birds and have the chance to sway in a hammock under palm leaves the size of small children, or have the resident monkey, Saruya, happily crawl up your leg and sit in your lap. I had to reluctantly pry off her tiny soft hands that clung to me when I got up to leave.
The nine women still meet every week in a minga to divide the tasks and discuss new initiatives. Three men from the community have even joined the group — including one of the naysaying husbands. And just as they dreamed, the women are running a business that benefits all of the community. They buy produce from the community’s chacras and connect San Pedro’s canoers to tourists from the lodge.
The Sinchi Warmi women are also sharing their story with other communities in the hopes that their experience will inspire other women and communities. The message, says Andy, is simple: “Women have to keep going, to be strong because they are always going to turn their back on you — husbands, institutions, neighbors — but you can’t give up.”
- Melissa Kitson, OZY Author Contact Melissa Kitson


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Apple loses trademark battle against Mexico's iFone in landmark ruling
- iFone S.A. de C.V. registered the name in 2003 to cover specialized telephone service for call centers and businesses
- Apple registered the similar iPhone moniker in 2007 for its cell handset
- Mexico's Institute for Intellectual Property ruled Apple encroached on the trademark as the two names are phonetically identical
Mexico's intellectual property agency has ruled in favor of a small local firm's rights to the 'iFone' name, saying that ads for Apple's iPhone have encroached on the trademark.
The Mexican firm iFone S.A. de C.V. registered the name in 2003 to cover specialized telephone service for call centers and businesses, well before Apple registered the similar iPhone moniker in 2007 for its popular mobile handset. iFone doesn't make mobile telephones.
Mexico's Institute for Intellectual Property ruled on Thursday that the two names are phonetically identical, and thus there was a trademark encroachment.
Winners: Mexican form iFone S.A. de C.V. registered the name iFone in 2003 to cover specialized telephone service for call centers and businesses. They've won their trademark battle against Apple iPhone
The institute said several Mexican mobile phone carriers, including market leader America Movil, must pay a fine of about $104,000 and stop using 'iPhone' as a promotional name for their calling plans.
But Apple is not specifically covered by the ruling, since it doesn't provide calling services, just handsets. Apple had previously argued the Mexican firm's trademark had lapsed.
The ruling can be appealed, but the institute said about 68 percent of its rulings are upheld on appeal.
Previous reports suggested the Mexican company might sue Apple for as much as $1.5 billion trademark infringement, but iFone executives did not return calls for comment on whether they planned to file any civil suit.
It's not the first time Apple has faced disputes over the name.
In 2013, Brazil's patent authority ruled the iPhone name in Brazil belongs to a local company called Gradiente SA. The verdict didn't forbid the global computer giant from using the name in Brazil.
Reprimanded: Mexico's Institute for Intellectual Property has ruled that ads for Apple's iPhone have encroached on the trademark rights of a small local firm
Gradiente was the first to make cellphones in Brazil, and launched the first national smartphone in 2004. Their request to use the iPhone trademark was granted in 2008, and the company started making 'iphones', with a lowercase 'p'.
The issue is reminiscent of one that arose in the United States in 2007. Cisco Systems had owned the iPhone trademark since 2000, and had been using it for a line of Internet-connected phones.
Once Apple announced its intention to use the brand name, Cisco sued it in San Francisco federal court. The two companies settled out of court six weeks later, without disclosing the terms.
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Today, the News Media Alliance submitted a Declaration with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas to strongly advocate to keep the ad tech antitrust lawsuit against Google – filed by the State of Texas and nine other states in December – in Texas instead of moving it to California, per Google’s request.
This lawsuit has major implications for news publishers, particularly local news publishers that have been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and its related economic impact. Google has leveraged its dominance to commandeer the majority of all digital ad revenue, profiting from sharing news publishers’ content, while failing to consistently compensate news publishers for use of that content.
According to the Alliance’s Declaration, Texas is the right place to decide this case, as it represents the more convenient location for calling potential witnesses, and offers the most expedient option, given California’s requirements to adhere to Google’s adhesive forum selection clauses, and Texas’ ability to hear cases more promptly. The wait for a case to be heard in Texas is just 18 months, versus 44.5 months, or nearly four years, in California.
Alliance President & CEO, David Chavern, stated, “Google’s flatly anticompetitive dominance of the digital advertising ecosystem has stripped news publishers of important advertising revenue, which is critical for them to be able to continue to provide the high-quality journalism Americans depend on. Moving the lawsuit from Texas to California will unnecessarily delay the lawsuit – Google knows this and will want to put it off; however, news publishers don’t have that kind of time. We need action now.”
News publisher ad revenues have plummeted dramatically over the last two decades; between 2005 and 2018, news organizations saw their ad revenue fall by 70 percent. During that same period, Google’s ad revenue increased from approximately $6 billion to $116 billion, and Google’s market capitalization increased from approximately $100 billion to $1 trillion.
A copy of the News Media Alliance Declaration can be found here.
David Chavern is former President & CEO of the News/Media Alliance. Chavern has 30 years of experience in executive strategic and operational roles. Prior to the Alliance, he completed a decade-long tenure at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.


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Two companies are bidding to operate the campus bookstore, and each made pitches to the Binghamton University administration on Friday about why they are the best choice for the University.
Follett and Barnes & Noble proposed divergent visions for the 10-year future of the campus bookstore, which has been operated by Barnes & Noble for the last 30 years.
The committee, which consists of administrators from a variety of departments, will send an intent-to-award letter to SUNY’s Centralized Administration in Albany by March 21 to indicate their company preference. The proposed contract, if approved, would go into effect beginning July 2016.
Follett, which is the largest college bookstore provider in the country and is represented at SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Buffalo, proposed a University-led vision for the store’s future. The proposal emphasized BU branding instead of Follett branding, as well as the company’s overall flexibility and openness to University preferences.
Regarding the physical layout of the store, Follett proposed modest changes to the store like creating a technology area upstairs, which would include things like headphone testing stations and Apple products and other technology for sale. While their proposal outlined a commitment to further emphasizing the BU brand, they also acknowledged that many aspects of the store work well as is.
“We don’t like to be too presumptuous,” said Mike McEneany, a vice president of marketing at Follett. “We are still learning about your campus, so we took a very simple, mockup approach for initial discussion.”
Barnes & Noble’s pitch centered on their long relationship with the University, the resources the company plans to devote to the bookstore in the future and current student satisfaction with the operations of the store. They conducted a survey which indicates that 92 percent of students rank the bookstore as “good” or better in terms of overall performance, and 69 percent of students feel the campus bookstore made their transition into college life easier as freshmen.
Another portion of Barnes & Noble’s presentation focused on proposed physical changes to the bookstore. Among these are a conversion of the upstairs mannequin window into a door to increase foot traffic through the store, the addition of a lounge area with seating for students and a relocation of textbooks, by moving some to the first floor to better facilitate the sale of other products.
“We are constantly working to grow,” said Heather Sheffer, the current store manager. “We can’t stay the same because campus hasn’t stayed the same.”
Both companies highlighted their own technologies, with Barnes & Noble promoting their Yuzu online textbook reader and Follett discussing the functionality of their website, which includes Blackboard integration. Professors would be able to use a Blackboard add-on to browse and select textbooks and students could then buy the books directly from Blackboard.
Both Barnes & Noble and Follett indicated similar approaches to digital textbooks. While both companies plan to continue offering electronic and physical textbook options, they acknowledged that the adoption of these materials has not been widespread. A survey of BU students by Barnes & Noble indicated that 83 percent of students prefer print textbooks to digital.
The committee will rank each of the proposals on several specific financial, technical and presentation-based criteria. Once the bid is approved, the bookstore will either enter a transitional period with Follett or the contract with Barnes & Noble will be renewed, according to Peter Napolitano, the director of auxiliary services and the leader of the bidding process.
“The winner of the bid will give money to the University for things like capital improvements,” Napolitano said. “Since the contract is 10 years, these are mutually beneficial for them and us.”


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Nvidia has unveiled yet-another new GPU for desktop PCs and workstations that, founder and CEO Jensen Huang claims, is "the world's most powerful GPU for the PC". The Titan V is intended not for gaming,...
Respawn Entertainment comes up with cunning plan to deal with cheats
Facebook denies being a monopoly, Amazon denies unfairly competing with Marketplace merchants, and Google denies being evil
Amazon accused of abusing its position as both retailer and retail platform
Security flaws identified by Eclypsium have since been mitigated by the manufacturers


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HCJ2021 Special Food Service Exhibition held
HCJ2021 was held at Tokyo Big Sight from February 16 to 19. HCJ2021 consists of three exhibitions: Hoteres Japan, Caterex Japan, and Japan Food Service Equipment Show. In order to formulate timely plans every year, HCJ welcomes members from leading companies in the industry and sets up a committee that is the driving force of HCJ. The three-day exhibition attracted more than 24,000 visitors. In addition, after the real exhibition, a virtual exhibition is holding online and take advantage of the strengths unique to online, such as the staging of more than 50 online seminars.
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