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The concept of the “embedded SIM,” “eSIM” or “Virtual SIM” card for mobile devices has been around for a few years now, but it is still new, since even the terminology is not yet well defined. Apple filed the initial patent for its version, the “Virtual SIM” or “Apple SIM,” back in 2011 and has been building on the design ever since.
The idea behind an eSIM is that it is embedded as a chip within the device hardware rather than being a removable card. This allows users to avoid locking themselves into a plan with a single operator, or to switch operators without having to unlock or buy a new device. The long-term idea is to create an industry standard eSIM, which will bring added convenience, cost-savings, and security to consumers and organizations using mobile devices.
The reality of the eSIM is coming closer with Apple and Samsung reportedly partnering up with the GSMA, the industry association that represents mobile operators worldwide, along with select international networks, to bring the eSIM to life.
Apple made the first move to bring the eSIM to market late last year when it began releasing iPads with its own multi-carrier capable “Apple SIM” cards built in, which leveraged existing cell infrastructure around the world to provide access to a wireless network server. It also just began providing the option to buy its iPhone 6s and 6s Plus models SIM free and unlocked, indicating that the industry could be coming closer to a standard, multi-carrier SIM card.
While it is likely to face opposition from some network providers, the truth is that manufacturers are quickly becoming the ones with more bargaining power in the market, since consumers no longer need to buy their phones straight from the carriers.
Consumers are tired of being locked into contracts, and hardware manufacturers are tired of facing market barriers that restrict them from deploying their hardware on a global scale. Until now, SIM cards couldn’t be implemented everywhere in the world if strict carrier specifications were not met. This is adding fuel to the fire to make the eSIM a reality and bring to life its benefits including:
Convenience: Phones will get thinner and lighter since there is no longer a need for a physical card. Additionally, consumers will easily be able to switch between carriers as they please based on cost and other advantages. Moreover, having more than one phone number will be more convenient to manage, since all the user will need to do is register the numbers to their device and switch back and forth. For organizations, this will also eliminate the need to purchase additional devices.
Cost-Savings: Old pricing methods will no longer work and long-term contracts, which are already starting to disappear, will hold even less weight as consumers will more easily be able to shop around and switch providers. There is also talk of developing the software to automatically choose a network for the user according to how fast and cheap it is.
Travel: Consumers will no longer have to deal with the hassle of picking a local SIM whenever they go to a new country, and the eSIM could provide a much simpler, one-click, activation process. Roaming charges could also be avoided by an eSIM detecting that the user is in another country and automatically switching networks. This would also make it easier on organizations whose employees spend a lot of time traveling internationally and would save time and expense.
Security: Since the SIM cards will no longer be physical, there is no longer the threat of thieves jail-breaking lost or stolen phones. For organizations, the eSIM card will also contain security information, such as private key information, which could be used in authenticating user equipment to a cellular network, and will make it easier to locate lost or stolen devices through Data Loss Prevention and Mobile Device Management solutions. It will also lead to more secure devices by containing an IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity), being PIN protected, and featuring a security authentication process for the mobile network.
An additional benefit for consumers and enterprises is that network providers will be forced to step up their game in several areas. While the security benefits will definitely make customers and IT admins happier, it will also mean plenty of work carriers. Since consumers will get to easily switch between carriers, the carriers will have to strive to offer constant real-time protection and privacy. Carriers will also need to work out an efficient solution when it comes to provisioning services. The process is already too cumbersome as it is, and carriers will feel even more pressure once the eSIM is out.
With all the added benefits the eSIM will provide, we should be seeing a version of the technology hit the market in the near future. Since Apple was the first to file a patent, it will likely strike first, possibly even as soon as 2016 in some countries with the release of the iPhone 7. From there many other manufacturers will likely follow suit. According to research firm Smart Insights, 346 to 864 million handsets with an eSIM will be shipped yearly by 2020, and the traditional SIM card industry will see at least 16 percent of its shipments disappear by the end of the decade, meaning adoption over the next few years is imminent.
Roman Foeckl is CEO and founder of CoSoSys.


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We can all agree that “Mom and Pop” shops were the foundation of the Sneaker Community and while most small shops have closed across the U.S, there’s still a few that remain. However in Philadelphia, Nike has cut ties with the some of the last few independently owned shops like Real Mcoy Athletic Footwear, Top Shoes, Center City Shoes and Shoe Plus. Let us know why you think Nike is cutting ties with Mom and Pop shops. Check out the small interview after the Jump and give us your opinion.
In a recent Philly.com article they report that Nike is cutting ties with several local stores in the Philadelphia and Camden regions starting with three Real McCoy Athletic Footwear locations who store manager Keith Sherman, stated Nike products account for 75 to 80 percent of his store’s sales. Also effected by this are “mom and pops” stores like Top Shoes, Center City Sports and Shoe Plus. As for now no word on why Nike has terminated these stores contracts. Some of the on going troubles many sneaker fans face in getting limited products from retailers include jacking up prices, making “back door sales”, stores eBay’ing goods, selling before release dates or selling limited products to their friends just to name a few of the many problems that occur all to often with limited releases. With that being said Nike has some problems of their own which need immediate addressing such as their online release system and the war against bots which leave many empty handed. Check the clippings from the article below and let us know what you think?
“We had scheduled a meeting at the Nike Headquarters in Portland, Oregon with our sales rep,” Sherman said. “And that meeting was canceled that day — they wouldn’t even see us,” he added. The account termination email arrived in store owner William Chung’s inbox shortly after the canceled meeting in Portland. The notice listed “no reasons whatsoever” as to why Nike was severing ties with the shop. Sherman says Real McCoy Athletic Footwear has been doing “good business” with Nike for over 23 years.
Nike said in a statement released to CBS3:
“Nike is constantly evaluating its distribution needs with a view to enhancing its brand. This includes adapting our distribution strategy to the changes in our consumers’ purchasing behavior, the retail landscape, and our brand strategy.”
Quoted piece by Decipher
Why do You think Nike’s cutting ties with Small Businesses?

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This year the industry expanded 23% to $17.8 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV), according to RedSeer Management Consulting, a market research and consulting firm. India’s e-commerce market picked up in the 2nd half of the current year, driven by robust growth at Flipkart Ltd and Amazon India and new entrant Paytm E-commerce.
“The market showed very strong growth in the second half of the year and we expect that to continue in 2018,” Anil Kumar RedSeer chief executive, said. “It wasn’t just that sale months were (better than the year-ago period), even the non-sale months in the second half were much higher than H1. So there are enough signs that the market should see very high growth next year.”
“The ongoing efforts by Flipkart and Amazon to go deeper into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and Paytm’s aggressive expansion plans will drive the market next year. Because of this, we should we see that growth will come more from new online shoppers rather than selling more to existing customers. In 2016 and 2017, it was the other way round—most of the growth was coming from existing users,” Kumar said.


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BENGALURU: The promise of high growth in the country’s warehousing and logistics
sector is luring not only foreign investors but also private equity
firms. According to real estate consultancy firm JLL
India, in 2015 the sector received Rs 1,438 crore in investment through two major deals, topping the Rs 1,350 crore inflow to the sector in 2012 through five deals.
"The year 2013 had seen a remarkably low investment. However, government initiatives in making the policy environment-conducive and strengthening of the ecommerce logistics platform post-2014 seems to have resulted in an investment comeback — as seen in 2015," said Nirav Kothary, head of industrial services at JLL India.
Some private equity funds that are looking to invest or have already invested in the segment are IL&FS (Tara India Fund III), Fidelity International, Milestone Capital Advisors, Standard Chartered Private Equity, Everstone Capital and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR).
Institutional players expect an internal rate of return (IRR) of about 16-20 per cent from a warehouse development project. Experts say that policies allowing 100 percent FDI
in warehouses and food storage facilities under the automatic route (where manufacturers can sell their products online directly), as also declaring some zones to be tax-free (i.e. free trade warehousing zones or FTWZs), has brought the sector under the foreign PE investment radar.
Global private equity firm Warburg Pincus had entered into a joint venture with Embassy Group to invest Rs 650 crore for setting up warehouses across major cities in the country. The New York-based private equity has also committed Rs 850 crore to Ecom Express, a logistics solutions providers to the Indian ecommerce industry.
"We believe there is significant potential to make further investments in the Indian logistics space as the sector continues to evolve and develop," said Viraj Sawhney, managing director of Warburg Pincus. The fund has committed over $500 million to the sector to date across a number of investments spanning Continental Warehousing, Ecom Express, Embassy Industrial Parks, Gangavaram Port and IMC.
"Warburg Pincus is investing from a global $12-billion fund. We have no predetermined investment size and our equity investment typically ranges from $50 million to $500 million," said Sawhney.
Data shows that nearly 25 per cent of all warehousing absorption is driven by the ecommerce segment, making it the biggest demand driver for the sector, with Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh been the frontrunners in attracting industrial investments.
Under the 'Make in India’ initiative, states like Punjab, Haryana and Karnataka are also taking bold steps towards better industrial policies.
"This segment is extremely important for us. We have already invested into warehousing in the past and have experienced very healthy returns. Now, with the 'Make in India' initiative, attractive investment opportunities for NRIs into domestic AIF, rising yields from commercial
assets etc., makes it worthwhile for us to look at this sector very seriously," said Rubi Arya, executive Vice-Chairman at Milestone Capital Advisors
Experts say the biggest challenges are in aggregation of land and getting development permissions. Since warehousing is primarily allowed in urban zones, the cost of land is prohibitive. However, with the rollout of GST
, it is expected to get better and more transparent.
According to JLL India, warehousing is seeing higher supply of organised Grade-A and B warehouses. In 2015, the cumulative warehousing supply (grades A and B) across eight cities stood at about 97 million sq ft compared with 79 million sq ft in the previous year. This supply is expected to reach 116 million sq ft in 2016.
With industrial corridors like Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor (DMIC) and the expansion and improvement of road network, things are indeed looking up for the industrial and warehousing sectors, they say.


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Wauwatosa bakery creates “Tide Pod” doughnut in response to dangerous internet trend
WAUWATOSA, Wis. (CBS 58) – Cranky Al’s Bakery in Wauwatosa is selling a doughnut that closely resembles Tide Pod laundry detergent packs.
The creation is in response to a dangerous internet trend where young adults take a video eating the laundry detergent and post it online.
A manager says the message they want to get across is to eat the doughnuts instead of the laundry detergent.
“When you hear stuff like that you’re not proud to see it,” Cranky Al’s managing partner Joey Carioti said. “You’re not proud to see people eating Tide Pods but we’re happy that we can put our spin on it and get them away from it and eat a doughnut instead.”
The bakery came up with the idea for the raspberry-filled doughnut around two weeks ago after seeing other bakeries around the country creating their own treats. Cranky Al’s has been selling around 36 of the doughnuts every day. On Saturdays and Sundays, they sell close to 50.
Although the treat has been popular in the area, some think bringing more attention to the challenge isn’t a good idea.
“Bringing light of it in restaurants I think is untoward, I don’t know why a restaurant would want to do that,” Milwaukee resident John Hammetter said.
Cranky Al’s plans on selling the doughnuts until Valentine’s Day.


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“Netflix now has a million fewer subscribers than rival Disney…” reports the Independent. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean Netflix has fewer subscribers. If a person subscribes to two Disney offers, that will count as two subscriptions, and the company does not disclose how many people subscribe to its services.” (Digital trends notes that “After acquiring 21st Century Fox, Disney also controls Hulu,” as well as the sports streaming site ESPN+.)
If you just want to compare Netflix to Disney+ then Independent reports Netflix with 220.67 million total subscribers, while IndieWire reports that Disney+ had 152.1 million subscribers at the end of June. (Disney’s chief executive says Disney+ added 14.4 million subscribers between March and June, according to the Independent.)
IndieWire goes on to report that ESPN+ reported 22.8 million subscribers earlier this year, while Hulu reported 46.2 million subscribers, so “combined subscriptions for the individual services included in the Disney Bundle just surpassed the total number of paid Netflix subscribers worldwide.”
We’ll note here that Hulu is still the only one of the pack making money. However, its operating profit fell in Q3, while Disney+ and ESPN+’s losses widened.
Disney+ is expected to break even in 2024, executives said Wednesday during Disney’s third-quarter conference call.


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SCCC plans May 10 supply chain, logistics roundtable
General Electric, GlobalFoundries, Beech-Nut Distribution Corp. and UPS will be among the dozen or so companies participating in a workforce development roundtable on May 10 at Schenectady County Community College.
The roundtable runs from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the school’s Lally-Mohawk Room.
The discussion will help shape a new logistics and supply-chain management degree being developed by the upstate New York college, as well as develop potential partners, internship opportunities and future jobs. The new program is expected to feed the jobs pipeline as the region’s rail and trucking industries expand, and retailers occupy more warehouse space in the region.
Allen covers education, restaurants, transportation and nonprofits.
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Category Archives: news
LTE have updated their P3000 smartphone and renamed it as the Elephone P3000S with added LTE data support.
Deal Exteme selling the Meizu MX4 with free shipping for $428.60
The number 13 might be unlucky to you or I, but Chinese phone makers are embracing the number with Zopo and now Huawei launching new phones on the date.
After more than a month of searching for the right candidate, OnePlus finally has a General Manager for India!
The next MT6595 smartphone from China to go on sale, the Zopo ZP999, will be available from the 13th October our sources have confirmed.
Allwinner have announced a new processor designed specifically for gaming consoles and Android TV boxes.
OnePlus China have been posting teasers of a new product that will launch on 13th October. So what will it be? Sources believe a JBL manufactured speaker is on the cards.
Has the first real photo of the Meizu MX4 Pro been leaked? Sources on Weibo are claiming so.
The Xiaomi Mi Router was spotted on an online certification database in Malaysia, which can only mean one thing!
100,000 Redmi 1S phones will be up for grabs on the next Xiaomi flash sale that’s scheduled for India for the 14th of October.
October 29th, Singapore. That’s the time and place the Oppo N3 will officially launch, but have these leaked render let the cat out of the bag early?
In a recent Q&A with design fans Apple designer Jony Ive criticised Xiaomi’s copying of Apple products! Xiaomi have responded.
With the imminent arrival of the Zopo ZP999, many customers are wondering which is a better buy, the new MT6595 Zopo or the powerful Meizu MX4?
So Zopo will be releasing their next flagship phone, the Zopo ZP999, very soon and we have learned a few extra details about this MT6595 phone that will cost $419!
Rocking an octacore MT8392 Mediatek processor means the Cube Talk 9X is just at home connected via 3G on the go as it is at home over WIFI.
So far only the white and silver version of he Xiaomi Mi4 has been available to buy, but on all honesty it looks a bit naff in comparison to the sleek black model going on sale at the end of this month.
64Bit fever has spread like wildfire and now we have news of the first Android tablet to get a boost in architecture, the Cube T7.
ZTE join in on the 64Bit fun with the new ZTE Q802C
Infocus are quickly rising to fame across China and Taiwan with a new focus on powerful smartphones which can be had at budget prices. The Infocus M330 is the latest with an octacore chip.
OnePlus fans can’t wait to see the OnePlus 2, with some even producing their own concept ideas which address some of the design choices of the original.


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The Central Bank of Ireland has delayed the enforcement of new EU regulations aimed at making online payments more secure.
The move comes just two days after it was reported that its British counterpart, the Financial Conduct Authority, is to delay enforcement of strong customer authentication (SCA) by a further 18 months.
The decision by the Central Bank comes amid concerns of a lack of preparedness by businesses in complying with the new measures .
SCA is a new EU regulation that comes into effect on September 14th which is forecast to radically change the way European customers buy online. The legislation, which forms part of the PSD2 “open banking” regulations, requires businesses to build an extra layer of authentication into online card payments for payments above €30.
What this means in effect is that consumers buying things online will soon have to confirm their identity using two authentication methods, such as a password, a phone, or their fingerprint. The impact of the regulation for businesses is significant as many have to upgrade their payment platforms ahead of the legislation coming into force.
Hit to European economy
Stripe, the online payments company set up by the Limerick-born brothers Patrick and John Collison, is among a number of retailers and processors that include Amazon and Worldpay, that have warned that billions of euro of transactions are at risk due to the introduction of SCA.
A recent report conducted on behalf of Stripe concluded that Europe stands to lose €57 billion of economic activity in the first 12 months after SCA takes effect.
That report found that just 44 per cent of businesses expected to be compliant with the new regulations by mid-September.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) in June rejected calls for an extended grace period for businesses, saying that companies had been given ample time to comply with the new regulations. However, it did allow national authorities to offer limited extensions on an "exceptional basis".
The legal deadline for complying with the regulatory technical standards on SCA remains September 14th, however, the Central Bank on Friday confirmed it would provide additional time to allow industry to implement the necessary reforms. It did not say how much longer businesses would be given.
“The Central Bank of Ireland recognises the difficulties with meeting this deadline. We have been engaging with the industry to develop a migration plan to implement SCA for ecommerce transactions, as soon as possible after this date,” it said.
The regulator added it was in talks with the EBA and other regulators to try to agree a harmonised approach to the migration time periods across the EU.
The Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland welcomed the extension.
“Today’s statement by the Central Bank is a very positive development for consumers and online businesses as it will prevent unintended disruption to online shopping from September 14th,” said Gill Murphy, head of payments schemes at the BPFI.
“That said, any additional time will be limited so it is critical that all ecommerce businesses and operators continue to progress their preparation and implementation at pace,” she added.
Regulators in several other countries, including France and the Netherlands, are believed to also be weighing an extension for businesses.


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By John Shipman and Suzanne Kapner
J.C. Penney’s management wasn’t shy about throwing the old Ron Johnson-led group under the bus — and then backing over them — after second quarter sales disappointed.
The culprit: The home remake that was one of the former Apple Inc. executive’s marquee projects before he was ousted this spring after a disastrous first year at the helm. In its earnings release, Penney blamed “lengthy renovation and disappointing re-merchandising of its Home departments” for part of the 1.9% drop in comparable store sales in the period.
Later on, the company says getting the new Home strategy up and running “has been more challenging and is taking much longer than originally planned,” and, more troubling, “previous management’s Home strategy has not resonated well with customers.
More on this after the jump…


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London, March 2019 – Winnow launches its new AI-enabled product, Winnow Vision, to revolutionise food waste management in commercial kitchens for the benefit of both businesses and future generations.
Using a camera, a set of smart scales and the same type of machine learning technology found in autonomous vehicles, Winnow Vision ‘learns’ to recognise different foods being thrown in the bin and calculates the financial and environment cost of this discarded food to commercial kitchens. Businesses and chefs can then adjust their food purchasing decisions accordingly, reducing their spending and tackling a fundamental problem of food waste: overproduction.
The launch follows a proof of concept phase launched in January 2018 with early adopter partners IKEA and Emaar Hospitality Group, to test Winnow Vision’s technology in leading commercial kitchens around the world. Winnow and its early adopter partners have been working on the technology since October 2017. The pilot proved categorically that Winnow Vision surpasses human levels of accuracy and enables chefs to run smarter, more profitable and more efficient kitchens.
The launch of Winnow Vision follows the success of Winnow’s first device, which consisted of a set of smart scales and identified food manually. Winnow has helped commercial kitchens save more than $30 million in annualised food costs which equates to preventing over 23 million meals going in the bin. The new, AI-powered Winnow Vision is already installed in over 75 kitchens and the technology will be rolled out to hundreds more this year.
Marc Zornes, CEO of Winnow, says: “Food waste is a global issue, and one that kitchens around the world are struggling with. Without visibility into what is being wasted, kitchens are wasting far more food than they think. By understanding and reporting food waste’s very real costs – both to the bottom line and the environment – Winnow Vision empowers chefs to take action. Using technology that learns and improves with each use, Winnow Vision has the ability to tackle food waste on a global scale.”
Globally, a third of all food never reaches our forks. If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gasses after the USA and China. Food waste is also a completely unnecessary financial burden for businesses to bear, costing the global economy around $1 trillion in lost output – equivalent to around 1.5 per cent of global GDP. Food waste costs commercial kitchens between five and 15 per cent of all food purchased, with some kitchens wasting up to 20 per cent of all the food they buy. Food waste costs the hospitality industry alone around $100bn every year – a number that Winnow Vision will slash.
With Winnow Vision, businesses install a piece of technology that can already recognise most food items and can be trained to learn other menu items in any kitchen. During the training and automation phases, the Winnow Vision system takes human input, providing a shortlist of possible menu items for kitchen staff to select, to quickly improve its predictions based on feedback. Over time, the system continues to improve and will automatically recognise food with no human interaction. Chefs can benefit from full reporting in their kitchens, helping cut food waste and save money with minimal to no effort.
Hege Sæbjørnsen, Country Sustainability Manager for IKEA UK & Ireland, said: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at IKEA and a part of our DNA. We have set ourselves an ambitious target to cut our food waste by 50% across our operations before end of August 2020 and our partnership with Winnow is critical to realising that goal. We know that food waste is a complex issue, but Winnow Vision demonstrates that solutions to help tackle this don’t have to be.”
Lorena Lourido, Country Food Manager at IKEA UK & Ireland, said: “At IKEA, we want to inspire and enable the many people to change their behaviour when it comes to food waste, starting in our own operations. Winnow Vision has now been installed across 23 IKEA UK & Ireland stores and the feedback from the IKEA Food teams running our restaurant kitchens has been extremely positive so far.”
About IKEA Group
With a vision to create a better everyday life for the many people, IKEA offers well-designed, functional and affordable home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible are able to afford a beautiful and functional home. Ingka Group (Ingka Holding B.V. and its controlled entities) is one of 11 different groups of companies that own and operate IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Ingka Group has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. It is the world’s largest home furnishing retailer operating 367 IKEA stores in 30 markets. These IKEA stores had 838 million visits during FY18 and 2.35 billion visits www.IKEA.com. Ingka Group operates business under the IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.
The Full Year Financial Report FY18 for the IKEA Group was published in November 2018.
About Emaar Hospitality Group
Emaar Hospitality Group LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emaar Properties PJSC, the Dubai-based global property developer, and manages Emaar’s hospitality and leisure projects globally.
Defining its competency in managing mixed-use property developments, Emaar Hospitality Group owns and manages a diversified portfolio of assets including hotels, serviced residences, golf clubs, polo club, marina and lifestyle dining restaurants.
Emaar Hospitality Group has defined its credentials in the hotel industry with its distinctive hotel brands - Address Hotels + Resorts and Vida Hotels and Resorts.
Address Hotels + Resorts has brought a fresh identity to the global hospitality and service sector by setting new benchmarks with its gracious hospitality and exceptional service standards. Address offers a more personal and engaging experience to guests in a premium lifestyle environment, enriching the lives of its guests with luxury, style and elegance. Address Hotels + Resorts is set to operate hotels and serviced residences in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Bahrain, Maldives and other key markets in the region as well as in the UAE.
An upscale lifestyle hotel and residences brand, Vida Hotels and Resorts is for the new generation of business executives, entrepreneurs and leisure travellers. Positioned as a lively and vibrant hub where inspiring minds can create, connect and come alive, Vida hotels are a stimulating environment where style meets convenience and interactivity. Vida Hotels and Resorts has two properties in Dubai and is set to operate hotels and serviced residences in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and other key markets in the region as well as in the UAE.
Underlining its strength and contribution to shaping the hospitality sector of the nation, Emaar Hospitality Group has been awarded as the Official Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai and will provide authentic experiences with a strong local flavour at various locations across the Expo 2020 site, including VIP clubs and lounges, as well as in its hotels and restaurants in Dubai. www.emaarhospitality.com


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In Battle Creek, there's a man who's on the Sex Offender list who wants to open up a Food Auction store to "help the community". But people in the neighborhood are a bit upset, and don't want him to be able to. Because his store would be right next door to a toy store, and only a few blocks from a school.
A recent Supreme Court decision found that laws barring access to social media sites is unconstitutional. So now, the National Association for Rational Sex Offense Laws has contacted Mark Zuckerberg, and issued a press release, calling for Facebook to end its ban on Sex Offenders. How do you feel about this?


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Britain needs to go on a diet, health watchdog says
Public Health England challenges the processed food industry to cut calories by 20% to prevent obesity and associated problems.
Tuesday 6 March 2018 06:34, UK
Fast-food outlets, supermarkets, restaurants and food manufacturers should cut calories in their products by 20% to help tackle the childhood obesity crisis, England's health watchdog has demanded.
Public Health England (PHE) has "challenged" the processed food industry to make the reduction by 2024, after it established that some children are eating the equivalent of an extra meal a day.
"Britain needs to go on a diet," said Duncan Selbie, chief executive of PHE.
"The simple truth is on average we need to eat less.
"Children and adults routinely eat too many calories and it is why so many are overweight or obese.
"Industry can help families by finding innovative ways to lower the calories in the food we all enjoy.
"It is not an attack on overweight folk, it is about getting more options and extending knowledge and more choices."
PHE is also launching a campaign to encourage people to control calories, proposing a "rule for thumb" of 400 calories for breakfast and 600 each for lunch and dinner.
They say major fast-food chains including McDonalds, Subway and Greggs have signed up to the "400-600-600" plan and agreed to "signpost" customers towards lower-calorie options.
"We are talking to big companies that make the big-selling products, both ready meals and out-of-home food," said chief nutritionist Alison Tedstone.
"A few healthy options at the end of a menu will not end the obesity crisis.
"We need the everyday products to change."
Research by PHE estimates that some children eat between 290 and 500 unnecessary calories every day, the equivalent of an extra meal.
Processed food, ready meals and those eaten away from the home account for 50% of all calories consumed, and 19% of those eaten by children.
Producers have been asked to cut the calories in 13 processed food categories including pizzas, savoury snacks, soups, meats, potato and pasta meals, and "composite" salads such as hummus.
Suppliers will be encouraged to "reformulate" their recipes to cut calories or reduce portion size to meet the targets, which are voluntary.
Last year PHE launched a similar sugar reduction program which, combined with a new levy on soft drinks and the food program, will target 50% of the calories consumed by children.
PHE estimated the programs could save the NHS £4.8bn over the next 25 years, a further £4.2bn in social care costs and prevent 35,000 early deaths.
Obesity and related conditions including Type 2 diabetes and some cancers cost the NHS £6bn every year, as well as "keeping people out of work, stifling their earnings and wider economic productivity".


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Emily Saunders, Regulatory Operations Manager, takes a look at the potential delay to the Tobacco Product Directive (TPD3) and the future of TPD notifications.
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Mom kicked out of cafe because of messy kids — social media responds
"Alright, I'll say it. You people with kids decided to complicate your lives freely, stop complicating other peoples lives just because you now realize you've made a huge mistake!! If you have kids, stay at HOME! Nobody want your germy little mess makers running around a public place disturbing the peace! You made the choice, now live with it like an adult," Timothy Clemmer wrote.
When asked about the photo she posted online, MacDuff explained her thought process.
"It was supposed to be snarky. If I wanted to humiliate them I would have taken their picture," MacDuff said in an interview. Others online agreed that the photograph was not offensive.
"People are overly sensitive. She posted a picture of the FLOOR. There are a lot of places and stores where you will be asked to leave for making a mess. The only reason anyone knows who this woman even is is because she ran her mouth to the news because she was mad that someone pointed out that she was a slob," Tara Bowman wrote.
"I work in retail and watch parents let their kids behave like monsters and destroy and make messes of everything and I don't think its right for any of us to be given all the extra work of other people's unruly children."
While the company’s Facebook page was receiving media attention, MacDuff decided to donate the cost of one scone for each comment made during a one-hour period. MacDuff raised $104 for kids' back-to-school supplies.
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Gmail Aids $118.01 Billion in Mobile Payments by 2018?
With eMarketer predicting mobile payments will reach $8.95 billion in 2015, one of the two major players in the space expanded its email payment options. During "the coming weeks," Gmail users in the U.K. will be able to do the same thing their U.S. counterparts have been able to do since 2013—send and receive money in their Google Wallet accounts.
Although Google describes the option as a way for Gmail users to send and receive money from family and friends, the May 2013 announcement in the U.S. got picked up two days later by the E-commerce Times for an explanation about how marketers can benefit.
And even before Apple announced Apple Pay, which along with Google Wallet is considered mainly a near-field communication (NFC) option in-store, Movable Ink wrote a blog post in October 2014 titled "Apple Pay + Email: Reducing the Friction to Purchase."
These innovations are part of what makes eMarketer say point-of-sale mobile payments will reach nearly $120 billion by 2018, according to an October 2014 article.
"Many U.S. consumers remain hesitant about using mobile payments in the near-term," eMarketer writes. "But most also believe it's only a matter of time before paying by phone becomes commonplace."
In 2013, Google made the Gmail process sound simple.
"To send money in Gmail, hover over the attachment paperclip, click the $ icon to attach money to your message, enter the amount you wish to send, and press send," according to the 2013 blog post announcing the option.
And in Thursday's Google Commerce blog post, the company says it will take weeks to roll out the option vs. the months it took in the U.S.
"When you receive money for the first time, you'll need to claim it by setting up a Google Wallet Balance and linking your debit card or bank account," the 2015 post says. "After that, your money can be kept in your Wallet Balance for later sending, for spending on Google Play, or you can quickly transfer it to your bank account."
As of Friday afternoon, Google Play shows Google Wallet has 10 million downloads. However, according to a September 2014 article in the Guardian, that number may be closer to 20 million.
"The rollout of Apple Pay—and more importantly the installation of NFC-enabled terminals in stores across the U.S.—should mean greater uptake for Google Wallet," reads the Guardian article. "But although Google Wallet has a far larger installed base, Apple's iPhone sales suggest that it could quickly challenge Google Wallet in the U.S. for real-world transactions, and the company is also implementing payments for apps."
According to Business Insider, during the first 72 hours of Apple Pay's availability, there were 1 million credit card activations.
On Thursday, Chris Ciaccia of Nasdaq writes an article titled "Apple Pay Is Going to be a Monster For Apple."
"On Apple's earnings call earlier this week, CEO Tim Cook said that Apple Pay, available on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, now account for more than $2 out of every $3 spent using contactless payments across the three major credit card networks," Ciaccia says.
What changes will marketers make as a result?
Please respond in the comments section below.


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We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
Online Wine Yes, Coffee No: Scrambling To Keep Up With California’s New Prop. 65 Toxic Warnings Capital Public Radio News
California’s new toxics warning rules apply to something that didn’t even exist when Prop. 65 first took effect: online markets for products, including wine.
Todd Doyle has been an internet marketer since 1994. Owner of several website domains and several online social profiles, Todd Doyle continues to be at the forefront of all emerging technologies.


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Stocks surge to record highs as the start of earnings season, powers the way. Plus, it’s been another rocky week for Trump. Could his antics eventually start hurting markets? And Facebook’s overhaul plans rattle investors. Is the company entering uncharted waters here? Plus, will wireless charging be the next big thing or fizzle out in primetime? The CEO of Energous lays out his company’s prospects. Catch The Final Round at 3:55 ET p.m. with Jen Rogers, Yahoo Finance Editor-in-Chief Andy Serwer, reporter Julia La Roche and columnist Rick Newman.
Winners and losers
Stocks in the green include Dick’s Sporting Goods on a Deutsch Bank upgrade to Buy, citing improving industry trends; BlackRock as the asset manager beat on earnings and raised its dividend; and Kohl’s, with shares of the department store chain higher as RBC Capital upgraded it to Sector Perform claiming improving comp store sales.
Stocks in the red include Gamestop as the game retailer took a steep charge to its technology brands business due to the iPhone 10’s limited availability and AT&T’s new compensation structure; Snap as Raymond James downgraded it to Underperform claiming it is nothing more than an ‘overvalued chat company;’ and Facebook, with shares dropping as CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced changes to the newsfeed, prioritizing user content over publishers and brands.


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As tomorrow is the first day of the Tokyo Game Show 2014, I'm posting this news roundup earlier than planned to ensure I have a clean slate in case anything exciting is reported.
Whether there is news of any new game or not, there will probably be a media presentation at the show to announce upcoming tie-ins and merchandise (and hopefully, dates for the next Basara Matsuri). I also think it's likely we'll see the two new mascot characters from last week's Inazuma Rock Fes appearing at the show to greet visitors.
So for now, here's a wrap-up of the Sengoku Basara news from the last couple of days.
It's festival season for the Sengoku Basara series
Two more traditional festival tie-ins have been announced today to join the Yukimura exhibition in Osaka and last weekend's Masamune-kou Matsuri, which has posted its official poster artwork since my previous update.
The first of the new announcements is that Sengoku Basara's Katakura Kojuurou will support this year's Oni Kojuurou Matsuri once again. The seventh annual festival will take place on 4th October 2014 in its usual home of Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture. It celebrates the second generation Katakura Kojuurou (Katakura Shigenaga) and features historical reenactments at the local castle.
Even though the character from the game is based on the first Katakura Kojuurou (Katakura Kagetsuna), the series blends his feats with those of his son and the festival honours them both. Kojuurou's voice actor Morikawa Toshiyuki often takes time out from his busy schedule to visit Shiroishi for the festival each year. I wonder whether he'll be mingling with the crowds of fans again this time?
In addition, fans who visit Motochika's birthplace of Nankoku City in Kouchi Prefecture between 11th October 2014 and 12th January 2015 can participate in the 'Chousokabe Motochika Rally 4'. It's a special tourism event designed to let visitors follow in Motochika's footsteps via a 'real rally game', and this time the posters for the game will use artwork from Sengoku Basara 4.
Since it's a game, it's less straightforward than a plain old festival. Participants have to visit the locations specified on the pamphlet's 'treasure map', take pictures of themselves at the various sites and then email them to Nankoku's tourist board for a chance to win prizes. It sounds pretty fun!
The final special guest is announced for the Sengoku Basara Judge End radio show
As regular readers know, the bonus Hoshi Souichirou and Seki Tomokazu's 'Sengoku Basara: Judge End' Radio CDs which come with the DVD/BD releases of Sengoku Basara Judge End each feature a special episode with a seiyuu guest presenter. The staff have now revealed the guest who will appear on the fourth volume and it's to be Nakahara Shigeru (Mouri Motonari).
NTV announce a wider selection of Sengoku Basara Judge End merchandise
These announcements never end! The first new goodies from the official anime website is a selection of four natural stone bracelets and pins. The designs are based on Masamune (sodalite), Yukimura (coral), Ieyasu (tiger's eye) and Mitsunari (amethyst). Each piece of jewellery comes with an illustrated backing card of the character it's based upon.
The bracelets will cost ¥3,800 each while the pins are ¥1,500. They're planned for release at the beginning of October 2014.
There will also be a pair of stainless steel tumblers priced at ¥1,500 each. They're suitable for hot and cold beverages and each comes with a lid. The release date is expected to be between late November and early December 2014.
The Sengoku Basara Judge End bath towels are available online
There was some interest in these towels when they were first announced so here's an update: fans who have access to a proxy buying service can now reserve the towels through OOPARTS Online.


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Ken Clarke reckons that Boris Johnson’s plan for a successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia is “silly populist nonsense”. He’s wrong. Britain is facing a huge economic challenge. The double whammy of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic has left the UK facing its largest ever economic crisis. There will be a big price to pay and international trade has to be a key component of our economic revival. But international trade needs a flagship and £200 million for a new Royal Yacht is a bargain basement price for a global marketing icon.
From the very beginning of the first lockdown, the doom merchants have predicted mass unemployment and soaring recession. Economists prophesied that we could not switch off our economy for two years without disastrous consequences. The lessons of history tell a different story. Following the cholera pandemic in the early 1830s, tens of thousands died and hospitals were overwhelmed with patients that doctors didn’t know how to treat. But the end of the plague prompted an economic revival, with both France and Britain experiencing an industrial revolution. Today, to our surprise, unemployment has fallen from 4.8% to 4.7%, marking six consecutive months of jobs growth. The prediction that the end of furlough payments would expose a huge surge in jobless figures has, thankfully, proved to be inaccurate so far, although two million people are still on furlough, so the full impact has yet to be seen. But the UK added nearly 200,000 jobs in the battered hospitality sector in May alone, as lockdown conditions eased. The ending of all virus restrictions this summer will have a dramatic effect.
Economists and most politicians hate the idea that we can borrow and hand out tens of billions without any shockwaves. The UK now has a £2.3 trillion debt pile. The fear is that we may face spiralling inflation, forcing up interest rates, which will make it impossible to service this massive debt. The doom merchants forecast that this will lead to dramatic cuts in spending and galloping unemployment. To date, neither inflation nor unemployment has been an issue, although servicing the UK debt is costing us £2 billion every month and this is likely to rise to £3 billion a month by 2025. With inflation still below the Bank of England’s target of 2% and even the most pessimistic forecasters saying that it will peak at around 2.6%, there is a growing consensus in the business community that we may have got away with it. The tide may have turned. Now, we need to concentrate on re-booting the UK economy, re-establishing growth and prosperity and recreating jobs. That means selling British goods and services to the world.
The CBI has urged the UK government to think big following the pandemic. What could be bigger than commissioning a new Royal Yacht to fly the Union Jack around the world, boosting Britain’s role as a global trading nation? The new vessel would pay for itself many times over by helping to cement major trade deals internationally. It will be the first national flagship since Britannia, which was decommissioned by Tony Blair in 1997 and which, prior to the pandemic, was still attracting over 300,000 tourists annually at its permanent berth at Ocean Terminal in Leith. During its 43-year career, the Royal Yacht Britannia travelled over a million nautical miles around the world and undertook 696 foreign visits. It was a key UK foreign policy asset, helping to promote British interests abroad.
A new Royal Yacht will be used to host trade fairs and diplomatic talks, but, unlike Britannia, will not be a luxury vessel. There are even suggestions that with construction costs being met by the Ministry of Defence, the vessel should have a combined defence and trade role, with guns attached, to avoid the need for warship escorts. It will be crewed by the Royal Navy. Boris Johnson has pledged that the vessel will be built in the UK, incorporating the best of British design and the latest green technology. It remains to be seen if, like its predecessor Britannia, it can be built on the Clyde, which would be an inspirational uplift for Scotland’s industrial economy and a significant morale boost for the post-pandemic Union. As a floating shop-window promoting the best of British goods and services, the new Royal Yacht would be a superb addition to the Royal Navy’s fleet.
The new vessel will also be an ideal location for major summit meetings hosted by Britain. The recent G7 summit in Cornwall cost a staggering £70 million in policing expenses alone. It is reckoned the final bill will be nearer £90 million. A purpose-built Royal Yacht could easily accommodate such a conference in secure surroundings, at a fraction of the cost. Boris Johnson knows that if he is to fulfil his Brexit promises, he will need to secure major inward-investments to Britain, while simultaneously boosting exports and negotiating new free trade agreements. What better way to showcase the best of British culture, fashion, food, drink, services and manufacturing, than with a state-of-the-art Royal Yacht, hosting diplomatic and business meetings and promoting trade.
It would be important to continue the link to the Royal Household, following the tradition of HMY Britannia, by naming the vessel Her Majesty’s Yacht. The House of Windsor is renowned globally and Forbes Magazine estimate that their contribution annually to the British economy is worth over £12.9 billion, mostly from tourism. Maintaining that link by naming the new vessel HMY Prince Philip, would be a noteworthy factor in securing its future success. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was Lord High Admiral from 2011 until his death earlier this year. He served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Sources within Buckingham Palace have, however, said that the Royal Family are ‘displeased’ with suggestions in the media that the new yacht could be named as a tribute to the late Duke of Edinburgh. The Queen has apparently not yet been approached on the matter by the Prime Minister and clearly wishes to keep the issue at arms-length. But far from being the ‘populist nonsense’ claimed by Ken Clarke, HMY Prince Philip would be a worthy name, for a great British flagship.


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The urbane survivor is not concerned with the Jt. email follies, nor on playing the side bets as to whether a do-nothing, all-talk congress will actually reform and get something done.
Rather, there is in the news a flow of thought about money – how to get, how to manage, and how to spend it. But it’s not the eyeball-grabber that Collapsing News Networks are desperately stalking in order to save their own financial bacon.
Instead, more thoughtful media are getting back to the matter of money, without which, what’s the point. The UK Guardian, for example, is looking at one of the biggest personal financial questions out there: “Is paying off the mortgage a better bet than saving?”
It becomes a more interesting crap shoot when we dial in inflationary expectations.
Her Janetness this week announced that future rate hikes are out there somewhere up ahead for the US. But when exactly will depend on a smorgasbord of caveats as long as your arm.
Over in Ure-Up, we see how there ECB is moving as Reuters report an “Exclusive: ECB wary of putting end-date on quantitative easing – sources.”
Belgium’s waffles, perhaps?
All this as the world’s globalists are transitioning people to the corporate feudalism model. Herein, you don’t own (language alert!) jack shit. You RENT your life. Latest example: Sprint launches new leasing options for cost-conscious consumers.
So poor you gotta lease your phone? Holy smokes…
CPI: Saved by Actual Data
After what’s been a pretty good week for investors stacking cash, our little long position in the market has paid off handsomely. Although we are traveling, our market update tomorrow will be celebratory in nature, barring a collapse in the final hours of today’s trading.
BTW. speaking of autos: “Fiat Chrysler recalls 1.33 million vehicles over fire, air bag risks” while “Honda recalls 1.2M Accords over battery fires.” Undeterred, “Global automakers call on China to ease “impossible” electric car rules.”
Where, the major news items are Retail Sales and the Consumer Price Index.
Let’s get the latter out of the way first. Press release, pardon moi?
“The energy index declined again in June, falling 1.6 percent; this offset an increase in the index for all items less food and energy. All the major energy component indexes declined, with the gasoline index falling 2.8 percent. The food index was unchanged in June, with the index for food at home declining slightly as five of the six major grocery store food group indexes decreased.
The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.1 percent in June, its third straight such increase. The shelter index continued to rise, and the indexes for medical care, motor vehicle insurance, education, and personal care also increased. The indexes for airline fares, used cars and trucks, wireless telephone services, and new vehicles were among the indexes that declined in June.
The all items index rose 1.6 percent for the 12 months ending June; this measure has been declining steadily since February, when it was 2.7 percent. The index for all items less food and energy rose 1.7 percent for the 12 months ending June, the same increase as for the 12 months ending May. The energy index rose 2.3 percent over the last year, while the food index increased 0.9 percent.”
Then on Retail Sales, let’s see how the once-bankrupt auto industry we bailed out is still keeping retail hopes alive…
“Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for June 2017, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $473.5 billion, a decrease of 0.2 percent (± 0.5 percent)* from the previous month, and 2.8 percent (± 0.9 percent) above June 2016. Total sales for the April 2017 through June 2017 period were up 3.8 percent (± 0.7 percent) from the same period a year ago. The April 2017 to May 2017 percent change was revised from down 0.3 percent (± 0.5 percent)* to down 0.1 percent (± 0.2 percent)*.”
Then we have a quick look at the Futures as we head out on the road with the brother-in-law holding down the cats here the Fortress of Sanity here in the East Texas Outback: About flat with an hour to the open.
Look! Up in the Sky! It’s French!
Bring your own champagne.
If you’re in Trump-Bashing headline withdrawal, simply click over to CNN and read “Some world leaders have decided that when dealing with President Trump, flattery will get you everywhere.”
CNN is also the only place I’ve seen airing “Dem senator: Trump Jr. Russia meeting ‘absolutely’ the smoking gun.” Smoke? Oh, yeah, b ut not from the emails. I figure its more like blowing smoke up the nation’s collective alpha-sierra…..
Meantime, The Hill reports “Trump Jr. pitch was part of broad Russian effort…” Wait! Did they just call the lady lawyer a broad? Tisk, tisk.
Another Obama Appointee
…seems to be legislating from the bench as we read “ALOHA, GRANDPA Judge expands Trump travel ban exemptions.” US District Court Judge Derrick Watson was appointed by that fellow who can’t leave Washington back in 2013.
Am I saying this is purely political? Well…think about it:
Times – and presidents – change, but you wouldn’t know it in most federal courts left of the Continental Divide.
Oklahoma over Sun Valley
Somehow, our invite to the big wig shindig in Sun Valley must have gone astray; While the likes of Bezos, Cook, and Ivanka are hanging up there, we’ll be cleaning out a casino in Oklahoma. If we do it large, maybe we’ll get an invite next year.
If you’re planning even more (weasted money on) tats, consider this one: “Would you hire this man? Unemployed dad with enormous face tattoo can’t get work…”
Somehow, the fox-uniformed generations don’t seem able to comprehend that we dress for success by dressing for others. Nope…the me-me-me, we-we-we’s are instead hung up on an odd lack of fashion that’s well past embarrassing.
Looking for a Weekend Shop Project?
Try duplicating this one in the family garage: “Coupling a nano-trumpet with a quantum dot enables precise position determination.”
Why, first thing you know, we’ll have enough of these nano-trumpets to form a nano-orchestra. And shortly thereafter, add $130 and you get?
Or not… But wasn’t the Electric Light Orchestra way ahead of its time?
Time to hit & git…see you Monday or tomorrow of www.peoplenomics.com subscribers…


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On May 4, 2023, Polkadot announced that Deloitte, the international professional services network, had joined its ecosystem. Deloitte has chosen to work with the KILT Protocol, a parachain on Polkadot, to provide cutting-edge technology for digital identities.
1/ @DeloitteCH – the world’s biggest accounting firm – is the latest major enterprise partner to come to the Polkadot ecosystem, choosing cutting-edge tech provided by the @Kiltprotocol parachain to enhance its identity protocols. pic.twitter.com/nkqr0i1s0I
— Polkadot (@Polkadot) May 4, 2023
Deloitte will leverage KILT’s reusable digital identity credentials to support its KYC processes. KYC is vital for protecting financial institutions against fraud, corruption, money laundering, and terrorist financing. Current KYC inefficiencies can put consumer data at risk. The KILT protocol vastly improves upon these inefficiencies by providing reusable credentials that are stored in customer wallets and remain under their control.
Reusable Credentials for Customer Control
The individual can then choose who they share their personal details with. Deloitte will provide a browser extension to help customers manage their credentials. Deloitte will also digitally sign the credentials and can revoke them using the blockchain if customer conditions change.
Ingo Rübe, founder of the KILT Protocol, stated,
“As a Polkadot parachain, KILT offers the scale and security needed by enterprise partners.”
Decentralized identifiers (DIDs) can also be used for DeFi compliance, e-commerce, gaming, and new digital marketplaces. Therefore, the move is a significant development for KILT and the wider Polkadot ecosystem.
Micha Bitterli, head of Deloitte Managed Services, commented,
“By offering reusable digital credentials anchored on the KILT blockchain, Deloitte is transforming verification processes for individuals and entities.”
Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax, and advisory services for many of the world’s leading companies.


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Nio Stock Rallies After Being Named “Catalyst Call: Buy” By Investing.com
By Sam Boughedda
Investing.com — Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio Inc (NYSE:) has seen its shares rise over 4% after Deutsche Bank launched a short-term “catalyst call: Buy” on the stock.
Analyst Edison Yu told investors that the stock has underperformed the majority of its closest peers for the past three months and that it is “getting ready to catch up going into year-end.”
Yu put Nio’s underperformance down to its semiconductor chip struggles and lack of new products. However, the analyst says this will change with the company’s new flagship ET7 sedan and the launch of new products at Nio Day.
The analyst kept a buy rating and a $70 price target on the shares. Nio’s stock is currently trading around the $43.21 mark.
Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.


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What we don't like:
I’m not sure what they are trying to do. It seems like the Aeternity team is trying to put their hands in as many cookie jars as possible. They are promising a new blockchain - better than the existing blockchains. Nothing in the white paper or website makes me think their blockchain has stronger tech than Eth, or others they are competing against like Iota, Ark and NEO. Their network coin is called neon. Yet the neon token already exists, and the neon website shows no mention of any connection with Aeternity. I would recommend staying away until the product is released, and we’re able to see first-hand what makes the Aeternity Blockchain unique.
What we like:
Aeternity is promising a lot. A new scalable blockchain that combines proof of work and proof of stake mining. It allows people to make transactions off the blockchain for privacy purposes, and allows people to use a token called aeon when working on their network. If they’re able to smoothly release all of this in a tangible format, this coin could have value.


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The internet’s getting fired up over new web browser Brave which claims to block harmful ads and replace them with ‘clean ads‘ that meet its standards of not slowing down page load times or tracking users. The Guardian has called it the “iTunes of journalism”, yet critics say it is “blatantly illegal.”
The argument for ads hinges on keeping our online content free. Free Facebook, free news articles, free videos – are all made possible in the current model by selling space to advertisers who show you ads.
Yet proponents of the Brave software see ads as intrusive and violating privacy by tracking people and collecting their data. Brave removes things like banner ads, which are delivered to millions of websites through automated ad networks, and which can be full of malware bots and trackers that follow users around the Web.
However, some publishers remain unconvinced. This month 17 members of the Newspaper Association of America (NAA) sent a cease and desist letter to the company. Brave replied to the NAA order by stating that the association had “fundamentally misunderstood” the company. “Brave is the solution, not the enemy.”
What is clear is that some kind of solution must be found, and soon. This year Microsoft launched the new browser Edge, which works with extensions from partners like Adblock and Adblock Plus. Yesterday eMarketer released data forecasting that by the end of 2017 almost 15 million internet users in the UK will use an ad-blocker, which is 27% of the 54 million total users. An effective ad-blocking epidemic.
A senior analyst at eMarketer commented: “The good news is that numbers like this have forced those within the industry to think long and hard about what it is that they need to do better in order that this practice doesn’t become an epidemic”.
Finding a compromise to give some form of controlled ads, that will benefit the user as well as the publisher, could eventually make the internet safer and fairer for everyone.


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Coventry City can confirm that dispatch of pre-orders of the 23/24 home shirts will begin from Thursday.
The Home Shirt this season has sold 7,000 units in pre-orders - making it the fastest selling pre-order we have ever done, and a figure which is up 15% on last season in the same period since launch.
The first batch of delivery has now landed with more expected at the end of the week and into next week, and we are starting to process these to deliver to fans over the coming days and over the weekend.
Due to the success of the pre-order we want to ensure that people who have ordered the shirt receive these before they go on sale to the public in person, with the general release of shirt being delivered next week ready for the launch of the new superstore at the Coventry Building Society Arena – details of which will be announced soon!
Home kit pre-orders will be dispatched in chronological order – if you were among the first to pre-order your kit, then you will be among the first to receive your order too.


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Smyth Tribeca announced today that Brianna Birtles has been appointed as the new Director of Sales and Marketing. Managed by Highgate, Smyth Tribeca is an independent neighborhood hotel in the heart of Tribeca and a stylish destination for business, leisure and family travelers. In her new role, Birtles will oversee the hotel’s sales and marketing efforts and will work to drive new business opportunities and revenue growth.
Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina is pleased to announce the appointment of Marcos Seville to new executive chef. Seville most recently served as resort executive chef at the prestigious Naples Grande Beach Resort in Naples, Florida, where he helmed a team of 10 chefs, 45 cooks and 20 stewards.
Today, Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport is proud to announce the appointment of Leon Bolivar to the position of Director of Marketing. In this role, Bolivar is accountable for promotion and advertising efforts to drive sales and build awareness for Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport, among various other projects.
James R. Hedges, IV has been appointed Curator of the Arts for The Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air. In this position, he will oversee the art program across both hotels.
Lansdowne Resort is pleased to announce the appointment of Lesly Connolly as National Sales Manager.
Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa today announces the appointment of Jerry Gibson as general manager of their imagined oceanfront resort, which last year completed a multi-million-dollar transformation. Gibson joins the team at an exciting time as the resort prepares to debut its newly rebranded Crown Suite collection and accompanying experiences that will invite guests to rediscover the landmark Oahu property in 2023.
Hyatt Regency Trivandrum announced the induction of some of the best hospitality professionals in the industry prior to their launch in the capital city of Kerala. The team has been carefully selected on the basis of their previous experiences in various organizations, delivering their customers with only the best service possible.
Rosewood London is delighted to announce the appointment of Patrick Graham as Hotel Manager.
Rising star takes the Helm as Executive Chef at award-winning Pullman Melbourne on Swanston


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Today Apple unveiled new software, including a fully redesigned iOS 10. Here’s a recap of the new iOS features, including a redesign of Maps, Photos, and Apple Music.
Full WWDC coverage: https://techcrunch.com/events/wwdc-2016/
TechCrunch is a leading technology media property, dedicated to obsessively profiling startups, reviewing new Internet products, and breaking tech news.
Subscribe to TechCrunch today: http://bit.ly/18J0X2e


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The European Central Bank (ECB) and European Commission will jointly work to analyze the feasibility of the digital euro project. According to the joint statement, European Commission and ECB are striving to ensure a powerful and vigorous European digital economics zone and a firmly interconnected, stable payment sector to fulfill the emerging payment demands in Europe.
The joint statement says,
“Such a project would answer key design and technical questions and provide the ECB with the necessary tools to stand ready to issue a digital euro if such a decision is taken”.
EURICTIV (Euro policies specializes media network) communication on the European financial and economic system on Tuesday, announced that EU chief points out relevant challenges to “financial intermediation and stability, to the stream out of private-sector payment solutions, to financial inclusion, to anti-money laundering, and to counter-terrorism funding,”
The ECB chief Christine Lagarde expressed hope that the digital euro will be launched in five years.
A digital Euro would ensure the eurozone residents’ access to a secure, stable, and globally accepted payment system. The proposed digital euro would support the existing cash system and would be issued by the ECB and respective central banks.
EURICTIV says, the staff member of the European Commission consisting of Economy, financial services, and digital Affairs, will now move into a new working society with ECB for cooperation.
Christine Lagarde said,
“The euro belongs to Europeans and we are its guardian. We should be prepared to issue a digital euro, should the need arise.”
In Dec 2020, prices of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and many other crypto assets increased by many folds. This surge in prices enhanced the race for cryptocurrency mining, cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets, and demands for decentralized finance applications. The prior reasons compelled policymakers to explore and experiment with the idea of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).
China’s massive effort to launch the digital Yuan (eCNY) is under trial in various parts of the country. Similarly, the use of stable coins as a means of payment by banks in the USA is under the proposition.
The Ecuador presidential candidate promises their fellow countrymen to deliver a national digital currency to speed up the process of internal transactions and system audit. In the future, other nations are expected to join the race of CBDCs.


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Enjoy, after video just install and open up make sure to put over age 18 and sign in with gmail.
Earlier this month, Pokemon Go introduced a promo code field in their shop so that Niantic and its sponsors could occasionally give out special promotional items to players. While the promo codes have been in Pokemon Go for almost a month, we haven’t heard anything about how the new codes would be used. Recently, Sprint posted a new event to its “My Trainer Rewards” page, a Pokemon Go rewards club that encourages players to visit Sprint stores for points that can be redeemed for prizes like gift cards and Sprint product. Apparently, Sprint is giving away promo codes to Pokemon Go players that can be redeemed for Great Balls, Lucky Eggs, and Incense.
This video was produced by YT Wochit News using


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A year-and-a-half ago, before he was christened The Millennial Fogey, Daniel Greenwood wrote a piece for Ivy Style called “What Now? The Uncertain Future Of Neo-Prep.”
Now those in the towns that border Tradsville are starting to wonder the same thing.
Yesterday Put This On posted a long piece called “Whatever Happened To Prep?” The opening paragraph sets the scene:
In the mid-2000s, prep seemed ascendant. J. Crew sales were booming – critter shorts and tiny-collared OCBDs abounded. Grosgrain enthusiast Thom Browne won a CFDA award and got his own line at Brooks Brothers. Ralph Lauren launched an over-the-top youthful prep brand allegedly named after Ralph’s dog: Rugby. Vampire Weekend crooned about Cape Cod. Old prep labels like Gant were resurrected, and Barneys stocked new, prep-riffing labels like Band of Outsiders and Benjamin Bixby (well, they still have Band). The author of the Official Preppy Handbook was writing a sequel. Your favorite menswear bloggers were fiddling with Blogspot interfaces.
There’s no denying that the winds of fashion have changed, as they always do, and this is perhaps the right time to acknowledge the changes within Tradsville. Most of the hobby blogs have ceased; the Film Noir Buff Talk Ivy forum is quieter, with Ivy’s most infamous Internet troll now largely silent; and the Ivy Trendwatch category that monitored the publication of “Take Ivy” and the MFIT exhibit now rarely gets a new entry.
It’s somewhat ironic, then, that Ivy-Style.com’s own evolution has been to become more news-driven. While nostalgic images may have been a driving force for the first couple of years, today we find more fodder in what’s happening in the world around us — the clothes to wear, the people who wear them, and the endless fascination of social and temporal context. I think there’s a greater sense of immediacy in the site these days, even as the latest fashion moment winds down.
I spoke with Put This On’s reporter for nearly an hour. Fortunately he used my remarks about preppy-Ivy-trad being perennial. From the piece:
Prep has died many deaths. Counterculture killed the Ivy League look. Anti-yuppie sentiment killed prep. Rick Owens killed Rugby? But, as Williams told me, no matter what the style of the day is, “there will still be business for Ralph Lauren.” There will always be a prep flame burning in the window of a vaguely gothic building in Connecticut, and there will always be aspirants eager to learn everything about prep and then defend its borders, unasked. And despite indicators that prep is at an ebb, Vineyard Vines seems to be doing remarkably well.
“What remains, what has always remained, is this perennial style that goes back 100 years… This clothing will never go away,” said Chensvold. “There’s a new Polo flagship on 5th Avenue for all the tourists to see. It’s the same clothing. In fact, the uniform for associates when they opened was brushed shetland sweaters in all kids of bright colors you’d associate with preppy history.”
“Now that the fashion fascination is gone, what may remain is more true. Maybe there will be a rediscovery of the more sober side of things.”
It’s also worth acknowledging now, six-and-a-half years after launching this site, that I’ve had an absolute blast informing and entertaining you all — as well as being informed and entertained in turn. I’ve no immediate plans to retire (or get run over by another car), and regardless it is my wish that this ship always have a captain.
Soft shoulders and hard bop forever. — CHRISTIAN CHENSVOLD
Addendum: This t-shirt, seen last week at the Pop-Up Flea trade show, neatly summarizes the fashion industry’s exploitive nature. It was in the booth for Mark McNairy, who created it several years ago, ahead of the curve.


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Ranbaxy launches generic anti-ulcer drug in UK
Ranbaxy Laboratories on Monday said it has launched generic esomeprazol tablets, used for treating ulcers, in the United Kingdom (UK).business Updated: Sep 05, 2011 14:06 IST
Ranbaxy Laboratories today said it has launched generic esomeprazol tablets, used for treating ulcers, in the United Kingdom (UK).
Ranbaxy (UK) Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd, has launched esomeprazole tablets in strengths of 20 mg and 40 mg, in the UK, the company said in a statement.
Esomeprazole is used in the treatment of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease (PUD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD/GERD) and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.
Ranbaxy's product is the the first approved generic bio-equivalent version of AstraZeneca's 'Nexium' in the UK market. According to IMS June 2011 data, esomeprazol tablets had sales of 60 million pounds in that country, the statement added.
Commenting on the development Ranbaxy Europe Regional Director Debashis Dasgupta said: "We are committed to bringing high quality, affordable medicines for the benefit of patients and healthcare systems worldwide and in Europe. The introduction of esomeprazole in the UK, is an important and significant step in this direction."
The company would offer the product through pharmacies, retail and wholesale stores with immediate effect.
Shares of Ranbaxy Laboratories were trading at Rs 473.30 on the Bombay Stock Exchange in the afternoon, down 1.07% from its previous close in line will overall downward trend in the market.
First Published: Sep 05, 2011 14:04 IST


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Sinch — the Swedish company that provides a suite of services for companies to build communications and specifically “customer engagement” into their services by way of APIs — has made yet another acquisition in its global march to scale up its business and compete more squarely with Twilio. The company today announced that it has acquired MessageMedia, a provider of SMS and other messaging services for businesses to manage customer relations, user authentication, alerts and more.
The acquisition is being made for $1.3 billion — comprised of $1.1 billion in cash and the rest in shares (or in Sweden’s currency, SEK10,745 in total based on Sinch’s share price and yesterdays exchange rate). The deal is expected to close in the second half of this year.
The deal is notable not just for giving Sinch a major inroad into the world of business SMS, but also because of the timing. Less than a month ago, Sinch’s big rival Twilio announced that it would acquire ZipWhip, another big player in the same area of business SMS, for $850 million.
MessageMedia, based out of Melbourne, Australia, is currently operational also in New Zealand, the U.S. and Europe, and it focuses on providing services primarily to the SMB market with a self-service platform where customers can build and operate services, with the option of using a web portal provided by MessageMedia to handle the traffic.
It has some 60,000 customers and handles 5 billion+ messages annually, Sinch said. Growth is particularly strong in the U.S. market, where MessageMedia is adding 1,500 new customers each month. Alongside SMS, it also provides tech for companies to build MMS experiences and mobile landing pages, and it also provides them with tools to integrate other features as well as an API gateway.
Sinch itself says it handles some 150 billion mobile customer engagements for its customers annually, and it has 8 of the 10 biggest tech companies as customers.
Sinch is publicly traded in Sweden and currently has a market cap of $13.6 billion, and the deal comes just weeks after the company announced that it would be raising $1.1 billion for more acquisitions, with a big chunk of the money coming from Softbank, one of its major backers.
Given the size of this deal announced today, now we know which deal Sinch had in mind. It would be interesting to know whether Sinch’s move to buy MessageMedia predated Twilio’s for ZipWhip, which definitely do not feel like a coincidence.
“Sinch powers mobile customer engagement for some of the largest brands and technology platforms in the world. With the acquisition of MessageMedia, Sinch will now be able to bring the benefits of enhanced mobile customer engagement to every small business on the planet,” CEO Oscar Werner said to TechCrunch. “No longer will you need the deep pockets of an enterprise or the technical skills of an engineer to deliver first-class customer experiences.”
Sinch has been on a fast pace of buying up companies in recent times to scale up its existing business, tapping not just into the huge surge of people using phones and the internet to communicate in these pandemic-stricken times, but also to bulk up and have more economies of scale in the communications industry, essentially a business built on aggregating incremental revenues.
That fact has led to a lot of consolidation, with Twilio also buying up strategic, smaller businesses in quick order.
In this regard, MessageMedia is a strong buy for Sinch because it’s generating strong cash. MessageMedia is expected to make $151 million in profits for the year ending June 30, with gross profits of $94 million and Ebitda of $51 million, Sinch said. Sinch itself is also profitable.
For its part, MessageMedia very much plays into and is a product of the same API economy that has lifted the likes of Twilio, Stripe and many others built on the premise of knitting together very complex services, which customers can then use by way of simple lines of code that they integrate into their own digital operations, be it websites, apps, or internal systems.
Communications, and specifically messaging API-based systems are estimated to be a $9-13 billion market, Sinch said, with the U.S. accounting for 30% of that, and the global market projected to grow between 25-30% until 2024. SMBs, who might lack the resources to build such tools from the ground up, are a big part of that activity.
“Mobile messaging delivers tremendous ROI but smaller businesses often lack tools that cater to their specific needs,” said Paul Perrett, MessageMedia CEO, in a statement. “Serving these customers presents a tremendous opportunity, and with Sinch we can build a global leader in our field.”


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Web3 music platform Audius said it’s implementing a non-fungible token (NFT) gating feature intended to allow artists to release exclusive content to NFT holders. This follows recent news that streaming service Spotify is testing token-gated playlists.
Artists on Audius who have released their own NFTs can “gate” their content so only token holders of the corresponding collection can have access to it. Listeners can link their wallets to Audius to confirm their NFT ownership and access B-sides, unreleased tracks and other special types of content.
Interested in keeping up with Web3 news and trends? Subscribe to The Airdrop here.
“A big focus of Audius from day one is enabling deeper connections and deeper interactions between the fans and the artists directly,” Forrest Browning, chief product officer and co-founder of Audius, told CoinDesk. “In the future there will be many other ways that you could demonstrate to an artist that you're a superfan, but if you purchase one of their NFTs that feels like a fairly strong signal.”
Additionally, Audius aims to cater to artists who are active NFT community members but may not have their own collections. If an artist is a holder, or has an affinity for another NFT project such as popular Bored Ape Yacht Club or CryptoPunks collections, they can gate their content with those NFTs.
Audius has been working away to integrate features to boost fan engagement over the past year. Last month the company upgraded its ongoing partnership with TikTok, allowing Audius users to integrate their favorite songs from the platform onto the social media application. In July, the company rolled out its tipping feature, allowing listeners to “tip” their favorite artists in the platform’s native AUDIO token.


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Rovio on Monday announced the company’s financial results for 2011. The mobile game developer generated $106.3 million in sales based on the success of its Angry Birds games and strong merchandising business.
“The strong growth in revenue clearly demonstrates the popularity of the Angry Birds brand.” Mikael Hed, Rovio CEO said. “The heavy investments made in 2011 to all business areas will be seen in future products. To ensure continuous success we need to be creative and stay focused on entertaining our millions of fans by continuously developing new and innovative products and services.”
Rovio’s three Angry Birds offerings in 2011 — Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio — were downloaded 648 million times and featured 200 million active monthly users. The company expects business to continue to grow well into 2012. “We are very optimistic about 2012 due to significant investments in product development, cutting-edge branding, brand protection and corporate infrastructure,“ the CEO said. Rovio’s press release follows below.


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Rugby star Jonny Wilkinson has donated his world cup shirt on the anniversary of England's victory in a bid to raise thousands of pounds for charity.
Jonny has teamed up with one of his sponsors, Boots, to give people the chance to win one of the most famous shirts in the world.
Fans can also have their photo taken with the shirt at Boots on Hotspur Way, Eldon Square, Newcastle, this Friday between 12pm and 2pm.
There is also a chance to win the shirt itself by buying a £1 ticket and posting it in a box in the department store.
Jonny said: "Being able to use my profile in this way is absolutely great and I am delighted to be offering my World Cup shirt to help raise money for some great causes."
All proceeds from the event will be split between Jonny's chosen charities BBC Children in Need, NSPCC, Dreamflight, Tiny Lives and the Samantha Dickson Research Trust.
The winner will be chosen by Jonny in January 2005 and personally presented with the rugby shirt.


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The computer today is much more than a machine enabling its user to simplify work. Hewlett-Packard, a leading player in the IT space, is aggressively playing this card where it is looking at forming an emotional connect with its consumers rather than just focusing on selling hardware. In June 2006, H-P had changed its positioning with the campaign ‘The Computer is Personal Again’ and since then, it has launched several initiatives in the social media space.
Deepti Dang, Head, Marketing - Commercial & SMB, Personal Systems Group, H-P India, explained, “H-P has taken a conscious effort to be differently placed among the various players in this segment. Today, literally life crashes if one’s computer crashes. We at H-P look at computers as an extension of one’s personality and we have been running initiatives to fulfill our commitments in the social media space.”
Recently, H-P launched H-P Toyrama, an online animation contest that allows people to unleash their creativity. Since its launch, the contest has attracted close to 565 entries, out of which 225 are from India, which indicates the high level of engagement of Indians with their computers. The winner of this contest will get an Autodesk Maya software as well as an opportunity to visit the DreamWorks facility at Los Angeles.
Dang added, “We don’t look at associations as merely putting our logo or being ‘official sponsors’ somewhere. Instead, we look at partnering where our strengths can be used. At Cannes this year, we helped in making the place IT-enabled and that was our way of participating in the event.”
Besides these initiatives, H-P is gearing up for another season of MTV - Meet or Delete using the platform of ‘The Computer is Personal Again’. The series, developed by MTV in collaboration with H-P’s PC business, celebrates relationships and offers an exciting way of getting to know someone, be it for dating, identifying one’s next roommate or picking up a new band member. The initiative is like gazing into someone’s computer (including names of his files, his music, etc) and understanding his or her personality. The launch of the next season is slated in the early part of 2008.
Another programme is the ongoing Hall of Fame for the business notebook campaign using the platform of ‘Business is Personal Again’. Instead of getting celebrities to endorse the products, H-P uses game changers of modern day India who use the notebook in their day-to-day life. It has used people like designer Dilip Chhabria, filmmaker Karan Johar and architect Hafeez Contractor, who are all pioneers in their fields.
In the social media space, H-P has also planned some other initiatives such as H-P Learning Solution targeting schools and colleges. Besides, it also tied up with ICICI Bank to make finance easy.


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Indore: Corona has infiltrated the footwear industry. Squeeze in Chinese supply of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) — raw material used for making soles — has escalated cost of manufacturing and consumers may soon end up paying more to buy a pair of shoes or slippers from local bazaars.
Cost of PVC has surged by around 40 per cent in a fortnight while fresh supply has almost stopped raising fears among manufacturers sitting on exhausted inventory.
China dominates the footwear sector supplying over 70 per cent PVC and footwear accessories in local market. But shipments have squeezed since outbreak of Coronavirus for which the sector is contemplating a price hike.
Ranjan Bagga, a footwear manufacturer having facility on Sanwer Road said, “We are running out of stock. Traders importing PVC have raised prices by around 40 per cent. This sudden jump in prices has killed profit margins.”
Indore has around a dozen footwear manufacturers that purchase PVC and other accessories from Delhi and Mumbai traders.
Manufacturers said that cost of rexine, another footwear raw material, has jumped by around 5 per cent.
Ranipura Footware Vyapari Association secretary Jaipal Ahuja said, “China is a leading supplier of PVC and we all are dependent on traders of Delhi and Mumbai to source the raw material. But since past fortnight, supplies have been almost negligible.”
According to the association, small manufacturers are the most hit as they work in tiny margins and cater to lower income class while branded chains can afford to take the hit for a short duration.
Manufacturers said that outbreak of Coronavirus has hit supplies of many small items used in the sector such as buckles.
Bagga said, “Indian market do not have competitive and economical alternative for many things and due to this China has a lot of interference. With shortage in supplies of accessories, we are forced to purchase expensive items from local market.”
Manufacturers said supply line is expected to remain empty for a while as China has completely stopped selling raw materials.


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SACRAMENTO, CA - A man was arrested after trying to grab back money from a store clerk and vandalizing a motorcycle Friday evening.
Joseph Meier, 25, bought a beverage at a store on the 5900 block of S. Land Park Drive around 7:03 p.m., but when his the bottle fell out of the bag and broke, he demanded his money back, Sacramento Police Officer Doug Morse said.
Witnesses said Meier tried to grab the money back from the clerk, which lead to a fight between Meier, the clerk and a witness trying to restrain Meier. Morse said Meier eventually left the store, but on his way out he pushed over a motorcycle that was not involved in the incident.
Meier was arrested by responding officers down the street from the store, Morse said. He was booked into Sacramento County Jail for vandalism and attempted robbery.


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You Are What You Eat: An Exclusive Interview with Danone’s Research & Innovation Director
In this installment of Tech Innovation Talks, we sat down with Luke Chavez, then Danone’s Director of Research and Innovation — who recently took over as R&D Director at Sovos Brands — to talk about some of the key trends and context behind food tech.
“Our first line of action is what we sell“. This is how Danone, one of the largest companies in the world, describes its activities in the food sector, and why not CPG & FMCG activities.
Among the company’s objectives, according to its website, is to provide “tastier and healthier food” and to promote “better consumption”, after all, we are what we eat.
In this installment of Tech Innovation Talks, we sat down with Luke Chavez, former Danone’s Director of Research and Innovation — who recently took over as R&D Director at Sovos Brands — to talk about some of the key trends and context behind food tech.
We were joined by MJV’s own Fabricio Astua, Director & Country Head of MJV France, and, as always, our host Paul Sieff Duarte.
The Latest Foodtech Trends Curated By An Expert
Food technology is one of the most change-prone industries in the world, and it’s up to people like Luke to keep innovation alive and well within Danone.
To get us started, we asked Luke to share with us some of the biggest trends that are taking shape within the food industry today:
“There’s a few macro trends that I’ve got my eye on, my team has their eye on. (…) The continued evolution of plant-based and how you can make new plant-based ingredients. (…) those are really the big things we’ve all got our eyes on for 2022.”Luke Chavez, former Research & Innovation Director at Danone.
You are what you eat: sustainability, food techs & the clean label movement
As climate change begins to reach dangerous levels, people, companies, and governments all over the globe are trying to find alternatives to traditional methods of farming and food production. The largest players in this endeavor are products like the Impossible Burger, which attempt to mimic the taste and consistency of animal-based products through plant-based ingredients.
Fabricio added to this idea by mentioning another trend within the food industry: “I’ve read a lot about the clean label movement, and it’s challenging. How do you source ingredients to clean products? How do you keep products’ main characteristics? And ultimately, how do you communicate this?”
The food industry is unique in the sense that it includes many companies that act as B2B organizations while still producing a product that will eventually make its way into the hands of consumers. While Danone doesn’t sell directly to individuals, they need to make sure that their products are in line with what consumers want. In today’s context, that means products that are more environmentally friendly (what Fabricio mentioned as ‘clean products’).
But the challenges don’t simply stop at making high-quality, ESG-centered products. Another huge issue that plagues the food industry is that customers will naturally make use of products in different ways. Luke framed it like this:
“Say coffee creamer: how do you make sure that it’s going to be the same for one person when there’s someone else who is going to use it in a totally different way?“Luke Chavez, former Director at Danone.
This challenge might be even more difficult for companies producing products within the realm of coffee and coffee additives. Besides the fact that caffeine is something that consumers take very seriously (almost religiously), it’s something that differs greatly from person to person. Each individual will brew their morning cup of coffee in a different way, with different ingredients in varying concentrations, and even consume the product at different temperatures.
Research is what ensures that Danone is on consumers’ table every day
Luke stated that the real solution to this problem is to conduct as much detailed and personal research as possible. His team will sometimes ask customers to walk them through their daily coffee routines at home, to better understand the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of their end-users. Something that every user-centered company knows should be the top priority for designers and product developers.
It’s these moments that allow Luke and his team to glean insight into the needs of their users. After all, innovation is only possible when you dedicate time, money, and effort to it. And that’s exactly what Luke meant when he talked about discovering ‘what’s going to be next in the future of food.’
But that’s all we’ll share here. If you want to hear the rest of the story, we recommend you check out the full interview on our YouTube channel. Remember, you can also find Tech Innovation Talks on Spotify, Apple, and Google podcasts. Enjoy, and as always, keep innovating!Back