text:
Tag - Ultraportable
Mark Spoonaur of Laptop Mag published his thoughts on the latest 13-inch MacBook Air model Tuesday, giving the product four out of five stars. Battery life topped the list of favorable attributes as the MacBook Air lasted 9 hours and 34 minutes in Laptop's tests, a full hour and a half longer than its predecessor. In spite of not having the coveted Retina screen resolution, its screen's clarity and brightness was still praised. The 13-inch Air is one of the first ultraportable laptops to include HD5000 graphics, allowing for a high enough performance that gaming is feasible. In benchmark tests, the Air proved to be faster than the previous model, though some Windows 8 notebooks remain faster.
Taiwanese manufacturer Inhon has unveiled the carbon fiber Blade 13 Carbon, reports Engadget. The company claims that it is the worldís thinnest and lightest notebook weighing just 870 grams and measuring only 10.7mm thick. As a point of comparison, Appleís 13-inch aluminum MacBook Air, once the benchmark for ultraportables, weighs 1.35kg and measures 17mm at its thickest point.
LG has announced its P220 ultraportable notebook, an 11.6-inch notebook featuring a slim bezel that houses a 12.5-inch widescreen display. The IPS display is capable of a 178 degree viewing arc. The P220 is an upgrade to the P210, with a second generation Intel Core i5 processor. The ultraportable is just .82 inches thick, and weighs 2.9 pounds.
Lenovo has reportedly begun shipping its latest ultraportable ThinkPad, the X121e. The device represents the successor to the X120e, sharing the same 11.6-inch 1366x768 display and offering a choice between several AMD Fusion processors. The new offerings expand the range of available CPUs, however, with three new configurations based on Intel's second-generation Core i3-2357M chip.
Sony used its showcase to launch its new S1 and S2 tablets to also give a sneak peak a two new ultraportable PCs. Rumors circulated in mid-March that Sony has been prepping two VAIO ultraportables and it is possible that the devices revealed yesterday are indeed these. The first is what has been dubbed the Freestyle Hybrid PC, which is a sliding device that combines a keyboard with what appears to be a touchscreen interface. The second is what has been codenamed the Ultimate Mobile PC.
Confirming earlier reports, Dell has begun updating its Alienware M11x ultraportable with Intel's ULV Core i3, i5, and i7 CPUs. Malaysian customers can now purchase the device with a 1.2GHz i3-330UM, 1.06/1.86GHz Core i5-520UM, or 1.20/2.26GHz Core i7 CPU.
Now AAPL Stock: 94.02 ( -2.58 )
Remote S for Tesla Apple Watch app drives car out
Developer Allen Wong has created the Remote S for Tesla app, which can be used to remotely activate the Model S electric car via an Apple Watch, and drive it a short distance. Aside from providing data about the car and some basic function controls, the unofficial app uses the manufacturer's Summon command to allow the car to turn on, exit the garage, and park near to the user's location. The app is available to purchase from the App Store for $10. http://apple.co/1PprF4t
Seagate 3TB unreliability suit expands
The Seagate 3TB class-action hard drive lawsuit has been expanded to more devices. The expanded suit, filed today, now includes Seagate's Barracuda 3TB Hard Disk Drive,¬†Desktop HDD 3TB, Backup Plus 3TB External Hard Disk¬†Drive,¬†GoFlex 3TB External Hard Disk Drive, or any other Seagate hard drive with model number ST3000DM001. The law firm, Hagens Berman, is seeking information from consumers such as time in service, purchase price, and the nature of any drive received in return from Seagate as a replacement for a failed unit. http://bit.ly/1Pc34Cq
BlackBerry Canada, Florida hit with layoffs
The BlackBerry campus has reportedly been wracked with layoffs. Sources familiar with the company's Waterloo office staffing claim that close to 35 percent of the local workforce has been laid off, with the deepest cuts being made in the BlackBerry 10 OS and hardware teams. Additionally, the state of Florida has been officially notified that the company's Sunrise facility will see 75 people fired. Enthusiast site Mobilesyrup puts the layoffs at around 1000 total. http://bit.ly/1Pc1Rep
Instagram tests multiple account support for iOS
Instagram is trialling support for multiple accounts in its iPhone app with a small number of users. The Facebook-owned photo sharing service confirmed the reports of the tests to TechCrunch, which will allow a single user to manage more than a single account within the app, transferring between two or three accounts with a few taps. It is unclear when the feature will roll out to the public, but it has previously tested it with the Android version of the app since November. http://tcrn.ch/1SPKEKh
Foxconn CEO declares Sharp deal near done
The Foxconn bid for Sharp is allegedly only waiting on specific details of the deal. Foxconn CEO Terry Gou has declared that his company has privileged negotiation rights for the Apple iPhone screen supplier, saying that "we have a consensus, the rest is a process ... I don't see a problem completing this process." Gou hopes the deal, worth up to $5.6 billion, will be formalized by the end of February. http://reut.rs/1SPEQjN
MIT demoes 'Eyeriss' AI chip for mobile
At the International Solid State Circuits Conference in San Francisco this week, MIT researchers presented a new chip designed specifically to implement neural networks. The researchers claim that "Eyeriss" is 10 times as efficient as a mobile GPU, so it could enable mobile devices to run artificial-intelligence algorithms such as Siri or Cortana, rather than uploading all data to a remote server for processing. http://bit.ly/1TISJBe
Pocket for iOS adds readability settings
Offline reader iOS app Pocket has updated, with reader-friendly changes. With the new revision, premium subscribers can adjust character spacing, and choose from eight new fonts including one that makes it easier for sufferers of dyslexia to read saved content. The app itself is free, with a premium subscription available for $5 a month, or $45 a year. http://apple.co/1KuILBl


text:
Truckload carriers have high hopes for 2011, but how high those hopes fly depends on how much weight a company carries. As 2011 approaches, large and small trucking companies are separated by a gap in expectations, a gap that’s only getting wider.
Survey results released this month by Transport Capital Partners show motor carriers with more than $25 million in annual revenue are significantly more optimistic about their ability to raise rates and win business next year than their smaller competitors. They’re also more bullish about replacing trucks.
“Larger carriers are more upbeat in this environment,” said Richard Mikes, a partner at the trucking consulting firm and analyst. “More of the carriers over $25 million in revenue saw rates go up in the last three months than did the smaller carriers.”
As a group, smaller carriers are becoming less optimistic. “They are not expecting as much in terms of increased volume, they don’t foresee as much in terms of increased rates, and they expect credit availability to deteriorate,” Mikes said.
The survey results support claims that larger trucking operators with lower purchasing costs and networks that can be scaled are getting bigger as smaller carriers face rising costs that limit their flexibility and ability to compete.
The result could be, if not an exodus, a steady stream of smaller trucking companies being sold or shutting down, thinning a group of carriers that don’t receive much media attention but do much to prop up shipper’s distribution networks.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s CSA 2010 initiative is just the latest program expected to ratchet up pressure on small trucking companies.
“You’re going to see more consolidation in our industry than you’ve ever seen before,” said Russell L. Gottemoeller, president of Continental Express, a Sidney, Ohio-based truckload and dedicated carrier that this month purchased Carolina Refrigerated Transport, a smaller dedicated carrier in Gaffney, S.C. “The trucking industry is getting harder and harder for the small mom-and-pop operation.”
That should be especially troubling for small businesses, which rely on smaller trucking operators to handle volumes of freight and shipping schedules that would be uneconomical for larger trucking companies.
Smaller shippers “would be more vulnerable” if more small carriers go bankrupt or shut down, Mikes said. “A lot of these smaller entrepreneurial carriers grew up with their shippers in the local community. There’s a close tie there,” he said.
The loss of small carriers also would affect larger shippers, brokers and carriers who use them to fill backhauls, balance lanes and handle overflow freight.
The growing disparity between larger companies with more resources and scale and smaller truckers was clear in the results of TCP’s latest business expectations survey. Although 50 percent of all carriers said they increased rates in the last quarter, 56 percent of larger trucking companies raised pricing compared with 44 percent of smaller carriers. Rates dropped at 11 percent of the smaller carriers surveyed. Larger carriers also raised rates higher than small carriers.
In the next year, 85 percent of the larger carriers expect rates to increase, compared with 65 percent of the smaller carriers surveyed by TCP. More small carriers said rates would remain the same, and 4 percent said pricing would decrease.
When it comes to freight volumes, 56 percent of smaller carriers expect an increase in the next year, compared with 75 percent of larger firms. More than a third of the smaller carriers — 38 percent — said they expect to handle less freight in 2011.
The owners of more small trucking businesses are considering selling or liquidating their companies if they don’t increase freight volumes in the next six months, Mikes said. In the last two quarters, that number has picked up for all carriers surveyed by TCP, but among smaller trucking companies, “it’s 25 percent,” he said.
That could be good news for larger carriers looking to expand their reach by purchasing “active capacity.” Trucking acquisitions and mergers picked up in the past few months. In addition to Continental Express’s acquisition of Carolina Refrigerated, Georgia-based Brown Trucking acquired West Brothers and Schrader Trucking and Online Transport bought Frontier Transport from Vitran.
But smaller carriers must be healthy to be a good acquisition target, Mikes said. And they will have to have good CSA safety performance scores.
“We’ve got a lot more larger carriers that are looking to buy,” Mikes said, “but no one’s going to pay more for a fleet than it’s worth on the market.”
Contact William B. Cassidy at email@example.com.

domain: news


text:
Scam Alert: We have confirmed that consumers are being solicited to interview for false work-at-home jobs with our company via social media. The scammers are electronically impersonating members of our Human Resources Team and requesting payment for false software. We have reported this scam to the FBI and social media service providers.
EXETER, PA – Quantum Rehab® is pleased to announce its theme for the 2017 International Seating Symposium (ISS) as, “To Be as Independent as Possible,” showcasing its consumer-inspired, independence-based complex rehab technologies.
“The evolution of our complex rehab technology has been fueled by consumers and their wishes for increased independence,” explains Megan Kutch, Quantum’s Director of Marketing. “Now in our 17th year, we’re proud to have evolved a product line of power bases, seating and electronics that are supporting consumers pursuing the highest levels of independence.”
As will be showcased at ISS, the results of Quantum’s consumer focus are seen in its exclusive technologies. The Q6 Edge® 2.0 power base offers optimal performance, from in the home to in the community, right down to integrated lighting. iLevel® seat elevation, with patented Extra Stability Technology™, offers walking-height environmental independence and social inclusion. Q-Logic 3 Advanced Drive Controls offer unequaled ease of set-up, customization, and environmental controls such as built-in Bluetooth.
“To have so many independence-based technologies in one complex rehab power chair is truly ‘life-inspiring,’ as a consumer recently shared,” says Kutch. “We’re listening to consumers and are excited to not just show our products at ISS, but also share our mission toward delivering the complex rehab technologies that allow consumers to be as independent as possible.”
The 2017 International Seating Symposium is March 2-4, at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center, Nashville, TN. Please visit Quantum Rehab at ISS Booth 224.You can view a video of Quantum’s independence-based power chair technologies by clicking here.
About Quantum Rehab®
Quantum Rehab® is a premier global innovator of consumer-inspired complex rehab products, including the Q6 Edge® 2.0 and Quantum Series of power bases, iLevel® seat elevation technology, TRU-Balance® 3 Power Positioning Systems, Q-Logic 3 Advanced Drive Control System, Synergy® Cushions and Backs, and Stealth® Products positioning components. Please visit www.QuantumRehab.com.
Quantum Rehab® was born out of the desire to delight customers with the most advanced, consumer-inspired complex rehab power wheelchairs and related technologies possible.
At Quantum, consumer needs and wishes are the driving force. We’re dedicated to not just meeting medical and clinical needs, but also quality-of-life needs. From the most advanced power seating for pressure management to USB ports, Bluetooth and fender lights, no consumer need is overlooked.


text:
Agriculture Counsellor Berman Discusses Beef in Asahi Article
Point of View - Dan Berman: Enjoying U.S. beef safely and confidently in Japan
Special to The Asahi Shimbun
Dec. 16, 2005
Over the past two years, we at the U.S. Embassy have closely monitored Japanese press coverage of the issues surrounding beef imports from the United States to Japan.
We have often been dismayed to see our efforts to resume trade distorted and dismissed, although we have consistently aimed at resuming trade by using internationally recognized scientific standards for food safety.
Now that the import ban of U.S. beef has been lifted, I would like to address some of the concerns that have been expressed in Japan.
First, it is axiomatic that one of the most fundamental duties of any government is ensuring the safety of its citizens.
The United States takes this responsibility extremely seriously in the area of food safety, both for the 300 million Americans who look to their government to ensure a wholesome food supply, as well as the millions more around the world who share in our bounty through our foodstuff exports.
When our first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy was detected 23 months ago, we drew on the best international science, including what had been learned by the European countries with the most experience with BSE.
Since then, we have consistently collaborated with international authorities to implement the measures needed to assure confidence in our beef. High consumption levels in the United States and elsewhere demonstrate we have retained consumer confidence.
It is clear to everyone that the key to ensuring human safety is the removal of the so-called risk materials where the prions are known to concentrate. I myself have enjoyed fugu here, knowing it was safe according to the same principle of removal of the questionable parts of the fish.
Like the U.S. government, the Japanese government has been extremely vigilant in its responsibility to its citizens.
Since December 2003, we have continuously discussed the conditions under which Japan would resume imports of our beef.
Our production system has been studied exhaustively by three Japanese government ministries, as well as the Food Safety Commission. Our officials have made themselves available in Japan to answer all questions, provided thousands of pages of data, and hosted numerous study visits to look at every aspect of our production system.
To try to resume trade expeditiously, the two countries issued a Joint Statement on October 23, 2004, which sets conditions far more strict than any recognized international standard for trade in beef.
More than a year later, we are waiting to welcome the first shipment under this protocol.
It is interesting to remember that Japanese people actually eat U.S. beef every day, outside of Japan. Earlier this year, we commissioned an independent survey of Japanese travelers to the United States and found that 85 percent had enjoyed our beef during their visit.
Now that the Food Safety Commission has issued its draft final report, we look forward to again being able to provide our wholesome, safe, nutritious and affordable beef to the millions of Japanese who signed petitions at restaurants around the country, asking for the ban to be lifted.
With the market open, they will be allowed to exercise their freedom of choice, and I look forward to working tirelessly to continue to provide the information that I hope will convince even the skeptics to join me in enjoying U.S. beef here in Japan.
The author is minister-counselor for Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Embassy.(IHT/Asahi: December 16,2005)


text:
China’s President Xi Jinping appeared to strike a conciliatory tone during a speech Tuesday where he promised to cut China’s auto import tariffs and ease restrictions on foreign ownership in its auto industry as tensions play out with Washington over tariffs.
Xi made no direct mention of the dispute with President Donald Trump but pledged to open China’s markets further and improve conditions for foreign companies. He warned against having a “Cold War” mentality, which he called outdated, according to Bloomberg.
President Xi and I will always be friends, no matter what happens with our dispute on trade. China will take down its Trade Barriers because it is the right thing to do. Taxes will become Reciprocal & a deal will be made on Intellectual Property. Great future for both countries!
“We will take the initiative to expand imports,” Xi said during his keynote speech at the opening of the Boao Forum for Asia, China Plus News reported. “China does not seek trade surplus; we have a genuine desire to increase imports and achieve greater balance of international payments under the current account,” he said.
Xi said Beijing will “significantly lower” tariffs on auto imports this year and ease restrictions on foreign ownership in the auto industry as soon as possible.
China charges total duties of 25 percent on most imported cars — a 10 percent customs tariff plus a 15 percent auto tax. Since December 2016, Beijing also has charged an additional 10 percent on “super-luxury” vehicles priced above $200,000.
The U.S. bought more than $500 billion in goods from China last year and now is planning or considering penalties on some $150 billion of those imports.
China has pledged to “counterattack with great strength” if Trump decides to follow through on his latest threat to impose tariffs on an additional $100 billion in Chinese goods — after an earlier announcement that targeted $50 billion.
Read the rest at: President Xi


text:
When spring returns in 2020, it will bring a new hybrid “brewstillery” featuring Ska Brewing Co. beers and Peach Street Distillers spirits to Boulder. In the meantime, preparations to open the facility will bring changes to the companies’ operations in Durango and Palisade.
Peach Street and Ska are both owned partially by Dave Thibodeau and Bill Graham. Since 2005, when Peach Street formed, the two companies have collaborated on a number of projects, such as the distillery’s Modus Hoperandi Bier Schnapps, a spirit made with Ska Brewing’s flagship IPA, Thibodeau said. They have also shared resources, such as their sales team.
Throughout that time, Thibodeau and Graham were also interested in bringing the brewery and the distillery together in a pub. They saw the perfect opportunity for it when Boulder’s Fate Brewing Co. closed earlier this year. They now hope to open the hybrid brewstillery Ska Street in March of 2020, Thibodeau said.
Ska signed the lease on the property in September and acquired much of the brewery’s existing equipment in bulk in a state auction, he said.
Thibodeau said opening the new facility in Boulder will help Ska engage with its customers on the Front Range.
“We sell a lot of beer there, but we are somewhat detached from the people buying it,” he said. “We don’t like that; we want to be engaged with the people who buy our beer.”
According to a news release, Ska Street will feature on-site brewing of Ska beers in a 10-barrel brewhouse and distillation of Peach Street spirits in a 450-liter still. It will offer 30 Ska beers on tap and a mixology program similar to that of the Palisade distillery. Ska Street’s food menu will borrow from the Caribbean-influenced menu served at Ska’s world headquarters in Durango and the farm-to-table approach of Peach Street.
As Ska and Peach Street work on adhering to the legal requirements involved in opening the new facility, changes will also come to the existing facilities in Durango and Palisade.
Ska in Durango and Peach Street in Palisade currently operate under manufacturers licenses, Thibodeau said, which prohibit them from having overlapping financial interests. To fix that, Ska plans to become a brewpub and Peach Street a distillery-pub. Once they obtain the new licensing, the two companies will be able to sell and distribute each other’s products in their current headquarters.
Thibodeau said Ska wants to convert the second story of its taproom in Bodo Park into a Peach Street tasting room featuring that company’s spirits and the cocktails it currently serves in Palisade. Sharing each other’s headquarters will also make it easier to collaborate on joint projects, he said.
Peach Street currently produces gin, whiskey, vodka, brandy, eau de vie (brandy distilled from fruit other than grapes), d’agave (tequila in all but name), grappa, schnapps and amaro liquer.


text:
For the umpteenth year in a row, Jordan Brand’s Holiday product assortment will likely be dominated by the Air Jordan 1 and Air Jordan 11. News of the Air Jordan 1 “Chicago” in a vintage-treated “Reimagined” form as well as a heightened MSRP of $180 have sneakerheads abuzz, while Nike’s recent disclosure of the Cool Grey 11s being its most successful SNKRKS release in history have us in anticipation of this year’s Air Jordan 11 “Cherry”. Still, there’s plenty to look forward to in the final three months of the season, like this black/gold take on the Air Jordan 12.
Currently scheduled to release on October 15th, this Air Jordan 12 once again focuses on a DMP-style color-palette with a full black upper and gilded accents on the eyelets and midfoot plate. This mock-up via zsneakerheadz reveals an accurate look at what to expect, and based on its simplicity it’s quite easy to envision what the final product would be.
With release dates constantly in flux, this October 15th release date is considered tentative and may change somewhere down the line.


text:
We’ve entered into a new phase of cannabis investing, and by knowing what to keep of track of now, you have the chance to find the best long-term profit opportunities. Things were already happening fast in this industry, and they’re about to get faster still.
In the next six months, there are three things I want you to watch very closely.
[Don't Miss] We've Given These Pot Stocks A “Must-Buy” Rating
The merger mania we’ve seen lately is kicking off what you’ve seen me refer to as “Phase 2.” In this phase, we see massive consolidation. Smaller companies start merging, and bigger companies will acquire smaller ones.
By the end of 2019, we’re going to see a lot of consolidation.
The opening phase of cannabis investing was exciting, but it will pale in comparison to what Phase 2 has in store. Companies can buy their way into new markets and turn into revenue-generating powerhouses.
That will bring more retail investors in, helping cannabis stock prices climb.
And I want to remind you again about Canopy Growth Corp. (NYSE: CGC), because they kicked this phase off with the purchase of Acreage Holdings (CSE: ACRG, OTC: ACRGF). The deal will only close when the U.S. legalizes cannabis, and to me that’s a sign legalization is imminent.
When I met with my staff, I told them that a lot of people said they knew Microsoft was going to be the next big thing in the 1990s.
But how many of those people actually bought stock?
With Canopy, we have the exact same thing.
Speaking of legalization, we are going to see a lot of efforts to reverse cannabis prohibition.
That could mean baby steps for some states, but even baby steps can mean a giant leap forward.
Texas lawmakers recently approved a decriminalization bill, Illinois could legalize recreational marijuana soon, and New York and New Jersey are still slugging along towards recreational approval.
The SAFE Banking Act and the STATES Act both have a strong possibility of passage this year, and there’s going to be a lot of cannabis legalization news to keep track of as we head towards 2020.
With the most recent earnings we’ve seen for full year results for 2018, keep in mind that cannabis was only just legalized in Canada in October 2018.
That means 2018 didn’t provide a full picture of what was really going on.
Also, remember that that when legalization first rolls out, there are usually some hiccups. Dispensaries are still waiting on licenses, and supply is normally not able to meet demand right out of the gate.
On top of that, some companies were still waiting for acquisitions to close when they last reported earnings. That means they couldn’t count the revenue from those acquisitions in their reports.
Again, that limits the true picture of what is going on with cannabis earnings.
Now we have two full quarters of full legalization in Canada, and we can also see how the 2018 Farm Bill has impacted CBD sales, as it was just passed in December 2018.
This time of year is a particularly fast-paced period for earnings announcements. Because companies have extra time to prepare their year-end financial reports, Q4 reports and the Q1 reports just about run into each other.
And now that the last few companies are reporting those Q4 earnings, we’ll see Q1 earnings start to stream in. Full story at NICI.
I’m going to be updating you on all three of these things when the biggest news breaks, as they are the storylines every successful cannabis investor will be watching. All of this put together will make cannabis investing more profitable than ever before, and I’m glad you’re here with us on this journey.


text:
Russian steelmaker MMK’s Turkish subsidiary, MMK Metalurji’s sites in Dortyol and Dilovasi together produced 78,613mt of hot-dipped galvanized steel in January marking a record monthly volume for the company.
The Dortyol site produced 42,316mt of the product while Dilovasi’s output tallied at 36,297mt, MMK noted in a statement on Tuesday.
The steelmaker’s Turkish arm reported an annual EBITDA of $34mn in 2020 despite the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company attributed this gain to the rapid diversification of the two units in Q2 2020, which helped the plants meet the growing demand for steel after the shutdowns.
Moreover, the plants’ hot-dipped galvanized unit at the Dortyol site has been improved to increase the speed of the line for better output. MMK Metalurji is based in Iskenderun. The company’s sales increased by 2.8pc in 2020 to 741,000mt.


text:
By MARIA DINZEO : courthousenews – excerpt
SAN FRANCISCO (CN) – Siding with tech giant Lyft, a California judge barred San Francisco from soliciting other vendors to operate a bike rental program in the city.
Ruling from the bench Thursday, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman said the city must honor an agreement giving Lyft the exclusive rights to rent bikes that are both free-floating around the city or tethered to a docking station.
Lyft also has the right of first offer on electric bikes, which it planned roll out before becoming embroiled in a contract dispute with the city over its pedal-powered ones. Schulman said the city must negotiate in good faith with Lyft for 90 days before offering permits to other e-bike vendors.
He also said he wouldn’t stop the city from allowing JUMP, a company owned by Lyft’s competitor Uber, to continue a pilot program that puts 500 dockless electric bikes on the streets during negotiations with Lyft…(more)
They may have the exclusive right to putting the bikes on the street, but, not to rent bikes in the city. Anyone can rent out of a storefront to operate out of, and customers can boycott a bully.


text:
Columbus, Ohio (PRWEB) April 17, 2015
Packrat Comics is pleased to announce Jeremy Howard as the guest of honor during the 2015 Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) celebration to be held Saturday May 2, 2015. Fans will recognize Jeremy for his work as DONATELLO in the Michael Bay, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (TMNT) movie! The future of Donatello is unknown as the turtle was killed off in the most recent issue of TMNT. Is this a spoiler for TMNT 2 that's currently under production?
"With the continued rise of comics in movies and television and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Free Comic Book Day book, Jeremy Howard seemed to be a perfect fit as our guest of honor for FCBD to help celebrate the event" said Jamie Colegrove, owner of Packrat Comics. “Giving out thousands of comics every year and sharing our passion of pop culture with the community inspires us to make Free Comic Book Day a celebration of that passion.”
In addition to Mr. Howard, Packrat will host Marvel Comics artist, Val Staples whose work can found on the current run of Deadpool comics and Heather Breckel of the My Little Pony comic series. The Team Time with Deadpool cast will be at Packrat performing a "Whose Line is it Anyway" improv sketch, along with an array of comic creators, activities for kids, and free screen printing on your own shirt.
So on Saturday, May 2nd, stop by get a free comic, have some fun and share the passion of the pop culture industry with an icon.
For additional information contact Jamie Colegrove at (614) 527-8450 or via email at packratcomics(at)sbcglobal(dot)net.
Established in 1993, Packrat Comics is a premier full service comic, toy and game store family owned and operated by Jamie & Teresa Colegrove serving all of central Ohio.


text:
India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) processed a record 7.82 billion transactions in December, worth a total of INR 12.82tn ($174.6bn). This represents an increase of 7.12% in volume and 7.73% in value compared to November. On a year-on-year basis, volume and value increased by 71% and 55% respectively.
Rapid Growth of UPI in Last Two Years:
- In 2022, UPI processed over 74 billion transactions worth INR 125.94tn. In 2021, it processed 38 billion transactions worth INR 71.54tn.
- This represents a YoY increase of 90% in volume and 76% in value.
- UPI reached 1 billion transactions in October 2019, 2 billion in October 2020, and 3 billion in January 2021.
Shift from P2P to P2M Transactions:
- UPI was initially used mostly for P2P(Person-to-person) transactions, but has seen a significant shift towards P2M(Person-to-merchant) transactions in recent years.
- It is now the most popular payment method for P2M transactions in terms of volume.
- The adoption of the RuPay credit feature on UPI by larger credit issuers, including HDFC Bank and three public sector issuers, is expected to boost UPI transactions further.
NPCI’s Ambitious Target of One Billion Transactions Per Day:
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which manages and operates UPI, has a target of one billion transactions per day. NPCI hopes to achieve this within the next three to five years.
What Is National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI):
It is an umbrella non-for-profit organization that operates the retail payments and settlement systems across India. It was founded in December 2008. It has been registered under Section 8 of Companies Act 2013. The organisation was established by Reserve Bank of India and Indian Banks’ Association. It is owned by a consortium of major banks.
What Is Unified Payments Interface (UPI):
It is an instant real-time payment system which has been developed by National Payments Corporation of India. This interface provides for the inter-bank transactions. It is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India. Around 207 banks are available on UPI, as of December 2020, that accounts for the transaction of 2334.16 million monthly.


text:
The developers of Streets of Rage 4 have released a behind-the-scenes video detailing the team's vision.
In this behind-the-scenes look at Streets of Rage 4, developers from Dotemu and Guard Crush Games discuss how their love of fighting games led to the title's development.
According to the developers, Streets of Rage 2 is the benchmark, while other fighting games such as Street Fighter 3: Third Strike, Virtua Fighter, Guardian Heroes, and Sengoku 3 provided inspiration.
Streets of Rage 4 is the first core entry in more than 25 years and will feature new playable fighters alongside Alex and Blaze brawling it out in a new art style.
Alex got some hands-on time with it back in August, and said it was "bloody amazing."
Currently in development with Dotemu, Lizardcube, and Guard Crush Games, it will arrive on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One in 2020.


text:
LAST UPDATED : Jul 23, 2019, 07:50 PM IST
- Chinese court rules in favour of Apple in design patent dispute
In May last year, a Beijing patent regulator ordered Apple's Chinese subsidiary and a local retailer Zoomflight to stop selling iPhone 6 models, ruling that Apple violated design patents of Chinese maker Shenzhen Baili with its smartphones.
- ‘Entrepreneurs need to understand patents and intellectual rights’
Knowledge of patent protection and intellectual protection rights appears sketchy among entrepreneurs who often keep it till it is too late to protect their innovations, officials from the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) said
- Kerala inventor assures to solve power scarcity woes, ETDC tests and certifies it
In a path-breaking invention, an inventor Rajeev KR from Kerala has proved that multiplication of energy is possible which if harnessed could solve all power scarcity woes. Scientists at Electronics Test and Development Centre (ETDC), Chennai have tested and certified his invention. Rajeev has now applied for a patent for the same.
- Suven shares gain 4% after getting patents from HK, India, US
New Delhi, Nov 16 () Shares of Suven Life Sciences today ended 4 per cent higher, following which the market capitalisation of the company improved by Rs 94 crore after announcement of receiving patents from Hong Kong, India, the US on neurological molecule.
- Need to speed up process of granting patents: Khorakiwala
New Delhi, May 16 () India needs to fast-track patent and trademark approval mechanism as the time taken for the same in the country is much higher compared to other nations but the Centre's National Intellectual Property Rights policy is a welcome step, says Wockhardt Chairman Habil Khorakiwala.


text:
The Bored Ape Yacht Club team has released its new native token aptly named “ApeCoin”. The token will be distributed to all owners of the BAYC NFTs. Following after the announcement of ApeCoin, the floor price to purchase a Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT jumped to over 100 Ethereum (ETH), which translates at the current price to over $281,000 US Dollars.
What is BAYC’s ApeCoin?
Yuga labs who owns the BAYC has said that the new ApeCoin token will be the “primary token for all new products and services” from the company. That will include a newly announced blockchain play to earn game that Yuga Labs will release later this year. ApeCoin will be used initially as in game currency, but the company has plans for its use case outside of just the game. As of tomorrow, the coin will be able to be used within another game named “Benji Bananas” from Animoca Brands. Many believe the ApeCoin token will be integrated into several other games in the future and it may be used as a general digital currency as well.
To assist ApeCoin’s success, the token has been setup to be independent from Yuga Labs and Bored Ape Yacht Club. It will be overseen and managed by a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) named ApeCoin DAO. The DAO will be using funds from the sales of ApeCoin, which has exactly 1 billion coins. Each coin will amount to 1 vote in the DAO. Initial plans for the DAO include building an entire environment around the ApeCoin token including events, merchandising, its own NFT marketplace and blockchain game development.
What is Yuga Labs?
Yuga Labs is the quite simply the brains and backing behind the most popular NFT to date, the Bored Ape Yacht Club. Since BAYC as released last Spring, it has made headlines and headlined the rise of the NFT market with multi-million dollar sales, a skyrocketing floor price and celebrity owners. Just this week, Yuga labs announced the purchase of 2 of its closest competitor NFT projects “CryptoPunks” and “Meebits” adding to the companies dominance in the NFT industry.
ApeCoin’s Airdrop Performance
ApeCoin was released to BAYC NFT owners todays via and airdrop that called upon the owners to claim the coin. Before the airdrop BAYC floor price reached an all time high above 108 ETH. The airdrop itself went off without a hitch, however immediately afterward the floor price did drop by almost 30%. At this current moment, the floor price sits at 79 ETH which is a large drop from todays highs, however the blue chip NFT project has always proved itself to be resilient and thus far, rise in the longer term.


text:
Sports Executive Weekly has quickly become one of the most trusted and widely distributed trade newsletters
servicing the Sporting Goods, Athletic Footwear, and Athletic Apparel markets. SEW, as it
has quickly become known in the industry, provides comprehensive coverage, in-depth analysis, and unique insight
into the the trade news of the week. Sports Executive Weekly is delivered via e-mail each week in
printer-friendly Adobe PDF format and can also be downloaded directly from this site by clicking on the
"Download Past Newsletters" link to the right.
You may also click any of the archive tabs above for more news by category of interest.
Archived SEW articles and the newsletter download function are restricted to current
SEW subscribers only.
For more information on subscribing to Sports Executive Weekly, or to request a Free Trial, just go to:
Investors Reportedly Preparing Unsolicited Bid for Reebok
An investment group is preparing a $2.2 billion offer to acquire Reebok from Adidas AG, according to a report in Monday's Wall Street Journal that was later collaborate by Bloomberg News...(10/21/2014)
Timberland Paces VF’s Robust Q3
Led by accelerating momentum seen at Timberland, VF Corp. reported third-quarter earnings rose 8.5 percent in the third quarter, to $470.5 million, or $1.08 a share. Revenues grew 6.7 percent, to $3.49 billion. Results came in just short of Wall Street's consensus estimates of $1.09 a share on revenue of $3.57 billion but the company still slightly lifted its EPS guidance for the year...
Compass Diversified Adds SternoCandleLamp to Portfolio
Compass Diversified Holdings acquired Candle Lamp Company, LLC. Oct. 10 for eight times trailing 12 months EBITA in its first acquisition of a consumer brand since divesting control of Fox Holding Corp. earlier this year...(10/18/2014)
Google Express Targets Chicago, New York and D.C. Merchants In Major Expansion
Google began fulfilling same-day/next day orders for retailers in Chicago, New York and Washington DC last week in a major expansion of its membership-based Google Express shopping service. The expansion, which comes after an 18-month pilot program in Northern California, gives merchants an option to Amazon and eBay, which are also offering same-day/next-day services to merchants...(10/17/2014)
Bookings Starting Out Strong at U.S. Western Resorts
Bookings at western mountain resorts are showing an aggregated 7.4 percent gain in occupancy for the upcoming season compared to the same time last year according to DestiMetrics, a Denver-based organization that tracks mountain lodging bookings at 19 western mountain resorts in six states...
Converse Sues 31 Companies Over Chuck Taylor Knockoffs
Converse filed lawsuits against 31 companies in Federal District Court in New York accusing them of trademark infringement on its Chuck Taylor shoe. The brand, owned by Nike Inc., is suing for monetary damages, but is particularly seeking to prevent the continued sale of the alleged infringing product...
Quiksilver’s Bob McKnight to Retire
Bob McKnight, who co-founded Quiksilver in 1976, plans to retire as a senior executive of the company on Oct. 31, 2014. He will remain on the company's board but will no longer be executive chairman...(10/17/2014)
GoPro Stock Price Falls on Safety Concerns
Shares of GoPro fell nearly 10 percent last Monday after a French journalist said one of the company's helmet cameras may have played a role in F1 Champion Michael Shumacher’s tragic accident...


text:
Qualcomm has finally given up on buying NXP Semiconductors, a Dutch company known for automotive and IoT chips, which it’s been trying to acquire for nearly two years. The deal has long been held up by the Chinese government, and now, Qualcomm has said it will scrap the agreement altogether rather than continue the uncertain fight toward a completed acquisition. In doing so, it’ll have to pay a breakup fee of $2 billion.
The two companies initially entered into a deal in October 2016, with Qualcomm agreeing to pay $47 billion for NXP. The deadline to close the deal has been extended many times since then, as the companies wait for China to approve or deny the merger; every other country reviewing the acquisition granted its approval.
With no answer from China, the deal will once again hit its deadline tonight, but this time Qualcomm doesn’t plan to extend it. The agreement is still valid until midnight ET, so it’s possible the acquisition will still go through; but China would have to approve the transaction within the next six and a half hours for that to happen. “We intend to terminate our purchase agreement to acquire NXP when the agreement expires at the end of the day today, pending any new material developments,” Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf said in a statement announcing the company’s third quarter earnings today.
Though Qualcomm will have to pay a breakup fee for letting the acquisition fall through, it also frees up the cash it had set aside to pay for the NXP deal. It plans to put $30 billion toward a stock repurchase program.
The bigger downside for the company is that, without NXP, Qualcomm is even more reliant on its existing product portfolio at a time when it’s under a legal assault across the globe for allegedly anti-competitive patent licensing practices. The company maintains a commanding lead in the mobile processor and modem space, but the IoT and automotive markets — both of which Qualcomm competes in, too — are still taking off, and the breakup of this deal means fewer ready-to-go resources for Qualcomm.


text:
Karachi: Sindh Province has indicated that it will lift the blockade of the provincial capital after April 14. According to the established SOP, trading activities are expected to resume within a limited time after April 15.
According to Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shallwani, plans are being made to allow bakeries and restaurants to supply, collect and reopen shops, markets and industries.
He said SOPs are being developed for shops and trading centers. Otherwise, the store or market will be blocked.
The Commissioner further stated that the SOP will be sent to the Chief Minister of Sindh for approval, which will then be implemented in the province.


text:
ARI sees overseas profits soar 19%By Kristiane Sherry
Travel retailer Aer Rianta International (ARI) saw both its overseas profits and domestic sales grow in 2015, according to parent company DAA’s full-year financial results.
ARI, which has travel retail operations in 10 countries across North America, Europe, the Middle East, India, New Zealand and its native Ireland, saw overseas profits for the year reach €22 million, a 19% year-on-year increase.
While separate profit figures for the Irish operations are not included in the DAA report, sales across both Dublin and Cork airports increased by 20% to €273 million last year. This figure includes retail, food and beverage sales by concessionaires.
ARI says an €8 million upgrade to the main retail area at Dublin’s Terminal 1, in addition to increasing passenger numbers, helped deliver a 28% increase in sales at ARI’s directly managed stores in Ireland. Average spend per passenger at these stores increased by 12% in 2015.
Annual sales across these ARI outlets passed the €100 million threshold for the first time since the abolition of intra-EU duty free in 1999.
While currency did have “some impact”, particularly in the Middle East, the strength of sterling and the US dollar boosted euro-based operations. The weakening rouble and ongoing financial crisis in Russia had an impact on trading in Cyprus, where ARI owns and operates the retail business at Larnaca and Paphos airports.
Managed turnover across all ARI locations increased 19% year-on-year, with the retailer’s Middle East joint venture operations continuing to perform well.
Beirut Duty Free delivered a “resilient” performance according to the company, despite the impact of the ongoing conflict in neighbouring Syria.
The Delhi International Airport JV saw turnover increase for the fifth consecutive year. Sales increased 9% to US$140 million, buoyed by strong passenger traffic and marketing activity.
ARI’s Canadian business also registered “strong growth” in 2015.
In addition to its current footprint, ARI also won the 10-year contract to operate a number of categories at the new Midfield Terminal Building at Abu Dhabi Airport.
“ARI had an excellent year both at home and abroad in 2015,” said ARI chief executive Jack MacGowan.
“There was a strong uplift in ARI’s overseas profits and retail sales at the Irish airports increased ahead of passenger growth. ARI has also been working to lay the foundations for future growth, winning key contracts in Abu Dhabi and Muscat in recent months.”
Aer Rianta manages both The Loop duty free and the Irish Whiskey Collection stores at Dublin and Cork airports. Earlier this month, the retailer partnered with The Teeling Whiskey Company to release a single cask expression selected by The Aviator’s Whiskey Society, a group set up by staff members.


text:
Mysore proposes separate zone for food vendors
They were banned in April after the outbreak of cholera and swine flu
Street food in Mumbai, Ahmedabad 'safe to eat'
The respective state Food and Drug Administration confers ‘Clean Street Food Hub' tag on Mumbai’s Chowpatty and Ahmedabad’s …
Health-conscious consumers, busy lifestyles driving up market value of antimicrobial packaging: Report
Valuation may reach $11.5 billion this year; Asia-Pacific to be most lucrative market


text:
Today on Internet Law Talk, DotGreen CFO/COO Tim Switzer joined DomainSkate President David Mitnick and Howard Greenstein for a spirited discussion on the DotGreen Foundation’s proposed .Green Global Top Level Domain (gTLD).
Switzer shared the DotGreen story, explained how it got started, and how DotGreen plans to use a portion of the proceeds it receives from every domain name registered in the .Green space to support its foundation dedicated to environmentally friendly causes.
We also covered the challenges of making Internet users aware of new domain extensions, and how established brands might consider using a .Green domain to showcase their company and its eco-friendly work/causes. The DotGreen Foundation is one of four (4) applicants for the .Green registry. ICANN could start approving and rolling-out new gTLDs like .Green as early as late spring of this year (2013).


text:
11th November 2015
Capital and acquisition to expand Swrve’s leadership in the mobile marketing engagement space
45 high-tech jobs to be created in Dublin
Swrve, a global leader in mobile marketing engagement, today announced that it has closed a $30 million funding and acquisition round. Swrve has acquired adaptiv.io, a data automation platform for mobile.
The investment will also lead to the creation of 45 new posts at the company’s Dublin base. The announcement comes on the heels of a period of significant growth for the company, including reaching one billion installs of the product.
Swrve, whose platform enables brands to deliver contextually rich and relevant in-app mobile interactions, will use this funding to continue the company’s global expansion and market-leading product innovation.
Leading the round is Evolution Media Partners (EMP), a partnership of the Creative Arts Agency backed Evolution Media Capital, TPG Growth and Participant Media, and the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF). Others participating in the oversubscribed round included existing investors Acero Capital and Atlantic Bridge.
The project is supported by the Dept of Jobs through Enterprise Ireland. Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton TD said: “Technology is a key sector which we have targeted as part of our Action Plan for Jobs. We have put in place a range of measures to support jobs growth by Irish tech companies, including a range of new funding schemes. Today’s announcement that Swrve is creating 45 additional jobs in Dublin as part of a $30million investment is a great boost and reflects the environment Ireland has created for innovative technology companies. I wish the team at Swrve every success with their future expansion”.
Fergal McAleavey, Head of Private Equity at the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund said, “We are delighted to be backing Swrve, an indigenous Irish company with global ambitions, building on Ireland’s reputation as an international hub for emerging high-growth technology companies. This investment is in line with ISIF’s ‘double bottom line’ mandate of achieving commercial returns while generating economic impact in Ireland, as evidenced by Swrve’s commitment to create an additional 45 jobs at their Irish base.”
Said Brian Long, Managing Partner, Atlantic Bridge, “This investment and acquisition round illustrates the global scale that Swrve has arrived at. We have been investment partners in Swrve since 2012 and have watched watched it grow to a level where it today processes and analyses over eight billion customer events across one billion customer devices each day.”
With an existing roster of customers spanning some of best known brand names in the world, Swrve will use this capital primarily to accelerate product development and sales growth, to solidify their market position as a recognized global leader in the mobile marketing engagement space. Recent company milestones include:
- One billion installs of the Swrve SDK
- A successful Q2 followed by a peak Q3 represented by 4x growth from Q3 2014
- Unprecedented expansion across verticals such as Financial Services, Media and Publishing, and Entertainment
- Rapid hiring across its growing employee base in San Francisco, New York, Dublin, London, and continental Europe.
Said Swrve co-founder and CTO Dr. Steve Collins, “This is a key moment in the evolution of Swrve. This funding round, with its strong mix of US and Irish partners, and acquisition reflect incredible momentum and growth for the company. It also reflects the dynamic ecosystem that has been developed in Ireland for technology companies. It’s a good time to be a technology start-up in Ireland and our journey since founding Swrve five years ago certainly reflects that.”
Commenting on their partnership, Marco DeMiroz, Managing Director of Evolution Media Capital, who also joins Swrve's Board of Directors, said, “Swrve solves real problems for real mobile marketers. We’re thrilled to be investing in Swrve, which is helping to make marketing more powerful, more relevant, more targeted and more effective than ever before, revolutionizing how some of the biggest brands in the world interact with their customers.”
+ 353 87 2497290
Corporate Communications, Swrve
Swrve’s Mobile Engagement Platform empowers digital marketers to create the ideal mobile customer experience. Whether an app is part of an omni-channel strategy or is a mobile-first business, Swrve provides the marketing tools required to drive meaningful user engagement, retention, and revenue. A 2015 Inc. 500 honoree, Swrve’s mobile platform is the means for brands to engage mobile users in a timely, compelling, and contextually relevant way.
Swrve’s easy-to-use platform also brings advanced audience targeting, real-time segmentation, conversations, and personalization to push notifications and messaging inside the app. Building lasting customer relationships on mobile is essential to long-term growth. Swrve partners with leading brands, agencies and technology partners – including The Guardian, Condé Nast, Glamsquad, Warner Brothers, Salesforce, Oracle, and Marketo – and is installed in mobile apps across industries, such as retail, media, travel/hospitality, entertainment, sports, games, and banking. Swrve clients have delivered more than one billion mobile messages, and the Swrve platform processes over eight billion events on a daily basis.
Originally founded in 2007 by live game operations pioneers, and backed by Evolution Media Capital, adaptiv.io provides real-time analysis and actions to maximize revenue through its patent-pending next generation cross-channel and cross-platform data automation system for online and mobile marketing. adaptiv.io’s experienced team of industry veterans have worked on the biggest titles in the industry, and on every platform from PC to console to mobile, helping solve the complex problems involved in running service-driven games and applications.
The €7.5 billion ISIF was established in December 2014 with a statutory mandate to invest on a commercial basis in a manner designed to support economic activity and employment in the State. The fund has made investment commitments to date of €1.8 billion (including National Pensions Reserve Fund investments prior to December 2014 when the ISIF was established and NPRF assets transferred to it) and plans to deploy the remainder over the coming years as suitable investment opportunities are identified.
About Atlantic Bridge
Atlantic Bridge is a private equity firm investing in Middle Market Technology assets across Europe, with offices in Dublin, London, Silicon Valley, Beijing and Hong Kong. It focuses on making domain-specific investments in late-stage venture capital, expansion capital and buy-out transactions. The Atlantic Bridge portfolio currently consists of companies in the communications technology, semiconductor and software sectors. Atlantic Bridge brings together a unique team of technology entrepreneurs, experienced managers, finance professionals and investment experts, with over 100 years of international business experience .The team has worked together in various capacities for 20 years, bringing a true partnership approach to the firm and its investments. For more information, please visit www.abven.com.
Back to Department News


text:
Canada's economy, human rights and smoking
A roundup of the week's Americas stories
By The Economist online
A MODEL economy during the world recession, Canada has more recently been troubled by disappointing exports and stalled investment, and has had to swallow a dose of fiscal austerity as well. This week's issue of The Economist says that only the country's overstretched consumer can hope to put the economy back on track. It also includes stories on the Inter-American Human Rights Commission and on smoking in Chile.


text:
Copyranter takes on ad agencies that shamelessly pilfer creative ideas
It was not Pablo Picasso who coined “good artists copy; great artists steal.” And it was somebody else who first said, “There’s no such thing as an original idea.” And it was a third different person (maybe David Ogilvy?) who declared, “We (ad creatives) are not artists; we’re salespeople.”
When you think “most ethical industries,” advertising isn’t top of mind. But most copywriters and art directors follow a code of conduct about idea theft — if only because we don’t want to get disqualified for any all-important industry awards.
In the last year or so, though, many copywriters/art directors have apparently blatantly broken this code. We’ll start with the most blatant examples.
Tiffany’s current tagline/hashtag is #TheresOnlyOne (scroll down to see ad images), which it says celebrates “the power of individuality.” However, its new campaign (above left), launched in late July, is just a little too similar to the images (right) from jeweler Annoushka’s “Rule The World” Instagram effort from May (agency: Mr. President) that featured sign language hand poses.
Foxy! On the left, it’s stern 2013 Jimi-O for Radio Metro, an Ecuadorian station: “Today’s News, Yesterday’s Music” (agency: Koenig & Partners). On the right, stoned 2017 Jimi-O for Mexico’s Contemporary Music School: “Music Makes Everything Better.”
Axe Jacks Concept
Last year, the man-boy brand launched a “Shower Thoughts” video campaign (created by Generate, a division of Defy Media, and Mindshare Entertainment). Reddit already has a “Showerthoughts” subreddit. No biggie; Reddit didn’t invent shower thoughts. But the above launch ad featured this copy: “When you’re criticized for being short, they’re really just saying the worst thing about you is that there isn’t more of you” — which was the exact same wording of a popular Reddit shower thought from 2015. Tail between legs, Axe issued a statement saying it would “collaborate” on a future “piece of content” with the Reddit user.
Lego My Idea!
The Lego ad on the right was part of a 2017 Cannes Silver Lion-winning “Build the future” campaign that the trade press gushed about zealously (agency: Ogilvy, Thailand). It’s a good idea that probably didn’t come from the creatives’ imaginations. At left is a 2013 Lego ad by Ogilvy & Mather, Costa Rica. Same network! Is that the same girl?
Google Ad Fraud?
In August 2016, Google premiered the above spot (done in-house) for its “Free Up Space” service. The idea was to show videos/photos frozen and ruined by the “storage full” message. Mildly creative. But this was the exact concept used in a far superior 2015 Japanese spot for internet service provider Plala (watch that ad here). Again, this is too specific of a linchpin for it to be an innocent coincidence.
Lastly, maybe you’ve seen this new spot for Absolut via BBH London and Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki that industry folk are crowing about. It’s cool to look at. But it’s not at all original.
There are some established tried and overused broad ad conceits, like: use babies, use animals, go back in time, go forward in time. Absolut goes back and then forward in time, with lame voice-over copy that talks about “the mother of all ideas” (creativity, I guess). It ends with the line, “You can take it from here,” as if to say, “We don’t have a good ending.”
It has absolutely nothing (sorry) to do with Absolut. And it immediately brings to mind one of the greatest alcohol spots in ad history: Guinness’ noitulovE (Evolution spelled backward) commercial from 2005 by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO where three lads are hurled back through time to show how long they had to wait to sip their beers. It tied in perfectly with the strapline “good things come to those who wait.” Brilliant, and no breathy, condescending voice-over needed. Watch the Guinness ad here.
The BBH creatives were of course very aware of the Guinness spot during “ideation,” and it’s a fair bet that this is where their big bang “creation” concept came from.
This is only a small sampling of probable recent ad larceny. There have been scores more, just this year. To take an amazing trip down larceny lane, visit Joe La Pompe, the ad industry watchdog who calls himself “masked to unmask copycats.”
How Roblox is paving the way for a new era of branded gaming
Roblox is still in its infancy as a marketing tool. But over the last two years, the number of brands and retailers on Roblox has grown dramatically.
‘Email has become so cluttered’: Why DTC brands plan to use texting for Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday nearing, text messaging is becoming a more common marketing channel for direct-to-consumer brands.
‘There’s more opportunity’: Publishers on TikTok are taking branded content into their own hands
As their audiences on the social app have grown, a flurry of publishers have turned to developing branded content campaigns to explore new commercial opportunities.
SponsoredPublishers will lead the charge as cookie-less advertising becomes the norm
Steve Wing, managing director, EMEA, Magnite As the advertising industry moves closer to a cookieless world — one in which browserless environments including connected TV (CTV) and mobile in-app are an increasingly large part of ad budgets — publishers will have an increasingly important role in developing the future of identity. Segment creation and identity […]
Member Exclusive‘A more hopeful future’: As the coronavirus surges, advertisers aren’t pressing pause
Spending has remained consistent, according to media buyers, who say that advertisers are more prepared this time around.
‘Time to test multiple offers’: Why Black Friday and Cyber Monday advertising is coming earlier than ever this year
The accelerated shift of consumer shopping to e-commerce and the expected surge of online holiday retail, has led to earlier Black Friday and Cyber Monday advertising.


text:
NEW YORK — Cost cuts allowed Movado Group Inc. to post gains in second-quarter profits despite an appreciable sales decline.
For the three months ended July 31, the Paramus, N.J.-based watchmaker reported net income grew 4.8 percent to $5.4 million, or 44 cents a diluted share. That compares with net income of $5.1 million, or 42 cents, in the prior-year quarter. Earnings per share beat the Wall Street consensus estimate by a penny.
Net sales for the period fell 7.8 percent to $72.2 million from $78.4 percent last year, while same-store sales rose 1.5 percent at Movado’s retail boutiques.
"Our successful cost-savings initiatives and productivity improvements continue to drive strong results as we improved our operating profit margin and grew the bottom line during the quarter," said chief executive officer Efraim Grinberg in a statement. "The single-digit net sales decline compares to a record sales performance in the year-ago period and is primarily attributable to economic weakness overseas combined with U.S. retailers’ continued focus on inventory management."
Cost cuts accruing to the bottom line included an 8.2 percent decline in cost of sales to $27.9 million from $30.4 million last year, as well as an 8.6 percent drop in selling, general and administrative expenses to $35.8 million from $39.2 million a year ago. Those cuts helped gross margin remain at 61.4 percent.
Overall, for the first half of the fiscal year, Movado reported net earnings increased 14.1 percent to $5.7 million, or 47 cents a diluted share. That compares with last year’s profits of $5 million, or 41 cents. Movado said last year’s earnings have been adjusted downward $109,000, or 1 cent, to reflect the adoption of a new accounting standard regarding derivative instruments and hedging activities.
Sales for the first six months slipped 4 percent to $129.5 million from $134.9 million a year ago, while same-store sales in the company’s boutiques gained 4.8 percent.
In a separate development, the firm reported Wednesday it has signed two lease agreements for Movado boutiques to be located in the Dadeland Mall and the Aventura Mall, both located in Miami. The boutiques are expected to open in late 2002.
Harrods plans to remove the famous statue of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed from the bottom of the Egyptian escalators and hand it back to Mohamed Al-Fayed. “We are very proud to have played our role in celebrating the lives of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed at Harrods and to have welcomed people from around the world to visit the memorial for the past 20 years,” said Michael Ward, Harrods managing director. “With the announcement of the new official memorial statue to Diana, Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace, we feel that the time is right to return this memorial to Mr. Al Fayed and for the public to be invited to pay their respects at the palace.” More on the news, with reporting by @loreleimarfil, at WWD.com. #wwdnews
@prada is introducing a new project at its men’s fall 2018 show this Sunday: “Prada Invites.” The fashion house invited four celebrated creative minds – @ronanaerwanbouroullec, Konstantin Grcic, @herzogdemeuron and @rem.koolhaas – to each create a unique item with its iconic nylon material. The designs will be unveiled on the runway show, which will take place at the company’s warehouse in Viale Ortles 25. #wwdfashion #mfwm (📷: @martinocarrera)
@kering_official is spinning off its stake in puma in an effort to focus on its luxury brands, the brand operator announced yesterday. “We are proud to have supported the turnaround of Puma, which now has unrivaled capabilities to take full advantage of the specific dynamics of its global markets and is poised to achieve substantial growth,” said François-Henri Pinault, Kering’s chief executive officer and chairman. Artémis will become a “long-term strategic shareholder” of Puma with a 29 percent stake. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @jilliansollazzo)
The fashion world mourns for celebrated street style photographer, Nabile Quenum, who died at age 32 in Paris.
Quenum, creator of the fashion blog “J’ai Perdu Ma Veste,” was a fashion week fixture, and regularly shot for New York magazine’s The Cut, among other outlets, and brands such as Louis Vuitton, Moncler and Adidas. He was also actively involved in the #NoFreePhotos initiative, which kicked off in the fall. Read more about Quenum in @kbsmoke's story on WWD.com. #wwdnews
@verwanggang and @maisonladuree have teamed up on a dessert collab called Vera Wang Pour Ladurée. The collection, which launched this week, features a specialty macaroon, as well as a wedding cake inspired by one of the designer’s gowns. “I could not imagine a more delicate or sophisticated creation to grace any couple’s celebration,” said Wang. #wwdfashion


text:
TIP Trailers, TIP Tankers and Grayrentals are exhibiting at this year’s CV Show, celebrating the 50th anniversary year for the global trailer company. Moreover, they will also be promoting TIP’s recognised services together with a wide range of developing products.
TIP Trailers will be displaying a comprehensive range of trailers on their partners’ stands as well as showcasing a special commemorative curtainsider within the outside exhibition area highlighting TIP’s 50 years’ service to the industry. Together with an eye-catching tractor unit from their sister company, Grayrentals, the complete rig will be highly visible and extremely difficult to miss.
On an adjacent stand, TIP Tankers will display a new LAG ‘foodstuffs’ tanker which are available to buy or lease through the TIP/LAG distributor agreement. In addition, there will also be a cryogenic rigid tanker that has been refurbished and remounted onto a new DAF truck in one of TIP Tankers own workshops.
Announcing further new customer service innovations at this year’s CV Show, Mike Furnival, managing director, TIP Trailer Services (UK&I) said, “Whilst TIP is recognized as the leading fleet services provider in Europe, we are currently undergoing a digital evolution to improve our service delivery throughout our European customer portfolio. At the show we will be demonstrating our new Customer Portal together with the asset and maintenance digitisation of our Matrix project which will transform our future service proposition to the European transport industry.”
“Every year is a busy year for the TIP team at the CV Show but this year is a special year for the business and we would be especially delighted to break all attendance records in celebration of our 50 years history as a committed service provider to the global transport industry,” commented Mike Furnival.


text:
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apple’s acquisition of WiFiSLAM has brought smartphone indoor location technologies to the fore. With over 1 billion new smartphones forecast to utilize indoor location technologies in 2018, there are still significant opportunities for companies with the right technologies and strategies.
In ABI Research’s latest Location Technology report, “Smartphone Indoor Location Technologies”, it has forecast the adoption of different indoor location technologies, and the companies best placed to be successful. “We see a significant trend towards hybridization, with Wi-Fi, BLE and sensor fusion vita,” commented senior analyst, Patrick Connolly. “By 2014, hybrid solutions will have already surpassed standalone indoor location technologies on smartphones, with Wi-Fi and sensor fusion hybrid solutions reaching over 900 million units in 2018. Longer term, technologies around optical light, object recognition and LTE-direct are all forecast to offer differentiation.”
Practice director Dominique Bonte added, “We are already seeing start-ups pivot out of this space, but there is still huge opportunity for partnerships/acquisitions with major Android handset vendors, carriers and large application developers. Clearly Google is developing its own Wi-Fi indoor location solution; however, it may well open up its indoor location framework, enabling the market to expand much more rapidly. For IC vendors, with access to the hardware abstraction layer, indoor location innovation is vital for future socket wins.”
These findings are part of ABI Research’s Location Technologies Research Service (http://www.abiresearch.com/research/service/location-technologies/) which includes Research Analyses, Market Data, Insights, and Competitive Assessments focused on the indoor location market.
ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research’s worldwide team of experts advises thousands of decision makers through 70+ research and advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.


text:
(Ping! Zine Web Tech Magazine) – The availability of Apple’s iPhone continues to grow among smaller mobile providers. On Friday, a report from CBS News noted U.S. Cellular would begin offering the popular smartphone.
The move follows other smaller providers including Virgin Mobile and Crick Wireless announcing similar plans within the past year or so.
Company CEO Mary Dillon told investors the news Friday, according to CBS News. However, no release date or model type has been specified.
The iPhone was initially only available at wireless carrier AT&T when initially launched back in 2007.


text:
China’s copper and aluminum exports and imports dropped in the double digits in the first six months of the year, according to Chinese custom statistics data.
Aluminum and copper exports in June were valued at $1.9bn and $417mn, respectively. In H1 2020, aluminum exports were worth $11.1bn and copper exports stood at $3bn. Shipments for both metals dropped by 14pc during the first six months of the year compared with H1 2019.
The country imported $4.2bn worth of copper and $738mn worth of aluminum in June. In H1 2020, copper imports fell by 2.3pc to $19.3bn compared to the first six months in 2019, while aluminum imports fell by 2pc to $3bn during the same period.
Nickel, zinc, and lead exports tallied at $31mn, $19mn, and $2mn, respectively, in June. In H1 2020, nickel exports surged by 61pc to $332mn from the first six months in 2019, while zinc exports grew by 8.5pc to $126mn during the same period. China shipped lead worth $18mn in H1 2020, a decline of 10.9pc from the same period last year.
China imported $374mn worth of nickel, $187mn worth of zinc, and $23mn worth of lead in June. In H1 2020 nickel, zinc and lead imports fell by 26.5pc, 33.2pc, and 74.4pc to $1.9bn, $754mn, and $61mn, respectively, compared with the same period last year.
The actual volumes of the metals traded were not disclosed by the customs.
|Category||Export||Import||Variation in YTD|
|Base Metals||Jun-20||YTD 2020||Jun-20||YTD 2020||Exports||Imports|


text:
Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) has been pretty busy recently since it resumed its operations amid this pandemic. It kicked off June with the launch of the facelifted Wigo, and it’s looking to end July strong with the launch of the new Vios.
While those may seem like big announcements already, it seems that TMP has even bigger reveals in store for the second half of 2020. We have just received word from a source that the carmaker will be bringing in the recently launched Toyota Corolla Cross here in our market as well.
As a matter of fact, a unit has supposedly already arrived at TMP’s plant in Santa Rosa. Unfortunately, we don’t have photos of it yet—what we do have are some specs. Our source told us that TMP will make both the gasoline engine and the hybrid setup available here.
In case you missed the big reveal, the Corolla Cross debuted with two engine options. One is the hybrid setup that features a 1.8-liter powertrain combined with an electric motor. This setup is mated to an electric CVT and boasts a total system output of 120hp. The other is a 1.8-liter gasoline mill that generates 138hp and 177Nm of torque and is mated to a CVT. Both setups sport an FWD drivetrain.
No word yet on what tech will be available with the Corolla Cross if and when it does launch, but we are expecting (or at least hoping) that it comes equipped with the Toyota Safety Sense features, especially now that TMP has started distributing the tech package to more vehicles in its lineup.
There aren’t any details on pricing yet as well, but we were told that the official launch could happen in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Anyway, what do you think of these recent developments? Do you want to see Toyota launch the Corolla Cross here in the Philippines?


text:
According to the 2018 World Manufacturing Forum Report, 59% of global executives surveyed believe IoT is a top supply chain innovation. However, adoption rates hover at roughly 20% – despite IoT’s notoriety following Carnegie-Mellon University’s demonstration of a network-connected Coke machine back in 1982. Here, Pegasystems’ Steven Silver, Leader for Manufacturing, Automotive & High-Tech, and Cognizant’s Prasad Satyavolu, CDO & Global Head of Innovation, discuss IIoT’s value problem.
Why have companies failed to realize meaningful business value despite the advancements and lessons learned over the intervening years?
Our conclusion, informed by discussions with clients across multiple industrial sectors and our experiences living through numerous hype cycles, is that the IoT value “problem” is not substantially a technology issue or its provenance. To us, it’s a combination of factors, ranging from a lack of sustained investment in a full-scale transformation program, to a failure to pay enough attention to real business process redesign.
The reality is that the IoT should ultimately be viewed as an ever-present ingredient in an organization’s business architecture that makes reimagined operational outcomes possible. In other words, it’s a part of the story – not the entire narrative. Seems simple enough, but it’s anything but.
For most manufacturers, digital business change is an unfair fight. While an organization’s business leadership is often focused on the “arms race” to digitize and optimize the business with the latest and greatest “shiny object” innovations, most IT investments and human capital are trapped with the task of keeping existing operations running.
It begs the following questions:
The IoT Status Quo Cannot Remain
Your operations are already instrumented with sensors everywhere. This creates expectations by customers, partners and associates that your organization is already acting on its IoT data for their benefit. Moreover, as new business scenarios emerge, your organizational design principles must focus on a creative revamp and a full deployment of all resources at your organization’s disposal.
In fact, as customer demands increase in expectation and complexity – and since there is no cavalry of new headcount coming to the rescue – these scenarios will mandate that current associates be supported by much greater degrees of intelligent automation and productivity assistance.
It’s the combination of existing IoT data and intelligent automation that will enable you to deliver on the promises you’ve made to employees and customers of seamless, effortless and connected processes, products and experiences. Among many examples, this might include:
This goes beyond the promise of action and outcomes to instantly executing them at scale. And unlike in the past, it’s not only possible to make this happen; it’s required that you deliver these outcomes in weeks and months, not years from now.
No Time to Look the Other Way
Too much already on your to-do list? Unfortunately, doing nothing, abandoning or de-emphasizing IoT as another overhyped technology is not an option either. In fact, according to a recent MIT Sloan Management Review report, your peers and competitors believe IoT has clear business value:
The issues that often prevent adoption boil down to IoT being treated as an end unto itself. However, this makes little sense when, according to the World Manufacturing Forum report cited above, IoT adoption hurdles preclude any bona fide assessment of its true business impact and scaling potential. Top barriers include:
These obstacles don’t just manifest themselves in survey results or a lack of progress. They show up in the kind of frustration that slows, if not stops, innovation – and corrodes cultures. The reason is a lack of confidence: No one truly believes that creating new value is possible in their own enterprise.
So how can a connected industrial enterprise scale and finally reap benefits from IoT and IIoT? The answer lies at the intersection of your existing IoT investments and the orchestration of your most critical business processes.
How serious are industrial companies about moving forward with IoT and what do their IoT roadmaps look like? This study set out to explore how European industrial companies are approaching IoT initiatives from an investment, implementation and strategy perspective.


text:
Downtown getting ready for the holidays
Downtown Pensacola will be lighted like never before this holiday season, and the New Year's Eve Pelican Drop may well be the largest now that the event has been moved.
The Downtown Improvement Board has already begun spending about $200,000 it received from the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners to light and decorate downtown Pensacola this holiday season, and has plans to spend another $87,000 to put on this year's Pelican Drop. A further $18,000 will be spent to promote downtown as a holiday destination with a targeted marketing campaign in various forms of social and traditional media.
Lights are already going up in trees downtown and will eventually stretch from Garden Street to Main Street on Palafox. Street lamps will be adorned with wreaths and garland from Wright Street to Plaza de Luna on Palafox Street. The lights will be switched on at the end of the annual Elf Parade on Nov. 27.
The focal point of the downtown lighting will be at Garden and Palafox streets, with all three groves of crape myrtles getting lights. Palafox and Garden will also be the site of the Pelican Drop, moved four blocks north from its location last year at the intersection of Palafox and Government streets. The streets around the intersection will be closed off for one block in each direction, allowing for a much larger crowd than has been able to gather around the former location.
"It's gotten so big we couldn't fit the crowd," event organizer Danny Zimmern said. "If we want to continue to grow, we have to move to a bigger area."
The musical headliner for New Year's Eve will be The Chee Weez, a high-energy cover band out of New Orleans with a penchant for 80s rock. There will also be five "up-and-coming" country acts yet to be announced playing throughout the night as well as Pace singer Chloe Channell singing the national anthem.
And expect to see more about downtown Pensacola as a holiday hot spot in coming months as an $18,000 marketing campaign is rolled out. The DIB has hired Impact Campaigns to conduct a slew of media buys and social media engagement efforts aimed at boosting downtown foot traffic.
"We want to drive visitation, we want to make sure that we make the holidays profitable not just for the shops and restaurants, but also for the DIB," Impact Campaign's Travis Peterson said.


text:
There's no way to sugarcoat it: Diabetes device manufacturers have fallen short of meeting patients' expectations when it comes to design aesthetics and usability. But the tide could be turning as two new high-tech, consumer-friendly diabetes devices hit the market and represent a trend toward giving the people what they want.
Demonstrating an active and informed approach to managing their health, diabetics have emerged as a particularly vocal patient population that knows what it wants from these critical devices and accessories. And it isn't afraid to speak up, either. Case in point: Amy Tenderich, founder of the popular Web site DiabetesMine, wrote a much-discussed open letter to Steve Jobs several years ago requesting that Apple propel insulin pump design into the modern era of electronics by applying its trendsetting design capabilities to life-critical devices. Likewise, a survey conducted by Cambridge Consultants last year revealed that diabetes patients were unhappy with current drug-delivery designs and their user experience.
Listening to these impassioned pleas to take a cue from consumer electronics, startup company Telcare has introduced what it claims is the world's first cellular-enabled blood glucose meter. Resembling a slightly older-model smartphone, the Telcare BGM offers patients a high-tech means of taking, transmitting, and tracking their glucose levels to optimize diabetes management. Boasting connectivity, the device transmits glucose readings determined through blood samples to a private online database. Accessible to the patient, doctor, and any other permitted parties, the data can be displayed in handy charts and help identify trends.
"As a Type 2 diabetic myself, I found the Telcare meter a refreshing change, and a significant step toward bringing consumer medical devices closer to the world of modern technology," Walt Mossberg, a Wall Street Journal technology columnist, wrote in a recent product review. "Despite some drawbacks, including a high price, I recommend [that] the Telcare be considered by diabetics who want a better substitute for paper logs, or would benefit from real-time sharing of their readings."
Also trying to cater to high-tech sensibilities and safety concerns for diabetics, Medtronic has launched the mySentry remote glucose monitor. Heralding the device as a pioneer in the category of connected-care solutions, the mySentry allows parents to remotely monitor a child's MiniMed Paradigm Real-Time Revel system. Providing parents with peace of mind, the bedside device was designed in response to several studies that indicate that the majority of severe episodes of hypoglycemia in children with Type 1 diabetes occur at night. It provides data such as real-time glucose trends, levels, and alerts.
While price appears to be an initial factor with these devices, their impact could prove to be significant over time. After all, the International Diabetes Federation estimates that the number of people with diabetes will jump from 366 million in 2011 to 552 million by 2030. So, demands from this informed patient population will likely only get louder. Luckily, well-designed connectivity solutions such as these that enable better management of diabetes and allow patients to take a more-active role in their--and their children's--health are a step in the right direction.


text:
|Bid||11.02 x 800|
|Ask||11.11 x 1000|
|Day's range||10.98 - 11.21|
|52-week range||6.30 - 16.06|
|Beta (5Y monthly)||1.13|
|PE ratio (TTM)||N/A|
|Earnings date||28 Jul 2020 - 03 Aug 2020|
|Forward dividend & yield||N/A (N/A)|
|1y target est||17.67|
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by and welcome to Q1 2020 MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporate earnings conference call.[Operator instructions] I would now like to hand the conference over to your speaker today, Mr. Bruce Entin, head of investor relations. Thank you for joining us to discuss MagnaChip's financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020. Joining me today are YJ Kim, Magnachip's chief executive officer; and Shin Young Park, our chief accounting officer.
Magnachip (MX) delivered earnings and revenue surprises of -80.00% and 2.61%, respectively, for the quarter ended March 2020. Do the numbers hold clues to what lies ahead for the stock?
LUXEMBOURG (AP) _ Magnachip Semiconductor Corp. (MX) on Wednesday reported a loss of $23.7 million in its first quarter. The Luxembourg-based company said it had a loss of 68 cents per share. The chip products maker posted revenue of $197 million in the period.
The IDC has warned that semiconductor revenues might decline in 2020. However, rebounding smartphone sales and 5G boom may help the space.
MagnaChip's (MX) Q1 results are likely to have gained from a strong OLED display driver portfolio. However, coronavirus-led demand disruptions are likely to have been an overhang.
Magnachip (MX) doesn't possess the right combination of the two key ingredients for a likely earnings beat in its upcoming report. Get prepared with the key expectations.
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Avid Technology, Build-A-Bear Workshop, JAKKS Pacific, Kaleyra and MagnaChip Semiconductor
Zacks.com featured highlights include: MagnaChip Semiconductor, Dropbox, Enphase Energy and eXp World
Here we have picked four top-ranked tech stocks that are fundamentally strong and have potential to grow once the coronavirus crisis dissipates.
Magnachip (MX) delivered earnings and revenue surprises of 60.00% and 0.50%, respectively, for the quarter ended December 2019. Do the numbers hold clues to what lies ahead for the stock?
LUXEMBOURG (AP) _ Magnachip Semiconductor Corp. (MX) on Wednesday reported fourth-quarter net income of $23.4 million, after reporting a loss in the same period a year earlier. The Luxembourg-based company said it had net income of 54 cents per share. For the current quarter ending in April, Magnachip said it expects revenue in the range of $180 million to $195 million.


text:
The number of women in I.T. or other technology-related roles is growing every day. What is usually seen as a male-dominated industry, is attracting more and more female leaders and employees.
Here are 10 of the most influential women in the technology field today:
1. Susan Wojcicki – Youtube CEO
A Harvard University Grad, Wojcicki was Google’s first ever marketing manager. From there she soared through the ranks, landing the position of CEO of YouTube after her proposal that Google purchase the video platform was accepted.
2. Sheryl Sandberg – Facebook COO
Now a household name, Sheryl Sandberg is the first female member of the board of directors at Facebook. Considering her astonishign success, it is hard to believe she was offered the position of COO after meeting Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at a Christmas party.
3. Meg Whitman – HP CEO
Whitman got her start jumping from big company to big company until she landed at eBay back when the selling platform only had 30 employees. After coming onto the board of directors at HP, Whitman became CEO just six short months later.
4. Ginni Rometty – IBM CEO
The same year she graduated college, Rometty accepted a position at General Motors and later joined the staff at IBM. Though she had several positions within the technology company, she landed the job of CEO in 2011.
5. Angela Ahrendts – Apple SVP of retail
Originally starting her career in the fashion industry, Ahrendts made her way into the technology industry and joined the Apple family in 2014. She is the only female executive employed by the tech conglomerate.
6. Safra Catz – Oracle co-CEO
After attending Harvard Law School, Catz became a banker and eventually joined the Oracle team. After serving in various positions at the comapny, she joined the board of directors in 2001 and has been with the company ever since.
7. Ursula Burns – Xerox CEO & Chairman
Burns originally worked for Xerox as a summer intern. What was once only a seasonal commitment soon transformed into a clear career path. Burns is a member of the Forbes Most Powerful Women in the World list.
8. Amy Hood – Microsoft CFO
Another Harvard grad, Hood started her career in investment banking before transferring to the technology sector. She was announced as Microsoft’s CFO in 2013.
9. Lucy Peng – AliPay CEO
Peng is one of China’s 21 self-made female billionaires. She started out as the head of HR for Alibaba before starting her own company and launching her success.
10. Ruth Porat – Alphabet CFO
Born and raised in England, Porat bounced to many different positions in the financial industry before joining Alphabet in 2015.


text:
Avito-founders invest in food-waste service Karma
Jonas Nordlander and Filip Engelbert invest in food-waste service Karma. Together with Norrsken Foundation, founded by Niklas Adalberth, and several well-known Swedish business angels, Karma has closed its round of financing and is now focusing on growth in Sweden and globally.
Jonas Nordlander and Filip Engelbert have previously built one of the most valuable companies in the Swedish Internet history – Avito. Now the duo is working with investments in several companies and the latest in the line is the successful food-waste app Karma.
– It is a strong team that has the necessary experience from startups, and the timing is perfect for their idea. It is a strength to come from the tech side and then go into foodtech, instead of vice versa, says Jonas Nordlander, founder of Avito.
Karma has since its launch on November 8th grown explosively. Over half a ton of food has been saved by the 80 restaurants and cafés in central Stockholm that have joined. Karma has also recently signed an agreement with AMF Fastigheter, which owns a large number of properties in the Stockholm region where restaurants and cafés often are tenants.
– Sustainability is an important part of AMF Fastigheter’s daily work and the Karma app is an incredibly exciting initiatives to reduce food waste. We are delighted to now be able to start cooperating with Karma, and believe and hope that there will be considerable interest among the restaurants and cafés in our properties to join. The advantage is that you can both sell your excess mat and get to know your customers better through the service, says Annelie Gullström, business development manager at AMF Fastigheter.
Until now, the Karma app has only existed for download through the App Store for iPhone. In the days to come, Karma will also launch in the Google Play Store for Android. At the same time, updates are made to the service, both for consumers and the part of the system that restaurants and cafés are working toward.
– It’s great that we now have come to the point where restaurants and cafés contact us and want to help save food. It takes only 15 minutes for a restaurant that contact us and joins to have their foods in the app, and when it’s time to put out food for sale, it takes less than 30 seconds of their time, all to minimize the work for them. A simple and fast service is one of the most important factors to continue to grow quickly and save more high-quality food in Sweden and soon internationally, says Hjalmar Stahlberg Nordgren, CEO and co-founder of Karma.
One of the most recent major chains to conclude agreements with Karma is Gateau. With 22 stores in Stockholm, Gateau wants to join and minimize the environmental impact in today’s society.
– We invest a lot of time and effort to minimize our daily wastage and our new partnership with Karma is another important addition to our long-term strategy to reduce our climate impact, says Sara Hallqvist, sales manager at Gateau AB.
Karma has now closed the financing round where the company brought in seven million Swedish crowns. The money will be used to rapidly grow nationally and internationally. The fact that a number of the investors in Karma, such as Magnus Bergman, Mr. Miksche, Lars Lindgren, Niklas Adalberth and Jonas Nordlander, are found on Di Digitals Sweden’s 52 most powerful tech investors brings a lot of experience and knowledge to the journey that Karma has ahead of them.
> Read more about Karma: www.karma.life
Karma was part of STING Accelerate in the fall of 2015. Read more about the program here.