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FireEye's (NASDAQ:FEYE) business isn't doing well.
The company turned in a disastrous second quarter earnings report earlier this month. Revenue, billings, and guidance all came in short of expectations. Demand for FireEye's services continues to rise, but not nearly as fast as the company's own management had expected. Part of that disappointment is directly attributable to increased competition. During FireEye's most recent earnings call, new CEO Kevin Mandia admitted that FireEye is losing out to its rivals.
At the same time, security vendor Palo Alto Networks (NYSE:PANW) has boasted of stealing customers from FireEye in the past. The rapid growth of its competing service, WildFire, may be taking a toll on FireEye and its shareholders.
FireEye's customers think "good enough" is just fine
FireEye's management remains confident in its products, arguing that it continues to offer the most compelling solutions in their respective categories. Yet FireEye's customers aren't impressed, at least not enough to pay up for its offerings. Instead, they may be flocking to lesser alternatives. FireEye's CEO Kevin Mandia explained on the company's August earnings call:
The threat landscape is also impacting the sales of our other products and subscriptions. As the current threat environment shifts to smaller scoped breaches, some organizations may be opting for good enough over best-of-breed detection...
FireEye's business is cyclical in a sense, shifting with the ebbs and flows of the threat landscape. As I've said in the past, FireEye shares could rise or fall on the basis of cyber threats -- both real and perceived. The impressive price appreciation FireEye shares experienced in early 2014 was fueled by a number of high-profile hacks; the lack of such activity, while broadly good for businesses, is a problem for FireEye. To date, 2016 has been relatively quiet on the cyber security front, weakening the demand for FireEye's offerings.
More than 20,000 users
Meanwhile, Palo Alto Networks appears to be benefiting at FireEye's expense. During its May earnings call, Palo Alto Networks CEO Mark McLaughlin boasted of a customer the company stole from FireEye:
Competitive wins...included...a new win with a global semiconductor company where we replaced...FireEye to secure more than 10,000 workstations and servers with Traps, and more than 20,000 users with Aperture.
FireEye and Palo Alto Networks have introduced a plethora of new security services in recent years, putting their businesses into ever-increasing competition. But Palo Alto Networks' direct competition to FireEye's advanced persistent threat (APT) detection has long been WildFire. Demand for WildFire has been strong in recent quarters -- last quarter, Palo Alto Networks said it had more than 10,000 WildFire customers, up from just over 9,000 in the prior quarter.
FireEye will look to expand its offerings
Fortunately for shareholders, FireEye doesn't intend to rest on its laurels. During its most recent earnings call, management laid out a strategy for winning back customers. Mandia detailed FireEye's plan:
...we will deliver new cloud-based and hybrid security products that leverage our MVX detection engine...MVX detection in the cloud, which will allow us to reach smaller, more price-sensitive customers, is on track for general availability in [the fourth quarter]. We believe that these solutions will open new markets as we have greater price flexibility and multiple deployment options.
MVX is FireEye's core APT offering. Traditionally, it's been sold in conjunction with FireEye's hardware appliances; soon, it will be offered as cloud-based service. That could allow FireEye to reduce its prices and attract more customers, particularly among smaller size, perhaps more price sensitive businesses.


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A new car from South Korean automaker Hyundai has been launched in India. This is the Verna, a B-segment sedan that picks up the torch where the Accent left off, though it’ll still be badged as such in certain markets.
Let’s start with that name: Verna. We’re not quite sure where the company got this specific name from unlike their location-based monikers used before such as Santa Fe, Tucson, or Kona. By comparison, ‘Verna’ sounds inoffensive if a little plain.
The car boasts an exterior design that bears more than a passing resemblance to the newly revealed Hyundai Sonata with that Robocop-like visor wraparound LED strip and large lower grille element.
The Honda City is currently held as the benchmark practicality in its class but the Verna could possibly be even more spacious inside given its 2,670mm wheelbase (a 70mm advantage). It’s even got a sunroof, leather upholstery, ambient lighting and a pair of 10.25-inch screens for the digital instrument cluster and infotainment combo.
Just like the City and Vios, a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine sits at the nose of the Verna, developing 114PS and 144Nm of torque that’s transmitted to the front wheels either via a 6-speed manual or Hyundai’s IVT (Intelligent Variable Transmission….basically their CVT).
However, Indian customers can also choose to have the car outfitted with a much gutsier 1.5-litre turbo-petrol unit with 156PS and 253Nm. That should make this relatively small and lightweight car a pretty quick car to thread around town in.
This really does have the makings of a model that could pose a legitimate threat to the Honda City and Toyota Vios duopoly should it make its way over to our shores, but therein lies a river of uncertainty.
Should Hyundai Sime-Darby Malaysia see fit to bring the Verna here for a Malaysian launch under local assembly and price it attractively, there’s no reason we can think of that it won’t be a hot contender for the lucrative B-segment crown, especially with its two biggest rivals now priced higher than they’ve ever been.
There's just something about cars. It's a conveyance, it's a liability, it's a tool; but it can also be a source of joy, pride, inspiration and passion. It's much like clothes versus fashion. And like the latter, the pursuit of perfection never ends.

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Emmi Roth, an industry-leading cheesemaker, has officially opened its doors at the company’s new headquarters in Stoughton, Wisconsin. The new 158,000-square-foot building also houses Emmi Roth’s new state-of-the-art conversion facility, which will cup, bag, wedge, shred, and crumble the company’s cheese products for a variety of leading brands.
In 2021, Emmi Roth acquired the Athenos business, including the No. 1 feta brand in America, strengthening the company’s long-standing dedication to the specialty cheese industry. With the acquisition came the need for more conversion and distribution capabilities.
“After several years of planning and construction, we are happy to finally be up and running at our new home in Stoughton,” said Tim Omer, president of Emmi Roth. “Our team has worked tirelessly over the past two years to make this dream a reality, which will significantly impact our business and our ability to better serve our customers.”
The facility enables Emmi Roth to control more of its supply chain and improves the U.S. cheese industry’s overall conversion landscape.


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Vegan meat brand Impossible Foods is struggling to keep up with the demand for its beef-like “bleeding” burgers.
The California-based company said in a statement, “we are facing short-term ramp-up challenges resulting from demand greatly outstripping supply.”
It apologized for inconveniencing restaurants across the U.S. with the shortage, recognizing that some businesses have come to rely on the additional “foot revenue and traffic” that comes with offering the Impossible Burger on the menu.
The announcement follows the brand’s latest partnership with Burger King. On April Fool’s Day, the fast-food giant launched the Impossible Whopper in select locations across St.Louis, Missouri.
The trial was so successful the chain has since revealed the new vegan Whopper will be added to menus across the U.S. and in Canada.
Impossible Foods’ Mission
Impossible Foods is on a mission to help shift the food system away from animal agriculture and towards sustainable plant-based foods.
“We’ve been eating meat since we lived in caves,” the company website explains. “And today, some of our most magical moments together happen around meat: weekend barbecues. Midnight fast-food runs. Taco Tuesdays. Hot dogs at the ballpark.”
“Those moments are special, and we never want them to end. But using animals to make meat is a prehistoric and destructive technology,” it adds.
Instead of using animal products to make meat, the Impossible Burger 2.0 — the original “bleeding” patty’s “jucier and beefier” successor — is made with soy protein, coconut oil, and sunflower oil. The secret ingredient is heme.
Made via yeast fermentation, heme is what makes “meat taste like meat” says Impossible Foods.
Realistic Vegan Meat
The Impossible Whopper is so beef-like, it has even fooled a meat lobbyist.
Eric Bohl, the Director of Public Affairs & Advocacy for Missouri Farm Bureau, recently tried the vegan patty. He said, “if I didn’t know what I was eating, I would have no idea it was not beef.”
“If farmers and ranchers think we can mock and dismiss these products as a passing fad, we’re kidding ourselves,” he added.
To keep up with the demand, Impossible Foods told CNN Business it will increase the opening hours of its plant in Oakland, California, and will install a second production line, doubling its current capacity.


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Amazon Seems To Bid For Flipkart But Flipkart Wants To Tie Up With WalmartKarthick (Author) Published Date : Apr 04, 2018 18:17 IST
Jeff Bezos, the world's richest man and the founder & CEO of Amazon made his company to surpass Walmart, the most valuable retailer in the USA in 2015. Presently, it is said that Amazon is in talks with Flipkart for buying the majority stake of Flipkart which occupies 40% of India's Online retail market after acquiring Myntra and Jabong, the online fashion retailers.
Though Amazon is a big retail giant in the USA, it is only the second-largest contributor of online sales holding 31% of the online retail market next to Flipkart which was founded by former Amazon employees Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal in 2007. Like Amazon, Flipkart also began as an online bookseller and later diversified to electronic commodities competing with Amazon.
Due to losses in 2016, Flipkart was valued less and the company's debt was declared as worthless assets by its creditors, but with the efforts of Kalyan Krishnamurthy who was brought in by Tiger Global Management, Flipkart's major investor. Then, Flipkart came back competing with Amazon and Krishnamurthy was made the CEO in January 2017. Now, Flipkart is determined to sell a majority of its shares.
A recent report says that Amazon wants to buy Flipkart shares up to 55% at a purchase price of $20 billion and wishes to be a monopoly in the Indian online retail market. Apart from Amazon, there was a buzz in February about Google offering for $15 billion dollars to invest in Flipkart. But, Flipkart seems to deny the offer of its Indian rival Amazon and wants to tie-up with Walmart who had lost its market to Amazon in the USA. Walmart would also aspire not to yield the Indian market capitalisation of Flipkart to its US rival Amazon.
According to the recent reports from trusted sources, Walmart would buy the majority of shares of Flipkart valuing up to $21 billion through primary and secondary purchases.
Meanwhile, Flipkart's largest and long-term investor Softbank does not want to sell the company for money at an early stage.
Amazon Seems To Bid For Flipkart But Flipkart Wants To Tie Up With Walmart


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It’s rare today to have “direct evidence” of age discrimination – or evidence that on its face raises a legal inference of guilt. Most supervisors and managers have learned to refrain from making discriminatory comments in public.
So when direct evidence of discrimination does exist, you’d think the court would take it seriously. Don’t count on it.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit in Ohio recently dismissed the case of Reva Richardson, a 50-year-old sales associate at a Wal-Mart store in Lansing, Michigan, who was fired after a supervisor allegedly told her son, who also worked at the store, “[We] need to get rid of Reva. She’s too old to work here anymore.”
The 12-year veteran Wal-Mart employee was fired after she fell and broke her wrist while stacking merchandise at the store. The reason given for Richardson’s termination was “demonstrated unsafe work practices which resulted in an accident.”
The appeals court earlier this month upheld the dismissal of Richardson’s case without a trial, essentially finding that no reasonable person could conclude that Richardson was a victim of age discrimination.
The court observed that the supervisor who made the inflammatory remarks, Adam Eschtruth, was transferred to another Wal-Mart store four months before Richardson’s dismissal and Riichardson failed to produce evidence that Eschtruth had any input in the decision to terminate her employment. The Court found that Eschtruth “was not involved in the firing decision” and “his statements do not qualify as direct evidence of age discrimination.”
Of course there was other evidence, including the questionable reason cited for Richardson’s dismissal.
Store manager Mark Darby fired Richardson after he and two other store managers reviewed a surveillance video of Richardson’s fall. They concluded that Richardson created a safety hazard due to improper placement of equipment. Furthermore, they faulted her for failing to look behind when she walked backward and tripped on a piece of equipment.
Richardson argued that Wal-Mart management began mistreating her in 2012 because of her age. Among other things, she said Darby “humiliated” and “taunted and shamed her” by screaming at her in front of a vendor. Moreover, she said Darby and Eschtruth treated two younger associates more favorably than her.
She also said Eschtruth asked her several times during her evaluation when she was going to “quit” or “leave” Wal-Mart, to which Richardson responded, “When I can no longer walk.”
According to the appeals court, Richardson’s evaluations were generally positive. However, she received three “written coachings” over a period of 12 years. These involved an alleged attempt to influence the exchange of her daughter’s computer, failure to properly package a hazardous-material item and four unscheduled absences (due to illness) within six months.
The case is Richardson v. Walmart Stores, Inc., 6th Cir., No. 15-1142, (Sept. 9, 2016).


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A new bidder has emerged for Stonyfield Yogurt, the Londonderry, N.H., company that was put on the market by owner Danone Group.
Grupo Lala, a Mexican dairy company, is in advanced negotiations to buy Stonyfield, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. How much Grupo Lala is willing to pay couldn’t be learned, the Journal said.
Danone put Stonyfield up for sale in March in a bid to win antitrust clearance for its $10 billion acquisition of WhiteWave Foods Co., the maker of the Silk soymilk and Horizon organic milk brands.
Reuters reported last week that Inner Mongolia Yili International Group Co., China’s largest dairy company, was among the bidders for Stonyfield. A filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange showed that the company was prepared to bid $850 million for Stonyfield, though it acknowledged that the bid may not be successful.
The Journal said Grupo Lala’s talks with France’s Danone could fall apart or the Mexico City-based company could be outbid by another suitor.


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Recently, many families are deterred from taking a trip to Disney Theme Parks due to the excessively high ticket prices.
With a single day pass for Disneyland priced at $99, and at $105 at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, it is difficult for many Americans to afford to take their families to Disney for a week, or even an extended weekend.
Unfortunately, there is no relief for families who that have been saving up for a magical trip to Disney World, as they have just raised the price of their annual passes above the thousand dollar price point.
Many consumers are wondering why the price hike happened. Most attribute it to the addition of two new attractions to the park, as well as an increased demand for tickets.
Disney plans to bring two new installments to the park to its location in Florida.
Within the next few years, a “Star Wars Land” will be added.
Also to be added to the park is a “Frozen” attraction, as this 2013 film is Disney’s highest grossing animated film to date.
The premium annual pass was previously priced at $779, but is now, at $1049.Consumers will be forced to buy a new annual pass that has different benefits.
The new pass, called the “Signature Plus Pass,” includes all of the same benefits as before including free parking, and free photo downloads taken of guests on roller coasters.
This pass also includes unlimited entry to the park, except for the few blackout dates.
These blackout dates span approximately two weeks, and are meant to discourage pass holders from visiting the park on its most overcrowded dates.
The park’s most popular dates are at and around Christmas and New Year’s Day. Discouraging customer’s from coming on those days will decrease problems with over crowding and long wait lines.
Having logged record breaking attendance for the last three years, Disney’s theme park attractions are filled to capacity. With only two major Disney theme parks in the United States, they are having trouble complying with excess demand for tickets.
However, Disney has a plan.
They have been debating switching to a demand-based pricing plan where tickets may be priced lower on days that tend to be less busy, and higher on days that the parks tend to experience overflow crowd issues.
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Robert Chapek said, “We have to look at ways to spread out our attendance throughout the year so we can accommodate demand and avoid bursting at the seams.”
By offering consumers more incentives to visit the park on days with less traffic, customer turn out should be spread more evenly throughout the week.
Walt Disney theme parks are not the first to adopt this pricing model. Uber, the ride sharing program, has a higher rate per distance rided on the weekends than it does during the week.
Uber has found much success with this price model. They have concluded that their customers are still willing to pay the higher rate because they want the service bad enough.
One could conclude the same thing about those who want to purchase passes for a day or even the whole year at a Walt Disney theme park.
While this is a strategic move by Disney, many consumers are upset with the price change because prices were already raised back in February, causing it to be harder and harder for Americans to afford.
Editor’s Note: Information from Market Watch, The LA Times and Forbes was used in this report.


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Gushing over her daughter's wardrobe, Mama Tina Knowles described one of Beyonce's looks as “a Balmain masterpiece.”
Queen Bey is headed to South Africa this weekend for the "Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100."
56 native designers and counting continue to spearhead the evolution of fashion in South Africa.
The summer of 2018 has been a hot one and it seems Ciara has turned the heat up yet again. Since early July, CiCi has heated up the charts with her […]


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Today's annual report for GMG also showed the pay package of Guardian editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger, who gained new responsibilities by taking control of The Observer last September, jumped 15% to £544,000.
GMG chairman Paul Myners hailed "an exceptional year" for the privately-held media company that co-owns Auto Trader and emap's trade magazines.
Pre-tax profits trebled to £306.4 million in the year to 30 March 2008, thanks to the sale of a 49.9% stake in its Trader Media Group motoring division to private-equity firm Apax. GMG booked a £335.2 million profit on that sale. Without that and exceptional items, GMG's other existing businesses made a group operating loss of £3.7 million.
The newspaper division, which includes The Guardian and The Observer, made a loss of £82.4 million. An operating loss of £26.4 million was swelled by exceptional items including a £46.6 million writedown on print assets. But McCall said the newspapers' revenue grew at its fastest rate since 2000-1 despite a drop in classified print ads.
Trader Media Group's operating profits fell 13% to £90.4 million.Reuse content


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Burberry, a British luxury fashion house, had been under the scanner for its destruction of about £ 30 million worth of clothing which didn’t sell out. However, its recent decisions to stop burning unsold products and ditch fur from its products have garnered the brand the much-needed appreciation.
The efforts of the luxury brand have been recognised as it has been included in the 2018 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for the fourth consecutive time in the ‘Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods’ segment.
Leanne Wood, Burberry’s Chief People, Strategy and Corporate Affairs Officer said, “We are incredibly proud to be the leading luxury brand in the 2018 Dow Jones Sustainability Index.”
Notably, DJSI evaluates economic, environmental and social factors to acknowledge the sustainable business practices of companies world over. Also, Burberry introduced its new responsibility plan, Creating Tomorrow’s Heritage, in 2017.
Under the plan, the brand it intends to discover fresh approaches to reuse waste, while becoming carbon-neutral in its own operations. It has also launched a five-year joint venture with sustainable luxury firm Elvis & Kresse to convert 120 tonnes of leather off-cuts into new apparel products.
Burberry also aims to make certain that 100 percent of its products have more than one characteristic that drives positive change which means social and environmental enhancements attained at the production stage of its supply chain.
The fashion house is working to support one million people in the communities that sustain Burberry’s business and the wider luxury industry through global community programmes such as its work with Oxfam and Pur Projet in Afghanistan, to create a more sustainable cashmere industry.


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Orange County Fairgrounds officials announced Monday that this summer's fair closed with its second-highest attendance ever.
The annual fair, whose slogan this year was "Come & Get It," saw 1,374,633 attendees — about 17,000 more than last year though not enough to break the all-time record set in 2011 of nearly 1.4 million.
The fair, held on 150 acres in Costa Mesa, ran for 23 days between July 12 and Sunday.
Interim fairgrounds Chief Executive Doug Lofstrom said the results show a continuing growth pattern for the fair and added that success can't be attributed to "just any one thing."
He credited promotions that helped boost attendance, such as We Care Wednesdays, which allowed fairgoers who donated — depending on the Wednesday — canned food, books, clothing or school supplies free fair admission. About 82,000 participated in that effort.
"Our promotions are still very, very popular and very strong with the fairgoers," Lofstrom said.
He acknowledged that good weather helped too.
"This year, we had a continuation of absolutely gorgeous fair weather," Lofstrom said. "When you're walking around the fairgrounds and it's 72, and last year you're walking around and it's 95-plus, that's a significant change."
Fairgrounds officials said food and beverage sales this year totaled to $16.7 million, up 4% compared to last year, and alcohol sales hit $5.8 million, up 8%.
Ticket sales totaled about $6.6 million, a nearly 6% increase from last year, and parking brought in $2.9 million.
Fairgrounds spokeswoman Robin Wachner said the attendance and sales numbers are unaudited and subject to change.
Earlier this year, the fairgrounds excavated most of the Pacific Amphitheatre's outer berm. The project freed up about 3 acres of space and effectively took away the lawn seating, leaving only the hard seating around the stage.
Despite the smaller venue capacity, sales during the concert season remained strong, Lofstrom said.
About 161,000 tickets were sold last year, he said, and nearly 153,00 were sold this year. Eleven concerts sold out.
"So that means that the inventory that was not available was absorbed into the fixed seating. I think that's incredible," Lofstrom said. "It's another strong showing at the Pacific Amphitheatre, and I think the product, pricing and value are resonating with the customer."
Lofstrom said there are still challenges, namely parking and traffic.
"That's for us to work through and see how we can enhance our operation," he said.
On the food side, Chicken Charlie's — famous for its deep-fried concoctions — used 7,500 gallons of vegetable oil to fry about 24,000 bacon-wrapped pickles. The business also sold about 100,000 deep-fried Oreos and 25,000 balls of deep-fried cookie dough.
Over at Centennial Farm, 16 piglets were born during the fair, as were two lambs and two pygmy goat kids. Dr. Entomo's Palace of Exotic Wonders added 40 cave cockroaches to its bug family.


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Only 13% of companies in Cyprus had online sales above 1% of their turnover in 2018, figures published by Eurostat on Monday show.
This was below the EU 27 average of 17% and the eight lowest among the member states.
Eurostat said that EU enterprises are increasingly relying on e-commerce sales (online sales) in order to maximise their profits.
Together with increasing use of the internet and improving security standards, it has become easier for enterprises to serve their customers online.
During the current coronavirus pandemic, with high street shops in lockdown and businesses and consumers under social distancing restrictions, e-commerce sales can be expected to grow even further.
17% of EU enterprises reported online sales of at least 1% of their turnover during 2018. This was the same share as in the previous two years, and up from 13% in 2009.
\With 36% of enterprises selling online, up from 31% the previous year, Ireland recorded the highest share among the EU Member States. Denmark came second (34%) and Sweden third (31%).
The increase in enterprises selling online (of at least 1% of their turnover) was strongest in Austria, up by 6 percentage points (pp) from 14% in 2017 to 20% in 2018.


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With the number of OEM counterfeit parts cases on the rise, Autobody News talked to Bruce Foucart to learn more about where these parts are coming from and what collision repair shops should be aware of. Foucart is the director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center for Homeland Security Investigations in Arlington, VA.
He has 30 years of experience as a leader and manager at both the headquarters and field activities of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its predecessor agency, U.S. Customs Service.
Q: What types of counterfeit parts have you seen during your investigations?
A: What we have found is that every part that goes into a car, whether it is interior or exterior, it’s all being counterfeited now—smart keys, air bags, fuel filters, window shields and tires for example. Anything that they can counterfeit for profit, they will.
Q: Are you finding this is a growing trend and what is being done to combat these crimes?
A: The breadth of the problem was brought to our attention by the automobile industry. Individual auto makers came to us and said, “It’s a problem, they are counterfeiting our products.” They asked if we would shepherd them along to develop a coalition.
I’m happy to say that since then we assisted with organizing a coalition. They call themselves the Automobile Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition—the A2C2. It’s made up of almost every automobile manufacturer and they meet four times a year. We generally attend those meetings as well. They regularly provide intelligence and lead information to us. They’ve been very good partners. Last year alone based on our work with that coalition we opened up 35 cases. We had 12 criminal arrests, 16 indictments and 15 convictions. The 130 seizure incidents were worth an estimated $5.59 million MSRP.
Q: Where are the counterfeiters based?
A: What we have found is that 85-95 percent of all counterfeit goods are coming from China. They are either coming from China or transshiped to Hong Kong or to other countries. Just under 50 percent of counterfeit goods seized last year came directly from China. Just under 35 percent came from Hong Kong and five percent came from Singapore. We believe that all those goods are originating from China because Hong Kong and Singapore don’t have the manufacturing capabilities that China does, but the goods are transshipped through Hong Kong and Singapore where the manifest is being changed in order to trick U.S. customs.
I happened to be in China last September visiting with the Chamber of Commerce, various companies, embassies and Chinese law enforcement. There was a case where the Chinese Ministry of Public Security took down an operation involving counterfeiters in China who were selling counterfeit Ford brake pads and air bags.
Counterfeiting is a global issue. It’s very easy for the counterfeiters to start up websites and sell things online. The operators of some of these websites are to deceive the public. Sometimes the intent is to just sell to people who know they are going to get a counterfeit part, hoping that they believe the consumer feels the counterfeit part is doing their job. It varies who they target.
Potentially, criminals could be doing this until the automobile manufacturer serves a cease and desist order or civilly take these websites down. It’s a trademark violation to represent a counterfeit good as authentic on copyright-infringing websites. It’s so easy these days to start websites. They have very good webmasters who put these things together; they are very advanced. Sometimes a site is up for a month, and then it gets shut down and they are ready to go with another illicit website.
Q: What should collision repair shops be aware of in regards to counterfeit parts?
A: What we try to tell the consumer is to make sure they are buying OEM parts. If not, it should be from a reputable distributor that can be confirmed with the manufacturer. If there is a doubt, there should be a legitimate phone number to call. Go that extra mile when purchasing these parts for customers to ensure these are legitimate parts. A lot of it comes down to buyer beware. If it’s too good to be true, it usually is.
Q: What is the biggest concern in regards to counterfeit parts?
A: Certainly the consumers’ health and safety is at risk anytime they get into a car with a counterfeit part. We’ve seen counterfeit safety belts that weren’t secure and air bags that have exploded so dramatically they probably would have done harm had they gone off. Some of them even failed to deploy.
We actually investigated someone who was illegally smuggling counterfeit airbags into the United States. Along with the National Highway Transportation Safety board, we seized 10 of them. Eight failed to deploy and two would have deployed in a manner that would have harmed the consumer. Those are the kinds of things that keep me up at night. It’s the consumer’s health and safety, especially when you have family members and kids and everyone else getting into a vehicle with counterfeit brake pads. It’s maddening.
Q: Do any specific cases come to mind that you can share?
A: Two summers ago a couple of Canadian citizens were purchasing air bags from China and smuggling them into the United States. They thought they were being cute by driving them down from Canada into Northern WA; then they would mail them via US mail to repair shops. They did that because they thought they could disguise that they were coming from the United States versus coming from overseas. We arrested one as he was smuggling a batch coming in. It led to his brother being indicted. We shared the information with the Chinese Ministry of Public Security in Beijing and they shut down a manufacturing facility and made four or five arrests. They also seized the counterfeit air bags, and US and Chinese currency. It was an extremely successful operation.
Q: How should shops get in touch with you if they suspect they have accidentally purchased any counterfeit goods and want to report it?
A: They are absolutely welcome to contact us. We’ve heard from them in the past. We’re always open to sharing information with anyone about counterfeiting. We can certainly help them with supply chain issues when they are procuring items. We have a general procurement product that we can share as well as awareness training. It is called Acquisition Professional Training: Counterfeit Awareness, Mitigation, Identification and Reporting from the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center.


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Magnet Gaming Expands International Footprint
Danish developer and supplier of online slot games Magnet Gaming has established intends to expand its existence in worldwide gaming markets by signing content circulation agreements with operators licensed by the Gibraltar and Malta gambling authorities, amongst others.
Ahead of initiating its expansion efforts, the provider had been offering its gaming content to dot nation certified operators, with ones holding licenses by the Denmark, Belgium, and UK gambling regulators being those types of.
Utilizing the iGaming market quickly free signup bonus online pokies growing, it seems that Magnet Gaming is now willing to start its operations to many other regulated jurisdictions around European countries. The organization expressed self- confidence that its expansion initiative will facilitate its further growth.
Commenting on the decision to expand their footprint, Magnet Gaming Head of Game Licensing Thomas Nielsen said that there online lightning pokies was great interest in their content in many different areas for a while now but his company has always strived to ensure it came to licensing that it had very high standards when.
The state further noted that this would not change in future but that it would be good for the supplier to have its content launched with operators certified by the Malta Gaming Authority additionally the Government of Gibraltar as both Malta and Gibraltar have established on their own through the years as well-regulated jurisdictions.
In accordance with Mr. Read More


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Sun-Rype has launched an innovative element into its new juice campaign in Canada’s Ontario market with an interactive screen application that creates fruit-filled animation.
An interactive ‘fruit mirror’ features a camera and specially designed graphics program that instantly animates people or objects onto a 62’’ LCD screen as ‘fruitified’ images. When someone stands in front of the mirror, he or she is reflected back as a mix of the fruit that make up Sun-Rype juices.
The fruit mirror will be traveling around malls of the Greater Toronto Area as part of a campaign that also involves OOH transit shelter ads, mall posters, and video boards, online and TV advertising. The video boards in downtown Toronto will carry the TV commercial.
The ‘fruity mirror’ was developed jointly by Tribal DDB Canada and DDB Canada’s Vancouver offices (with media buy for the campaign by OMD Vancouver). The live, animated images are entirely composed of pixelated fruit, and notably mirror the effects used in the new Sun-Rype TV commercials.
“Sun-Rype takes pride in the fact that they don’t add any artificial colours, preservatives or sugar to their juices, so the new campaign is made of the same things that their juices are made from: fruit,” says Cosmo Campbell, creative director, Tribal DDB Canada, Vancouver. “This new interactive screen takes this idea one step further by engaging with people, while figuratively demonstrating Sun-Rype’s ‘made with real fruit goodness’ tagline.”
The new 30-second TV spot that will also dominate various video boards depicts a vivacious and colourful, healthy lifestyle scene made entirely of fruit, and is shot in a stop-motion style animation.
Consumers who have joined Sun-Rype’s e-mail list got a sneak peek of the new spot a week before its launch and were given access to complimentary downloads of the song used in the TV spot.


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# A penchant for quirky outfits
At the 2017 US Open, the 6'6 German Zverev wore white socks that went up to his knees. It was later learnt that Pharrell Williams was the one who suggested him to wear those hilarious pairs of socks.
"Pharell Williams, who was sitting in my box at the beginning of the match, designed my outfit," Zverev said in his post-match press conference. Zverev clearly didn't want to disappoint one of his biggest fans.
# Multi-million dollar endorsement deals at just 21 years of age
Apart from being sponsored by Head and Adidas for his racquets and on-court apparel, Alexander Zverev also has a few multi-million dollar endorsements deals with few giant conglomerates.
Early this year Zverev partnered with Italian fashion brand Ermenegildo Zegna. The 21-year-old German will become the new face of their new Z Zegna collection.
In 2016, Richard Mille signed in then 19-year old Zverev as its brand ambassador. Ever since the German sports star has been spotted wearing the brand’s watches both on and off the court. There is also a special limited edition watch ‘Alexander Zverev, the RM 67-02’, named after him. In fact, he even sports the brand’s name on his jersey.
In March 2017, Zverev began endorsing the luxury automobile car company – Peugeot. He also has a few Peugeot cars in his personal collection.
Zverev who is only 21 has already made it to the Forbes '30 under 30' List early this year.
Below is a video of one of Zverev's ad campaigns with Peugeot :


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A world-famous boba tea — or bubble tea — drink chain is expected to open its first location in Cherry Hill in early January.
Tiger Sugar, a Taiwanese dessert chain known for its caramelized brown sugar syrup-striped drinks, will be located at 404 Marlton Pike East (Route 70), replacing the former Tea Do bubble tea shop.
The South Jersey bubble tea shop will open to the public on Saturday, January 8.
“Tiger Sugar is unlike any other bubble tea,” Eric Yeung, owner of the Cherry Hill location, said. “It took over ten years of painstaking research and development to come up with this unique drink made of black tea, brown sugar, milk, ice, and fresh cream mousse. Thanks to the unique ‘tiger stripes’ presentation, it has become an international sensation!” he added.
The chain uses a proprietary cooking method, taking up to 8 hours, to achieve its famous amber syrups and chewy boba with handmade tapioca pearls. The result is a bold and visually stunning drink.
The chain has rapidly expanded since it opened in Taichung, Taiwan, four years ago. It will be the 2nd location in New Jersey, and there are two locations in Philadelphia, with more to come.
The Tiger Sugar in Cherry Hill, located next to Han Dynasty in Saw Mill Village shopping center, will be open seven days per week.
Hours are Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 AM to 9:00 PM and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM.


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Good morning! Here's the news:
- Despite being a major extension of its mobile platform, Facebook's iPad app represents the company totally caving to Apple's requirements to be in the App Store.
- Apple sold 1 million iPhone 4S's via pre-order, but when you put that number in context, it's not that impressive.
- Facebook has acquired Friend.ly, a social Q&A startup.
- Yahoo co-founders Jerry Yang and David Filo are "not on the same page." That's going to make things tricky as Yang tries to take Yahoo private.
- In an effort to stop people from guessing its revenue, Groupon will display the percentage of daily deals remaining instead of the exact number.


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Two limited-edition Beeple pieces released last week have been valued at a premium of up to 50,000x on the secondary market.
$7 NFTs Selling for Six Figures
Beeple organized two surprise drops through MakersPlace, the same marketplace that arranged his historic Christie’s sale, last week. Each piece was released in an edition of seven and priced at $7. Would-be buyers were required to enter a raffle within a few minutes to be eligible to purchase the pieces.
Both pieces form part of Beeple’s now-famous “Everydays” project, in which he’s created a new piece of artwork daily since May 2007.
Despite the short timeframe, there were more than 16,000 entries across the two raffles. The winners then had 24 hours to make the $7 purchase. Read More


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Rumor has it Frugal Mom is giving away some school supplies on her blog. Check it out.
Her giveaway is to celebrate back-to-school shopping on a budget. I have a story on the issue -- with some tips on how to keep the back-to-school budget from breaking the bank. (Read the full story by clicking on "continue reading entry.")
Personally, I don't do too much back-to-school shopping. I tend to wait for the deep discounts and shop then because I've learned the hard way that if I buy too soon, my kids might grow out of the new clothes before it's cold enough to wear them. My nearly 6-year-old daughter grew about 3 inches over the summer it seems. (We inventoried her clothes, and nearly all her pants were floods -- or capris as my fashionista daughter calls them.) But I'm still not buying much because she can wear shorts for at least a month yet.
As for school supplies, I'll shell out some for that. My daughter got a new backpack because hers was in pretty bad shape. Ditto for the lunchbox. They'll use last year's pencil boxes, but I will spring for some new pencils, mainly because nothing smells like school more than some freshly sharpened pencils. What's your tips for back to school? Post a comment.
Try these tips for outfitting the kids without busting the budget
By Gina Chen
Family Life editor
With the economy down and the price of gas up, parents will be pinching a lot more pennies as they back-to-school shop this year.
Linda Degus-Barns, The Post-Standard's new Frugal Mom blogger, has a simple solution: Skip back-to-school shopping.
She shops sales year-round and saves some new clothing or shoes for back-to-school. Or she'll sort through pencils or folders the family already has and send those to school with her son, Christopher, 7.
Last year, she splurged on a $16.99 Darth Vader backpack for Christopher, but she told him it had to last at least two years. So he's not getting a new one this year, says Degus-Barns, of Fayetteville, who also has a 22-month-old son.
"I think there's a stigma to back-to-school -- everything has to be new. It doesn't. It really doesn't," says Degus-Barns, who blogs at blog.syracuse.com/frugal-mom.
Even parents who aren't willing to trim their budget as much as Degus-Barns plan to cut back this year, according to an online survey by the Deloitte accounting and consulting firm.
In fact, 71 percent of the 5,035 consumers polled say they'll spend less on back-to-school shopping than they did in previous years. A majority (58 percent) say they'll spend between $51 and $199 less than last year, says Paul Dunker, senior manager for public relations for Deloitte Services, a subsidiary of Deloitte.
Seventy-nine percent of those polled say they'll shop at sales, and 53 percent will use coupons. Twenty-seven percent will research products online before they buy to find the best price, according to the survey, released July 21.
Nationwide, Americans spent $7.5 billion at family clothing stores in August last year, the height of the back-to-school shopping season, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures. Only in November and December - the holiday shopping season - were sales significantly higher.
So how do you prepare your kids to head back to school without breaking the bank? Here are five tips:
1. Don't fall for the back-to-school shopping frenzy. Remember, the kids just got out of school a few months ago, so they'll likely have lots of clothes from last year that fit and are in good condition. Plus school starts when it's still warm, so summer clothing will work at first.
-- Single Ma, who blogs at fabulousfinancials.com and was featured at www.workitmom.com.
2. Look at what you already have before you shop, and then buy conservatively, preferably used. Shop thrift stores for a few items, but wait until back-to-school fashions go on deep discount to make way for winter clothes to do the bulk of your shopping. Don't be afraid to spruce up last year's school supplies to make them nearly new. Use an "eraser-style" sponge to clean up the kids' pencil boxes, for example, rather than buy new ones.
-- FrugalUpstate, who blogs at frugalupstate.blogspot.com.
3. Buy school supplies in bulk and divide them between you and your friends. For example, buy a big box of pencils and let each parent take what he or she needs for the children.
-- The Post-Standard's Parents' Network
4. Set a budget and stick to it. Explain the difference between "needs" and "wants" to your children. Offer to pay for a basic item and require children to use their allowances for "upgrades," such as brand-name sneakers. Help them track what your family spends to teach them how to manage their money.
5. If you really want brand-name items, mix and match them with off-brands to save. Buy a few items from the big-name stores and purchase layering pieces, such as T-shirts and tanks, from discount retailers.
Gina Chen can be reached at email@example.com or 470-2172.


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John Lewis & Partners have announced that a further eight stores will not reopen in the UK after lockdown. In England and Wales, non-essential shops are due to open their doors on 12th April. They will open in Scotland on 26th April.
These eight John Lewis shops are in addition to the initial eight shops that were revealed to be closing back in July 2020.
The remaining 34 John Lewis & Partners stores are still set to reopen in line with pandemic restrictions easing in England, Scotland and Wales.
Due to the store closures, over 1,400 jobs are now at risk. The news comes after the department store recorded its first loss ever, in 2020.
A statement from John Lewis, which first opened its doors in 1864, said they are looking to "reshape our business in response to how our customers increasingly want to shop in-store and online."
John Lewis have said that this will be last announcement of store closures, with Pippa Wicks, Executive Director, telling The Times: “We don’t have any more proposed closures. That would not be appropriate for customers or partners.”
For the stores that do reopen in England and Wales on Monday 12th April, there are expected to be queues of eager shoppers outside, as people embrace the easing of restrictions.
"Our shops are open from the 12 April in England and Wales and we're planning to open in Scotland on 26 April. Returns will be accepted up to 35 days after your nearest shop reopens.
"Delivery as usual, but there are some changes to help keep you and our Partners safe. Click & Collect is available from 100s of locations including Waitrose branches. Services in your home, including installation, may vary across the UK."
Which John Lewis & Partners stores are closing after lockdown?
Store closures announced on Wednesday 24th March 2021:
- Ashford (At Home)
- Basingstoke (At Home)
- Chester (At Home)
- Tunbridge Wells (At Home)
Store closures announced in July 2020:
- St Pancras
More news from John Lewis:
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Business executives are becoming gloomier about the future despite recent improvements in consumer confidence and the housing market, a new survey by advisory firm CEB shows. The reason: They think sales growth has largely topped out.
CEB surveyed over 2,500 executives with a variety of jobs at larger companies around world in October. (CEB used to be called Corporate Executive Board.) The findings: The firm’s index of global business confidence fell for a third straight quarter to its lowest level since the fourth quarter of 2011. U.S. executives were more cheery than peers in Europe and Asia, but they too grew more negative. For example, 36% of U.S. executives expected jobs to be cut in the next 12 months, a jump from 29% in the last CEB survey. About the same amount, 35%, expected to add jobs, suggesting America’s job market could tread water next year instead of improving.
For months, corporate executives have been markedly more pessimistic than consumers. Consumer confidence is at the highest levels since mid-2007, probably because the unemployment rate has dropped to 7.9% and the housing market is picking up, boost Americans’ wealth. Even 27% of corporate executives expect consumer confidence to continue improving, compared with 20% earlier. Executives with jobs involving consumers were a lot more optimistic.
Yet business executives overall continue to feel more downbeat because they’re worried about slackening revenue growth, the result of slowing economic growth in once-hot emerging markets and the euro-zone’s troubles — things the typical American consumer doesn’t pay attention to.
Revenue growth for a typical large U.S. nonfinancial company was around 10% last year and has dropped to 3.3% this year, CEB executive director Michael Griffin says. Firms expect just 4% next year, he adds. Growing competition from non-U.S. firms is making things harder and then, of course, there’s the dreaded “fiscal cliff.” Put it all together and executives see little reason to hire. “This explains a lot of the caution and lack of confidence,” Griffin said.
Of course, these worries could lift, at least for American executives, if the fiscal cliff is averted, the U.S. economy keeps posting better numbers and the housing recovery takes flight. If not, companies’ deepening negativity could eventually mean cutbacks in hiring and investment that snuff out consumer confidence, poisoning the already sluggish recovery.


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Baby Cough Syrup Being Recalled Due To Potential Bacterial Contamination
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Kingston Pharma is recalling its 2-fluid ounce bottles of DG / health NATURALS baby Cough Syrup + Mucus due to a potential bacterial contamination.
The cough syrup could contain Bacillus cereus / Bacillus circulans, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Those with a higher risk of severe forms of the illness include infants, young children and those with weakened immune systems, according to the FDA.
“Most often, illnesses are mild and self-limiting, although more serious and even lethal cases have occurred,” according to an FDA statement.
No illnesses have been reported yet.
The cough syrup was sold nationwide in Dollar General stores. Consumers who purchased the DG / health NATURALS baby Cough syrup + Mucus can return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund.
The product comes in a carton labeled DG™/health baby Cough Syrup + Mucus in 2-fluid ounce bottles marked with Lot KL180157 Expiration date 11/20 on the bottom of the carton and back of the bottle label; UPC Code 8 54954 00250 0.
Consumers with questions can contact the company at 1-844-724-7347 from 6:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. MDT or email email@example.com.
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German News recently reported that due to the Arctic cold current, Texas, the United States, has a power shortage, and local chip manufacturers have to close their factories, causing the situation in the global semiconductor market to become increasingly tense.
According to the report, the cold current is adversely affecting the semiconductor industry.
Texas, the hardest hit in the United States, has asked all Austin-based chip manufacturers to stop producing in order to provide enough electricity to the health department.
As one of the largest chip suppliers in the automotive industry, NXP has now closed two factories in Austin.
The German company Infineon also suspended production.
At present, the situation in the global semiconductor market is very tense.
At the end of last year, the demand for chips in the entertainment and automotive industries increased significantly, home office brought sales of laptops to the highest level in a decade, and demand for household appliances also increased significantly.
Many car manufacturers also complain about the shortage of chip supply.
Therefore, the report commented that “the current production reduction time can’t be worse.”
The report of the market research institute Innovation Strategy said that the shutdown of chip factories in the United States “will undoubtedly have an impact on the chip market, which is already in serious shortage”.
Large automakers such as Volkswagen, Ford and Toyota have cut production due to a lack of spare parts.
Experts from Esson Huamai in the United Kingdom estimate that the chip supply crisis may have a greater impact on the electronics industry, and that supply shortages will also lead to higher prices of electronic products.


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As COVID-19 reshapes our economy, our newsletter will help you unpack the news from the day.
Qualcomm’s CEO on known-knowns and known-unknowns in a new generation of wireless networks
Share Now on:
Depending on who you ask, the fifth generation wireless networks (5G) will either herald a totally new era of connected technologies, or just make the internet on our phones a little faster.
At CES, the huge technology trade show in Las Vegas earlier this month, the mood about 5G was good. Mobile chip maker Qualcomm was among the companies making announcements related to 5G. So while I was there, I sat down with Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf, and I asked him why 5G could be so much more than just faster internet on your phone.
Listen to our full conversation in the audio player above.
If you’re a member of your local public radio station, we thank you — because your support helps those stations keep programs like Marketplace on the air. But for Marketplace to continue to grow, we need additional investment from those who care most about what we do: superfans like you.
Your donation — as little as $5 — helps us create more content that matters to you and your community, and to reach more people where they are – whether that’s radio, podcasts or online.
When you contribute directly to Marketplace, you become a partner in that mission: someone who understands that when we all get smarter, everybody wins.


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Jivi Mobiles a sub-brand of Magicon Impex Pvt. Ltd. is entering the smartphone market with a range of five new 4G smartphones. As such, the company has launched Prime P300, Grand 3000, Prime P390,...
A Nubia smartphone bearing the model number NX589J has been making the rounds of the internet lately. A couple of days ago, it was spotted on TENAA, the Chinese certification site....
It looks like Facebook is in plans to bring its messaging platform WhatsApp closer to its main social networking app. We say so as the company seems to be testing a new feature that will let users...September 23, 2017 | Apps news
A new Samsung phone with the model number SM-G888N0 has just received its certification from the National Radio Research Agency (NRRA) based in South Korea....
Back in August, HMD Global unveiled their flagship smartphone dubbed Nokia 8 with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage capacity at an event in London. While the Nokia fans are eagerly anticipating the release...
State-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has announced its new offer in which the company is providing 50 percent cash back on recharge of voice STVs as part of its Dussehra...September 23, 2017 | Telecom news
The JioPhone went on pre-booking on August 24 and the delivery was expected to debut on September 1 on a first come first serve basis. However, the company couldn't make it due to the overwhelming...
The festive shopping season has debuted and we can see discounts and deals everywhere. When it comes to smartphones, there are several offers that are going and buyers get significant discounts and...
Xiaomi among many smartphone brands in the country seems to be in a festive mood as it has begun selling its range of products at discounted prices across partner platforms. While some of Xiaomi's...September 23, 2017 | Mobile features
As scheduled, Huawei has officially announced its new phone, the Maimang 6 in China. The handset is basically the successor to last year's Maimang 5 or Huawei G9 as known in markets outside China....September 22, 2017 | Mobile news
Good news gamers, Microsoft has just announced a smaller edition of its new gaming console, the Xbox One. Dubbed as the Xbox One S, this console is already up for pre-order at the base price of Rs....September 22, 2017 | Gaming news
To kick off the festival season and take the legacy of the successful Canvas Selfie range forward, Micromax Informatics, India's popular mobile brand has just announced the launch of its new...September 22, 2017 | Mobile news
- September 23, 2017 | Reviews
- Apple iPhone 7 (256GB)
- Apple iPhone 7 (128GB)
- Apple iPhone 7 Plus (256GB)
- Apple iPhone 7 Plus (128GB)
- Asus Zenfone Max ZC550KL (2016) (32GB - 3GB RAM)
- Ziox Astra Young Pro
- Xiaomi Mi Note 3 Pro
- Intex Cloud C1
- Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2017) (Wi-Fi)
- Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2017) (4G)
- LG G Pad 4 8.0
- Asus ZenPad Z8 (2017)
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (Wi-Fi)
- Vodafone Smart Tab N8
- Alcatel A3 10 (Alcatel Pixi 5) 4G
- Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (LTE)
- OnePlus 5
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (32GB - 2GB RAM)
- Nokia 5
- Xiaomi Redmi 4a (16GB - 2GB RAM)
- Oppo F3
- Apple iPhone 7 (32GB)
- Honor 8 Lite
- Nokia 6
- BlackBerry PlayBook (32GB)
- Apple iPad 2 Wi-Fi 16GB
- Sony Xperia Tablet Z LTE
- Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 P5100
- Samsung Google Nexus 10 P8110 (16GB)
- Apple iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular 16GB
- BlackBerry PlayBook (16GB)


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Every business needs a person that is not afraid to step up and take risks. No business is going to be able to compete successfully if there is no a person that is willing to take on the role of the risk taker. Dez Perez is the perfect risk taker for Tidal. She is not an official employee, but she is well connected with the man that purchased this business. Jay-Z has brought Dez Perez in to conduct the locomotive that was once getting out of control.
Many people were waiting to see what Jay-Z was going to go with Tidal when he purchased it. Little did he know that this purchase would start to resemble a music streaming train wreck when he found that previous owners of Tidal had mislead Jay-Z about the number of actual subscribers for this site. He also found himself losing one CEO after another. He appeared that Tidal was a train that was going off the tracks until an unlikely conductor stepped in to take things to the next level.
Tidal – with the help of Dez Perez – has proven to be the business that could outshine the competition that it was once in the shadows of just a few months ago. This business is growing because people are realizing that Tidal is the hottest and freshest sound board for exclusive content. People have been able to hear the Beyoncé “Lemonade” album later on with Spotify, but they heard it first on Tidal. This is huge. The entire visual album – when it was originally released – was only on Spotify. This makes people want to join in to this club that seems exclusive.
Dez Perez has been the one that has made Tidal become an app that people are curious about. This type of negotiating with executives for higher percentages of the cut from tours gives her leverage. She has been working out music streaming deals. Perez has been sorting through the things that can make people recognize Tidal much easier.
At the present moment there doesn’t seem to be a sign that Tidal is slowing down.
Music streaming, much like social media, seems to have a new leader every couple of months. People on social media have flocked from MySpace to Facebook only to abandon Facebook and pick up Instagram (a company that Facebook would purchase). The young teens would also put their time and energy into SnapChat as they looked for new ways to hide from their parents on social media.
The music streaming industry appears to present the same challenges for teenagers and young adults that want to make the most of their musical listening experience. Kids have bounced around from Pandora to iHeartRadio to Spotify to Apple Radio. Desiree Perez wants to make sure that the next – and final – stop for the new generation is Tidal. This is what she has been helping Jay-Z orchestrate over the last several years. It has been her desire to help him build up a brand of music streaming that will stand out from the rest that is out there.
There is no shortage of publicity that has been put into promoting Tidal. Jay has spent millions on the acquisition of this company. Some people did not believe that he would recoup the costs of his purchase, let along make a profit. Desiree Perez – after being prompted by Jay-Z – has set out to prove those naysayers wrong. She has been influential in helping Jay-Z turn his music streaming nightmare into a heavenly dream in the last couple of months.
What Desiree Perez has been able to do is help Jay-Z realize just how much talent he had under his roof. He had Kanye West waiting to drop an album. His wife Beyonce was waiting for the right time to drop her album. Rihanna was dropping a lot of lukewarm singles, but fans wanted an album. When all of these highly successful crossover artists dropped albums in the same year Dez Perez saw an opportunity.
People can download the Tidal app or go straight to the website, and they will see a bevy of exclusive content. This is what makes people curious. Desiree Perez knew that this would be the thing that would make people consider signing up. Curious music lovers would not be able to resist this exclusive music.


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July 7, 2020
CTIA Statement on the Broadband Adoption and Opportunity Act .
“We thank Reps. O’Halleran and Johnson for introducing the bipartisan Broadband Adoption and Opportunity Act. Now, more than ever, it’s essential that kids stay connected so they can learn at home, and the proposed pilot program is an innovative way to address that issue.”
CTIA® (www.ctia.org) represents the U.S. wireless communications industry and the companies throughout the mobile ecosystem that enable Americans to lead a 21st century connected life. The association’s members include wireless carriers, device manufacturers, suppliers as well as apps and content companies. CTIA vigorously advocates at all levels of government for policies that foster continued wireless innovation and investment. The association also coordinates the industry’s voluntary best practices, hosts educational events that promote the wireless industry and co-produces the industry’s leading wireless tradeshow. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington, D.C.


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of Public Affairs
U.S. AIMS TO ATTRACT JAPANESE VISITORS FOR FIRST TIME
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the United States would begin marketing itself as a destination to Japanese travelers for the first time in 2005 and 2006. Japan is the second market to be included in this effort, which targeted visitors from the United Kingdom last year in the first integrated marketing campaign ever undertaken by the United States.
"The Japanese are allies and strong economic partners, which is why it makes sense to take the next step in developing our trading partnership in tourism," said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Services Douglas B. Baker. "This program will communicate that the United States welcomes travelers from Japan, and invite them to experience the diversity of this great nation and the hospitality of the American people."
Congress has appropriated $9.8 million for the program this year, an
increase from the $6 million allocated for the pilot program launched
last year in the United Kingdom. The Travel and Tourism Promotion Advisory
Board recommend the Commerce Department market in Japan and the United
Kingdom in 2006. The Secretary of Commerce established the board in 2003
to provide direction for the tourism promotion program.
Japan is second only to the United Kingdom in producing tourism receipts, having generated $12.4 billion for the United States in 2004. It is the fourth-largest arrivals market in terms of number of visitors. In 2004, 3.7 million Japanese visited the United States, an 18 percent increase over 2003.
Prior to Sept. 11, 2001, Japan was the United States' largest tourism export market, generating peak revenues of over $14 billion in 2000. Visitation from Japan is forecasted to reach almost 5 million visitors by 2008. In 2004, the United States saw double-digit growth in foreign visitation for the first time in since 1992, which added nearly $94 billion to the U.S. economy.
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U.S.Department of Commerce | International Trade Administration


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PhonePe has raised additional $200 million in primary capital from its parent Walmart, at a pre-money valuation of $12 billion. This funding comes as a part of PhonePe’s ongoing fundraise of up to $1 billion.
With this tranche, the company has raised $650 million in the ongoing round so far and expects more investments to be announced in due course. PhonePe plans to deploy these funds to build and scale new businesses like insurance, wealth management, lending, stockbroking, ONDC-based shopping and account aggregators. The fundraise will also be used to support offerings like UPI Lite and credit on UPI.
On the this fundraising, Sameer Nigam, CEO and Founder of PhonePe said, ‘’We would like to thank Walmart, our majority investor, for continued support for our long-term aspirations. We are excited about the next phase of our growth as we build new offerings for Indian consumers and merchants, along with enabling financial inclusion across the nation.’’
President and CEO for Walmart International Judith McKenna said: “We are excited about PhonePe’s future and have confidence in how it continues to expand its offerings and provide access to financial services for Indians at scale. India is one of the world’s most digital, dynamic and fastest growing economies, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to continue to support PhonePe.”
PhonePe was founded in December 2015. It has around 45 crore registered users and has digitised over 3.5 crore offline merchants spread across Tier-2,3,4 and beyond.
PhonePe forayed into financial services in 2017 and introduced several mutual funds and insurance products.
Early this month, PhonePe announced that it received an in-principle approval for its payment aggregator (PA) license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). It further stated that its annualised total payment value (TPV) run rate reached $1 trillion (₹84 lakh crore).


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Independent Hungarian developer Neocore Games have announced an public alpha for Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr, their upcoming action RPG set within the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
The public alpha will launch on February 10th, for Windows PC. Despite the game releasing on Steam eventually, the public alpha will be held internally, and you’ll be able to get access via the official website.
“The main goal of the Founding is to invite people who already know more or less what they’re getting involved with. It’s all about transparency,” a Neocore representative explained. “It is for players who’re happy to give us feedback, really into ARPGs and Warhammer 40K, and glad to play it even during the early development stages. The final game will be on Steam of course, and in other digital stores, and the Early Access presence can change as well. But it’s not planned right now.”
A release date for Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr is currently set for sometime in the second half of 2017.


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Store Clerk Pleads Guilty To Murdering Customer With CrowbarA store clerk who struck a belligerent customer with a crowbar, killing him, pleaded guilty to manslaughter Friday and will serve seven years in prison.
Man Flees After Arrest In Convenience Store KillingOne of the two brothers accused of attacking a man to death inside their convenience store has fled the country and is now considered a fugitive.
Vigil Held For Man Killed In Food Store Fight A candlelight vigil was held outside a Southwest Miami-Dade convenience store where a man was brutally beaten to death with a crowbar Thursday. A demonstration was held outside the store Friday night, and those attending said Akil Larue Oliver, 34, was beaten to death because he was black.
Crowbar Killing Sparks Protest Outside Quick ShopDozens gathered outside a Southwest Miami-Dade convenience store Friday night to protest the brutal crowbar beating of a man by a store employee.


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| AP Photo/Dita Alangkara
Boost, a product of GlaxoSmithKline, has announced that it would be partnering Mclaren at the upcoming Indian Grand Prix with its logos to feature on the two cars of the British team during the weekend.
Benefitting from the team's association with GSK, the malt-based health food drink has become the first Indian consumer brand to partner with the Mclaren Group as a result.
“Our strategic partnership with GSK is a fast-moving and dynamic one,” said McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh. “We are looking forward to running Boost on our cars.
“The Buddh International circuit is one of the most exciting new venues in Formula 1 and India is a fantastic, growing market for the sport,” he added.
Telecommunications company Airtel, the title sponsor of the Indian GP, meanwhile found a partner in Mercedes for the weekend in a deal which was announced late in July.
Last year, Gujarat-based dairy cooperative Amul sponsored the Sauber team with the brand’s logos running across the cars’ rear-wings.


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Extract Of Bitter Melon May Slow Breast Cancer – Part 1 of 3
Extract Of Bitter Melon May Slow Breast Cancer. A well-received nutritional supplement – extract of bitter melon – may help keep women from breast cancer, researchers say. Bitter melon is a common vegetable in India, China and South America, and its extract is used in folk remedies for diabetes because of its blood-sugar lowering capabilities, according to the researchers. “When we second-hand the extract from that melon, we saw that it kills the breast cancer cells,” said lead researcher Ratna Ray, a professor of pathology at Saint Louis University. But their toil was done in a laboratory, not in humans.
The bitter melon extract killed only the cancer cells, not the healthy breast cells. “We didn’t see any death in the normal cells”. However, these results are not evidence that bitter melon extract prevents or cures breast cancer. “I don’t believe that it will cure cancer. It will probably delay or perhaps have some prevention.”
The detonation was published online Feb 23 in advance of print publication March 1 in Cancer Research. For the study, Ray’s team treated human breast cancer cells with unappetizing melon extract, which is sold in US health food stores and over the Internet.


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A BREWERY is selling a beer inspired by the Prime drink which causes frenzied kids to raid supermarket shelves.
Tiny Rebel’s limited edition ‘Primed’ IPA comes in almost identical packaging to the energy beverage.
Tiny Rebel is selling a blue raspberry IPA called ‘Primed’
Blue raspberry flavoured Prime hydration drinkCredit: Alamy
Their 5.8% alcohol brew even has blue raspberry notes like the popular flavour flogged by KSI and Logan Paul.
Fans feared facing shop scraps to get their hands on the booze if youngsters mistake it for the real Prime being sold on eBay for huge profits.
One wrote: “Can’t wait to prise this out the hands of a small teenager in a packed supermarket.”
Another commented: “Can’t wait to see people throwing elbows for a can of this in Aldi.”
The ‘Cos Jan’s Bad Enough’ four pack, which sells online for £16, even includes a can of ‘Monstar’ – a hawaiian punch IPA styled like Monster Energy.
Drinkers also get a strawberry milkshake dupe of SlimFast, named TinyFast, and a peanut butter flapjack flavoured Hwyl, a Welsh nod to Huel.
Tiny Rebel, based in Newport, South Wales, is donating all profits towards helping its community fund reach £100k.
The brewery said of its new energy-inspired ales: “We are all into fitness and looking after yourself at Tiny Rebel and absolutely respect anyone who undertakes a health regime – but you don’t have to give up all the things you love to achieve your goals.”
Shoppers queued before dawn last Thursday after Aldi revealed it was stocking a limited supply of the £1.99 drink.
Tussles broke out between customers despite flavours being limited to one per person – after Asda originally only sold it.
Advertised as a “hydration drink”, Prime contains mostly water added with vitamins and minerals and has few calories with no added sugar.
It is also made up of coconut water but does not have any caffeine in it.
The drink’s popularity grew after YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI promoted the drink around high-profile celebrity boxing bouts in the UK.
The duo came up with the idea for Prime Hydration after their final boxing match in 2019.
During a live stream, the pair said they wanted to “rival the biggest companies on earth” with their products – including “Pepsi, Coke, Gatorade and Powerade”.
The drinks are selling in 11 flavours – including blue raspberry, tropical punch and grape – but what you get very much depends on what’s still in stock at your nearest store.
A dessert shop in Glasgow even joined the hype by selling bottles of Prime imported from America for £10.
Tubbees Dessert Lab, in the city’s Paisley Rod West, are stocked up with the sports drink created and marketed by YouTube sensastions KSI and Logan Paul.
However, a nutritionist claimed it is “useless” as a sports drink and is the same as 10p ingredients found in health shops.
Prime boasts the drink will “help you refresh, replenish, and refuel” – but nutritionist Robert Hobson disagrees.
He told The Sun: “I’m really not sure what all the fuss is about.
“For around 10p a day you could just take a multivitamin and mineral supplement to get almost everything that is in this drink.
“The BCAA’s (Branched-chain amino acids) may help with sports recovery depending on what type of sport you are engaged in.
“However if you are already taking a protein shake or recovering after with a high protein meal then not sure what use the drink will be.”
The ‘Cos Jan’s Bad Enough’ four-pack sells online for £16
Prime comes in 11 different flavoursCredit: Alamy
Prime drinks are popular with young fans of KSI and Logan PaulCredit: Reuters


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What in the field of IT interested the media for the year
According to a study from the journalism.org project, which analyzed the topics of high-tech articles, one can judge how modern media see our digital age.
Optimistic articles on the topic “hey, it will make our lives better” account for 23% of the total number of articles in the media from 2009 to 2010. Next, with 18% coverage, there are worried reports about the risks that new technologies pose for our privacy, and in particular about the dangers for our children.
The difference between negative and positive opinions is surprisingly small. Thus, in society there are 2 polar opinions regarding everything new in technology. On the one hand, they are vital, exciting, cool, on the other - they follow us, our preferences, our children.
The most discussed and widespread topic in the media was “the danger of using text messages while driving.” In second place is the launch of the latest Apple gadgets. At the very moment when we think that our favorite devices can do anything, Apple is releasing another that does the same and more.
Speaking about Steve Jobs’s company, its “portrait” as a whole looks positive, and the company was discussed in the media much more often than others. 42% of discussions were held in a positive manner, talking about innovations and excellent products of the company. 27% are praise from the most dedicated fans. But 17% suggest that not everything is so rosy with Apple products.
At Google, 25% of articles covered his achievements in helping people in the field of Internet search. But the company was twice as rare as Apple was described as having superior, innovative products.
In terms of message volume, 15% of the articles were focused on Apple, 11% on Google, 7% and 5% were Twitter and Facebook respectively.
The hottest topic for discussing Twitter was Twitter itself. Apple gained more attention than Google, Microsoft, and Facebook combined.
Overall, technology accounted for 1.6% of all media events.
You can learn more about the study on the Project for Excellence in Journalism website .


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The NPD Group has released the sales results from the month of March, and once again, the PlayStation 4 reigns as king. Sony has issued its standard monthly praise of itself, thanking the fanbase for the opportunity to be such a success.
We are truly honored PlayStation 4 is the top-selling console and No. 1 in software sales again according to NPD sales data for March 2015. PS4 remains the cumulative sales leader both globally and in the United States and we want to thank gamers worldwide for their ongoing support.
On the software side of things, Battlefield Hardline came out on top as the number one game across all of its platforms, the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The number one SKU, at least if we gauge by the PlayStation Store’s results, was Bloodborne which came it at number 2. This is the first time this generation a console exclusive has landed so high on the list.
Despite that fact, though,it came in second to inFamous: Second Son for a PlayStation 4 exclusive debut.
Other notable new games include Mario Party 10, which landed in 4th place. Nintendo has confirmed the digital and physical sales landed at 290,000. Final Fantasy Type-0 HD also hung in there for an extra month at the number 10 spot, and MLB 15 The Show did well for itself as a PlayStation exclusive in the number 6 spot. See the whole top 10 list below.
- Battlefield: Hardline (Xbox One, PlayStation 4, 360, PS3, PC)
- Bloodborne (PS4)
- Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox One, PS4, 360, PS3)
- Mario Party 10 (Wii U) (sold 290,000 copies physical and digital, according to Nintendo)
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3, PC)
- MLB 15: The Show (PS4, PS3)
- Minecraft (360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4)
- NBA 2K15 (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3, PC)
- Borderlands: The Handsome Collection (PS4, Xbox One)
- Final Fantasy: Type 0 HD (PS4, Xbox One)


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The Reject ShopFollow
The Reject Shop Archives
The company managed to open 11 new stores in both metropolitan and country areas. The store network now includes 137 sto...
Sudano will succeed incumbent, fourth-generation Alister Purbrick, who will retire this June.
During the year, the business renegotiated 80 leases that were in holdover or had expired, and will renegotiate a furthe...
Retailers, union and government grappling to deal with increasing levels of customer abuse towards frontline staff.
CBD and shopping centre locations traded 12 per cent down during the last 48 weeks.
Leadership is aiming to finish 'fixing' the business by the end of the financial year.
Australian discount variety store The Reject Shop has teamed with DoorDash to offer a same-day goods-delivery service.
Discount store to beat rivals by 10 per cent as Australians look to tighten spend.
The latest retail appointments.
The Reject Shop says sales are up, while other brands are struggling.
Discount department store taps Andre Reich as chief executive.
The discount retailer has revised profit expectations for the year into the red.


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A group of parents at last Thursday’s Shoreline Unified School District board meeting expressed concerns over the school counselor at Tomales High, claiming he has unfairly told some students that they are not “college material.” The parents have hopes that, with a new superintendent taking the helm in July, action may be taken to remedy the problem. Adriana . . .
You have reached content available exclusively to Point Reyes Light digital subscribers.


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Celebrating innovation in home finance market can dispel customer misunderstandings
The equity release market continues to grow at pace. The latest figures from the Equity Release Council show that there are twice the number of product options available in the market compared to two years ago, while customer activity has almost doubled since the first half of 20161. These statistics are all the more impressive given the consumer misconceptions that still prevent people from considering these products.
Canada Life’s report 'Home Is Where The Wealth Is' documented such misunderstandings. It found that the biggest barrier to equity release for over 55s was the fear that they will lose control of their property.
But this is not true. So long as equity release customers abide by the terms and conditions of their loan, they will remain in control, and retain ownership, of their property. Another reason some homeowners are reluctant to consider equity release is more mistake than myth. Many still think there is only one type of equity release product on the market: the interest roll-up lifetime mortgage. Whilst this is one of the most popular products, and is particularly helpful for older homeowners who don’t have the income to make repayments, interest roll-up lifetime mortgages certainly aren’t the only option. Many other types of lifetime mortgage are now available to provide customers more flexibility, including options where monthly interest payments or ad-hoc payments can be made.
It is so important that customers are aware of innovation across the market, which has created more choice as well as increased flexibility and certainty. Many homeowners want the best of both worlds – they want to tap into their property value and reduce the impact of interest roll-up, protecting equity to pass on after their property is sold.
And providers have responded to this desire by creating products that accommodate the evolving needs of lifetime mortgage customers. More and more flexible options are now coming on to the market. One of the latest products allows customers to pay up to 15% of the initial loan amount each year without incurring an early repayment charge.
The growing use of equity release to help younger relatives onto the housing ladder makes this kind of solution preferable to interest roll-up. Flexible repayment products help in two ways: first, young people can get off the rollercoaster of rentals and establish a firm foothold in the property market, and second, younger generations can support any payments due and reduce the amount their older relatives are liable for at the end of the loan.
Products that are flexible and that suit customers’ needs will carry on shaping the equity release market as the industry continues to grow. And tackling customer misconceptions will go a long way in helping to look at retirement income holistically, reviewing property alongside pensions, investments and other assets. To ensure the continuing success of the sector we should start by celebrating the variety of home finance products on offer today and ensure we continue innovating to support the retirees of tomorrow.


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DoubleClick entering Ad Exchange Marketplace
Soon to be bought by (insert company name here) online advertising giant DoubleClick is planning on entering the Ad Exchange business.
According to a NY Times report, the exchange will be a “Nasdaq-like exchange for the buying and selling of digital advertisements.
The move will see DoubleClick go head to head with Right Media, which currently offers a similar setup, although having previously checked it out, without much success. To be fair though, the idea is a fairly good one, at least on paper, and an organization as large as DoubleClick would most likely deliver a much better product than is currently offered by Right Media, which suffers greatly from a lack of quality advertisers.


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Latest PC Game News
Testing is now underway for what is 2018’s most anticipated games according to PC Invasion readers. Watch the new trailer.
Genetic Disaster has just released on Steam and we’ve got copies to dish out!
Did anyone really think Obsidian would add loot crates to their upcoming RPG?


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Chipotle’s stock peaked in August of 2015, and has been in a freefall ever since and hit a low of $251 on February 13. Six months ago, Chipotle had hoped that introducing queso to their menu would be a huge boost to their company. Narrator: It was not. Chipotle will attempt to lure customers with a new menu item – quinoa.
Chipotle is giving the trendy grain a trial in New York City. Chipotle is attempting to tempt health-conscious customers with the healthy grain. It can’t hurt Chipotle to attract a new customer base because they are already suffering from diminished sales, especially in 2016 when they saw -13.26% in sales. A series of illness outbreaks connected to Chipotle devastated the burrito company.
“The quinoa is made with red and gold quinoa tossed with a little citrus juice, cumin, and freshly chopped cilantro,” Chris Arnold, a Chipotle representative, told Business Insider. “We are recommending that added to a salad or in place of rice in another entree.”
Last week, Brian Niccol, the man who revitalized Taco Bell, jumped ship to become the CEO role at Chipotle Mexican Grill. Whether or not eaters will flock to Chipotle because they offer quinoa as an alternative to rice is yet to be seen. Maybe Chipotle should have gone all in on avocados like this Brooklyn restaurant that has an all-avocado menu and just received $400,000 from Shark Tank and is now going national.


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As quoted from https://www.ids-cologne.de
The preparations for the International Dental Show (IDS) are in full swing. The leading international trade fair of the dental industry that was originally scheduled to take place in March 2021, is now being staged from 22 to 25 September 2021 this year, due to the current pandemic. The planning is entering the hot phase with the start of the online application process. Almost all of the companies that had registered for March have also confirmed their participation for the newly scheduled event.
Furthermore, we have received numerous enquiries from companies that had decided not to participate at the event in March, but who now see the changed schedule as an important sign for a successful, pioneering industry development. IDS will thereby be organised as a hybrid trade fair format for the first time. In addition to the physical exhibition, the digital platform IDSconnect offers information on products as well as system solutions, which enable the streaming of webinars, press conferences, events as well as one-to-one communications with customers.
The GFDI Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Dental-Industrie mbH, the commercial enterprise of the Association of German Dental Manufacturers (VDDI) and Koelnmesse GmbH are convinced that the trade fair at the end of September will be sustainably influenced by the anticipated, improved health situation and the related relaxation of regulations regarding travel.
All of the exhibitors have seven months’ time until the 39th edition of IDS opens to prepare their presence and their digital participation at the leading global trade fair and push their innovations forward. The postponement of IDS to September 2021 enables the exhibitors and visitors to engage in a physical and personal exchange live again and experience the pronounced community principle, which has distinguished the dental industry for decades. The prospect of a strong and economically attractive re-start after the Corona pandemic thus exists.
The exhibitors of IDS and interested companies can use the convenient and user-friendly online application process at https://application.ids-cologne.de with immediate effect.


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TikTok has recently announced the launch of its spatial app for visionOS, which is designed to transform how users interact with content on Apple’s Vision Pro headset. This app is expected to provide an exceptional video viewing experience, which is not offered by other streaming platforms such as Netflix and YouTube, which are yet to embrace the Vision Pro technology fully.
The app aims to transport users beyond traditional video viewing by offering a unique way to explore TikTok’s For You feed in a spatial environment tailored explicitly for Apple Vision Pro. However, due to the absence of a prominent time display within the Vision Pro interface, users are cautioned about losing track of time while engrossed in TikTok’s immersive content. TikTok is known for its ability to make time fly on mobile devices, and the spatial app could amplify this effect, turning minutes into hours without notice.
The spatial app’s arrival on Apple Vision Pro marks a new era in content consumption, combining cutting-edge technology with the addictive appeal of TikTok’s platform. Users can now dive into an immersive world of videos, seamlessly integrated into the Vision Pro experience.
The TikTok spatial app for Apple Vision Pro is available now, providing users with an exciting opportunity to explore and engage with their favorite content in a whole new dimension.


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Kuala Lumpur -The International Air Transport Association (IATA) advocated strong partnerships across the air cargo value chain to address an industry agenda to enhance safety, security, sustainability and competitiveness.
“Air cargo is critical to the global economy. By value, over 35% of goods traded internationally are handled by air. But this accounts for just 0.5% of global volumes traded. Air cargo provides the connectivity that is at the core of modern businesses serving global markets. The growth potential is enormous. The challenge is to propel that growth sustainably, with quality products, efficiently delivered by a well-coordinated value chain,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO in a keynote address to the World Cargo Symposium which is meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Safety: The 2011 hull loss rate for western-built jet aircraft stood at the historic low of 0.37 hull losses per million flights (one hull loss for every 2.7 million flights). However, managing shipments of dangerous goods is an increasingly complex challenge for air cargo as the number of shippers proliferates, particularly with the growth of e-commerce opportunities for individual entrepreneurs, who lack awareness of dangerous goods regulations. “The concern over shipping lithium batteries is a good example of where the supply chain needs to cooperate to raise awareness levels,” said Tyler.
Security:Tyler urged the industry to work together and in cooperation with governments on industry solutions for cargo security, or risk the imposition of regulatory solutions that may not fully understand the operational realities of global air cargo. “The challenge is two-fold. We must continuously improve security to meet evolving threats. And we need to achieve this while maintaining the speed necessary to support global commerce,” said Tyler. He highlighted three areas for a particular focus:
- Data to Support Risk Management:Tyler encouraged regulators to harmonize risk-assessment measures in compliance through the World Customs Organization SAFE standards. At the same time he urged the air cargo value chain to redouble its efforts to improve the quality of data provided by making the Message Improvement Program a priority for 2012. “Ensuring quality data will gain the confidence of regulators and customs authorities that is necessary to motivate them towards efficient paper-free processes,” said Tyler.
- Securing the Supply Chain: The IATA Secure Freight pilot program was launched in Malaysia in 2010 with the goal of securing the supply chain by ensuring that air cargo has come from either a known consignor or regulated agent and has been kept sterile until it is loaded onto the aircraft. The success of the Malaysian pilot project has encouraged Kenya, Mexico, Chile, South Africa, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates to start their own programs.
- Technology:Tyler noted progress with regulators on addressing the constraints on current technology in screening air cargo. “It is clear that a robust risk-assessment needs both physical and data screening programs that are harmonized. The worst thing for both industry and states would be to have these programs competing with each other across airline networks,” said Tyler.
Competitiveness: “Alongside a license to grow based on safety, security and environmental responsibility, to be successful the air cargo value chain must meet customer expectations with efficient and quality products and processes,” said Tyler, highlighting e-freight and the industry’s need to adopt Cargo 2000 as a global standard.
- E-freight: E-freight penetration stood at 11% at the end of 2011, ahead of the 10% target set by the IATA Board of Governors. “I see three components to achieving 100% by 2015. First, we need to understand e-freight is a supply chain initiative driven forward by the Global Air Cargo Advisory Group (GACAG). Second airlines must drive forward the implementation of the e-air waybill (e-AWB). Cathay Pacific and Emirates have led the way with mandating 100% e-AWB in their home markets. And finally we must ensure that the rapidly developing BRICS countries are on board,” said Tyler. Current e-AWB penetration is 4.6%. IATA is targeting 15% e-AWB penetration by the end of 2012 and 100% by 2014.
- Quality: In the last year Cargo 2000 made its Master Operating Plan an open source platform. “This effectively makes Cargo 2000 the industry benchmark for performance and quality. They will also be introducing a membership grading system to further identify the highest-quality participants. These are positive steps that will help us to provide quality products to our customers,” said Tyler. Tyler reiterated that managing quality requires a harmonized approach across the value chain, noting the industry agreement to mandate the “Time and Temperature Sensitive” label as an important example of improvements that can be achieved when the industry works with a common purpose.
Industry Cooperation: Air transport is a team effort. And that is particularly true of air cargo. I am also making it a priority for IATA to work even more closely with our industry partners. For example we are working to modernize the cargo agency program in close collaboration with the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA). I am also fully supportive of the GACAG. This group is unique in the air cargo industry and we must all support the efforts of this coalition. All its members won’t always have the same view of the world. But our fates are linked as we are in the same business. By focusing on our common interests, I am confident that much can be achieved,” said Tyler.
In its latest forecast (issued December 2011), IATA expects air cargo to generate about 11% of total revenues or $66 billion. This is only slightly behind the average 14% contribution of business class to industry revenues. Growth in both volumes and yields is expected to be flat in 2012 as a result of economic uncertainty primarily centered on Europe. IATA will issue a revised forecast on 20 March.
For more information, please contact:
Tel: +41 22 770 2967
Notes for Editors:


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The Bolloré Group and the CMA CGM Group announce the completion today of the sale of 100 % of Bolloré Logistics to CMA CGM, it being specified that the transfer of Bolloré Logistics Sweden AB to the CMA CGM Group remains subject to the latter obtaining foreign investment clearance in Sweden.
The purchase price is €4.85 billion euros, on the basis of the estimated debt and cash on the completion date.
As a leading transport and logistics company in France, and one of the main players in the sector worldwide, Bolloré Logistics achieved in 2022 a turnover of 7.1 billion euros, transported 710,000 TEUs of ocean freight and 390,000 tons of air freight, along with a storage capacity of 900,000 m2.
This is CMA CGM’s largest acquisition since its creation in 1978 and constitutes a major step in the CMA CGM Group’s logistics development strategy, complementing its historical maritime transport line of business.
Rodolphe Saadé, CEO and Chairman of the CMA CGM Group, declared: “I would like to thank the Bolloré Group for the trustful dialogue we have established over the last few months to successfully finalize this acquisition. Within the CMA CGM Group, we are proud to welcome a French flagship built on years of work and experience. The new entity, made up of CEVA and Bolloré Logistics, is the world’s number 5 in its sector. We will now be able to offer our customers a complete range of services and extend our expertise to new businesses. On behalf of the CMA CGM Group and my family, I would like to welcome the 14,000 employees who are joining us today. Together, we will combine our talents and accelerate our development.”
Mr. Cyrille Bolloré, CEO and Chairman of the Bolloré Group, added: “This is the beginning of a new chapter for Bolloré Logistics’ employees. I am very pleased that they are joining the CMA CGM Group and the Saadé family. They will bring unique expertise and know-how, which have long made the pride of the Group and which will be the pride of CMA CGM tomorrow. It is also a great opportunity for our customers around the world and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their trust and loyalty”.