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Happy Easter! We hope you’re resting or having fun this weekend.
Thank you for your name suggestions.
After giving it much thought and thinking again, the winner is…
As you can tell, we had to make a drastic name change by: knocking off one O from our name, so we’re Cloout now.
What’s going on?
It’s been a week since Jumia went public on the New York stock exchange. At first, it seemed like good news —more credibility for African companies; more money to expand operations for Jumia, and an open door for other African companies to do the same. This was all until people found out it wasn’t really an African Company, and that became an issue.
But, is Jumia an African Company?
Well, it depends on how you look at it. Jumia is incorporated in Germany with its headquarters in Dubai and its technology centre in Portugal. However, it operates in Africa.
What does this mean?
It means that Jumia will pay the majority of its corporate taxes in Germany, but its subsidiaries will also pay local taxes in most countries.
Why the debate?
Most people believed it is an African company because it operates from Africa and is run by Africans. More so, do we say the ‘nationality’ of a company is based on the nationality of its founders, where the product is manufactured, the source of capital or where its operations is based?
Look at Uber, it’s major investors are Softbank and Saudi Arabia; but that does not make it a Japanese or Saudi Arabian company. iPhones are made in China but does it make Apple a Chinese company? The same perspective is peddled about Jumia; that having its operations mainly in Africa and serving the African market doesn’t make it African company.
Who are the founders?
Jumia, which was founded in 2012 runs in 14 countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco and Egypt. It was founded by Sacha Poignonnec and Jeremy Hodara, and two French former McKinsey associates who are specialists in retail, packaging and e-commerce. Alongside Tunde Kehinde (Nigerian) and Raphael Kofi (Ghanaian).
We think the identity crisis comes from the fact that its roots are local and its primary market —“African”
Does it really matter if Jumia is African or not?
Err, you decide. What we know matters, is how Africa is portrayed; which is what most people are after.
What’s going on?
The Nigerian Senate during its meeting on Wednesday rejected a bill to phase out the use of petrol-powered cars in Nigeria and to be replaced by electric vehicles by 2035.
Who introduced the Bill?
Senator Ben Bruce (PDP, Bayelsa) — “The Commonsense man.”
In his words: “I own an electric car that I have been using for the past five years. It is cheaper to maintain and durable…To charge your electric cars, all the filling stations will be replaced with solar charging stations. Thankfully, this country is blessed with sunlight 365 days in a year.”
Making common sense right?
So what did the house say?
Senator Ekweremadu (PDP, Enugu) said, that there was no need for this yet as “…in economic sense, we are an oil producing country. So, we should do everything possible to frustrate the sale of electric cars in Nigeria to enable us to sell our oil.”
Hmm, Okay, what else?
Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano) said that while electric vehicles make sense, making its use mandatory doesn’t seem like the right thing to do.
He said “We have to look at individual net worth. Not all Nigerians can afford the vehicles at a given time. We all know the importance of vehicles in our daily activities. So, banning the use of fuel cars will cause hardship, particularly for those who may not be able to acquire electric cars.”
Hmmm, 2035 is in 16 years time. Is that time frame too short to adequately prepare for Electric Vehicles?
Why does this matter?
We’d borrow a few words from the book of common sense again.
“Combustion engine cars have continued to cause deaths through uncontrolled pollution. We (Nigeria) have been spending over 1 trillion annually subsidising fuel in the country. By introducing electric cars, fuel subsidy will automatically be gone and those funds will be used for infrastructure.”
The Debt Management Office (DMO) said Nigeria’s total public debt rose by N1.96 trillion (8.74%) from September 2018 – December 2018, so Nigeria’s total debt is N24.39 trillion ($79.4 billion). This means that at the end of 2018, Nigeria’s total debt grew 12.25% from the previous year.
Wait, What’s Debt Management Office?
As the name implies, it’s a government agency established to centrally coordinate the management of Nigeria’s debt.
What are people saying?
People are asking the government to come out with the details of the loans and what they have been used for, as the state of the country does not reflect that there’s any progress.
Is debt good?
Well, It depends on what we are borrowing the money for. It also depends on whether we are borrowing domestically or externally.
What people are saying again?
The government should borrow for long term projects that have to do with the infrastructure – roads, housing power and not just borrow for short term causes such as paying salaries of public officers.
The government should increase revenue by ensuring more companies pay their taxes and also make sure the money collected enters the Treasury single Account.
What’s going on?
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the country’s inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in March was 0.06 per cent points lower than the rate recorded in February.
Care to explain further?
Sure. Inflation is calculated by collating the average change in prices of goods and services consumed by people on a daily basis, over a period of time.
What does this mean?
The drop in inflation means that businesses revenue may slightly improve as people have more money to spend. It might also improve exports and economic growth.
From November 1, 2013, many Nigerians had to adjust to stop chanting “Up NEPA” whenever electrical power is restored. NEPA stopped existing, different companies took charge of providing electricity to the different parts of Nigeria because the NEPA wasn’t doing its job well.
So what happened?
The deal was that the different electricity distribution companies would provide meters to the areas they serve so people would pay for the actual electricity they are using. However, it’s taken too long for this to happen. So, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), in order to fast track the process, plans to place a limit on the amount that a distribution company (DisCo) can charge an unmetered consumer until she or he is metered.
What did the DisCos say?
They don’t have financial ability to provide meters for all their users upfront.
And what did NERC do?
They provided an innovative financial crowd-sourcing initiative called Credited Advanced Payment for Meter Implementation (CAPMI); which provides DisCos with the opportunity to finance metering through consumer finance— when a business offers financing to their customers with help from a professional finance company (bank). But in spite of this, no significant progress has been made.
If NERC’s plan works every home might have a meter soon. No more crazy billing.
Source: Uber’s S-1 Report
Uber is set to go public—open up to public investors on the stock market—sometime in May. It finally revealed its financial statement to the world last week and here are the numbers that matter.
91 million monthly active platform consumers.
5.2 billion rides given in 2018 including Scooters, Uber Eats, Uber Freight.
$11.3 billion revenue in 2018, 42% higher than in 2017.
$9.2 billion in ride hailing revenue; which is 81% of total revenue.
$78.2 billion in revenue is what drivers have earned since 2015.
$10 billion worth of losses in the past 3 years. (It had $1.8 billion loss in 2018 and $2.6 billion loss in 2017).
Current Major Shareholders.
16% – SoftBank— A Japanese tech giant.
11% – Matt Collen.
8.6% – Travis Kalanick (Co-founder).
6% – Gareth Camp.
5.3% – Sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
5.2% – Alphabet, that’s the parent company of Google.
What Uber says they expect?
“We expect our operating expenses to increase significantly in the foreseeable future, and we may not achieve profitability. Also, we do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future”.
Anything else apart from these numbers?
Yes. In Saudi Arabia, Uber recently gave it’s women drivers the ability to select only female riders. Uber developed this feature after they found out that 74% of Saudi female drivers did not want to pick up male passengers.
But why now?
Last year June, Saudi Arabia finally removed the ban on letting women drive, and there have been countless reports of female users and drivers of both Uber and Lyft suffering abuse and harassment. Very thoughtful move there by Uber.
Why are people still hyped about investing in Uber?
Growth. Optimism. The belief that it will work out and everyone would soon be smiling to the bank.
We’re gonna tell you a story about two companies.
The first one is called Pinterest, a social media network which was founded in 2010 and the other is called Zoom, a video conference tool which was born in 2011.
After recently listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
Hmm, why did this happened?
Zoom is profitable. It made $7.6 million net profit, while Pinterest had a loss of $63 million in 2018.
Zoom is growing faster: Sales increased 118% between the last two fiscal years, while Pinterest grew 60%.
In a world filled with loss-making tech companies, Zoom is a gentle reminder that it’s still possible to be ‘successful’ and profitable. Profit still matters.
What does Nigeria, Benin and Eritrea have in common?
They’ve decided not to seat with the other ‘cool’ African countries in Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Wait, Where’s Eritrea again?
The North Eastern side of Africa, close to the Red Sea.
Okay, what else should I know about Eritrea?
Eritrea has had the same president since 1993, has no national language and recently ordered it’s local men to marry more than one wife or risk being sent to prison for life.
Okay, enough of Eritrea what’s AfCFTA?
The African Continental Free Trade Agreement is a trade agreement between 49 African Union member states, with the goal of creating a single market. This is also followed by free movement and a single-currency union. This means African businesses, traders and consumers will no longer pay tariffs on about 90% of goods that they trade between African countries. Sounds cool right?
Why does it matter?
Over 80 percent of African trade is with the rest of the world, while intra-Africa trade accounts for just over 10 per cent of its total trade. In comparison to Europe, where nearly 70 percent is within Europe.
AfCFTA would allow African-owned companies to enter new markets. This would expand their customer base and lead to new products and services, making investing in innovation viable. Also, it eases the process of importing raw materials from other African countries.
If successful, AfCFTA would bring significant economic benefits to Africa. For instance, an UNCTAD report shows that AfCFTA would add $17.6bn (2.8%) to Africa’s overall trade with the rest of the world, stimulating exports by $25.4bn (or 4%).
Why is Nigeria not part?
The president of Nigeria’s labour union has described the AfCFTA as “an extremely dangerous and radioactive neo-liberal policy initiative that seeks to open our seaports, airports and other businesses to unbridled foreign interference never before witnessed in the history of the country”.
Dangote said “Nigeria did not rush to sign the agreement because there are consequences and Nigeria has some big industries. The regional markets need to work to prevent foreign goods from invading our market.”
Oh, so it’s not that rosy?
Yes, On the flip side it could also lead to:
Loss of source of income, employment and shut down of small firms because they can’t compete with the bigger firms, For example, small family farms can’t compete with large agri-businesses in high-income African countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt and Nigeria.
Poor work conditions as labourers from poorer countries may be forced to work long hours and to live in terrible conditions without basic amenities such as drinking water and electricity.
Theft of intellectual property,Many African countries don’t have laws in place that protect patents, inventions and new processes. This could discourage investment in innovation.What do we think?
For Nigeria, the best way to have a say is to have a seat at the table and not by shunning AfCFTA completely.
What’s going on?
Israel’s Prime Minister, Netanyahu who was recently re-elected has been nominated by Israeli President Reuven Rivilin, to form a coalition to govern the 21st Knesset. After 65 members out 120 of the Knesset recommended him for Prime minister, Rivilin had no choice but to allow Netanyahu to serve an unprecedented fifth term, in order to unite the right-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties.
What is the Knesset?
It is the legislative branch of the Israeli government which passes the law, elects the President, appoints the Cabinet and supervises the government through its committee. Its aim is to check and balance the Israeli government.
What happens next?
Netanyahu has been given 28 days to form the government with a possible two weeks extension.
Netanyahu has vowed to represent all Israelis, “those that voted for me, and those that didn’t.”
Source: NBC News
A major fire erupted at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Monday. The cause of the fire is most likely due to an electrical fault not terrorism or arson. However, about 40 people have been questioned by investigators.
And so far, about a billion dollars have been pledged to help restore the landmark.
What’s so special about this building?
The construction of Notre Dame began in 1163 during the reign of King Louis VII and was completed in 1345. The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a worldwide icon of Paris and the location of some of the most important moments in the history of France.
Looks like everything is fine right?
Well, people aren’t too happy with the millions flowing in.
“If they can give tens of millions to rebuild Notre Dame, then they should stop telling us there is no money to help with the social emergency.”—Philippe Martinez, head of the CGT trade union.What’s the issue here?
Notre Dame’s story is interesting: No one was killed, no one is starving, but everyone— philanthropists are promptly giving without being asked to do so.


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businesses use ads as a main of their social media marketing. They want to
somehow increase their social media presence, but they don’t really know how
to. Several companies put their trust into young employees by giving them all
the social media work. Why? Because, they are young and they should know
something about it.
businesses have to have a social media marketing strategy and cooperate with
all present social media. We are long ago past the social strategy of post and
don’t, you risk the danger that your competitors will, and as a result, they
will gain market traction and exposure over you.
Continue reading “Social media marketing hub”
Getting twitter followers can be as important for your business as ‘ordinary’ traffic from other sources. But hang on, I hope you have heard of twitter by now, or have an account yourself. If not, get one! Twitter is the new way to connect with people by means of quick, 140 character messages. Why is this important? Because if you are a marketer, or need traffic to your website, twitter traffic can be an amazing source for that.
Connecting with people through twitter is kinda fun and addictive. But you can waste an enormous amount of time if you’re not careful. Its fun, and its even more fun if people start to follow you, and become your twitter followers. Your twitter followers list gradually build up over time, as people start to notice you and become interested in what you have to say or to offer.
Continue reading “Twitter Traffic News – What Can Masses of Twitter Followers Do For You?”
12-year-old boy from Kota had worn mangalsutra and bangles. He then wrapped a
thick metal chain around his neck and hanged himself in his bathroom — all apparently a part of the principles of a TikTok challenge.
A TikTok challenge proved deadly for a 12-year-old boy from Kota, Rajasthan.
The boy died when he hanged himself from a noose as a part of the TikTok challenge.
Before hanging himself, the boy had worn
mangalsutra (sacred thread worn by Hindu married women) and bangles. He then
wrapped a thick metal chain around his neck and hanged himself with it in
his toilet — all
apparently a part of the principles of TikTok
Continue reading “TikTok challenge gone wrong: 12-year-old boy hangs himself wearing mangalsutra, bangles in Rajasthan.”
The incident occurred late at
nighttime. When the
boy’s family found him missing in
the morning, they raised an alarm. They later discovered him hanging from the ceiling
of the bathroom.
Working to make your brand recognizable is hard work and takes many hours to achieve. There is an easier way, with the help of FollowersPromotion.com — which offers you the service of purchasing Instagram likes in order to achieve your social media goals much faster than you otherwise would.
No matter how hard you
work the fact of the matter is this: sometimes it just takes a little push to
get you over the edge, and that’s where we come in! Think of buying your Instagram
likes from us as – and if you think the big companies out there aren’t doing it,
you’re wrong. Investing a little of your hard earned cash in growing your likes
will result in a multitude of benefits to you.
Continue reading “Buy Instagram likes”
Instagram will test hiding the like count from photos, and view counts from videos,
in an attempt to get users to pay attention to the content
itself and not their associated engagement metrics, the Facebook-owned
app declared Tuesday.
Continue reading “Instagram is hiding likes count?”
In the test, followers won’t see total likes on photos, or views counts
on videos, in their Instagram feeds or once visiting a user’s profile. The account owner will still be able to access their own metrics
and see the overall likes
or view counts
for a specific post, though they will have to tap through a post to view those metrics.
Instagram said that
the “private likes” test would
begin later this week for
users in Canada at F8,
Facebook’s annual developers conference.
It’s all about community and privacy.
After a brutal 2018 that forced Facebook to
admit it hasn’t got the best name when it involves privacy,
Mark Zuckerberg has huge plans
for the social networking platform in 2019: Facebook is being redesigned.
Zuckerberg made the announcements during Facebook’s F8 event near the company’s home turf in San Jose, California, where he addressed the past year of problems regarding privacy, security and decreasing trust in the platform.
Continue reading “A huge Facebook redesign is coming – but it’s far more than a new website.”
The re-creation of
Facebook, codenamed ‘FB5’, will be the largest modification the social network
has practiced in
years: almost every single aspect of the platform is changing in some way. There’s lots of information to process, and we’ve wrapped
up everything you need to know right here.

domain: news


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Shares in consumer food company Kerry Group rose today after it reported a 3.5% rise in business volumes in the nine months to the end of September.
The company said it maintained its trading margin despite its consumer goods division taking a hit due to weaker sterling.
Edmond Scanlon, Kerry's chief executive, said the company was pleased with its performance so far in 2018, with volume growth well ahead of its markets and underlying margin expansion in line with expectations.
He noted that the company delivered good volume growth against very strong comparatives in the third quarter.
"We have also made good progress across our strategic growth priorities, including the recent acquisition announcements of Fleischmann's Vinegar Company and AATCO Food Industries," he added.
Mr Scanlon said Kerry was encouraged by the progress it had made during the year and reaffirmed the company's full year 2018 guidance of adjusted earnings per share growth of 7% to 10% in constant currency.
Kerry said that volume growth of 4.1% in its Taste & Nutrition division was driven by meat, beverage and snacks sales.
It noted that growth in its developed markets was "solid", while developing markets delivered strong broad-based growth of 9.7%.
Its Consumer Foods division saw volume growth of 1.2% as its continued market outperformance was driven by good growth in 'Food to Go'.
While the UK consumer landscape had been resilient in the first half of 2018, Kerry noted that demand had softened in a number of categories in the third quarter.
Kerry also said its Brexit mitigation programme is progressing in line with expectations.
The company said its net debt at the end of September stood at €1.4 billion, similar to the year end 2017 level.
"The group's consolidated balance sheet remains strong which will facilitate the continued organic and acquisitive growth of group businesses," it added.
Kerry shares moved higher in Dublin trade today.


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Supply & Demand Chain Executive Announces Winners of 2023 Pros to Know Award
This Award Recognizes Outstanding Executives Whose Accomplishments Offer a
Roadmap for Other Leaders to Leverage Supply Chain for Competitive Advantage
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, March 22, 2023 – Supply & Demand Chain Executive, the only publication covering the entire global supply chain, has named Edmund Zagorin, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) from Arkestro as one of the winners of the 2023 Pros to Know award.
“I am extremely proud and honored to be named to this year’s prestigious list of Pros to Know award winners,” says Edmund Zagorin, CSO, Arkestro. “This caps off an exciting year of achievements for Arkestro and myself. Predictive Procurement Orchestration offers a unique toolbox, paradigm and framework to resolve the supply chain issues our world has been experiencing, and large enterprises across the Global 2000 are now realizing these benefits.”
The annual Pros to Know award recognizes outstanding executives whose accomplishments offer a roadmap for other leaders who want to leverage the supply chain for competitive advantage.
“This year’s list is filled with supply chain professionals whose achievements and success stories have helped move the needle in the supply chain. They promote safety, sustainability and workforce development. They work toward helping heal the supply chain. They’re actually in the supply chain,” says Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of Supply & Demand Chain Executive and Food Logistics. “We received close to 400 nominations this year, the highest number of nominations ever for this award. It’s proof that today’s supply chain professionals are doing great things for the supply chain. They embody what a true leader should be. And, without their initiatives, programs and collaborative efforts, today’s supply chains would be in worse shape.”
Visit here to view the full list of 2023 Pros to Know winners. The overall winner will be announced live at ProMat in Chicago. Go to www.SDCExec.com/awards to learn more about upcoming Supply & Demand Chain Executive awards.
About Supply & Demand Chain Executive
Supply & Demand Chain Executive is the only supply chain publication covering the entire global supply chain, focusing on trucking, warehousing, packaging, procurement, risk management, professional development and more. Supply & Demand Chain Executive and sister publication Food Logistics are also home to L.I.N.K. and L.I.N.K. Educate podcast channels, L.I.N.K. Live, SCN Summit, SupplyChainLearningCenter.com, Women in Supply Chain Forum and more. Go to www.SDCExec.com to learn more.
About Arkestro Arkestro is the leading Predictive Procurement Orchestration platform. Built to amplify the impact of procurement’s influence, Arkestro helps enterprises deliver a 2-5x lift on cost savings attributed to everyday purchasing and sourcing cycles. Top enterprises leverage Arkestro’s behavioral science, game theory and machine learning to predict and win faster value across every category of addressable spend. Learn more at arkestro.com.


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In traditional markets, U.S. stock futures pointed toward a higher open. “The reflation trade is powering assets tied to economic growth and price pressure, including commodities and cyclical stocks,” Bloomberg News reported. “At the same time, investors are riding a wave of speculative euphoria from penny stocks to bitcoin amid abundant policy support.”
Some companies in the growing arena of decentralized finance, a subsector of the crypto industry where entrepreneurs are using blockchain technology to design automated versions of lenders and trading platforms, are raising money through token sales the way a Silicon Valley startup might sell an equity interest to a venture-capital fund.
In fact, Synthetix, a decentralized trading project, has just raised $12 million from investors Coinbase Ventures, Paradigm and IOSG – apparently through a sale of the project’s associated SNX tokens. “The raise looks to be a rare occurrence of VCs investing through the purchase of a platform’s native token directly from its treasury rather than wiring funds to its founders,” CoinDesk’s Daniel Kuhn wrote Sunday. The SNX tokens have tripled in price this year to a market value of about $2.9 billion.
BLOCKCHAIN POWER USAGE BETWEEN ROMANIA’S AND POLAND’S: Bitcoin and six other proof-of-work blockchains use between 55.1 terawatt-hours of electricity per year (roughly the energy footprint of Romania) and 180.1 terawatt-hours (Poland or Thailand), argues Tim Swanson, founder of Post Oak Labs and head of market intelligence at Clearmatics, in paper published Sunday.
This content was originally published here.
Related Post "Bitcoin Tops $50K and Crypto’s Nouveau Riche Move In – CoinDesk"


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SBA Offers No-Fee Loans to Veterans
By Katerina Athanasiou
The U.S. Small Business Administration has unveiled a new initiative to help veterans open or expand businesses: Beginning January 1, 2014, there will be no upfront fee for veterans receiving loans via the SBA Express program.
The Express program is the SBA’s most popular loan delivery method and supports loans up to $350,000. Typically, borrowers are required to pay 2.25% to 4.75% upfront for loans between $150,000 and $300,000; recently, the agency announced they will waive fees on loans under $150,000 in 2014.
“Our nation’s veterans are highly-skilled and highly-trained leaders in their communities, and so it makes sense that after serving their country veterans would become entrepreneurs and small business owners,” SBA official Rhett Jeppson said in an online statement.
Veterans currently own 9.1 percent of all businesses in the United States, and there is about one veteran-owned firm for every 10 vets. Of all business owners under the age of 35, 7.1 percent were veterans in 2012, up from 4.6 percent in 2008.
Entrepreneurship can offer veterans a means of employment in an otherwise tough economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the overall unemployment rate in the U.S. was 7.3 percent in October 2013. The unemployment rate for all veterans during that period was 8 percent, and 10 percent for those serving after September 2011.
In addition to the Express loans, the SBA also offers veteran mentoring, financial information, and grants to help them launch and grow their ventures.


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They grew up on the internet, and they’re building the future for themselves. Some are still shy of the legal drinking age, but the Gen Z founders Niko Bonatsos works with are reshaping the startup world.
“The youth, Gen Zers have landed on this planet like aliens, and they’re about to take over. They are living in the future in their heads, and I have no doubt that the ones who are technical can actually start building it,” he says.
In his more than 10 years at venture capital firm General Catalyst, Bonatsos has worked with the greats – like Snap and Discord. Now he’s shifting his focus to startup newbies. By pairing first time Gen Z founders with more seasoned mentors, he’s helping usher in and train a new generation of entrepreneurs.
On Feb. 7, Bonatsos hosted a webinar for Founders Network where he shared insights from working with Gen Z founders.
What Makes Gen Z Founders Different
The group’s oldest members are about 26, so Gen Z founders grew up on the internet. And, they firmly believe they can have careers making money on the internet, Bonatsos says.
Their unique values are reflected in what they create, like, for instance, the generation’s increased progressivism and sexual fluidity. For example, when it comes to online dating products, Bonatsos is hearing pitches for apps that provide options for people to reimagine relationships and experiment with sexuality and non- monogamy.
In order to combat their lack of experience, Bonatsos pairs Gen Z and first time founders with more seasoned entrepreneurs who now have time to give back.
“We at [General Catalyst] have helped a ton of first time founders and immigrant founders make fewer mistakes than they would otherwise make on their own,” he says.
The Gen Z Founders Who Succeed
The most successful Gen Z founders who pitch to Bonatsos are building for themselves, meaning they are creating products and services that address their own needs.
As a result, successful Gen Z founders already demonstrate prowess in one of the most critical aspects of the sales pitch – proving there’s an audience for their products.
For instance, “I’m 23 years old. I’m a nerd developer. I think my productivity really sucks. I’m going to build a dev tool to improve my productivity as a developer,” Bonatsos offers as an example.
But, in evaluating young entrepreneurs, Bonatsos looks for founders and teams with an age old strength: the ability to adapt to change.
“Time is money, because markets don’t wait for you,” he says. “We’re looking for founders who are learning animals, like they treat every meeting, every user interaction, every conversation with somebody who has experience as a learning opportunity.”
Building a Team at 19 Years Old
Some Gen Z founders make the mistake of going into business with their friends, says Bonatsos. They’ll go into business with roommates without thinking about pairing their vision with complementary skill sets.
But young entrepreneurs need to be strategic when deciding how to form a startup team. Bonatsos is specifically looking for founders and teams with technical backgrounds.
“I want the whole team to be technical, so that they can make progress really quickly. If the first idea doesn’t work out, which is very often the case, we can jump into another idea. Because, if it’s mostly business people, it’s going to take us a long time to come up with a new perfect idea,” he says.
Furthermore, Bonatsos recommends that Gen Z founders and first time founders identify a high-quality mentor who is a few years ahead of them in the startup launching process.
During his webinar, he also discussed:
- Changes in startup culture
- Getting noticed on Tik Tok
- Crypto obsessions
- Mentoring Gen Z
- What makes a successful Gen Z founder


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USA / Global
skoda superb combi Articles
Superb Combi vRS render shows what Skoda won't build
RM Design has elaborated a potential look for a hypothetical vRS version of the new Skoda Superb Combi.
Jul 06, 2015
Skoda Superb Combi detailed in new gallery
Skoda has released a new gallery depicting the Superb Combi that was revealed in late May
Jun 30, 2015
Skoda Superb Estate full pricing details released for UK market
Skoda's UK division has disclosed pricing details for the brand new Superb Estate.
Jun 03, 2015
2015 Skoda Superb Combi goes official with huge 660 liter trunk
Skoda has released the first images and details with their 2015 Superb Combi set to make a public debut in September at Frankfurt Motor Show.
May 26, 2015
WCF reader's Skoda Superb Combi render is probably very close to reality
The upcoming 2015 Skoda Superb Combi has been speculatively rendered by a WCF reader based on the latest spy shots and an image of the hatchback version.
May 08, 2015
Skoda Superb Combi spied ahead of July reveal
A thinly camouflaged prototype of the 2015 Skoda Superb Combi has been photographed prior to an official reveal scheduled for July.
Mar 23, 2015
Skoda Superb Combi to be launched in September, spied in Czech Republic [video]
Skoda has confirmed the estate version of the recently introduced Skoda Superb will be introduced in September this year
Mar 12, 2015
2015 Skoda Superb rendered in Combi, Scout and RS flavors
The recently unveiled 2015 Skoda Superb has been digitally envisioned in the Combi, Scout and RS guises.
Mar 01, 2015
Car Buying Service
Get upfront price offers on local inventory.
2013 Skoda Superb facelift spied showing minor updates
We have received a new batch of spy photos from our photographers with the 2013 Skoda Superb facelift.
Jan 24, 2013
Skoda Superb Combi Unveiled in Frankfurt
Škoda Auto plans to unveil a number of new cars at Frankfurt. Top of the list is the new 4.89m Superb Combi with a few Škoda technical innovations. Also expect to see the new Yeti, Octavia LPG and some design packages for the Škoda Roomster.
Sep 14, 2009
Vehicle Imagery licensed from EVOX Images
USA / Global
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The world is moving ahead in speed. Over the past two decades, many sectors and industries have evolved stupendously. Whether it is moving to solar-powered panels or opting for fuel-less travel. Do you know the Indian Automobile industry ranks the fifth in the world is all set to garner the third largest place by 2030? Through its mission of Shared, Connected, and Electric, India is all set to achieve 100% electrification by 2030. It is time to ponder if it’s the right time to invest in the Electric Vehicle Industry? The following factors make it the best time and wise step to invest in the Electric Vehicle Industry market.
The Rise in Petrol Prices
One of the prime reasons that make investing in electric vehicles lucrative is the spike in petrol prices, which experts predict to cross Rs. 100 incoming few months. However, the average cost of fully charging an e-scooter will cost as little as 16 paisa per KM.
The pandemic has brought a major stall in movement across the globe. With this, people are opting to stay away from public transport known to gather more crowds. Besides, as fuel prices hit the sky, electric vehicles seem the best and long-term sustainable and safe option.
Sporadic Advancement in Electric Vehicle Industry
India is vouching for 100% FDI and deems to transform the industry in the coming decade. Countries like France have already opted for 100% fuel free-living; the advancement in electric vehicle technology is welcomed with open arms compared to the situation three years back.
Electric Scooters consist of lithium-ion batteries that take less time for charging and render more mileage, allowing people to travel long distances covering 100kms with a single charge. Thus, you need not hunt for petrol pumps on your way.
Can Be Charged Anywhere!
Compared to fuel-induced vehicles that can be refilled at petrol pumps only, you can charge an electric vehicle in less than four hours using a normal plug point.
No Fuel, No Emissions
It is an important factor to consider electric vehicles. If you want to contribute to the environment, then you should invest in EV. No diesel or petrol is required to operate an electric vehicle, which is also great for reducing your carbon footprint.
Encouragement by Government
The initiative is seen as a long-term advantage that the government supports in bringing the new technology. Lot of banks and NBFC’s have also introduced EMI options that can be easily availed compared to the situation a year back.
Moreover, with the pandemic, the Electric Vehicle industry has found a new ray of light that has considerably increased its market space inviting more investors to invest in the industry.


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Motorola and Modulus Video, a privately-held company, have announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement under which Motorola will acquire Modulus Video. The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
Modulus Video is a manufacturer of MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) compression systems designed for delivery of video content in the IPTV, cable, broadcast and satellite marketplace. Modulus Video has partnered with Motorola for over two years, bringing encoding solutions to customers around the world.
The acquisition will complement Motorola’s recent acquisitions of Broadbus, Kreatel, Tut Systems and Netopia in the creation and delivery of an integrated, end-to-end video delivery system for multiple network architectures.
“Motorola is committed to offering an integrated, end-to-end video portfolio designed to meet the current and next-generation requirements of operators,” said Dan Moloney, president, Home and Networks Mobility business, Motorola, in a prepared statement. “As consumers demand more high definition video and interactive services, the need for advanced compression technology is increasingly important. As part of its advanced real-time video encoding products, Modulus Video has a powerful architecture and product development framework that is well suited for continued technological advancement.”


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RCL — Business restructure
Further to the Group financial results announcement for the year ended 30 June 2014, released on the Stock Exchange News Service on 27 August 2014, shareholders are now advised of the RCL Foods Board”s proposed implementation of a top level restructure within the RCL Foods Group.
To date, the Group has been structured around the statutory companies of Foodcorp, Rainbow, TSB and Vector. The Board has resolved to restructure the Group into the logical business clusters of “Consumer” (which includes Rainbow and Foodcorp”s Grocery, Beverages, Pies and Speciality divisions) and “Sugar & Milling” (which includes TSB, Rainbow”s Feed division Epol and Foodcorp”s Milling and Baking divisions). Vector will continue to operate as a standalone business, ultimately responsible for all of the Group operations” route to market. The restructure will be effective from 1 January 2015 and the Board is confident that it will facilitate the delivery of the Group”s strategy to build an African food business of scale.
Scott Pitman, currently MD of Rainbow, has been appointed MD of the Consumer division and John du Plessis, currently MD of TSB, has been appointed MD of the Sugar and Milling division. Cliff Sampson, currently MD of Foodcorp, has elected not to accept a position within the restructured RCL Foods Group and, as such, will leave the business at the end of December 2014. The Board would like to take this opportunity to thank Cliff for his leadership and commitment to Foodcorp and RCL Foods over the past years and wish him well for his future endeavours.


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GARTEXMA 2010, an exhibition to showcase garments, textile machinery and accessories, in association with Community of International Sewing Machine Industry, India (CISMI) and Dara Projects, announced its grand opening at Bombay exhibition centre in Goregaon, Mumbai.
The exhibition will see participation from textile and apparel machine suppliers to showcase the latest technology for different processes like stitching, cutting, finishing, drying, testing, embroidery, spinning, knitting, water treatment solutions and more. Besides machinery accessory suppliers, consultants and fashion institutes from all over India will also exhibit their products.
Spread over an area of 10,000 sq mt, Gartexma 2010 is a first-of-its-kind exhibition that has been organized keeping in mind international standards and benchmarks.
“The focus of the show is to offer a world-class business environment to both participants and exhibitors so that new business opportunities are created for relevant sectors associated with this industry,” said Manjeet Singh Bakshi, CEO, Gartexma. The exhibition will see 150 participants from India and several international technology suppliers from regions such as Italy, China, Korea, Japan and Switzerland showcasing their quality-oriented and efficient-production systems.
“Western regions like Mumbai, Surat, Ahmedabad, Bhiwandi, Solapur, etc have always been important centres for textiles and home furnishings. Over the last few years, more than 100 processing units and 30,000 garment units have come up in and around Mumbai. Already, 1200 export-oriented units are registered with AEPC and are from Gujarat and Maharashtra. Seeing the potential of these areas, GARTEXMA, the Garment and Textile Machinery & Accessories Show was organized for the first time in Mumbai,” added Bakshi.
The exhibition is supported by well-known associations like Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), CISMI, Texprocil, Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) and China Sewing Machine Association (CSMA and Textile Export Promotion Council of India (TEXPROCIL).
Gartexma 2010 has an interesting feature – an extravagant Industry Night which will be held on 11th October at The Leela. On the occasion, Secretary Textiles, Rita Menon and Chairman of AEPC, Premal Udani will felicitate the veterans of the textile and apparel industry for their power-packed contribution to the sector. A panel discussion on the growth and development of the textile industry will also be held. The evening will be followed by a dinner party hosted by eminent machinery players like Sunder Belani, MD, Ramsons, H.S Passricha, MD, Navyug Sewing Machines, ML Jain,MD, FDM, Aman Agarwal, MD, Bombay Rayon Fashions Limited and Deipak Doshi, Imperial Sewing Machines.


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She's got games
AS THE toy industry moves forcefully to integrate technology into its product lines, some say girls are being locked out of the playroom. Most technology-based toys - which help children learn skills they can use when dealing with technology later in life - are made for boys, according to Janese Swanson, a 16-year veteran of the toy industry.
"In video games, computers and other media technology, representation of girls is generally absent, Swanson says. "Approximately 85 percent of revenues in the $10 billion technical toy and video game market are derived from products aimed directly at boys."
The figures support this claim. According to the NPD Group, a New York-based toy industry tracking firm, consumers spend $3.6 billion for video games in 1998, but only 15 percent of that money was spent on products for girls.
Swanson has worked as a product developer for Broderbund Software, a Novato-based educational software firm, where she helped produce the Sensei education line, as well as the successful "Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego?" computer game series. In 1995, the entrepreneurial Swanson moved to address the disparity she saw in toys and technology by launching Girl Tech, a technology company that runs a Web site (www.girltech.com) and offers a line of high-tech toys.
In its mission statement, Girl Tech sets the goal of creating "entertaining products that foster strength and connection between girls through the use of technology . . . (and) raising girls' awareness of and confidence in using technology."
Swanson, whose doctoral thesis from the University of San Francisco focused on gender issues in children's play patterns, says that the lack of technological toys geared toward girls puts them at a disadvantage in dealing with technology as they get older. There are many who agree.
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"Even girls who have that natural ability and are focused, and are excited with science and technology, may fall away from that in their pre-teen and teenaged years," says Lynda Sereno, head of the Silicon Valley chapter of Web Grrls International (www.webgrrls.com), a New York-based group that also offers a Web site for women and girls pursuing their interests in technology.
"There is a high attrition rate when girls who could have been very good contributors in (technological) fields fall away and become disinterested," Sereno says.
Swanson says the attrition occurs in part because high-tech toys are geared toward boys' interests, and girls who might be interested in the technology often shy away from playing with such products out of a desire to fit in with other girls.
Sereno agrees. "That is a very important factor. You can see how that would directly apply to pre-teens and teens because that is the time when fitting in is very important," she says.
Girl Tech's social consciousness goes hand in hand with commercial success.
The Web site was designed to offer a forum for girls and their parents to learn about and discuss technology. In conjunction with the Web site, Swanson also developed a line of high-tech toys aimed at pre-teen and teenage girls.
The line includes toys such as "Door Pass" - a motion sensor designed to keep "nosy brothers out of your room" - and Password Journal, a modern version of a girl's diary that features a voice-activated lock.
Swanson's approach - melding technology with toys and products oriented toward girls' concerns - won the attention of a broader audience in the marketplace.
Last year, on Take Our Daughters to Work Day, Radica Games Ltd. announced it was buying Swanson's company for $6 million in cash and stock. A publicly traded company that employs 4,400 people worldwide, Radica develops and manufactures a variety of electronic and mechanical games in both handheld and tabletop varieties. Radica, which reported sales over $550 million last year, is headquartered in Hong Kong, with factories in China and American operations in Dallas.
Radica's line includes such male-oriented products as the Tiger Woods Ultimate Golf, NASCAR Rider and Ultimate Bass Fishin' hand-held electronic game. Radica's President and CEO Patrick Feely said the Girl Tech line filled a void at the company.
"We have a thriving business that sells to adult males, male children and adult females, but we didn't have anything for girls. We were impressed by Janese Swanson's knowledge of the girl's market, and she had a product line ready to go," Feely says.
As part of the purchase agreement, Radica named Swanson vice president in charge of the company's new girls' division, which adopted the Girl Tech name. Feely said he's pleased with the toy line Swanson brought to the company and said he expects the Girl Tech division to ring up between $7 million and $8 million in sales this year.
The line has the advantage of tapping demand that has gone unmet for a long time. According to NPD toy tracking, Girl Tech's Password Journal was the second-best seller last year in overall youth electronics, behind Fisher Price's Tape Recorder.
According to Doug Lowenstein, president of the Washington-based Interactive Digital Software Association, an industry trade group, companies have begun to reach out to the girl market with technology products.
"The reality is that over the past few years, a significant amount of product has hit the market for girls," but there's still room for improvement, Lowenstein says.
"I am not telling you that we have gotten to a 50-50 environment because we haven't," Lowenstein adds.
As the tide turns and the industry begins focusing more on the girls, Radica CEO Feely says Swanson should be given a lot of credit for the sparking the industry's attention.
"For girls there wasn't anything in the technology area," said Feely. "Janese really started the revolution." <


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Emerson talks Malaysia not Thomson
Trade minister Craig Emerson discusses the recent trade agreement with Malaysia, but refuses to be drawn on the Craig Thomson saga.
Source: ABC News | Duration: 7min 54sec
By Jessica Haynes
What are the arguments for and against to cut Sunday penalty rates for some hospitality, retail and fast-food workers?
By Mark Reddie
The Fair Work Commission has announced cuts to penalty rates. We hear from the retail and hospitality workers who will be affected by the cuts.


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UK cash machine operator Link has announced the rollout of its Cashback Without Purchase programme across the UK after an initial 12-month pilot period.
The new scheme has already gone live at 1,000 locations across the country and enables consumers to withdraw any value of notes and coins up to £50 or check balances for free.
This will enable customers of Link member retailers to withdraw cash or check their balances in smaller shops without the requirement of making an in-store purchase or paying a withdrawal fee.
All Link members will be offered the service, and the company has detailed an ambition to expand the initiative to a total of 2,000 shops by the end of the year, detailing that it is hopeful that ‘others will also take up the opportunity as the market develops’.
“Protecting access to cash is absolutely vital for millions of people who depend on it,” said Tracey Graham, Chair of the Link Consumer Council. “Cashback Without Purchase is a convenient new way for people to withdraw notes and coins at their local retailer.
“The Consumer Council is delighted to see this important service rolled out across the country and will continue to seek innovative ways to support people who rely on cash for as long as it is needed.”
Any amount between 1p and £50 can be withdrawn using the service, allowing customers to withdraw smaller amounts currency without being restricted to notes, and in order to assist customers in locating retailers offering the service Link has made its Cash Locator and Cash Locator App available.
Link first launched the 12-month pilot initiative as part of the Community Access to Cash Pilots, led by Natalie Ceeney CBE, with testing locations in Burslem, Staffordshire; Hay-on-Wye, Powys; Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire; and Denny, Stirlingshire.
After cashback without a purchase services were permitted under law following amendments to the Financial Services Bill 2021 earlier this year, Link made the decision to implement the scheme as a permanent measure.
A need to maintain consumer access to cash was highlighted by several prominent UK banks earlier this year – including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Nationwide, Natwest and Santander – which jointly pledged to support UK Finance’s cash access commitments.
These pledges included backing of the aforementioned Community Access to Cash Pilots, and making a combined commitment to ensuring small businesses, the eldelry and vulnerable are still able to access cash when needed.
Commenting on the development, John Glen, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, remarked: “It is great to see LINK and Paypoint taking advantage of the legislative changes we made earlier this year to facilitate cashback without a purchase across the UK.
“The cashback at the till service stands to make a real difference to local communities by providing access to cash for people that need it, and supporting cash acceptance by local businesses.”
However, despite the development, the UK has been cited as the fourth-most cashless society in Europe – after Norway, Sweden and Finland – with 91% and 65% of over-15s owning a debit card or credit card respectively. On the other hand, the money.co.uk study which identified this trend also revealed that the country was not in the top ten globally.


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It seems that the 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' franchise isn't going away anytime soon. It's heading for the big screen yet again.
Originally a comic book series created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, the 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' have made for a hugely successful toy line and have been brought to the big and small screen numerous times.
The first animated TV series based on the 'TMNT' ran from 1987 to 1996.
Later Nickelodeon acquired the global rights to 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles', producing a popular CGI-animated series on the characters from 2012 to 2017.
The network also made a 2D animated series based on the franchise that ran between 2018 and 2020.
Now Nickelodeon is rebooting the franchise once again in 3D. Only this time, it's headed for the big screen.
Seth Rogen is producing through his Point Grey Pictures production banner. Also producing are the banner's co-founder Evan Goldberg and president James Weaver.
Brendan O’Brien, whose credits include the Seth Rogen comedy 'Neighbours', its sequel, and 'Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates', will write the reboot.
Jeff Rowe, who co-directed and wrote the recent Netflix animated movie 'The Mitchells vs. the Machines', will helm the film.
Paramount holds the global distribution right for the reboot.
'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' have appeared in six feature films, the most well-known being the live-action 1990 one and the 2014 adaptation, produced by Michael Bay.
This latest iteration is heading to cinemas on August 11, 2023.


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"Linux on Galaxy" uses same Linux kernel that powers Android
Samsung has announced it will soon become possible to run actual proper Linux on its Note8, Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones.
Outfit looking for second 7nm supplier
HiSilicon Technologies wants another supplier for the fabrication of its 7nm chips and apparently Samsung, Globalfoundries and Intel are trying to get the Chinese fabless firm's attention.
Goodbye Mr Chips
CEO and Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun has shocked analysts with a surprise plan to step down from management – just after announcing stonking profits.
Chips important part of Samsung's diet
Samsung Electronics is expected to forecast a record third quarter profit on Friday thanks to the strong market for memory chips, and as mobile earnings make a killing as rival Apple drops the ball.
Samsung already announces display
Software king of the world Microsoft has been talking up its latest mixed reality options,
Just plug it in and watch the fireworks
Those super, cool, innovative design people at Apple have slipped in an easter egg function with the new iPhone 8 Plus so that it detonates when you try to recharge it.
Samsung Foundry will soon mass produce magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) chips using 28nm fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) process technology.
Tame Apple Press rather upset
Despite its best efforts to remind users about the incredibly inflammable Note 7, the Tame Apple Press has been unable to stop Note 8 pre-orders from hitting record levels.
Consumer demand for graphics cards may be undermined by price hikes arising from the GDDR memory shortage.


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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia apple production jumped 36 percent in 2012 as a warm winter accelerated the growing season.Growers harvested 91 million pounds of apples, compared to 24 million pounds in 2011. Nationally, apple production fell 4 percent, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture."We had the largest crop we've ever had," Mark Orr, co-owner of George S. Orr & Sons Inc. orchard in Martinsburg, told the Charleston Daily Mail. "We had 517,000 bushels. The best year we'd had before that was something like 430,000."Eastern Panhandle growers also escaped the damage that a late cold snap caused to apple crops in Michigan, New York and North Carolina. That helped to boost the average price for West Virginia apples from 8.3 cents per pound in 2011 to 25.8 cents."Last year, business-wise, was the best year we've ever had," Orr said."Maybe once out of 20 years you're the one with the good crop at the good price," Orr said.
Apples tend to grow in two-year cycles, he said."In 2011 we had a short crop, so naturally, without any frost damage, and under normal weather conditions, we were set to have a good crop [in 2012]," Orr said.Eastern Panhandle growers also benefited from a decline in the stinkbug population. But a late-year rebound in the pest's population resulted in damage to Fuji, York and Granny Smith apples, all late-season varieties.Orr expects prices to also be up in 2013 due to the other states' smaller crops last year."The canneries won't have a lot of inventory that's leftover," Orr said. "Their storage will be low, that should be beneficial to us as far as the prices for the next year."


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SVA Responds to COVID-19
Read the latest on SVA’s response to the coronavirus and find the resources you need.
May 24, 2016, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
MPS Digital Photography presents Lydia Panas (BFA 1984 Photography) discussing her work, which has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, Photo District News and Popular Photography. Her monograph The Mark of Abel was named a Best Coffee Table Book of 2012 by the Daily Beast. Her talk is part of the i3: Images, Ideas, Inspiration lecture series, which features presentations by digital photographers, hardware and software developers and industry experts.


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Mercedes has announced its EV sales for last year. The German car company has managed to double its sales of EVs in 2022, over 2021 with 117,800 pure EV cars sold, which covers both vans and cars sold under the Mercedes brand only. However, with all powertrains considered, the company sold 2,043,900 vehicles to its customers which is behind BMW, who sold 2.4 million in the same time period.
However, Mercedes has also broken down its sales numbers into models, which makes for intresting data. The company sold 19,200 EQS models, 12,600 of the EQE, 33,100 of the EQA, 24,200 of the EQB and then 57,300 compact electric vehicles. All of these stats are up, significantly since 2021.
In terms of electric vans, the company sold 14,700 pure electric vehicles last year which is up by 15% but this has not been broken down per model, however. Mercedes offers the eSprinter, EQV and eVito.


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Just because a beverage has the word “diet” on the label doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Researchers are linking low-calorie drinks to a variety of medical issues, from an increased waist circumference to stroke. Choosing a diet drink over a high-calorie beverage feels good. Don’t pat yourself on the back just yet. In recent years, many studies have suggested that diet sodas might harm your health, without even shrinking your waistline. Just this week, researchers from the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio found that diet soda is associated with a larger waist circumference in humans and aspartame raised blood sugar in diabetes-prone mice. 59% of Americans who drink diet soda (according to a 2007 survey by the Calorie Control Council, a diet-food trade organization) should ponder the repercussions before gulping it down. Lifescript’s Medical Detective found that women who drink these beverages daily could have reason to worry. Here’s the truth about how diet soda can affect your health. Weight Gain; it seems illogical that zero-calorie beverages could make you pack on pounds, but that’s what a three-year study by the University of Texas Department of Medicine found in 2005. For each diet drink participants had per day, they were 65% more likely to become overweight in the next 6-7 years, compared with those who didn’t drink them at all. When you drink a diet soda with no calories, your body may get confused – either causing your metabolism to slow down or prompting a craving for more food to make up for the calories that never arrive. Our bodies associate solid foods, more than liquids. Then there’s the “Big Mac, fries and a diet soda” theory. Wishful thinkers who believe they can have a high-calorie meal if they wash it down with a zero-calorie drink end up consuming more than they should. People use diet sodas as an excuse to eat poorly. Those who drink more low-calorie beverages tend to eat foods with more saturated and trans-fats, exercise less and eat fewer fruits and vegetables.
Osteoporosis for many women; nothing refreshes after a workout like a diet drink. Enjoy that diet soda after exercising motivates many people especially women. What’s the punishment? Possibly undoing that exercise’s benefit to her bones. About 44 million people, 68% of whom are women, are at risk for osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become extremely porous and vulnerable to fracture, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Middle-aged and older women who drank three or more 12-ounce servings of cola (either diet or regular) per day had almost 4% lower bone mineral density in the hip, according to a 2006 Tufts University study examining more than 1,400 women. That’s after researchers factored in conditions such as age, menopausal status, calcium and vitamin D intake, and alcohol and cigarette use. Women who drank non-colas weren’t affected. “I’m convinced that cola is a risk factor for bone loss in older adults, particularly women,” says study leader Katherine Tucker, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Health Sciences at Northeastern University Bouvé College of Health Sciences in Boston. The culprit is phosphoric acid which leads to bone loss. Phosphorous is an important bone mineral, but excess amounts may lead to bone loss because the body tries to neutralize excess acid by taking calcium from bones. Women of any age should have 3 servings of dairy products per day for optimal calcium intake, whether they drink soda or not. Heart disease showed a 61% higher rate of heart attack and stroke than those who didn’t. Some nutrition, diet and vascular disease experts question the value of the findings because the study of 2,564 soda drinkers (63% were women) didn’t determine a direct relationship between diet soda and stroke. Bottom line there probably needs to be an anti soda camp! “Why not drink a glass of iced tea or sparkling water?” Schedule An Appointment! http://www.genbook.com/bookings/slot/reservation/30150274
www.EyewearGallery.com Dr. Warren Johnson/ Dr. Do Nguyen


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Taco Del Mar appoints Bob Tipple as the new president and CEO of Taco Del Mar Canada, an exclusive licensee of the Seattle-based Taco Del Mar Franchising Corp.
Taco Del Mar, a quick service Mexican restaurant chain featuring authentic Baja beach-style burritos and fish tacos, has grown to 60 locations in Canada and more than 200 throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and Guam.
Before joining Taco Del Mar Canada, Tipple served as the president of Subway Developments 2000 Inc. since 1991. He was very instrumental in the development and management of more than 600 franchised restaurant locations in British Columbia and Alberta. Prior to this, Tipple was the vice president of operations for Yogen Fruz International Ltd. He is a graduate of Seneca College’s Hospitality and Tourism Management Program.
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Samsung points out that we have all seen the images of once beautiful beaches that are now covered in plastic waste. This problem the company explains is that birds, turtles and other forms of sea life are now required to share their habitats with endless mounds of bottles, straws and other discarded plastics.
The global manufacturer points out that so far, most of the efforts to clean up the ocean have focused on single use plastic products. But the plastics those plastics see are actually only the tip of the iceberg, according to Samsung. As a result of these issues Samsung stresses the development of eco-conscious products and solutions more important than ever.
Scientists estimate that the ocean floor alone is now home to over 14 million tons of what are called “microplastics.” These tiny pieces of plastic are often too small to see with the naked eye, but can also measure up to 5mm in size. These microplastics can have devastating effects on ecosystems and even human health. Around the world, more than 80 percent of tap water samples contain traces of microplastics. One study from the World Wildlife Fund estimates that humans ingest the equivalent of one credit card of plastic per week3 through the air they breathe and the water they drink.
Microplastics can enter the environment in a few different ways. The first is when they’re released directly as small plastic particles, such as microbeads. These substances are known as primary microplastics. The second way is when larger plastics from everyday items break down over time into tiny pieces. These types are known as secondary microplastics.
Another form of microplastic that many people aren’t aware of is the kind that is released from laundry when people wash synthetic textiles. From manufacturing these fabrics to washing them, microplastics can be created throughout many stages of these products’ lifecycles.
NGOs, governments and brands around the world have taken note of the rising number of microplastics and are taking important actions to help keep them out of the oceans. Add-on filters for washing machines and protective laundry bags are just some of the solutions that are now available to help capture some of the microplastics released during washing.
Add-on filters and laundry bags are a start, Samsung continues, but it states that more holistic solutions are needed to cut down the amount of microplastics that are released throughout a product’s lifecycle. That’s why Samsung is working with Patagonia on a joint solution.
Together, the companies are working on a feasible, effective and expandable way to combat the microplastics that result from textiles and laundry. Samsung is taking the goal of cleaner oceans to heart by designing a sophisticated new washing machine that lets people safely wash their favorite garments while minimizing the impact of microplastics. And this eco-conscious solution will come without compromising on the high-performance cleaning and care that Samsung’s washers are known for.
This is only the latest in a long line of steps Samsung is taking to create long-lasting appliances that improve environmental sustainability. Samsung’s washers already use a unique feature called Ecobubble, which lets consumers clean their clothes efficiently, even at low temperatures, by generating a greater amount of bubbles. This helps the detergent quickly penetrate fabrics and remove dirt, all while saving energy and protecting the color and texture of the clothing.


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Masisa continues to generate news. On sale of its operations in Mexico in Arauco last week, the announcement of the departure of its emblematic general manager, Roberto Salas, is now added.
The firm has informed in an essential fact sent to the Financial Market Commission (CMF) that the executive resigned for personal reasons and then, through a press release, that the executive wants to undertake new projects.
In replacement of Roberto Salas, who will leave Masisa on March 31, will assume the current director of the company, the Mexican Alejandro Carrillo, from April 1.
Sales remained in the company for more than 10 years after serving as general corporate manager and also as president of the company's directory.
Masisa said Sales was "a very important milestone in the process of transformation of the company, specifically the divestment cycle that strengthens the financial situation of the company and facilitates the new business strategy, to start new courses, with the tranquility of leaving Masisa in a very good position to continue on his way of growth. "
For his part, the president of the company's directory thanked the work during these years of Sales and said that Carrillo "has the ideal profile for this position. From this new position, will continue with the plan strategic mapping of the directory, in order to consolidate Masisa's new model in the coming years ".
Masisa also said that given the resignation of Sales, they will have to renew the entire company directory at the next ordinary shareholders' meeting to be held in April. This, due to a legal mandate of the company.


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NYC's well-known Pod Hotels expands to D.C.
The Pod Hotels is a pioneering brand in the micro-hotel industry that, until this month, existed only in New York City. However, on May 2, Pod announced the launch of its first property outside of the New York metropolitan area with the opening of a 245-room micro hotel in Washington D.C.'s Chinatown/Penn Quarter neighborhood.
The Pod Hotels are distinguished by their modern, sleek design, compact and efficient accommodations, affordable prices, high-tech amenities, and popular communal spaces, like coffee bars, restaurants, rooftop lounges, and bars.
"The expansion of Pod Hotels to D.C. is a symbol of the broad appeal of our micro-hotel concept," said Richard Born of BD Hotels in the announcement. Born was also the first hotel developer to introduce the micro-hotel model to NYC with the launch of the original Pod Hotel, Pod 51, in 2007.
"We expect Pod DC to attract a similar type of traveler to those who visit our New York properties: individuals from all over the U.S., Europe, Asia, and South America, ranging in age from 18-85, who are looking for an affordable, stylish hotel that allows them to easily explore a destinateion and meet others with similar passions in the property's communal spaces," Born said.
Opening in June and July of this year, the Pod DC will feature a ground-floor restaurant, Crimson Diner, as well as a lower-level bar, Crimson Whiskey Bar, that will specialize in Southern whiskeys and spirits, even offering "authentic moonshine" to guests. For a better view of the city, guests can enjoy the Pod DC's Crimson View, a rooftop communal area with indoor and outdoor seating. The hotel's coffee bar is currently open.
The Pod Hotels are owned and operated by Modus Hotels, a Washington D.C. Lifestyle Hotel Group. Aaron Katz, President and CEO of Modus Hotels, commented, "We believe there is a place in the D.C. hotel market for a fun, value-driven hotel – one that places travelers in the center of the city's happenings, inspires them to search out local adventures and offers them a social experience that is new and fresh to the D.C. scene."
The Pod DC is located at 7th and H Street NW. Room rates start at $109 per night.


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Many of our readers may have read over on TechCrunch recently that ‘Ring,’ a hardware device that ostensibly gives you the ability to control devices when worn on your finger, has been funded via a Kickstarter project.
The device previously took top honors at the 2013 TechCrunch Tokyo Startup Battle. But despite that achievement, I continue to encounter skeptics who think that Ring might be little more than vaporware at this stage – or at the very least, that it its makers have a big challenge ahead if they hope to bring it to market.
Personally, I really hope that Ring is every bit as good as it looks. But I thought I’d ask the folks at LogBar, the startup behind the device if I could perhaps get a demo of Ring. A representative told me via email that they plan to attend the upcoming Wearable Tech Expo in Tokyo where they will speak on stage, but they’re undecided whether they will do a demo or not. I asked if they could explain more about how their battery works 1, but the company has yet to reply on this point.
Our readers may recall that we have previously featured another wearable ring device, Ringu, made by the folks at Keio University’s Mixed Reality Lab. I asked Dr. Adrian Cheok (of Keio University’s MRL and City University London) about the challenges they faced in finding a battery for their ring, and he explained:
From my experience it seems very very tough to fit everything in their ring size and also the battery. We searched almost every manufacturer and we found the minimum size of rechargeable battery was about 1.5 to 2cm for anything that can last for a few hours for our Bluetooth haptic ring.
It’s possible that the folks at LogBar could find some advanced technology that would do the trick, but he remains somewhat doubtful.
The Ring project is a very ambitious one, and I do hope the folks at LogBar can succeed. But ultimately I think that excitement over its potential should be held in check until we see a working demo at least. So far we’ve seen some impressive promotional material, a blurry video, and not too much else.
As for the other Ring project, Ringu, from Keio’s Mixed Reality Lab, they’re gearing up for their own launch event upcoming on April 9th at Sparklabs Global Demo Day, which will be held in Seoul.
I inquired with the company yesterday afternoon. ↩


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The following was previously published in IoT Daily:
Sales and public perception of virtual reality headsets have room to grow, with low levels of awareness among U.S. households, and lower-than-expected sales.
A study from Parks Associates found that more than half (63%) of U.S. households say they are not familiar with or know nothing about VR.
Younger generations appear to be more familiar with virtual reality, with twice as many Millennials saying they are interested in purchasing a VR headset by the end of this year. Within that age range, 12% of males said they intend to purchase a VR headset and 5% of females said the same, according to Parks.
Oculus’ Rift leads the market when it comes to familiarity of virtual reality headsets.
Here is the ranking of VR brand familiarity within U.S. households:
Of those who have tried virtual reality, almost all said they enjoyed the experience, while the resulting actions appear to be relatively fragmented.
Almost half intend to purchase a VR headset after experiencing virtual reality, with around a third saying they enjoyed the experience, but do not plan to purchase a headset, followed by 15% who purchased a headset.
Sales numbers, for PlayStation VR in particular, have been lower than initially projected, based on new numbers from SuperData Research.
While initial projections called for between 1.4 million and 3 million PlayStation VR units to be shipped by the end of 2016, the actual number of units sold globally is expected to only reach about 745,000, according to SuperData.
Currently, about 3.4 million households in the U.S. own a virtual reality headset, according to the Parks study.


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Facebook has revealed the kind of data it is tracking and collecting from non-users, and those who are logged out from the social network. Last week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in front of the US Congress, where one of the questions he faced was around this issue. Zuckerberg had revealed that Facebook does track such people, but said it was done for security reasons and to serve better ads. However, when asked by the House Committee on the exact data points that Facebook was keeping, Zuckerberg had not given a detailed response, and said he would follow up later.
Now, Facebook’s David Baser, who is Product Management Director, has written a detailed blogpost on the company’s official newsroom revealing all the details about the tracking of non-users and those who are logged out. Baser leads a team which is focused on privacy and data use and working on GDPR compliance. GDPR is EU’s new data privacy law for EU residents, and stands for General Data Protection Regulation.
Facebook has revealed that it collects data from other websites and apps, which are using the company’s services. This includes social plugins, which would be the Like and Share buttons. These have become common on most websites. Apps, website which use Facebook Login option are also included in this data sharing. Additionally sites or apps that rely on Facebook Analytics and Facebook Ad networks and measurement tools are also sending data back to the social network. So anytime a user visits a site which relies on any of these Facebook services, their information is collected.
The key point is that data is collected even if the user is not signed into Facebook or does not have a Facebook account. This sharing of data is not just limited to Facebook. Other players like Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn, Google, Amazon, etc also offer such features like Share buttons, logins, and again information is shared with them as well.
What data is Facebook collecting from non-users, logged out users?
When a user visits a website, the browser shares some information like the IP address. Other information like the browser being used, the operating system is also shared with the website. Most websites also rely on cookies to keep a track of user data. Cookies help identify which website a user has visited before. For example, if one visits Amazon and searches for a phone, then the next time, you open Amazon on the browser, it will show a page about that phone again. This is due to the cookies, which store some of this information, including browsing history.
As Facebook explains, they get access to all this information from a site or app using their services. So you might not have a Facebook account, but information around browser, IP address will be shared to the network, thanks to all the sites and apps which are using its services. The company also knows which website or app one is using on the browser. Facebook says this information is necessary “to know when to provide our tools”.
So what happens to the data Facebook is getting from third-party websites, apps?
One thing to note that is Facebook insists it is not selling user data to advertisers. But Facebook uses this data information in three ways. One is providing its services to these sites or apps, second is to improve safety and security on Facebook, and third is to improve its own products and services. The post goes into detail on explaining how the data is used in each case.
For instance, with social plugins and Facebook logins, it is collecting IP address, browser and operating system information along with address of the website and app. Facebook says cookies and device identifiers also help the network is figuring out if the user is logged in, and make it easier to share the content on Facebook.
Meanwhile, Facebook Analytics gives websites and apps data about how they are used, including countries where users are accessing the app via the IP addresses. Again the browser and operating system information will be shared with developers. The post adds that,“cookies also help us recognise which visitors are Facebook users so we can provide aggregated demographic information, like age and gender, about the people using the app.”
Those services which are using the Facebook Audience Network will help websites and apps to show ads from Facebook advertisers. Again to execute such ad requests, Facebook relies on cookies, device identifies to know if the user is a Facebook customer and if they are not, they could see an ad asking them to signup for the social network. Those who are Facebook users will get ads from the same advertisers, who target them on the social network, served on these third-party apps and websites. Facebook also gives advertisers stats about how many people are responding to their ads, but the company says it does not share personal information while doing this.
On the security front, Facebook claims it uses information received from websites and apps to help protect a user’s account. For instance, if someone tries to login from a different country with a new IP address, Facebook could ask them to verify their identity. Finally, all this data is used to improve ads on the social network. Users must have noticed that if they browse for one particular thing on a third-party site on their browser, there is a possibility that Facebook will also show ads for this. For example, if you are hunting for furniture from various sites, there’s a chance that ads for this will appear in your News Feed. This is due to the information sharing via cookies, etc.
The social network says it has options to ensure that users’ privacy and data is not compromised. Facebook will let users opt out of these types of ads entirely, which would ensure that data is not collected when a user is logged out of the network. Finally, if a user does not want the network to use their Facebook interests to serve them ads on other websites and apps, then that too can be controlled from the privacy setting.


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On Wednesday’s episode of Digital Trends Live, hosts Greg Nibler and Adrien Warner discussed trending tech news including astronomers taking the first picture of a black hole, the Samsung Galaxy A’s popup selfie camera, and Tesla’s plan to roll out its Enhanced Summon feature soon.
Later in the show, we welcomed Zack Giffin to talk about tiny homes and his show Tiny House Nation on A&E. We also sat down with ST senior Editor Drew Prindle to talk about SpaceX’s Arabsat 6A mission.
We also talked with Nicholas Flanders, CEO and co-founder of Opus 12, about a device that recycles CO2 into cost-competitive chemicals and fuels. We were also joined by Charlie Harding, CEO and co-founder of Let’s Roam, to talk about his company, which organizes scavenger hunts for adults.
Digital Trends Live airs at 9 a.m. PT from Monday through Friday, with highlights available on demand after the stream ends. For more information, check out the DT Live homepage and be sure to watch live for the chance to win occasional prizes.
- Oracle eyes TikTok, SpaceX’s 100th launch, and more| Digital Trends Live
- TikTok drama, SpaceX’s 100th launch, and more | Digital Trends Live
- TikTok’s deadline, Pixel 4a review, and more | Digital Trends Live
- Garmin ransomed, NASA looks for life on Mars, and more | Digital Trends Live
- Uber buys Postmates, XBox Series X event announced | Digital Trends Live


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La Plata County commissioners are expected to vote this week on proposed revisions to marijuana licensing codes that will reduce staff time and streamline the process for cultivators in the business.
The county has worked for months to come up with revisions to better align local regulations with state requirements.
Suggestions include: eliminating mandatory fingerprint requirements for renewal applications; allowing certain modifications to be made to a business without an approval process; flexibility to correct minor code violations without enforcement action; and transferring decision-making authority from an appointed board to county commissioners.
“It’s been an evolving conversation,” said county spokeswoman Megan Graham. “The county established our regulations (in 2014) knowing they’d need revision down the road because it’s a new industry and figuring it out is a work in progress. I think we’ve balanced the needs of the stakeholders and met requests to eliminate redundancy while maintaining public safety and welfare.”
Six cultivation facilities and one infused-product facility, where marijuana is not grown but rather processed into other products, have county licenses, and another grow operation will soon be built.
Proposed changes would apply to licenses for retailers and medical marijuana businesses. When suggested revisions were rolled out last month, growers and retailers were supportive of some and said they would be encumbered by others.
Since then, the county has massaged the proposal to consider some of the public feedback, mainly creating more flexibility for aspects of business operations that aren’t issues of public safety.
For example, licensed operators would no longer need to go through an approval process or give a 30-day notice to the county each time they paint a wall in their facility or move a piece of equipment, which are stipulations of existing policy.
Not only would relaxation of what necessitates an approval process relieve cultivators, it would reduce staff time, and consequently taxpayer money, spent processing those requests, Graham said.
Advance notice for some actions, such as changing pesticides to maintain plant health, is difficult and sometimes impossible, growers said.
“Pests can destroy a multimillion-dollar crop in days,” Scott Holland, an eight-year businessman in the marijuana industry, told county staff in a January public meeting. “Really what I’m asking: Let us do business like any industry does. We understand that marijuana is a new thing. We get heavy regulation from the state. Don’t choke us out; treat marijuana like alcohol. Don’t regulate us any more than you would Ska Brewing or Steamworks.”
Stakeholders were supportive of the dissolution of the Marijuana Licensing Authority, arguing that commissioners would consider applicants as their constituents and the industry’s economic success in their decision-making.
Nick Borst is a partner with Durango Cannabis Co., a cultivation facility under construction near Grandview that will grow cannabis flowers for the recreational market.
Located in the county but within the city of Durango’s annexation zone, Borst said the facility is going through a joint application process and plans to open by July.
Borst said he’s happy that some costly glitches could be cut from the code. If revisions are approved, the county will be able to grant conditional cultivation licenses, which would allow an applicant’s licensing process to advance in a timely manner at the state level.
“The state has a deadline to complete the application process once you start,” Borst said. “If you don’t get your county license and land-use permits in time, you have to reapply with the state, and that is expensive for this business.”


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Over the last few months, digital trade, although nothing new, has become even more important in supporting crucial services during the coronavirus health pandemic. For instance, digital technology became helpful in quickly sharing information about the virus and to the larger population. Digital technology has also been instrumental in allowing for the cross-border provision of educational and financial services during this period of physical distancing. To date there is only one trade deal that addresses digital trade in-depth. That is the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which is scheduled to take effect on July 1st. This post highlights what importers and exporters should know about the USMCA as it relates to this growing part of international business transactions and that has proven significant in the midst of the global health crisis–digital trade.
In 2018, the United States, Mexico, and Canada signed a revised version of the 26-year old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which is the current USMCA. The USMCA was ratified by Mexico in 2019 and by the United States and Canada in 2020. The USMCA is considered a “new, modernized trade agreement for the 21st century.”
Three simple things to know about the agreement as it pertains to digital trade are that it:
- Provides duty-free treatment for the cross-border trade of digital products, such as e-books, software, and videos;
- Prevents rules and regulations that discriminate against digital products that were not produced in the home country (e.g. Canada making it more difficult for the sale of digital products from the United States or Mexico to protect local producers from foreign competition); and
- Promotes the privacy protections and cybersecurity collaboration (for complete information on Chapter 19 of the USMCA, click here).
The USMCA’s emphasis on liberalizing digital trade on the North American continent presents opportunities for both products and services that rely on digital technology. However, the actual deepening of digital trade in North America goes beyond a mere trade treaty. Rather, other areas must be addressed, such as: 1) adequate access to the internet and computers, especially for the lower-income populations; and 2) the proper infrastructure to allow for equal benefits for the populations throughout the region.
In sum, the global health pandemic has highlighted the significance of cross-border digital trade. The USMCA takes into account the 21st digital economy. Once the USMCA trade deal takes effect, U.S. businesses that provide digital goods and services can leverage the agreement to access the Canadian and Mexican markets much more easily and vice-versa. Notably, the right infrastructure must be in place to ensure that everyone benefits equally from digital trade.
- For recent trends in digital services, sign up for the GRIIT Newsletter
- Digital Trade in Services and the Global Health Pandemic on GRIIT Group Live
- USMCA negotiations, etc. on the GRIIT blog, International Trade Examiner, and our trade policy briefs
- Analysis of USMCA and insights on Mexico on the GRIIT podcast and YouTube channel
Image courtesy of hywards at FreeDigitalPhotos.net


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Goodbye, Murder One
The Bookseller reports even more sad news. Murder One, the independent mystery bookstore that has occupied several locations along Charing Cross Road for the last two decades, will shut its doors at the end of January, and seven staff at the shop will lose their jobs. Co-owner Maxim Jakubowski told the trade publication the shop would be going into voluntary
liquidation, and that all bills to publishers would be paid. “Over the last few years our sales have deteriorated,” he said to Benedictine Page. “I was
planning to retire this year, but this is earlier than expected. For
the benefit of staff, publishers and suppliers, I would rather close
the shop now and go out voluntarily with my head held high and no
An understandable and perhaps inevitable rationale, but this is still a huge loss to the mystery community. Murder One was a regular haunt of mine during the summer of 2003, when I was a graduate student working on my thesis research at King’s College London. And so it makes me more than a little sad that Charing Cross Road will lose yet another shop – and that the indie bookstore world’s light shines a little less brightly.


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Visa Inc. stated May 17, 2016, that Visa Checkout is rapidly achieving global scale. The ecommerce solution, launched initially in 2014 in the United States, Canada and Australia, is designed to accelerate the online checkout process. Enrolled consumers need only a user name and password to complete the payment process on connected devices or within mobile apps. The solution enables consumers to store multiple credit and debit products from Visa and other payment card brands.
Company insiders credit Visa Checkout's simple user interface and flexible integration options with its rapid worldwide adoption. Sam Shrauger, Senior Vice President, Digital Solutions at Visa, said the product is designed to duplicate the ease and simplicity of in-store retail shopping online and on mobile devices. "Visa Checkout is the cornerstone of our digital product suite and is complemented by an array of innovative solutions we have built for today's merchants that are targeting the connected consumer," he stated.
More than 12 million consumers have enrolled in Visa Checkout, which is currently supported by more than 675 financial institution partners and 16 countries, according to company sources. Additionally, the solution has gained prominent early retail adopters, including Best Buy, Fandango, The Gap, Neiman Marcus, Pizza Hut, Staples and Starbucks.
During a recent Shoptalk commerce event, Visa released results from a new study by comScore Inc. that showed a 51 percent higher conversion rate among enrolled Visa Checkout customers when compared with customers using traditional ecommerce checkout methods. Additional Visa findings indicate Visa Checkout customers completed up to 86 percent of their online purchases. These facts demonstrate that shoppers who use Visa Checkout are more likely to complete online purchases and less likely to abandon shopping carts, the company stated.
Visa also revealed a diverse group of retailers now using Visa Checkout for online and mobile payments. They range from airlines to hotels to hospitality merchants, including for example, Alaska Airlines, Chick-fil-A, Cole Haan, HSN and Wyndham Hotel Group.
Despite their different business models, most retailers face similar shopping cart abandonment issues. Some payments analysts feel that when the checkout process is too complex for mobile devices, consumers tend to drop out and leave items behind in their shopping carts. Visa Checkout is designed to solve this issue and boost conversion rates by enabling payments in just a few clicks, said company representatives familiar with the solution.
Visa is planning to roll out Visa Checkout to partnering financial institutions. Bank of America has already incorporated Visa Checkout into its online banking site by preloading customer Visa-branded debit and credit cards into Visa Checkout to speed customer adoption. Bank of America representatives estimate the auto-enrollment feature is adding thousands of new consumers per day to Visa Checkout.
The Visa Checkout page of Bank of America's website includes an enroll-now button. The bank encourages consumers to join the retail "express line" by using Visa Checkout at participating online retailers while maintaining standard Bank of America benefits such as cash back, reward points and the bank's zero liability guarantee. "When you're ready to buy, simply click the Visa Checkout button and pay with a single login," the website states.
Retail partners are also bundling Visa Checkout convenience with loyalty and rewards offerings. "Wyndham Rewards is the world's simplest and most generous hotel loyalty program, so it's a natural fit for us to be the first hotel group providing our millions of loyal members a simpler, easier way to book via Visa Checkout and our Wyndham Rewards app," said Noah Brodsky, Wyndham's Senior Vice President, Worldwide Loyalty & Engagement.
The Green Sheet Inc. is now a proud affiliate of Bankcard Life, a premier community that provides industry-leading training and resources for payment professionals. Click here for more information.
Notice to readers: These are archived articles. Contact names or information may be out of date. We regret any inconvenience.Prev Next


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“We are investing on the packaging side in some more wrap-around carton systems to make more efficient use of cardboard,” Clothier told FoodManufacture.co.uk. “That investment is £800,000. We’ll be able to do multi-format SRP [shelf-ready packaging] that will use less cardboard.”
Shelf-ready packaging is designed to make products more visible on retailers’ shelves and enables them put items taken directly from delivery trucks on display with minimal waste.
Clothier was speaking after last week’s official opening of Wyke Farms’ £1.3M water treatment plant, which allows it to reuse waste water for production. At the same time the company confirmed the second phase of its anaerobic digester (AD) project was on track for completion later this year.
“We have got an AD plant which fuels two combined heat and power plants to put electricity back into the grid,” said Clothier.
“We are able to use any organic waste for the AD plant and other factory waste is being recycled: cardboard, paper packaging …”
He also outlined plans to install roof-mounted solar panels. “We plan to get up to 1.5MWh of electricity from that.”
Once of the challenges of solar power was storing the energy, as it was mainly generated in the summer, and even then only for a maximum of 10-12 hours daily.
Other areas of research included looking at the electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen, which could be burned as an energy source. “That wouldn’t have been affordable for us as a business like ours three years ago,” said Clothier.
But his ideas didn’t stop there, he added. “We’re putting a gas-to-grid plant in at the end of October and once we have that, we are going to look at where we can go with green transport.”
He also aimed to explore the possibility of using already chilled milk to cool water, which could then be used for other purposes.
Wyke Farms claims to be the UK’s largest independent cheesemaker and milk processor, selling more than 14,000t of cheese annually. Its products are available in a wide range of grocery retailers.


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WiFi is inevitably part of our everyday lives. With every passing year, we add more devices in our homes that require WiFi, consequently slowing down our speeds as more devices connect to our home routers. WiFi 6 is here to help solve that issue. WiFi 6’s devices/routers offer faster speeds of the internet and some of these routers are even inexpensive to own.
Last year at CES 2019, affordable routers were announced to be coming to stores, yet consumers were met with very high price points. A small number of routers were offered for just under $200. This year’s CES event introduced quality routers that ranged around the price points of $100-$200.
In large homes, it’s recommended to have a mesh router system. However, this could be a bit more expensive than singular routers. Mesh routers also provide stronger and faster speeds of WiFi. At CES, Comcast announced the WiFi 6 version of their Gateway. This was a crucial change for many since cable providers rent out routers to their consumers. Apple’s iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro both support WiFi 6 in addition to other companies like Lenovo, Samsung, and Asus that announced new laptops that also incorporate WiFi 6.
In comparison to WiFi 5, WiFi 6 has nearly doubled in speed. WiFi 5 had about 3.5 Gbps compared to WiFi 6 which now has up to 9.6 Gbps. However, that speed isn’t necessarily for one device solely. Rather, the 9.6 Gbps is needed for connecting and using multiple devices without sacrificing quality internet speeds.
There’s more developments coming for WiFi 6 such as WiFi 6E, which increases speed and capacity, but consumers will have to wait a while for this one since it doesn’t exist yet. WiFi 6 doesn’t instantly improve internet speeds. Rather, the wireless upgrade will show noticeable improvements through your regularly used devices once support for WiFi 6 is established.