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Apple helps keep the App Store a safe and trusted place for users to discover apps by detecting and taking action against fraudulent developers and users.
Threats have been present since the first day the App Store launched on iPhone, and they’ve increased in both scale and sophistication in the years since. Apple has likewise scaled its efforts to meet those threats, taking relentless steps forward to combat these risks to users and developers alike.
It takes significant resources behind the scenes to ensure these bad actors can’t exploit users’ most sensitive information, from location to payment details. While it’s impossible to catch every act of fraud or ill intent before it happens, thanks to Apple’s industry-leading antifraud efforts, security experts agree the App Store is the safest place to find and download apps.*
In 2020 alone, Apple’s combination of sophisticated technology and human expertise protected customers from more than $1.5 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions, preventing the attempted theft of their money, information, and time — and kept nearly a million risky and vulnerable new apps out of their hands.
The App Review team is an essential line of defense, carefully reviewing every app and every update to ensure they adhere to the App Store’s strong guidelines on privacy, security, and spam. The guidelines have changed over time to respond to new threats and challenges, with the goal of protecting users and providing them with the very best experience on the App Store.
Apple’s goal is always to get new apps onto the store. In 2020, the team assisted more than 180,000 new developers in launching apps. Sometimes this takes a few tries. An app might be unfinished or not functioning properly when it’s submitted for approval, or it might not yet have a sufficient mechanism for moderating user-generated content. In 2020, nearly 1 million problematic new apps, and an additional nearly 1 million app updates, were rejected or removed for a range of reasons like those.
A smaller but significant set of these rejections was for egregious violations that could harm users or deeply diminish their experience. In 2020 alone, the App Review team rejected more than 48,000 apps for containing hidden or undocumented features, and more than 150,000 apps were rejected because they were found to be spam, copycats, or misleading to users in ways such as manipulating them into making a purchase.
Some developers perform a bait and switch: fundamentally changing how the app works after review to evade guidelines and commit forbidden and even criminal actions. When such apps are discovered, they’re rejected or removed immediately from the store, and developers are notified of a 14-day appeals process before their accounts are permanently terminated. In 2020, about 95,000 apps were removed from the App Store for fraudulent violations, predominantly for these kind of bait-and-switch maneuvers.
In just the last few months, for example, Apple has rejected or removed apps that switched functionality after initial review to become real-money gambling apps, predatory loan issuers, and pornography hubs; used in-game signals to facilitate drug purchasing; and rewarded users for broadcasting illicit and pornographic content via video chat.
Another common reason apps are rejected is they simply ask for more user data than they need, or mishandle the data they do collect. In 2020, the App Review team rejected over 215,000 apps for those sorts of privacy violations. Apple believes privacy is a fundamental right, and this commitment is a major reason why users choose the App Store.
Even with these stringent review safeguards in place, with 1.8 million apps on the App Store, problems still surface. Users can report problematic apps by choosing the Report a Problem feature on the App Store or calling Apple Support, and developers can use either of those methods or additional channels like Feedback Assistant and Apple Developer Support.
Fraudulent Ratings and Reviews
App Store ratings and reviews help many users make decisions about which apps to download, and developers rely on them to incorporate new features that respond to user feedback. Apple relies on a sophisticated system that combines machine learning, artificial intelligence, and human review by expert teams to moderate these ratings and reviews to help ensure accuracy and maintain trust. Since 2020, Apple has processed over 1 billion ratings and over 100 million reviews, and over 250 million ratings and reviews were removed for not meeting moderation standards.
Apple also recently deployed new tools to verify rating and review account authenticity, to analyze written reviews for signs of fraud, and to ensure that content from deactivated accounts is removed.
Unfortunately, sometimes developer accounts are created entirely for fraudulent purposes. If a developer violation is egregious or repeated, the offender is expelled from the Apple Developer Program and their account terminated. Apple terminated 470,000 developer accounts in 2020 and rejected an additional 205,000 developer enrollments over fraud concerns, preventing them from ever submitting an app to the store.
Despite fraudsters’ sophisticated techniques to obscure their actions, Apple’s aggressive monitoring means these accounts are terminated, on average, less than a month after they are created.
Apple’s work to ensure the safety of users who download apps extends even beyond the App Store. Over the last 12 months, Apple found and blocked nearly 110,000 illegitimate apps on pirate storefronts. These storefronts distribute malicious software often designed to resemble popular apps — or that modify popular apps without their developers’ authorization — while circumventing the App Store’s security protections.
And in just the last month, Apple blocked more than 3.2 million instances of apps distributed illicitly through the Apple Developer Enterprise Program. The program is designed to allow companies and other large organizations to develop and privately distribute internal-use apps to their employees that aren’t available to the general public. Fraudsters attempt to distribute apps via this method to circumvent the rigorous App Review process, or to implicate a legitimate enterprise by manipulating an insider to leak credentials needed to ship illicit content.
In addition to fraudulent developer accounts, Apple works to identify and deactivate fraudulent user accounts. In 2020 alone, Apple deactivated 244 million customer accounts due to fraudulent and abusive activity. In addition, 424 million attempted account creations were rejected because they displayed patterns consistent with fraudulent and abusive activity.
Payment and Credit Card Fraud
Financial information and transactions are some of the most sensitive data that users share online. Apple has invested significant resources in building more secure payment technologies like Apple Pay and StoreKit, which are used by more than 900,000 apps to sell goods and services on the App Store. For example, with Apple Pay, credit card numbers are never shared with merchants — eliminating a risk factor in the payment transaction process.
With online data breaches frustratingly common, these protections are an essential part of keeping users safe. But users may not realize that when their credit card information is breached or stolen from another source, fraudsters may turn to online marketplaces like the App Store to attempt to purchase digital goods and services that can be laundered or used for illicit purposes.
Apple focuses relentlessly on this kind of fraud as well. In 2020 alone, the fusion of sophisticated technology and human review prevented more than 3 million stolen cards from being used to purchase stolen goods and services and banned nearly 1 million accounts from transacting again. In total, Apple protected users from more than $1.5 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions in 2020.
From App Review, to fraudulent account detection, to prevention of financial crimes, Apple works around the clock and behind the scenes to keep the App Store a safe and trusted place for users and developers alike.
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text: It could very well be that Android’s best hope for a competitive tablet offering in the near term lies in Amazon’s hands. Retrevo Labs, a division of consumer electronics shopping site Retrevo, surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. consumers in June to find out what people are looking for in a tablet. While 50% of those surveyed who intended to purchase a tablet this year said it would be an iPad, Retrevo determined that the most important feature to prospective tablet buyers is a low price point. Considering the unlikelihood of Apple budging when it comes to price, Android tablets have a clear opportunity to attack the market at more affordable price points. Among those brands that respondents would seriously consider buying a tablet from excluding Apple, Amazon was given the nod by 55% of those surveyed, followed by Samsung and Dell at 38% each. BGR reported exclusively that Amazon is working on two tablets it hopes to launch in 2011, a dual-core slate codenamed “Coyote” and a quad-core beast codenamed “Hollywood.” And as we discussed in a recent podcast, we think Amazon has the best chance to make some serious waves in the still-emerging tablet space. Amazon has several content ecosystems that will be at the core of its tablet offering such as the Kindle eBook store, a streaming movie service, its cloud locker service for streaming music and, of course, the Amazon Appstore. If deeply integrated into a customized Android build, these content channels could combine to produce a rich, comprehensive tablet experience. Additional graphs from Retrevo’s study follow below.

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Energy bar maker says crickets are eco-friendly protein
UPI News Service, 07/24/2013
The founder of a Salt Lake City company selling energy bars containing a flour made of ground-up crickets says the insects are an eco-friendly protein source.
Patrick Crowley, 33, founder of Chapul -- which sells peanut butter, chocolate and Thai-flavored Chapul Bars for $2.99 to $3.59 each -- said all of the varieties contain cricket flour, CNNMoney reported Wednesday.
"Most people don't know that crickets are a rich source of edible protein," Crowley said.
He said crickets are a more environmentally friendly variety of protein than livestock such as cows and pigs, as farms for the larger animals use a massive amount of animal feed and water.
Crowley said crickets live on very little water and feed on agricultural by-products including broccoli stalks and corn husks.
"So there's both an economic and environmental benefit to farming insects for protein," he said.
Crowley said his bars are available at 75 stores in 15 states. He said he expects sales to top $1 million in the next two years.


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Scotland's Proper Games took home honors at for BAFTA Scotland, claiming the first award in the board's games category for Flock!, the downloadable title published by Capcom this spring.
In Utah last Sunday, young Preston Scarborough took the family sedan for a spin. Instant media sensation, of course. A Fox News anchor was bold enough to ask did teh Grand Theft Auto do it?
Not sure what "free Gold membership for the weekend" means other than "free multiplayer" - and maybe taking advantage of the deal of the week. But all European gamers get it May 1-4.
At 1:30 or so of this clip, what looks like footage from The Beatles: Rock Band goes up on the screen behind Sir Paul McCartney, performing at Coachella on Friday.
MP Edward Vaizey last week introduced a motion recognizing (sigh, recognising) games recently honored (sigh, honoured) by BAFTA. He also used the motion to decry "the complete lack of support from Government" of the industry.
Who showed up to Capcom's blood drive for RE5? A guy who wears a PowerGlove as a fashion statement. Someone cosplaying a merchant from
Assassin's Creed Resident Evil 4. And a self-described "shut-in" who drinks forties all day.


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EA confirms Battlefield 6 is coming in 2018; Battlefield 1 is getting Esports Mode and GOTY Edition this Fall
Warp Zoned's 2017 Golden Pixel Awards: A New Beginning for Video Games
10 Actresses We Think Could Play Elena Fisher in the Uncharted Movie
New Retail Releases: Kirby Battle Royale, Rocket League, Street Fighter V Arcade Edition, More
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow, Horizon, Madden 18 will compete for 2018 Writers Guild Award
See the first trailer for Batman: The Enemy Within’s fourth episode right here
Nintendo Labo turns the Switch into a kid-friendly creative construction kit
FoxNext and Cold Iron are working on a new shooter based on the Alien franchise
Full Metal Furies, Kerbal Space Program: Enhanced Edition, more added to Xbox Store
Gorogoa Review: A Museum-Worthy Puzzler
All Articles: NASCAR 14
Three new Xbox 360 games have been added to the Xbox Live Game Store today and they surely include something for everybody:
- The Walking Dead Season 2: A House Divided – The second episode of Telltale’s continuing story of Clementine and her run-ins with the living dead is now available. Season Pass owners will be able to download it for free while the rest of us will have to pay $5.
- South Park: The Stick of Truth – Obsidian’s oft-delayed South Park RPG has finally been released after jumping from (the now bankrupt) THQ to Ubisoft and receiving almost a year’s worth of polish.
- NASCAR 14 – Deep Silver takes over publishing duties as Eutechnyx releases another game in the long-runing stock car racing simulation series.
More details on all three titles can be found after the break. (more…)
Telltale’s Walking Dead Season 2 saga continues this week as the second episode, “A House Divided,” is now available to download for the PS3 through the PlayStation Store. It is joined by several other highly anticipated PS3 titles including South Park: The Stick of Truth, Obsidian’s South Park RPG; NASCAR 14, Deep Silver’s first attempt at stock car racing; and Master Reboot, a sci-fi horror title from Wales Interactive.
Over on the PS4 side of the store, two games that were previously released for the PS3 are now available in expanded editions for Sony’s next generation console. Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition brings its twin-stick shooting to the PS4 where it’s joined by Ronimo’s console-centric MOBA, Awesomenauts Assemble.
Two other games round out this week’s PlayStation Store update: the PS2 Classic Growlanser: Heritage of War and Hatsune Miku Project Diva F, a rhythm game for the Vita.
While Mario and Sonic have already conquered the Winter Olympics, Nintendo is ready to send another one of its beloved characters out into the snow. The normally jungle-bound Donkey Kong will get to play in the powder this week with the release of Donkey Kong Country: Tropcial Freeze for the Wii U. Better pack your mittens, big guy.
A jungle of a different kind will need to be saved in D3 Publisher’s Earth Defense Force 2025. The big bugs are back and the Earth Defense Force must once again band together to save the urban jungle that is Tokyo. You can get it on the PS3 or the Xbox 360.
This week’s final new release is NASCAR 14 for the PS3 and the Xbox 360. The franchise has switched publishers from Activision to Deep Silver, but developer Eutechnyx is once again responsible for development on the racing simulation.
Finally, a pair of ports have found new homes this week. Ubisoft’s highly acclaimed Rayman Legends makes a next-generation leap to the PS4 and Xbox One. Meanwhile, WB’s Lego Marvel Super Heroes downgrades to the DS. Games for everybody!
Deep Silver has announced that they’ve acquired the license to publish games based on the NASCAR racing series. Wasting no time, the company also announced that NASCAR 14 is in development at Eutechnyx, the same team behind NASCAR 2011 and NASCAR: Inside Line. NASCAR 14 is currently scheduled to be released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in early 2014.
Deep Silver COO Geoff Mulligan has big plans for the franchise’s future: “NASCAR is a hugely popular sport, second only to the NFL in TV ratings. Deep Silver is thrilled to have acquired the publishing rights to NASCAR 14 and looks forward to cultivating a long-term relationship with both the fans and the franchise.”
For NASCAR 14, Eutechnyx plans to bring back the popular Highlights mode, which allows gamers to download a recreation of a recent race that includes accurate track positions, car conditions, and weather. A Career Mode, online play, and official teams and tracks will also be included.
Fans can also choose which driver will appear on the cover of NASCAR 14 by voting at DriveForTheCover.com. The winner will be announced during NASCAR’s Champion’s Week in early December.


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India Globalization Capital (NTSE: $IGC) to use #Blockchain to Address Issues Specific to the Medical #Cannabis Industry
BETHESDA, Md. - December 26, 2017 (Investorideas.com Newswire) India Globalization Capital, Inc. (NYSE American:IGC), today announces that it will leverage its existing team of technology and healthcare experts to develop methods utilizing blockchain in areas such as product identification assurance (PIA). According to a recent study that was published in JAMA and detailed on www.pennmedicine.org, nearly 70% of all cannabidiol products sold online are either over or under labeled.
"We understand the unique challenges facing the cannabis industry and believe that our team has the expertise to be the first to create meaningful solutions to address these issues using distributed ledgers inherent in blockchain technology. As we work to develop blockchain in the rollout of Hyalolex, our goal would be to establish a universal cannabis platform applicable to solving multiple industry challenges facing dispensaries and consumers. This would include addressing issues such as transactional difficulties, inadequate product labeling, product identification assurance (PIA) and product origin assurance," stated Ram Mukunda, CEO.
Hyalolex Liquid Formulation
As previously reported, IGC has a two-part strategy for commercializing its lead product, Hyalolex. It is anticipated that in 2018, subject to adequate funding, to move the Alzheimer's formulation through FDA registered pre-clinical and clinical trials. Independent of the FDA process, IGC expects to license its formulation technology for distribution as a Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) through licensed medical cannabis dispensaries in key markets of the U.S. This process will include state-by-state sourcing, formula assembly, packaging and distribution utilizing best practices to ensure quality control while complying with the current legal guidelines established by each individual state in which Hyalolex is sold. Medical cannabis is currently legal in 29 states and in Washington, D.C. IGC has identified dispensaries in Washington, D.C. and Maryland as initial distribution sites to launch the product once final inventory is secured. This is expected to occur in early 2018 with subsequent expansion into additional U.S. states dependent on product procurement and associated compliance achievement.
Alzheimer's patients suffer from a host of end points including caregiver distress, agitation, and sleep disorders. The hallmarks of Alzheimer's include anxiety, dementia, plaques and tangles. Hyalolex, has been shown to decrease plaques, decrease tangles, and control anxiety and help with sleep disorders among other end points thorough a patent pending pathway. Based on these and other studies we expect to bring IGC-AD1 to market in early 2018, with the hope of bringing much needed relief to Alzheimer's patients.
The Company has two lines of businesses, a legacy infrastructure business and a cannabis pharmaceutical business that has developed a lead product for treating Alzheimer's patients. The company is based in Maryland, USA.
For more information please visit www.igcinc.us
Follow us on Twitter @IGCIR and Facebook.com/IGCIR/
Please see forward-looking statements and risk factors as discussed in detail in IGC's Form 10K for fiscal year ended March 31, 2017, and in other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
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We'll get to see Henrik Fisker's carbon-fiber take on the Mustang at the upcoming North American International Auto Show.
Update: Spokespeople from VLF Automotive got back to us about some questions regarding the Rocket V8. The company says the model will have a starting price around $120,000, including the base Mustang. Deliveries will begin in the spring. Buyers will get a six-speed manual as standard, and an automatic gearbox will be an option.
You might remember the Galpin Rocket as designer Henrik Fisker’s modern ode to vintage Ford Mustangs at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. The carbon-fiber muscle car now makes a return in full production guise at this year’s North … more
Since 1946, Galpin Motors has been serving car and truck shoppers in California’s San Fernando Valley. Owned and operated by Bert and Jane Boeckmann and their family, Galpin Motors delivers sales and service for ten brands, including Ford, Volkswagen, Lincoln, Subaru, Honda, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, Aston Martin and Lotus.
The world leader in volume Ford sales for 26 consecutive years, Galpin Motors seemingly does it all. They even offer America’s first full-service, in-dealership restaurant (the Horseless Carriage) as well as a Galpin Starbucks.
Their full in-house customizing shop, Galpin Auto Sports (GAS), was featured for three seasons on the television show “Pimp My Ride,” and today showcases a museum-quality … more
Matt Farah from The Smoking Tire was bumped up the list and is numero uno in line to get the 2016 Ford Focus RS in L.A. (Not to be confused with VIN #1)
You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours is a modus operandi that oftentimes works wonders in the greater automotive community and seems to be paying off for Drive host and all around good guy Matt Farah. According to a Facebook post late last night ( Oct. 13, 2015) Farah triumphantly announced that he’ll be the first person in all of Los Angeles (and possibly the greater Southern California area) to receive the fire-breathing 2016 Ford Focus RS. Supposedly the order banks are open for this much anticipated hot hatch and Farah’s order was placed. What makes this … more
By Jennifer Geiger on September 22, 2015
Ford redesigned its midsize SUV this year, and along with fresh styling and more safety features, the 2015 Edge earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The two-row SUV received the top score of good in moderate overlap front, side, roof-strength and head restraint tests and achieved the second-best rating of acceptable in the difficult small front overlap crash test.
The previous-generation Edge also got good scores in moderate overlap front, side, roof-strength and head restraint tests, but was precluded from achieving the Top Safety Pick award because it had not yet undergone the small front overlap test.
To get the IIHS' highest safety rating, Top … more
By Justin King Friday, Sep 25th, 2015 @ 4:26 pm
Volvo has held a groundbreaking ceremony at its first US factory in Berkeley County, South Carolina.
Naturally, the company's North America chief, Lex Kerssemakers, got behind the controls of a Volvo excavator to begin digging at the factory site. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and other high-profile public figures attended the celebration.
The factory will eventually serve as the global production hub for the next-generation S60 Sedan, currently under development in Gothenburg. The S60 and another "yet to be determined" model will be exported globally from the Port of Charleston.
The company has highlighted a successful US comeback, with nationwide sales maintaining double-digit … more
By Tom Murphy-Sep 14, 2015
The all-new Ford Mustang is selling briskly – 86,769 deliveries through August and clobbering the soon-to-be-replaced Chevy Camaro. So what better time than the present to capitalize on the mystique of the reskinned Mustang?
Earlier this year, Galpin Auto Sports and Danish designer Henrik Fisker began low-volume production in California of a coach-built, heavily modified version of the new Mustang, dubbed The Rocket.
With a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body crafted by hand at GFMI Metalcrafters in Fountain Valley, as well as significant interior and suspension upgrades, the Rocket is a 4-passenger coupe with a starting price of $109,100.
At the recent Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in … more
A special Bulletin full of things you need to know right now! more
by Steve Siler - Aug. 24, 2015
Yes, the Galpin Fisker Ford Mustang Rocket has a long name. “We just call it ‘the Rocket’” said Henrik Fisker, who also designed the BMW Z8, Aston Martin DB9 and V8 Vantage, and more recently, the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid.
Certainly, “Rocket” is a suitable name for a $109,100 muscle car, but the fact of the matter is that the other named parties have made great contributions, including its builders and tuners, Galpin Auto Sports of Van Nuys, Calif., and of course, Ford itself. We took a brief spin along 17-Mile Drive during Monterey Car Week to see if it’s worth the coin.
“Ford’s engineers and Moray Callum’s design team did an amazing job with … more
by FoxNews.com- Aug 17, 2015
The last time Henrik Fisker designed a convertible, it was a sleek, plug-in hybrid called the Karma Sunset hat never saw the light of day. His latest likely has a brighter future.
The Rocket Speedster is a customized Ford Mustang that Fisker penned for Galpin Auto Sports, of “Pimp My Ride” fame. It’s a follow-up to the $125,000 Rocket coupe the collaborators launched last year.
Inspired by the 1968 Ford Shelby GT500 -- a Fisker favorite -- the wide-body Rocket Speedster features an oversize grille with integrated fog lamps, huge air intakes on its carbon fiber hood, and side scoops on the rear fenders to help cool the 15-inch Brembo brakes tucked inside of its 21-inch wheels. It should be … more


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ConsenSys, a leading Ethereum software vendor, today announced the acquisition of the Treum team and its NFT platform from Mesh, a Web3 incubator, for an undisclosed amount. With this acquisition, ConsenSys welcomes a team of creators, product managers and software developers who have pioneered non-fungible token (NFT) use cases since their formation in 2017.
This strategic decision follows the formation of the Palm NFT network, an NFT ecosystem launched in March 2021 by ConsenSys, HENI Group and Heyday Films. The acquisition of Treum will allow ConsenSys to significantly advance its NFT technology offering for creators, brands, rights holders, game publishers, sports teams and leagues.
It has been a busy year for the Treum team with the launch of EulerBeats.com, an Ethereum Non-Fungible Token (NFT) based music and art project that features algorithmically generated artistic and audio tracks. His second collection of tracks sold for $ 3 million in March after the launch of “Genesis” earlier this year.
The EulerBeats NFT platform has been described by entrepreneur Mark Cuban as “the coolest idea ever” and has distributed millions of royalties and staking rewards to its users. The EulerBeats Club, a token closed space (accessible only to those who wear EulerBeats headphones) has been informed of the next drop coming in November called “Futura” which will pave the way for an open platform for musicians to sell. their STEMS, let fans buy random mixes, and allows creators to remix versions of originals.
“ConsenSys’s mission is to unleash the power of communities and make Web3 universally easy to use, access and develop. Today, MetaMask is used by over 10 million monthly active users, and many of them use the platform to collect NFTs. It was an obvious decision for ConsenSys to accelerate the development of our full-fledged NFT platform for end users and builders.
– Johnna Powell of ConsenSys
Treum + ConsenSys
In June 2021, Treum teamed up with text-based and multimedia visual artist Jonathan Rosen to release “The Biggest Drop” now known as “The Dream Machine, A limited set of NFTs first exhibited on a 36-screen digital facade on London’s Oxford Street and which was displayed on the seven-story Nasdaq tower in Times Square, New York. Team Treum is also behind several top NFT shows such as the NBA’s first blockchain-powered live auction platform for authentic memorabilia with the U.S. professional basketball team. Sacramento Kings in 2020.
ConsenSys NFT technology users will be able to take advantage of its integration with ConsenSys Web3 products such as MetaMask and Infura. ConsenSys’ NFT activity will be co-led by Johnna Powell of ConsenSys and Tyler Mulvihill, co-founder of Treum, and advised by Kishore Atreya, co-founder of Treum.
“The Treum team built the leading full lifecycle NFT platform and we are excited to continue our exponential journey with the global reach of ConsenSys. We will continue to serve our primary IP ownership customer, deepen our metaverse development, launch state-of-the-art NFT drops, and bring the next 100 users into the Web3 community. If you love blockchain and NFTs, ConsenSys is the place to be – we’re hiring.
– Tyler Mulvihill, co-founder of Treum


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Danang is aiming to become a smart and creative city by 2045, and expects to spend over VND2.14 trillion ($93 million) on this transformation that would synchronise all processes of the central city’s operations.
A workshop on IBM Maximo, an Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) software solution, will take place at Saigon Prince Hotel, 63 Nguyen Hue Street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City on October 12.
VOV.VN - In order to fully benefit from the opportunities brought about by new generation free trade agreements (FTAs), Vietnam will be required to map out a strategy for the effective protection of intellectual property rights.
Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh left Hanoi on April 22 evening for Australia to attend the 28th Global Summit of Women (GSW) in Sydney, New South Wales state and conduct several bilateral activities from April 23-28.
Microsoft Vietnam and IBM Vietnam surprisingly got the dropped-ranks in the list of 100 best workplaces in Vietnam in 2017, according to the annual survey of Anphabe JSC in collaboration with market research company Intage.
Giant retailers who have been eyeing the drug retail market for years have finally joined the game with ambitious plans to remap the market.
The 2018 Vietnam Blockchain Week will be held in HCM City in March to promote the potential of blockchain and 4.0 technologies.
VOV.VN - Artificial-intelligence technology surrounds our everyday lives, in the form of voice assistants like Apples’ Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana or Amazon’s Alexa, say the computer experts.
Vietnamese Ambassador to France Nguyen Ngoc Son hoped that FPT Corporation, a Vietnamese information technology company, and French enterprises will sign cooperation agreements, especially in information and technology service supply.
For the first time, Vietnamese entrepreneurs will access cloud-based cognitive systems that learn, reason and process natural languages.
The global information technology giant IBM, on April 3, kicked off its project to support the southern province of Binh Duong in accelerating the implementation of its vision to become a smarter city between now and 2020.
Leading integrated fintech service provider Credit China Fintech Holding Limited has spent US$12.73 million on acquiring a 51% stake in Vietnamese Amigo Technologies Joint Stock Company as part of its plans to expand overseas operations.
VOV.VN - Vietnam’s 9th Information Security Day has opened in Hanoi with the participation of users and IT development community.
Many international technology corporations are offering to review businesses’ network security after Vietnam Airlines was hacked recently.
VOV.VN - FPT Information System (FPT IS) has announced that it has successfully built an e-payment system for the State Treasury of Vietnam.
US-backed IBM Vietnam has been boosting its corporate social responsibility activities in the country.
VOV.VN - Unilever of Vietnam takes the top spot as the nation’s best place to work, according to job recruiting marketplace Anphabe’s annual 100 ‘Best Places to Work’ roundup.
The annual "Vietnam Information Security Day" took place in Hanoi on December 1, focusing on solutions to increasing cyber-attacks aimed at large corporations worldwide.
IBM has uncovered a sophisticated fraud scheme run by a well- funded Eastern European gang of cyber criminals that uses a combination of phishing, malware and phone calls that the technology company says has netted more than US$1 million from large and medium-sized US companies.
(VOV) - Katty Pham, an American girl of Vietnamese origin, became a special guest at US President Obama’s 2015 State of the Union address on January 20.


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Adidas sneakerheads will soon be able to snag a pair of vegan leather shoes made from a rather unique material: fungi.
The European sportswear manufacturer is developing a new, “purely biological” leather material made from mycelium (the thin, root-like structures of mushrooms).
Mycelium’s moisture-absorbing, non-toxic, and waterproof properties make it a favorable textile. It’s also fire-resistant and insulates fairly well, making it a suitable building material.
Vegan Kicks by Adidas
The fungi-based leather shoes won’t be Adidas’s first pair of vegan kicks.
In 2020, the shoe giant launched vegan versions of several of its iconic shoes. These include the Samba, Continental 80, Sleek, and Superstar sneakers.
Adidas also released vegan Stan Smith trainers. The brand teamed up with Stella McCartney to create the eco-friendly shoes, which resemble the original design.
In 2019, the shoe brand teamed up with Parley for the Oceans—an organization that raises awareness about ocean pollution—to create Terrex Two Parley. The vegan shoe is made from ocean plastic.
Adidas also committed to animal rights group Vier Pfoten that it would ban fur from its products.
Adidas’s Sustainability Commitment
The shoe company’s expanding vegan range is part of its commitment to be more sustainable and eliminate plastic waste. Adidas also aims to achieve global climate neutrality by 2050.
“For Adidas, sustainability means using less plastic and less animal material,” the company outlined in a press release.
According to the brand, starting in 2021, more than 60 percent of its products will be made with sustainable materials. In 2024, Adidas will shift to using only recycled polyester. Since 2018, it has been exclusively using sustainable cotton.
The company’s CEO, Kasper Rorsted, said sustainability is an “integral part of the Adidas business philosophy.”
“We have continued to invest in sustainability initiatives during the coronavirus pandemic and we will significantly expand our range of sustainable products in 2021,” he continued.
“We have worked with our suppliers to create the structures that make it possible to process recycled materials on a large scale. Not only does our commitment make Adidas more sustainable, but it also drives the development of the whole industry.”


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With electrical automobile (EV) stocks obtaining hammered on Friday, Lucid stock price today (LCID -4.15%) couldn’t leave the market’s rage either– shares of the EV startup were trading down 5.8% since 1:30 p.m. ET.
Lucid announced some development plans, however the market was paying greater focus to an opponent’s just-released incomes report and several of things it stated.
Earlier in March, Lucid introduced it’ll generate just 12,000 to 14,000 automobiles in 2022 versus its previous forecast of 20,000 systems, offered the supply chain as well as logistics obstacles. Today, at least two automakers verified that the supply worries aren’t disappearing anytime soon.
A concerned individual in a mask studying a dropping stock cost graph on a computer system display.
China-based Nio, which is also targeting the high-end EV market like Lucid, just revealed weak advice for deliveries in the initial quarter due to provide chain difficulties and also various other headwinds. Nio likewise didn’t dismiss the possibility of price rises in the near future if costs remain to increase. This echoes Lucid’s view– barely days earlier, Lucid cited inflationary pressure and also said it’s looking into increasing costs of its EVs in the future, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, heritage automaker General Motors is closing down a manufacturing facility in Indiana for two weeks because it’s lacking semiconductor chips.
These updates appear to have made investors in Lucid anxious regarding whether the firm will certainly even have the ability to produce as much as 14,000 cars given the ongoing problem in the supply of raw material that can intensify if the Russia-Ukraine dispute escalates.
For now, Lucid is focused on development. Following Tesla’s playbook, Lucid is targeting straight sales to finish consumers with studios in prime retail locations and also will open its 2nd display room in Canada in March. The workshop lies in Canada’s premier shopping center, Yorkdale, in Toronto.
Importantly, Lucid confirmed it will begin distributions in Canada this spring, its initial market outside the united state Lucid has actually likewise come up with an engaging deal to tempt clients in Canada– those that reserve a Lucid Air by June 30 will certainly get two years of free of charge billing throughout Electrify Canada’s public EV charging network thanks to Lucid’s tie-up with the business. Electrify Canada presently has 30 stations with 120 battery chargers as well as is targeting more than 100 terminals by 2026.
Lucid Team, Inc
Today’s Modification (-4.15%) -$ 1.09.
On the other hand, while Lucid is still attempting to construct a client base in North America, measures up to Tesla as well as Nio are currently increasing rapidly into Europe. With Tesla additionally opening up a Gigafactory in Berlin this week, Lucid will certainly have to function more difficult to grow while keeping a look at costs. Capitalists aren’t sure if that’s feasible now, as well as their concerns are reflected in Lucid stock’s loss today.


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Following important cannabis news articles every day can be a real burn-out, we know. That’s why the Emerald rolls up a chronicle of the headiest news hits, and passes them to you at the end of each week. We Bring You: The Dime.
Maine’s Adult-use Market Reports Record-Breaking Sales, Again
It’s been just under a year since Maine’s adult-use market launched in October 2020. However, the statewide recreational industry just surpassed $10 million in sales in August alone, reports Marijuana Moment. According to The Portland Press Herald, “the August sales jump was a more moderate than July’s 45 percent increase from June sales, but it marks the first time the industry has reported monthly sales of at least $10 million since the adult-use market launched last fall,” the Press Herald added.
Washington Will Launch State-run Seed-to-Sale System
This week, Washington officials announced that they are ending their contract with Akerna’s Leaf Data Systems, reports Marijuana Business Daily. Cannabis operators report that the system costs time and money, is inaccurate, and experience outages, hacks, and crashes. They will instead replace the system with the state-created Cannabis Central Reporting System, which many expect will be more simplified, Ganjapreneur further reports. While some remain hesitant about government software, others are hopeful. “Jeremy Moberg, cannabis grower, tells Marijuana Business Daily, “we’re excited for a simpler system that saves us money. We’re wasting so much money on this broken system.”
Cannabis Consumers at Higher Risk of Heart Attack, Finds Canadian Study
A study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, published on September 7th, found that those who used cannabis at least once within the last 30 days are more likely to experience a heart attack. The study included more than 33,000 adults between ages 18-44 who completed phone surveys. Their primary method of consumption was smoking, which itself is known to affect the heart. Additionally, researchers found cannabis use was highest among males, tobacco users and heavy alcohol drinkers. “Of the 17% of adults who reported using cannabis within the previous month, 1.3% later had a heart attack while only 0.8% of non-cannabis users reported the same,” reports CNN.


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The open source ownCloud file sync and sharing project is moving into the commercial space with the release of new Business and Enterprise editions this week. The Business and Enterprise Editions build on the ownCloud 3.0 release that debuted in February.
The new editions provide additional management capabilities and commercial support. What ownCloud is essentially doing is providing an open source alternative to Dropbox that is now more integrated with enterprise systems.
“Dropbox created a market for something we didn’t really know that we needed, but now that it’s out there, it’s hard to be without it,” Markus Rex, CEO of ownCloud told InternetNews.com. “We want to make sure that everyone has the same ability while still being able to maintain their own requirements and corporate needs.”
The ownCloud business edition is intended for use for up to 50 users while ownCloud Enterprise can handle up to 250 users and be rebranded by OEMs. Both editions will be delivering new management capabilities over the open source version in incremental stages. The initial commercial release includes new clients for end users. A new management interface is set to be released six weeks from now that will provide a full GUI for managing ownCloud deployments.


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If it isn’t one contaminant causing food safety issues today, it’s another. In fact, if you check the right news feeds every week, you’ll see that food recalls are a regular thing. Sometimes for suspected contamination, other times for known contamination. Processed foods, frozen foods, and fresh produce can all be a source of allergens or pathogens that can affect someone’s health. What’s worse, officials can’t always pinpoint the source of a pathogen. Or they won’t state its origin.
The biggest problem affecting food safety today is a global supply chain. Too many miles traveled, touched by too many hands, too many unknown factors…
Take the current widespread E. coli outbreak. It started in November, striking Canadians and Americans. Canada had 41 cases of E. coli in 5 eastern provinces; the US had 66 cases in 15 states (mostly eastern) as of Jan. 12. Two people died, one in each country and the particular strain in this instance is also contagious. The only victims that weren’t in the eastern half of the USA were in California.
Investigations by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency determined that the outbreak was likely caused by romaine lettuce. Food safety officials in the US tell a different story, with only 56% of those infected they surveyed reporting eating romaine lettuce. However, it looks like they only included 13 victims in their survey… out of 66 reported cases!
No recalls were issued either side of the border because the exact source of contamination wasn’t identifiable. Unlike locally grown produce sold farm-direct to grocers and consumers, in our octopus of a modern food system, harvests from numerous farms are only distributed after arriving at a central packing house for cleaning and/or processing and/or packaging. And lettuce’s shelf life is super short.
The states and provinces where this food safety threat erupted are all in the throes of the frigid season. Which means their constant supply of fresh leafy greens comes from farms in frost-free locations. So, even though all the orange and pink states/provinces on the map to the left are in the Northeast, it isn’t odd that California had E. coli victims. Lots of winter lettuce is grown there. Notice the dark gray states? Mainstream media accounts don’t clarify if the Washington cases are from D.C. or the state, but one of them is definitely included in this food safety scare.
Living in an orange state, myself, I can attest that most fresh greens come from sunny California this time of year. But sometimes from southern Ontario, where greenhouse growing is a big industry.
E. coli comes from the intestinal tracts of poultry and animals (both 2-legged and 4-legged). The contamination could be soil-borne, waterborne, or transferred from human skin. Additionally, the cause of this now 9-week-long outbreak is the same pathogen strain in both countries. Though it erupted in Canada first, it’s doubtful that Ontario exported lettuce to California! Canada, however, gets steady California produce imports, especially during winter.
Just last November (yes, 2 months ago) a huge food safety recall involving Listeria-contaminated California-grown vegetables being imported into Canada. A chance random sampling on the part of a Canadian inspector saved a lot of people from illness. The recall spanned the continent, involved numerous brand names and greenwashed marketing terminology. The pathogen, once again, originating in animal digestive systems and manures… including humans.
Some news sources say the Canadian E. coli outbreak is over. Others say the US outbreak is too, but some (Becker Hospital – USA, whom you’d think up-to-date on CDC news) claim the outbreak continues. Meanwhile, the mainstream greens farms’ lobbying/marketing organizations work to save face with a blanket press statement. But none of them will respond to reporter inquiries. And food safety officials in two countries continue investigating this particular health threat.
What should you be doing? Avoiding lettuce isn’t the answer. You do have other options, even while snow and ice pile up. Perhaps, like one bistro in Moncton, New Brunswick, you should always buy hydroponic lettuces and greens. In the midst of the ongoing buy-romaine-at-your-own-risk event, they never doubted the integrity of their ingredients. They get all their lettuce from a local source, an indoor farm in the nearby industrial park.
The real food safety problem does have an easy solution. Buy only locally grown foods whenever possible. In today’s world, it’s not just a seasonal thing. Check your area for an indoor farm. The most popular crops for these farmers is lettuces, herbs, and greens. If you find none exists, you can always grow your own in an indoor garden. And if there isn’t an indoor farm near you, it’s a sure sign of a career opportunity. Lettuce that is freshly harvested lasts longer in your refrigerator. It’s also pesticide and contamination-free.
- E. coli Outbreak Over (CBC)
- Tick Tock Outbreak Clock (FSN)
- CDC Says Outbreak Likely Over (NY Times)
- Outbreak Continues (WILX-NBC)


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LAHORE: Monami has announced to channelise e-commerce remittances and payments to Pakistan without any fee from consumers in a bid to document international transactions of overseas Pakistanis, especially in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
For this, Monami has partnered with Inov8, a Pakistani premier mobile commerce and payments provider to offer internet payment with its brand name ‘Cardwalla’.
Partnering with Inov8 provides Monami an opportunity to use the wide user base and e-commerce linkages already developed by it.
This is the first time that such a large portfolio of internet payments, including leading names such as Google Play Store, Apple App Store and iTunes, Skype, Netflix, PlayStation, Steam, Xbox Live, and World of Warcraft payments amongst more than 50 others, are being made available locally to Pakistani customers under the name ‘Cardwalla’.
Inov8’s AllPay platform is being used to make these payments available to Pakistani customers through all banking channels in Pakistan, including mobile banking, branchless banking, internet banking, ATM’s, POS, as well as bank and retail counters against cash.
The entrepreneurs who initiated this partnership, Inov8 President and Co-Founder Bashir A Sheikh, Monami Chairman Ammar Afif, and Monami Strategy and Operation Director Hyder Mumtaz in an exclusive discussion with The News on Thursday said that the size of the total internet payments of Pakistan was $60 million, while the experts of the sector forecast it to grow $500 million by 2017.
However, this forecast could be underestimated in the results of a recent study conducted by Inov8 when it was in the process of partnering with Monami.
“Invo8 gathered the information from Microsoft about the Xbox users in Pakistan – and it was surprising that $40 million worth Xbox annually come in Pakistan. These Xboxes are registered from Pakistan and are being used from here too,” Bashir A Sehikh said.
“This means that the Xbox price alone added $40 million to internet payments, which is almost 66 percent of the total existing size of internet payments of Pakistan,” he said.
Bashir pointed out that they were conducting more studies about internet payments made by Pakistanis for different products on various international websites with international credit cards, or through relatives and friends aboard as they could not buy the products themselves.
“Inov8 has been working to grow the mobile payments industry in Pakistan since 2004. Today, we have one of the largest offerings of products and services as well as one of the biggest client portfolios in the region,” Bashir disclosed.
Launching the Cardwalla service for internet payments through AllPay platform is in line with Invo8 vision to change the way payments are made today to bring ultimate convenience to the end consumer.
AllPay is an open aggregation platform available to all banks and retailers designed to allow consumers to make payments conveniently.
Estimates suggest a $60 million dollars e-commerce market size in Pakistan with the most internet payments being made informally.
“This number is expected to grow to $500 million by 2017, and with the Cardwalla service, we are providing a convenient means to pay through the formal channels,” Bashir said.
Monami Chairman Ammar Afif said that the company was a leading aggregator operating in North America and the region to offer Internet payments in Pakistan.
“Monami looked at the Pakistani market and found that consumers were lacking in comparison to others in similar markets in terms of product breadth and accessibility,” he said.
“Our partnership is enabling the Pakistani consumer to become a global consumer and access international products. This is the first phase of Monami’s roll out of a 100 percent free home remittance option for Pakistanis around the world.”
Afif said that Monami is a financial tech company that operates a Global Payment Hub and focuses on emerging markets.
By introducing unique technologies and products present in the developed economies, Monami aims to bridge the gap between western and eastern consumers.
“Apart from the CardWalla, Monami is launching a redemption channel for international digital wallets,” he said, adding that Monami is growing every month and entering new markets every quarter.
Hyder Mumtaz said that Pakistan’s M-Commerce sector was facing two major hurdles, logistic and payments solutions, which were impeding robust growth.
For payment solutions, Invo8 and Monami have partnered.
Down the line in one year or so the partnered companies plan to bring up some local payments solutions too, he said.
On the logistics side, buyers face many problems, including timely delivery. Once the payment solution system is developed, local companies will also come forward for a good delivery system to ensure timely delivery of products to buyers. “The logistic system will also develop parallel in the eco-system of m-commerce,” he said.
Tags: economy, digital wallet, iTunes, Steam, Google Play Store, PlayStation, Club Penguin, AllPay, remittances, Inov8 Limited, League of Legends, Hasnain A. Sheikh, Nintendo, Gulf Cooperation Council, m-commerce, Pakistan, World of Warcraft, Amazon, Microsoft, Gilt, Global Payment Hub, finance, retail, mobile banking, Apple App Store, Facebook, Bashir A. sheikh, 2015, Minecraft, ecosystem


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Batteries remain a key purchase for consumers, as they power so many day-to-day items. And the ever growing number of high-drain devices has resulted in longer life batteries. The rechargeable segment is also seeing a rise in popularity as consumers begin to see the cost saving element as well as the green credentials.
According to Mintel the UK retail battery market is large, with Mintel estimating volumes in 2007 at 669.2 million units with a retail sales value of pound;416.8m. The market is also relatively mature and the onset of multi-packs and discounting has caused retail sales to fall back in recent years. Volumes are under pressure although it’s a combination of factors that are dragging down the market – in particular the growth of built-in rechargeable batteries with many modern electrical devices, from toothbrushes to iPods.
Vince Armitage, divisional vice-president of Varta Consumer Batteries UK, says: “The big news for the sector is the forthcoming introduction of the Batteries Directive – a European-wide environmental legislation which prohibits portable batteries being disposed of in landfill. Instead they have to be collected and recycled, this will come into force on September 26 across Europe.
“It is the producer – the party who places the batteries on the market – who is obligated under the directive, although there is still some confusion around this topic – at present it’s the manufacturer, importer of the products or private label owner which is considered a producer. It’s important to remember that this role applies whether the producer places the product on the market directly themselves, or if the merchandise reaches the market through a third party partner such as a wholesaler, OEM or retailer.”
Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) says: “The Batteries Directive was published in the Official Journal on 26 September 2006. The UK and all other Member States now have a deadline of 26 September 2008 to transpose the provisions into national law.
“The Directive seeks to improve the environmental performance of batteries and accumulators and of the activities of all economic operators involved in the life cycle of batteries and accumulators, eg producers, distributors and end users and, in particular, those operators directly involved in the treatment and recycling of waste batteries and accumulators.
“When the Directive is transposed in the UK, the Directive will reduce the quantity of hazardous and non hazardous waste batteries going to landfill and increase the recovery of the materials they contain. This is consistent with the objectives outlined in the Government’s Waste and Sustainable Development Strategies.”
With this in mind Varta believes that the benefits of rechargeable batteries will become more apparent.
Armitage says: “Round cell alkaline batteries are reaching their limits in terms of performance and capacity, and the market has also reached a plateau in terms of volume. Consumers are becoming more aware of the environment and want to play their part.
“The rechargeable market offers a significant opportunity for both the wholesaler and the retailer as long as they get the communication message right.”
Varta has launched a 15 minute ‘fast charger’ with a 12 volt adaptor for the car and later this year a ‘power station’ charger, which can charge up to eight cells at a time, and a travel charger will be launched
Mike Doole, managing director of Uniross, says: “Customers are becoming increasingly ‘green’ and ‘ethical’ in their thinking, which we have had to respond to. It’s not enough to just offer a product – people now want to know the impact of the products they buy on the environment. As ethical behaviour is becoming a greater part of customers’ lifestyles, battery chargers are beginning to reflect that. We’re seeing a shift from ugly bland boxes that take a long time to charge, to chargers that no longer look our of place in a living room, offer customers a variety of recharge options and can be adapted to fit into their particular way of life.”
Uniross is endorsed by the WWF and is working to make battery charging a way of life with its new range of products. It has launched the Nomad a portable power hub with USB adaptor, the Solar Charger and its Hymini Wind charger can be clipped on a bicycle to charge while cycling.
Doole adds: “Our customers have told us they want to recharge batteries wherever they are – with convenience and simplicity being the key. Ultimately we want people to ditch their disposable lifestyles so we hope the new additions to our range inspire people to do exactly that.”
Uniross says over half of its sales comes from new technology batteries, the Hybrio technology allows the battery to be used straight out the pack and when it runs out is can be recharged up to 1,000 times.
Doole says: “Rechargeable batteries are the only segment of the battery market which is in growth. Wholesalers and the cash and carry market are very important for us. They are the key route to market for many independent retailers and smaller wholesalers. Wholesalers should be advising their customers on the best rechargeable battery brands to sell, not just the best battery brands.”
Paul Lettice, trade communications manager at Procter and Gamble, says: “Duracell is the UK’s number one alkaline battery brand and remains at the forefront of technological innovation within the market. The rechargeable market is currently worth pound;51.4m in retail value, which is twice the size of the zinc carbon battery market, and is therefore a key area for growth in the category overall.”
Duracell has revised its portfolio to include Duracell Plus, the core line, and Duracell Ultra, which it says is the longest lasting Duracell alkaline ever, whatever device it is used in.
Lettice adds: “We know that the number of devices in use in the UK is on the rise, and that portable power solutions are becoming more and more essential for consumers. The new range of general purpose Duracell batteries is set to meet the needs of consumers for long lasting power. We expect that these new products and product improvements will help retailers by increasing trial in store and, with today’s increasingly hectic lifestyles, attract more consumers to the many benefits of using quality batteries to power their devices.”
Taking note of the growing trend in rechargeable batteries, Duracell has developed the Pocket Charger, Instant Charger and Active Charge Cells. The Active Charge cells come pre-charged like traditional cells, but can also be fully recharged. The Pocket Charger and Instant Charger can both recharge devices through USB ports. The Pocket Charger uses AA and AAA cells, while the Instant Charger is a high capacity lithium battery that can be recharged over a hundred times though a laptop or USB outlet.
Energizer says alkaline batteries are worth pound;263m while rechargeables and specialist batteries are worth pound;38m and pound;17m respectively. It says the total battery market is flat but Energizer is pushing growth in key sectors.
Boke Boddin, marketing manager at Energizer, says: “The UK is a nation of ‘always on’ technophiles who don’t consider any time as dead. The explosion of power-hungry devices in the last five years has seen battery manufacturers unleash more premium, longer-lasting batteries onto the market in a bid to satisfy the thirsts of digital cameras, MP3 players and the like.
“Energizer has teamed up with Apple’s ‘made for iPod’ programme to create the Energi To Go Charger for the iPod – a unique piece of kit running on just two AA Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries. Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries can keep people connected for longer, lasting seven times longer in digital cameras and five and a half hours longer in MP3 players than leading ordinary alkaline batteries.”
According to Energizer, Ultimate Lithium grew by 150% during the festive season when on TV compared to the same period a year earlier and it holds number one share in five out of six chemistries: rechargeable batteries, chargers, photo lithium, specialist and carbon zinc.
According to Panasonic, the UK battery market continues to be dominated by alkaline, as today’s high power products require longer lasting batteries.
Panasonic has responded to this with its Special Power batteries with alkaline technology, designed to last up to four times longer with a shelf life of five years.
Panasonic says consumers want more from batteries, even though not everyone knows the difference between zinc and alkaline technology. Zinc batteries are designed for low power everyday products and alkaline batteries are designed for use in a variety of high power appliances such as digital cameras, electric toys and radios.
Tim Clark, marketing manager of Panasonic, says: “With the current economic downturn, shoppers are more than ever looking for high performance batteries at a competitive price. That is why it makes more sense that ever to stock an entry level alkaline battery, from a trusted brand.”
Panasonic is launching the Evoia battery which comes with an endorsement from The Guinness Book of World Records as the World’s number one long lasting AA alkaline battery. The Guinness World Record logo will feature on pack along with the long lasting credentials. The Evoia range is designed to deliver performance in a wide range of appliances, from remote controls to digital cameras. It also has a seven year shelf life, aiming to deliver a longer service life
Rechargeable batteries are also becoming more popular and Panasonic has developed the Pocket Energy, a portable energy pack to power or recharge a USB chargeable device.
Clark says: “Rechargeables, which currently have a 7.5% value market share, are increasing in popularity due to consumer concerns about the environment coupled with the growth in appliances such as iPods.”
=== Tips for maximising battery sales from Panasonic. ===
l Batteries are generally not a planned purchase. 75% of battery buyers don’t plan to buy batteries when they enter a store so visibility of your battery display is crucial.
l Consumers need to be reminded and encouraged to buy batteries and so retailers should place them in key impulse areas.
l 40% of consumers getting to the battery shelf fail to make a purchase due to confusion over battery types and sizes, so it is essential for retailers to make the fixture easy to shop.
l The optimal shelf architecture should be designed from the perspective of the consumer i.e. appliance driven.
l Retailers should ensure they stock a cross section of the most popular battery sizes AA, AAA, C, D and 9V.
l Display space should be allocated to each size in line with consumer demand.
l Dynamism can be brought to the category by providing clear communication and frequent promotions.
l The battery category can be highlighted at different times of the year with seasonal displays.
Source PBSE Consumer Research 2001-2007


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Beyoncé recently climbed to the top spot on the Forbes Celebrity 100, earning an estimated $115 million between June 2013 and July 2014. Bey is no stranger to endorsements. In addition to raking in millions on tour, she earns millions endorsing H&M and Pepsi.
But she's not the only one hoping to capitalize.
Read MoreAdult toymakers lust for '50 Shades' movie
Audi: Several models – including the A3, R8 Spyder, and Q7 SUV -- all make an appearance in the book. According to Ad Age, Audi did not pay to be part of the book series, but it's unclear about the film. Fans of the best-seller spotted this Audi R8 Spyder on set in Vancouver back in January.
Random House: A division of Random House, Vintage Books, publishes the "50 Shades" series, which crossed the 100 million sales mark earlier this year. No doubt it's seeing a boost now that the book is a #1 Bestseller again on Amazon.com.
Seattle: The majority of the erotic novel takes place in Seattle. When the "50 Shades" phenomenon first swept the country, several hotels offered "50 Shades of Grey" experiences and special travel packages. Expect to see the city profit once again on the hype.
"Fifty Shades of Grey" comes to theaters on February 13, 2015.


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Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum no-hits Padres
By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor
The Freak put on a show.
Former San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum no-hit the San Diego Padres Saturday night for his fifth win of the season. He struck out 13 and walked just four in a complete-game effort in a 9-0 victory.
Entering the game, the two-time former Cy Young winner had a 4-9 record this season with a 4.61 ERA.
As for his collectibles, Lincecum appears on 3,113 items in the Beckett database (click here for a checklist or OPG) with a total value of $30,077.05, excluding rarities.
His first cards were made in 2006 Just Minors and TRISTAR minor-league products, while his Rookie Cards — 24 in all — can be found in 2007 MLB products. His most valuable RC is his 2007 UD Black card, an autographed issue that’s limited to just 99 copies and typically sells for $250 or less.
His most valuable early card priced by Beckett Media is his 2007 Bowman Chrome Prospects Gold Refractor, an autographed prospect card limited to just 50 copies. It typically sells for $1,200 or less. Lincecum’s autographed cards total just 316 certifieds, while he has 583 mem cards.
Lincecum’s autograph has become a bit more scarce in recent years as he has not signed a substantial number of cards for a manufacturer since 2009 when he signed for Upper Deck and Topps. A total of only six cards — one limited to four and another limited to two copies — have been released in that time, which, of course, has included a pair of World Series championships. (Click here to see his items on eBay.)
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.


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Fears surrounding a coronavirus cluster centred around a Sai Ying Pun gym growing into a fifth wave thankfully seem to have been misplaced, as the vaccine rollout across Hong Kong ramps up into full gear—especially among frontline hospitality staff. With this weekend's equinox marking the official start of spring, you can expect the requisite seasonal menus to come into being as we look forward to new beginnings, in food, drink and beyond.
Roganic And Landmark Mandarin Oriental Switch Off The Lights For Earth Hour
Known for its exacting approach to farm-to-table cuisine, Roganic stays true to its commitment towards food sustainability with plans to mark Earth Hour 2021 in traditional fashion, by switching off the lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on March 27. During that time, guests will eat by the glow of candlelight, and at the end of their meal will receive a nasturtium plant from Common Farms housed in a pot made of recycled coffee grounds from Eco-Greenergy.
Over in Central, the Landmark Mandarin Oriental's many F&B venues—including Amber, Somm, MO Bar, PDT and The Oriental Spa—will switch to candlelight during the hour in much the same manner. Over the course of the night, the luxury hotel will renew its pledge towards the WWF's 'Let Oceans Shine' initiative—which raises awareness of the many threats facing our oceans, from plastic marine litter to unsustainable fishing—and diners will be encouraged to donate to the cause.
"We hope that during this hour we can inspire guests to collectively commit towards changes in creating a more sustainable future and to protect our amazing planet earth," says chef Richard Ekkebus, director of culinary operations at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental.


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AT&T Looks Beyond 'Number, Please'
For a century, AT&T was known as America's premier phone company. If Hossein Eslambolchi has his way, that label will go the way of the dodo bird.
As chief technology and chief information officer, Mr. Eslambolchi is the technological strategist behind AT&T's ambitious turnaround plan to become a data transmission company selling an array of software products like network security systems - with phone calls being just one of many digital services.
Indeed, for the first time, voice calls generated less than half of the revenue in AT&T's corporate business group in 2004.
A few years ago, this approach was heresy at AT&T, where connecting calls was the cornerstone of the former monopoly's business. But with falling prices, growing competition and cheap new Internet phone services from start-up companies, AT&T's future depends more than ever on vigorous cost-cutting and focusing on its worldwide data network.
"There is a sense of urgency," Mr. Eslambolchi said. "We have no other alternative. We have to do this to survive."
The strategic shift was evident in the company's quarterly earnings. The company said Thursday that profits jumped 84 percent in the fourth quarter, to $625 million, beating Wall Street's estimates, thanks primarily to cost-cutting efforts. AT&T eliminated 23 percent of its work force last year and has automated large parts of its operations.
The cost cuts, however, only slowed the effects of a price war that drove the company's revenue down 10.2 percent, to $7.3 billion, in the quarter. The worst is far from over. The company expects sales to decline another 15 percent this year.
The way to stem the slide, Mr. Eslambolchi contends, is to merge the hundreds of computer systems AT&T created over the years. With phone calls and data now transmitted increasingly via high-speed data lines using Internet protocol, the need for multiple systems is also diminishing.
By reducing the number of networks and systems, Mr. Eslambolchi has been able to reduce the size of AT&T's once gargantuan work force and strip away layers of management.
That is easier said than done in a company filled with internal fiefs and unaccustomed to responding quickly to market demands. Mr. Eslambolchi compared the company to the United Nations, where a multitude of managers have veto power.
"The biggest challenge is not the technology," he said, "but being able to change the culture."
Mr. Eslambolchi has won high marks from industry analysts for charting a new course, but they say AT&T has been lured into a price war and has failed to capitalize on woes at its major long-distance rival MCI.
"Hossein has been very good at articulating a technology vision," said David Willis, an analyst at the META Group. "But AT&T's execution thus far has failed him. They have had to cut prices and have not been able to fight off the commoditization of their own products."
Still, Mr. Eslambolchi, 47, is considered the executive who can push through the necessary changes, with strong support from David Dorman, AT&T's chief executive, who joined the company in 2000. Soft spoken and gracious, he is not flamboyant like Albert Dunlap, formerly of Sunbeam, yet he has no compunction about merciless cost-cutting.
Mr. Eslambolchi also works closely with AT&T's president, William J. Hannigan, who was named chief operating officer yesterday. Along with that announcement, AT&T named Thomas W. Horton, the chief financial officer, as vice chairman.
With four titles of his own, Mr. Eslambolchi, who also directs Bell Labs and AT&T's network operations, manages engineers, technicians and researchers in 11 divisions and speaks directly to dozens of customers a month to hear what they want.
"The guy is always on," said Eric Shepcaro, the chief strategist in AT&T's business group. "I can send him a note in the middle of the night and get a return e-mail 15 minutes later. He not only does not sleep, but I kid you not, he is online 24/7."
Mr. Eslambolchi got his drive - mental and physical - from his father, who was an electrical engineer in his native Iran. After abandoning a soccer scholarship at the University of Oklahoma, Mr. Eslambolchi followed his father's lead, earning a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of California, San Diego. He joined Bell Labs in 1986 and has focused on designing and developing data networks.
He holds more than 400 patents and applications including one for a system that instantly reroutes data when fiber optic cables are damaged. With compensation worth $4.2 million, he is the among the highest paid corporate technology officers.
For all the turmoil that years of declining sales have caused, AT&T's workers are just getting Mr. Eslambolchi's message. Since 2002, he has dismantled 381 of the company's 800 computer systems designed for specific products and services; he said he expected to have just 20 by 2007.
AT&T is also using more software to route more of its phone and Internet traffic. By getting rid of bulky circuit switches, the company is significantly reducing costs connected to operating old-fashioned switching stations.
Mr. Eslambolchi is also pushing engineers in Bell Labs to develop software for computer firewalls and security systems that detect viruses days before they attack a corporate client's servers.
These kinds of advanced services grew 13 percent last year and now make up 10 percent of sales in AT&T's business group.
To cut costs and speed up orders from customers, Mr. Eslambolchi also designed Business Direct, a Web site that gives customers a single window into their account, much like the system FedEx offers customers to track their packages.
One AT&T customer, Alticor, the parent company of Amway, uses Business Direct to order high-capacity data lines. By using the service, the company has halved the time it takes to install a line to one month because fewer people inside AT&T now handle orders. Alticor managers can call a single AT&T operator to fix any problem.
"The turnaround time has been reduced and the lines are being installed correctly," said Gerard Wood, a supervisor in Alticor's network division. "The AT&T team sees all our information so we're not continually repeating the same story" to several operators.
The Web site handles about 2.6 million transactions a month. Billing problems for business customers have fallen to 3 percent from 11 percent and the customer support center now handles 80 percent fewer calls.
By automating so many tasks, the number of customer service and network jobs has plunged to 22,000, from 55,000 in 1999. In all, AT&T has reduced $2.5 billion in operating expenses since 2002.
Even so, improved efficiency has only offset part of the decline in sales as prices drop.
"AT&T has a very fundamental challenge - which is the sources of its revenue are all under attack," said Jeffrey Halpern, an industry analyst at Sanford Bernstein who rates AT&T's stock market perform.
"They have no choice but to cut costs on a perpetual basis. It's a company with big waves that keeping breaking over its bow."
The latest wave hit the company in June when the Bells won the right to raise the rates they charge other carriers to use their networks. That development made it too expensive for AT&T to offer local phone service; in July, it stopped marketing local phone service to consumers.
Verizon Communications and SBC Communications, in addition to aggressively pursuing AT&T's remaining residential customers, are also aiming to lure AT&T's business customers with discounted services. The Bells' efforts on this front have quelled market speculation at least for now that one of them might acquire AT&T or another long-distance carrier.
Still, Mr. Eslambolchi argues that AT&T can regain its business footing because the Bells do not have the global network AT&T owns and therefore cannot compete for the biggest corporate accounts. AT&T's competitor, MCI, he says, lacks the sophisticated services big companies want.
By focusing on data services, Mr. Eslambolchi says, the company can play to its strengths. The competition is "trying to build a shuttle to the moon," he said. "We're on Mars and heading to Pluto."


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As Arby’s brags in its slogan, “We have the meats.” And that doesn’t mean its standard menu fare of roast beef and turkey. Lately, the fast food chain has venison on its mind, and plans to test a new venison sandwich at 17 of its restaurants in six states.
The sandwich includes a thick-cut venison steak, crispy onions and juniper berry sauce on a toasted roll. According to Rob Lynch, chief marketing officer, the meat is marinated in garlic, salt and pepper before being cooked for three hours.
“Hunters hunt the meats, and we have the meats, so it makes sense for us to connect with them and offer a sandwich that they can’t get at any other restaurant chain,” he says. “We’re a brand that’s not afraid to take risks, and while the venison sandwich is probably the biggest stretch for us yet, it’s incredibly delicious, and we can’t wait to get into the hands of our guests.”
Arby’s is targeting a test market it says is in “heavy deer hunting areas” in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Georgia. The sandwich will be sold starting on Halloween until November 28.
The company has also rolled out a hunting-themed advertising campaign earlier in October.


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Processed food has a bad reputation as a diet saboteur. It's blamed for our nation's obesity epidemic, high blood pressure and the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes. But processed food is more than boxed macaroni and cheese, potato chips and drive-thru hamburgers.
Recently, an announcement from the American Society for Nutrition (ASN), a respected authority on nutrition policy, noted that processed foods are an important part of the U.S. food supply because they are widely available and meet current nutritional guidelines.
Obesity Society public affairs committee chair Dr. Adam Tsai, from the University of Colorado, suggested that the degree of processing in foods does matter. The contention here is that people may want to select foods that are made with less sugar or are less processed because of health concerns.
If you consider the fact that processed foods account for more than 50% of the average daily caloric intake of American consumers, and that they also contribute to more than 75% of our daily consumption of sugar he has a point.
A study conducted from 2003 to 2006 and based on the results of the National Health and …
One of the main problem is not that people are reluctant to select processed food but the issue is the over consumption of processed foods.
Please Read this Article at NaturalBlaze.com
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Security company AVG has released its latest quarterly threat report, and the mobile findings overwhelmingly involve Android.
Malware on other mobile platforms is exceedingly rare, but on Android it is becoming common. The most interesting news from the report, which AVG bases on threats encountered by its anti-virus software on customers' computers, is the rise of "bootkits." Bootkits are analogous to rootkits on desktop computers. Android is based on a pared-down Linux kernel. A bootkit is a program that modifies and injects itself into that kernel. The malicious code therefore is always running on the phone; the user doesn't have to load an app. Like a rootkit it can do almost anything it wants, including intercepting information being sent from the operating system to apps and modifying it. It could, for example, change the numbers being displayed by your bank app.
Android bootkits aren't that sophisticated yet. AVG says that attacks still consist mostly of using premium SMS numbers to make money for the attackers. The numbers of such attacks are increasing, though, and are now increasingly based on more powerful techniques, such as the bootkit, which enable more sophisticated exploits.
The other big but not surprising news is the continued geographical concentration of Android malware in China and other far-eastern countries. Third-party app stores are more popular in these countries and malware has made its way into these stores more easily than it has in the official Google Play store.


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Lithuania is planning to introduce tougher rules for cryptocurrency companies. The Lithuanian government is working on making changes that according to authorities will exceed the prerequisites of the most recent EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive.
Lithuania, which grew to become a crowdfunding hotspot, plans to put into action legal adjustments that are very likely to place a burden on companies within the cryptocurrency and fintech sectors by requiring that they meet additional obligations. The changes are part of the initiatives of Lithuanian regulators to increase control over digital currencies and enhance oversight of the overall economy created around them.
According to the latest rules, only organizations listed with the country’s Center of Registers will be permitted to operate with digital currencies in Lithuania. These businesses will be required to adopt extensive KYC (Know Your Customer) and anti-money laundering processes. In accordance with the draft, the actions will have to be put into place upon establishing a connection with a client or customer for the first time. Those who provide services will be required to notify the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) of any large fund transfers.
The new requirements will deal with not only procedures involving fiat money but additionally cryptocurrency-to-cryptocurrency financial transactions. Companies that behave as intermediaries in these exchanges will be liable for guaranteeing compliance with the country’s Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing. What this means is that they will be expected to verify the identification of their clients prior to supplying any services.
Sigitas Mitkus, head of the Finance Ministry’s Financial Market Policy Department, recently discussed the government’s objectives. Speaking to BNS news, Mitkus made it clear that the plan is to create a transparent environment for cryptocurrency exchanges, depository wallet operators and ICO initiators, while also working to improve consumer protections. Mitkus also stressed that by launching certain restrictions for financial operations, authorities are going above and beyond the EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive.
Not only will Lithuanian businesses be impacted by the new legislation, but so too will their clients. If the law is completely applied as drafted, local residents will not have the ability to reap the benefits of the cryptocurrency services offered by businesses based outside of Lithuania, as it declares that only organizations registered within Lithuania will be permitted to provide services to Lithuanian clients.
Estonia, another country which boasts a thriving cryptocurrency industry due in part to favorable regulations, recently declared its own intention to tighten up the licensing process for businesses with digital assets. One of the regulations under consideration expresses that foreign entities registered in Estonia will have to abide by with the demand to keep an open office location there.
Companies such as Spectrocoin have already established an Estonian location and secured a license so as to legally provide services to clients outside of Lithuania. Additionally, the company is also exploring options for operating from other jurisdictions. Bankera, Spectrocoin’s head company, was among the platforms that profited substantially from the flourishing cryptocurrency market. Bankera raised $150 million from its preliminary coin offering, one of the most prosperous token sales to date. Today, its founder is convinced the days of ICOs are long gone and not as a result of regulation but because of the lessening wealth in the cryptocurrency space brought on by the decreased value of digital assets.


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Housing expected to be positive for U.S. economy
Posted on Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 9:24:19 AM
The housing market is expected to be a positive factor for the U.S. economy in 2014, in addition to private sector spending and reduced government policies, according to a recent forecast by Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research Group.
Fannie Mae chief economist Doug Duncan explained in a statement that housing market improvement is one of several key growth drivers expected in the new year. He added that even though residential financing rates have ticked up, consumer sentiment toward the segment continues to get stronger.
Overall, consumer and business spending growth is predicted to increase to 2.9 percent in 2014 compared to 2.6 percent in 2013, Fannie Mae reported.
In addition to these positive forecasts, home sales could also surge this year, even though 2013 ended on a slightly weaker note than some had hoped. Paul Diggle, property economist at Capital Economics, explained in a report that slower existing-home sales is only a temporary problem in the U.S., HousingWire reported.
"The bottom line is that the improvement in housing market activity during 2014 will be considerably weaker than the improvement during 2013 - even taking account of the soft end to last year," Diggle wrote, according to the news source. "But we do at least expect a further improvement in activity."


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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has filed lawsuits against Walmart and CVS alleging the two opioid distributors should pay for helping create the state’s opioid epidemic and act to remediate what became a public health and financial crisis.
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German wholesale prices rise 0.9% in May
The German statistical office Destatis released its wholesale prices for Germany on Friday. German wholesale prices rose 0.9% in May, after a 0.3% increase in April.
On a yearly basis, wholesale prices in Germany dropped 2.3% in May, after a 2.7% decline in April. Wholesale prices have been declining since July 2013.
The annual fall was mainly driven by a 16.4% drop in solid fuels and related products.


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Restaurateur Phil Stefani's Tuscany restaurants aren't lacking in the name-recognition department.
Question is, will a pasta sauce brand bearing that name do well in the aisles of your supermarket?
Stefani, who until now had not strayed far from opening dining establishments like the one that bears his name, as well as Riva and 437 Rush, among others, is launching four sauces under the Tuscany brand as part of his first-ever push into grocery stores.
Each will carry Stefani's signature at the bottom of the label, but Stefani believes that the restaurant name will carry more weight on the store shelf.
A tomato basil, cipriani, marinara, and brivido will initially make up the line, which is packed in jars.
So far, he has secured shelf space on 200 Jewel Food Store shelves, and negotiations with other retailers continue, he reports. He has signed on with Greco and Sons and Kehe Food Distributors to get it into stores.
Could the business be a big moneymaker? Right now, it's wait and see.
"We think in this market, our name should have value," Stefani said.
Stefani is the latest to try to capitalize on consumers' recent love affair with specialty pasta sauces, which have boomed at the expense of traditional brands.
Although the pasta category remained relatively flat in the past year, at roughly $1.5 billion in supermarkets, higher-end brands like Newman's Own, Barilla and Five Brothers have seen extraordinary growth, according to Information Resources Inc., a sales and marketing research company.
Five Brothers came out of nowhere last year to become the seventh-leading brand, with $85.4 million in sales.
Meanwhile, sales of top-selling brand Prego fell 9 percent, to $242 million.
If successful, Stefani isn't ruling out other Tuscany-branded products.
His move comes as restaurateurs are looking at other outlets and products for growth. Most restaurant chains have backed off new outlets, as business has remained sluggish since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Stefani's ad agency, DiMeo & Co., handled the label design.
Hampton returns: After a five-year hiatus, Hilton Hotel Corp.'s Hampton Inn returns to the airwaves with a $15 million ad campaign that focuses on service, with the new line, "We love having you here."
The campaign, the first from new agency Foote, Cone & Belding, takes the lighthearted approach. Travelers "sing" their thoughts about a hotel that anticipates their needs. The spots, directed by director Stephen Daldry ("Billy Elliot"), play off the melody "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" from the musical "My Fair Lady."
Meredith nabs Parade boss: Jack Griffin, president of Parade Publications Inc. and publisher of Parade magazine, jumps to Meredith Corp. to become president of the company's Magazine Group, effective June 30.
He replaces Jerry Kaplan, who retires at the end of the year. Until then, Kaplan will serve as executive vice president of the Meredith Publishing Group. Griffin will oversee Meredith's stable of magazine titles, including Better Homes and Gardens, Ladies' Home Journal, American Baby and Country Home. Griffin had worked for Meredith prior to joining Parade in 1999. Parade immediately promoted Randy Siegel, executive vice president, to publisher of Parade.
On the move: Christopher Hamer, formerly director of advertising with OnStar, moves to General Motors' Cadillac division as advertising director. ... Chris Brathwaite, formerly with United Airlines, joins Sears, Roebuck and Co. as director of media relations. ... Bill Hague, director of business development at research firm Frank N. Magid in Chicago, joins King World Productions Inc.'s Chicago office as vice president, sales, Midwest division. Hague succeeds Mike Stornello, who moved to senior vice president, development, at King World. ... Brian Ebling, formerly with Toronto-based Vickers & Benson, joins Noble BBDS as vice president, account director.
Krause on the Score? It's true. Former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause will analyze the coming NBA draft on WSCR-AM 670--a station known to take a jab or two at the former Bulls executive during his tenure. Paragon Marketing Group is representing Krause in his media endeavors. Krause also will analyze the draft for WMAQ-Ch. 5.
Jim Kirk's Media and Marketing column appears Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. E-mail jkirk@Tribune.com


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WARREN, MI – General Motors announced it has removed 20 executive positions globally in order to eliminate redundancy and complexity in its Global Product Development organization. The automaker said its goal was to consolidate current vehicle development executive roles and streamline global vehicle development.
According to GM, in the previous team structure, a vehicle line executive, line director, and chief engineer would oversee development of a product program. In the new structure, the chief engineer will oversee each program and its vehicles from “inception through production,” according to GM. The changes will be effective Aug. 1, according to the automaker. Each chief engineer will report to Doug L. Parks, who has the newly created role of vice president, Product Programs.
GM said Parks was the executive director and group vehicle line executive for electric cars since March, 2012, and that he had served as global vehicle line executive and global vehicle chief executive for electric cars, including the Chevrolet Volt.
“The realignment reduces complexity and drives single-point accountability for the execution of our vehicle programs,” said Mary Barra, GM senior vice president, Global Product Development.