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National specialty outdoor retailer REI Co-op today announced that it is building a distribution center in Lebanon, Tennessee to support its continued growth on the East Coast and in the Midwest and South. Expected to open in fall 2023, the building and its operations will proactively address the employee experience, community engagement and environmental impact.
REI’s Lebanon distribution center will be approximately 400,000 square feet and employ more than 280 staff. Situated on 41 acres in Wilson County, the facility will be one mile from I-40 and three miles from downtown Lebanon at 1400 Murfreesboro Road. The location will considerably reduce shipping times to fulfill customers’ online purchases and be able to support more than 70 REI stores. Nearly 5.6 million REI members live in the service area of the new distribution center.
Al. Neyer is the co-op’s partner for the new distribution center. The Nashville-based team has supported site selection and land purchase; engaged with Lebanon’s elected officials and economic development council; and facilitated introductions with regional power suppliers. Additionally, Al. Neyer is the architect and general contractor for the project.
“Opening a distribution center in Lebanon strategically positions REI for growth and complements the service areas of our other distribution facilities. Most importantly, the center will reflect the co-op’s values by putting people first and apply a new standard in fighting the climate crisis,” says Bill Best, REI vice president of supply chain. “We have a strong local partner that understands REI’s brand, sustainability ethos and interest to create healthier communities.”
“Al. Neyer’s integrated team of developers, licensed architects, and construction management experts are excited to partner with REI to deliver a best-in-class distribution center that will set an important precedent for sustainability in Greater Nashville and beyond,” states Justin Hartung, Al. Neyer vice president of design-build. “Our team has been working closely with REI over the past year and a half to develop this leading facility that will not only be a great place to work and a great addition to the community, but will also make a lasting positive impact on the environment.”
REI selected Lebanon after looking at several other locations in the south and considering key factors that included, but were not limited to, general population statistics, job market potential, construction readiness, existing regional environmental commitments, and cost to build.
REI believes that climate change, without question, is the largest existential threat to both the co-op and planet. As the co-op makes investments to better serve its growing membership and the outdoor community, it is also taking action on climate change by committing to more than halve its carbon footprint by 2030. REI is also leveraging its influence in the retail industry to encourage broader change, including growing a responsible footprint, launching product impact standards, enabling employees and members to take a stand on issues critical to the future, and more.
The Lebanon facility will complement REI’s three existing distribution centers in Bedford, Pennsylvania; Goodyear, Arizona; and Sumner, Washington. Notably, the Bedford and Goodyear locations are certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Its Goodyear distribution center that opened in 2016 achieved LEED Platinum certification—the highest level in the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) green building rating system—and the first distribution center in the country to achieve both LEED Platinum certification and Net Zero Energy.
REI’s Lebanon distribution center is being constructed with industry-leading sustainability and technology features that complement its Arizona site. The design is centered on a productive and healthy built environment that intentionally takes into consideration how employees work, rest and connect to nature. The building will address the entire life cycle of carbon impacts by using 100% renewable, 100% electric energy and operating as a zero-waste facility. REI will also be an active participant in regional renewable energy solutions.
“REI is a respected brand that has been trusted by outdoor enthusiasts for over 80 years, and I’m proud the company has chosen Tennessee for its newest distribution center,” shares Governor Bill Lee. “Our state’s central location and unmatched quality of life make it the ideal destination for a company so committed to outdoor recreation, and I thank REI for its commitment and job creation in Lebanon.”
Community investments, partnerships and advocacy for outdoor access
As a member-owned co-op, REI annually shares its profits with the outdoor community through member dividends and rewards, employee retirement contributions and investment in nonprofit partners.
REI actively partners with nonprofits across the nation to steward and maintain local trails and public lands to connect more people to the outdoors. Over the last five years, the co-op has invested more than $440,000 in Tennessee-based land agencies and nonprofit partners. In 2021, $102,000 was invested in 17 organizations including Appalachian Mountain Bike Club, Friends of the Smokies, Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, Lula Lake Land Trust, Overton Park Conservancy, Southeastern Climbers Coalition, Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association, and others.
The co-op launched the Cooperative Action Fund earlier this year, a community-supported public charity designed to harness the collective power of the co-op’s 20 million members and 15,000 employees to build a more just, equitable and inclusive outdoor culture. Three Tennessee groups received grants in the fund’s first investment round, including Adaptative Adventures in Nashville and Black Girls RUN! Foundation chapters in Memphis and Nashville.
“Even before we are fully operational, we look forward to becoming an involved partner in Lebanon and beyond,” adds Best.
REI’s Tennessee presence
REI has more than 267,000 lifetime members in the state, and the company opened its first retail store in Brentwood, Tennessee in 1999. Today, REI operates five stores and employs nearly 300 professionals in the state.
In addition, REI’s adventure travel company has operated guided trips in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for 14 years. The company has six multi-day adventure trips through the park with backpacking, hiking, multisport and rafting itineraries. The destination is consistently one of the co-op’s most popular in the national park system. In the last five years, REI has hosted more than 2,800 guests in the Great Smokies, many of those were first-time visitors.
About the REI Co-op
REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation’s largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of more than 20 million members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 174 locations in 41 states and the District of Columbia. If you can’t visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI Outlet or the REI shopping app. REI isn’t just about gear. Adventurers can take the trip of a lifetime with REI’s active adventure travel company that runs more than 100 itineraries across the country. In many communities where REI has a presence, professionally trained instructors share their expertise by hosting beginner-to advanced-level classes and workshops about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access to—and steward—the outdoor places that inspire us all.
About Al. Neyer
For more than 125 years, Al. Neyer has offered a full-range of real estate development and design-build construction solutions for commercial clients. Established in 1894 and employee-owned since 2014, the company specializes in urban mixed-use developments and build-to-suit commercial spaces including corporate headquarters, medical office buildings, multi-unit residential, and industrial facilities. Al. Neyer is continually recognized for its ability to collaborate and provide greater value, high-quality, and faster project delivery. Al. Neyer is headquartered in Cincinnati, has offices in Nashville, Raleigh, and Pittsburgh, and serves a local, regional and national client base. More information about the company can be found at https://www.neyer.com.


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|Page (1) of 1 - 01/29/14||email article||print page|
Chrysler Group's fourth-quarter net income more than quadrupled to $1.62 billion, aided by $962 million in one-time tax benefits. Without the benefits, the company made $659 million, still 74 percent more than a year ago. Chrysler's performance helped to prop up Fiat, its Italian owner, which made $345 million excluding one-time items. Without earnings from Chrysler, Fiat would have lost $321 million. The industry hopes the latest figures suggest the decline in Europe - Fiat's traditional stronghold - has bottomed out. Steve Fowler, Editor of Auto Express, says Fiat needs Chrysler now, not the other way around: For the full year, Chrysler made $1.8 billion excluding tax benefits, its best performance since leaving bankruptcy in 2009.
|Tax Benefits Drive Up Chrysler 4Q Net Earnings|
Source:GrabNetworks (c). All Rights Reserved

domain: news


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The Federal Government has introduced 50 per cent tariff on printed materials to, in its words, “encourage local production”. But in the face of the dwindling naira value and lack of capacity for local production, stakeholders argue, imported books will be priced beyond buyers’ reach. This, they say, may spell doom for education, reports KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE.
The Federal Government’s introduction of 50 per cent tariff on printed materials jolted the industry.
Since the Ministry of Finance’s announcement, publishers, booksellers and others have been jittery.
The tarrif is broken down into 20 per cent duty and 30 per cent levy on books.
But, to stakeholders the move will be counter-productive, driving the prices of books beyond buyer’s reach and stifling the local industry.
Last month, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said discussions were on with the Nigeria Publishers Association (NPA) and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to resolve the issue. “Pending the resolution of the issues, several options to address genuine concerns are being explored,” she noted, on the social media.
While seeking ways to resolve the problems, stakeholders identified many factors that would make the policy impracticable. They also suggested what the Federal Government must do to make the local publishing industry vibrant.
Likely scenario after introduction of tariff
If the 50 per cent tariff is introduced, Ogbeni Lanre Adesuyi, Managing Director of Havilah Procurement and Library Services Ltd (a leading company in books and publishing), said prices of books would rise by about 50 per cent, which would further reduce the number of books bought for libraries and read by Nigerians, especially at the tertiary level, and encourage piracy and smuggling. He said the devaluation of the naira further compounds the problem as the cost of purchasing the books from source would automatically rise as well.
“It is going to affect the entire populace because the prices of books will go up by 50 per cent. Secondly, don’t forget that naira has already fallen against the dollar. That is another added cost. It will affect prices of books by up to 30-40 per cent. It means people won’t afford books. There will be piracy, which means authors will not reap the benefit of intellectual property; and government would lose revenue because pirates do not pay tax,” he said.
Chairman of Safari Books Ltd Chief Joop Bekhout foresees misfortune for the Nigerian education sector if the policy should scale through.
He said: “It means that libraries will be without books because nobody can afford them. It is even against UNESCO Convention which Nigeria is a signatory. Under the agreement, you cannot task educational materials. The ECOWAS agreement was just passed two days ago. Theirs is zero. But Nigeria said no – that it is 50 per cent. It takes effect from the 1st of January. So, instead of making progress, we will go down. Everybody must appeal to the government to cancel it. Whose idea it is, we don’t know. It is a very bad situation. It means the people who implement it, they don’t care about our country; they don’t care about education.”
Otunba Olayinka Lawal-Solarin, Chairman of Literamed Publications, publishers of Lantern Books, noted that books may be scares because local industry lack the the capacity to meet the demands of the Nigerian populace for books.
“Yes, we should produce locally, but have we got the capacity? How many books can printers in Nigeria print? The number of books we need in Nigeria today is huge – for basic and secondary education, not to talk of tertiary,” he said.
Why book imports are huge
Apart from lacking the local capacity to produce books needed in Nigeria, Otunba Lawal-Solarin says some categories of books are not published locally. He said most local publishers concentrate on publishing books for the basic and secondary education, while tertiary books are imported. He largely attributed the importation of most tertiary books to the fact that there are few authors of tertiary books in Nigeria. Since the authors are mostly foreign, he said Nigerian publishers need to purchase rights before they can publish such books, which may not be readily released.
“Do printers in Nigeria print tertiary books? Most of the tertiary books in Nigeria come from India, Europe and America. They are mostly authored by foreign writers. Unless publishers buy the rights, they cannot print the books else it would amount to piracy. The authors must also be willing to sell the rights to Nigerian publishers,” he said.
For Adesuyi, those in the manufacturing industry supporting the tariff policy are doing so with the hope of winning huge government contracts for publication of basic and secondary books without considering that they lack the capacity for tertiary books.
“What they are targeting are the big government contracts because our printers don’t have the capacity to produce locally in large quantity. Nigerian printers don’t produce tertiary books. They (tertiary books) are not usually produced in large quantity (even by foreign publishers). Publishers even print them only on demand,” he said.
Bekhout added that publishing tertiary books in Nigeria is currently a disincentive because of the low patronage. This may not be unconnected to the cost. Some tertiary books sell N3,000- N5,000 or more, which many tertiary students cannot afford.
“If you have an academic book that you only sell 500 copies in a year, you can’t produce it locally; it doesn’t make any sense,” Bekhout said.
Cheaper to produce abroad
With the country’s paper mills moribund and the paralyzing effect of epileptic power supply, the local publishing industry cannot compete with foreign book imports in terms of cost. Publishers say it is cheaper to print good quality books abroad than locally.
“Printing is cheaper abroad,” said Lawal-Solarin, “which is not good for us local publishers.” Without paper and power, it would always be so. “We don’t have paper. All the paper mills are moribund. We should go back to the basics and provide paper.”
Adesuyi said many publishers in Nigeria print abroad where power is available, labour is cheaper and quality is assured.
“It is cheaper to produce abroad because there is no power in Nigeria. When there is no power, what does one fall back on, diesel. How much does it cost? The publisher has to provide his own power. Again, he has to provide skilled labour. Labour is expensive here compared to Dubai, China and India where it is cheap,” he said.
As far as Behkout is concerned, the only local resource used in book production in Nigeria is labour. With other components being imported, he said it is unrealistic to end importation of books.
He said: “You know that in this country, we do not make any paper. Every sheet of paper is imported. Local production of books is only manpower. Even electricity is provided by generators. There is no local component of bookmaking in this country. Raw material and every other component of local production are imported.”
Book trade is international
Stifling book imports poses the danger of limiting the knowledge of Nigerians, warns Bekhout, who noted that the book trade is in the purview of international because knowledge is universal.
“We do local production. But there are limits to local production. And knowledge is not local; knowledge is universal; it is international. Why do we call it university, because should be universal. If you are in London, my son is a professor in london, there are over 46,000 students and staff from different nationalities in the country. Education is a global idea; education is international,” he said.
While publishers say the 50 per cent tariff on book import is harsh, they however said they were not against local production. They recommended that the Federal Government should enhance capacity of local players before introducing other measures.
Lawal-Solarin called for the resuscitation of paper mills in the country. He also advocated a phase tariff plan on areas of strengths of the local industry.
“We should do this gradually. The Federal Government should revive the paper mills. Printers in Nigeria must get paper. Again, instead of a blanket levy on all book imports, the government could decide that the levy be on books in the basic education sector, where publishers are thriving but leave out tertiary books,” he said.


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Inventory Solutions updates price guide
NEW YORK – Inventory Solutions has released its Refurbished Equipment Price Guide for 2015. The guide includes pricing for many respiratory product categories, including vents, apnea monitors, pulse oximeters and concentrators. “Though the market has changed significantly since I started the company 14 years ago, our goal remains the same,” said President and Founder John Wittenberg. “We want to offer cost effective, reliable and affordable refurbished options to increase our customer’s bottom line.” For more information, www.invsol.com.


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Is tractor industry's golden run over?
CHENNAI: Tractor sales fell 15% for the last three months forcing tractor companies to cut production.
While Mahindra & Mahindra has announced it will take between 5-13 no-production days across its various automobile and farm equipment sector plants in the first quarter of FY20, others including Escorts have also reduced production.
With the monsoon playing truant this year, the industry is looking at contraction in demand even if demand picks up with Kharif sowing. Tractor marketers say the severe drought in key markets like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu --where demand has gone down by 20%-40% — will impact the overall market as well.
“Monsoon situation is a worry though in the last few days it has been picking up speed. The reservoir levels are very low and drought is acute. In Maharashtra, the market is down by 30-50% and in Tamil Nadu, it is down by 20-30% already.,” said Shenu Agarwal, chief executive, Agri Machinery & emerging business, Escorts Limited.
These markets together comprise just under 10% of the tractor industry and it is thanks to high-growth markets like Madhya Pradesh that the industry has been able to counter their sales drop. As far as dealer inventory goes, he said, Escorts has brought it down to between 21-25 days in the last few years.
“However in February and March some extra tractors were kept in our depot to cater to the April Navratra which turned out to be a damp squib,” said Agarwal. “As a result, our inventory was more than we would like to keep and in April, May, and June we cut production to reduce our depot inventory,” he added. Currently, the inventory levels for the tractor industry is around 5 weeks or 35 days.
“Based on the current trend, markets where demand has slowed we have optimized our stock but in markets, with positive demand, we have mobilized our resources and inventory," said Raman Mittal, ED, Sonalika Group.
“Things are not that bad right now (as in 2001-02) and most of the production correction has already been done,” said Agarwal.
Courtesy: Times of India
पूरी तरह से शांतिपूर्ण होगी किसानों की ट्रैक्टर रैली! किसानों के संयुक्त संगठन ने जारी की नियमावली!
ट्रैक्टर रैली के लिए किसान संगठनों को दिल्ली पुलिस द्वारा अनुमति मिल गई है। दिल्ली पुलिस ने इस शर्त...
जानें किस तरह जुड़ा है गणतंत्र दिवस और ट्रैक्टर का इतिहास।
इतिहास के पन्नों को टटोलना काफी रोमांचकारी होता है। और इसी रोमांच का अनुभव हम आपको अभी करवाने...
क्या सरकार दे रही है ट्रैक्टर पर 50% तक सब्सिडी?
नमस्कार किसान भाइयों! ट्रैक्टरज्ञान में एक बार फिर से आपका स्वागत है। "सारे हंसी वायदे है बस...


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It could have been a lot worse. That’s the verdict after some of the most important technology companies reported earnings.
Facebook (FB) and Alphabet (GOOG) rallied more than 5 percent after first-quarter revenue beat estimates. It was a huge relief for investors worried about how coronavirus lockdowns would impact advertising revenue at the two Internet giants.
There were other positives. FB’s monthly active users surged 10 percent as millions of people sheltered in their homes. Analysts also said Mark Zuckerberg’s company did a better job resisting ad price cuts than rivals.
GOOGL had some bright spots as well, especially revenue growth from non-search operations like YouTube and cloud computing. CEO Sundar Pichai also planned cost cuts to defend profits. Earnings at both FB and GOOGL missed estimates.
Tesla’s Profit Streak Continues
Tesla (TSLA), on the other, reported better-than-expected profit after continuing to improve its margins. This has been a huge catalyst for the electric-car maker since late 2019, triggering one of the most spectacular short squeezes in history.
The executive team struck a confident tone on its conference call, saying that lower subsidies won’t hurt demand. CEO Elon Musk added that margins are widening as its Shanghai factory ramps up production.
Perhaps most important: It was TSLA’s third straight profitable quarter. That may put it on track for inclusion in the S&P 500, which requires a full year in the green. The 17-year-old disruptor is already bigger than 93 percent of the index’s members. It also trades more options volume than every company except Apple (AAPL).
Can Anything Stop Microsoft?
Microsoft (MSFT), the most valuable U.S. company by market cap, actually benefited coronavirus fueled computing demand. “Two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months.” That’s how CEO Satya Nadella put it.
Workforce services like Teams, Azure cloud computing and commercial products like Office all surged. Earnings and revenue beat estimates.
Other software companies including ServiceNow (NOW), Paycom Software (PAYC) and F5 Networks (FFIV) also rallied on strong numbers. This industry continues to emerge as one of the cornerstones of the long-term bull market in technology.
Another key firm, Mastercard (MA), also surprised to the upside. Investors worried about that lockdowns would hurt business transactions. But it wasn’t as bad as feared. Did you know that MA is actually a tech stock and not a financial?
Given their sensitivity to business activity, don’t be surprised if Wall Street views MA, GOOGL and FB as ways to position for the economy reopening.
Chip Stocks Try to Sound Cautious
Semiconductor stocks are also sensitive to the economy. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), a big name in servers and gaming, sounded a cautious tone. Intel (INTC) also tried to paint a negative picture because of coronavirus, but analysts pointed to its rapid growth in cloud computing. They also noted that remote working boosted old-school demand.
Qualcomm (QCOM) was another chip company that tried to curb enthusiasm with soft guidance, but it still gained.
Remember that chip stocks are in the midst of a multiyear surge because of cloud computing, smart phones, the Internet of Things and 5G Networking. It’s not a surprise that investors are looking past near-term issues. That’s especially true with the economy reopening.
Streaming-audio firm Spotify Technology (SPOT) jumped after reporting a surprisingly good quarter. Not only did monthly users and premium subscribers beat projections. Its loss was also much narrower than feared after listeners tuned into content with lower costs, like podcasts.
Yum China (YUMC) was another under-the-radar winner. The parent of KFC and Pizza Hut in China reported strong numbers on both its top and bottom lines. Ninety-nine percent of its restaurants have resumed operations.
Twitter (TWTR) fell after management warned that “elevated near-term capacity needs are driving increased spend on our existing infrastructure.” That could slow expansion plans in other areas. Guidance for the current quarter was also weak.
Several manufacturing companies drifted after issuing results:
- General Electric (GE) beat on revenue, missed on earnings.
- Boeing (BA) missed on earnings, but inched higher after cutting costs.
- Ford Motor (F) missed on both, but held its current range around $5.
All three stocks lost about half their values before the reports. Investors are probably less interested in the last numbers, and more interested in their ability to rebound as the economy reopens.
In conclusion, most big technology stocks entered this week under the cloud of coronavirus. But the numbers weren’t as bad as feared and investors are starting to expect a recovery.
Attention now turns to Apple (AAPL) and Amazon.com (AMZN), the two trillion-dollar companies reporting this afternoon.


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SVG Media acquires Mobile technology platform SeventyNine & performance display platform NetworkPlay
Digital media network SVG Media has completely acquired India and South East Asia’s leading mobile video technology platform SeventyNine and Performance display platform NetworkPlay from Gurner+Jahr (a unit of Bertelsmann Group).
Following the acquisition; SVG Media has become the largest advertising technology company in India with over 8% market share of digital media and has reach over 100 million Internet users on mobile and PC.
SeventyNine and NetworkPlay will now work as independent brands along with SVG Media’s other market leading AdTech platform Tyroo, DGM and PrecisionMatch.
Manish Vij, Founder & CEO, SVG Media along with Co-Founder and Chairman Harish Bahl said “It has been our dream to build a platform of this scale to help our advertisers meet its performance marketing objectives and give best monetization for our publishers for their mobile / PC assets. We are doing this by Affiliate marketplace, Video and Data products. SeventyNine’s patent pending technology is one of first few mobile video platforms that delivers performance to advertisers”
SeventyNine’sprevious co-founders Chirag Shah and DevenDharamdasani will lead the business post acquisition. “We are very excited to be back and working with the same team at SeventyNine and are very confident of making it the largest mobile video advertising technology platform in Asia,” they said.
Along with its leadership in India, SVG media, is serving business in over seven countries and is on its way to becoming the largest advertising technology platform in Asia.
SVG Media started its India operations in 2008 and is the launch pad for successful digital advertising technology media businesses. It house leading performance, mobile, data targeting businesses such as Tyroo, PrecisionMatch, DGM.


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On July 6, FAS Tokyo joined working level staff from the Ministry of Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the ...
On June 8, Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) Tokyo conducted the first new-to-market U.S. food and agricultural products s ...
The Hawaii Department of Agriculture and four additional U.S. exhibitors participated in the 4th Cafe and Pizza/Pasta Ex ...
On June 20, ATO Director Rachel Nelson supported the California Wine Institute’s By-the-Glass Promotion Awards Ceremony ...
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As energy prices continue to add to the cost of providing electricity to data centers, now it's becoming more expensive for systems that generate backup power as well.
Emerson Network Power today said it is raising the price of all its backup power supply hardware and cooling systems, effective immediately. On average, prices for data-center backup and cooling systems will increase 5.5 percent, though certain products could go up as little as 3 percent or as high as 15 percent. Software pricing will remain unchanged.
The price increases for hardware were necessary because of increases in the cost of raw materials and components, notably copper, steel and led, says Fred Stack, director of marketing of Emerson's Liebert Solutions line of data center power and cooling systems. It's the first time Emerson has raised the price of backup and cooling solutions sold through channel partners, Stack says.
Because the increases apply to list pricing, end user customers are the ones who will bare the cost increases, Stack says.
"It's the end user that's going to see this, not the reseller," he says.
Several rivals have already raised prices, notably Eaton PowerWare, which announced price increases that took effect at the beginning of the year.
Stack doesn't envision the list-price increases having an impact on overall demand.
"The market is growing nicely right now, compared to prior years," Stack says. "I think it's easier for the market to absorb something like this when it's in a growth mode."
Quotes already given to customers and VARs prior to today will remain valid for another 45 days. Stack says the increases won't affect other channel promotions or market-development fund offerings.


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National Instruments and Tektronix have extended their more than 20-year relationship developing new products.
The co-developed products are slated to improve productivity and lower costs for engineers and scientists working in design verification, manufacturing test, scientific research, and embedded test.
The two companies will unveil specific details at NIWeek 2009 scheduled for Aug. 4"6 in Austin, Texas.
Tektronix and National Instruments have collaborated on a series of initiatives focused on ensuring strong integration and interoperability between the companies' respective products.
In 2003, the companies worked together to increase the integration of LabVIEW and Tektronix instruments by providing LabVIEW on Tektronix open Windows oscilloscopes.
In 2006, they introduced LabVIEW SignalExpress Tektronix Edition and released TekExpress.
"This collaboration brings together two leading brands with one goal of enabling our joint customers to innovate and bring products to market faster," said Martyn Etherington, Vice President of Marketing for Tektronix, in a statement.
"Both National Instruments and Tektronix serve a very large base of customers, and universally, those customers are telling us they want new approaches for optimizing their automated test systems," said Eric Starkloff, Vice President of Product Marketing for Test at National Instruments.


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CCAR and Sherwin-Williams partner to promote GreenLink Shop program
June 30, 2010—The Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair (CCAR) announced its partnership with Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes (SWAF) in promoting CCAR GreenLink Shop certification for SWAF’s A-Plus Network and EcoLean repair shops.
The SWAF programs train industry professionals, help shops go lean, and create solutions for cutting environmental waste, according to a CCAR press release_notes. The new partnership will allow these shops to be recognized for their efforts by potentially becoming a GreenLink Shop.
“We are excited to bring the benefits of CCAR’s GreenLink Shop recognition program to our A-Plus Network Members,” said Brandon Devis, A-Plus Network program manager. “Our members continue to look for ways to set them apart from their respective competition and this is a great consumer driver benefit. There is a natural synergy between the GreenLink Shop recognition and our EcoLean training we provide through our A-Plus University workshops.”
To reach GreenLink Shop status, shops must maintain high standards of safety, health and eco-friendly business practices. For more information, go to ccar-greenlink.org/gls.


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The food and soft drinks industry is hitting back hard after a WHO report laid much of the blame for rising obesity at its door. Both sides are wheeling out scientific evidence, but the case will hinge on credibility, says David Benady
One food lobbyist commented: “I’m with the mayor of Toronto on this one,” after the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) publication of a damning report calling for cuts in the consumption of sugary and fatty foods. The mayor in question, Mel Lastman, said he “had never been so angry” after the health body blacklisted his city in response to the crisis over severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
The report that has so upset the food industry is called Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases (DNPCD). Lobbyists say many of its findings are based on wild assertions that ignore a mass of scientific evidence.
The report concluded that high consumption of sugar-laden soft drinks and the heavy marketing of fast food and fatty and sugary products are among the probable causes of a huge worldwide increase in obesity. The WHO blames a rise in non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancers and osteoporosis, on unhealthy living and a poor diet.
The report recommends that added sugar should make up no more than ten per cent of diet (measured by energy content), with fat comprising between 15 and 30 per cent. The overwhelming bulk of daily energy intake – 55 to 75 per cent – should be carbohydrates (including sugar), with more than 400g of fruit and vegetables consumed daily. It also says people should take regular exercise (up to an hour most days) and that children should watch less television.
To the food industry, the report is terrifying in its implications. Many states are likely to act on its recommendations and it will form the basis of a strategy document to be published in draft form next January. From some point next year, governments will be under pressure to put the WHO’s recommendations into practice.
This could have huge repercussions for marketers. WHO recommendations include “reducing heavy marketing of foods high in fat and/or sugar to children” – a move that could devastate children’s commercial television – and “providing appropriate food information to consumers to allow them to make ‘healthy choices'”. Together with its recommendations for reducing sugar intake, the report is highly unpalatable for an industry that has built its marketing on unlocking people’s desires (through removing the guilt associated with them) for all those naughty, but nice, sugary, salty and fatty products.
Food industry lobbyists went into overdrive last week to dismiss the findings and recommendations. US lobby group the Sugar Association even began a campaign to force the US government to cut its funding of more than $400m (&£250m) a year to the WHO. It also, along with six other big food industry groups, wrote to US health secretary Tommy Thompson calling for him to use his influence to get the report withdrawn. The association was particularly incensed at the idea of a ten per cent sugar limit.
In the UK, the food industry’s response was no less immediate. The Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Alliance, which represents the country’s biggest confectionery manufacturers, says it is “disappointed” with the report. “It is full of sweeping statements that ignore the science. This is such an important issue, because we know that negative health campaigns never work,” says spokeswoman Penny Hawley. “There is no easy answer here. There is no point in demonising particular foods: bad diets overall are the issue, and it is important to balance energy intake with energy output.”
The WHO insists DNPCD is an “expert” report and that the food industry’s arguments are “flying in the face of science and common sense”.
The food industry has funded a massive public relations programme to say that there is no such thing as unhealthy food, it just depends how much you eat. Too much of any type of food is bad for you, argue the lobbyists, so why pick on sugary or fatty products?
Dr Richard Cottrell, director of the UK’s Sugar Bureau, representing Tate & Lyle and British Sugar, says: “We feel rather confused at the moment, because we have a track record of responsible health promotion.” He rejects the idea of a ten per cent limit on daily sugar intake as “very difficult to justify. Why ten rather than 12, 15 or five?”. The WHO, meanwhile, argues that the ten per cent figure is based on a number of scientific studies that recommend a similar figure.
The Food & Drink Federation condemns the WHO report for “containing many sweeping statements that are clearly not based on scientific evidence”. A spokeswoman says: “It is up to individuals what they would like to eat. We wouldn’t want to get to a state where people are told what they should and shouldn’t eat.” This, however, would seem to ignore the massive advertising output which does precisely that – tells people to eat sweets, crisps and other unhealthy food. The Food & Drink Federation spokeswoman says of advertising: “Businesses need to ensure their products are visible.”
Sugary soft drinks also get a bashing in the WHO report. It says: “Children with a high consumption of soft drinks rich in free sugars are more likely to be overweight and to gain excess weight.” It argues that there is less of a compensatory reduction of food intake after consuming high-sugar drinks than after consuming foods of similar energy content.
Coca-Cola rejects the WHO findings. “In contrast to the findings of the WHO study, the preponderance of scientific evidence indicates no link between soda consumption and obesity and there is no evidence that reduction in consumption of a specific food or beverage will affect the obesity problem,” it says.
It seems counter-intuitive to suggest that eating less fat or sugar does not help weight loss, however. The food and drink industries seem likely to lose the argument, and will probably be forced to stem the marketing of high-sugar, high-salt and high-fat products. Marketers are likely to find themselves being asked for more ideas for marketing healthy products in the near future.


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The promises of Increased energy and better concentration continue to stimulate the growing sales of energy drinks, which are sold everywhere from neighborhood grocery stores to local bars and gyms.
Increasingly, however, health professionals are giving warnings about these products and their possible negative effects, especially on young people.
There are so many possible unknown consequences that derive from caffeine and other supplements, some of which are not regulated, that I think the risks outweigh the benefits.
Meridan Zerner, registered dietitian, Cooper Clinic, Dallas, Texas
A recent study indicated a possible disadvantage of energy drinks. In "The DAWN Report," published on January 10, 2013, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration observed a duplication over a five-year period of the number of emergency visits related to energy drinks, from 10,068 in 2007 to 20,783 in 2011. Most of the cases involved individuals between the ages of 18 and 39 years.
Manufacturers of popular energy drinks have rejected the conclusions detailed in the report, prepared by the Drug Abuse Warning Network. Health professionals urge caution when using energy drinks, however, especially considering the potential danger of their combination with other substances or consuming them in extreme conditions.
According to the "DAWN Report", 58 percent of the visits to the emergency room in 2011 were related to the consumption of energy drinks alone, while 42 percent involved energy drinks combined with alcohol, pharmaceuticals and stimulants of the central nervous system or illicit drugs.
Energy drinks include brands such as Red Bull and Monster, which have a high percentage of caffeine and are marketed as a way to increase energy. These drinks differ from sports drinks, such as Gatorade and Powerade, which have carbohydrates and electrolytes as their main ingredients and are designed to provide fuel for the muscles and to help keep the body hydrated. Most sports drinks do not contain caffeine, although a Powerade product, Powerade Fuel +, does.
Health professionals are concerned not only about high amounts of caffeine but also about common additives, such as taurine, guarana, creatine and herbal supplements. Such additives may contain caffeine or intensify the effects of caffeine, and most are not regulated.
The nutrition and health information sheet on energy drinks published in 2007 by the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources indicates that caffeine in most energy drinks ranges from 72 mg to 150 mg for containers with 8 oz. To 12 oz.In larger packages the information sheet indicates that they can contain two or three servings and raise the level of caffeine to 294 mg for the entire container. Smaller drinks, called shots, can also have high concentrations of caffeine.
The Food and Drug Administration reported in November 2012 that over a four-year period it had received reports of 13 deaths citing the possible role of 5-Hour Energy shots. In October 2012, the agency received five reports of deaths in which the consumption of Monster Energy is mentioned. These reports, however, do not mean that there is a direct relationship between beverages and death.
Manufacturers of many of these energy drinks have insisted that there is no evidence that their drinks are responsible for injuries or deaths.
In a press release dated January 16, 2013, the American Beverage Association said that the results of the "DAWN Report" indicate that less than two hundredths of 1 percent of the approximately 136 million visits to emergency rooms per year are allegedly linked to energy drinks.
Monster Beverage Corp., maker of Monster Energy, said in a statement that "The DAWN report" is "very misleading" and does not prove the drinks are unsafe.
"Any causal connection between the consumption of energy drinks and visits to the emergency room was substantially weakened by the existence of other factors more likely to have been responsible for the patients' medical problems, such as pharmaceuticals, alcohol or drugs. illegal, "the statement said.
He also claimed that the report did not reflect how many visits to the emergency room were the result of excessive coffee consumption and how it compares to the consumption of energy drinks.
The American Beverage Association, which represents non-alcoholic beverage manufacturers, said there is no way to know all the sources of caffeine ingested by emergency room patients.
The association also criticized the report for comparing the amount of caffeine in energy drinks to that of a 5-ounce cup of coffee. The report notes that 5 ounces of coffee normally contains around 100 mg of caffeine, while the amount of caffeine in energy drinks can vary from 80 mg to 500 mg.
"Typical cups of coffee contain at least 8 ounces," the association statement said. "In addition, most of the major energy drinks contain about half the caffeine in a similar-sized cup of coffee. from a coffee shop. "
The eyes of health professionals
Sports drinks are not energy drinks
As a nutrition specialist, Meridan Zerner urges consumers to find out what they are consuming. "I think it's important make a clear distinction between sports drinks and energy drinks, "he said.
Zerner, a registered dietitian at Cooper Clinic in Dallas, disagrees with the term "energy" to describe bottled or canned beverages that are supposed to increase your energy through caffeine.
All the energy, he said, comes from carbohydrates. Caffeine not only does not provide real energy, but it can also negatively affect sleep by decreasing energy.
The main ingredients in sports drinks, such as Gatorade, are low concentrations of carbohydrates and electrolytes. Carbohydrates are substances such as glucose, glucose polymers, sucrose and fructose. Electrolytes include sodium, potassium and magnesium.
Carbohydrates feed muscles, while electrolytes replace minerals lost by sweat.
The main ingredient in most energy drinks, however, is caffeine, which affects the central nervous system, telling your brain to keep the body at a high rate.


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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Thursday underscored the importance of functional U.S.-China ties and urged Beijing to step up its purchases of U.S. goods and services as agreed under a Phase 1 trade deal despite delays caused by the coronavirus.
The Chamber said the pandemic had clearly slowed progress for both governments, but there were reasons to be hopeful. It also welcomed regular talks between the world’s two largest economies on implementation of purchases, intellectual property reforms and other issues covered by the trade deal.
“Implementation is critical. COVID-19 has unquestionably slowed progress for both governments, and it will be critical for the pace of implementation of purchases to accelerate markedly,” it said in a statement after a virtual meeting of top U.S. and Chinese business leaders on Wednesday.
The meeting, one of two convened each year by the Chamber and the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, a Beijing-based think tank, focused on the Phase 1 trade deal that took effect in February, and supply chain challenges.
Tensions between the two countries have spiked in recent months, sparking questions about the future of the trade deal, under which China agreed to buy $200 billion more in U.S. goods and services over two years.
China threatened retaliation after U.S. President Donald Trump signed legislation on Wednesday calling for sanctions over the repression of China’s Uighurs, a Muslim minority.
The Chamber said China’s 1.4 billion consumers represented the fastest growing market for U.S. companies, but U.S. firms also faced myriad challenges doing business with China.
Aware of her elements, Neha writes the best articles across industries including electronics & semiconductors, automotive & transportation and food & beverages. Being from the finance background she has the ability to understand the dynamics of every industry and analyze the news updates to form insightful articles. Neha is an energetic person interested in music, travel, and entertainment. Since past 5 years, she written extensively on sectors like technology, finance and healthcare.
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Back in October, Microsoft added the ability for Windows 10 PCs to make calls to its Insider Build 18999 (20H1). Now, the feature has been rolled out to all Windows 10 users, in the form of the Your Phone app.
The Your Phone app actually does more than just allowing you to make and take calls from your Android phone. With the app, you will also be able to check messages and view recent photos. It also supports iPhones, but ZDNet reports that Microsoft is focusing its efforts on Android devices.
And it’s kind of understandable why the company wants to focus its efforts on Android. After all, it has its own Android device coming out at the end of next year, in the form of the Surface Duo. Now that the feature has been released, it means that the company has about a year to iron out any kinks that slip through the Insiders.
Thank you #WindowsInsiders for your feedback over the last couple of months. Today, we're pleased to announce the general availability of the #YourPhone app Calls feature, which allows you to receive and make phone calls on your PC: https://t.co/m47kLcXgbS pic.twitter.com/4GuIOXjR71
— Windows Insider (@windowsinsider) December 11, 2019
At any rate, this would be useful for those who see the value of making and taking calls on PCs. That said, chances are the other features of the Your Phone app will see more use than the call parts. In particular, the bit that allows you to check messages and view recent photos look like a lot more practical features than making or taking calls using a Windows 10 system.
If you wish to give Your Phone a try, then you can get it for free from the Microsoft Store, linked below.


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Electric Daisy Carnival (or EDC) has held its flagship event in Las Vegas since 2011 and the electronic music festival has announced some big changes for 2018.
EDC explained the changes in a long Facebook posts highlighting that the Las Vegas weather for the new dates (May 18-20) are considerably cooler than their previous mid-June dates.
The introduction of camping is also a big addition.
Tickets & camping passes for EDC 2018 go on sale on September 28 at noon (PST) over at edclasvegas.com. The lineup will be released in spring 2018.
For more info, head to their Facebook Page.


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HP ships its golden 'Arches' for Itanium servers
Waiting for Montecito
Of all the Itanium server vendors, HP has the best story to tell and that story got better on Monday. HP announced a fresh fleet of Integrity servers outfitted with a new chipset, and it promoted a number of more advanced software features for the kit.
HP has started flogging new midrange and high-end Integrity systems. The kit uses a chipset - code-named Arches - designed in-house by HP for Itanium-based gear. Overall, customers using the latest servers based on Arches should expect to see up to a 30 per cent performance improvement over existing Integrity boxes, including the super high-end Superdome.
In a perfect world, this particular HP announcement would carry more weight. The company crafted Arches with the dual-core version of Itanium - code-named Montecitio - in mind. That product was meant to come out last year but has been delayed until the third quarter of '06, leaving HP with a fancy new server line and old Madison chips.
As you might expect, HP recommends that customers go ahead an upgrade to the new Integrity boxes now and then slot in Montecito chips when they arrive. The Arches-based boxes will also hold the follow-on to Montecito called Montvale.
In order to help drum up business until Montecito arrives, HP has a "buy two Madisons for the price of one" program, said Manuel Martull, a marketing manager at HP.
Overall, HP continues to dominate the Itanium server market, selling thousands of systems as compared to just tens or hundreds from the likes of Fujitsu, Unisys, Bull and SGI. Other Tier 1 servers vendors IBM, Dell and Sun Microsystems remain notably absent from The "industry standard" Itanium ecosystem.
The Arches chipset will slot into the eight-way Integrity rx7640, the 16-way rx8640 and the 32-way and 64-way versions of Superdome. The same boxes will be sold with the dying PA-8900 processor by year end. HP should also refresh the lower-end of its Integrity line later this year after Montecito ships.
On the software front, HP has pushed the HP-UX 11i agenda hard.
First off, it has done the old reference architecture and toolkit thing around the Virtual Server Environment (VSE) that lets customers control processing, bandwidth and memory resources between different virtual servers. Enough customers have used the technology in complex situations for HP to come out with set models for managing BEA, Oracle, SAP and IBM apps with within the VSE.
All told, this can cut software rollouts that took between 17 to 34 weeks down to four to seven week projects. Sounds like a lot of fun.
In addition, customers can now use HP's Global Instant Capacity technology across multiple Itanium boxes. This program lets customers buy high-end Integrity boxes with extra CPUs and only pay for them as they are turned on to handle spikes in demand. HP believes customers will now look to create a disaster recovery scenario where they have, for example, a production 16-way box and another 16-way box as a backup. This new technology will be available in the third quarter.
Lastly on the software side, HP said it "is extending its business continuity and availability solutions by providing more disaster-tolerance offerings for HP-UX 11i customers. The capabilities include intercontinental failover of Oracle 10g environments and support of SONET, a low-cost networking option for disaster recovery. New HP Serviceguard Extensions for SAP improve the speed and simplicity of high-availability solutions for HP-UX 11i and Linux on HP Integrity servers.
For Windows, HP Competent Cluster Service and HP Cluster Extension software for HP StorageWorks EVA and XP now deliver enhanced high availability and seamless failover, in addition to new application stacking capabilities for consolidation."
So there you have it. ®


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Spring may be heating up, but the housing market has cooled way down, thanks to the coronavirus’ spread. But some families still need to find a home, so they’re turning to the digital tools and solo tours more realtors are offering due to the pandemic. Redfin saw an almost 500 percent increase in requests for agent-led home video tours two weeks ago, and the sales of one company that sells lockboxes are rising as more homebuyers seek solo in-person home tours. Even the use of robots is seeing tremendous growth: Instead of agents taking a homebuyer directly around the house, they use a robot to show the place and speak directly to the client at a remote location. No, this is not 2050. This is here and now, as the adoption of technology is expedited in these uncertain times.
While homebuyer demand has plummeted, there are still some out there who may need to move, and either purchase or rent a home. So, much like all interaction in the age of COVID-19, home touring is moving online, using robots and going solo.
Zillow, a home listing site, said it saw a 191% increase in the creation of 3D home tours in the first weeks of March compared with the average number created in February. Even before the coronavirus, listings including a 3D Home tour were saved by users 50% more, and those homes sold on average 10% faster.
Redfin, a real estate brokerage, saw a 494% increase in requests for agent-led video home tours two weeks ago and at the beginning of last week 18.9% of tour requests from Redfin.com were video-chat tours, up from 0.2% at the beginning of March, a 94-fold increase.
Home Inventory Levels: US Cities With the Most—or Fewest—Homes for Sale
While for-sale inventory is rising slowly but steadily nationwide, many markets remain undersupplied and overpriced on a year-over-year basis
Market Data + Trends
The Biggest Hurdle for Housing Is Seller Hesitation, Experts Say
Elevated borrowing costs are currently affecting both homebuyers and sellers, with buyers hesitant to spend and sellers unwilling to list and sacrifice the lower rates they've locked in on their current homes
Government + Policy
Bipartisan House Bill Aims to Incentivize Home Selling
The More Homes on the Market Act seeks to amend the sales gain tax exclusion to bring more homes into the for-sale market


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A German court has ruled Volkswagen must reimburse the owner of a Golf the full original price of his vehicle bought in 2012, dealing a blow to the carmaker as the legal battles over its emissions cheating scandal drag on.
Volkswagen (VW) said it believed the court in Augsburg had misapplied the law and that it would appeal the ruling at the higher regional court.
The Augsburg civil court ruled on Nov. 14th that VW had acted immorally by deliberately installing emissions-cheating software to increase sales and profits, a spokesman for the court said on Friday.
The court ordered VW to repay the owner the original price of almost 30,000 euros ($34,200), according to a copy of the ruling.
"In our opinion, there is no legal basis for customer complaints. Customers have suffered neither losses nor damages. The vehicles are safe and roadworthy," VW said in a statement.
It added that around 9,000 judgements had been issued in connection with its diesel emissions scandal, which came to light in 2015, and the majority of customer complaints had been unsuccessful at district and higher courts.
"The decision of the district court in Augsburg thereby stands in contradiction to multiple decisions of other courts in comparable cases," VW said.
Its shares were little changed at 151.88 euros at 0844 GMT.
VW has said about 11 million diesel cars worldwide were fitted with software that could cheat emissions tests designed to limit noxious car fumes.
The German carmaker has agreed to pay billions of dollars in the United States to settle claims from owners, environmental regulators, states and dealers. It offered to buy back 500,000 polluting U.S. vehicles.
The company has not reached a similar deal in Europe, where it faces billions of euros in claims from investors and customers in the worst business crisis in its history.


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Virgin Atlantic Cargo commences flights between the UK and Pakistan from 7 December, supporting growing trade volumes between the two countries.
Flights are set to launch from London Heathrow (LHR) to Lahore (LHE) four times a week from 7 December, Manchester (MAN) to Islamabad (ISB) four times a week from 10 December, and London Heathrow to Islamabad three times a week from 12 December.
“Business opportunities between the UK and Pakistan present an exciting new prospect for our customers,” says Dominic Kennedy, managing director of Virgin Atlantic Cargo. He notes that the import and export market for goods between the UK and Pakistan is “extremely healthy”, with over 114,000 tonnes of cargo moving between Europe and Pakistan each year.
“Virgin Atlantic Cargo is confident of gaining a healthy share of this new market in the weeks and months ahead,” Kennedy adds.
These flights mark the first time that Virgin Atlantic Cargo has flown to Pakistan as the airline continues to innovate and expand its destination offering in line with demand. The new services will add over 66 direct flights to Pakistan each month, expanding the direct UK to Pakistan market by 90 per cent in December alone.
The UK is the largest export market for Pakistan in Europe, transporting high volumes of goods such as textiles, apparel, and machinery. Trade in goods and services between the UK and Pakistan is worth some £3.3 billion (USD 4.2 billion) a year, rising 4.7 per cent year-on-year in 2019.
The UK is the third biggest global market for Pakistani exporters after the US and China. Virgin notes that cargo customers in Pakistan will also benefit from fast connections to prime markets in the US, as well as in Europe and Africa via London Heathrow.
Virgin Atlantic Cargo says it also expects healthy demand for capacity into Pakistan from customers across its international network.
Arshad Wali Muhammad, group director, Gerry’s Group – Virgin’s GSA in Pakistan – says: “Virgin Atlantic Cargo’s flights to Pakistan offer a fantastic opportunity for businesses to expand their export base by having a direct connection to Europe and North America via Manchester and Heathrow.
“The two destinations in the UK will be a gateway to reach over 300 networks of destinations worldwide. With Gerry’s as GSA for Pakistan, we look forward to including this successful new service within our network.”
And similarly, Virgin’s cargo handling partner in Pakistan expressed confidence in the success of the new services. Janis Balkens, dnata CEO, New and Emerging Markets, says: “We are excited to extend our long-standing partnership with Virgin Atlantic Cargo to Pakistan and are proud to now also offer our award-winning, safe and reliable services across these new routes.
“We will ensure the success in London Heathrow and Manchester, as well as Islamabad and Lahore, providing our seamless multi-service offering to Virgin Atlantic Cargo and its customers. We have been partners for decades in the UK across our cargo operations… and we look forward to replicating this success in Pakistan.”


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Railways' first waste-to-energy plant faces GST hurdles
Suzuki Swift Sport Red Devil - What Is It?
India has overcome Congress legacy, can no more use it as excuse: NITI Aayog Vice Chairman
Monsoon is both a pollution pump and a cleanser, says study
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Last weekend the 73rd NBA All Star Weekend took place as well as the annual NBA All Star Technology Summit where the NBA explores the trends and innovations in sports, media and technology. The NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, alongside rising star Victor Wembanyama, unveiled NB-AI, a groundbreaking AI feature that transforms live basketball games into animated movie scenes.
Through the NBA app, you can transform a live game into a scene reminiscent of the animated movie “Into the Spiderverse.” Players leap and dunk with exaggerated, superhero-like agility. The NBA constantly finds ways to revolutionise the game and enhance their fan engagement, technological innovations like this redefines how fans interact with live basketball games.
The introduction of NB-AI is part of the NBA’s broader strategy to integrate cutting-edge technologies into the fan experience. The league has been at the forefront of adopting technological advancements, from augmented reality (AR) features that allow fans to insert their faces into NBA highlights to discussions with Apple CEO Tim Cook on leveraging Vision Pro headsets for an immersive viewing experience.
By investing in technological advancements, the league is able to create personalised, and highly interactive experiences which leads to greater fan loyalty and more meaningful engagement, keeping audiences hooked during and well beyond the game. With younger sport fans increasingly watching games on mobile devices, in app features like NB-AI will drive more app downloads and user engagement.
The NFL did something similar last year with Toy Story. They produced an alternative version of the game to draw in a new and younger audience. The game was an animated version of the Atlanta Falcons vs Jacksonville Jaguars, hosted in Andy’s room instead of Wembley stadium. They were able to broadcast on Disney+, ESPN+ and NFL+ and fans loved it.
These sort of experiences are great for drawing in young audiences such as Gen Alpha, the generation succeeding Gen Z. Leagues shouldn’t just focus on their core audiences, they need to invest in the next core audience to follow such as Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Having buy in with these audiences now helps them build brand loyalty and generate lifelong fans.
When leagues put their fans at the centre of things and allow room for creativity, incredible things happen. Incorporating AI into fan engagement strategies allows sports organisations to connect with their audience in more meaningful and personalised ways. As technology continues to advance, AI will likely play an increasingly integral role in shaping the future of sports entertainment. Can we see something like this coming to the Premier League soon?
By: Subomi Odanye
For the latest updates, Download P+us app available on Google App Store


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Kornit Digital, a leading digital textile printer manufacturer, has unveiled its financial earnings for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018. The company reported a jump of 25.5 per cent in net revenue to US $ 35.9 million, owning it to growth across geographies and customers, and the delivery of systems on a large customer program.
In the reporting period, Kornit Digital’s net income stood at US $ 1.8 million compared to US $ 0.2 million in the second quarter of last year. The gross profit also saw multifold increase at US $ 17.4 million, which stood at US $ 13.2 million in the same quarter the previous year. According to the press release, higher gross margins primarily reflected a favorable product mix compared to the prior year period.
The financial report further highlights the operating income of the company which clocked US $ 1.6 million compared to the prior year period with an operating income of US $ 62 thousand.
In the first half ended June 30, the digital printer manufacturer earned US $ 66.9 million in net revenue, making a jump from US $ 55.6 million in the same period in fiscal 2017.
Net income witnessed a slight increase from US $ 1.5 million to US $ 2.3 million. The gross profit stood at US $ 32.8 million as against US $ 25 million in the Q2 of financial year 2017.
In the period under review, the operating income of the company accounted for US $ 1.7 million.
Ronen Samuel, Chief Executive Officer, Kornit Digital commented, “I am very pleased with our results for the quarter. The recent introduction of the Avalanche HD 6 System with its significant reduction in cost per print, improved hand-feel and improved print quality, combined with the continued shift towards print-on-demand, have created excellent business momentum. The retail shift towards shorter run production and the benefits offered by the HD6 are driving migration of more screen printers to our digital solution. To that end, we are well positioned to capture increased growth opportunities as our addressable market expands.”


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The cost of living in the United States is an increasingly salient topic in public-policy circles today. As Mark J. Perry from the American Enterprise Institute documents, child care, education, and health care have become more expensive relative to wages over the last two decades. Conversely, cars, clothing, food and beverages, household furnishings, housing, software, and toys have become cheaper. In light of today’s holiday, we will focus on the cost of a Thanksgiving Day dinner between 1986 and 2020. The positive picture we paint certainly does not detract from the real hardship American families have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. But it may make us more grateful for the U.S. farmers and free enterprise that make food historically superabundant.
Since 1986, the American Farm Bureau Federation has conducted an annual price survey of food items found in a typical Thanksgiving Day dinner. The items on this shopping list are designed to serve a group of ten people, with leftovers. The list includes a 16-pound turkey, a 30-oz pumpkin pie mix, one gallon of milk, a one-pound vegetable tray, twelve bread rolls, two pie shells, one pound of green peas, twelve ounces of fresh cranberries, one-half pint of whipping cream, 14 ounces of cubed stuffing, three pounds of sweet potatoes, and several miscellaneous ingredients. What has happened to the price of a Thanksgiving Day dinner over time?
In nominal terms, the cost rose from $28.74 in 1986 to $46.90 in 2020 (a 63.2 percent increase). Over the same period, inflation amounted to 135 percent, which would have meant that the dinner should have cost around $67.69. In fact, it cost only $46.90. So, adjusted for inflation, a Thanksgiving Day dinner became $20.79 (i.e., 30.7 percent cheaper). But what if we analyze the cost of a Thanksgiving Day dinner using “time prices”? To calculate the time price of a Thanksgiving Day dinner, we divide the nominal price of the meal by the nominal wage rate. That will give us the number of hours of work required to earn enough money to feed the ten guests. We can then analyze the change in time prices over time.
As noted, the nominal cost of a Thanksgiving Day dinner increased 63.2 percent between 1986 and 2020. Over the same period, the unskilled hourly wage rate increased by 173.2 percent. That means that the time price of the meal for an unskilled worker declined from 5.48 hours in 1986 to 3.27 hours in 2020 (a 40.3 percent decrease). As such, unskilled workers could buy 1.67 Thanksgiving Day dinners in 2020 for the same amount of work required to buy one meal in 1986.
The hourly compensation rate of a blue-collar worker rose by 163.4 percent. Consequently, the time price of a Thanksgiving Day dinner declined from 2.23 hours in 1986 to 1.38 hours in 2020 (a 38 percent decrease). As such, blue-collar workers could buy 1.61 Thanksgiving Day dinners in 2020 for the same amount of work required to buy one meal in 1986.
The unskilled workers who upgraded their skills to become blue-collar workers between 1986 and 2020 saw their hourly wage rise by 547.4 percent. So, the Time Price of a Thanksgiving Day dinner fell by 74.8 percent. These “upskilling” workers were thus able to buy 3.97 Thanksgiving Day dinners for the same amount of work required to buy one meal in 1986.


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LAST UPDATED : May 20, 2019, 11:14 AM IST
- 'Robot waitress' draws customers to Pakistani pizza joint
Osama Jafri, the engineer who designed the 25-kilogram (55-pound) robot, says it can greet customers and carry pizzas to their tables. The robot resembles a short, slender woman wearing a long dress and apron. He says he wrapped a scarf around the robot's neck so as not to offend conservative patrons.


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Police seize counterfeit perfume from Ipswich street trader
- Credit: Ipswich Police
Counterfeit perfume was seized from an opportunistic street trader in Ipswich prompting police to warn shoppers about fake goods.
Officers from Ipswich police spotted the trader selling the counterfeit fragrances – which included fakes of brands such as Ralph Lauren – from a bag in the town centre during a routine patrol.
In a tweet, Ipswich Police said: "Please contact police if you see anyone offering or selling goods from a bag while walking the street that you suspect are not linked to a legitimate business."
A Suffolk Constabulary spokesman was unable to provide any further details on the seizure.
This is not the first time opportunistic traders have tried to flog fake fragrances on the high street, with police stopping similar traders selling from carrier bags in 2019.
Anyone suspicious of goods should report the matter to Suffolk police on 101 or the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.
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Ukraine may withdraw about 900 types of goods from free trade with Russia
The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade has prepared a draft list of items which they intend to withdraw from the country’s free trade regime with Russia, the Web site of the department has reported.
"The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine will issue an updated (taking into account all comments and suggestions) draft list of goods that could be removed from the free trade regime on imports from the Russian Federation to Ukraine, if the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation ‘On the introduction of import duties on Ukrainian goods’ of September 19 enters into force," the Ministry of Economic Development stated.
In particular, they suggest to levy duties on fish, milk and dairy products, eggs, coffee, tea, edible oils, sugar and confectionery, cocoa, flour and flour products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, vinegar, pet food, tobacco products, mineral organic chemistry, fertilizers, cosmetics, detergents, plastics and plastic products, rubber and rubber products, clothing, footwear, glass and metals, nuclear reactors, electronic equipment, vehicles and spare parts, and furniture.
The list of Russian goods that could fall under Ukrainian sanctions was earlier submitted for public discussion.


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We’ve chosen the five finalists in our “Petals to the Metal” classic car and truck photo contest.
Now the voting public gets to drive the contest home.
Through Oct. 23, visitors to www.royers.com/contest can vote – once daily – for one of five classic cars. The owner of the winning entry, to be announced the week of Oct. 28, will receive free flowers for one year.
Everyone who votes will receive a “buy one, get one free” coupon for loose bouquets, similar to the one on the left, redeemable in-store only through Nov. 30.
The finalists are:
Petals to the Metal is inspired by Royer’s 1969 Ford Econoline delivery van, which is on display at the company’s flagship store in Lebanon.


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2017 is in our rear-view mirror, so it’s time to look upto the trends of 2018 that will change how we do business. For instance, in conventions and keynote speech engagements, it can be noticed that the participating crowds keep getting younger, smarter, innovative and focussed, regardless of the industry vertical.
While it’s no secret that millennials have taken over the workforce – according to Census Bureau data, they are now the largest living group – how we groom them for leadership is a test many of us will face in 2018. Sure enough, various reports have emerged stating that 2018 will be a disruptive year, during which many company chiefs are set to retire, leaving those jobs wide open for the future young professionals.
So, here’s the advice – plan well ahead of the curve. Give your young employees the tools and directions to be the leaders of the various emerging global businesses. Don’t wait until you have a void to fill to train them. That’s valuable time you’ll be wasting; and, in business, wasted time is hardly a valued commodity.
Here are five new business trends that will be making a significance influence in 2018.
AI driven customer experience
When you think of artificial intelligence (AI), you might think of dehumanizing interactions. Don’t confuse AI with primitive marketing automation.
As an AI expert and leading keynote speaker Christopher Penn, VP of Marketing Technology for SHIFT Communications says, “There are three levels of machine learning: AI where machines perform tasks normally performed by humans; machine learning, where the machines learn on their own; and deep learning, where machine learning chains together for rich learning.”
Leading companies are embracing AI to perform repeatable, redundant tasks and to process large amounts of data so as to not avoid human interaction, but to enrich it. AI is becoming the norm for many practical consumer experiences.
These powerful examples use AI to evaluate GPS data:
- Google Maps uses real-time customer data from our own phones.
- GPS Insight is able to help companies shorten the scheduling window for telecommunications companies. More importantly, they can allow municipalities to deploy better emergency responders and repair crews in a crisis like a hurricane.
Expect to see more highly-customized content delivery, automated to a consumer’s specific persona and lifestyle. As Penn notes, “AI is not a futuristic concept. The tools and technologies are available, accessible, and not cost prohibitive.”
Live interactions over social media
Your smartphone might make you think that people prefer social media vs. in-person interactions. However, top companies realize that building great communities engenders long-term brand loyalty. Nothing drives strong communities better than in-person and live interactions. Even live video engages better than recorded video. Just look at the popularity of Facebook Live.
Recently, there was an event in Philadelphia with 75 fellow professional speakers. Though the group started as an online community, attendees spent their own money and time away from family – to learn from and share with each other; in person.
Great community events like the B2B Forum from MarketingProfs sell-out in advance to attendees seeking high-value, face-to-face interactions that deliver community and social learning that far exceeds what’s possible with social media. You’d have an easier time attending an Ivy League university than getting invited to the annual Mastermind Talks geared toward CEOs and entrepreneurs.
Smart companies realize social media and technology do not replace the need for in-person interactions; social media can actually make in-person interactions more valuable. Since consumers are already connected in the virtual world, in-person relationships can be built at a rapid pace because you already feel as though you “know” the other person. Expect to see leading companies that cut back on live events years ago, bring them back with enthusiasm.
More live streaming
Whereas video itself has become a necessary component for successful businesses, customers are no longer content with impersonal, generic marketing. Customers demand real connections, with real people. Video is the most viewed content and live video is the most effective way to engage with your audience.
According to Nick Losq, founder & chief creative officer at StarBeast, “Video is the most easily digestible form of media in a landscape now dominated by smartphones. And when a business starts adding a “live” component, introducing real people, in real time, it has the power to connect with consumers in a personal and honest manner, allowing businesses to separate themselves from their competitors. Live video has the ability to give many businesses a face AND a soul.”
Businesses stream live video to establish real-time human connections with their audiences. Whether it’s streaming a product launch, running B2B webinars, offering Q&A sessions or streaming product reviews, live videos are becoming an established part of a business marketing strategy. Livestream research shows that 80% of audiences would rather watch live video from a brand than read a blog, and 82% prefer live video from a brand to social posts. And 73% of B2B organizations report positive ROI from video marketing.
Companies who plan for and dedicate resources to live stream videos will dominate their industries.
Serve community, not just buyers
The notion of the buyer’s journey was used to describe the path that your potential customer would take when making a purchase. However, today’s customers are sophisticated, savvy consumers who do their research. They vet companies by scouring their websites, reading online reviews and putting feelers out to their social networks. By the time consumers reach a salesperson, they are fully acquainted with your company’s product features, options and prices. They have done their due diligence and narrowed down their options.
As a result, the old ‘buyer’s journey’ has given way to more realistic models that takes into account this new reality. The journey buyers and prospects take is no longer linear or even neat; it’s more unpredictable and fluid which poses a big challenge to marketers. As we enter 2018, we will continue to see these models get updated.
Analyst Jon Reed writes marketers also “should be thinking in terms of “buyer’s community” or “buyer’s network.”” Reed notes that “buyers aren’t always buying but they are always learning” and “we shouldn’t only be targeting buyers.”
“Today’s informed buyers get better at their jobs by building “trust networks” of experts inside and outside of their company,” Reed writes.
Therefore, it behoves marketers to be where their prospects — and their prospects’ friends — hang out. Leading wealth management firm, Glassman Wealth, holds events for travel safety and responsible philanthropy. Though his firm doesn’t sell those services or profit from them, Barry Glassman, the firm’s founder says, “We seek areas where our clients have questions, and we strive to provide the single-best resource available to address their inquiry. Our clients don’t have questions limited to investing. They have questions about life.”
Savvy companies realize that the best thing they can do is to serve their community, irrespective of whether or not someone is in a buying cycle. When you deliver consistent value, you engender trust. Then, when they are actually on a buyer’s journey, you are already a trusted resource for them.
Problem focused marketing drives
Marketers used to espouse the features and benefits of offerings. However, B2B customers have learned to ignore features/benefits. In fact, your ideal client may not even realize that they could benefit from your product or service. Top performing companies focus on the problems you solve, and the anticipated results you deliver.
When approving purchasing decisions, executives consistently ask “What problem does this solve for us?”, “Why do we need it?” and “What is the likely outcome or result if we make the investment?”
Put it another way, the client might not care about your solution if they don’t realize the problem you have solved for them. Companies like E Group and Catapult New Business have seen explosive growth by focusing sharply on the challenges that they help their clients overcome, instead of focusing on the products and services they offer. This shifts the focus where it should be – to the customer.
Expect to see companies shift their marketing messages to the problems they solve instead of their features. Measure and be accountable for success to outpace your competition.


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Give me a hand! Macabre human butchery shop established in Smithfield Market (but don't worry, it's just a stunt)
Rows of body parts on sale may look like a scene out of a horror film, but they were on offer this weekend at London's famous meat market Smithfield.
But cannibalism is not suddenly legal - the butchers was actually an elaborate publicity stunt, designed to promote the release of the new video game Resident Evil 6.
And although they may have looked eerily realistic, the feet and hands, thigh steaks and racks of ribs were actually fashioned from meat.
Scroll down for video
Publicity stunt: To promote Resident Evil 6, the company set up the Wesker & Son human butchery at the Smithfield Meat Market in East London
Impressive stunt: Meat created to look like a human arm
Grim service: The butcher stands behind the counter to serve the gory offerings
Realistic: The meat is eerily realistic in relation to human body parts
All the proceeds from the human meat sales went to the Limbless Association, a UK charity for amputees and others who have lost limbs.
The elaborate event saw an entire butchers shop recreated complete with human bodies on mortuary tables.
Human limbs were packaged in plastic and placed for sale on the meat counter.
Human hands sold for £5.99, while feet were a bit pricier at £6.00, while thigh steaks were cheapest at £2.99.
iReady to eat: The 'body' of a woman is laid out on a stainless steel worktop
Ready for sale: Hands are packaged up and ready to be sold
The pop-up meat shop, going by the name of Wesker & Son, even has a webpage set up and boasts on its biography: 'Fresh meat since 1966.'
A debate on Cannibalism at St. Bartholomew Hospital's Pathology Museum in London was even organised.
The East London shop was only open for two days, but proved a great hit with gamers as well as zombie fans.
RESIDENT EVIL - POPULAR BUT CONTROVERSIAL
Resident Evil is a Japanese video games franchise which has spawned a multi-million pound industry of comic books, novels, merchandise and a popular film series starring Milla Jovovich.
The first game in the survival horror series was released in 1996 where the character is a member of a special law enforcement task force who has to escape a dangerous bio-hazard virus in a mysterious mansion and defeat those already infected.
Accused: Image from controversial Resident Evil 5
All the games in the series have received critical acclaim, in particular the first, second and fourth Resident Evil game which have all won multiple Game of The Year prizes.
Despite the praise from games enthusiasts, the previous edition of the game sparked controversy when it was released in 2008.
A trailer for Resident Evil 5 showing a white protagonist killing bio virus infected black antagonists in a third-world setting, resulted in the company responsible for the franchise, Capcom, being accused of racism.
Staff at Capcom said they were surprised by the controversy, with producer Masachika Kawata saying in an interview that Capcom ‘can't please everyone.’
‘We're in the entertainment business – we're not here to state our political opinion or anything like that. It's unfortunate that some people felt that way.’
Meat sculptures: They may have looked eerily realistic, but the feet and hands, thigh steaks and racks of ribs were actually fashioned from meat
Crowd pleaser: The meat sculptures proved to be a massive hit crowds at the London meat market
VIDEO: Shocking! Watch Resident Evil's game launch at Smithfield market...
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Hewlett-Packard, Lexmark and Canon have touted their web-enabled printers for years–but the hardware wasn’t all that useful or necessary. That has changed. Now, thanks to the current crop of mobile devices, you can send documents to printers directly from your smartphone or tablet. Instead of lugging along a load of collateral materials on your next business trip or stuffing a lot of just-in-case papers into your briefcase, you can store the documents on your device and print them as needed.
“Whether it’s a real estate agent on the move who needs printed copies of contracts or an insurance agent who needs to print several forms quickly, printing without a PC has become more of a must-have than simply a premium,” says Tuan Tran, vice president of Hewlett-Packard’s imaging and printing group.
The trend that started with smartphones and tablets has leapt off the small screens: Now desktop computers, printers and more can be managed by a touch of the finger. And innovations in the technology have helped bring the price way down. Formerly enterprise-only solutions like touch-controlled office kiosks, interactive point-of-sale terminals and even sophisticated employee inventory systems are now within reach of the smallest small businesses. One worth a look? The ViewSonic VX2258 touch-controlled monitor (about $340) can be installed in a store or medical waiting room as a low-cost interactive kiosk.
Tech-savvy companies that need more desktop computers but don’t want to spend big for the firepower should consider a different breed of machine: zero-client PCs. These cheap, small units are, quite frankly, weaklings on the processing front–until you network them to a full-power computer nearby. Zero-clients have been big-company tools for some time, but recent price drops mean that a shop with just a few seats can zero out its PCs.
“Sectors where data security, IT productivity and endpoint reliability are critical are a very good fit for zero-client computing–specifically, health care, financial services, hospitality and retail, along with local government and education,” says James Buzzard, vice president for marketing at Pano Logic, a zero-client PC manufacturer in Redwood City, Calif.
Innovations in wireless communications come and go, but with service providers investing heavily in blazingly fast Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, it looks like the technology will be around for some time. Though Verizon Wireless was once the sole LTE provider, now players from AT&T to Google-backed startup Clearwire are stepping into the arena–which means several choices will soon exist for accessing the web while on the go as quickly as you can in the office.
“The emergence of LTE speeds has revolutionized the mobile experience for small businesses,” says Walt Rivenbark, area vice president for mobility applications consulting at AT&T Mobility. “Salespeople will benefit by being able to collaborate remotely with their peers, easily review and share large files and help prevent service technicians from making a second trip.”
But you may not want to sign up for LTE immediately. The service has its problems: Coverage is still spotty, and there can be brutally expensive usage caps. But, sooner rather than later, the technology may be so robust that a single mobile data connection will work in the office and on the road, allowing businesses to drop their pricey internet service for a single cheap LTE deal.
Thanks to the likes of Ford, GM and Toyota, even small-business owners can stop thinking company cars and start thinking company fleet. Auto manufacturers have started offering low-cost business-oriented tracking tools and productivity features that mirror the logistics packages of big-time fleets.
“Factory-embedded productivity tools help fleet owners present data like where vehicles are, driver behavior and dispatch options. And they make that information accessible from any computer,” says Ed Pleet, product and business development manager for connected services at the Ford Motor Company. Ford’s Crew Chief vehicle management app starts at $425, plus $32 a month.
Just be careful: Though fleet management tools are helpful in figuring out which delivery guy can handle that last-minute pickup, improper utilization could make your staff feel like you’re spying on them.
No, don’t toss your keyboard quite yet. But do think of voice-control technology as an always-at-the-ready assistant that can help out when you’re driving, caring for patients or knee-deep in hands-on work. “Voice-recognition tools also can be effective in workplaces with document-intensive work flows,” says Vlad Sejnoha, chief technology officer at Burlington, Mass.-based Nuance Communications, which offers the Dragon Go! voice-recognition search app. “For example, the federal government has mandated the use of electronic medical record systems to capture and share patient information. But they tend to be hard to use, template-oriented and a good option for voice recognition.”
But be prepared to put some time into practicing with the technology before you unleash it on your business. Those misdials that get served up by your car’s Bluetooth? You don’t want the same thing happening with sensitive business docs or in client communications.
Plenty of people will feel itchy at the thought (the editors at Entrepreneur among them), but there are machines out there that can write. Not just type or print, but actually turn bits of data into full sentences.
Durham, N.C.’s Automated Insights has put its writing program to work to create more than 400 websites, 700 Twitter feeds and 400 mobile apps. The 13-person firm creates every single grammatically correct word of this network by machine, and founder and CEO Robbie Allen believes automated authoring has a home in almost any business. “We originally started out focused on data-intensive content like sports,” he says. “But now we realize we can use the technology in anything from financial services to health care.”
Imagine a PC screen that can bend around a column or along the curves of a car’s interior. Consumer-targeted tools like bendable iPads are still years away, but moderately flexible screens, such as those from Norcross, Ga.-based NanoLumens, are already available. The company’s NanoFlex products can conform to curved surfaces in retail spaces, lobbies, transportation hubs or hospitality venues.
“It’s all about more screens,” says Nick Colaneri, director of Arizona State University’s Flexible Display Center in Tempe. “Everywhere you look: at work, sides of cars–anywhere.”