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There are fruits, and then there are superfruits. More than just a lot of marketing hype, the title of superfruit most often designates a richly nutritious, often exotic and delicious food, one with studied health benefits. As a category, it is a relative newcomer to the dietary supplement stage, and as such it is still developing. The superfruits whose names many are already familiar with, like noni, açaí, blueberry, grape, mangosteen and others, will contend in the market with lesser known imports like cupuaçu and caja.
“The term ‘superfruit’ no doubt means different things to consumers and industry insiders alike, but at its core there is usually a long history of traditional use that is strongly associated with health benefits, coupled with recent scientific research that details potential pathways of efficacy,” says Hartley Pond, vice president of technical sales, VDF/FutureCeuticals, Momence, IL. Regulatory issues affecting the category, as well as the real health and marketing impact of antioxidant values and of the various delivery methods from liquid to powder, are all subjects ripe for discussion. Read on to learn how these fruits have earned their super name.
Heroes of Nutrition
General characterizations of the superfruit category vary. “A superfruit, to do justice to the name, should be a fruit that does more good to human health than an ordinary fruit,” says Xingwu Liu, president of SeabuckWonders, Chicago, IL. Thinking primarily of the marketing aspect, Dean Mosca, president of Proprietary Nutritionals Inc., Kearny, NJ, says, “The fun thing about the term ‘superfruits’ is that it is a memorable moniker; it’s catchy and attention-getting.”
Once we get past established players that have already gained a measure of consumer acceptance, predicting the next superfruit to cause a stir can be a bit of a guessing game, as experts will attest. “There are a variety of other superfoods that are up and coming. Whether they are going to make a splash given the economy, and the clutter on store shelves, remains to be seen,” says Steve Kravitz, president of Earth’s Bounty, Vancouver, WA.
Kravitz says that one of the earliest introductions responsible for launching the superfruit category was noni. When it hit the United States market over a decade ago, this tropical fruit also known as Indian mulberry was touted in part for its antioxidant content, but as we will see, structure/function benefits earn a superfruit its stripes.
You can count açaí among the superfruits that are here to stay, according to Chris Cuvelier, CEO and founder of Zola, San Francisco, CA. “Açaí has worked hard for over 10 years to receive the notoriety it has and consumers are finally aware of its exceptional health benefits, antioxidants and omegas,” he says. A recent study in the journal Nutrition, which confirmed the antioxidant benefits of açaí in the form of reduced oxidative stress biomarkers, lends support to the notion that açaí may help those with high cholesterol. The researchers concluded that in an animal model, supplementation with açaí pulp had a cholesterol-lowering effect (1).
Blueberries are, of course, exceedingly familiar to U.S. consumers, and they are also often classified as superfruits for the high-end nutrition they provide. “In fact,” says Thomas J. Payne, industry specialist for the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, Folsom, CA, “blueberries are often the default and everything on superfruit lists is compared to them.” Blueberries fit the bill of superfruits perfectly, according to Payne, since they contain large amounts of flavonoids such as anthocyanins, which give blueberries their deep pigmentation, as well as provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Blueberry consumption in the United States began to increase, Payne says, when they were included in publications like Steven Pratt, Ph.D.’s book, Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life—Superfoods RX. Pratt identified blueberries as one of the major “superfoods” with numerous nutritious effects, even dubbing them “brainberries” for their studied ability to protect the brain from oxidative stress and other age-related conditions.
Payne says that blueberries are finding their way into popular drink formulations, geared toward providing fiber and antioxidant support in combination. For all blueberry-infused products, the highbush blueberry industry has developed The Real Blueberry Seal, which helps buyers identify the presence of real, whole blueberries. To wear the seal, products must contain real highbush blueberries in any form, in an amount that is at least the standard for a given product category. Payne says this usually means the blueberries can be easily seen and tasted in the finished product, adding, “We’d like to see blueberries on the top of the ingredient list.”
Dallas Clouatre, Ph.D., new product development and marketing consultant for Jarrow Formulas, Los Angeles, CA, believes that fruits such as blueberry, pomegranate, bilberry, goji, cranberry and grape will enjoy enduring popularity, as they have defined niches and histories of use, as well as continually growing scientific support.
Some superfruits are enjoying success in other countries and may soon become popular on the U.S. market. One is blackcurrant, which he says is widely consumed in Europe and has an equivalent nutritional profile to recognized superfruits like cranberry and bilberry. Given this background, Clouatre says, “its slow launch into this market is a bit of a mystery.” Kravitz says that New Zealand blackcurrant, in particular, is a superfruit keeper, mostly because of the positive research associated with this specific variety.
Clouatre also cites sea buckthorn berries as another example of a superfruit, commonly consumed abroad, that has yet to hit it big here. In China, explains Liu, there is a very established role for sea buckthorn berries. The fruit and its components “have already been officially recognized as both foods and medicine in the People’s Republic of China, which boasts more than 90% of sea buckthorn production,” he says.
This orange-colored fruit’s nutritional profile reveals more than 200 components. According to Liu, the array includes all known vitamins, 18 amino acids and fatty acids like omegas-3, -6, -7 and -9. It is also rich in other phytonutrients and minerals too numerous to list.
Apart from the benefits of these individual nutrients, Liu emphasizes the synergistic effects that they all might have together. Like almost all superfruits, sea buckthorn has an especially potent antioxidant content, says Liu. Citing its use in areas such as cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, urinary, gynecological, immunological and dermatological health, Liu concludes, “Though still negligible at present, sea buckthorn will certainly expand its current market share in the near future.”
Plaudits for the superfruit mangosteen in recent months are impressive: The Dr. Oz Show, the National Restaurant Association, Entertainment Weekly and other outlets have praised the mangosteen, which is believed to have originated in Indonesia. Brands like Estee Lauder and Gatorade have added mangosteen to newly created products. Serving to illustrate mangosteen’s antimicrobial properties, a recent study found an extract of mangosteen inhibited the growth of mutans streptococci, the bacteria group primarily responsible for dental caries (2).
Superfruits like mangosteen don’t just have more of what we need, they also have what we can’t typically get elsewhere. “They contain phytonutrients that are not found in ordinary fruits—and in the case of mangosteen, in more abundance and a more stable and soluble form,” says Jeff Chandler, senior manager of corporate communications for XanGo, LLC, American Fork, UT.
Making their way up from South America are a group of unheralded superfruits with interesting nutritive offerings. “A few Brazilian superfruits you can expect to see emerging into the market over the next few years are cupuaçu, acerola and caja,” says Cuvelier. He broke down their attributes for WholeFoods as follows:
• Cupuaçu is a melon-sized fruit with a hard outer shell, a creamy, white pulp and a taste likened to a combination of passion fruit, banana and chocolate flavors. It contains the antioxidant theobromine as well as nine others, and also houses essential fatty and amino acids and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 and C.
• Acerola looks much like a cherry and, according to studies, it contains 32 times the amount of vitamin C found in oranges.
• Resembling a small mango and boasting a citrusy taste, caja’s key nutrients include beta carotene, vitamin C, calcium and iron.
Other under-recognized superfruits include maqui, coffeeberry, aronia and black raspberry, all of which according to Pond have interesting phytonutrient profiles, and have yet to be brought into the spotlight. A superfruit that is especially associated with the Southeast Asia region and Vietnam, called gac, is rich in carotenoids and is becoming more common as a supplement ingredient.
A whole sub-section of the superfruit scene is getting attention for something as seemingly superficial as fruit color. “Black produce is a major trend we’re noticing,” says Matt Phillips, president and CEO of Cyvex Nutrition, Irvine, CA, continuing, “The dark pigment has a high content of anthocyanins, which several studies have shown to possess significant health benefits, including heart health and vision improvement.” His company supplies two “black produce” ingredients to manufacturers, one of which is derived from a European variety of blackcurrant, and the other a black rice extract.
Grape extracts will be an enduring presence on the superfruit market, Phillips believes. This is due in part to the acceptance of The French Paradox, or the theory that the low incidence of heart disease in France is a result of the ingestion of red wine and grapes in high volumes.
Though among the glut of superfruits on the market, many trends come and go, James Gibbons, president of Nature’s Plus, Melville, NY, says this need not be the case. He puts forth the example of pomegranate, arguably the oldest superfruit. Originally found only in Persia, the pomegranate became a common sight elsewhere as global trade developed around 700 B.C. “Any Europeans of that era who considered pomegranates to be a passing fad would be shocked to learn that it has endured all these centuries and continues to be one of the most popular superfruits in the world,” Gibbons says.
ORAC the Oracle: Antioxidants and Marketing
The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) value is found virtually everywhere in superfruit marketing. It is displayed prominently on product packaging, and is often a key feature of advertising campaigns highlighting a product’s health benefits. It seems prudent, then, for a discussion to take place about the worth, relevancy and future of the metric, and about the thinking that goes into product formulation in the superfruit category.
Why So Super?
Having established that superfruits possess nutritional powers that other fruits are lacking, the question naturally arises: How did they get that way? The answer, predictably enough, is evolution. “Basically, a superfruit is a nutrient-dense fruit or berry that builds up its own antioxidants to withstand climatic and environmental assaults in order to survive its life in its natural habitat,” explains Dean Mosca, president of Proprietary Nutritionals Inc., Kearny, NJ.
The result of this process is to the benefit of superfruit consumers everywhere. Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA, nutrition education manager for NOW Foods, Bloomingdale, IL, goes in depth as to how this survival of the fittest occurs over time. “It has been shown in studies that plants make antioxidants in response to environmental challenges,” says Levin, going on to list such factors as droughts, variations in nutrient availability, competition with weeds, attacks by molds or bugs, lack of or excess sunlight, and other conditions that have been made less common by modern industrial agriculture.
A normal piece of fruit, according to Levin, may have hundreds of Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) units, typically a laboratory measure of antioxidant activity in a test tube. A superfruit, by comparison, may possess dozens of times more antioxidant activity. As non-conventional crops, they tend to be more nutritious, especially with their high content of antioxidant groups like polyphenols. Some superfruits are native to rainforests, while others evolved in more arid regions.
Levin alludes to studies showing that biodiversity protects and challenges plant species to produce these protective phytochemicals that serve as crucial human nutrients. This is another reason why wildcrafted fruit tend to have more varied and potent nutritional profiles than orchard-grown fruit. Another factor that has nothing to do with nutrition, but which some consumers find interesting, is that the success of superfruits can play a role in preserving the world’s rainforests. According to Levin, if indigenous people are having financial success from harvesting wild fruit, they are more likely to protect local rainforest acreage from logging and development.
Jeff Chandler, senior manager of corporate communications for XanGo, LLC, American Fork, UT, echoes the notion that superfruits are unique in their development. For the many varieties that grow in tropical regions, intense heat and humidity lead to strong pigmentation, which is an indicator of their healthful potential. The natural chemicals required for the fruits to adapt are what sets them apart. “This causes these fruits to have properties not found in common fruits, such as an apple,” Chandler says.
Some believe the meaning of the ORAC value is diluted by marketing. Kravitz believes that if the industry is going to focus solely on ORAC numbers, then consumers would do well to stick with only the most affordable options for their antioxidant intake. Structure and function health claims must be in place, he emphasizes, in order to make products worthwhile to consumers and to justify dietary supplement price points.
Kravitz thinks that, to begin with, many consumers are confused about what an antioxidant actually does. “Antioxidant, scientifically, is a misnomer. It’s a free radical quencher. Free radicals cause damage associated with aging, and with the breakdown of DNA and RNA, which is associated with cancer,” he says.
Even from his perspective as a manufacturer, Kravitz thinks there are too many superfruit SKUs out there, saying, “It’s like a wine store at this point, with 80 different white wines…what’s the difference?” The industry, especially in this economy, needs to educate consumers about why it’s important to get to a health food store and buy superfruit products, Kravitz believes. Talk about ORAC numbers cannot continue, he says, if consumers don’t understand their value.
In a nutshell, ORAC describes the potential for antioxidants to engulf free radicals, Mosca says, but this is only one part of the equation. People should be encouraged to consume antioxidants continually for sustained benefit. Because antioxidants don’t reside in the body long after performing their beneficial tasks, continual intake is just as important as the level of antioxidant activity, as defined by ORAC.
Another issue with ORAC, according to Pond, is that as an ex vivo assay, it does not necessarily give good insight into a product’s bioavailability in the human body. “It is critical that ORAC data are accompanied by research that shows in vivo efficacy, such as down regulation of inflammatory markers such as CRP, ACE and NfkB that are known to be associated with the advance of health concerns,” he says.
Pond notes the recent development by Brunswick Labs of more advanced ORAC testing for food and nutritional products. Called Total ORACFN, this new assay tests for five free radical types: the hydroxyl, peroxyl, peroxynitrite, singlet oxygen and superoxide anion. Former tests were only measuring for hydroxyl free radicals, according to Pond. This is a step in the right direction, because there are many free radicals species that can impact human health, and researchers had realized the one-dimensionality of many ORAC tests.
Despite the advances in testing, singling out the actions of fast- and slow-acting antioxidants and allowing other insights into the status of free radicals, Clouatre says that the role of antioxidants in the body is still not all that clear. Hundreds of nutrients now have the antioxidant label associated with them, but Clouatre argues this leads to a sort of marketing paradox, saying, “To paraphrase a famous observation, if every supplement is an antioxidant, then being an antioxidant no longer is anything special.”
ORAC claims today do not carry the same weight in marketing as they did a decade ago, Clouatre says, and while antioxidant claims may still be useful, individual nutrients now need to have specific benefits associated with them. He gives the example of blackcurrant, which in addition to a high ORAC score, also provides protection for the brain and the eyes. This is due to the particular anthocyanins, including delphinidin-3-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-glucoside, that blackcurrant contains.
Playing Hard to Get
Regarding these exotic source locations, quality control can represent difficulties as well. “Fruits from exotic locales may be hard to police for continuity in color, taste, nutrient content, and so forth,” says Dallas Clouatre, Ph.D., new product development and marketing consultant for Jarrow Formulas, Los Angeles, CA. So, it makes sense to expect some variability among manufacturers, and even within brands, in terms of product quality, an aspect of this market of which retailers should be aware. Superfruits as a market may also be particularly affected by any disruptions in global trade, especially when it comes to more volatile regions of the world that also happen to grow certain superfruits.
Some manufacturers pay top dollar to guarantee harvesting practices that are environmentally friendly, and that feature fair trade wages for the harvesters. The benefit is that growers like these are usually organized, and work agricultural adversity into their prices to prevent fluctuations. “By opting for superior producers, we not only get higher quality ingredients, but also the benefit of greater stability in our supply chain,” says James Gibbons, president of Nature's Plus, Melville, NY.
Instability can occur when supply fails to materialize. Hartley Pond, vice president of technical sales, VDF/FutureCeuticals, Momence, IL, explains that a crop failure in Chilean raspberries will profoundly affect raspberry prices in the United States. To further complicate things, some superfruits are available year-round from their source regions, while some are seasonal. There are crops such as maqui berry that only grow in specific regions such as Patagonia, which according to Pond is limited by a short growing season, and demand has the potential to outrace supply.
Yet, of course, U.S. consumers expect to be provided with their favorite superfruit products without interruption, so manufacturers must factor this in. However, “I don’t see our demand cannibalizing the supply at all,” says Steve Kravitz, president of Earth’s Bounty, Vancouver, WA. He thinks the local economies that support many superfruit harvests are only too happy to expand and meet Western consumer demand.
As far as the future of ORAC testing goes, Clouatre thinks that values should be standardized. For instance, it can be misleading to compare wet samples of a fruit with dried samples of others, a common practice in the industry, according to him. In addition, nutrients are water soluble, while others are fat soluble, so ORAC values may be misleading as to how bioavailable they are.
Using advanced testing of the kind discussed above, Larry Logsdon, founder of Tahiti Trader, Riverside, CA, says his company measures ORAC values in its finished products, not before manufacture. Logsdon points out that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines suggest through their recommended fruit and vegetable intakes that we get 2,500 ORAC units per day, minimum. This is a good number with which to compare ORAC values in dietary supplements.
Some are proponents of ORAC as a straightforward indicator to consumers of potential health benefits. “As I visit with my patients, I describe ORAC as the ‘anti-rust’ factor. Education on the oxidative burdens to the body and the quenching factors of antioxidants point to the capacity to confer protection against damage to the 75 trillion cells of the body,” says Chris Meletis, N.D., director of science and research for Trace Minerals Research, Roy, UT.
Several experts expressed the feeling that ORAC measurements are useful, perhaps in part because they’re the best metric we have. Emphasizing that it is only a measure of test tube activity, Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA, nutrition education manager for NOW Foods, Bloomingdale, IL, says that ORAC numbers may not accurately reflect antioxidant action in the body. He says people realize this, but until something better comes along or science learns more about what existing ORAC tests can tell us, it will remain a useful yardstick for nutritional content.
One important point that shouldn’t be passed over is that consumers should avoid getting bogged down in the high ORAC value of a particular superfruit or product. “While ORAC is important, it is equally important to consume a variety of fruits and vegetables because each one may have something unique to offer,” Phillips says.
One day, Gibbons explains, scientists may develop a set of optimal levels for the variety of antioxidants we need to stay healthy. “Until then, we will probably do best to make sure we get a variety of antioxidants from the widest possible range of sources,” he says.
Delivering the goods. The reason for the proliferation of liquid superfruit supplements is easy to see, the way Cuvelier puts it. “Liquid supplements are a quick and convenient way to deliver the health benefits consumers are looking for, that can be more fun and satisfying than pills and powders,” he says.
In formulating superfruit products, though, nature often dictates delivery method. Chandler says the goal for his company is to deliver superfruits in the most natural form possible. This means mangosteen juice derived from whole fruit puree and mixed with other natural fruit juices.
Beyond nature’s intentions, another simple guide to the best finished product is the form in which the superfruit has been scientifically studied, according to Meletis. The form with proven health benefits, where the full array of nutrients and the ORAC value are preserved, is generally preferable.
Pond points out the number of variables involved in comparing one delivery method to another. It is hard to categorically declare one superior over the other, he says. Comparing a blueberry juice to a freeze-dried blueberry powder, even when the exact quantity of an active component is known in each case, can be difficult because of unknown quantities like bioavailability.
When everything else is equal, there are factors that manufacturers weigh when deciding which form superfruit products should take. “Using dry powders in a liquid product actually reduces concerns about molds, fermentation, off-flavors, etc., while allowing far higher potencies as represented by ORAC antioxidant values,” says Levin.
The intended customer goes a long way in determining a product’s form. “Often delivery is merely a matter of convenience and of who will be taking the product,” Clouatre says, adding that for instance, “We all know that children are unhappy customers for capsules and tablets.” In such cases, liquids are the way to go, and they are often marketed toward children for that reason.
Superfruits are finding their way into common beverages such as teas and juice blends, as an “added value” component, Logsdon says. In addition to supplements, Phillips sees them being included in everything else under the sun: functional foods, confections and nutritional bars, which consumers like for their convenience.
Superfruits on the Shelf
A regulatory issue that has cropped up for the superfruits market in the past few years is the FDA guidance on what constitutes a food or beverage vs. a supplement product. In the case of Levin’s company, those products marketed as fruit juices are considered foods. Superfruits in capsules are deemed dietary supplements and are clearly labeled as such, as are certain extracts and concentrates in liquid form.
“It’s important to note that the federal government refuses to recognize ‘structure-function’ claims made on foods, which do not have DSHEA protections,” Levin says, referring to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. He explains how food companies touting the benefits of their superfood products have been targeted by federal agencies, so it is often preferable to place products in the dietary supplement mold, where these same claims are more allowable if properly documented.
Gibbons says the supplement industry will always be skeptical of an FDA guidance that serves to restrict the way dietary supplements are presented on store shelves. “One wonders if coffee were invented today, would it be considered misbranded by the FDA?” he asks. While noting that the guidance hasn’t tended to affect his company’s products, he encourages all stakeholders to voice their opinions on the matter to the government.
Enforcement of these types of regulations has been inconsistent. There is the notable and recent case of POM Wonderful, where the FDA was challenged on labeling and marketing enforcement issues based on scientific documentation. Yet, Clouatre points out, the FDA seems to ignore the many companies that sell açaí on the Internet and make claims that have no substantiation.
Phillips has advice for those dealing with newer superfruits that may face regulatory scrutiny if marketed as a food product. “If a formulator selects an ingredient that is not FDA GRAS approved, the marketer should ensure the finished product is clearly promoted as a dietary supplement,” he says.
As for the term “superfruit” itself, it remains unregulated and open to interpretation. “Because the term superfruit is not legally defined, there are no boundaries for how food companies can exploit the term on foods and beverages,” says Payne. For example, Payne explains, a pomegranate-flavored chewing gum may be labeled a superfruit product, but may not contain the benefits one might find in a pomegranate yogurt smoothie.
Keeping them super. Maintaining nutritional integrity from source to shelf can be an issue when it comes to the oftentimes highly degradable content of certain superfruits. “Stability is a big concern we encounter, as phytonutrients can be very sensitive to heat, light and manufacturing processes,” Chandler says. Organic compounds called xanthones, found in the mangosteen fruit body, are very heat and light stable according to Chandler, making for a consistent final product and shelf life. Chandler’s company has established a xanthone measurement standard in recent years as a form of quality assurance.
Also, when sourcing from the far flung regions that superfruits tend to hail from, preserving their super qualities is an issue. “Once we have sourced a superfruit, the concern that we often times have is how to get the fruit back to our plant, where we can turn [them] into high-quality juices with minimal losses,” says Logsdon.
Super futures. How many superfruits can there really be left to discover? Meletis believes there are always new frontiers in this market, because we have yet to learn all we can from the globe’s indigenous peoples, and have yet to fully explore remote regions such as the Amazonian rainforest. “However, many of the superfruits that have been delivered to the marketplace get trumped by the latest ‘newsworthy discovery’” he says.
This glut of superfruits in the news, for better or for worse, may persist into the future. “We are confident that as time goes on, more superfruits will be discovered in the tropical and sub-tropical regions, as well as in the Middle East,” Mosca says. Payne paints the picture of intrepid explorers deep in the jungle, hoping to stumble luckily over some brightly-colored next-big-thing, like Ponce de Leon searching for the fountain of youth.
Because of all the hype and the proliferation of superfruit products on store shelves, companies see it as important to be first to market with new discoveries, meaning they are keeping their lips sealed on the details. Without revealing too much, Logsdon says, “There are more new superfruits on the horizon…stay tuned.” WF
1. M.O. de Souza, et al., “Diet Supplementation with Açaí (Euterpe Oleracea Mart.) Pulp Improves Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress and the Serum Lipid Profile in Rats,” Nutrition 26 (7–8), 804–810 (2010).
2. P.T. Nguyen, “Antimicrobial Actions a-Mangostin Against Oral Streptococci,” Can J Microbiol. 57 (3), 217–225 (2011).
Published in WholeFoods Magazine, April 2011


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on September 28, 2017
The popular online site, Variety, recently published an article discussing the "urgent demand" in the animation industry, do to the boom in streaming services.
"The rise of streaming services — which are ordering season after season of animated shows for children and adults — has created an urgent demand for original content, leading to a surge in jobs at all levels of production. For now, the deluge shows no signs of letting up."
(read the rest of the article HERE)
Now is a great time to join our animation workshops and get in this amazing industry or dramatically enhance your skills. We start our next set of workshops next week (Oct. 2nd). There's still time to join, don't delay.

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Privacy Groups and FTC Attack Behavioral Ad Practices
Perhaps the single greatest contributor to the growing 'fear of advertising' phenomenon arises from the practices of enormous entities like Google, Facebook and Apple. These organizations house personal information for literally hundreds of millions of people, data that could be shared and compromised at any time. Because of the possible repercussions, privacy advocacy groups and the Federal Trade Commission have staunchly and steadfastly sought measures to increase transparency and protect consumer privacy.
According to the New York Times, those measures, like the upcoming implementation of the 'Power I' icon, are having their desired effect. A survey of 90 different companies by the Ponemon Institute revealed that, "Privacy issues have prompted marketers to use online behavioral advertising -- based on tracking a user's Web browsing habits -- 75 percent less than they would have otherwise."
That certainly represents a comforting revelation for those concerned about having their actions tracked and permanently stored, but maintaining online privacy and protecting one's information still remain important. For simple data protection steps, our recent guide can help provide some easy guidance. [From: The New York Times]


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South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries is blazing the trail in shipbuilding having won a $723 million contract in July to build six very large ethane carriers for India's Reliance Industries Ltd., several industry sources said Friday, August 15.
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The vessels of 87,000 cubic meters each, will be the world's first very large carriers of ethane. RIL was targeting the long-haul US-produced ethane to feed its cracker at the Jamnagar refining and petrochemical complex in Gujarat on the west coast of India, sources said.
The cracker will be commissioned in the second half of fiscal 2016-2017, running from April to March, the company had said. It will nearly double RIL's ethylene production capacity to 3.3 million mt/year.
A Samsung Heavy Industries spokeswoman said it had won a contract to build gas tankers, but declined to confirm the vessel type, or the company that placed the order.
The RIL spokesman did not respond to queries.
In its July 17 filing to the Korean Stock Exchange, Samsung Heavy said it had signed a contract on July 16 to build six gas carriers worth a total of Won 740.7 billion ($723.55 million) working out to $120.6 million per vessel. The orders account for 5% of Samsung Heavy Industries' overall recent sales of $14.49 billion, it added.
The order was placed by an Asian ship operator, Samsung said in its filing, without revealing the name. Vessel construction will start in October 2015 and deliveries will be made by January 31, 2017, it added.
Shipbrokers said the deciding factor in Samsung's favor was the ample slot availability to deliver four vessels by end-2016.
The orders come as US NGL exporter Enterprise Products Partners recently said it was building a 240,000-b/d ethane export terminal at Morgan's Point on the Houston Ship Channel, targeting the third quarter of 2016 for startup. But Enterprise had also said that 85% of the terminal was subscribed with exports estimated at 200,000 b/d.
The ethane export facility, touted as the world's biggest, will gain from operational proximity to the Mont Belvieu natural gas liquid processing hub and can handle vessels with 45 feet (14 meters) draft, overall ship length of 900 feet (274 meters) and does not have any air draft limitation, the distance from the water surface to a ship's highest point, Enterprise said.
It was not immediately known if RIL is working on a purchase contract with Enterprise. Bentek, a unit of Platts, has suggested some ethane exports may head to India.
WAVE OF NEW ETHANE CARRIERS EXPECTED
Traders and analysts have said that transporting ethane to Asia would require huge investments in infrastructure, as there are hardly any large carriers available to move cargoes to Asia.
The market in Asia for ethane is virtually non-existent at the moment as the bulk of crackers had been designed to crack naphtha, though analysts said there are crackers that can use LPG as feedstock.
Asian petrochemical makers are concerned about their ability to recoup their investment costs on ethane crackers, analysts said, though the wave of larger ethane carriers might encourage them to consider a switch.
The challenges in building and designing ethane carriers, according to the Lloyds Register of Ships, is the vessel's cargo containment system and use of ethane as fuel to fire the engines for propulsion of ships, which have a capacity of between 84,000 cu m and 90,000 cu m. A ship-designing expert said that the choice of the type of tanks needed to be carefully evaluated since ethane is a heavier liquefied gas whose specific gravity is higher than that of LNG.
Analysts have said 25 large ethane vessels would be needed to service the Enterprise project, and that the current fleet, or on order, was not enough.
Enterprise's ethane terminal shows that US producers are seeking export outlets as selling at prevailing prices in the domestic market was not attractive, Kumar Shantanu Bhushan, Drewry's lead research analyst, said.
"Seaborne trade in ethane is still marginal, or non-existent," he added.
The industry may combine three approaches: building ethane export terminals and then selling volumes later; consumers showing positive intent to buy ethane from the US leading to project-bound new orders; or build specialized ethane carriers first and then shipowners could seek charterers, or think of operating it in the spot market, he said.
Ineos and RIL may be going for project-bound orders, while Navigator Holdings is opting for speculative orders, he added.
In Europe, two firms have contracted to buy US shale gas for cracking to boost flagging petrochemical margins: Austria's Borealis has a 10-year deal with Antero Resources and Switzerland-based Ineos has a contract to buy ethane to crack at its Rafnes and Grangemouth petrochemical plants.
Borealis has signed a shipping agreement with Navigator to move ethane from Marcus Hook in the US to Sweden. To fulfill the deal, Navigator is building an ethane vessel.
Altogether, Navigator is building four 35,000 cu m ethylene/ethane capable gas carriers at Jiangnan Shipyard in China for $78.4 million each.
Ineos has expanded to six vessels the fleet it is contracting from Danish shipping firm Evergas for transporting US ethane to its European crackers. The vessels of 27,500 cu m each are also being built in China.
Petrochemical firms have announced more than 30 projects to expand, debottleneck and build greenfield crackers in the US. As a result, Bentek estimates domestic ethane demand will rise by 655,000 b/d in the next five years to 1.615 million b/d in 2019 from 960,000 b/d in 2013.
Although the projects are significant, they are not enough to keep pace with the supply growth, which Bentek expects to increase to 2.017 million b/d in 2019 from 1.155 million b/d in 2013.
"US ethane prices have traded at a discount to natural gas on an MMbtu-equivalent basis since mid-2012, and they will continue to do so as long as production continues to outpace demand," it said, adding that US producers have an incentive to export ethane. Canada became the first country to take US ethane last December.
US primary feedstock ethane is trading around 22.5 cents/gal ($166/mt) Mont Belvieu, according to Platts data. Europe's main feedstock naphtha, CIF NWE basis and CFR Japan naphtha cargo swaps, are more than five times that value.


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For the past 10 years, growing concerns over childhood obesity has paved the way for more nutritious, healthier foods offered to kids at school. But now the American Academy of Pediatrics wants healthy foods to go beyond cafeteria walls, urging caregivers to focus on the nutritional quality of the foods packed and brought to school.
If you’re dieting, you probably won’t be celebrating today because it’s is National Junk Food Day.
Grab a fork and get ready to dig into a feast full of insects.
Spring is finally here, but even if you still have the winter blahs, there are certain things that you can do to feel a bit better.
A winning combination most parents want for their children is a healthy mind and a healthy body. But how to get the kids to buy into the idea of eating healthy lunches and snacks?
The next time you take a trip to the grocery store, look around; you may be surprised by the number of products that feature added protein.
Eating right is largely regarded as an important part of staying healthy, but research reveals that gender might play a role in what you should be including in your diet. In other words, what’s beneficial for men might not be beneficial for women and vice versa.
Moms and Dads are not going to like the finds of a new survey when it comes to kid’s meals on restaurant menus. The study, by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, looked at children’s meals at the nation’s top chain restaurants. It found 97 percent of their offerings did not meet nutritional standards.
Do you feel tired all the time, despite getting sleep at night? Getting your energy back could be simpler than you think. That’s because certain nutrient-rich foods can help fight fatigue and even give you energy to spare.
Relief from everyday aches and pains may be as simple as opening your refrigerator or pantry.


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In late February Facebook paid $19 billion to acquire the start-up company WhatsApp, just five years after its initial launch in 2009. WhatsApp is a full, cross-platform mobile-messaging phone service. It works by using a phone’s contacts folder as its “prebuilt social network” and now allows users from different manufacturers to exchange messages. Users login with their own phone number and real name.
WhatsApp focuses on its utility, simplicity, and quality of service. Their personal brand is to private maintain and keep a history of current relationships and chats, not hooking up with someone. Using real names allows friends to find one another. It also builds the business because of the network that is developed: the more people who join, the more likely it is that users will draw in others.
Facebook’s newly purchased company is highly successful. Typically, in excess of 18 billion messages are sent through its network, and this amount is increasing exponentially. From December 2013 to January 2014, there was an additional surge of two billion messages. Moreover, some messages go to multiple recipients, potentially doubling the amount sent. The number of active monthly users of WhatsApp totals now approximately 450 million and another million are added each month, which is what made the company so attractive to Facebook.
WhatsApp is a global company. Initially it was free and business was brisk – 10,000 downloads a day. Price containment was part of the initial design. In developing countries texting prices can be very high. The company added picture messaging, and moved to a one-time download fee. Currently, they have an annual subscription cost after the first year of use: $1.00 … or £1.00 … or €1.00. And, they offer advantages over older messaging services, such as Skype and AOL’s AIM.
The company was created by Jan Koum, 38, who came from modest beginnings. He didn’t even have a computer until he was 19, but he did have an abacus. His family didn’t have money to frequently call family back home to Ukraine, where they had emigrated from when Koum was 16. Thus, it makes sense that Koum would found an organization based on phone-based communications. And, that built into the system is privacy in the form of encryption between the client and the server. All chat histories are stored on the phone, not the server.
Both Koum and his cofounder Brian Acton, 42, worked at Yahoo! since the late 1990s before launching their own business. When Koum began WhatsApp, he set up three rules: First, there would be no advertising. This concurred with his Soviet upbringing. Second, citizens’ privacy would not be at risk. And, third, the user experience would be accessible and reliable. The three rules are set as a company mantra: No ads, no games, and no gimmicks. For this reason, privacy groups have now raised concerns about Facebook’s purchase of WhatsApp.
Before the acquisition by Facebook, Koum and Acton expressed their own concern about working in a large company and spoke about the importance of maintaining their three rules, as a promise to their users. Privacy advocates have taken this to heart: two groups recently filed a complaint with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) to block Facebook’s purchase. They want to know how Facebook will use the data. The allegation is that the purchase may be “an unfair and deceptive trade practice” because of WhatsApp’s promise to its users that it not collect data for advertising purposes.
The charge is that Facebook will break that promise because its record indicates that it regularly integrates data from companies it acquires. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says that, following the acquisition, nothing will change for WhatsApp users and that the business will continue to operate separately. Facebook claims that its sole intent is to allow more connectivity and to deliver core Internet services more affordably and efficiently.
Facebook has questions to answer in its acquisition of WhatsApp. A lot of users may be shaking their heads at the possible discord between WhatsApp’s three promises of “no ads, no games, no gimmicks” and Facebook’s history including prior lawsuits due to their profiting from user’s information. Users may now well be asking Facebook, “WhatsApp?”
By Fern Remedi-Brown


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2021 was a record year for tech, media, and telecom (TMT) IPOs, with a total of 558 listings raising a total of $237 billion. However, the IPO market has slowed further from Q1 to Q2 of 2022, leading to an overall drop in IPO listing in the first half (H1) of 2022.
The US had the most TMT IPOs between 2018 and 2021 in terms of volume, with 523 over this period, according to GlobalData. After a record-breaking 2021, H1 2022 saw only 18 IPOs in the US, which is an 86% volume fall from H1 2021.
In Q2 2022, the US saw only eight tech IPOs with gross proceeds of $1.2 billion. This is the weakest quarter in any of the past four years, while there were no billion-dollar deals this quarter, against three in the first. The first quarter saw gross proceeds of $12.5 billion, down 57% from Q1 2021, while Q2 2022 saw an even greater drop in deal value, down to 97% from Q2 2021
What is causing the TMT IPO market to slow?
There are two main causes of this downturn in the market. The first is instability and geopolitical tensions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has not only affected the US TMT IPO market but the global IPO market too. The other factor is soaring inflation and the prospects of further increases in interest rates, resulting in falling share markets.
Notable tech IPOs in H1 2022
There were several notable tech IPOs in the first half of 2022. These were:
- TPG – TPG, a private investment company, was the biggest IPO in H1 2022. It is valued at $9.1 billion, raising $1 billion in the US. It priced its IPO at $29.50 per share.
- Credo Semiconductor – The chips and semiconductor company made its debut on the NASDAQ on January 31, 2022. The stock started trading at an IPO issue price of $12.10 apiece. It raised $183.8 million in proceeds and soared to a valuation of nearly $1.4 billion.
- SKYX Platforms – The smart home appliances company made its debut on the NASDAQ on February 9, 2022. The IPO proceeds were $23.1 million, with an issue price of $14. This valued the company at $1.1 billion at the time of the IPO.
- Applied Blockchain – The blockchain enterprise was listed in the US in April 2022. The company raised proceeds of $40 million at an offer price of $5 per share. This valued the company at $0.5 billion at the time of listing. It will use the net proceeds to lease or purchase additional property.
The outlook for Q3 2022 remains uncertain
Many mega IPOs were postponed in the first half of 2022, indicating a healthy pipeline of deals that are likely to come to market once the current uncertainties and volatility pass. This includes Justworks (cloud), Rhodium (blockchain), Authentic Brands Group (ecommerce), and TypTap (fintech). However, the outlook remains uncertain.
Despite the weak market performance in H1 2022, several TMT unicorns are still planning to go public in the second half of the year. These include companies such as Reddit (social media) and GoPuff (ecommerce), while several others have also filed for an IPO including Instacart (ecommerce), Mobileye (autonomous vehicles), and Turo (ecommerce).


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FSBOHOMES to Celebrate Grand Opening in Ankeny
Ankeny, IA –– FSBOHOMES (www.FSBOHOMES.com), known for delivering a modern home selling experience without the agent commissions, is expanding from its Urbandale location, and is officially launching its services in Ankeny with a ribbon cutting event this Wednesday, September 29th.
"People are shocked when they realize just how simple our process is for both the home sellers and buyers," said local FSBOHOMES franchise owner Steve Davis. "The demand for this service has continued to rapidly increase and we knew it was time to open our next location."
Date: September 29, 2021
Time: 4:30 pm
Location: 110 N Ankeny Blvd, Suite 600, Ankeny, IA 50063
Steve Davis, his team of local, qualified professionals, past and current customers, and others will be there to celebrate and answer questions for everyone who stops by. There will be food and drinks served following the ribbon cutting.
FSBOHOMES has continued to pave the way with new locations across the United States. Individual sellers are saving a staggering average of nearly $15,000 in agent commissions per home sale. "The results our customers are seeing speak for themselves," said Chad Boge, co-founder and CEO of FSBOHOMES. "People are starting to realize the astronomical amount of money they are paying in agent commissions for simply listing their home on the MLS. Buyers are the ones finding the homes online they want to go look at anyway."
One aspect of selling with FSBOHOMES that differentiates it is that every home posted for sale comes with a Home Transparency Report®. This comprehensive report combines a pre-market certified appraisal and pre-market home inspection, so all the critical information is available up front and early in the process. This makes it easier for buyers and sellers to reach an agreement.
Residents in the Ankeny area can learn more about FSBOHOMES and their own savings in agent commissions for themselves at www.fsbohomes.com/ankeny/.


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As part of the latest Big Betting Balagan podcast, Future Anthem’s CEO Leigh Nissim detailed his company’s progression and how it sees the online gaming industry changing in the future.
Speaking with host Dan Phillips, Nissim revealed the innovative approach that Future Anthem took following its creation four years ago: “We have a very clear mission – we want to use AI to improve the player experience for everyone,” Nissim said.
“The way that we do it is that we invest billions of transactions from operators, from studios and we try and predict how players are gambling when they are in session. With those predictions we make recommendations, and those recommendations are designed to improve the entertaining experience.”
Asked by Phillips about the policies on sharing the findings from the transactions, Nissim explained that each customer’s data is safely stored in “their own container” and that the trends they’re experiencing are not shared with anyone.
He stated: “Your data is yours, it’s in your own container. But what everyone is benefiting from is the algorithms. The algorithms have been trained across billions of spins; they’ve gone against something like 28 billion transactions.
“You’re benefiting from the accuracy of these models that have been built and trained across all that dataset. But there’s no sharing of any kind of trends, they are specific to you as a client.”
Talking about the player experience when interacting with slots, Nissim pointed out that the majority of it results in a negative outcome due to failed customer expectations, with a high chance of the player leaving in the search for a better option.
“People don’t realise that 70% of slot sessions have an RTP less than 80%. Seven in every 10 players will have a poor experience and they’re highly likely to leave as a consequence,” Nissim said.
He also noted that by the time players find a suitable experience, they’ve already exhausted a hefty amount of their funds.
“And the games are built like that. It’s only the players that spin loads that are going to get into those 95% RTPs that the games are built for. Some are very aggressive, some are softer, so for a new consumer you absolutely need to present the right games for them to have a better experience.”
Phillips also asked his guest on the trends he sees as building up, and what can be done to bring more improvements into the industry.
Nissim explained: “Online and digital have a huge way to go in terms of creating opportunities. This whole retail-to-online piece is still underdeveloped. That journey still has a long way to go. I want to see more automation happening, more precision. A lot that we see is still very broad and very blanket.”


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Xiaomi is soon expected to launch the Xiaomi 12T series in the global markets. The two premium smartphones, namely the Xiaomi 12T and 12T Pro 5G are expected to launch in September or October 2022. While the company is yet to announce the launch date for the phones, the Xiaomi 12T Pro has been leaked multiple times on Google Play Console, FCC, and more.
On the other hand, Redmi is also expected to bring its first ever tablet soon in China. The upcoming tablet is tipped to be called the “Redmi Tab” and is expected to launch soon. Now, ahead of the launch, the Xiaomi 12T Pro and Redmi Pad renders have leaked, thanks to tipster Abhishek Yadav. Now, we have our first look at these devices along with the key camera features of both devices.
Xiaomi 12T Pro and Redmi Pad Renders Leaked
The Xiaomi 12T Pro has been shown off in Black colour options. The image also gives us a first look at the cameras of the device. The 12T Pro will come with a triple rear camera setup along with a dual LED flash. The image also confirms that the upcoming flagship phone will feature a 200MP main lens.
The Redmi Pad has been shown off in a Grey colour option and the device will come with a single rear camera the back with an 8MP sensor.
First look ✅
Xiaomi 12T Pro
– 200MP camera 📸
— Abhishek Yadav (@yabhishekhd) September 1, 2022
Xiaomi 12T Pro and Redmi Pad: Specifications
The Xiaomi 12T Pro is tipped to be powered by Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC with Adreno 730 GPU. The phone will run on Android 12 OS. Based on the Google Play listing, the device is said to come with a screen resolution of 1220 x 2712 pixels. The Xiaomi 12T Pro will also come with an in-display fingerprint scanner, Dolby Vision support and a centrally aligned hole-punch cutout for the 20MP front camera.
The 12T Pro is expected to feature a 200MP Samsung HP1 sensor, 8MP ultrawide camera and a 2MP macro camera. The phone is tipped to a 5,000mAh battery with support for 120W fast charging out of the box.
The Redmi Tab on the other hand will feature a 7,800mAh battery and will run on MIUI 13 out of the box based on Android 12. The budget Android tablet could sport a 10.61-inch IPS LCD with a 2000 x 1200 pixel resolution.


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Ever wanted to give your energy supplier’s CEO a piece of your mind?
You now have the chance as MPs on the Energy and Climate Change Committee are accepting questions from households to put to suppliers during the 16 April inquiry into energy prices, profits and poverty.
UK energy suppliers are to face what is being called a “trial by Twitter” next week when bosses attend an evidence hearing at the House of Commons.
The public have until midnight Thursday to post their questions using the hashtag #AskEnergyFirms. Energy providers in attendance include British Gas, SSE, EDF, E.ON, Scottish Power and npower, as well as small suppliers OVO Energy and Good Energy.
MPs will select from submitted questions to put toward energy’s senior figures.
A lot to answer
The hearing comes as the average household energy bill is a hard-hitting £1,353 a year, and just a week after both Ovo Energy announced a price rise of £68 a year, and Co-op Energy announced a price rise of £100.
Meanwhile, recently published research found that UK consumers are collectively in debt to the energy suppliers to the tune of £637m. This is an increase over last year’s debt amount by £159m.
And consumers are likely to see more price rises as experts predict that increases are on the horizon after a long UK winter and a record-breaking March.


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September 19, 2014,
News & Features
The citations were little more than warnings and carried no fines because a federal judge has said the city can not impose fines until mid-July.
At some coffee shops and fast-food restaurants, the city awoke to what amounted to an accidental pilot program to post calorie counts.
A federal court served up just desserts for some New York restaurants last week, ordering them to follow city regulations and post calorie counts alongside menu prices.
It is perfectly fair to expect chain restaurants to know and share information about what they serve, especially for the sake of good health.
A ruling against a calorie-labeling law may backfire on the restaurant industry, leading to a broader range of restaurants’ being bound by a nearly identical menu-labeling requirement.
In his ruling, the judge said federal law already covers some of the same provisions that the city sought to put in place.
Some food tastes better to children if they think it came from McDonald’s, a small study suggests.
Among the ads aimed at children and teenagers, 72 percent are for candy, snacks, sugary cereals or fast food.
New York’s effort to compel fast-food restaurants to list calories alongside menu prices is essential to helping people make healthful decisions.
The City Council may soon consider a bill overturning a rule by the New York City Board of Health requiring calorie information to be displayed at fast-food and chain outlets.
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Square, Starbucks aim to give mobile payments a jolt
The mobile payments startup will handle the coffeehouse chain's credit and debit purchases, while getting a $25 million investment in return.
Steven MusilNight Editor / News
Steven Musil is the night news editor at CNET News. He's been hooked on tech since learning BASIC in the late '70s. When not cleaning up after his daughter and son, Steven can be found pedaling around the San Francisco Bay Area. Before joining CNET in 2000, Steven spent 10 years at various Bay Area newspapers.
ExpertiseI have more than 30 years' experience in journalism in the heart of the Silicon Valley.


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Don’t miss an opportunity to promote your business to thousands of RVA women at the Richmond Women’s Health and Fitness Expo on Saturday, February 3, 2018 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
As Richmond’s largest healthcare event, the Expo attracts thousands of women who make major health, wellness, food, and fitness decisions for their families.
Attendees come from a broad spectrum of ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds with an interest in learning, experiencing, trying, and buying health-related products and services.
WTVR CBS 6 provides over 100,000 in marketing support for the event! As a sponsor of the Richmond Women’s Health and Fitness Expo, sponsors will have the opportunity to showcase their business on a larger scale by taking advantage of on-air promotions and digital elements on wtvr.com.
If you are interested in becoming a 2018 Sponsor, contact us or 804-342-5753


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A new approach to congestion pricing has been proposed in Sydney, Australia.
London and Stockholm are already using central business district congestion pricing. They have reduced traffic congestion dramatically by charging drivers to come into the central business district during the most congested times of day. But this does have one disadvantage: some shoppers abandon the central business district and go to malls where they do not have to pay to drive.
Peter Stropher of the University of Sydney and Garry Glazebrook of the University of Technology, Sydney, have proposed city-wide congestion charging, making drivers pay to use all congested routes in the city.
Stopher says the technology top do this is "about 90 to 95 per cent there," and he has applied for a grant to test the concept.
This is a simple solution to traffic congestion, which has always seemed to be an intractable problem. It obviously better than widening freeways to deal with congestion: widening freeways does not work, since the new freeway capacity generates more traffic and worse congestion in the long run.
The Sydney Chamber of Commerce showed that it does not understand this issue at all by commenting: "A congestion tax ... would do nothing to address the underlying cause of congestion."
The underlying cause of congestion is the fact that you will create shortages if you give away a scarce and valuable commodity for free. If we gave away free gasoline or free caviar, we would create shortages of these products. Likewise, because we let people drive for free on scarce urban land, we create a shortage of land to drive on - which is commonly called congestion. The Chamber of Commerce should have learned this in Economics 101.For more information, see http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/experts-solution-to-traffic-tax-pay-when-its-busy/2006/07/03/1151778873572.html


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Apparently romance is giving way to the promise of good customer service. According to research by wireless service Voce, four out of five Americans would rather have 24-hour customer service assistance from fully informed "live" people than a date on Valentine's Day.
The study "Digging Deeper on Customer Service" highlighted consumers' growing frustration with the continuing downward trend in customer service. As a person that is constantly on the phone with Apple, Sony, TiVo, my bank and UPS, I totally sympathize. So many technological advances meant to make customer service more efficient or easier to use actually make dealing with companies more of a hassle for customers.
The survey also says nearly two out of three Americans would
rather take out the trash than speak to someone from customer service.


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It's not unusual for brands to 'tiff' concepts or ideas from their competitors. Facebook is beginning to prove itself as the 'Baba' in this kinda game and there seem to be no stopping Zuckerberg and his team.
'...in order to stay on top of its game, this is how Facebook copes, it ensures that all the latest and greatest features of other competitors are available on Facebook'. Maja Stevanovich, SVP of content strategy at Mungo Creative Group.
Facebook 'copycatability' was remarkable when they introduced the hashtags to Facebook. We all know the hashtags is a twitter idea. The hashtag wasn't exactly a success on Facebook, but then it worked fine. Because Facebook is advantaged to have enormous usership which is at over 1.8 billion active daily users presently. With that much usership, regardless of how failed an idea is on Facebook, some measure of success would be recorded.
Recently, Facebook 'aff tiff' snapchat main idea, which has been integrated into all Facebook owned social media networks - Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp. The whole world is busy trying to adapt to the snapchat feature on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp, while digital marketers are trying to figure out how to use this new feature for effective advertising, and marketing that another Facebook 'tiffery' is almost unnoticed.
Facebook, last week announced the new 'Personal Fundraiser' feature. This new feature is a clone of GoFundMe, a popular crowd funding website, that allows people raise money for various personal causes. The new feature according to Facebook would allow users raise money through Facebook. Though, for now, funds can only be raised for six causes - education expenses; medical bills; medical procedures for pets; public crises relief; personal emergencies like accident or fire; and costs related to the death of a loved one.
Remember, last year, GoFundMe was used to raise money for the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. Some users were also helped to raise funds to cover travel and expenses relating to the Olympics in Rio De Janeiro.


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Yet another Caribbean country announces a ban on Styrofoam products.
It’s official. Come 2019, polystyrene products, such as Styrofoam containers, will be illegal in Trinidad and Tobago.
Minister of Planning and Development Camille Robinson-Regis made the announcement while speaking at the Caroni Bird Sanctuary on Thursday evening.
She said the government had approved the ban some two weeks ago.
Environmental groups have been pushing for a Styrofoam ban for quite some time, with a petition being launched back in 2017 outlining the dangers and hazards of Styrofoam.
Styrofoam is non-biodegradable and has been cited as a danger to sea life and wildlife. Styrofoam containers are also said to be among the items that contribute to flooding when disposed of improperly.
Robinson-Regis said local styrofoam manufacturers have been given sufficient time to make the adjustments and switch to more environmentally friendly products. A ban on the importation of Styrofoam products is also to be implemented.
“Approximately two weeks ago the Cabinet approved the banning of Styrofoam to take place by 2019,” Robinson-Regis stated. “There is a team that has been set up that is working with the current producers of Styrofoam so that they will not be totally out of pocket. They have a time over which their production of Styrofoam must become environmentally friendly. But in the meantime, we will ban the importation of Styrofoam products into Trinidad and Tobago.”
Trinidad is not the first country in the region to implement a ban on Styrofoam.
Recently, St Vincent and the Grenadines banned the importation of Styrofoam products while Grenada announced that it would also be banning the offending products.
In April 2016, Guyana banned the importation of Styrofoam products as well, while Haiti also banned the product back in 2012.
In Jamaica legislation proposing the prohibition of Styrofoam products received a positive response after a private member’s motion was passed in Parliament in October 2016.
The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) passed a motion to ban the products last year and has already begun phasing out Styrofoam.
Source: Loop T&T.


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We may not be waiting long for the Samsung Galaxy A55, as a social media account affiliated with Samsung has suggested that the launch date for the midrange phone is right around the corner. And if newly posted photos are accurate, we won't even have to wait until then to get a good look at the Galaxy A55.
As spotted by Sammobile, a leaker on the X social media site posted what appear to be real-world photos of the Galaxy A55. The photos show off a lime color device that looks a lot like the Galaxy A54 that it's going to replace. But there's a key difference — the Galaxy A55 appears to come with the Key Island design, so the device’s power and volume buttons are raised above that frame. The handset also appears to come with three rear-facing cameras stacked one over the last.
First images of Galaxy A55 found online! I really like the flat frame look 👀 pic.twitter.com/gncH3BE7W5March 4, 2024
Don't assume that third lens means a telephoto camera is coming to Samsung's midrange phone. The Galaxy A54 had a triple camera array, too, with a dedicated macro lens joining the main and ultrawide cameras on that phone. We'd expect the Galaxy A55 to follow suit, especially since this phone tends to cost less than $500.
Samsung hasn’t said much previously about its Galaxy A55 plans, though earlier this week, the company’s India division took to X to tease an upcoming release for the both the Galaxy A55 and the Galaxy A35. A subsequent registration page on the Samsung India website lists a Galaxy A launch happening next Monday (March 11).
Several rumors have filled in the blanks on what to expect with the Galaxy A55. The latest rumor posted to Reddit teases a display with 1,650 nits of brightness. For context, the Galaxy S24 flagships offer 2,600 nits. That same Reddit post also tips the A55 to use Gorilla Glass Victus Plus for its screen.
Other rumored specs include an Exynos 1480 chipset backed by 8GB of RAM and a 6.5-inch display for the A55. We've also heard that the main camera will use a 50MP sensor, matching one of the standout features from the Galaxy A54.
That model gave Google's Pixel 7a all it could handle in the fight to be the best cheap phone under $500. It will be interesting to see how the Galaxy A55 measures up once the phone actually makes its debut.
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It looks like we’re finally getting a fresh look at Dying Light 2 very soon.
Techland is seemingly ready to show off more of Dying Light 2. The developer has posted a teaser titled Are you Dying 2 Know More? today.
The teaser points to the developer’s Twitch channel for a livestream taking place this Thursday, May 27 at 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm UK.
“Remember Harran? Who could forget…,” a message accompanying the teaser reads.
“But The City is our refuge now, and it needs your help. There’s so much for you to know, and so little time, but these clues can’t fall into the wrong hands. Find somewhere safe and play this message. You’re our last chance for survival.”
It’s not clear if this week’s stream will finally bring us a proper look at gameplay, or if it’s the start of a hype campaign that would eventually get us there. Techland recently ended months of silence to confirm that it’s aiming to release Dying Light 2 this year, promising more news over the coming months.
Since then, the developer has hosted a couple of sort-of developer diaries where team members answer fan questions, but that’s about it. If the game is indeed on track for release in 2021, we should see the marketing machine ramp up considerably over the coming weeks.
Recent reports haven’t exactly painted a bright picture of studio culture, and the game’s seemingly troubled development, but it only makes Techland more incentivised than ever to prove it has the goods.
The post Dying Light 2 teaser points to Twitch stream this week appeared first on VG247.


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Announcing his electric Semi-Truck, the head of Tesla also casually mentioned releasing the fastest electric sports car in the world. According to him, the Roadster model will have higher acceleration speed than all existing gasoline sports cars.
Elon Mask did not give the exact number, but noted that the new electric supercar will accelerate to more than 400 km/h. It goes to 96 km/h in 1.9 seconds. The price of Roadster is no less attractive than its characteristics and design. The standard configuration will cost $200,000 and the limited edition model, Founders Series, - $250,000.
Another recently announced electric supercar will have a more traditional price for elite cars - about $1 million. Moreover, the Miss R developers claim that their creation will accelerate faster than Roadster. The promised speed is 100 km/h in 1.8 seconds.
However, the maximum acceleration of Taiwanese electric car from Xing Mobility is clearly inferior to its American competitor. It will not exceed 270-300 km/h. One of the Miss R advantages is that unlike the Roadster, which will go in production no earlier than 2020, the Taiwanese electric supercar will enter the market in 2019. This model will be in limited edition - only 20 cars.


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FX & CFD trading involves significant risk
The Conference Board released its consumer confidence index for the U.S. on Tuesday. The index rose to 98.1 in January from 96.3 in December, exceeding expectations for a rise to 96.5. December's figure was revised down from 96.5.
The present conditions index remained unchanged at 116.4 in January.
The Conference Board's consumer expectations index for the next six months increased to 85.9 in January from 83.0 in December.
The percentage of consumers expecting more jobs in the coming months was down to 22.8% in January from 24.2% in December.
"Consumer confidence improved slightly in January, following an increase in December. Consumers' assessment of current conditions held steady, while their expectations for the next six months improved moderately. For now, consumers do not foresee the volatility in financial markets as having a negative impact on the economy," the director of economic indicators at The Conference Board, Lynn Franco, said.
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It seemed paradoxical that the Beatles’ company, Apple Corps, would sue Apple Computer for allegedly violating an agreement by using the Apple name and logo to sell music via iTunes. After all, how did that hurt the Beatles, who’ve been one of the last major holdouts from selling their music via download? Now, it turns out that the Beatles do plan to sell their songs online. Apple Corps chief Neil Aspinall testified in the current trial that he’s currently digitally remastering the entire catalog and will make it available in its entirety when he’s finished. An Apple Corps spokesperson tells Reuters there’s ”no firm date” when that might occur, but still, it’s good news for fans. Of course, when the Beatles finally do post their tracks online, they’ll probably do it at Rhapsody.
Posted April 13 2006 — 8:20 PM EDT
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- 'Shades of Blue' renewed for season 2


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DANVILLE, Ill. (AP) — LaToya Johnson, a non-smoker, wandered into Vapors, curious about its electronic cigarettes.
After sampling some flavors, she was a convert and vowed to tell her smoker friends about the devices, which some people say helped them kick tobacco.
"This is nice. This is awesome," she said as she inhaled on one of the cigarettes. "I don't smoke, but I would do this." However, she added that she would want one of the non-nicotine "juices."
Johnson's enthusiasm for e-cigarettes was echoed by several other customers on a recent afternoon as they browsed or bought at Vapors, a new shop in Towne Centre.
The shop, which opened in March, specializes in the holders, flavored liquids, batteries and other items. Other businesses in town also sell e-cigarettes, including Tobacco Warehouse and B&J Music.
Electronic cigarettes are battery-operated nicotine-delivery devices that mimic the look and feel of smoking. The heater inside the unit vaporizes a liquid solution. At Vapors, the liquid contains four ingredients — nicotine, a flavor, vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol. The last two ingredients are used in food.
The user gets a puff of hot gas, which feels a lot like tobacco smoke. When he exhales, a cloud of vapor looks like smoke, but it's odorless and quickly dissipates.
The user chooses how much nicotine — if any — he wants in the e-cigarette. At Vapors, users may choose 24, 16 or 8 milligrams of nicotine. A non-nicotine liquid is available at the Champaign store, and is coming soon to Danville. The user also chooses a flavor, which is part of the liquid solution.
The devices come in all sizes and vary in their power, including how much vapor they produce, depending on the battery.
The Food and Drug Administration has said it intends to regulate e-cigarettes as it does regular cigarettes, it has not yet done so. In Illinois and Indiana, there are no state laws except for the requirement that a person must be 18 or over to purchase e-cigarettes.
Some cities, such as Chicago, have expanded their tobacco regulations to include e-cigarettes. Both Danville Area Community College and Presence United Samaritans Medical Center have tobacco-free policies that include a ban on electronic cigarettes.
Also, the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association don't condone e-cigarettes as a viable quit-smoking option.
Nonetheless, those who have embraced the e-cig trend say the devices have helped wean them away from tobacco cigarettes, which contain thousands of harmful ingredients, some of them carcinogenic.
Melissa Freeman, owner of Vapors stores in Danville and Champaign, said most of her customers are trying to stop smoking — and they've had success with e-cigarettes. Her father, who smoked for 35 years, stopped after two months, with help from an e-cigarette.
She was a smoker for 15 years, but started "vaping" — the term used by e-cig users — about four years ago. With three children ranging in age from 2-12, she was concerned about exposing them to the harmful tobacco smoke, and was tired having to step outside every time she wanted a smoke.
People have a difficult time giving up smoking because it's incorporated into so many daily activities; for example, many smokers want a cigarette with a cup of coffee. That hand-to-mouth action is hard to give up, she said.
E-cigarettes give them the sensation of smoking and also deliver some nicotine, but at a lower risk.
A lot of her customers haven't had success with nicotine patches, gum and other methods, she said, adding, "If you can't quit, this is the greatest place to be."
With e-cigarettes, she said, "You feel so much better, you smell better. You don't realize how (tobacco) cigarettes are affecting you on a day-to-day basis."
Freeman also said she's careful about where she gets her ingredients for the liquid solution in the e-cigarettes, also called juice. She buys the nicotine from a pharmaceutical company, and uses only USDA-grade vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol.
"You don't know what you're getting otherwise," she said. Consumers need to make sure they buy e-cigarette solutions only at legitimate places and to avoid Chinese-produced juices.
In response to critics who question the ingredients in the liquids and who say nicotine is harmful in any form, she said, "I realize it's not 100 percent good for you, but I know it's better than cigarettes."
Most of Vapors' customers are trying to quit smoking, and her customers represent all ages; most are 30 and older who are trying to quit for their children's sake.
Some customers want to take up vaping just for fun or as a hobby, but Freeman said she does not encourage people to do that. "Don't put yourself through it if you don't have to," she said, referring to the use of nicotine.
Freeman also said her business checks the ages of customers who appear to be under 18.
Joshua Pilatz of Kingman, Ind., is one of those customers who has never smoked, but took up vaping nine months ago.
"I do it just for fun," he said, adding that his motto is "Keep calm and vape on."
Pilatz, 23, also makes his own coils, which heat the liquid, and flavors; his favorites are gummy bears and menthol. He orders his ingredients online.
Randy McDuffee and Mary McQueen of Danville were scouting out the merchandise last week, hoping to kick their smoking habit so they wouldn't get out of breath when playing with their 1-year-old daughter.
"This is a way I can knock it down," McDuffee said.
He and McQueen tried several flavors using disposable mouthpieces attached to the e-cig body while trying to decide. Vapors offers more than 80 flavors, including Red Hots, coffee with cream, Snickers, Irish cream, clove, banana Foster, pineapple, Skittles, vanilla tobacco, chocolate mint and cinnamon roll.
"It's so weird the way it literally, actually tastes the way it's supposed to," he said, while sampling a flavor.
Andy Beck, 27, of Danville smoked for nine years before quitting in October.
He told McDuffee, "You'll feel better. You can feel it in your lungs." It takes three or four days before a new e-cig user will see a difference, he said, adding, "You're not hacking every morning."
Beck said he especially likes not smelling like smoke anymore. He feels so much better and can breathe better, he said, and he doesn't crave cigarettes.
In fact, he doesn't even like the smell of smoke anymore, and won't use any of the flavors that taste like cigarettes.
He has done a lot of research, he said, adding, "It's way better for you."
Hayley Cooprider of Westville, who's been smoking since 16, said she's noticed several benefits since starting e-cigarettes last summer. It takes a while to get used to the new system, she said, and your lungs might be agitated at first.
But, she noticed her skin complexion has improved since she stopped putting poisonous chemicals into her body.
One reason she switched is that she's applying to the nursing program at DACC, and wanted to take some steps to good health.
Her advice to new e-cig users: Switch over cold turkey. Don't try to vape and smoke at the same time.
"It is a little bit of a struggle, but if you stick with it, it's a very promising reward at the end," she said.
She and others said they haven't had a problem using e-cigarettes in public places. Allowing or banning the devices is up to each restaurant or business at this point.
'On your way'
Jessica Young, manager of the Danville Vapors, asks new customers: "Are you looking to switch over? You've come to the right place."
To a new customer, she explained that he first would choose a battery, which comes in different sizes. A higher-voltage battery gives more "umph." The batteries need to be recharged at night (although the bigger ones last longer).
Some devices have coils that need to be replaced periodically; cost is $5. Or some devices have a disposable top part, which lasts about a month.
The devices come in a variety of colors.
After making a sale, she said to the customer, "You're on your way to throwing cigarettes away."
Online: (Danville) Commercial-News, http://bit.ly/1qfh9Qq
Information from: Commercial-News, http://www.dancomnews.com


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New Waterfield Tech Research: Customer Experience Leaders Lag Significantly in Deploying Conversational AI in the Contact Center, Forfeiting Critical Business Benefits
Despite current low adoption, AI viewed as vital contact center technology to mitigate effects of
soaring inflation and staffing shortages, deliver a superior brand experience
BOSTON, Nov. 1, 2022 – Waterfield Tech, a leading global customer engagement solutions provider, today announced research findings detailing a significant lag in the adoption of conversational AI in the contact center.
The study, which was conducted among senior customer experience and technology leaders across several industries, looked to understand the trends, challenges, aspirations and expectations around customer experience. The broad adoption of conversational AI for customer experience has been crucially delayed – despite AI’s potential to have a demonstrable positive impact on business and customer satisfaction metrics.
For an infographic that illustrates the findings from Waterfield Tech’s research further, visit https://solutions.waterfieldtech.com/top-contact-center-trends-for-2023.
Gartner’s “2022 CEO Survey — The Year Perspectives Changed” revealed 91.5% of leading businesses invest in AI on an ongoing basis. However, only 14% of Waterfield’s respondents say they’ve implemented conversational AI specifically, which includes natural language processing – the ability of machines to understand what people are saying (e.g., virtual assistants such as Siri or Alexa) and respond appropriately. These findings come as Gartner anticipates a 25% increase in 2023 customer satisfaction scores among organizations that use AI.
“When it comes to technology for driving superior customer experiences, AI implementation is lagging – and the missed opportunities are significant,” said Steve Kezirian, CEO of Waterfield Tech. “With AI, and specifically conversational AI, businesses can quickly and effectively address contact center staffing shortages and lower costs by enabling value-driven self-service that reduces the volume of human-agent interactions. Conversational AI can deliver an exceptional customer experience while enabling companies to more efficiently deploy their human and financial capital.”
Additional findings from Waterfield Tech’s research include:
The Value of Investing in the Contact Center
Respondent’s primary initiatives for improving the contact center in 2023 include:
- Improve overall contact center efficiency/flexibility (51%)
- Get better data/analytics from systems (48%)
- Only slightly more than a quarter (28%) of respondents mentioned “get smarter/better about workforce deployment.” But given the potential for economic headwinds and staffing shortages in 2023, this may become a heightened priority for contact center leaders in the months ahead.
SMS and Web Chat Gaining Traction
While most customer experience leaders continue to rely on traditional technologies like email and voice, SMS and Web chat are gaining traction. When asked about the technologies used in their contact centers, respondents said:
- 87% are using email
- 80% are using voice
- Voice is the top option in financial services and telecommunications/utilities, with 93% and nearly 86% of respondents, respectively, saying they use this technology in their contact center
- 57% are using SMS
- 48% are using Web chat
People Who Need “People”
Despite a minority (28%) of customer experience leaders deploying virtual agents, they recognize the benefits of this human-centric approach to the contact center experience. These leaders report looking to virtual agents to not only improve their business outcomes but to create a more emotional connection with customers. When asked, “What is the most important task a virtual agent can accomplish for your business?” the top four responses were:
- Answer simple questions (e.g., “Resolving the FAQ to take this communication off staff responsibility”)
- Fun/Make customers happy and satisfied (e.g., “Make the customer happy”)
- Customer service/retention (e.g., “Solve problems while discovering opportunities”)
- Handle more volume/speed (e.g., “Handle more inquiries at once”)
- Financial services: Respondents reported the top two initiatives for improving the contact center in 2023 were overall efficiency and introducing new channels. 72% of respondents say they’re developing a strategy or getting started with regard to AI. And, 50% indicated they “need to develop a strategy.” However, none of the respondents reported having yet implemented AI.
- Telecommunications: 69% of respondents in the telecom industry believe conversational AI will have a major impact on customer service in the future, but 65% have not yet begun or are in the early stages of adoption.
The Contact Center Crystal Ball
When asked what the future holds for the modern contact center, respondents noted:
- 50% say conversational AI is the most important technology of the future
- 23% are exploring the Metaverse/Web 3.0
“It’s clear customer experience professionals not only desire but requires the ability to address contact center effectiveness, workforce issues, and business performance – and they realize conversational AI is an essential technology to help them get there. They now need to take the next step to reap the benefits,” Kezirian said.
Survey methodology: In fall 2022, Waterfield Tech conducted an email survey of 118 senior leaders in roles including customer experience and technology across a variety of industries, such as telecommunications, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, travel, utilities, and others.
About Waterfield Tech
Waterfield Tech transforms customer engagement for organizations worldwide. Operating across six continents, our employees leverage a consultative, platform-agnostic approach to design, build, and manage scalable, omnichannel customer experience solutions. Our breakthrough innovations in contact center technology, automation (conversational AI), and workforce engagement reduce business costs, improve customer satisfaction, and help customers deploy a smarter utilization of the human workforce. To learn more, visit waterfieldtech.com.


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Snapchat, Instagram’s direct rival is struggling to meet targets while Instagram is going much stronger and has proudly announced a brand new feature.
For fans who are fond of stories, there is now one more way to express themselves with new Type Mode.
Instagram Stories is a popular feature among users and has millions of followers which keeps the app going strong despite the slowdown in app adoptions in the mobile scenario. Users will now be able to come up with creative quotes and post them on their timeline. The good news is they don’t have to use a photo or video but a simple stylized text should get the job done.
In the official blog, Instagram made the announcement in style. They posted a bunch of text images that had some vibrantly beautiful backgrounds and cool font styles to go with. When you are planning to add a video or post to your stories, you can now go with text content instead. The Type mode will be placed at the bottom of the screen right next to the Normal mode and will be readily accessible.
Just tap on the Type mode and it will immediately open a bunch of options to choose from. With all major smartphones focusing on amazing camera quality, there has been a huge surge in the number of photos and videos people take. After saturating the market, all major sites including Facebook and Youtube have switched to providing an option for people to share things through text. Instagram has now joined the lot and when you create a new text, you can choose the font, background color and highlight styles before posting it.
Users can also choose to add these customized text messages over a photo or video but it is not compulsory. Adding a text over media content may not go well but posting individual texts does look good. The developer team has offered just four different font options to choose from which seems very less but it could be a starter. They might add more options in the near future.
Similar to all the other stuff posted in Instagram stories, any text that you create using Type mode will automatically get deleted within 24 hours. The latest version of Instagram is now available on Google Play Store and if you download it, you should be able to make use of the text mode to share something new in your stories.


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MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - A man is facing multiple charges after police said he broke into a business and stole $18,000 worth of merchandise and did an estimated $800 worth of damage to the store.
Michael Farmer has been arrested and charged with burglary to wit: business, theft of property over $10,000 to $60,000 and vandalism over $500 to $1,000.
According to the police affidavit, a man told police on February 1 that his business, the Village Mart in the 4000 block of American Way, had been burglarized. He said an estimated $18,000 worth of designer clothing had been stolen.
Police said Farmer broke into the store through the brick wall in the front of the store.
Police found a wallet inside the store wall, between the brick and sheetrock at the entry point where the burglar entered the store. The wallet contained Farmer's social security card, Tennessee driver's license, and other identification documents.


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“We serve all main segments of industry in Brazil, including the automotive, construction and white goods industries,” said Marco Antonio Quirino, who was appointed as the president of Univar Brazil in early May. “Within the paint and coatings market, we are not yet selling to the ten biggest international companies that control about 75 percent of the market, but we currently do serve the ten percent share of the market which is supplied through distribution,” said Quirino, based at company headquarters in Osasco, Sao Paulo state.
The company provides close to 200 individual products to paint and coatings formulators, of which approximately 60 percent are specialty chemicals and 40 percent are commodities, Quirino said. Univar produces polyurethane manufacturing systems in Osasco, along with warehousing and laboratory facilities. The company also has two regional warehouses, in Recife, Pernambuco state, in the north, and in Itajaí, Santa Catarina state, in the south.
“The north is a very important growth area for us because the regional economic expansion is faster than that of the country overall,” noted Quirino. “Over the past decade, government policies oriented at low-cost housing and poverty eradication have resulted in a growing consumer class there,” he added.
Univar imports most of its products through the port at Itajaí and then trucks the goods to Osasco or the other warehouse centers, rather than using the Sao Paulo port of Santos. “The cost of importation at Santos is prohibitively high,” he said. Itajaí is the second-largest container port in Brazil today.
The company began operations with the purchase of Arinos, a foam and mattress manufacturer in 2011. At that time, the company was acquiring approximately 40 percent of its distribution stock from domestic manufacturers and 60 percent from imports. Today the ratio is approximately 50-50, Quirino said. “Our goal is to further displace imports to a 40 percent share, so that local acquisitions will represent 60 percent of purchases,” he added. Brazil is among those countries with a strong history of local content requirements, typically set at 60 percent or more.
Challenges to growth in Brazil include the need for a culture change in the role of distribution, suggested Quirino. “The old distribution model in Brazil was based on small- to medium-sized companies that were perceived as an added cost to the supply chain. Our proposal is to serve with additional value through our broad portfolio, inventory controls, and logistics optimization,” he said. “One very big potential customer we recently met with is willing to allow us to supply 50 percent of the total universe of products they now buy from many different suppliers, so one-stop shopping is of great value to them,” he noted. “This concept is not new in the United States or Europe, but is in Brazil,” he explained.
Other key challenges to distribution in Brazil are the poor state of the transportation infrastructure system overall, and the complex design of taxation, which varies state by state, Quirino pointed out.


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Earlier this month, Netflix rolled out a brand-new "Audio-Only" mode for Android users as a beta feature.
As spotted by XDA Developers back in October, even though it wasn't accessible, the feature let users save some mobile data while keeping up with their favorite series or simply just giving a background noise at home while doing something else.
"We're always looking for new ways to improve the Netflix mobile experience for our members," a Netflix spokesperson exclusively said in a statement to Variety last December. "We run tests in different countries and for different periods of time - and only make them broadly available if people find them useful."
How to Use Netflix "Audio Only" Mode
To use the "Audio Mode" on Netflix on your Android devices, simply choose the "Video Off" button on the playback screen. Tapping it will turn on the mode and leave a blank screen yet still show all playback controls like forward and backward, speed control, and so on.
The new feature also offers an audio-off option in the settings, letting viewers decide which device they want the audio to play.
According to Android Police, the feature should pop up in Netflix version 7.84.1 build 28 35243, which came earlier this month.
However, not every feature Netflix has ever rolled out ended up getting a major worldwide release on every platform. As previously stated, this feature is only temporarily available for Android users, and it may take some time for Apple users to see the launch.
Recommended Netflix Shows to Binge-"Audio Mode"
While the feature itself is excellent, especially if you're not really invested in the series and instead just looking for background noise while doing other activities, some shows are not meant to be enjoyed only by the audio.
Hit shows like "Breaking Bad," its spin-off "Better Call Saul," and the adrenaline-pacing "Money Heist/La Casa de Papel" use visuals as their best elements to build up the tension of the show.
However, there are still some great shows you can try this feature on, like special stand up comedies and documentaries.
Hasan Minhaj's "Homecoming King" is a great go-to, detailing how a Muslim, Indian-American first generation of immigrant family adapted in the US amidst the 9/11 crisis.
"Don't F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer" is another must-listen. It's based on real-life events and centers around members of a Facebook group who become entangled in a perplexing cat-and-mouse run against Luka Magnotta, a self-narcissistic serial killer.
"Death to 2020" is a satirically hilarious mockumentary from the creators of "Black Mirror." As the title suggests, it takes viewers to a train of time back to early 2020 in a comedic event of such a dreadful year.
Related article: 'Wonder Woman 1984:' Where to Watch and Buy Official Shoes.


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Reversing a policy that angered some users and triggered two class-action lawsuits, Apple says it will provide a development kit to let independent programmers create new applications for the
device, but code writers will have to wait until February to get the software tools.
Apple CEO Jobs says it will take Apple a few months "to do two diametrically opposed things at
once--provide an advanced and open platform to developers, while at the same time protect iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc."
The delay in opening up the iPhone was as much a business decision as it was a technical one, says Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. But the move could make the iPhone even more popular, particularly among corporate customers, he believes. Independent software writers are sure to write applications allowing the iPhone to sync with corporate e-mail systems. The move could also open the music player-phone to new games.