text:
The draft Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill will not effectively reduce cigarette sales or smoking-related harm in the country, says tobacco company Philip Morris South Africa.
The bill is expected to further regulate the use, marketing and sales of e-cigarettes or vapes in South Africa, with these products currently operating in a legislative vacuum.
Plans are also in place to introduce further restrictions on the smoking of cigarettes in public places.
Current smoking laws ban smoking in public places but allow for designated smoking areas in bars, taverns and restaurants provided that they do not take up more than 25% of the venue.
Lawmakers want to change this to a 100% prohibition of smoking in public areas.
“On one side of the debate are those who would see less harmful nicotine products including e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and snus, regulated the same as the most harmful products, namely cigarettes,” said Rishaad Hajee, head of corporate communications at Philip Morris South Africa.
“This approach doesn’t consider the growing body of scientific evidence which shows that not all nicotine-containing products are the same and turns a blind eye to the principle of tobacco harm reduction.”
Philip Morris is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke And despite being aware of the evident health risks, many adult smokers continue to smoke cigarettes, said Hajee.
Hajee said that between 2015 and 2019, the total cigarette sales in Japan dropped by 34%, which can be associated with the introduction of heated tobacco products.
“South Africa can achieve similar success if it implements regulatory frameworks that recognise that not all tobacco products are the same,” he said.
“Sensible regulation is key to striking the right balance. This means adopting regulation that recognizes the role of these alternatives in helping those adults who would otherwise continue to smoke to move away from cigarettes while protecting youth and non-smokers.”
The draft bill was first published in 2018 and did not treat alternative nicotine-containing products differently from cigarettes.
This indicates that South Africa’s tobacco regulations are not keeping pace with science and innovation and are not including tobacco harm reduction as part of the strategy for tobacco regulation or policymaking, Hajee said.


text:
NS&I overshoots savings target – and has no plans to bring back Index-linked Savings Certificates
A surge of savers have turned to National Savings & Investments (NS&I) ‘safe’ products amid the gloomy economic conditions, causing it to breach the target for how much money it is allowed to raise.
The Treasury-backed body said it overshot its target for net financing - which is the amount of money left over for the Government after withdrawals and interest payouts - by £18million in the last tax year.
It also says it has no plans to re-launch its popular Index-linked Savings Certificates product.
NS&I: Savers are turning to 'safer' products as economic uncertainty rumbles on
The NS&I says the increase is down to a ‘small number’ of customers placing large amounts in accounts which guarantee up to £2million – while it also saw a decrease in people withdrawing money across its range.
Unlike banks and building societies which are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protecting customers for up to £85,000 if they go under, NS&I is able to guarantee 100 per cent of deposits as it is backed by the Government.
A spokesman for the group said the global instability and the problems in the eurozone towards the end of last year were a ‘key driver’ in people placing large sums into its Direct Saver accounts, in which up to £2million can be placed per person, with no set investment term.
The group moved to stem the build-up in January by cutting the interest rate on its Direct Saver accounts from 1.75 per cent to 1.5 per cent in a move affecting just under 20,000 customers.
But it still meant NS&I delivered £4.02billion in net financing for the year 2011-12 despite its target of a maximum of £4billion.
No plans for Index-linked Savings Certificates
Gill Stephens from NS&I said she does 'not anticipate reintroducing Index-linked Savings Certificates during this financial year.'
Last summer, it was forced to withdraw the inflation-beating product after it attracted nearly half a million savers in just four months.
The group saw a gross inflow of £18.3billion during the last financial year, the largest amount since the £26billion placed in 2008-09 by consumers.
Some £16.7billion was taken out of accounts in 2011-12, which is also the lowest figure since the rocky 2008-09 period.
Easing inflation in recent months has helped to give people a wider choice of products giving them real returns on their money.
As a result, NS&I saw more money going out than coming in during the first quarter of this year, and the net financing out-turn for the first quarter of this year was minus £100million, in line with this year's target of between minus £2billion up to a maximum of £2billion.
Comparison website Moneyfacts said last month that the fall in inflation to a 31-month low meant that for the first time in over a year, customers can find variable notice and easy access accounts which pay inflation-beating rates.
Moneyfacts said the drop in inflation meant there were nearly 300 standard savings accounts beating tax and inflation compared with only 210 in June.
NS&I's net financing target tracks cash flowing in from deposits and interest, as well as the amounts coming out from withdrawals and interest or Premium Bond prize draw payments. The group delivered £420million in savings to the taxpayer in 2011-12.
Most watched Money videos
- Aston Martin unveils new Vantage sports car capable of 202mph
- Would you retire abroad for cheaper living costs?
- Space-Hub concept model for Honda as it launches new 'Honda 0 Series'
- Honda launches 'Honda 0 Series' and presents Saloon concept model
- Kia introduces new electric van that can be converted to a camper
- Donald Trump's 1997 Lamborghini Diablo sells at auction for $1.1m
- Will bitcoin ETFs send the price even higher?
- Will buy-to-let see a revival as mortgage rates fall?
- Will mortgage and savings rates keep falling?
- Dacia unveils Spring crossover - Britain's cheapest EV
- Pair of rare 1980s Ford Sierra RS500 Coswotths head to auction
- German sports car brand Porsche unveils new Macan EV

domain: news


text:
High-tech startup Vemity incorporates new artificial intelligence services into its platform
Value prediction, value forecasting and sentiment analysis could benefit business-to-business clients with complex needs
For Immediate Release
Nov 30, 2018
INDIANAPOLIS – Vemity, a high-tech business-to-business startup that offers artificial intelligence-as-a-service, has added new functionality to its online platform to help clients better leverage the data they collect.
CEO Brandon Boynton said users had expressed an interest in options that had not originally been available on the platform.
“As a result, we have added functionality such as value prediction, value forecasting and sentiment analysis. These could benefit users who have more unique or complicated use cases. It also opens up the potential to address challenges in almost any business,” Boynton said. “The Vemity online platform is designed to easily add more machine learning functions. Several others are on their way within the next few months, prioritized by customer need.”
The company has also redesigned its online platform to improve user experience. Boynton said changes were made to address potential clients’ anxiety about using artificial intelligence.
“Some clients may believe that leveraging AI to strengthen their business is beyond their abilities, that it’s something they can’t use. But that isn’t the case,” Boynton said. “With our new design to improve the user experience, we anticipate that a larger percentage of visitors will be able to support themselves on our platform.”
Although Vemity is not a consulting company, Boynton and its chief technology officer, Zachary Balda, will conduct assessment meetings to determine the viability of integrating AI into Indianapolis companies. Boynton said this decision reflects the company’s philosophy.
“Our mission from the beginning is to democratize AI. We want hobby developers and startups to have access to the same technology used at large corporations,” Boynton said. “Providing tools and services they need to compete against large technology companies is very important to us.”
Boynton and Balda are enrolled in the IUPUI Honors College. Boynton is a junior majoring in applied computer science; Balda is a junior majoring in computer science.


text:
Go for Launch
While there are various tokenization platforms already in existence – and more on the way – one of the more anticipated is that of Atomyze.
The TokenTrustAg product has just announced the test-launch of their service. The main driving factor behind anticipation of this platform falls back on their established relationships. For instance, Vladimir Potanin, Russia’s richest man and President of Norilsk Nickel (Nornickel), has publicly stated his intent to tokenize various commodities for trading on the platform.
It should be noted that the test period of the Atomyze platform is limited to businesses only; Specifically those businesses which comprise their list of partners.
The company notes that upon receiving full licensing, operations will expand to include a larger scope of investors.
Tokenization of assets is not restricted solely to securities. Use of blockchain and DLT can be extended to basically anything of value – including commonly traded commodities.
Regardless of the underlying asset, Atomyze notes that by utilizing blockchain and DLT, clients of their platform will benefit from a variety of capabilities, including, but not limited to, the following.
- Permissioned view of transactions
- Increased speed of transactions
- Bridging between companies and investors
Assets from the ‘Get-Go’
While there are many assets expected to populate the Atomyze platform in time, there are three notable commodities which will be available during this testing phase.
Each of these are key assets to Nornickel and their operations. As such, each will be tokenized, with investors gaining the ability to trade these asset backed tokens.
As we alluded to earlier in this article, Atomyze has managed to establish an impressive list of partners in their attempt to create something special. While the presence of Vladimir Potanin and Nornickel is important on its own, the following companies are also in the mix – bringing clout and potential to Atomyze.
- Global Palladium Fund
Commodities vs. Securities
Beyond the intrigue provided by their achievements so far, through Atomyze, TokenTrustAg has no intention of restricting themselves to dealing in commodities alone.
The company is currently in the midst of applying for multiple designations which would allow for them, and their subsidiaries, to delve into the world of tokenized securities. If successfully awarded, these designations will see TokenTrustAg become both a ‘self-regulated organization’, as well as a licensed securities firm within Switzerland.
Upon announcing their test-launch, representatives from Atomyze, as well as various partners, took the time to comment.
Marco Grossi, CEO of Atomyze, stated,
“The main idea of tokenization is not in buying or trading cryptocurrencies; it lies in the creation of a modern and transparent mechanism for digitizing of assets, and in the creation of new digital markets, where tokenization is a service helping issuers transfer rights to their assets into a digital form.”
Manish Chawla, Global Managing Director of Energy & Natural Resources Industries at IBM, stated,
“The joint efforts among Atomyze, IBM and Nornickel have made it possible to develop a truly powerful and unique industry solution. Asset/commodity trading is only one of many opportunities in our industry where tokenization can transform current business processes…As the leader in the creation of permissioned and governed private blockchain networks for industry outcomes, we are eager to help advance the idea of a new token-based economy with this project.”
Vladimir Potanin is a Russian tycoon known for his great wealth. Wealth that was made possible through mining giant, Nornickel, where he serves as President of the company. In 2020, it is believed that his wealth tops $27 billion, making him one of the richest individuals in the entire world – and the richest in Russia.
He took the time to elaborate on his view of digitization, and how Nornickel is setting themselves up to remain competitive in the future through Atomyze.
“The economy is being digitalized, that is to say, the flow of capital is spilling over from the traditional economy to the digital one. Nornickel invests in a variety of digital solutions for industrial applications. The tokenization of payment settlements is one of them. Nornickel will be the first company among the extractive industry leaders to begin trading using tokens. Nornickel is interested in this project because it will enable the Company to popularize palladium and other metals by transitioning to digital trading methods.”
Above all, Atomyze operates as a tokenization platform, while maintaining headquarters in Zug ‘crypto valley’ Switzerland. The company functions as a product of TokenTrustAg. A full launch of services is expected sometime in late 2020.
CEO, Marco Grossi, currently oversees company operations.
In Other News
For now, the launch of Atomyze sees operations performed within test-mode only. This will provide platform clients time to familiarize themselves with its offerings, in anticipation of a late 2020 live-launch.
This wait until late 2020 is partly due to impending changes surrounding Russian regulation of digital assets. We recently took a brief look at Russia’s goal of amending previous regulations, in an attempt to modernize their approach.


text:
Time until Valkyria Revolution release!
Already released in Japan [JP] on PlayStation 4
|Japan [JP]||PlayStation 4|
|Japan [JP]||PlayStation Vita|
|North America [NA]||PlayStation 4|
|Europe [EU]||PlayStation 4|
|North America [NA]||PlayStation Vita|
|North America [NA]||Xbox One|
|Europe [EU]||PlayStation Vita|
|Europe [EU]||Xbox One|
A new spin off game in the Valkyria franchise, this game may be a prequel to the "Valkyria Chronicles" series and uses a new battle system, LeGION system, that should allow for much larger battles.
A Demo for this game will be released with "Valkyria Chronicles Remastered" that is set to be released on February 10th 2016.
Only a Japanese release date has been set.


text:
The latest round of games for PlayStation Plus members has been announced, and if you're a sports fan, puzzle enthusiast, or platformer junkie, you should be pleased at what there is for the taking. June's PlayStation Plus ga...more
Today, NBA 2k14 released its first next-gen screenshot, featuring Lebron James. That is screenshot. Singular. I think NBA Live 14 is winning the next gen race, though, because it released its one screenshot almost a month ago. At least show some gamesmanship and one up them, 2K. Release two (k) screenshots.
Anyways, they are both attached. Which one looks more next gen?more
The world's biggest basketball videogame is about to get a bit bigger and expand across the sea. 2K Sports has just announced a multi-year partnership between Euroleague Basketball and the NBA 2K franchise to bring 14 Eu...more
2K Sports is still chugging with the successful NBA 2K franchise, and for its next entry, NBA superstar LeBron James will be gracing the cover. The ever polarizing LeBron is pretty much a no-brainer for any cover after legiti...more
I haven't sat down to willingly play a sports game since me and my brother found NHL Face Off '98 on a demo disk during one VERY boring summer vacation. But every time I read one of Jon Bois' amazing Breaking Madden articles ...more
EA Sports used NHL 15 to simulate and predict the upcoming NHL season which begins next week. The results are most likely terribly wrong because nowhere does it anticipate that the Colorado Avalanche will be crowned Sta...more
Turn-around jumpers, one-handed dunks, pull up treys -- this new NBA 2K15 trailer has it all for anyone that cares about defense as much as James Harden does. All that silky smooth rock-handling is even easier to digest...more


text:
Oprah Winfrey dropped serious cash on some Australians during a taping of her show today ... including $1,000,000 worth of computer equipment to a local school.
O gave over $1 million of HP and Microsoft gear to the Canterbury Boys School -- including a laptop for every teacher and student.
In a particularly tear-jerking moment, Oprah presented a check to a man battling cancer in the amount of $250,000, courtesy of Microsoft. They also got an Xbox 360 video game system.
The episode will air some time in 2011.


text:
Even after removal, ‘infamous’ Pittsburg Walmart pole still a source of humor
Walmart removed the pole on August 21st.
PITTSBURG, Kan. – A seemingly normal pole in Pittsburg has become a smash hit in the area, in more ways than one.
“I kind of paid no attention to it at first, but then people kept hitting the pole,” says resident Larry Fleury.
Over the last couple of months, a pole at the Walmart Supercenter in Pittsburg has been hit several times by unsuspecting drivers.
“It became a running joke. Yep, someone hit the pole again,” says Jackie Wadino.
The pole was taken down on August 21st, but not before it could become pretty famous. It has its own Twitter account, a Facebook group has been created for the pole, it has it’s own location on Google Maps, and people from all over the area have taken trips to visit the pole.
“The pole is a big hit, pun intended,” says Fleury.
Oh, and did we forget to mention there’s a children’s book? Larry Fleury wrote and illustrated a children’s book, and has shared it for free with people on social media to help brighten their day.
“I thought, you know what would be fun? I kind of had this idea to go off the little engine that could, you know, like no matter what happens you’ve gotta persist,” says Fleury. “The pole would be the pole that could, and no matter what life throws at it, it just doesn’t fall over.”
And now the running joke has become a source of income for the newly created InkedIn Graphics screen printing store in Columbus.
“Last week, we had an idea in mind, and our designer Kaycen she kind of put a few things together,” says Co-Owner Jackie Wadino.
He posted the design on Saturday the 22nd, the day after the pole was removed, and has already received more than 150 orders.
“Woke up the next day we had orders from Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arizona. Like, people literally all over the country,” says Wadino.
So while the pole is down now, it’s been a source of fun and humor for residents during a hard time.
“It was something to take our mind off of, you know, just a lot of bad things going on in this world. Like I said, unfortunate for the people that hit it, but everyone else seems to came together and made jokes about it. Kind of seems like it was a good thing,” says Wadino.
We reached out to Walmart to see what the future holds for the pole, but didn’t get a response.


text:
Internal software source code from more than 50 high-profile companies in different industries from tech to finance, retail and others, has been leaked to the web.
First reported by tech website Bleeping Computer, the data was compiled by a Swiss citizen named Tillie Kottmann.
The developer and reverse engineer found the various codes when he was haunting for misconfigured DevOps tools that offer access to source code. It was during this time that he was able to pull source code from companies like Microsoft, Adobe, AMD, Qualcomm, Disney, Motorola, GE Appliances, and others.
And the list keeps growing.
Kottmann posted the code on the online repository manager GitLab, which anyone can access, tagged under "exconfidential" and "Confidential & Proprietary." Not all folders are populated, but the researcher said that credentials are present in some of the cases.
The developer also posted a link to the online repository on his Twitter account.
Kottmann said that there are hardcoded credentials in the easily-accessible code repositories, which he tried to remove as best as he can, in order to prevent direct harm to the companies, and also to avoid contributing in any way to a larger breach.
“I try to do my best to prevent any major things resulting directly from my releases,” Kottmann said.
The developer admitted that he doesn't always contact the affected companies before releasing the code, but he made an effort to minimize the negative impact resulting from the publishing.
Other people can also contribute directly or indirectly with the leaks if they want to.
Kottmann said that he complies with takedown requests, and will gladly provide the necessary information that would strengthen the security of a the affected companies' infrastructure.
Initially, some big companies were quickly aware of the issue. Daimler AG corporation behind the Mercedes-Benz brand for example, and Lenovo, were quick in addressing the leak.
However, judging by the number of DMCA notices received, and direct contact from legal or other representatives, many companies may not be aware of the leaks. And even if they do, they may not care.
In one instance, developers at one company simply wanted to know how Kottmann was able to get the source code, per the report, and said to have "a lot of fun."
if you have access to any confidential info, documents, binaries or source code, which you think should be made available to the public, please reach out to me via DMs (you can ask for Signal), or at @deletescape on Telegram, Wire or Keybase so we can discuss safely releasing it.
— Tillie 1312 Kottmann #BLM (@deletescape) July 22, 2020
After people started reviewing some of the code leaked on Kottmann’s GitLab server, it was revealed that some of the source code projects were actually made public by their original owners/developers, or had been last updated a long time ago.
Nevertheless, Kottmann said that there are many companies with misconfigured DevOps that resulted in the exposure of their source code.
Kottmaan is also exploring servers running SonarQube, an open-source platform for automated code auditing and static analysis to uncover bugs and security vulnerabilities.
Kottmann believes there are thousands of companies that may have been exposed by failing to properly secure their SonarQube installations.
Using an open-source tool called Sloot, Kottman shows how the little tool can download all source code from public SonarQube instances.
From the growing list of companies that had their internal source code leaked, Nintendo is gaining much of the attention online, simply because it gives an inside look at the source code behind a range of classic games including Mario, Mario Kart, Zelda, F-Zero and Pokemon series.
The Nintendo code also includes pre-release art, fully playable prototypes of some games and even references to projects that were never completed.
It is at this time unclear about how much of the source code on Kottmann's server is proprietary and should be kept private. BleepingComputer has reached out to a number of companies listed in the collection to learn to what extent they are affected by the leaks.


text:
Firms cut ad spend for third consecutive quarter
LONDON (Reuters) - British companies cut their marketing budgets in the second quarter of 2011 for a third consecutive quarter, as firms focussed on cost cutting and protecting their margins in a tough economic climate.
The survey of around 300 British-based companies for the IPA/BDO Bellwether report found 22 percent had cut spending compared with 20 percent that reported an increase.
The net balance of -2.2 percent was the slowest rate of budget trimming for three quarters, it said, and up from the -5.1 percent recorded for the first quarter.
"The economy is going sideways and this seems to be the way it is going in the advertising marketplace too," said IPA President Nicola Mendelsohn.
A decline in marketing executives' confidence for their own companies - which dropped to the lowest in nine quarters - also did not augur well, said Mendelsohn.
Next year's outlook was brighter, however, with marketing spend certain to be boosted by the 2012 London Olympics, the report said.
The economy grew a sluggish 0.5 percent in the first quarter of 2011, with households' disposable income suffering the biggest fall in more than 30 years.
(Reporting by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Hans-Juergen Peters)
- Tweet this
- Share this
- Digg this


text:
The account will be handled out of the agency’s Bangalore office led by Saurabh Jain, executive vice president - South, Havas Media.
Prithvi Singh, co-founder Gameskraft said, “The aim is to make fantasy gaming even more experiential for the users and break through the traditional fantasy gaming experience with a focus on rewards. We are confident that Havas Media Group’s Meaningful Media initiative studies and champions the media that matters most to audiences—media that is engaging, trusted, and influential, and will take the brand to newer heights.”
Mohit Joshi, managing director, Havas Media Group India said, “We are glad to further bolster our e-commerce portfolio with this win. There is a rising enthusiasm and opportunity in the online gaming space given the current situation and with the comeback of IPL this year. Havas Media is proud to partner with yet another meaningful brand Gamezy and together look forward to creating meaningful and memorable gaming experiences for the users.”


text:
Healthcare Analytics and Marketing Science Services Content Strategy Customer Relationship Management Design and Creative Services Digital Media Local Listings Management News Paid Media SEO Strategic Insights Web Development COVID-19 Series See all our authors
Digital moves fast.
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Ad viewability is a metric designed to track the number of ad impressions that can actually be seen by users, not simply the number of ad impressions served. This has been a significant topic in the...
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Copywriting is tricky business. It’s not enough to have someone land on your webpage or see your banner ad; you need to grab and hold their attention so they’re compelled to take the desired...
Monday, January 22, 2018
Yesterday, popular messaging service WhatsApp announced the launch of WhatsApp Business, which it says it has designed with small businesses in mind, to help them communicate more easily with their...
Thursday, December 14, 2017
As we near the end of 2017, it’s customary to look back on what has been another significant year in digital, and take stock of how we’ve evolved as an industry. In particular, we thought it...
Display media has always been an exciting, dynamic marketing channel. With the ability to place media in front of almost any target audience, a multitude of different creative options available and...
Monday, November 27, 2017
“At some point, we’re going to look back and think, how did we not have a digital layer on the physical world,” said Greg Jones, director of VR and AR at Google, last month. It’s a crazy...
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Twitter has unveiled a new, self-serve advertising subscription for small businesses, which it is calling Twitter Promote Mode. The service has been designed to enable SMEs to more easily run...
Price Comparison Rivals on Google Shopping: The perfect solution for Google? But what does it mean for the rest of us?
Monday, October 09, 2017
What’s happened to Product Listing Ads (PLAs)? In June 2017, The European Commission slapped a record 2.4-billion-euro ($2.8 billion) fine on the world’s most popular internet search engine....
Monday, October 02, 2017
I recently received a letter from my local department store containing no less than six free hot drinks vouchers, and if I’m honest, it made my day! I put this down to the fact that I will soon be...
Thursday, September 28, 2017
The Internet is all a-twitter with the news: instead of the 140-character limit that has existed since the inception of the network, some Twitter users are getting the ability to double their tweet...


text:
Daily News Articles
Catheter Research Inc., a global medical device manufacturer, will expand its Indianapolis headquarters, creating up to 125 new jobs by 2020.
Auto supplier Kamtek will invest $530 million and create 350 jobs in an expansion of its Birmingham, AL operation that includes opening a new aluminum casting facility to meet automaker demands for lighter parts.
Ryder Supply Chain Solutions will expand its warehousing, transportation, kitting and assembly operations in Spring Hill, TN. The announcement represents an investment of $16.5 million and the creation of 606 new jobs.
China is the top-ranked nation among Renewable Energy Investment Leaders in Business Facilities’ annual Global Rankings Report. Switzerland retained its crown as the top-ranked nation in Global Competitiveness.
YFS Automotive Systems, Inc. will build its second U.S. manufacturing facility in Detroit, creating 160 new jobs and investing $26.9 million in a new facility to design, test, and manufacture automotive fuel system components.
Indiana metros dominated the top-10 list for Exports Leaders in Business Facilities’ 2015 Metro Rankings Report. Four Indiana locations made the top tier in this category, which is based on exports as a percentage of GDP.
Austin, TX added to its impressive record of success in Business Facilities’ Metro Rankings Report with the best across-the-board showing in the magazine’s 2015 edition.
Nebraska edged North Dakota for Business Facilities’ Employment Leaders crown in BF’s 11th annual State Rankings Report.
Maine, California and Colorado are the states with the most stringent Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) in a new state ranking that debuted this week in Business Facilities’ 2015 State Rankings Report.
Texas, California and Indiana posted the best across–the-board results in Business Facilities’ 11th annual State Rankings Report.


text:
In March 2014, Electronic Arts introduced a fun new multiplayer franchise, Titanfall. With it, players could battle each other on wall-running foot or in giant robotic suits called Titans, which are armed killer weaponry. The game was a big success, and marketing worked well, including the release of separate figures and other items.
Fans have been wondering about the potential sequel. However, it appears that EA could be pushing for a huge Q4 2016 release for the game, which will not only come to Xbox One and PC (the platforms the original title released for), but also PlayStation 4.
Earlier this week, speaking with Forbes, the game’s writer confirmed that the sequel is not only in the works, but that it will feature a single player campaign, which was a feature left out of the first game. However, these subtle changes to the sequel are just the beginning.
It appears that Respawn Entertainment, the developers behind the franchise, may be looking into a companion TV series to accompany the game’s release. These plans were made before with the original title, but never came into fruition. However, considering the game’s massive success, Respawn could easily make it happen this time around.
Additionally, in a press release seen by Polygon, McFarlane Toys is set to produce Titanfall action figures, similar in nature to the ones that came out for the previous game. “This is a perfect fit,” said Todd McFarlane, owner and CEO of the company. “McFarlane (Toys) was created so I could make cool stuff just like this. Without saying too much about the new game…you’re not going to believe where we can take this.” The toys, which will measure 7-inches tall and feature a collector’s box, are expected to arrive around the same time as the game, during Q4 2016.
While EA hasn’t yet given details on a release date, it would no doubt add to the company’s impressive slate for the year, which includes titles like Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2, EA Sports UFC 2, Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst, Mass Effect: Andromeda and forthcoming entries in the Battlefield, Madden and FIFA franchises, among others.
We’ll more than likely know more about Titanfall 2‘s release date during the Electronic Entertainment Expo, where the company is set to host EA Play, an event devoted to its fanbase at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.


text:
- Place Classified Ad
- Browse Classifieds
- BC Jobs
- Oak Bay News
- Peninsula News Review
- Saanich News
- Goldstream News Gazette
- Real Estate Victoria
- Vancouver Island Free Daily
Victoria's Bay Centre unveils electric car chargers in parkade
Bay Centre General Manager Darlene Hollstein along with Fred Wissemann, President of the Victoria Leaf Club, officially unveiled the four new electric vehicle charging stations in the shopping mall's lower parkade.
The charging station area has been decorated with a natural forest look
The charging stations were created with help from the BC's Community Charging Infrastructure Fund. The fund is expected to help in the funding and creation of 570 charging stations across the province.
The Victoria Leaf Club is a group of electric car owners who actively promote sustainable energy use in and around greater Victoria.


text:
“Silicon Valley has a long way to go on diversity, but most tech companies would argue that they’re making progress,” Jacob Kastrenakes reports for The Verge. “Apple also claims to have removed pay disparities and has made slight gains on hiring women and people of color. It’s even launched an ‘Inclusion & Diversity’ page with visualizations of its hiring data.”
“But a small group of Apple investors believe the company isn’t making progress fast enough, and they’re trying to force the company to pick up the pace. ‘Some of the excuses given by Apple and others — there’s not sufficient people in the pipeline, this and that,’ says investor Tony Maldonado. ‘Excuse my language, it’s bullshit,'” Kastrenakes reports. “Maldonado is leading an effort to mandate that Apple accelerate its work toward becoming a more diverse company. For the second year in a row, he’s submitted a shareholder proposal asking that Apple ‘adopt an accelerated recruitment policy… to increase the diversity of senior management and its board of directors.'”
“Maldonado says that could include tying executive pay to diversity goals, as Intel and Microsoft have done, or adopting a board refreshment policy, requiring the company to regularly explore potential new board members from diverse backgrounds,” Kastrenakes reports. “In a filing with the SEC, Apple’s board wrote a note recommending that shareholders vote against the proposal. The company argues that it already has ‘much broader’ diversity efforts at work and, in the past three years, has made ‘steady progress in attracting more women and underrepresented minorities.’ The proposed policy, Apple concludes, ‘is not necessary or appropriate because we have already demonstrated our commitment to a holistic view of inclusion and diversity.'”
Much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote back in July 2014:
Diversity is good, but getting the absolute best should remain the goal. Forced diversity carries its own set of problems. Would the group be comprised of the best-qualifed people possible or would it be designed to hit pre-defined quotas? Would some employees, consciously or unconsciously, consider certain employees, or even themselves, to be tokens meant to fill a quota? That would be a suboptimal result for all involved.
The best and desired outcome is for this to work in Apple’s favor. Truly looking at qualified people from a larger pool would result in delivering different viewpoints and new ways of looking at things and tackling problems than a more homogenized workforce would be capable of delivering.
Regardless and of course, someday it sure would be nice for everyone to just be able to evaluate a person’s potential, not measuring and tabulating superficial, meaningless things like skin color and gender.
Apple’s “Inclusion and Diversity” page is here.
Apple’s Board of Directors says a call for diversity is ‘unduly burdensome and not necessary’ – January 15, 2016
Apple leads Facebook, Intel, Cisco, Google on gender diversity among Bay Area companies – November 17, 2015
Apple’s latest diversity report shows progress – August 13, 2015
Tim Cook is ‘personally involved’ in improving diversity at Apple Inc. – July 14, 2015
Apple donates over $50 million to diversity efforts – March 10, 2015
Apple CEO Tim Cook met privately with Jesse Jackson regarding diversity – December 9, 2014
Apple adds Vice Presidents, more diversity to Executive Leadership Team – August 15, 2014
A message from Apple CEO Tim Cook on diversity – August 12, 2014
Jesse Jackson calls on Obama to scrutinize tech industry’s ‘lack of diversity’ – July 28, 2014
Tim Cook: Apple will release diversity data ‘at some point’ – July 9, 2014
Jesse Jackson targets tech’s lack of diversity; sends letter to Apple, Google, HP, others – March 19, 2014
Apple changes bylaws after facing criticism about lack of diversity on board – January 9, 2014


text:
Thailand is fifth in the world for people using the Internet to seek out a romantic setting for their honeymoons. The kingdom's ranking, which placed it firmly in the top five international destinations in 2013 searched via the world's favourite search en
On 9 January 2014, the website fodors.com hosted an article called The World’s Best Honeymoon Destinations for 2014, which stated that “Thailand is perfect for couples who want to enjoy a mix of activities, from city excursions and nightlife, to mountain trekking, beachcombing and shopping in modern malls as well as outdoor food and flower markets.”
The Google survey and the Fodor travel article show that the kingdom is one of those foremost in people’s minds when seeking out romantic destinations, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) New York Office.
In the Google rankings, Thailand came fifth for searches, after New Zealand, Cancun, The Maldives and Bali. The kingdom ranked ahead of Belize, St. Lucia, Tahiti, Caribbean and Croatia.


text:
Investors have fled the market in droves this year as fears of a recession, geopolitical tension, and 40-year-high inflation have brought about a pessimistic outlook on Wall Street. There's no doubt that things could get worse before they get better, but the silver lining is that plenty of corporations are trading for much lower prices than they were just a year ago.
Economic troubles seem to be impacting Airbnb. Inflation is causing consumers to redirect more funds toward those services deemed essential.
Most people wouldn't include vacation rentals in this category. Also, some economists believe a recession will hit the U.S. economy within the next year. Consumers could further reduce spending in a recession, thereby harming Airbnb's business.
All of these factors explain Airbnb's poor performance on the market more clearly than the company's financial results. The hospitality industry has been rebounding from its pandemic lows, and Airbnb has been riding that wave. In the second quarter, the company's revenue of $2.1 billion increased by an impressive 58% year over year and by 73%, compared to the same period of 2019, before the pandemic hit.
Airbnb's net income of $379 million was better than the net loss of $68 million that was reported during the year-ago period. In the comparable 2019 period, Airbnb's net loss came in at $297 million.
Perhaps Airbnb won't be able to keep up this pace in the near term due to economic troubles. But even if it doesn't, investors should stay the course for two reasons. First, Airbnb boasts a massive addressable market. The company put that number at $3.4 trillion. Perhaps that's a bit optimistic, but perfect estimates aside, the point is that Airbnb is looking at a massive opportunity to grow revenue and earnings.
Second, the company benefits from the flywheel effect. As more host homes register on Airbnb's platform, the more options its customers have. It works similarly on the other side of the equation. As new clients looking for a vast library of vacation rentals sign up on Airbnb's platform, it becomes more attractive to would-be hosts.
The flywheel effect creates a strong competitive edge for Airbnb, ensuring it will remain a notable player in this highly competitive industry. Even if its shares remain volatile in the next year due to the challenging environment, Airbnb can reward long-term investors who ride out the current downturn without selling their shares.
Adyen is a fintech specialist based in the Netherlands. The company provides its clients with payment solutions that combine payment gateways, processing, risk management, and more onto the same platform.
The company's services are incredibly valuable to multinational corporations that typically deal with different providers for these individual services in various countries. That's how it has attracted some notable clients to its list of customers, which includes such major corporations as Microsoft and Spotify.
The challenging macroeconomic environment -- and fears of a coming recession -- have contributed to Adyen's poor stock market performance this year. After all, the fintech giant makes money by collecting various transaction fees. A slowdown in payment activity, due to inflation or a recession, affects Adyen's operations.
Further, the company's shares aren't cheap. They're trading at a trailing forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 66.8, which is even more expensive than competitors like PayPal.
However, Adyen's financial results continue to impress. The company's revenue in the first half of the year jumped by 37% year over year to 608.5 million euros (about $602 million). Adyen's net income jumped by 38% year over year to 282.1 million euros ($279.1 million).
The payment-processing market is on a growth path. Some estimate it will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 13.7% through 2030.
Adyen is sure to profit from this opportunity. It has already established itself as a leader and benefits from a competitive edge -- high switching costs. Adyen's services are essential to the day-to-day operations of its clients, who risk disrupting their business by switching to a different payment platform. That puts Adyen in an excellent position to keep most of its clients and increase its revenue and profits as payment volume continues to grow.


text:
The Necurs email botnet has made a return and, apart from spreading new variants of the Locky ransomware and the Trickybot trojan, also has new functionality that gathers telemetry data from the Windows desktop of its victims.
Mitigation of distributed denial of service attacks in the first 11 months of 2016 by information services vendor Neustar have increased by 40% over the previous year, the company claims in a report.
A Turkish hacker who goes by the handle Mehmet has created what appears to be a game, wherein he awards points and hacking software as prizes to fellow hackers who participate in a DDoS game.
I agree that Microsoft, along with many vendors, should be delivering products which are secure by default, with any relaxation[…]
Hey mate, did you manage to get anywhere with this, I just had the same thing happen to me today.[…]
Looks like a nice phone, but I'm still hanging out for a sub $500 mobile that has Qi charging.
What was the Root Cause Analysis?
A good fight!! Internal bickering!! I love it!! Ha!!!!


text:
Social media, online video and even virtual offices in Second Life have become mainstream elements of public relations over the past 12 months. The very practice of PR has changed as smart practitioners have created platforms of influence outside of the traditional media channels. And, some have learned how to effectively "join the conversation" of the blogesphere.
I spoke with Richard Edelman, who heads the world’s largest independent firm. Richard has long been on the forefront of embracing the Internet and emerging technologies. He spoke with me about his firm’s use of social media for clients including Adobe, GE, Microsoft, Nissan and Unilever. He stated the imperative for transparency. There has been some controversy over the past year over some some of his firm’s work, but he is very proud.
He told me that the Wal-Mart blog has become well established and is getting some 600,000 page views per month.
He also said that efforts in MySpace have been gone well, including the page for Unilever’s Axe men’s fragrance which as 80,000 registered "friends".
I also had the opportunity to speak with Mary Stutts, who heads corporate communications for Genentech. Mary is also keen on using new media to create platforms outside of traditional media.
Closing the segment is my chat with Aedhmar Hynes, who head Text 100, one of the world’s most innovative public relations consultancies. She offers advice about weighing options for embracing new media.
Edelman Gets Kudo’s by PRWeek for its Work for MySpace
Here’s the citation from the judges: MySpace had already been established as the online community of choice for most of the youth culture when Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. purchased the site. Edelman was faced with the challenge of maintaining the site’s anti-corporate image while also making it seem like a viable place for advertisers and investors, and facing the issue of security and safety on social networking sites that had become a heated topic in the media. Edelman used the site’s ongoing entertainment and social awareness programs to show that MySpace had maintained its roots and leveraged current advertisers to demonstrate its effectiveness as an advertising platform. Edelman was also able to shift the dialogue about the safety issue surrounding MySpace through work with educators and parents. Judges agreed that this campaign was a "great example of managing a cultural phenomenon."
(Full disclose: my firm Plesser Holland is the PR agency for PRWeek, the industry’s leading trade publication. )


text:
Samsung’s CEO recently revealed that the company has been working on fixing the design flaws of their first foldable smartphone, Galaxy Fold but didn’t explain how they were going to do it. Thanks to a new report by South Korea’s Yonhap News, we can finally get some answers as to what improvements we can expect from the revised Galaxy Fold smartphone.
The smartphone made rounds around the internet due to two major problems, first was the protective film covering the screen and the second was the folding hinge of the device. Due to the absence of any warning, the reviewers took off the protective layer on top of the screen which caused their phones to malfunction while the large gap in the hinge allowed the dust particles sneak in and contaminate the sensitive OLED panel.
To solve the first problem, Samsung is tucking in the protective film into the edges of the smartphone’s body which will make it difficult for the users to take it off. Besides no one in their right mind would consciously try to annihilate their $2000 Galaxy Fold for the cheap thrill of pulling off the protector.
Secondly, the company is working to reduce the size of the gap which can be accomplished by either eliminating the gap altogether or reducing it to an extent that no dust particle or debris can collect near the screen. Lastly, Samsung will put more warning labels and safety statements for Galaxy Fold users to tell them how they are supposed to handle the foldable phone.
Before its much-awaited launch, the review units of Galaxy Fold started breaking down leading the company to postpone the phone’s arrival and recall all devices to investigate the flaws. The company’s CEO recently has also hinted at the imminent launch of the device and maybe we can expect it to come before the official launch of Huawei’s Mate X.


text:
NTUC Foodfare has done well in providing affordable food and beverages for working people and their families.
To further improve the lives of senior citizens, all Pioneer Generation (PG) cardholders were given a discount of 3 per cent on food and beverages sold at Foodfare outlets on Mondays.
Lately, this offer has been withdrawn. Moreover, some of the stalls have increased their food prices. Many PG cardholders are quite disappointed by the withdrawal of the PG discount.
Mak Seck Hong


text:
Essex LLC lifted its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Rating) by 0.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 46,864 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Apple makes up approximately 2.2% of Essex LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Essex LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $8,183,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Daniels&Tansey LLP lifted its stake in Apple by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Daniels&Tansey LLP now owns 3,858 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $685,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Donald L. Hagan LLC lifted its stake in Apple by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Donald L. Hagan LLC now owns 18,220 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $3,181,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Investors Research Corp lifted its stake in Apple by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 16,117 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $2,814,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Financial Planning & Information Services Inc. lifted its stake in Apple by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Financial Planning & Information Services Inc. now owns 6,837 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $1,214,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Salzhauer Michael lifted its stake in Apple by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Salzhauer Michael now owns 3,397 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $603,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.98% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, SVP Katherine L. Adams sold 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.77, for a total transaction of $4,119,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 427,334 shares in the company, valued at approximately $70,411,823.18. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.06% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Apple Stock Performance
NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $168.49 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $147.38 and a 200-day moving average price of $157.16. The company has a market cap of $2.71 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.80, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.86. Apple Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $129.04 and a fifty-two week high of $182.94.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 28th. The iPhone maker reported $1.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.06. Apple had a return on equity of 152.97% and a net margin of 25.71%. The firm had revenue of $82.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $82.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.30 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 6.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Apple declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, April 28th that permits the company to repurchase $90.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the iPhone maker to reacquire up to 3.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.
Apple Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 11th. Investors of record on Monday, August 8th were given a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 5th. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.55%. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is currently 15.18%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
AAPL has been the topic of several research reports. Loop Capital cut their target price on Apple from $210.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 25th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Apple from $205.00 to $185.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 20th. set a $175.00 price target on Apple in a research report on Friday, July 29th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on Apple from $173.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 2nd. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on Apple from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, twenty-three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Apple has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $179.27.
Apple Company Profile
Apple Inc designs, manufactures, and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables, and accessories worldwide. It also sells various related services. In addition, the company offers iPhone, a line of smartphones; Mac, a line of personal computers; iPad, a line of multi-purpose tablets; AirPods Max, an over-ear wireless headphone; and wearables, home, and accessories comprising AirPods, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats products, HomePod, and iPod touch.
Receive News & Ratings for Apple Daily – Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts’ ratings for Apple and related companies with MarketBeat.com’s FREE daily email newsletter.


text:
World of Watches welcomes Vietnam to its fold of international presence with an exclusive interview with Hon Nguyen Huu.
Here are some crazy rich Asians who own and manage real estate business, residences, and five-star hotels across Asia.
Just in time for the winter season, Longines brings a new masterpiece into its signature Conquest Line, which is personalised by Mikaela Shiffrin, the Alpine Ski Champion and Longines’ Ambassador of Elegance. Earlier this April, Mikaela Shiffrin paid a visit to Longines’ Saint-Imier headquarters in Switzerland to explore its museum and production workshops, where she took the […]
We met Sam Stephens, the brand ambassador of Beringer during Penang Rendezvous 2018 and had a quick chat with him about the wine from Napa Valley.
(Story adapted from CryptoInvestor.Asia) Maria Santos is visibly nervous. She uses a well-worn handkerchief to dab at beads of sweat which have formed on her brow under the oppressive noonday sun in the sweltering heat that is downtown Manila. The octogenarian has been receiving payments regularly from her daughter Esther who works as a domestic […]
As one would expect from His Holiness Pope Francis, who had auctioned off his gift of a Harley Davidson Motorbike in 2014, has yet again decided to benefit charities by putting up his Lamborghini Huracán for sale at Sotheby’s.


text:
Sanderson Farms has been enjoying improved demand for its poultry products from key regions to where the company exports.
However, the company has cautioned investors that the current outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) could change that. But, it hasn’t happened yet.
In a Form 10-Q on the Sanderson Farms investor relations webpage, the company, in addition to offering its financial reports for its most recent quarter, offered an update on trade matters and the HPAI outbreak in the United States.
In the executive overview of results section of the Form 10-Q, the company stated that demand for its products from its “traditional export partners has improved from levels we experienced during the early stages of the (COVID-19) pandemic.”
But since December 2021, when HPAI first appeared in North America (at an exhibition farm in Canada), the virus, and its potential impact on trade became an area of concern. The virus has grown closer to Sanderson Farms' operations as it has been confirmed in commercial poultry flocks in Indiana, Kentucky and Delaware.
“China and Mexico, the top two countries by volume and value to which we export, will initially ban all product from any state where (HPAI) is detected in a commercial flock. Mexico will subsequently initiate a process to coordinate with United States officials to reduce the ban from a statewide level to a county level as specified information regarding detection and remediation of (HPAI) is provided,” the company stated.
But since there have been no HPAI cases in any commercial flocks where Sanderson Farms operates, “we have not experienced any material disruptions to our operations or export sales,” the company stated.
Sanderson Farms further stated that it has initiated its crisis management response for avian influenza and is taking appropriate and best practice steps to protect the health of its flocks.
The company, however, recognized that it cannot be certain one or more of its flocks won't be affected by the HPAI virus.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.


text:
I arrived in France in the midst of the fallout after the Charlie Hebdo attack. The anxiety was collective and palpable, like the charge in the air before a thunderstorm, and edged with that almost distinctly French flavour of defiance, the type you can distinguish from any other cultural consciousness. 1,902 more words
Tags » FN
HOT OFF THE YOUTUBES…the official vid from FNH USA on their lineup of CIVILIAN guns for 2015!
“FN America, LLC is proud to announce the launch of seven new products under the FNH USA brand for 2015, including compact variants of its popular FNS™ striker-fired pistol and additions to its FN 15™ modern sporting rifle line. 20 more words


text:
Latest Toyotas RAV4 Hybrid SUV’s success in a depressed new vehicle market
One of the success stories in a rather depressed new vehicle market this year has been Toyota’s medium sized RAV4 SUV, in particular its Hybrid version, which has been an order situation for some time. RAV4 sales year to date are up a staggering 73 per cent in a new vehicle market that’s down 20 percent by comparison. The hybrid power train now accounts for more than 60 per cent of RAV4 sales and whilst supply since launch last year has not been able to meet demand frustrating many potential customers Toyota Australia recently secured another 8,000 RAV4 hybrids for delivery from July. Toyota first starting selling hybrids here in 2001 with the small Prius, its Camry sedan its most successful hybrid model on the back of its universal acceptance today in taxi fleets. Later this year Toyota will launch a new small Yaris hatch and Yaris Cross SUV, and next year a new Kluger SUV, all available with fourth generation hybrid powertrains.
I’m David Berthon
Click PLAY to listen!
Download this podcast here


text:
McDonald’s has finally treated Birmingham and its Brummie residents today, opening 13 restaurants across the city.
Over a dozen restaurants are reopening their drive thrus after weeks of waiting on Thursday, June 4.
And in the Black Country, seven more are re-opened, with Worcestershire also given the green light to operate five of its branches from today.
In Solihull and Shirley, two eateries are back open.
Since the announcement last week that McDonald’s would be reopening a further 975 drive-thrus across the country, fans have been anxiously waiting for the release of which stores would reopen.
But, there are still several restaurants in the city which remain closed.
The majority of restaurants not open are not drive-thrus, with Maccies specifically deciding to concentrate the resumption of operations at drive-thru restaurants.
This is because it is felt social distancing is more manageable at drive-thrus, with customers unable to head inside and interact with staff members.
Paul Pomroy, McDonald’s CEO the UK and Ireland, also said that from May 20, McDonald's will cap the spend at drive-thrus at £25 per car.
Fast food fans are also being encouraged to pay by contactless payment methods wherever possible.
Mr Pomroy said: "The wellbeing of our employees, suppliers and delivery partners’ couriers is my top priority and we will only extend our plans at a pace that enables us to create a safe working environment for our teams."
The McDonald's restaurants still not back open
Temple Row, Birmingham
Dale End, Birmingham
Stephenson Place, Birmingham
Duchess Parade, West Bromwich
High Street, Solihull
Dudley Street, Wolverhampton
Park Street, Walsall
Unit L102, Merry Hill


text:
Toledo, Ohio — OptimalLED Inc. is growing as it adds new lighting representatives and lighting manufacturers to its already impressive lineup. Founded in 2008, the Toledo, Ohio-based lighting company has grown steadily over the years to become one of the leading providers of energy-efficient LED lighting to the Midwest region.
General Manager Dennis Newhouse was largely responsible for guiding OptimalLED toward the new strategic vision of a ‘Revolutionary Supply Chain.’ Newhouse, along with sales manager Aaron Bortz and the board of directors, anticipated and prepared for changes in the lighting industry. They have strategized and rebranded their business model to reflect what the lighting market — specifically the renovation market — needs.
“We help our reps by providing world-class commercial and industrial-grade LED fixtures, stocking inventory and offering payment terms. We are able to solve problems that so many reps have when trying to bid and win projects in the renovation space,” says Newhouse. “For the manufacturer, we get their product in front of customers and help move it quickly in a market that typically is unfamiliar to them and difficult to navigate.”
OptimalLED has signed agreements with Michigan-based Baylume Lighting Agency and Illinois-based MIZ Enterprises.
OptimalLED has also partnered with Shenzhen, China-based UFO Lighting to warehouse and sell its products in the U.S. marketplace. Details regarding the availability of UFO lighting will be announced soon at http://www.optimalled.com.
For more information on the products represented by OptimalLED, visit http://www.optimalled.com/products/
OptimalLED Inc. is a company founded on the principals of energy efficiency and the benefits it brings to the consumer. The delivery of long-life LED technology to the consumer has evolved, and OptimalLED has adapted to the market changes, striving for excellence in creating a revolutionary LED supply chain solution. For more information, visit http://www.optimalled.com.


text:
IBM Portfolio Offers secure Apps at the Enterprise Scale
Published on: 29th Apr 2014
Note -- this news article is more than a year old.
IBM has announced what it is calling a significant expansion of its MobileFirst Application Development portfolio, new industry specific IBM Ready Apps, and the opening of 18 new IBM MobileFirst studios around the world.
he new IBM mobile offerings include a range of tools for developers to create, deploy and manage mobile apps, on-premise or in the cloud.
"As mobile apps become a primary touchpoint with clients, the stakes run high to delight consumers. At the same time, the cost of a poorly designed app can significantly impact both the brand and bottom line," said Marie Wieck, General Manager, IBM MobileFirst. "IBM's mobile platform, apps and studios are designed to help businesses accelerate the adoption of a mobile strategy for business growth."
In addition, a new version of IBM Worklight now allows enterprises to support both native (via SDKs) and hybrid development models, as well as add new capabilities such as the USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) protocol for mobile money solutions in emerging markets.
IBM is also offering a suite of industry-specific, pre-configured apps that it claims can save clients up to 60 percent on time and resources.


text:
Apple just rolled out an AirPods Pro update that makes noise cancellation even better, and soon, its tiny buds will get another upgrade that adds amazing spatial sound. Don’t already have your own? Change that today.
AirPods Pro might be a little on the pricey side, but they one of the the best accessories Apple has ever made. Everything about them is just magical. They fit great, and they sound pretty spectacular, too.
What’s more, AirPods Pro are about to get even better. During WWDC 2020 this week, Apple announced an update that will soon bring surround sound — with support for Dolby Atmos — to your buds.
Don’t miss out! Treat yourself to AirPods Pro today at some of the lowest prices we’ve seen so far.
Save on AirPods Pro today
Amazon is offering brand-new AirPods Pro units, in stock and ready to ship right away, for just $229.99 — down from $249. To get yours for even less, check out its deal on renewed units, which are now just $209.95.
That’s by far the best price we’ve seen on AirPods Pro to date. Bear in mind, however, that renewed at big discounts devices sell out fast. Take advantage of the deal today before they’re all gone.
If you’re not interested in spatial sound and want to spend even less, check out regular AirPods instead:
Note: On some deals, Cult of Mac might earn a small commission through an affiliate link. However, we pick our daily Deals & Steals strictly on their potential value to our readers.


text:
While your credit score is generated from data about you, the way the algorithms behind the score are developed is often based on broader financial trends.
“A lot of times credit scores are based on history from all sorts of other aggregated data, from people who look like you,” he said Safiya nobleProfessor of Gender Studies and African American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Noble who wrote the book “Algorithms of Suppression”, explores how algorithms can perpetuate racism and gender bias.
“And this is where we start to run into trouble,” Noble said. “If you’re part of a group that has traditionally been denied credit or offered pirated products, then your profile may look more like those people and you’ll be offended.”
As a result, consumers may not have access to a loan, mortgage, or better insurance rates.
David Silberman, Senior Fellow at the Responsible Lending Centersaid it was part of a larger problem.
“Credit scores are very reflective of the history of discrimination in the country,” he said.
Silberman, who spent a decade at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and many years in the financial services industry, has pondered how algorithms can reflect privileges or lack thereof.
“When you start with no assets, with limited income prospects, it affects the type of credit you can get,” he said.
For example, payday lenders focus on African American and Latino neighborhoods and tend to offer loans on less favorable termsso borrowers using these lenders could be more likely to default.
“Your ability to repay that loan will be impacted, and that will then work its way into creditworthiness on its own,” Silberman said.
According to payment processor ShiftWhite Americans have an average FICO score of 734 – a relatively good score for most financial products. But for black Americans, it’s 677. A lower score can equate to higher interest rates or result in a loan being denied.
Because accurate historical data can still lead to biased algorithms, many researchers and companies are looking for new options to determine creditworthiness, but even that can be risky.
Nicholas Schmidt, CEO of SolasAI, checks algorithms for different effects. He said bias can “creep in” anywhere.
“Most people talk about bias in the data. And that’s kind of an obvious thing,” he said.
One example he shared was a lender algorithm used to assess the credit risk associated with people who have defaulted on credit card debt. He said the best indicator is how often consumers shop at convenience stores.
Gas stations or malls, even freestanding stores like the Patron Convenience Store in southeast DC, can get crowded on a Wednesday morning as people shop for lottery tickets and snacks.
“And I’ve been thinking about it. What do you get in a supermarket – cheap beer, cigarettes, bad candy and lottery tickets?” said Schmidt. “All of these probably correlate fairly well with risky behavior, which probably correlates well with bad credit card scores.”
But then Schmidt and his team thought again and realized that there was a gap in that analysis: food deserts. These are areas where residents have low incomes and do not have easy access to supermarkets or large grocery stores. according to the US Department of Agriculture.
In 2021, about 13.5 million people lived in America’s food deserts — and many of them shopped at convenience stores.
Ekram Aman is a cashier at Penn Way Market, a high street grocery store in a food desert in southeast Washington, DC
She said most of her patrons use electronic benefit transfer, a tool for accessing government food aid programs, to buy groceries.
“They say because it is convenient for them. And it’s very convenient, especially for non-drivers,” said Aman.
Most customers are from the neighborhood and go to Penn Way, she said. Sometimes they send their children off to pick up food for dinner or some of the household goods that are packed on the narrow store’s shelves.
SolasAI’s Schmidt said using the data generated in this way is a form of discrimination that could creep in if an algorithm lumps all these people together.
“What you’re going to do is capture the risky behavior of white people in the suburbs, going to convenience stores and buying lottery tickets, bad candy and bad beer,” he said.
But, says Schmidt, you will also attract creditworthy people in cities, people with low incomes and people of color, but also wealthier people in densely populated cities who shop in bodegas.
Schmidt doesn’t know if that particular variable ended up in a lender’s final model, because financial services firms often adjust their models to account for built-in biases.
But, said David Silberman of the Center for Responsible Lending, these algorithms can only do so much.
“There may be tweaks that marginally bring more people into the system or give a more complete picture of their creditworthiness by looking at a more comprehensive data set,” he said. “But I think that’s marginal. It will not address the fundamental issues of inequality that we need to address.”


text:
The fast fashion dilemma
The move toward ‘fast fashion’ is putting major pressure on those working in the procurement departments.
Fashion can cycle in and out of retail stores across the globe in a matter of weeks; putting those in procurement under constant pressure to ensure their supply chain is clean.
For many professionals working in this field, it’s a perpetual battle to balance the insatiable appetite for the latest dirt-cheap fashion with the constant demand that retailers stop the rag trade. Though perhaps not surprisingly, it’s pretty much impossible to find anyone willing to go on the record about how they tackle this issue to ensure their fast fashion supply chain is clean.
There are industry whispers that many procurement missions to places like China can result in more questions than answers. Often, a myriad of ‘agents’ acting on behalf of other sections of the supply chain make it extremely difficult for those in procurement to truly understand who they’re hiring, and whether they’re the sort of ethical supplier you’re hoping for.
Most recently in Australia, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission issued a warning about a dangerous dye found in jeans on sale in Australian stores.
Tests uncovered clothes with high concentration of the dyes, which sparked recalls of more than 121,000 items from retailers including Myer, Target, Rivers, Trade Secret and Just Jeans. A number of children’s clothes, including jeans from Myer, Just Jeans and Target, were included in the recall.
This situation will no doubt have caused major headaches for someone working in procurement, somewhere along the line. It’s also an example of why it’s so important for those in procurement to know where and how garments are being made.
After all, it doesn’t take much more than a few questions to be asked and some information to be shared on social media for a major brand to cop a beating over a supplier that’s possibly a long way down the supply chain.
However, some of the big brands have been working hard to clean up their act.
H&M, which is now in Australia, wants to prove to consumers that it’s doing the right thing. According to media reports, H&M has put a plan in place to avoid sourcing fabrics from endangered forest and also promote the use of fabrics that come from Forest Stewardship Council certified plantations. The company will also work to build traceable and sustainable production of these fabrics in its own supply chain.
For other major brands, the answer lies in innovation.
Stephen Denning, supply chain expert and author of the book Radical Management says brands like Zara have solved the problem of how to get disciplined execution with continuous innovation. “The way they lay out their factories, the design team is right in the middle of the factory, so that the whole process of learning from the manufacturers and vice versa is horizontal,” Denning was quoted as saying in The Business of Fashion.
People of Procurious, where do you stand on this “fast fashion” fixation? Make your voice heard and leave your comments below.
Hello and welcome to your one-stop shop for everything Procurement news-related.
Find out which e-procurement organisation Selectica has acquired… UK darlings of fashion and homeware, Marks and Spencer (M&S) – talk about sustainability, and we learn which countries are most at risk from supply chain disruption.
So without further ado, lets see what’s been going on in the world…
Key Skills for Procurement
• Continuing the blog from the previous week, CPO Rising highlights skills that are required for procurement
• Business Consulting skills can help procurement professionals define scope, manage projects and capture requirements more effectively
Read more at CPO Rising
Iasta acquisition (USA)
• Contract management software provider Selectica has acquired e-procurement organisation Iasta in a deal worth US$7m
• Selectica plan to use the new acquisition to enhance their customer offering by integrating the contract management and e-procurement offerings for enterprises
Global Sustainability (UK)
• UK company Marks and Spencer plan to take their ‘Plan A’ sustainability scheme global
• Plan A 2020, will include new targets around worldwide sourcing principles around issues such as human rights and gender equality
Supply Chain Disruption (Global)
• The FM Global resilience index shows which countries are most susceptible to disruption in their supply chains
• Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Kyrgyzstan were named as the countries most susceptible to disruption
• Norway, Switzerland and Canada topped the list of nations most resistant to such disruption
Read more at Supply Management
Impact of Leadership (USA)
• Guest blog from Samir Patel (Director, GEP) on the Impact of Leadership on Procurement Organisations
• Emphasises the need for strong leadership in Procurement functions and alignment with the wider organisation when considering strategy
• Also gives some good recommendations beyond leadership for optimising the procurement organisation
Read more at the SIG Industry Blog
Tips for Negotiation (USA)
• Some tips are offered for negotiating when you are in a weak position and how to make the best business case you can
• Tips include being fully prepared, asking questions and listening and keeping cool during the negotiation
Read more at Harvard Business Review
Procurement Focus (USA/UK)
• New study shows that procurement focus is shifting from just cost reduction to innovation and influence
• The Hackett Group study found that only half of the executives surveyed said that cost reduction was their key strategic focus for this year
• 69% of the organisations highlighted a focus on supplier innovation in the coming year
Read more at SDC Executive
Social media can be an erratic and angry beast. One minute your company is being praised, and the next it’s under fire for a minor procurement program that’s somehow landed in serious hot water.
To stay out of trouble, make sure you are prepared for any social media crisis well before there’s any sign of trouble.
Start by working up to a worst case scenario by considering what could go wrong, recommends Sydney social media trainer Steven Lewis of Taleist.
Consider who is going to be called in from other duties to lend a hand if trouble hits, he says.
“The first step in handling a crisis is to be prepared for the eventuality in the first place. If you’re prepared, you’ll know who’s going to speak, what they need, and you’ll have your channels and processes in place and tested. Having thought about those things in advance frees you up to think strategically when dealing with the specifics of a crisis,” Lewis says.
Conduct a risk assessment on each of your processes so you know how they might be questioned or attacked, and by whom, Lewis advises.
“Create a tailored response to each process that allows you to give clear justification, preferably with supporting evidence. If, for instance, you’re accused of using a supplier who uses child labour, what policies, inspections or assurances from the supplier can you cite and what would your response be to an accusation?”
People expect their corporate citizens to have human qualities, so don’t be afraid to respond on with some emotion, he says.
If you don’t know something you’re being asked, say so.
“It’s not good for a clothing brand, for example, to say it’s never even considered there might be child labour in its overseas supply chain, but you might not have all the facts to hand immediately. But an empathetic response and a promise to investigate with a deadline will help.”
In this example, he suggests a response such as: ‘We care deeply about child labour too and we’d be horrified to find we’d supported it even directly.”
It’s important to respond online, he says.
“You need to be in the channels in which you’re being discussed. If you’re being attacked on Twitter, it’s not enough to put up a media release on your website. How will the people on Twitter know it’s there?”
Remember, a social media crisis seldom involves a rational exchange of views, he says.
“Essentially, you have to be prepared for the emotion of a crisis. If you plan to deal with the crisis only through the cold exchange of facts, you won’t put out the fire.”
Get your side of the story up quickly and in the relevant media, he says.
“You’ll likely have supporters and the more you can give them to share and get your side out, the better.”
However, be prepared to wear the criticism, he says.
“In social media as in politics, it’s often the cover-up that will get you. People don’t like having their comments deleted,” Lewis warns.


text:
From shipping to staffing, the Chamber and its partners have the tools to save your business money and the solutions to help you run it more efficiently. Join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce today to start saving.
What is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) all about? With debate over this 12-nation trade agreement now underway, the Chamber is publishing this series making the case for the TPP’s approval. This installment looks at the benefits of past U.S. trade agreements.
What is the real record of America’s trade agreements? This question has been much debated in recent months—colorfully, and not always accurately, on the campaign trail, and more soberly in a recent report by the U.S. International Trade Commission. And the answer is certainly relevant to today’s debate over the TPP.
The Chamber has been a vocal champion of the benefits of America’s trade agreements, which today cover our trade with 20 countries around the globe. We’ve examined these issues at length in reports including The Open Door of Trade: The Impressive Benefits of America’s Free Trade Agreements (March 2015), NAFTA Triumphant: Assessing Two Decades of Gains in Trade, Growth and Jobs (updated October 2015), and Opening Markets, Creating Jobs: Estimated U.S. Employment Effects of Trade with FTA Partners (March 2010).
The rationale for these agreements is simple. While the United States receives substantial benefits from trade, the international playing field is sometimes tilted unfairly against American workers. The U.S. market is largely open to imports from around the world, but many other countries continue to raise steep tariffs and other barriers against U.S. exports.
In this context, the record of America’s trade agreements is one of remarkable success. While America’s 20 trade agreement partners represent just 6% of the world’s population outside the United States, in recent years they have purchased nearly half of all U.S. exports, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
In fact, on a per capita basis, the citizens of these 20 countries buy 13 times as many made-in-the-USA goods and services as other countries. It should come as no surprise that eliminating tariffs and other trade barriers enables trade to expand—often turning small economies into major export markets.
Further, U.S. exports to new trade agreement partner countries have grown roughly three times as rapidly on average in the five-year period following the agreement’s entry-into-force as the global rate of growth for U.S. exports, as Chamber research shows. U.S. exports to Chile and Morocco quadrupled in the five years after U.S. trade agreements with those countries entered into force. This boost to U.S. export growth is especially pronounced with more recent agreements, which are front-loaded to eliminate tariffs rapidly, open services markets, and eliminate nontariff barriers more comprehensively than earlier trade agreements.
The trade balance is a poor measure of the success or failure of any particular trade policy, but the trade deficit is often cited by opponents of the TPP as a principal reason why the United States should not negotiate additional trade agreements. However, with regard to manufactured goods, the United States ran a cumulative trade surplus with its trade agreement partner countries of more than $280 billion over the past eight years (2008-2015), according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The United States also has global trade surpluses in services and agricultural products.
Together, these facts reveal that the U.S. trade deficit arises from trade in manufactured goods with countries where the United States has no trade agreement in place. It’s ludicrous to say trade agreements are contributing to the deficit.
The logical conclusion is that the United States needs more trade agreements. In fact, leveling the playing field and opening markets abroad to the products of American workers, farmers, and companies should be a higher priority than ever before. The best way to do so is to enter into strong, new trade agreements based on openness, accountability, and fair play.
See additional details here or in the Chamber reports linked above.


text:
U.S. automaker Chrysler has filed for bankruptcy and entered an industry-changing deal with Italy's Fiat
It's a partnership that will give Chrysler a chance not only to survive but to thrive in a global auto industry, President Barack Obama said after weeks of talks with creditors to restructure Chrysler's debt broke down.
But some analysts warned that Chrysler's bankruptcy and the wider woes of the U.S. car industry could damage tentative signs that the economy is starting to pick up after months of crisis.
It will create a great deal of uncertainty for the industry and suppliers, said Bill Kohlder, co-chair of Butzel Long's Global Automotive Practice.
Many world markets were closed for a holiday, but oil retreated below $51 a barrel on the news.
Although difficulties of the U.S. auto makers have been pretty much factored in, Chrysler's bankruptcy will have some impact on sentiment, said David Moore, chief commodities analyst at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
More gloomy news from Japan showed that despite signs of some green shoots in the world economy the crisis is not over.
Data released on Friday showed the country had slipped back into deflation less than two years after last escaping it, and unemployment was rising at a record pace.
The Bank of Japan has forecast two years of deflation and Takeshi Minami, chief economist of Norinchukin Research Institute, said the price falls will accelerate.
Deflation will be damaging to the economy. Companies will have difficulty increasing profits, and their effective burden from borrowing money will increase.
Japan's jobless rate jumped to a four-year high of 4.8 percent with the availability of work sinking to a seven-year low with only half as many jobs as applicants.
But despite the downbeat data, the Nikkei <.N225> closed at its highest level in almost four months, lifted by optimism about the global economy and investor hopes the weaker yen will boost exports.
Markets are also being supported by signs that any flu pandemic will be less serious than was originally feared.
OBAMA PLAYS HARDBALL
Obama hailed the bankruptcy of Chrysler, which makes iconic brands such as Jeep and Dodge, as critical step in saving 30,000 jobs at Chrysler, majority-owned by Cerberus Capital Group
The deal will allow Fiat to own up to 35 percent of Chrysler as it makes investments in U.S. operations and small-car technology. Over time, Fiat could eventually own 51 percent after Chrysler has repaid its loans to the U.S. Treasury.
The Chapter 11 filing, in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, has implications for the entire industry -- including Chrysler's rivals and suppliers.
The bankruptcy signals that Obama is prepared to play hardball with holdout lenders rather than knuckle under to their demands and will likely set the tone for similar discussions with bondholders of General Motors
Economic data from Korea provided more evidence of green shoots -- exports fell less than expected in April and export earnings per day rose for the third month running.
Exports from Asia's fourth-largest economy slid 19.0 percent in April from a year earlier and imports fell 35.6 percent. Both falls were smaller than expectations for a 23.2 percent drop in exports and a 36.3 percent fall in imports.
The monthly growth (in exports value per working day) is pretty impressive because I had expected a decline for April. The data adds to the latest hopeful signals, said Oh Suk-tae, an economist at Citigroup.
The data came after more encouraging signs in the United States, where the number of workers filing new claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly fell in the latest week by 14,000 to a still-high 631,000.
That data, taken with a slightly more robust employment reading from Germany and an improvement in Japan's industrial output for the first time in six months, helped to brighten global stock market sentiment on Thursday.
The cumulative weight of the evidence over the last several weeks is that the economy is moving closer to a trough, said David Resler, chief economist at Nomura securities in New York.
The Chicago purchasing managers index jumped unexpectedly to its highest level since September and its upbeat tone was mirrored in regional surveys from Milwaukee and Kansas City.
(Writing by Andrew Marshall; Editing by Jan Dahinten)


text:
BUSINESSDESK: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, the respirators and sleep apnea products maker, raised the bottom end of its forecast for annual earnings on stronger first-half trading and after revising its assumption for the kiwi dollar.
The shares climbed 4.1%.
The Auckland-based manufacturer expects to post an annual net profit of between $65 million and $69 million on sales of between $540 million and $550 million, chief executive Michael Daniell told shareholders at yesterday's annual meeting.
That compares to previous profit guidance of between $62 million and $70 million on revenue of between $540 million and $560 million.
First-half profit is likely to rise 10% to $31 million on operating revenue of $265 million, Mr Daniell says.
F&P Healthcare has embarked on a strategy to limit the impact of a strong New Zealand currency – as 52% of its sales are generated in US dollars and 23% in euros – by increasing capacity at its Mexican plant, running a considerable hedging programme, stripping out costs where it can and using the local currency of more countries.
"We expect our constant currency gross margin to increase about two percentage points compared to the first half last year," Mr Daniell says.
Chairman Tony Carter sais the company's share price performance has been disappointing, with the "elevated exchange rate is undoubtedly a major reason" for the weakness.
The shares rose 4 cents to $2.04 in trading today, having shed 23% this year. The stock is rated an average "hold" based on seven analyst recommendations compiled by Reuters, with a median target price of $2.41.
This article is tagged with the following keywords. Find out more about MyNBR Tags
Most listened to
- Deloitte's Scott McClay discusses which South Island companies are performing best
- TIN100's Greg Shanahan on this year's top trends and top movers in high-tech exports
- ASB senior rural economist Nathan Penny disagrees with ANZ's forecast and is standing by his bank’s $6.75/kgMS prediction
- Why is the FMA exempting robo-advice from the law? Liam Mason explains
- NBR Radio: The best interviews, with Grant Walker — updated daily


text:
Last week I was in Hollywood, California attending and speaking at DOMAINfest 2008, one of the domain industry’s two big conferences. Attendance was up this year with nearly 700 people attending from more than 25 countries. Many of the attendees were domainers (domain name investors) looking to buy, sell, and network.
I attended a number of sessions over the course of the event and thought I’d share a few highlights:
"Domain Names and the Law"
Domain name legal expert John Berryhill cautioned domain owners to be wary of vaguely worded purchase inquiries that don’t explicitly offer to buy the domain; they could be lawyers representing trademark holders who are trolling with a different agenda (e.g. gathering info for a future legal claim against the unsuspecting domain owner).
Berryhill says, "The best trademark search tool is Google," as opposed to relying on official trademark databases.
"Domainers Town Hall with Frank Schilling"
This session was a Q&A with Frank Schilling, one the most famous and successful domainers in the world. Here are some choice quotes from Frank:
- "Domain names ARE the Internet."
- "There’s no shelf life on domain names…domains are like Cognac" – on domain names as assets.
- Owners of even just ten domains will be the media companies of the future."
When asked, Frank said he owns about 370,000 domain names that are managed as a business by a small team of five, including himself and his wife.
"Understanding the Big Picture"
Monty Cahn from Moniker provided some insights into the overall strength of the domain industry. Cahn says 70% of Internet users are using direct navigation (typing a domain into the browser address window) to get to a site. He also predicts that aftermarket (previously-owned) domain name sales will be a $1 billion business in 2010. Cahn estimates that also by 2010, 240 million domain names will have been registered. For reference, that’s about double the amount that are registered today.
(My Tucows colleague James Koole helped with this report.)


text:
Silicon Sisters hopes to capitalise on popularity of erotic fiction with game Everlove.
An indie app developer targeting romance readers hopes to capitalise on the resurgence of erotic fiction in its new game.
Silicon Sisters, an all-female game making company, has launched Everlove, a romantic iOS app targeted at the 74m people who read romance novels each year (according to Romance Writers of America).
After the success of E.L. James’s Fifty Shades of Grey and other erotic and romance titles, Everlove’s "titillating storyline" of a woman hypnotised into believing she is living in a village with an abundance of suitors to choose from provides a similar escapism, this time in the form of an iTunes app.
The game is designed for the iPad and iPhone, but an Android cversion is expected to be released soon, while PC and Mac versions will be released in the near future.
The release comes after another all-female game developer, Giant Spacekat, successfully funded an iPad title through Kickstarter.
Revolution 60, a space-set game featuring only women characters, reached its $5,000 goal to fund the game’s release after its developers had privately raised the cash needed to develop the scifi title.


text:
Kane Mcguinn, founder and CEO of Atlas Aquaculture, has taken the experience he’s gained in the aquarium sector and applied it to the commercial production of species, including coral trout and giant groupers, in a unique RAS facility in Singapore.
Devices that produce nanobubbles are becoming increasingly popular in a range of aquaculture operations, with a growing number of studies supporting their value – both in improving production and in reducing the environmental impact of the industry.
India Boyer is a dealflow manager at Hatch, a role that involves finding – and tracking – emerging startups across the aquaculture value chain, looking to forge possible investments and partnerships. She is also currently in the process of recruiting participa…
Jack James, founder and CEO of Pontus Research*, talks about his company’s new Singapore operation, the challenges of founding a business, and how the aquaculture sector can help to revitalise post-industrial Wales.


text:
Benylin conducts lozenge campaign
By Adnews Staff
Johnson & Johnson Canada is conducting an advertising campaign for a new product called the Benylin Sore Throat Lozenge. The campaign, called "Work Day," was developed by J. Walter Thompson Canada. The initiative features a cinema ad that highlight the product's claim to provide two hours of relief from coughing, specifically in the context of watching a movie. This execution is being accompanied by television and digital creative.
"Some of my favourite ads from the past and some of the most convincing have been straightforward demonstrations," said Cory Eisentraut, executive creative director at J. Walter Thompson Canada. "With this launch, we wanted to find a simple way to demonstrate the two-hour relief but do it in a fun, memorable way."


text:
Having trouble with your iPhone 5 battery? You might be eligible for a free replacement.
Apple said "a very small percentage" of iPhone 5 smartphones may "suddenly experience shorter battery life or need to be charged more frequently."
Don't get too excited just yet. After a year or two, everyone's iPhone battery seems to carry less juice than it once did. But Apple's repair program is limited to certain customers in the United States and China.
Only iPhone 5 smartphones sold between September 2012 and January 2013 are eligible, and only those that fall within a certain range of serial numbers. Apple has opened a website that allows people to determine whether their phones are eligible. (To access your serial number, tap Settings > General > About > Serial Number).
Apple announced an even smaller iPhone 5S battery recall program last year. In June, Apple issued a recall in 37 countries for European iPhone chargers that were overheating.
AQAP denounces ISIS territorial claim
Jihadist politics can be fickle. AQAP released a video condemning an ISIS claim that it now controlled territory outside of Iraq and Syria.
China's economy is in trouble
In a surprise move, the Chinese central bank cut its interest rate to boost an economy known for rapid growth.
Kenya bus ambush leaves 28 dead
Al-Shabab militants are suspected in a Saturday bus ambush in northeastern Kenya that killed 28 passengers.
Man rushes pregnant wife to hospital on tractor
He put his wife in the seat of the tractor, put her bags between her legs, grabbed the U-bar of the tractor with one hand, the wheel with the…


text:
Over the last month we have emerged ourselves into a world of steamy how-to’s, fashion styling and an east coast tour of Westfield Shopping Centres for the launch of Sunbeam’s new range of Steam Generators.
This innovative campaign has undertaken digital, experiential and traditional media outreach and has introduced media, influencers and consumers to this innovative product that cuts the time of the dreaded task of ironing in half.
Activity kicked off with a national survey that investigated the ironing habits of Australians and created news in the Daily Telegraph with the age-old battle of Men vs. Women.
Some very amusing findings came out of the survey including 52% of Australian women believe men would rather walk around in a creased shirt than do the ironing. Whilst 1 in 3 women would go even further, accusing Australian men of deliberately ironing poorly to avoid having to do it in future.
We engaged celebrity stylist Philip Boon to work on the campaign as spokesperson and kicked off lifestyle media activity with an engaging event at Thrive360, that took media through a range of activities that fully demonstrated the new Steam Generator range from ‘Top Tips for a Perfectly Ironed Shirt’ to blasting the wrinkles away in silky and delicate garments.
This presentation was then introduced to consumers in a series of in-store experiential activations at Westfield Shopping Centres in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
This has been complemented by a digital presence across Facebook with a specially created application and Instagram competition, using the cheeky #getsteamywithsunbeam.