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Study: Walmart scores on Facebook, Target on Twitter
If you wonder how the biggest brands are doing in the social space, a new report from Unmetric is for you - and according to their research it's a different story for each brand. Walmart, finds the report, is scoring big on Facebook while Target is taking their power to the tweet and winning on Twitter.
• 17 millions fans have 'liked' Facebook - Target has 14 million Facebook fans, Kohl's has 7 million
• Target has 339,000 followers on Twitter - Nordstrom has 182,000, Walmart has 156,000
• Target is leading in Facebook growth, however, up 83% over the past 6 months
"Commercial retail has long been an American way of life," said Unmetric CEO, Lux Narayan, "but in the era of social media, these stores are looking for ways to directly engage with their shoppers online and compete for customers. The Unmetric Top Retailer Report looks deep inside the social media strategies of the top US retailers to decipher who's actually winning on Facebook and Twitter."
Perhaps more important than the number of followers, though, is how these brands are engaging their followers and fans. Nordstrom, for example, may be the winner when it comes to how their act and react in the social space. The retail giant uses Twitter to start conversation, typically responds to tweets in under 2 hours; 92% of their tweets are replies.
Comparatively, Walmart responds to tweets in about 90 minutes but only about 7% of their tweets are replies, so they may not be responding to everything 'out there'. And, even though Walmart leads the fan-race on Facebook, Target has a higher Unmetric engagement score - meaning their fewer followers are 1) responding/commenting on statuses and 2) sharing statuses more often than Walmart's followers and fans.
- Intent HQ: Consumers want brands to be honest and transparent about data collection
- Forecast: 250 million smart wearables in use by 2018
- Ad Roundup: Making mobile, social, video simpler
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- Survey: Customer service/support high on brands' focus list
- How indie retailers fit into the online space
- Latest mobile network tests find Vodafone wanting
- Ad Roundup: Sales tools and caller response
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The old adage, "you get what you pay for" may no longer be true when it comes to traditional paid...


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After a star-studded New York Fashion Week earlier this month, Alexander Wang shared a teaser for Fall 2016 via Kylie Jenner’s Instagram. The clip features many of the 23 previous announced #WANGSQUAD members partying in a Los Angeles mansion, tunes provided by Skrillex, of course. Kylie and Tyga seem to be searching for a room to make out in, leading them to a bathroom. Kylie proceeds to get it on with model Anna Ewers while Tyga watches from inside a bathtub.
Check out Lexi Boling, Katie Moore, Hanne Gaby Odiele, Issa Lish and Alice Metza in the video below. It has nearly 3M views vs the 12K on Wang’s IG. Well played, Wang.

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Hubilo creates and shares the go-to toolkit for event marketers
After the chaos of 2020, “business as usual” is still anything, but ordering swag and planning event themes. Event planners are brainstorming how to handle the uncertainty of the delta variant and how the changes in attendee behavior will impact their revenue.
Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Rodolph Barrere, Co-founder and CEO at Potloc
Hubilo Technologies Inc, the world-class category leader in virtual and hybrid event management technology, hosted “Behind the Scenes of Events Reimagined,” where an unusual group of speakers emerged to relieve the anxiety event organizers are experiencing surrounding their events. Cinematographers and production assistants, who are normally behind the camera rather than in front of it, shared how to level up virtual events by treating them like film productions. Their topics included:
- Movie secrets to make your event seem magical
- Essential A/V skills for every event marketer
- Key takeaways to run a successful virtual event
“Hubilo continues to pave the way for companies to create more engaging and exciting event experiences, which will be necessary as audiences redefine how and when they engage in an event. When we launched the latest version of the Hubilo platform two months ago to nearly 2,000 attendees across 100 countries, we were able to immediately take advantage of a robust new source of marketing data and analytics that we never had before,” said Liesl Leary-Perez, Vice President of Corporate Marketing. “Because of these insights, we were able to quickly create an effective campaign to drive revenue and results from our events, despite the unpredictable nature of COVID-19.”
Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Brian Walker, Chief Strategy Officer at Bloomreach
The event served to highlight how brands must compete for the time and attention of their audiences with streaming content creators. With studio know-how, Hubilo’s intuitive platform and exceptional white-glove support, the event demonstrated how events of any size – from two attendees up to 2 million – can be as immersive as the shows we binge watch, as well as, being achievable for any organization. As the current demands of our hybrid and the virtual world require more from every event, including events meant to drive employee engagement such as annual sales kickoffs, job fairs, employee training programs, diversity celebrations, or even a company town hall, Hubilo’s vision could have events becoming as ubiquitous, and as anticipated as the Amazon boxes we have sitting on our doorsteps.
With more than 100 million event engagements in 18 months across more than 6000 events, Hubilo’s platform boasts the largest suite of engagement and gamification features of any other platform in the industry. During the behind-the-scenes show, keynote speakers showcased how organizations could create engaging and immersive experiences where attendees – in person or behind a screen – actively participate, network in lounges, or visit booths rather than just passively listen.
Marketing Technology News: Infobird Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: IFBD) Finds Sweet Spot by Offering Innovative AI-Powered CRM Solutions


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British luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover, owned by Tata Motors Ltd , said it planned to cut prices on three models in China due to the government’s anti-monopoly probe.
Jaguar Land Rover will cut prices on the cars by an average of 200,000 yuan ($32,300) starting Aug. 1, after the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s state planner, launched an investigation into the auto industry, the company said in a statement on Friday.
“Due to the importance of the Chinese market, Jaguar Land Rover China immediately set up a process to review our pricing and decided to voluntarily reduce the price of three models,” the carmaker said.
The price adjustment will also strengthen competitiveness and increase market share in China, Jaguar said.
Tata shares slumped 5 percent on Friday, their biggest single-day fall since January.
China’s auto sector, dominated by foreign players such as Volkswagen AG and Toyota Motor Corp , has become the latest industry to be targeted by antitrust regulators, who have already punished companies in sectors ranging from milk powder to eye glasses over pricing.
Jaguar Land Rover will cut its suggested retail price of three models including the Ranger Rover 5.0 V8, Ranger Rover Sports 5.0 V8 and Jaguar F-Type Cabriolet.
Last week, local and foreign media reported that foreign car makers including Mercedes-Benz were being probed by NDRC for possibly over-charging customers in China.
Earlier this week, Nicholas Speeks, head of China sales at Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz, said he was unaware of any NDRC investigations but added that the price regulator had expressed some concerns to the German luxury carmaker. It did not elaborate.
Jaguar said its price cut was in response to the industry investigation by the NDRC’s Bureau of Price Supervision and Anti-Monopoly.
NDRC said in the past that it was collecting evidence of possible anti-competitive behaviour in China’s vehicle and autoparts market.
($1 = 6.1913 Chinese Yuan)
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Dodge is previewing an entry-level vehicle at the Geneva auto show in Switzerland that might be sold in the United States. Although Dodge says the Hornet is a concept vehicle, many in the industry think it will be produced. And many Dodge dealers, while happy with the new Caliber, which replaced the Neon, would like a smaller, less expensive vehicle to counter the new Honda Fix, Toyota Yaris and Nissan Versa.
"We wanted the Hornet to be dynamic, nimble, fun to drive, and have an adaptable space-efficient interior," says Mark Moushegian, principal exterior designer. "At the same time we set out to create a vehicle with a uniquely American character to expand the image and presence of the Dodge brand in Europe and international markets, especially in the entry-level market."
The engine is a 1.6-liter, supercharged four-cylinder with 170 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission. The side view is dominated by large 19-inch aluminum wheels and wide tires. The modular dashboard is configured for either left- or right-hand drive with minimal changes, one more indication of a corporate intent to build the Hornet.
Pontiac gets small
General Motors will give Pontiac an entry-level coupe as a stopgap measure until the division gets more brand-focused products, sources close to Pontiac tell Automotive News. In the process, Pontiac dealers will lose the Montana SV6 minivan.
The coupe will be a high-performance relative of the Chevrolet Cobalt coupe with some Pontiac influences. The vehicle will give the Buick-Pontiac-GMC channel a shot at the small-car market. GM is still considering names for it. One option might be the G5, sources say. Pontiac intends to launch the coupe as a 2007 model and likely will start production this fall in Lordstown, Ohio. The car will be priced similarly to the Chevrolet Cobalt SS supercharged coupe, which starts at $20,490, including shipping.
Pontiac has lacked an entry-level car since the Sunfire died last year. In Canada, GM already sells a Cobalt sibling called the Pontiac Pursuit.
No sweat, Tony
NASCAR driver Tony Stewart is offering you the sweat towel right off his shoulder. Immediately after winning the Hershey's Kissables 300 race at Daytona International Speedway Saturday, Stewart handed over his Old Spice towel to a charity auction for the Victory Junction Gang children's camp. Fans can place a bid for the autographed towel by logging onto OldSpice.com or eBay.com before the bidding ends on Monday. By the end of the first day of bidding, the high bid was $364.37.
Hyundai turns 20
Hyundai Motor Company, now the fourth-largest import manufacturer in the United States, last week celebrated 20 years of selling vehicles in the United States. Since its entry into the U.S. market in 1986, Hyundai Motor America has sold 4,327,150 vehicles (through January 2006) with a single-year record of 455,012 established last year. Hyundai says it has invested more than $1.2 billion in research, design, engineering and manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and now features nine models.
"We are extremely proud of the progress Hyundai has made in the United States over the past 20 years," says Owen Koh, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. "Hyundai's full-cycle capability, from design to production in the U.S., is the direct result of 20 years of hard work and dedication to this marketplace."
A still-faster Vette?
Chevrolet might add a Corvette model with more horsepower than the 505-horsepower Z06, says Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. "We look at what Z06 has done in the marketplace, and we can't keep them in stock," Peper says. The 2006 Z06 carries a $65,690 sticker price, including destination.
Local racing roundup
With Speedweeks special events over, area tracks are settling down to begin their regular seasons. Auburndale Speedway and Citrus County Speedway in Inverness kick of their 2006 seasons Saturday, but Citrus County will be closed afterward for the entire month of March to accommodate the county fair. Orlando Speed World drag strip in Bithlo is racing Friday and Wednesday nights.


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With harsh cold and snow forecast for much of the state in the next few days, officials in Ohio’s Department of Aging are urging precautions for older people who could be at increased risk of weather-related problems.
Campaign aims to curb underage drinking
Trying to keep underage people from buying alcohol is a constant battle. State liquor control agents have spent the last couple years running sting operations designed to encourage store owners to check identification of people who buy alcohol. Hundreds of businesses have been fined. Now store owners and liquor companies have launced a new campaign to try to curb underage drinking.
The campaign features support services for liquor retailers as well as a public service annoucement which will air on local television stations.


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An Alcatel executive says Windows Phone is best suited to lower-end devices rather than flagships, and that carriers agree, adding that Microsoft's Windows 10 will be a milestone for mobile computing.
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Microsoft's entry-level Windows Phone, the Lumia 530, can now be purchased for just £29.95 as a pay-as-you-go upgrade, or for £49.95 with a new pay-as-you-go SIM, plus a mandatory one-off £10 top-up.
Microsoft Garage has launched some experimental and innovative consumer-oriented applications on its website for various platforms developed by enthusiasts within the company.
PhotoMath, a camera-based app on Windows Phone and iOS, utilizes photo recognition to instantly display the results of almost any mathematical expression you point your phone at.
Microsoft has put out a lot of numbers in the past week and we have combined them all to give you a better look at what is going on at the Redmond based company in one single post.
Skype for Windows Phone has received a fairly major update that adds Drawing which lets users send doodles to their friends, HD screen support, speed improvements and new options for signing in.
Over in the UK, Argos is now selling the Bush Windows Phone for £69.95, and Bush MyTablet running Windows 8.1 for just £129.95 - the latest examples of a new brand launching its first Windows devices.
From Windows news and Android 5.0, to a bunch of Apple devices, Surface, Xbox and PS4 updates, stuff on fire, and Bono, we take a look back at highlights from the week's top tech coverage on Neowin.
Microsoft's personal assistant is improving at an incredible rate. The latest update to Cortana brings new contextual app suggestions, evening glance, flight info and more.
An update for a system app is causing some Lumia Windows Phone to display the wrong firmware version. Unfortunately, it's just a bug and the real firmware hasn't been released just yet.
A report from the Economic Times of India quoted a OnePlus executive as saying that the company was "looking into" launching a Windows Phone - but OnePlus has denied that it has any plans to do so.
Microsoft unveiled the Lumia 735 - its new 4G Windows Phone for the selfie-obsessed - a few weeks ago. Ahead of our full review, we look at some highlights of what the affordable handset has to offer.
As predicted last week, Highscreen has become the latest brand to join the Windows Phone platform, unveiling two new handsets - the WinJoy and WinWin - which will both go on sale for under $100.
According to a new interview the Android manufacturer, OnePlus is in talks with Microsoft with an eye on adopting Windows Phone for at least one of their devices but nothing's been settled just yet.
Skype Qik, a new video messaging app from Microsoft, is available to download for Android, iOS and Windows Phone, giving users a quick way to share short videos in groups.
Yes, Windows Phone has come a long way in four years, but there's still plenty about it that continues to vex us. Here are five things that we find ever so slightly infuriating about Windows Phone.
Windows Phone may not be perfect, but there's a lot to like, and it's come a long, long way since its earliest days. We take a look at five things that we love about Microsoft's mobile OS.
From new Surface tablets and interesting experiments, to new Office, the end of the Icon and some 'inarticulate' comments, we take a look back at highlights from this week's top tech news on Neowin.
Verizon's support staff mentioned that the Lumia Icon is being retired by the company. If this is true it means a top of the line Windows Phone is being retired after less than a year on the market.
Microsoft is pushing out small updates to many of its MSN Apps as well as the Windows Phone Store itself which now features a redesigned featured app section. Most of these updates are automatic.
Microsoft has pushed out an update for OneDrive on iOS that brings with it a couple new features like TouchID support and for those of you on Windows Phone, new updates are coming soon for you too.
Previously exclusive to Android, Google's News & Weather app is now available on iOS, offering content from 65,000 publications around the world - but don't expect it on Windows Phone any time soon.
Emails have been sent out to some who signed up to the Office Pre-Release Program, informing these lucky few that they are now in a 'holding pattern' waiting to be offered programs for beta testing.
Highscreen will reportedly launch its first Windows Phone a week from today, priced at around $100, including a front-facing camera, auto-focus rear camera, and a large battery.
Carphone Warehouse says it will offer exclusive colour variants of Microsoft's handsets, including the Lumia 530, 630 and 635 in yellow; and the new Lumia 735 4G 'selfie phone' in 'brilliant blue'.
The latest update to Microsoft's digital assistant has taught her how to flip a coin and roll some dice. Cortana can now help users take decisions when they're not sure what they want.
From the Tetris movie and Lumia launches, to product problems, the OnePlus Two, low-cost Windows devices, Windows 10, and the Borg, we take a look back at highlights from the week's top tech news.
The Lumia 830, Microsoft's "affordable flagship" phone that combines high-end specs with a decent price tag is now available for purchase in the UK at most major retailers and carriers.
Microsoft has been having a bit of fun with Cortana, the company's digital 'personal assistant' this week, adding a couple of features that it hopes will amuse and delight fans of Star Trek.
The Facebook Beta app on Windows Phone has been updated with the ability to edit comments, video upload support, and many other improvements to tagging, performance and more.
T-Mobile has confirmed that it will launch Microsoft's low-cost Lumia 530 later this month, priced at $79.20 - but the device will also be available via Best Buy and Microsoft Stores from October 5.
Cricket Wireless will be the first US carrier to offer Microsoft's most affordable Windows Phone ever, the Lumia 530, and when it goes on sale tomorrow, it will cost just $49.99 with no contract.
Microsoft's new 4G Windows Phone, the Lumia 735, is now on sale in Ireland, Malaysia, Australia and in the UK, where it can be purchased off-contract from £199, or free on contracts from £17 a month.
Talking about the new licensing model Microsoft has implemented, Terry Myerson explained that it has been a success with 50 new partners signing up to build tablets and Windows Phone devices.
Microsoft's Lumia 830 - which the company refers to as "the first affordable flagship" - will go on sale this week, featuring a 5-inch HD display, 10MP PureView camera, and a thin and light body.
Taking a look at the latest report we see that Windows Phone is still strong in the low-end of the market with the recently launched Lumia 630 model doing well across the board.
Microsoft has confirmed that its new Lumia 830 will go on sale in China next month, with the latest Lumia Denim firmware on board, and support for the Chinese version of Cortana out of the box.
From bendy iPhones and the iOS mess, to Xbox One, Galaxy Notes, the cheapest Windows 8.1 tablet ever and The Fappening (Pt II), we look back at highlights from this week's top news on Neowin.
We known this was coming for a while now but according to the latest reports Bing apps will be rebranded under the MSN moniker starting next week alongside the launch of the new MSN.com website.
If you're running a preview version of Windows Phone on Lumia hardware you might want to press the 'check for updates' button as many devices around the world are getting the Cyan firmware update.
Better late than never, Microsoft's Windows Phone platform picks up the important news aggregate app Flipboard and is now available for download.
Karbonn Mobiles is the latest brand to join the Windows Phone platform, as its Titanium Wind W4 goes on sale in India for Rs.5,999, with three colour options, front and rear cameras and a 4in display.
A Nokia executive has said that the company is scaling back - but not completely ending - its development work on HERE Maps for Windows Phone, as it now plans to focus its efforts on Android and iOS.
Microsoft has released a new Windows Phone commercial that once again shows how Cortana is better than Siri and also highlights the recently launched Lumia 635 Windows Phone too.
Microsoft is now rolling out its latest Windows Phone developer preview update, which includes support for HTC devices - and the Cyan update will be expanding to more Lumia handsets from today.
Microsoft is building Cortana in to Windows 9 and the thinking behind this move is profound, as the company hopes to use the digital assistant to nudge more users towards its mobile platform.
Microsoft's Lumia 735 - known also as the 'selfie phone', due to its impressive front-facing camera - will go on sale in the UK next week, with Cortana support and the latest Denim firmware on board.
Microsoft has published a new page that will help keep you updated on Cortana's new features which will be helpful considering how quickly updates are being pushed out for the platform.
Microsoft's Joe Belfiore posted on Twitter that they are hoping to push out an updated for those of you who participate in the preview program that will address several issues including HTC support.
Microsoft is now rolling out Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 - though not the Lumia Denim firmware - to its Lumia 930. Among other things, the update will enable Cortana on the device in the UK and China.


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This could be the new toy for billionaires
While the Tetrahedron Superyacht lacks a sexy name, it could be the next ultimate toy for billionaires as it’s a combination of what the wealthy just love to splurge on.
That’s because, according to designer Jonathan Schwinge, the vessel is capable of taking to the skies. What more could you need?
The 21.6 metre yacht would be made out of the carbon fibre ‘Tetra’ and would rise on foils that stick out of a torpedo hull (which is technically called a HYSWA — Hydrofoil Small Waterplane Area Ship) underneath. It would be capable of flying at speeds of up to 38 knots.
At slower speeds it would sit on three hulls underneath and glide on the water.
Not only could seasickness be a thing of the past under this design, but the tetrahedron shape provides much-needed stability.Even with the "below water" fully retracted, it looks like it draws a lot of water, making lots of uses marginal. But I guess you could bring along a tender to bone fish in.
Think it’s unlikely to ever actually be built? While plans for the yacht have been floating around for a while, Mr Schwinge is working on making it a reality.
“We are currently working with a large superyacht yard and the design has been developing forward,” Mr Schwinge told Forbes.
“Much of the development has a new feel — the ‘Trimaran’ 3 hull has now been replaced by a black coated ‘bat-form hull’ with special retractable ocean landing systems.”
This would be something useful for Donald Trump to invest it.


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SYDNEY Royal Easter Show visitors will be told the Australia Lamb Paddock to Plate Story through a 360-degree virtual reality experience with Meat & Livestock Australia this week.
The Australian Lamb Paddock to Plate Story enables consumers to experience the industry through a virtual reality headset from the comfort of the Australian Good Meat Coach, taking them into the world of Australian sheep farming, transportation, processing, and end markets, such as butchers.
The lamb experience builds on the huge success of MLA’s Australian Beef Paddock to Plate Story, which used the same technology to share the beef production story with the community, and was featured at the 2018 Sydney Royal Easter Show.
The video features lamb producer Michael Craig, from Harrow, Victoria, and other stakeholders from throughout the value chain, including Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange manager Paul Christopher, JBS farm assurance and supply chain manager Mark Inglis and Prahran butcher Gary McBean.
Well-known Australian chef, restaurateur, presenter and food writer, Karen Martini, also presents during the virtual reality tour.
Lamb story is transparent and open – MLA
MLA community programs communications m,anager Fiona Young said since the launch of the Australian Beef Paddock to Plate Story at the EKKA in Brisbane in August 2017, more than 32,500 people had experienced Australia’s beef production system.
“We’re now focused on showcasing Australia’s world-renowned lamb industry through this fully immersive and highly engaging resource, to continue to meet the rise in consumer interest in the provenance of food.
“Recent research for MLA shows that only about one in five meat eaters have a good understanding of the Australian red meat industry and there are now almost 20 percent fewer Australians from urban centres visiting cattle or sheep farms annually compared to eight years ago,” Ms Young said.
“The Lamb Paddock to Plate Story further demonstrates to consumers that the red meat industry is transparent and open.
“Community engagement and trust is integral to a sustainable and prosperous industry in the long-term,” she said.
The Australian Lamb Paddock to Plate Story is showing daily from 9am-7pm on weekends and public holidays and 9am-6.30pm Monday to Fridays at the Woolworths Food Farm Pavilion for the duration of the show.
As part of this year’s Royal Easter Show, MLA’s Australian Good Meat platform will also be sponsoring sessions at the Australian Women’s Weekly Theatre Kitchen within the Woolworths Fresh Food Dome.
The Australian Good Meat cooking demonstrations within the Theatre Kitchen allows visitors to pick up tips, brand new recipes and even taste what’s cooking at the free live cooking demonstrations.
The Australian Good Meat sessions will be at 11am for six days between 12-17 April 2019, and will feature Australian Good Meat Beef and Lamb recipes as well as MLA chefs and red meat producers talking about how they produce top quality Australian beef and lamb.
HAVE YOUR SAY


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If you want to catch Anthony Hopkins' latest movie, "Zero Contact," you're going to have to hop on the Vuele NFT platform. The movie is set to become the first full-length feature film available and viewable on an NFT platform. How does that even work? We have the details here.
⬆ Ret. U.S. Air Force General Mark Baird is named president of VOX Space, an El Segundo-based subsidiary of Virgin Orbit.
🌱 Cannabis company Sugarmade has acquired an L.A. property to use as its new distribution hub.
💡 Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group has launched a new NFT marketplace that allows creators to license and sell their intellectual property.
💰 L.A.-based micro payment company Yoke Payments has been acquired by Cantaloupe, Inc., a software tech company for the unattended retail market.
🛻 Irvine-based EV maker Alpha Motor says it'll unveil its electric truck, the Wolf, at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on August 24.
🧬 L.A.-based ImmixBio has named Harvard's Galit Lahav, PhD, to its Scientific Advisory Board.
🐶 Vital Pet Life, an L.A.-based pet wellness company, made it into Inc Magazine's annual Inc. 5000 list this year.
To make the movie available to viewers, Vuele says it will auction off a one-of-one NFT linked to the film, which will grant the owner early access to the release. Next, it will release subsequent versions of the NFTs, available as drops for which users must queue up.
Each round will tender a higher number of NFTs, with each granting owners fewer associated perks. Users will be able to display and trade their NFTs on the Vuele platform.
Google Maps now include search results for Bird scooters, the company said this week. The move is the latest in Santa Monica-based Bird's partnerships with mobility-as-a-service platforms around the globe, such as Skipr and Tranzer. The company said in May that it plans to go public in a SPAC valued at $2.3 billion.
EVgo's per-minute charging price is out. The El Segundo-based company announced a new congestion pricing plan based on the peak hours of the day and how many kilowatts are used. EVgo's fast chargers in California will switch to the new pricing plan next month.


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French fashion designer Thierry Mugler has passed away at the age of 73.
Mugler’s death was confirmed in a statement published on the designer’s Instagram page on January 23rd. “It is with deep sadness that the House of Mugler announces the passing of Mr. Manfred Thierry Mugler,” the statement read. “A visionary whose imagination as a couturier, perfumer and image-maker empowered people around the world to be bolder and dream bigger every day.” The cause of death is unknown.
Online, celebrities have shared tributes to the late designer, including Beyoncé, who regularly worked with the late designer. The performer posted a message of remembrance on her website shortly after his death was announced. She posted a collage of her best Mugler looks, from photoshoots to music videos.
The designer had styled her on various occasions. In 2009, he even took on the role of artistic director for Beyoncé’s “I Am…” world tour during her Sasha Fierce era.
According to Rolling Stone, Beyoncé had personally asked him to take on the role after discovering his work in an exhibition at the Met. Mugler designed 58 outfits as part of Beyoncé’s tour and dressed her dancers as well. His role did not stop at designing the outfits though — he also had a role in conceptualizing the choreography, lighting design, and with the production of the tour’s concert film.
Beyoncé also wore one of Mugler’s designs in her 2009 music video “Sweet Dreams.” “Beyoncé wanted a cool robotic moment, and it was very complex to put on and off, but it was a great moment in the video and added to the futuristic theme perfectly,” said longtime trusted stylist Ty Hunter to PopSugar. The golden corset from the video was from Mugler’s Fall/Winter 1995 collection.
Born in France in 1948, Mugler became a designer after his time as a ballet dancer. He launched his brand in 1973 and was known for his theatrical designs that gave vent to femininity. He found inspiration in everything — from architecture to nature to theater. David Bowie was one of the first celebrities to wear Mugler’s designs, with him later working with Lady Gaga, Bella Hadid, Cardi B, and Kim Kardashian.
“You can’t take fashion too seriously,” Mugler said in a 2017 interview with ELLE. “The whole thing is about giving the women who wear your clothes some power, some fun, some service. It’s great to make it as art. But first, it’s a service to someone.”
Photo Credit: Twitter/@BeyLegion


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Yesterday, an order to sell 8 bitcoin (BTC), worth $60,000, tanked the price of Bitcoin on a single trading pair on crypto exchange Binance. It was either a fat-fingered mistake or there were more nefarious plans underway.
The trade was made on the trading pair between bitcoin and a stablecoin—a cryptocurrency that keeps its price pegged to a fiat currency, like the US dollar—called StableUSD (USDS).
With a 24-hour trade volume of just over $130,000, the large sell order represented more than half of this trading pair’s daily trade volume, allowing it to sell through the order book and crash Bitcoin to a low of $681.81—on this trading pair—before recovering. Despite the flash crash, bitcoin is currently trading at a price of $7,393, up 1.6% for the day.
StableUSD was launched a year ago by Stably. However, its maket cap has been cut in half since its first few months, showing that fewer people are making use of the stablecoin. It is now ranked 542 on CoinMarketCap. In contrast, stablecoins like Tether have seen their market caps rise drastically, over this time.
This isn’t the first time a sudden move like this has happened on this trading pair before. In April, when the price of bitcoin was $5,000, it jumped up to $11,000 on this trading pair, also on Binance.
There are three main reasons why somebody would sell a huge amount of bitcoin at a below-market rate. The first of these is that somebody simply made a mistake and placed a limit sell order for far below market rate. If this is the case, then at least one buyer got incredibly lucky and managed to purchase a massive amount of bitcoin for under $700.
The next two options involve manipulating the market in order to profit.
One explanation is that traders might be doing this to manipulate the market, for example, by simultaneously crashing the market and shorting it—betting against its future price. Margin or leverage trading could be used to increase the effect of doing so. However, this is unlikely in this case because there are no futures trading offerings for this trading pair, making it hard to profit from the endeavor.
Alternatively, coins are sometimes sold below market value in order to transfer money from one account to another. If a hacker takes control of someone else’s account—for example via phishing techniques—they might be unable to withdraw directly from the compromised account and will often use this kind of tactic. However, this also seems fairly unlikely in this case, since the amount was so high.
Either way, BTC:USDS is the lowest volume stablecoin trading pair on Binance, so—unless this changes—it will stay particularly vulnerable to manipulation. And if the stablecoin’s usage continues to drop, it may disappear anyway.


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Everyone of us has probably experienced the unpleasantness of grocery shopping at the supermarket at least once. But what happened to 63-year-old Neville Linton of Stourbridge, England, is shocking. He made the surprising discovery of finding a live snake inside a bag of broccoli bought at an Aldi branch in the West Midlands. The event not only aroused the man’s surprise and fear, but also serious questions about food safety.
Neville Linton recounted his shocking discovery, “When I took a bag of broccoli out of the refrigerator, I noticed something moving inside. On closer inspection, I realized it was a live snake. It was quite frightening, considering I’m not a good judge of snakes.” The man noted that he was lucky to have noticed the snake before it left the bag and began to roam around the house. After all, two vulnerable people live in his house, and having a snake inside the dwelling could have posed a serious danger to them.
After this incident, Neville Linton contacted the local zoo to find out what kind of snake he had discovered. It turned out to be a ladder snake, a species that inhabits parts of southern Europe. Although this snake is not venomous, it can still cause a nasty bite.
Aldi Supermarket, where the broccoli with the live snake was purchased, expressed its regret over the incident and said it was investigating the incident. “We apologize to Mr. Linton that our usual high standards were not met,” the supermarket said in a statement.
This incident has raised serious questions about the safety of the food we buy in supermarkets. How could a live snake get into a bag of broccoli and go through all the production and quality control steps? This clearly indicates a violation of hygiene standards and a lack of care in the packaging of products.
According to experts, such cases are extremely rare, but they can still occur. They emphasize the importance of thoroughly checking products before buying them and contacting the supermarket support service in case anything unusual is found. It is also worth noting that many supermarkets provide a guarantee of quality and safety of products, and in case of violations you can apply for compensation.
Despite the fact that the incident is an isolated incident, it is still alarming and raises questions about the quality control of food. How did a snake get into a bag of broccoli? Was it a manufacturing error or a question of inadequate hygiene in the store? Either way, such incidents must be avoided in order to protect consumers from possible dangers.


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LG will be launching a device featuring a flexible OLED display sometime later this year.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, LG vice president of mobile, Yoon Bu-hyun, said that his company has plans to launch a smartphone with a flexible OLED screen in the fourth quarter. According to the Journal, he failed to say what other features it'll have and where it will be offered.
LG is among several mobile companies, including one of its chief competitors, Samsung, eyeing flexible OLED display technology.
The companies envision devices featuring fully flexible screens, allowing for more leniency in product design. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January,. Nokia has also shown off similar prototypes.
A year ago, LG trotted out a design for a.
Word of LG's plans for a flexible display for smartphones comes just after the company reported. The company's $135 million profit was down 74 percent compared to the previous quarter.


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Team17 has announced the first chef that will be added in the upcoming free update for Overcooked 2.The first chef is ornate dragon chef, a dragon that cooks.
A second chef should be revealed soon as well.
About Overcooked 2
Out of the frying pan, into the fire…
You’ve saved the world from the Ever Peckish. Now a new threat has arisen and it’s time to get back in the kitchen to stave off the hunger of The Unbread!
FEAST YOUR EYES ON THIS
Journey across a brand new overworld map by land, sea and air. Get cooking in new themes ranging from sushi restaurants, magic schools, mines and even alien planets!
WHET YOUR APPETITE!
Travel the land cooking up a range of new recipes that are sure to cater to any tastes, including sushi, cakes, burgers and pizzas.
Travel through teleporters, across moving platforms and save time by throwing ingredients across dynamic kitchens that shift and evolve. Some kitchens even whisk your chefs away to new locations.


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Thursday Tech Briefing: Google, Apple Watch, Hitman
Google has for the first time publicly confirmed its plan to build Project Dragonfly, a new search engine tailored for China.
“I’m not clear on the contours of what is in scope or out of scope. … We are not close to launching a search product in China,” Keith Enright, Google’s chief privacy officer, said during a tense hearing with U.S. lawmakers about online privacy.
Google’s regular search engine has been blocked in China for the past eight years. News that the company is trying to re-enter the Chinese market has been met with sharp criticism from both outside and within the company. (FT)
TF Securities analyst Guo Ming-Chi has nudged up his forecast for new Apple Watch shipments from 18 million to 18.50-19.50 million following reports that the device is now in production at a second Taiwan manufacturer.
Compal Electronics has joined Quanta Computer Inc. in manufacturing the product after the latter reportedly reached capacity.
Compal mainly produces older versions of the Apple Watch, as well as several Android Wear devices, including versions for fashion brands Fossil and Michael Kors. (Money Udn, link in Chinese)
Bitcoin mining chipmaker Bitman has filed to list in Hong Kong.
The company, which manufactures application-specific integrated circuits used in bitcoin mining, has a global market share of 74.5%. According to the company filing, Bitman’s revenue in the first half of 2018 reached approximately $2.84 billion, more than 10 times that of the same period last year.
Previously, Bitman’s two competitors, Canaan Creative Co. Ltd. and Ebang International Holdings Inc., filed for initial public offerings (IPOs) in Hong Kong, but neither passed the listing hearing of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. (Caixin, link in Chinese)
Three top executives at German car interior manufacturer Grammer AG have resigned following a takeover earlier this month by a Chinese competitor.
According to a company statement, Grammer’s chief executive, financial and operating officers have all exercised their “contractual change-of-control rights.” The move comes after Ningbo Jifeng Auto Parts Co. Ltd. bought an 84.23% stake in the company earlier this month.
The resignations are likely a setback for Jifeng as it had stated its intentions to allow continuity in Grammer’s operations. Grammer works with Volkswagen Group, BMW AG and Daimler AG, while Jifeng works with Chinese companies such as Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd., Changan Ford and BMW’s China partner, BMW-Brilliance. (Caixin)
Viomi Technology Co. Ltd., which makes smart appliances for smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp., saw its shares rise by 20% during its first trading day in New York City Tuesday before closing near the listing price. It dropped 8.59% on its second trading day.
With an offering of 11.4 million American depositary shares at $9 each, the company raised $102.6 million, giving it a market value of around $800 million.
Viomi is among several companies to benefit from close ties to Xiaomi, which has developed an ecosystem of interconnected devices. Huami Corp., which makes fitness trackers and has a similar relationship to Xiaomi, raised $110 million in its New York listing in February. (Caixin)
Huawei Connect, a three-day ICT conference, will be held in Shanghai from Oct. 10 to Oct. 13. Huawei holds two major conferences a year, with the other geared toward global analysts held in April. The company plans to feature AI, Cloud, IoT and Cyber Security in October. (Huawei, link in Chinese)
Compiled by Wang Luyao
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- 2Analysis: Guangzhou Becomes Test Case for Coexistence With Covid in China
- 3Beijing City Government Denies Rumors That Covid Controls Set to be Scrapped
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- 5UnionPay International’s U Plan has covered over 1600 stores overseas


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A man was stabbed to death during a daylight brawl in south London.
A man whose romantic engagement to his girlfriend was spotted by police helicopter today said he feared he would be arrested when he heard them hovering overhead.
Published: 26 March 2013
It is hard to miss the sign outside James Elliott on Essex Road. “COME TO A BUTCHER YOU CAN TRUST”. And just in case you don’t get which recent scandal it might be alluding to, there are press cuttings, too. “HORSEMEAT IS FOUND IN TESCO BURGERS”… “80% HORSE”… “SHERGAR ‘N’ FRIES”.
The customers have plenty of time to peruse them since there is now often a queue outside the door. Still, the hungry omnivore will soon find their attention drawn by the “carnecopia” in the window. There are rib-eye steaks, fresh and crimson, in their metal trays; knobbly little lengths of oxtail; moist tender kidneys. Inside, I found deep brown wild boar paté, handcranked sausages, glistening behind the glass, jar upon jar of condiments, three butchers (Nigel, Mick and Diane) and a retired man named John who has popped in for some veal escalopes.
“I’ve been coming here for years,” he declares. “They do a grand job here. The beef is excellent. But you know the best thing they do? Entertain you! Isn’t that right, Nigel?”
Nigel smiles and the pair of them fall into what seems like an old routine about the relative fortunes of Tottenham and Chelsea — “Is there ever a good time to be a Chelsea supporter, John?” “I’ll have you know we are the holders of the European Cup!” Finally, Nigel cleaves a pair of chops from a pink flitch of veal.
“You see?” says John, turning to me. “Reasonable too. Very reasonable! The other thing is they always come round and put it in your basket.” He tosses the packet of veal back at Nigel, who slinks out from behind the counter to drop it in John’s shopping basket.
“Where’s my tip, then?” he says with a grin.
It’s enough to make you wonder whether the horsemeat scandal is the best thing that could have happened to the high street. For years, traditional butchery has declined as supermarkets have groomed the public with their morbid reconstitutions. There were 60,000 butchers’ shops in Britain 20 years ago — now there are 3,000.
Still, those few that are left have been reporting huge rises in footfall this past month — some as much as 25 per cent. It is not simply retired gourmets either but mothers with large families to feed and time-poor professionals who once moped their way through the self-service checkouts at their nearest supermarket.
My own local butcher’s — Meat N16 in Stoke Newington — opened in 2011 to the great excitement of local cooks. Roughly 1,000 visit each week, with about 60 per cent of the business at weekends, according to the head butcher, Paul Grout, who once worked with the Roux brothers.
It is a higher class of meat shop, with Pakenham chickens, a ready supply of ox cheek and a notable deli counter. Unusually, it is open plan, with no counter separating the butchers from the customers, Parisian-style. There is also a small wine room at the back (the bottles are organised according to animal) and an events room downstairs, where they show you how to chop up a lamb or crank out sausages. One parent recently booked it for their seven-year-old girl’s birthday party (only in Stoke Newington) and it was apparently a roaring success. They had raw sausages in their party bags.
“If I had a pound for every horse joke, I wouldn’t have to open at all,” says Grout. He says he sympathises with families on low incomes and that supermarkets have their place. “But really, if you’re buying four burgers for a pound, horsemeat is the least of your problems. There’s far worse things in there. Most people understand that it’s not the horsemeat — it’s the fraud. The thing that shocked me the most is the food chain. Those burgers had been through six countries. It’s unbelievable that your food chain should be so long and so unknown.”
Grout is not sure that the general enthusiasm for proper meat will endure. The supermarkets are now buying up British meat so prices are rising — and eventually, he fears he will have to pass that on to his customers. “I’m sure it will blow over and people will go back to supermarkets again. But the British public are not stupid. This has brought home what small independent butchers do — we spend a lot of time finding good products, befriending our suppliers and befriending our customers too. We have a fantastic high street here now. It would be great if people realise how much that can benefit an area.”
HAVE A BUTCHERS: THE 10 BEST IN TOWN
104 Stoke Newington Church St, N16. 020 7254 0724, meatlondon.co.uk
96 Essex Rd, N1. 020 7226 3658, jameselliottbutchers.co.uk
Casa de Carne
223 Mare Street, E8. 020 8986 4548
Frank Godfrey Ltd
Morris Place, N4. 020 7561 1713, godfreys.co/
19 Market Row, SW9. 020 7274 1035
110 Holland Park Ave, W11. 020 7727 8243, lidgates.com
Borough Market, Southwark St, SE1. 020 7403 4721, thegingerpig.co.uk
Flock & Herd
155 Bellenden Road, SE15. 020 7635 7733, flockandherd.com
51 Palliser Road, W14. 020 7385 6466, hgwalter.com
M Moen and Sons
24 The Pavement, Clapham Common, SW4. 020 7622 1624, moen.co.uk
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Spansion takes in $506M in flash memory IPO
Spansion Inc. made its debut as a publicly traded company Friday, offering shares on the Nasdaq stock exchange that closed up 13 percent from their opening price. However, the initial public offering did not raise as much money as the company had once hoped.
Shares of the flash memory maker’s stock (SPSN) closed at $13.55 for the day. In November, Spansion said it would offer its stock for $16 to $18 a share, but cut that expected range Thursday to $13 to $14, and cut it further Friday morning to $12. At that price, Spansion took in $506.4 million, down from previous expectations of $561 million.
Spansion’s former parent company, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), made the decision to take the company public in order to focus on its high-flying processor business. The flash memory business is very volatile, and two bad quarters earlier this year overshadowed an otherwise excellent period for AMD’s overall performance. AMD Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hector Ruiz succinctly summed up the memory group’s performance in January by saying, “In our flash business, we had an awful quarter. … It makes me puke to lose $39 million.”
But Spansion still attracted investors with its IPO, and Spansion President and CEO Cambou vowed to make sure that Spansion will not repeat its early 2005 financial performance in an interview with IDG News Service Friday.
“Because we are now properly capitalized, we can pursue our success going forward,” Cambou said.
Spansion has improved its financial performance in the months leading up to the IPO, which helped reassure potential investors that the company will be healthy into the future, Cambou said. However, the memory business still lost money in the third quarter as part of AMD and revenue was down compared to the previous year.
Spansion is preparing to roll out flash memory chips based on its Ornand architecture. The company says this will combine the storage capacity of NAND flash memory with the reliability of NOR memory, Spansion’s primary product. With the overall flash memory market moving more toward NAND memory, which is used in Apple Computer Inc.’s iPod music players, market researchers expect NAND memory sales to grow much faster than NOR in upcoming years.
“[Ornand] is a major, major product for us,” Cambou said. Spansion will target embedded devices and the automotive market with Ornand chips, in addition to its traditional mobile phone customers, he said.
AMD still owns the majority of Spansion’s shares, but since it now owns less than 50 percent it does not have to report Spansion’s financial performance in its quarterly results. Fujitsu Ltd, which formed the joint venture with AMD, also owns a large chunk of the company.


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Europe's Wireless Bubble
from the we-weren't-the-only-ones dept
Business Week has a good synopsis of Europe’s wireless bubble, the equivalent of the dot-com bubble in the US. The article traces the irrational exuberance of European carriers and wireless entrepreneurs as they raced to 3G. There were many mistakes and lots of money ill spent. Just look at the mess that Vodafone is in. But the article also implies that some of the blame lies with the European Commission’s mandate to standardize Europe on GSM. However, if anything, GSM made Europe a wireless leader and paved the way for a global wireless market. Blaming GSM for the bubble is like blaming TCP/IP for the internet bubble.


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It seems there is a new rumour each day when it comes to superhero games. The latest of these concerns WB Montreal, the developer behind the Batman: Arkham Origins, which is, in my opinion, an underrated gem. Thanks to a tweet from the company’s assistant developer, the internet is buzzing.
The tweet that started the Batman: Court of Owls rumours shows the company’s assistant producer Valerie Venzina wearing a T-shirt that has an emblem of an owl at the back, an emblem that suspiciously resembles the one used by the infamous Court of Owls in the comic books. She also redacted the name of the game she is currently working on in the tweet. This has left many speculating that a Batman game centred around the Court of Owls could be their next project.
[Redacted], best. DevTeam. EVAR. pic.twitter.com/fUV8WCkDnI
— Double V (@valvez) November 16, 2018
In the comics, the Court of Owls is a group of Gotham’s most powerful citizens who use their power and influence to manipulate the events that take place in the city in order to serve their own twisted goals.
For those expecting the team to reveal the game at The Game Awards, there is some sad news as the team’s creative director Patrick Redding did tweet that they will not be making an appearance at the event. That said, he did fuel the rumours of a new Batman: Court of Owls game by re-tweeting an image of an owl too.
As with all rumours, especially ones concerning the Caped Crusader, it’s important to take them with a pinch of salt.


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Sources indicated that the Board may ask farmers to cut down sowing in Karnataka this year following the plunge in demand.
However, the Board is yet to take a call on that.
A member of India Tobacco Association (ITA) said the country exports about Rs 5,000 crore worth of tobacco after value addition to USA, Europe and other countries.
"Like any other industry the tobacco industry also came to standstill due to lockdown. Tobacco auction in AP which began earlier was also suspended. It is expected to begin after April 20.
Due to delay in supplies and also health advisories on COVID-19, there may be muted demand this year. Tobacco Board expects about 20 per cent dip in demand this year," sources told .
When contacted, Tobacco Board chairmanRaghunadha Babu Yadlapati said Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka produced 124 million kgs and 103 million kgs respectively last year.
"We will ensure that all the tobacco produced by farmers will be cleared. We will request the industry to lift unsold stocks if any from them.
We will not let any farmer suffer even if there is a drop in demand," Babu said.
Without providing absolute numbers, he said the restrictions on smoking and the extended lockdown may impact the tobacco consumption.
Of the total tobacco produced in the country, one third or about 65 per cent is exported.
The Board chairman said this year they granted permission to sow 140 million kgs and 99 million kgs in AP and Karnataka respectively.
Noting that tobacco crop fetches about Rs 3,500 crore at farmers' level and after value addition about Rs 5000 crore worth of the commodity is exported, the ITA member said, "The foreign buyers are yet to come to India and inspect the product and place orders, though initial discussions are over."
"They changed their travel plans as there is complete lockdown in most of the countries," he said.
According to the ITA, the auction for Andhra Pradesh's stock is expected to resume from April 19 when the relaxations announced by the Centre will come into force for certain sectors.
The ITA member said as far as Karnataka crop was concerned, except one million kgs, rest of the commodity was auctioned.
Every year a committee on production & production control of Tobacco Board lays down policy and fixes crop size for different soil regions in AP and Karnataka taking into account various factors such as demand for flue cured virginia tobacco (FCV) in India and abroad and the marketability of different varieties.
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Google has officially released the new YouTube homepage into the wild, bringing with it a revamped look for Channels and a brand new overall design. It's all part of Google's ongoing campaign to give itself a facelift, bit by bit - but it's also a major part of bringing YouTube and the Google+ social network even closer together.
To wit, the new YouTube homepage shows a feed of the videos your Google+ (or Facebook, if you're into that sort of thing) friends have been sharing. You can also view a list of recommended YouTube Channels or customize what your homepage looks like. Basically, it doesn't add much by way of new functionality, but it's a new look that brings the social aspect front-and-center.
The new Channels design aims to bring YouTube content creators new templates to intelligently display their videos, "whether you produce one video a week or have thousands of videos for a fan to browse," according to the official blog entry.
But it's the new overall design that's going to spur the most YouTube user controversy. Aimed at making the site "cleaner and simpler," it brings a consistent gray background and a streamlined watch page, along with bigger video thumbnails. The new look is based on a refined July's experimental "Cosmic Panda" design, Google says.
So why the new design? Google says that as YouTube expands into the classroom and the sciences, the time is right to improve the experience for all.
Interestingly, despite Google's claims that everyone should see the new YouTube now, I'm still seeing the old design. Let me know if it's working for you in the comments - and what you think.


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The co-founders of Ukrainian digital-only bank Monobank are aiming to launch a new credit card offering in the UK in Q1 2019.
The card will target those who need to build a credit history, including young people applying for their first credit card and people who have just arrived in the country.
The idea behind the card is to create an entry point – for people who have little credit history – by providing a fixed-price solution whereby customers can build up credit before moving to a bank with a cheaper offering.
The card itself will be free, with a 34-40% APR.
However, it will allow users to pay for any purchases in instalments, with a fixed fee applied for using this product.
In an exclusive interview with Specialist Banking, two of Monobank’s co-founders Misha Rogalskiy (pictured above, right) and Dima Dubilet (left) revealed that they were currently applying for an e-money licence – through the FCA – in addition to a consumer credit licence.
They are planning to apply for a banking licence in the UK in the future.
“Our core product in Ukraine is a credit card and it’s something that we want to replicate here in the market,” said Misha.
“We see that there is a gap in this new way of banking.
“Challenger banks are usually focused on debit products, and we think that there’s a market for a great product which is also done … in a mobile app and is accessible…
“We could target our product to a single credit profile which usually gets declined from retail banks because credit bureaus just don’t know about these clients.
“For instance, if it’s someone who’s just arrived in the country or it’s a young person who is applying for their first credit, it’s hard to get a credit product from a big bank, so that’s where we come in.”
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Food & DrinkWhat To Expect When Trying An Edible For The First Time
Grab The MSG: Eating Savory Foods Might Contribute To Healthier Eating Habits
When you get the munchies, it’s easy to overdo it and wreak havoc on your waistline. But a new study shows that if you down a bowl of savory miso soup before pigging out, you might be inclined to make healthier choices.
The study examined the effect of ‘umami,’ a Japanese term for a rich, savory flavor, on brain activity and food choices. Umami is one of the five basic flavors, along with salty, sweet, sour, and bitter.
One of the key creators of the umami flavor is the amino acid glutamate, as found naturally in fish and other foods, or unnaturally in added MSG (monosodium glutamate)
The study found that, especially for women, drinking a bowl of chicken broth that had added MSG caused subtle changes in their brains that contributed to them making healthier eating choices afterward.
The researchers — out of Harvard University — used three tests to determine this: a computer test that measured inhibitory control, a buffet meal with eye tracking glasses, and a brain scan.
After drinking the broth, subjects did better on the inhibition control test, focused their gazes more during the buffet, and their brain areas responsible for self-regulation lit up more. This translated into real-world action as well: during the buffet, they were less likely to choose foods loaded with saturated fats.
Senior author Dr. Miguel Alonso-Alonso says that the results may open new ways to facilitate healthy eating and reduce food intake in the general population.
“Many cultures around the world advocate drinking a broth before a meal,” said Alonso-Alonso. “Our study suggests the possibility that people at high risk of obesity could benefit from an umami-rich broth before a meal to facilitate healthy eating and healthy food choice.”
So next time you get the munchies consider swinging by your favorite ramen shop.


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Benson Hill, the rising “food tech” company based in Creve Coeur, wrapped up a recent funding round by attracting $150 million from prominent investors.
The haul is more than Benson Hill has raised in its eight-year history. It’s also among the top rounds ever raised in St. Louis’ growing biotechnology industry. The company said its total funding of $283 million trails only Galera Therapeutics, a drug startup, among biotech firms founded in the region.
Benson Hill combines biotechnology and data science to enhance the nutritional qualities and sustainability of crops. While much of its work centers on commodities like soybeans, the company has also helped Mars protect its chocolate supply by developing cacao trees that are more resilient to threats from climate change and disease.
Benson Hill’s leaders say the new money will help fuel product development, and “talent build-out.” The company currently employs about 190 people, most of whom work at its newly opened Creve Coeur headquarters. It built the new facility to accommodate growth, and is currently hiring for about 20 new positions.
The money will also help ensure that the company can meet growing customer demand.
“That is a key emphasis for us at this stage of our growth,” said Matt Crisp, Benson Hill’s president and chief executive.
The company’s work on new, high-protein soy products drove investor interest, Crisp said, as it’s linked with the fast-growing “alternative, plant-based protein category.”
Crisp said the latest round of funding attracted influential partners from three continents: North America, Europe and Asia. Investors include GV, formerly known as Google Ventures, and agribusiness giant Louis Dreyfus Co.
Crisp sees their investment as “an acknowledgment that the farmer and the consumer really deserve to be linked in a way that our current food system has not allowed them to be.”
Looking forward, the company intends to maintain a special emphasis on proteins and vegetables, Crisp said. Many vegetable types, he noted, have not seen as much genetic research and modification as staple commodity row crops, like corn, that form the base of modern food regimes. That makes them an appealing frontier for Benson Hill.
“It’s a category of crops that have gotten pathetically little innovation dollars, historically,” said Crisp.


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An escape from the scorching heat was all Mohandas and his wife wanted when they thought of growing some creepers on the premises of their small house at Vengeri.
Family friends came up with a lot of suggestions, but the quirky passion of one of them hailing from Nilambur, inspired the couple to plant a few vines. Not even in their dreams they had nurtured a vineyard on the terrace but one of the three vines they planted proved that it was quite a possible idea.
“It would be hard to believe that we have already harvested not less than 25 big bunches of grapes from our terrace,” said an excited Mohandas along with his wife Priya. It was just an experiment which we started nearly three years ago, but it worked perfectly, they said.
Mohandas explained that the family had nothing in mind in the form of a vineyard when they ventured into farming. “In the first year, the plant started growing lush. We have no botheration. But things witnessed a twist when the small ‘Panthal’ we created for the plant crumpled in the weight of the growing plant. Time was up to think positively and we quickly set up a good-quality ‘panthal’ to care for the plant lovingly,” he said.
The change was visible as the plant started producing the fruit. As there were no experts to guide them on the scientific style of farming the vines in a limited space, they surfed in the internet for collecting details. Only organic manure such as cow dung was used without allowing pesticides.
“To our luck, the attack of insects was minimal and we started loving the cultivation with a new zeal,” Priya said. For their children Vaishakh and Sanjay, too, the home vineyard was something to take pride in and show it around proudly to their friends. The biggest delight of the family was the finding that vines could survive for nearly 40 years.


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- Amazon crafts custom microchips, Inferentia and Trainium, to foster a new era in AI.
- A race against tech giants like Microsoft and Google, Amazon strives to lead, not follow.
- With AWS's dominance and innovative AI offerings, Amazon's push into generative AI marks a paradigm shift.
In the heart of Austin, Texas, two modest rooms brim with innovation. Within them, a small team of Amazon's bright minds are crafting two distinctive microchips, Inferentia and Trainium, for the flourishing field of generative AI. These chips offer a viable alternative to Nvidia GPUs, which have become elusive and costly.
Amazon is in a prime position to meet the world's growing demand for AI chips, as the CEO of Amazon Web Services, Adam Selipsky, confidently expressed. While competitors like Microsoft and Google have made significant investments in the generative AI boom, Amazon is slowly catching up, with its latest release of large language models, Titan.
Amazon's tradition has always been about leading markets, not following them. However, for once, they find themselves playing catch-up in the generative AI field. Meta's recent release of LLM, Llama 2, has added more competitive pressure.
Still, Amazon's custom silicon could be a game-changer in the long run, offering a competitive edge. Their commitment to chip development has been evident since 2013, and their range of AI-focused chips is expanding, setting the stage for the company to become a serious player in the AI industry.
AWS, being the world's largest cloud computing provider, has a huge advantage for Amazon. With a wide portfolio of developer tools, a commitment to customer-centric solutions, and a growing focus on AI-driven business, Amazon's momentum in the AI field is undeniable. The recent push into generative AI, backed by the top brass, could redefine the way businesses interact with Amazon's ecosystem.
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B2B sports betting provider Kambi Group has just agreed to extend its technology partnership with LeoVegas. This deal will cover all of the online gambling operator’s sportsbooks.
Under the deal, Kambi will now power LeoVegas’ range of sports betting brands, including 21.co.uk and BetUK.
BetUK’s sportsbook was previously powered by SBTech, thanks in part to a deal signed in July 2018 with Rocket X, the parent company of several brands LeoVegas acquired in January 2018.
“We are pleased to continue our sports betting journey with Kambi, a partnership which has brought about real success as we continue to deliver on our sports betting ambitions and becoming the King of Casino,” Mattias Wedar, LeoVegas’ chief product and technology officer, said.
Kambi helped LeoVegas with the launch of its online sportsbook back in 2016 and has powered the offering for its core brand since then. Currently, the operator takes bets in several markets including Spain, Denmark, Sweden, and Great Britain.
“We are proud to have agreed this partnership extension with LeoVegas, and that Kambi will now provide its sports betting services to the other popular brands in the LeoVegas group,” Kristian Nylén, Kambi chief executive, said.
“Kambi is the partner operators can trust to provide the powerful sportsbook core and flexible technology they need to unlock their sports betting potential, and it is fantastic to have this recognized by an operator as highly regarded as LeoVegas,” she added.


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More than a few eyebrows were raised at the urgency with which the Transportation Ministry advanced regulation requiring vehicles to contain a high-tech device to prevent young children from being forgotten inside.
The regulation was approved last month, after three discussions in the Knesset Finance Committee. From August 1, any vehicle used to transport children under 4 must include a system that complies with the regulations. From January 1, 2022, drivers can be fined 250 shekels ($76) for failing to have such a system; the offense will be considered a 4-point moving violation. There are about 800,000 children under 4 in Israel; the Transportation Ministry estimates that about 1 million vehicles will be fitted with the system by August 1.
LISTEN: On trial and struggling to cobble a coalition, bankrupt Bibi is teetering on the brink
Professionals, civil-society organizations, the Finance Ministry and even the prime minister questioned the Transportation Ministry’s insistence on forcing parents to install such systems. The criticism focused on the cost to families, the contention that the ministry had not fully examined the matter and suspicions that the legislation was intended to serve hidden business interests – suspicions that Transportation Ministry Director General Ofer Malka rejected during the Knesset committee deliberations.
The regulation is expected to benefit, naturally, manufacturers, importers and installers of the systems. Less than two weeks ago the Transportation Ministry issued a directive to manufacturers that had submitted responses to the ministry’s request for proposals from six months ago. It contained requirements for obtaining approval for their systems that were not emphasized in the original RFP.
These included a “license to trade in transportation products” and certification from a vehicle testing laboratory. The latter advantages products that connect to the vehicle’s own circuitry. There are several such systems on the market, including Zechoroti and Intervox’s BabyBox.
These conditions work against small importers and independent manufacturers whose products don’t connect to the car’s internal systems, such as smartphone apps or products that connect via the cigarette lighter. These companies need to obtain Transportation Ministry licenses, which generally involves a payment to the ministry and testing labs.
In the Knesset committee debates, some speakers brought up the derided 2006 law requiring drivers to keep a fluorescent yellow safety vest in their cars. The goal was to prevent them from being hit in the event they have to stop on the shoulder, but the law was passed due to pressure from the multinational conglomerate 3M, which hired Israel’s Gilad Government Relations & Lobbying. While the child alert systems are not being mandated for all cars in Israel, they cost much, much more than a thin yellow vest.
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- Israel's 'hot car' tech plan to save children forgotten in vehicles has some big problems
During the approval process for the alarm systems, accusing fingers were pointed primarily at Transportation Minister Miri Regev and at Malka. The director general gave numerous speeches emphasizing how important the systems were for saving children’s lives. Deputy Transportation Minister Uri Maklev (United Torah Judaism) escaped criticism – even though he was involved in the safety vest law as chairman of the Knesset Science and Technology Committee.
“The Transportation Ministry won’t settle for suggestions. We need something mandatory, a revision to the requirements. That’s what I’m aiming for, and I know I’ll wind up in conflict with the professionals,” Maklev said during a debate on the systems in the Knesset Special Committee for the Rights of the Child in August. “There are products that can do the job for less than 1,000 shekels. What’s available on Amazon. I’m not talking about any particular business, I don’t have shares in this.”
Maklev went on to describe the system sold on Amazon: “People install them voluntarily. It wasn’t invented to prevent children from being forgotten in cars. It was invented in the United States so that people wouldn’t forget their tefillin, which are expensive and quickly damaged in the sun.”
The system sounds an alarm if the car’s rear door is opened before a trip but not afterward, Maklev explained. He criticized the fact that it didn’t meet Israeli standards because it wasn’t approved by Israeli laboratories, and suggested changing local standards accordingly.
While Maklev didn’t mention any product names, this description matches the product developed by Zechoroti, which is sold in Israel by Belev Echad, a nonprofit association. It retails on Amazon for $130 plus $50 shipping to Israel, while Belev Echad charges 1,000 shekels plus installation – more than the cost a consumer would pay for ordering it from Amazon and having it installed in Israel.
Maklev described Zechoroti’s product during a 2017 Knesset Science and Technology Committee debate, again without mentioning it by name.
Belev Echad, headed by David Vitman, is registered as a charity that “holds volunteer and therapeutic activities for the sick or hospitalized, holds cultural events for children and adults in hospitals and community institutions, helps the needy and their family by providing money and things of monetary value, holds charity events, and transports the disabled to hospitals.”
The Zechoroti system is expected to enjoy very high demand ahead of August 1, when the law goes into effect, thanks to the new regulations. In an effort to understand Belev Echad’s connection to Zechoroti, TheMarker called the charity’s call center, which also takes orders for Zechoroti. A representative stated that the product, which is sold on Amazon under the brand name Ride&Remind, is manufactured by Vitman’s uncle, a U.S. resident.
Belev Echad acknowledged the connection but said the system still doesn’t have official Israeli standards approval, adding that only 20 Zechoroti systems have been sold in Israel in the past two years. It added that the Knesset committee debates had increased interest in Zechoroti and that Belev Echad was preparing to fill hundreds of orders.
The regulations approved by the Knesset stated that an alert system does not need Israeli approval. The less-strict Italian standard is sufficient. It doesn’t require Israeli laboratory approval, which costs manufacturers around 100,000 shekels. The Transportation Ministry stated that this would enable more manufacturers and importers to meet the standard. Belev Echad said Zechoroti meets European standards.
An expert in child safety systems who spoke on condition of anonymity said 90% of the products on the market use a smartphone app. Members of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community tend to have families with above-average numbers of children, and also often don’t have smartphones. That makes the Zechoroti system a particularly relevant option for them. It’s not inconceivable that the Transportation Ministry could later push to have Zechoroti subsidized for consumers, given its high cost.
In the August committee debate, Maklev stated that he had no ties to Zechoroti, imported by Belev Echad. “I’m not familiar with them,” he said at the time, repeating this claim later in conversation with TheMarker.
But that may not be true. TheMarker asked Maklev explicitly about Belev Echad and its ties to Zechoroti. Maklev stated in response, “Correct, Belev Echad is tied to [Zechoroti’s product] but it’s from Amazon.” Belev Echad stated that five years ago, it demonstrated Zechoroti’s product for Maklev – meaning he’d been aware of it and its connection to the charity for years.
There’s another contradiction in Maklev’s claim that Belev Echad contacted him only after he started advancing the law. “I have no acquaintance with the NGO in this context. It’s possible that I attended one of their child-related events years ago, but I don’t have any further acquaintance with them.”
And yet, a quick Google search reveals pictures of Maklev participating in at least three Belev Echad events – a 2014 Purim party, a 2016 Sukkot event and a 2019 event at an amusement park.
A representative for Maklev stated: “The deputy minister is proud of his activity to prevent children from being forgotten in cars. The only thing concerning him is preventing the tragic injury and death of children forgotten in cars. In his different roles he has worked with honesty to advance this goal and worked for years to find various accessible solutions for the public.
“Contrary to the allegations, a variety of products and their developers were presented in the various committees, including NGOs and private entities. The attempt by the opponents of the regulations to prove that alleged narrow interests are at play here are baseless. Maklev is proud of the regulations, which enable vehicle owners to freely choose from the products available on the free market.”
Belev Echad stated: “The NGO hosts events and activities for children with special needs. We invite rabbis and public figures as a matter of respect and also to bring the families strength.
“Our goal in bringing Zechoroti to Israel is saving children’s lives. The NGO is a nonprofit. The product is available on Amazon for $188 including taxes and shipping, and can be installed independently or by a professional. Based on a review we conducted before importing the product, a professional installation would cost at least 500 shekels.
“In order to check whether the product meets Israeli standards, we contacted many public figures, including Maklev. Maklev directed us to representatives of the Israeli Standards Institute and the Transportation Ministry, who are responsible for the existing standards. Belev Echad and Maklev do not stand to profit personally from selling the product, aside from the great privilege of saving lives.”


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Is Justin Bieber Backing A Debit Card For Kids?
Just when parents thought Justin Bieber couldn't possible gain any more influence over their teen daughters, it was announced that the superstar is encouraging them to spend more of their parents' cash with a new prepaid debit card. Bieber has signed a deal with BillMyParents to endorse it's teen-focused SpendSmart prepaid card. The New York Times reports that the average age of a SpendSmart card user is 16. It has a monthly fee of $3.95. There are also ATM fees, and a charge if the card is inactive for 90 days. That all adds up to "parents beware."


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Friday, May 25, 2007Labels: online report
By Tameka Kee
THOUGH YET TO BE CONFIRMED by either company, Google's rumored acquisition of Feedburner for $100 million seems small compared to the recent spate of billion-dollar ad network deals. But insiders say it was only a matter of time before the Web's predominant RSS supplier would be snatched up by one of the "big three."
"It was bound to happen. And it's a good move on Google's behalf if it goes through for $100 million," said Dan Brough, vice president and search director, DraftFCB. "It's really a bargain for what, by most standards, is the dominant feed syndicator in the industry."
While Feedburner is not exactly a fledgling company (it reportedly boasts more than 67 million feed subscriptions and partnerships with media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and CIO.com), the acquisition would be in line with statements that Google CEO Eric Smith made at a shareholders' meeting weeks ago--namely that Google views buying smaller tech firms, not huge ones, as the bread and butter of its merger strategy.
Adding Feedburner to its portfolio would give Google a number of gains. The ability to roll tracking statistics on Feedburner's reported total of more than 720,000 feeds into Google Analytics is the most obvious, as the business of online advertising increasingly gets driven by trailing and deciphering user behavior. "Google's Analytics suite will definitely benefit over time through this acquisition," said Brough.


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China is the promised land for automakers today, not only for the mass market ones that want to tap into the huge population and growing affluence, but for the premium and exotic marques as well, which are racking up record sales. Maranello sold close to 300 cars in China last year, an increase of nearly 50% compared to 2009 and its best ever haul since exports to China begin.
And if you figure in the sales figures for Hong Kong and Taiwan, “Greater China” becomes one of the top five international markets for Ferrari, which is amazing when one considers that an official network has existed for only six years in China.
The brand’s 999th client will be the centre of attention of a special celebration in Shanghai next week. The number is auspicious as the number nine is considered lucky and represents longevity in China.
Special attention to China is paying off for Ferrari. New dealerships in various cities will join the current 10 in the next few months, and 2011 will see the start of the first Asian championship in the Ferrari Challenge single-make racing series. The Prancing Horse brand also displayed its HY-KERS laboratory vehicle at the Shanghai World Expo (in the Italian Pavilion) and gave the 599 GTO its world premiere at the Beijing Auto Show.
Other initiatives include a scholarship programme for students from the Automotive Engineering faculty of Tsinghua University. Lucky undergrads got a stint at the Politecnico di Milano and scored internships at Ferrari’s factory in Maranello. The programme will continue in 2011, financed by proceeds from the special one-off 599 GTB with antique Ge Kin porcelain design from the Song dynasty.


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Big White Ski Resort is making moves to keep people safe amid the pandemic and the growing concern of the Omicron variant.
Starting Saturday, Dec. 18, the ticket office will be moved outdoors.
The office will be located outside of the administration building, across from the Kids Centre.
“We have to adjust how people use the resort… Our goal is to keep you outdoors as long as possible,” says Michael J. Ballingall, Senior Vice President of Big White Ski Resort.
The move outdoors is to keep guests and staff safe from the long ticket lines that were keeping people crowded inside the Village Center Mall.
All in-person ticket transactions including signing waivers, getting photos taken and seasons pass pick-up will be dealt with outdoors. All other purchases can be facilitated online at the Big White Ski Resort e-store.
Additional COVID safety measures include a vaccine card requirement to sit inside at the Clocktower Coffee Co.
Purchases from Clocktower can still be made at the new outdoor coffee sales window.
Food will not be allowed to be consumed outside of designated seating areas in lodges.
New restrictions will limit foot traffic flow and there will be designated ‘in’ and ‘out’ doors implemented this Saturday. The Village Centre Mall entrance will be at the Altitude side doors.
Access to rentals, retail, ski school and public washrooms will not be affected.
Ballingall urges guests to wear masks whenever possible. Masks should be worn in the lodges, gondolas and lift lines to keep others safe.
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Not to get all overly patriotic and everything, but there used to be a time when, during a national crisis, Americans could be counted on to work together for the common good, etc., etc. Or even if that didn't actually happen, the propaganda machine would spin things that way.
Today, as the saying goes, not so much.
Faced with the biggest economic meltdown this country's seen in generations, the folks at ground zero are still spending too much time on their own battles instead of teaming up to win the war.
Take the recent news that some 80-90 Chrysler dealers '” dealers who survived Chrysler's original cull '” have had their inventory financing cut off by GMAC. For those keeping score at home, GMAC is now actually Chrysler dealers' top source for inventory financing and is controlled by Cerberus Capital Management, which, of course, controlled all of Chrysler not so long ago.
Now, if these car dealers were healthy enough to make it through Chrysler's dealer purge, why aren't they healthy enough to get financing through GMAC?
And it turns out that there's still a group of General Motors dealers that is trying to buy Pontiac, with a plan to keep production of the vehicles flowing. Why, if GM is willing to essentially give away Saab, won't the company part with Pontiac?
Could it be that the car companies just have something against dealers?
Well, I think that's part of it. And it mostly comes down to the controversy over state franchise laws. There are a lot of different ways to explain the situation, but I'm going to rely on what I know about human nature for my take. It starts with the belief that the original purpose of these laws was to protect the interests of the "little guy" from the whims of huge, faceless corporations. Naturally, however, the result was that some of these little guys used the legislation to protect themselves when they didn't meet their own obligations.
I know from direct experience this was a bitter pill that the Detroit automakers could never quite choke down, so, when two of them finally got a chance to take their revenge on the dealers, they did. Hence, the way GM and Chrysler eliminated huge chunks of their dealer networks. Even for those like me, who thought some cuts were necessary, the way GM and Chrysler went about it seemed tailor-made to sow further suspicions that any potential cost savings were beside the point.
GM and Chrysler are now trying to further press their advantage by making dealerships give up state franchise law protections if they want to stay in business. And in response, dealers are pushing new federal legislation that would make sure those same old franchise laws completely cover these "new" OEMs.
So let's see, if we've got two sides still rehashing the same old problem they've been trying to resolve for years, there can only be one solution in the new automotive world order: yes, it's time for ye olde drastic change! If the government wants to do something constructive in the business, it should bring dealers and the automakers to the table to work out the franchise situation for once and for all.


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Pinterest, the 11-year-old, San Francisco-based site known for the photos its users post about everything from wedding to beauty trends, has hired Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase as lead underwriters for an IPO that it’s planning to stage later this year.
Reuters first reported the news. TechCrunch sources have since confirmed the development. A Pinterest spokesperson declined to “comment on rumors and speculation” when asked this afternoon for more information.
Pinterest has raised roughly $1.5 billion over the years and was valued at $12 billion by its private investors during its last fundraising round in 2017. Notably, its backers include Goldman Sachs Investment Partners, among many other investment firms, both early and later-stage, like Valiant Capital Partners, Wellington Management, Andreessen Horowitz and Bessemer Venture Partners.
The company’s revenue last year was $700 million, more than double what the company generated in revenue in 2017.
It has 250 million monthly active users, compared with the 200 million monthly active users who were on the platform as of mid 2017.
Whether Pinterest has ever been profitable, we couldn’t learn this afternoon. But the company employs 1,600 people across 13 cities globally, including Chicago, London, Paris, São Paulo, Berlin, and Tokyo, and half its users now live outside the U.S., with the international market its fastest-growing segment.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, more than 80 percent of people access the service via its mobile app.
Assessing how Pinterest’s shares might be received by public market shareholders has become a favorite parlor game for Silicon Valley denizens. In a recent report, the outlet The Information posited that Pinterest’s offering could suffer because it’s a social media company that’s frequently lumped together with companies like Facebook and Twitter that have repeatedly raised concerns about users’ privacy and have faced a nearly year-long backlash as a result.
Yet Pinterest is far afield from what most users think of as social media and more akin to a visual search and discovery platform, with people looking for ideas and inspiration rather than to reach other people. So thinks venture capitalist Venky Ganesan of Menlo Ventures, who noted on a recent TechCrunch podcast that “there are no Russian trolls” on Pinterest. More, he’d said, “I haven’t seen Pinterest sell [users’] data. They’re using data to [figure out] advertising on Pinterest; they aren’t brokering [that information] to others.”
Another potential concern for Pinterest is its reliance on advertising, which is often the easiest expense for companies to slash when an economy begins to cool, as may be happening here in the U.S. Ads make up 100 percent of the company’s revenue.
Here, too, however, Pinterest could prove more durable than some of its competitors. While brand-image driven advertising often gets cut when budgets tighten, direct response advertising often does even better in down markets, as companies seek out clearer returns on their investment. And much of Pinterest’s revenue is driven by direct-response type advertising. Users see, they click, and they buy. As Ganesan offered during that same trip to TC’s podcast dungeon, “I’ve got three daughters at home, and they spend a lot of time on Pinterest, and they buy stuff.” (Ganesan isn’t an investor in the company; neither is the broader Menlo Ventures team.)
Pinterest could reportedly seek to raise up to $1.5 billion in an offering, according to past media reports. Whether it targets more or less, we’re likely to learn soon, but an IPO has been expected for some time, in part because the company is getting up there in years as startups go, in part because of its continued growth, and in part because of some new hires that seemed to suggest the company has been gearing up to become publicly traded.
In November, for example, Pinterest brought aboard its first-ever chief marketing officer in Andréa Mallard, who joined the company from Athleta, Gap’s activewear brand. She now oversees the company’s global marketing and creative teams.
Roughly a year ago, Pinterest also recruited its first COO, hiring Francoise Brougher, who was previously a business lead at Square and a VP of SMB global sales and operations at Google before that.
In fact, unlike many of today’s buzziest companies, Pinterest seems to have retained almost all of its top executives in recent years with one notable exception. In late 2017, it parted ways with its then president, Tim Kendall, who’d been with Pinterest for more than five years at the time. Kendall, who’d also worked previously at Facebook, left to start his own health wellness company.