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The portfolio of partners combines to elevate the fight against fraud and approve more legitimate customers instantaneously, increasing engagement in the consumer journey.
Liron Damri, Co-founder and President of Forter, commented, “Forter’s global data network is a game-changer for the online e-commerce industry. We enable merchants to fight fraud together, making it much easier to identify attacks across the network, but more importantly, to easily recognize legitimate customers and allow them to interact freely with merchants. In the past year, we’ve expanded our European footprint, which positions us perfectly ahead of PSD2 enforcement.”
The heightened security comes at a time when an increased volume and lack of data on new online shoppers makes it challenging for retailers to identify legitimate buyers from fraudsters, which leads to false declines and various other problems.
“As the number of online consumers and transactions continue to rise worldwide, merchants need to create a truly frictionless, secure shopping and checkout experience,” explained Philip Fayer, Chairman and CEO, Nuvei. “To capitalise on an increasingly global marketplace, they must also accept their clients’ preferred forms of payment, stamp out fraud, and reduce cart abandonment to capture immediate and recurring revenue. Together, Nuvei and Forter are delivering just that.”
Yuval Ziv, Managing Director of Digital Payments at Nuvei also stated: “We are always looking for new partners that will bring added value and services to our global solutions, and we’re thrilled to include Forter today.
“Offering a seamless payment experience while protecting against fraud has always been at the core of our business offering, and we feel that combining the power of two pioneering payment leaders delivers a truly groundbreaking solution that will benefit retailers targeting local, regional and global markets alike.”


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IMG Launches Football Greats Alliance
IMG unveiled the Football Greats Alliance (FGA), a first-of-its-kind agency created to manage the collective marketing and licensing rights of retired players. Operated by IMG, the FGA creates, develops, and manages the strategic execution of rights for more than 22,000 retired NFL players, offering a one-stop shop for marketing rights, approvals, contracting, and financing for a group that includes 160-plus hall of famers, 50-plus Heisman winners, 225-plus broadcasters, and 35 NFL MVPs. Through relationships with authentic sponsors, partners, and licensees, the FGA will help solidify and preserve the legacy of former NFL players.
“The FGA will provide opportunities for retired players to band together for a wide variety of partnerships,” said Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns legend, Pro Football Hall of Famer, and chairman of the board, FGA. “These deals will have direct financial benefits to the players involved, and more importantly, will provide revenue for the Greater Good Fund, which will benefit the health and welfare of retired players.”
The NFL will play a role in supporting the FGA, providing access to NFL sponsors, club marketing personnel, and hospitality space for events including the 2017 Super Bowl and Pro Bowl. The NFL is underway on projects to sell retired players’ jerseys online in tandem with nflshop.com licensees, and to cross-promote the FGA on NFL digital platforms.
In March 2013, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the settlement of the NFL’s image/likeness lawsuit with retired NFL players. As a part of the $50 million resolution of the case, the Pro Football Retired Players Association (PFRPA) was created to administer the terms of several new ventures. The two major initiatives born out of the PFRPA are the FGA and The Greater Good Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation. The FGA is governed by a board of directors including Jim Brown (chairman), Ron Mix (vice-chair), Dave Robinson, Jack Youngblood, Irv Cross, Billy Joe Dupree, and Darrell Thompson.
Hasbro Reports Q1 2016
Hasbro reported financial results for the first quarter 2016. Net revenues for the first quarter 2016 increased 16 percent to $831.2 million versus $713.5 million in 2015. Excluding a negative $28.6 million impact from foreign exchange, first quarter revenues increased 20 percent. Net earnings for the first quarter 2016 increased 83 percent to $48.8 million, or $0.38 per diluted share, compared to $26.7 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, in 2015.
“The momentum with which we ended last year has continued throughout the first quarter 2016, delivering revenue and earnings growth,” said Brian Goldner, Hasbro’s chairman, president, and CEO. “Our focus on executing our Brand Blueprint continues to drive strong retail and consumer demand for our brands, while enhancing overall profitability of Hasbro. Hasbro Franchise Brand revenue increased behind continued double-digit growth in Nerf and Play-Doh, overcoming expected difficult quarterly comparisons in Transformers as well as a digital streaming deal in the Entertainment and Licensing segment recorded last first quarter. Demand for Star Wars: The Force Awakens products continued to be high and we benefited from the addition of Disney Princess and Frozen fashion and small dolls. We are very encouraged with global demand and our outlook for 2016.”
First Quarter 2016 Major Segment Performance
First quarter 2016 U.S. and Canada segment net revenues increased 28 percent to $443.6 million compared to $345.7 million in 2015. Growth in the Boys, Girls, and Preschool categories more than offset a decline in the Games category. The U.S. and Canada segment reported operating profit growth of 89 percent to $78.3 million, or 17.7 percent of net revenues, compared to $41.4 million, or 12 percent of net revenues, in 2015.
International segment net revenues increased 13 percent to $345 million compared to $305.7 million in 2015. All four product categories posted revenue growth: Boys, Games, Girls, and Preschool. On a regional basis, Europe grew 14 percent, Latin America declined 3 percent, and Asia Pacific was up 25 percent. Emerging markets revenues declined 7 percent in the quarter. Excluding an unfavorable $26.7 million impact of foreign exchange, net revenues in the International Segment grew 22 percent, increasing 19 percent in Europe, 19 percent in Latin America, and 33 percent in Asia Pacific. Emerging markets increased approximately 6 percent absent the impact of foreign exchange. As reported, International Segment operating profit of $2.9 million was up 50 percent, compared to $1.9 million in 2015.
Entertainment and Licensing segment net revenues decreased 30 percent to $42.5 million compared to $60.6 million in 2015. Last year’s first quarter benefited from a multi-year digital streaming deal for Hasbro Studios television programming, which was not repeated in 2016. The Entertainment and Licensing segment operating profit declined 67 percent to $5.4 million compared to $16.4 million in 2015.
First Quarter 2016 Product Category Performance
First quarter 2016 Boys category revenues increased 24 percent to $336.9 million. Revenue growth in the quarter was driven by gains in franchise brand Nerf, along with partner brand Star Wars as well as the addition of YoKai Watch. The Boys category grew 28 percent absent the impact of foreign exchange.
Games category revenues declined 2 percent for the quarter to $231.1 million. Pie Face continued to be a strong contributor to growth, along with growth in Yahtzee and Duel Masters. Growth in these brands was more than offset by declines in other gaming brands for the quarter. The games category was flat absent the impact of foreign exchange.
Girls’ category revenues increased 41 percent to $165.4 million. The first quarter marked the on-shelf date for Hasbro’s line of Disney Princess and Frozen fashion and small dolls. The addition of these brands along with Disney’s Descendents and growth in Baby Alive delivered strong quarterly revenue growth for the category. The Girls category increased 48 percent absent the impact of foreign exchange.
Preschool category revenues increased 11 percent to $97.8 million for the first quarter 2016. Revenue growth in franchise brand Play-Doh drove the revenue increase for the quarter. The preschool category grew 17 percent absent the impact of foreign exchange.
Dividend and Share Repurchase
Hasbro paid $57.4 million in cash dividends to shareholders during the first quarter 2016. The next quarterly cash dividend payment of $0.51 per common share is scheduled for May 16, 2016, to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 2, 2016.
During the first quarter, Hasbro repurchased 475,000 shares of common stock at a total cost of $35.8 million and an average price of $75.41 per share. At quarter-end, $443.5 million remained available in the current share repurchase authorization.
ToyFest West Announces 2017 Dates
ToyFest West, hosted by the Western Toy and Hobby Representatives Association (WTHRA), announced that the 2017 show is set for March 5–7. The show will remain at South Point Hotel and Spa. For more information, click here.

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CHICAGO — The Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network hosted a hands-on, interactive “taste the trends” event on April 4 at the new Chicago location of Kitchen United. The Pasadena, Calif.-based company provides restaurant brands a turnkey, capital-light way to expand their reach to the off-premise diner. Produced in partnership with Datassential and the Research Chefs Association, the event gave participants an inside look to the trends driving culinary innovation and then had the opportunity to walk the kitchens, meet the chefs and sample the ideas that may propel eating and drinking in the coming year.
Healthy functional and plant based are the two arching trends in today’s food culture, said Jennifer Aranas, chef and senior account manager at Datassential. Three-fourths of operators currently offer products characterized as superfoods or functional foods on their menu. Menu-growth leaders in the past four years include kale, turmeric and grass-fed beef. And one of the hottest menu concepts is the poke bowl, showing 167% growth on menus in the past four years.
Read the full article here
The Jam TV Show featured TeaSquares superfood bites this morning and our mission to help aspiring people from underserved communities. Click here to check out the interview on YouTube.
CHICAGO — Protein’s momentum as a power nutrient in beverages continues in 2019, with new sources and formats making the satiety-inducing, refueling, muscle-building macronutrient more appealing and accessible in the mainstream marketplace. With many consumers heeding nutritional advice to increase their intake of plant-based foods, more and varied plant proteins are being added to all types of refrigerated and shelf-stable beverages.
Read the full article from Donna Berry and Edlong here
Simple Mills Founder and CEO Katlin Smith discusses the ingredients inside some of her company’s most popular food products and how she is able to compete against larger companies. Watch the full interview here
Tootsie Rolls, Frango mints, Fannie May, Wrigley gum and more. Chicago was once widely known as the nation's candy capital — and the list of confections with ties to the Chicago area is still impressively long.
Article by Chicago Tribune
Our members Bluedog Design and Cresco Labs made this list! Lots of perks, flexible remote-work policies, great benefits, comfortable workspaces: Which Chicago-area companies are the best to work for? Since 2008, Crain's has highlighted the local companies rated highest by their employees. In a wide-ranging questionnaire, we ask about everything from workplace comforts to benefits and culture. A record 4,522 employees participated in our survey this year. This project has proved so popular that last year we began expanding our list of honorees to the 100 top scorers from 25.
Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network member Kraft Heinz’s Springboard -- a platform dedicated to nurturing, scaling and accelerating the growth of emergent brands within the food and beverage space – is preparing to launch it’s 3rd cohort.
The Springboard Incubator Program was created to accelerate local food and beverage start-ups with emergent, first-to-market products and brands into thriving companies. The Incubator Program offers a wealth of resources inclusive of dedicated learning, mentorship from Kraft Heinz leadership, infrastructure access (including state of the art pilot plants and culinary kitchens at the Kraft Heinz Innovation Center in Glenview, Illinois), and funding. Kraft Heinz wants to learn from start-ups who are solving consumer pain points in a world of fragmented needs.
The Springboard team is currently seeking applicants that fall within one of the following four consumer trend pillars: natural and organic; specialty and craft; health and performance; and experiential brands, are already in market or have at least a ready-to-order product and a hunger for growth.
Before applications for this new cohort close on Friday, June 14th, come meet White Space Platforms Head, Elizabeth Obbard, and the new Springboard Incubator Lead, Kelsey Courser at CFBN’s first Founders Series Event on Wednesday, May 15th.
Following that event, Springboard will also be hosting “Office Hours” on Wednesday, May 29th. Elizabeth, Kelsey - along with several members of the Springboard team and graduates of the 2nd Incubator class – will be on hand to share their learnings, answer questions on the program, and assist with the application process.
So Save These Dates for opportunities to learn about this incubator making a splash in the Chicagoland food scene (more information and registration is coming soon, please send us an email if you’d like to be added to the invite list)! In the meantime, learn more about The Springboard Incubator Program here from the first incubator class!
This month's Innovation Breakfast topic looked at "Retail Technology - The Future Explained." We were joined by Laura Heller - director of external communications at Performics. Laura was incredibly engaging, as she spoke to the audience about the evolution of retail marketing, and how it's done wonders for the buyer experience. She offered the notion that it's evolved into more of a "service" to companies, as it's enhanced the relationship with consumers.
Laura has been covering retail, consumer trends and technology for more than two decades. She most recently was the Editor of Retail Dive and FierceRetail, and has been reporting on mass-market retail trends and initiatives since 1995 as a reporter for B2B magazines, business outlets and websites including Forbes and The Week. She has appeared on national TV and radio programs discussing retail trends including CNBC, ABC News Now and National Public Radio. Her blog – “The Point of Purchase” – appears on Forbes.com. Laura continues to study consumer behavior and how shoppers interact with brands through technology, as Director, External Communications, at Performics.
Laura's been actively attending CES -- the Consumer Electronics Show -- for more than 20 years. She says, "CES is at the center of innovation in the US right now. It's the crossroads of software, hardware, people, and business. All the retailers are trying to figure out how to be more competitive."
Cultivian Sandbox, which backs agriculture- and food-tech companies, has raised a $135 million investment fund.
It’s the third fund for the Chicago-based firm. The second fund, $114 million, was raised in 2014. New investors include several Illinois companies, including ag co-op Growmark, ADM, Ecolab and Griffith Foods.
Previous investors include DuPont subsidiary Corteva AgroSciences and Elanco Animal Health, both based in Indianapolis.
The fund, launched in 2013, is focusing more on the food-tech industry. One investment from its new fund, Phylagen, a San Francisco-based startup, brings biology and Big Data together to track food and other products in supply chains back to their source by using their microbiome signatures.
Read the full article from Crain's here.
If you’re checking out our blog, you probably already know a bit about Imbibe. Here’s a little more on why we’re a competitive contender to win Food Processing Magazine’s R&D Team of the Year for 2019:
Under the expert tutelage of VP of R&D extraordinaire, Joe Farinella, our PD team works side-by-side with our flavor team on technically challenging formulations, enabling our clients to bring great tasting and innovative products to market. The team has really hit their stride in the past year, developing numerous plant-based dairy alternatives, protein waters, and nitrogenated cold brew coffees. Our business requires us to exercise discretion, but Milkadamia was so pleased with the result of their macadamia nut dairy alternative that their employees starred in a case study video that outlined Imbibe’s iterative process, challenges associated with building and flavoring plant-based beverages, and ultimate technical expertise that resulted in several SKUs of each of their product lines.
Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network
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Shunal DokeNov 09, 2013 10:22:34 IST
At Blizzcon this year, Blizzard has announced that its upcoming DotA-styled game, Heroes of the Storm, will be entering closed beta soon. The company has started off the sign-up process for the game, which simply involves changing your Battle.net account’s beta preferences. You can do that from the game's official website.
Blizzard’s MOBA game has been in development from quite some time now, and the company hasn’t revealed any details other than its name and the fact that it will have characters from the Diablo, Warcraft and StarCraft mythos as playable heroes.
Heroes of the Storm is closer to completion than we originally thought
Originally, Blizzard's MOBA was announced as a map for StarCraft 2 to show off the game's modding capabilities. However, the idea was later dropped in favour of a standalone game, especially after the success seen by Valve's Dota 2 and Riot's League of Legends.
Earlier, the game was called Blizzard All-Stars. However, the company announced the game’s new name back in October along with a video. The animation style has aimed more for the "cute" than the "badass" side of the spectrum. An orc from Warcraft comes into the scene and nails a sign on the ground which says "Blizzard Dota". StarCraft's Jim Raynor enters the scene by shooting the sign, turning its text into "Blizzard All-Stars". The Demon Hunter form Diablo 3 jumps in and kicks off a Mexican stand off between the three, when suddenly, lightning strikes, revealing the game's new name.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.


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New retail plan to help businesses achieve similar success to Authentic Curries and World Foods
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd Lesley Griffiths said the Welsh Government’s new Food and Drink Retail Plan aims to help more businesses achieve the success of companies such as Authentic Curries and World Foods in getting their products on the shelves of major retailers.
The Minister visited the Hirwaun company recently to meet the team and see some of the products which are currently listed in Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, Co-op and Sainsbury stores across Wales.
Authentic Curries and World Foods has also rebranded and relaunched with new pack graphics.
The main objective of the Welsh Government’s Food and Drink Retail Plan is to see the turnover value for the food and drink industry grow proportionally more than the UK as a whole.
To achieve this, the aims of the plan include creating a stream of new entrepreneurial food and drink businesses, strengthen working relationships with retailers and help small and medium sized producers to further develop expertise.
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd, Lesley Griffiths recently said:
“It was great to visit Authentic Curries and World Foods in Hirwaun to see first-hand how successful the company has been in building relations with major retailers and getting their products in their stores.
“The company is an important employer in the area and it was good to hear about their current business developments including their healthier options low calorie meals project.
“I want to see more of our fantastic producers and suppliers achieve similar success. The Welsh Government’s new Food and Drink Retail Plan will be key to this and will support Welsh businesses to achieve strong, sustainable and focussed growth.
“I am extremely proud of the companies in the sector which are right across Wales and we are committed to helping them see their exciting, innovative and high quality food and drink items enjoyed by more and more people.”
Paul Trotman the Managing Director of Authentic Curries and World Foods recently said,
“I was delighted to welcome the Minister to Hirwaun and be able to tell her the about the progress that we have been making.
“Working with Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, our new healthier options low calorie meals are providing healthy, nutritionally balanced food for NHS staff and visitors alike. We hope to introduce them to other Health authorities soon.
“Our retail business is progressing well. We have updated our branding with a refreshed pack design with stronger branding and high quality photography which has seen sales grow by over 30% and thanks to the Welsh Government’s Trade Development programme we have been introduced to further potential new customers.”
Steve Barnard, Catering Technical Compliance and Commercial Business Manager from Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board recently said,
“It was good to meet the Minister and discuss the work we have done with Authentic Curries and World Foods to develop a range of healthier options for our staff and visitors and how we promote and display those products allowing staff to make an informed choice based on the calorific value as well as price.”
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LucasFilm’s much anticipated sequel to Willow prepares to hit screens on November 30 making it one in a string of productions to be filmed in Wales with support from Creative Wales.
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The Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden has announced £4.5m over the next three years to support the delivery of the culture, heritage and sport goals and actions in the Welsh Government’s Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan.
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Posted Wed Jun 24, 2015 at 09:08 AM PDT by Brian Hoss
Online features will be rolled out in waves.
Yesterday, the PlayStation Plus version of 'Driveclub' surfaced briefly, and today, Sony has explained the next steps for the once promised and long missing game. For PS4 owners, it's been a saga. The full version of 'DriveClub' (review here) released last October, nearly a full year late. As the full game's online mode collapsed at launch, Evolution Studios announced a delay for the PlayStation Plus version. In the intervening months, the full game has been patched multiple times, and has maintained a dedicated community, one who has held that the game's patches have corrected its launch day issues.
In a message from Shuhei Yoshida, Sony has explained that the 'Driveclub' PS Plus version will be available to all PS Plus members tomorrow. All players will then have access to the game's offline mode, however, the online mode will be released in waves with the plan to avoid the overload that "millions of PS Plus members" would be likely to bring.
We have to take this precaution because Driveclub connectivity is demanding for a multiplayer game, with countless ever-growing social connections across clubs, challenges, multiplayer, and hundreds of thousands of dynamic leaderboards and activity feeds.
Source: PlayStation Blog
The latest news on all things 4K Ultra HD, blu-ray and Gear.


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|| Reshma Shivdekar
MUMBAI: Ku Laguru and university officials, who buy luxury, expensive vehicles for themselves, have come under fire for taking advantage of ambiguity in the rules when the university’s coffers are in shambles. The state government has set a maximum limit for the number of vehicles that can be purchased by university officials like Ku Laguru, Q-Ku Laguru. Therefore, Ku Lagurus will now be able to purchase vehicles for themselves up to Rs 12 lakh, including goods and services tax, registration fee and other materials.
Expenditure on ministers, chartered officers, etc. has been capped during the Coronation period. The government has taken serious note of the news that Ku Lagurs of some universities in the state have taken expensive SUVs for themselves and has set a limit on the purchase of vehicles by Ku Laguru, Q-Ku Laguru, Ku Laschiv and other university officials.
This order issued by the Department of Higher and Technical Education will be applicable to all non-agricultural universities in the state. Accordingly, Ku Laguru can buy a vehicle up to Rs 12 lakh. The limit will be Rs 10 lakh for Q-Ku Lagurs and Rs 9 lakh for Ku-Lachivans. Also, with the approval of the management council of the university, an officer can purchase a vehicle up to Rs 8 lakh.
As per the rules of the state government, there are restrictions on the prices of vehicles of secretaries and office bearers of the corporation. However, there was no clarity about the value of Ku Laguru’s vehicles. Now this ambiguity is gone.
On July 28 last year, the finance department issued an amended order in this regard. Accordingly, there is no limit on the prices of vehicles of the Governor, Chief Minister, Chief Justice of the High Court, Deputy Chief Minister. However, there is a limit on the number of vehicles that can be purchased by the Cabinet Minister, Minister of State, Chief Secretary, Information Commissioner, Commissioner of Police, Collector, office bearers of corporations. It has also improved the price of vehicles.
However, there was no clarity as even the revised order did not include Ku Laguru and other office bearers of the universities. As per the previous system, the number of votes cast for the vehicles of Additional Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary and Secretary is the same as the limit imposed on the Vice-Chancellor. However, due to lack of clarity in the rules, it was not followed.
Last year, the case of purchase of a vehicle worth Rs. Earlier, 10 years ago, the purchase of a vehicle worth Rs 25 lakh from Marathwada University and Rs 16 lakh from Nagpur University was also a matter of controversy.


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For as long as the Incredible Hulk has been in the cultural conscience, fans have marveled (get it??) at how, despite his shirt and shoes tearing when he transforms, his pants remain in tact. Well, it appears that an answer has finally been provided, and it’s surprisingly simple when you think about it.
In a resurfaced interview with Stan Lee (and who are we to argue with the man?), the Marvel creator and ultimate granddaddy of comic books revealed that the Hulk was actually gifted a pair of special stretchy trousers by the Fantastic Four‘s own Reed Richards. Actually, it would have been Hulk’s calmer alter-ego Bruce Banner who’d have been given the trousers, not the green behemoth himself. Speaking of the Fantastic Four though, it’s possible that they’re made from the same material that the team’s costumes are made of.
This is explored even further in additional Hulk movies, too. If you’ll recall, when Edward Norton played the role, he simply purchased the stretchy pants himself. But when Eric Bana took over, a wardrobe embarrassment meant that he was issued special clothing by the military.
And while we’re on the subject of pants, there’s actually a fan-inspired reason as to why Hulk’s trousers are famously purple. According to one devoted follower of the green giant (no, not that one), the reason why they’re purple is because of the gamma radiation he gives off when he transforms. This radiation ultimately dyed the pants, giving Hulk that trademark green/purple contrast that comic book artists love.
Who knew that so much could be said about a pair of – admittedly quite famous – pants? If there’s one thing we pride ourselves on here though, it’s delving into the important questions and answers. And we hope you’re now satisfied that this great Marvel mystery has finally been solved.


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DECATUR, ILLINOIS, U.S. — Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) on Sept. 19 opened an intermodal container freight shipping and receiving facility that will enable businesses to tap into the company’s deep transportation and logistics expertise and provide a platform for economic growth in central Illinois.
The intermodal ramp, located on 250 acres of land at ADM’s Decatur, Illinois, U.S., processing complex, offers direct access to three Class I railroads and close proximity to four interstate highways and a major U.S. highway.
For importers and exporters, this unique interchange offers ready access to coastal and export markets. And for all customers, the location provides proximity to 95 million customers within a day’s drive. The facility itself has two high-capacity cranes that can handle 50,000 containers per year, with room to grow to 150,000.
Intermodal containers can be loaded with virtually any type of product and are transported by truck, railcar and ship. Their flexibility and standard size have made them popular worldwide; there are an estimated 17 million intermodal containers in the world today, and the American Association of Railroads reports that between 2010 and 2012, U.S. intermodal container freight volumes increased nearly 10%.
“ADM’s new intermodal facility will offer businesses of every type the ability to access markets anywhere, at any time, and do so quickly and cost-effectively,” said Scott Fredericksen, president, ADM Transportation. “Our deep logistics experience, vast global transportation network and commitment to outstanding service can offer businesses in and around Central Illinois an unprecedented level of access and reach.”
“We are optimistic that businesses in our region will join us to help drive the economic growth this facility is capable of catalyzing,” Fredericksen added. “With strong support from our leaders in Springfield and Macon County, we’ve been able to get this project off the drawing board and into operation quickly. We look forward to seeing it reach its full potential, and to helping Illinois achieve its goal of doubling exports by 2014.”
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Search giant Google yesterday called for the creation of a single set of global privacy standards to replace the patchwork of data protection rules around the world, a move it says will be intrinsic to the future development of the internet.
Speaking to press on a conference call prior to a UNESCO conference on ethics in the information society in Strasbourg, Google global privacy counsel Peter Fleischer (pictured) said that the rapid development of the internet is forcing an increased focus on privacy and data protection rights.
He said that a Pandora’s Box of privacy issues are forcing players like Google as well as national governments to think about the necessary privacy regime for the internet in the next five to 10 years.
“The internet is a global medium and its data crosses many geographic boundaries. The total amount of data on the internet is exploding and threats to privacy rights such as spam cannot be dealt with on a fragmented basis.
“Three quarters of countries in the world have no meaningful privacy regime at all,” he said.
Fleischer said he was calling for the creation of an international minimum privacy standard that would be adhered to worldwide. Pointing to regions like Europe where each country has its own set of data protection and privacy laws Fleischer insisted: “This is not about lowering standards in Europe.
“International privacy standards that exist today date back to the 1980s before the internet came into being. But if people felt privacy needed to be protected in the 1980s, it is dramatically more necessary with the rise of the internet today.”
Fleischer said a good example of what can be achieved worldwide is that of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Privacy Framework, whose members include countries like Australia, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, Mexico and Chile.
The APEC Privacy Framework can be described as a practical policy approach agreed by all nations in the community to enable accountability in the flow of data while preventing impediments to trade.
“I would view the APEC Framework as a good start for international discussions,” Fleischer added, pointing out that even in regions in the world where there are privacy laws there are issues to be addressed. “In the US, for example, privacy laws vary from State to State. It’s a patchwork of confusing federal privacy laws.
“Similarly Europe has a long tradition of privacy laws that were passed before the internet existed and are ill-suited to deal with the complexity of international data flows that are a reality today.”
Fleischer said that Google will be meeting with other leading internet players such as Yahoo and Microsoft as well as leading privacy regulators at a data protection commissioners conference in Montreal.
“Google is just one player on the internet, not just in the search industry but part of the broader internet. While we can apply good privacy standards in our own business, there is need for a good policy standard across all companies and industries.”
Google earlier this year revealed that it would implement a policy of destroying user data such as cookies after two years to protect and safeguard privacy.
Fleischer explained the rationale behind search companies gathering this data in the first place: “We retain server logs for several legitimate purposes, including protecting our own systems from malicious attacks and protecting advertisers from click fraud. If we didn’t retain these logs we wouldn’t be able to maintain security.”
He pointed out that when Google revealed its new destruction of data policy other players like MSN and Yahoo followed in its wake.
“We need to create an international standard that protects individuals and businesses and provides a framework for the internet to develop as a constructive force in society for the next 10 years,” Fleischer added.
By John Kennedy


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By tellows UG
tellows Caller ID and Block is a call blocking and identification app, which helps users from all over the world to block and avoid spam calls. It has recently undergone some major developments alongside a complete redesign.
By Global Delight Technologies Pvt. Ltd
Global Delight releases its most-awaited music player app, Boom on Android OS.
By 1-800MD. LLC
Industry-leading telemedicine provider introduces a new app for iOS and Android devices
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Making it easier for shoppers to buy Safely and Securely directly from an Android Phone. iOS App is almost ready
American online software platform adds new ordering functionality to their Android app.
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Plotaverse announced Brazilian Advertiser, Journalist and Photographer, Pedro Petersen, as "Artist of the Month" for May 2018. "I am very grateful to be recognized by Plotaverse" Pedro commented in a recent interview with Plotaverse.
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MYZEAL I.T. Solutions, on its 8th successive year, has launched its all-new avatar by introducing new engagement models and updated business methodologies.
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As we all know that Apps are too much demanded in the digital world. Basically, user demands Android App because it is easy to use and most people in the world uses Android devices so it is easy to get a right platform for your Apps.
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Keep your private conversations safe from unwanted intruders with Locker for Whatsapp on Android devices.
Photojaanic Launches Mobile App to Create Affordable Prints from Real Life and Social Media


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PM Modi’s CII address: PM highlights five measures to make India self-reliant
PM Narendra Modi reiterated on the need to manufacture products that are 'Made in India' but are 'Made for the World'.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the annual session of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on June 2, 2020 to mark 125 years since its inception in 1895.
During the address, the Prime Minister that while on the one hand, the country has to save the lives of all the people, on the other hand, we have to stabilize the country's economy.
Amidst this situation, the Confederation of Indian Industry has begun the talk of "Getting Growth Back". PM Modi congratulated all the people of the Indian industry for the initiative and said that he would like to go beyond 'Getting Growth Back' and say, "Yes, we will definitely get our growth back".
PM Modi address at annual session of CII: Key Highlights
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted that the re-strengthening economy against Corona is one of the government’s highest priorities and it is taking immediate decisions for the same.
• PM Modi assured that with the direction the government is taking today, there will be many new opportunities for the youth of the country be it in the mining sector, energy sector, technology or research sector.
• He highlighted five key measures to speed up India's development and make it self-reliant. They include:
Intent, Inclusion, Investment, Infrastructure and Innovation— these five things are important to speed up India's development and make it 'atmanirbhar'. You will get a glimpse of these in the bold decisions recently taken by us: PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/vcZpx5BcEl— ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2020
• The Prime Minister further highlighted the various initiatives announced during the launch of the government’s Rs 20 lakh crore AtmaNirbhar economic package.
• PM Modi also reiterated on the need to manufacture products that are 'Made in India' but are 'Made for the World'.
India to manufacture products for the world?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that now India will have to invest in the creation of a Robust Local Supply Chain that will strengthen India's stake in the Global Supply Chain.
He highlighted the role of a big institution like the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in this effort.
PM Modi stated that the world is looking for a trusted and reliable partner and India has the potential, strength & ability. He said that all the industries must benefit from the trust that has developed for India all over the world.


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Nintendo has officially confirmed the first wave of Amiibo figures that will launch later this year.
The initial line-up will contain twelve NFC figures in total, each retailing for $12.99 in the US (a European price has yet to be confirmed).
The list of twelve is as follows:
- Donkey Kong
- Wii Fit Trainer
Nintendo revealed the toy line during its E3 digital event. Set for release this holiday, the home console version of Super Smash Bros for Wii U & 3DS will be the first game to support Amiibo.
For Super Smash Bros, players will be able to import characters and save their stats and fighting styles to their figures. Amiibo will also support the recently released Mario Kart 8, with more information promised at a later date.
Earlier today, Nintendo announced updated versions of 3DS hardware which will come with built-in NFC reading capabilities. Older models will be able to read the figures using a separate peripheral.


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A panel of chain restaurant buyers and consultants convened at the Luxury Marketing Council of San Francisco’s recent winery “Boot Camp,” last week, to talk about how wineries can sell more wine to chain restaurants. The panel was moderated by Alf Nucifora, the founder and chairman of the Luxury Council.
The panelists, who included Brian Bennett, founding partner of the 11-location Paul Martin’s American Grill based in Southern California, agreed that persistence and a good story were essential to successful wine sales at chains. They added that wine producers should also do their homework about a restaurant’s style, focus and wine list offerings before trying to approach a buyer for a sale. Additional hurdles for foreign producers might also include needing to have both an importer and distributor representing them in the US before they can sell into any restaurant accounts.
Selling wine to multi-unit restaurants, from those that have a dozen locations to some which number in the hundreds, remains a major challenge. It is one that is impacted by these restaurants’ needs to access the same wines and vintages in multiple states—no-small distributional hurdle in the US – as well as the need for volume in order to supply dozens of locations.
No one is as passionate about a set of wines as the producers themselves, noted several members of the panel. That is why, according to Bennett, is it so important that winemakers are present at least once a year in the restaurants in which they sell wine. He added that restaurants, unlike retailers, have little point-of-sale material on hand so they need to harness the power of a winery’s employees on the sales floor to help educate consumers and sell their wines.
“On-premise training energizes staff,” agreed Clarice Turner, owner of Carneros Associates. Storytelling about a winery’s history is also essential, according to Turner, and this is something that many Old World wineries have an innate advantage at because they have been producing wines for centuries longer than many domestic producers.
Having sufficient wine supplies in order to supply multi-unit chains can also be an issue. For a discount-priced happy hour pour, Bennett advised that wineries should have two to three thousand cases available annually. If a winery is going to sell a $19.00 Pinot Noir by the glass, then 50 cases of the product annually may be more than enough.
Using a broker who may already have many chain contacts, can also help wineries get a leg up on the chain sales process, according to Mark Crisler, founder of the Sonoma-based Trellis Wine Group brokerage. Most brokers work on a retainer or partial sales commissions from wine depletions, he said. However, few will be able to help foreign producers get an importer or distributor prior to coming to market.
Liza B. Zimmerman


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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A fitting launch to the 86th annual Purdue Pest Management Conference, held this week in West Lafayette, Ind., was a 2021 review of pest control issues provided by Mark VanderWerp, manager of education and training at Rose Pest Solutions, Troy, Mich. VanderWerp focused on three areas: medical, technology and pest.
Medical Update. VanderWerp said we finally have a convincing reason why Lyme disease is more prevalent in northern states than in the South, despite the fact that the vector, the black-legged tick, can be found in any suitable habitat east of the Rocky Mountains. VanderWerp cited research in a new PLOS Biology paper which cited lizards as a possible factor. In the Northeast, black-legged ticks latch onto small mammals like the white-footed mouse, which are notorious for transmitting the Lyme disease bacteria to the bugs. But in the South, the ticks prefer to feed on lizards, particularly skinks. These sleek, smooth-scaled reptiles often live in leaves and twigs that have fallen on the ground — so-called leaf litter — and are particularly poor transmitters of the Lyme pathogens. So, fewer southern ticks are infected and fewer people get sick, the research team reported.
Technology Update. VanderWerp said during the past year, PMPs were impacted by technology that was not available as much as they were by newly introduced products. The culprit is supply chain interruptions that are impacting so many segments of our economy. “My distributor recently sent over a list of all the products that were on back order, and it was a pretty long list. I mean, manufacturers just can't get everything they need, and sometimes it's something stupid, like bottle caps.” One new resource VanderWerp recommended was the PCT Field Guide for Structure-Infesting Cockroaches by Stoy Hedges. VanderWerp said professionals should not be intimidated by the 306-page(digest-sized) book. “It is designed so that each cockroach sections stand alone. So, if you want a quick refresher on oriental cockroaches or German cockroaches, you'd flip to that section,” he said. “There's a key there. If you don't know how to identify them, you read up on the roach and you go out and you are an amazing hero at your account. And life goes on until you run into another cockroach problem you can't solve, and then you whip out the book again.”
Pest Update. VanderWerp noted that a new invasive pest on PMPs’ radars this year is the box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis. According to the USDA, this invasive pest that was imported on nursery plants shipped from Ontario, Canada. As VanderWerp noted, “This caterpillar eats boxwood plants, which are those bushes that can be pruned until they look like they were grown in a test tube.” Although the box tree moth is not a structural pest, PMPs should be on the lookout for it, especially in the yards of customers who have boxwood plants, he added.


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The technology and people it’s acquiring will reinforce its push into 5G wireless services
The news: The colossus of Cupertino is buying most of Intel’s modem activities. The deal will see Intel exit a business where it was a relative minnow compared with rivals like Qualcomm, whose modems are still used in most models of Apple’s iPhone. Intel had announced its intention to sell earlier this year.
What’s Apple getting? In addition to 2,200 Intel employees who work in the firm’s modem business, Apple will also inherit a treasure chest of over 17,000 wireless technology patents covering everything from modem architectures to cellular standards. Intel will still be able to work on 5G modems, but not ones designed for smartphones.
But why own the tech? It’s worth remembering Apple is still smarting from a long-running legal dispute with Qualcomm over royalty payments and alleged patent infringements linked to the chipmaker’s modem technology. During that legal tussle, Apple turned to Intel for modems.
The lawsuit was settled in April, and Apple agreed to a six-year licensing deal with Qualcomm as part of the peace deal. But by buying Intel’s business, it’s sending a clear signal to Qualcomm that it has its own backup in the event of another dispute.
What’s it mean for my iPhone? Not a lot right now, as those released over the next few years will mainly use Qualcomm’s wireless technology because of the legal settlement. But Apple loves to tinker with the tech underneath its shiny screens, so expect it to come up with novel ideas for refining modems in the future. And expect it to keep the best ones under wraps for, oh, say about six years.
Here’s how a Twitter engineer says it will break in the coming weeks
One insider says the company’s current staffing isn’t able to sustain the platform.
Twitter’s potential collapse could wipe out vast records of recent human history
What happens when the world’s knowledge is held in a quasi-public square owned by a private company that could soon go out of business?
Twitter may have lost more than a million users since Elon Musk took over
Estimates from Bot Sentinel suggest that more than 875,000 users deactivated their accounts between October 27 and November 1, while half a million more were suspended.
Former Twitter employees fear the platform might only last weeks
An ultimatum by Elon Musk demanding "extremely hardcore" working culture appears to have backfired. Insiders fear this could spell the end without drastic changes.
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OnePlus 5T is the new smartphone released by the company globally on November 16. The.
DOOGEE MIX 2 is already creating waves in the tech industry. If you would like.
Panasonic has added one more smartphone to its kitty with the launch of Panasonic P91.
Gionee has launched the much-awaited Gionee M7 Power in Black, Gold and Blue color variants..
Infinix has released Infinix Zero 5 and Zero 5 Pro smartphones in Bordeaux Red, Sandstone.
Intex Aqua Jewel 2 and Aqua Lions T1 has been launched in India. Touted as.
Samsung has announced Exynos 9810 processor on the sidelines of the 36 CES 2018 Innovation.
Motorola has launched Moto X4 smartphone in both 3GB and 4GB expandable internal storage variants.
With only a few days left for the official launch of the OnePlus 5T, an.
Xiaomi has slashed the price of the best seller Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 by Rs..


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Zac Efron recently shared why he quit being a vegan after two years on an animal-free diet in his new interview.
Talk with men’s healththe musical high school The star explained why he reintroduced meat to his diet and stopped eating vegan.
“My body wasn’t processing vegetables the right way. So, I decided to quit and try something new,” the 34-year-old said.
Later the Fortunate The actor started intermittent fasting after undergoing a “series of food sensitivity tests.”
“I opted for a high-protein diet, which allows me to eat only two meals a day, each containing meat, and drink apple cider vinegar before each,” the actor said.
Sharing details about his intermittent fast, Zac said he breaks his fast at 11 a.m. with bone broth soup and vegetables with “clean protein” like elk or chicken.
“I don’t eat anymore until later in the day when I have a meal with more meat and a healthy carb like sweet potatoes or quinoa,” said the Baywatch the star told the magazine.
Zac added that by forgoing a vegan diet, he can now eat “organ meats, liver and onions”.
At the end, the actor expressed regret over his lifestyle change and added, “Morally, of course, I’d still like to be vegan.”


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The Company of Master Jewellers, I am assured, is soon to turn a corner. It has been extremely difficult to secure concrete answers to some of the questions that have been swirling around the corridors of the jewellery industry this last month, and indeed to establish what exactly the top brass think they are ‘cornering’ away from. In truth, not all of the key questions have been answered, despite my best efforts. But with our major feature analysing departed chief executive Willie Hamilton’s legacy, and chairman Michael Aldridge’s thoughts on the future direction of the buying group, we are at least closer to understanding what all the whispers amount to.
What we do know though, is that in organisations, sound corporate governance is clearly sometimes difficult to exercise. A large bonus payment was unilaterally authorised to an unnamed member of the CMJ management team without a rubber stamp from the board of directors – so Aldridge tells me – and while this may have been legal, it certainly doesn’t look good, especially when the CMJ maintains a shroud of secrecy around who the lucky recipient was. Admitting something took place is not the same as accounting properly for it, but at least the CMJ is allowing some information to make its way into the public domain.
In any case, it is in everyone’s interests that the CMJ moves forward as a thriving, successful organisation delivering benefits for its stakeholders as it was set up to do. Aldridge explained to me that “transparency” will be his watchword as he establishes a “refocusing” of the business on its core activity – being a buying group. Let’s hope Aldridge delivers on his promises – the jewellery industry is better off for organisations which successfully boost trade and orders, and in a retail landscape that remains tough, we need buying groups and their members to be celebrating as much growth as possible.


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Connect with top gaming leaders in Los Angeles at GamesBeat Summit 2023 this May 22-23. Register here.
Ford is betting big on the smartphone. The U.S. automaker has announced that its upgrading some of its 2012 fleet to play nice with apps.
“Mobile app growth is literally skyrocketing,” Ford’s president of operations, Mark Fields told Reuters. “This is a trend that we cannot ignore, especially as a Nationwide Insurance study shows that one in four Americans who download apps admits to using them while driving.”
The new addition for the 2012 line (dubbed Sync Applink) is an extension of the SYNC platform, which is designed to smoothly integrate the navigation/audio/entertainment systems in Ford’s cars. Sync Applink actually made its debut in the tiny Ford Fiesta. The app-friendly feature is poised to add Pandora streaming, voice search, and app status messages to a larger chunk of Ford’s cars, and it comes after a couple of fumbles with Ford’s own dashboard OS (MyFord Touch).
Naturally, Ford has a long way to go before it reaches the app-fueled automotive utopia it’s gunning for. As of the announcement, only the 2012 Fusion sedan, F-150 truck, Expedition SUV, and Ford Mustang are slated to get the upgrade–and that’s on top of the roughly $400 cost for customers to have baseline SYNC installed. Furthermore, the slate of compelling compatible apps is relatively small, with currently only Android OS and BlackBerry supported.
Lack of support aside, after Consumer Report’s refusal to endorse Sync Applink’s distracting predecessor, it might be a sound business decision based off safety alone.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.


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(10 p.m. AEST) -- In another blow to cruise in Australia, P&O Cruises and Princess have joined a raft of other lines in further extending their pause in cruise operations.
Both lines have delayed their planned restarts deep into the high season -- December 17, 2021 for P&O and December 19, 2021 for Princess.
Their move follows that of Carnival, Holland America Line and Silversea which all announced cancellations into November and beyond.
Princess released the following statement: "Due to continued uncertainty regarding the timing for the resumption of cruise holidays in the region, Princess is cancelling cruises in and out of Australia through December 19, 2021."
Passengers who are booked on a cancelled cruise will have their reservations moved to an equivalent voyage in 2022, with the benefit of protecting 2021 fare levels on the replacement departure.
Photo Tour of Regal Princess
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Inside Cabins On Cruise Ships: Whose Is Best?
Cruise Critic and JJ Cruise : Our Experience Onboard Celebrity Edge (June 2021)
Alternatively passengers can choose a Future Cruise Credit amounting to 100 percent of the fare paid plus a 10 percent non-refundable bonus, or a full refund to the original form of payment.
P&O Cruises Australia President Sture Myrmell told Cruise Weekly the line had been discussing a restart of domestic-only cruising with government and public health authorities since last October.
He stated: "These discussions have been underway for some time and we look forward to the opportunity to agree a pathway for starting cruises that carry Australian residents on Australian itineraries."
Although there is limited domestic small ship cruising, there is no agreement in place yet for large ships to operate despite a petition to restart cruising which garnered 40,000 signatures.
The Government of Australia has extended its emergency measures into mid-September, continuing the ban on outgoing travel and cruise vessels until at least September 17.


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Coming to video iPod: NVIDIA 3D graphics
You may find ATI in most Intel Macs these days, but when the so-called “true video iPod” debuts, chances are that it will be sporting technology from longtime competitor NVIDIA. Industry analysts at American Technology Research have raised their Apple stock purchasing recommendations from “hold” to “buy” on their belief that NVIDIA has secured its place in the much anticipated device. They believe that NVIDIA’s entrance into the iPod can be viewed as a strong sign that Apple intends to support 3D on the video iPod, and they believe that this will translate into significant sales. News of the recommendation change first appeared on the Dow Jones Newswire.
Full article: Ars Technica


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Medical device maker Stryker Corp. announced earlier this week that it will voluntarily recall certain hip surgery products, a week after it received a warning from regulators.
The company is recalling Trident PSL and Hemispherical Acetabular Cups that were made in its Cork, Ireland plant. Stryker, whose orthopedics division is based in Mahwah, N.J., said there are no safety issues for patients who received these products, based on expert opinion.
Numerous published independent reports validate the long-term clinical performance of these products, the company said in a statement.
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration ordered Kalamazoo-based Stryker to fix a host of long-standing problems in its manufacturing of hip replacement parts that have triggered multiple patient complaints and forced some to have follow-up surgeries.
The FDA told Stryker in a letter that it was aware that the company has received patient complaints since January 2005 about a range of problems, including improper fitting of hip implants that caused bone fractures.
Products made at the company’s Mahwah plant are not part of the recall. That facility also includes administrative and research and development offices for the orthopedics division.
“While Stryker does not normally comment on discussions with the FDA, the company believes it is obligated to provide additional information to health care professionals, providers and patients in light of several media reports that draw erroneous conclusions surrounding the Warning Letter,” the company said in a statement.
The company expects some short-term supply disruption as a result of the recall. It said that in some cases, products did not meet “internal acceptance criteria,” even though they met U.S. and international performance standards.
However, Stryker said it does not expect the voluntary recall to affect its guidance for its 2008 results.
It plans to provide details on its sales and earnings outlook when it reports fourth-quarter 2007 operating results on Wednesday.
Stryker shares fell $1.11, or 1.7 percent, to $64.75 in regular trading Tuesday, then rebounded by the same amount in after-hours trading.
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The self-storage industry in Europe continues to show strong growth, and the COVID-19 crisis doesn’t appear to have significantly impacted it to date. At the time of this writing in late summer, many facility operators are recording better results than at the same time last year, and development and acquisition projects are continuing. There’s also increasing interest from institutional investors.
Let’s take a deeper look at what’s happening throughout the European self-storage market.
Self-storage is now present in almost every European country. The number of stores in Europe has basically doubled in the past five years, and the amount of storage space has increased by more than 50 percent. There are approximately 4,600 facilities across the continent, representing more than 118 million square feet of space. This equates to around 0.22 square feet of space per person, though it’s much higher in more developed markets such as the United Kingdom, which has 0.73 square feet per person.
The northern countries like France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and the U.K. have the most developed markets. The U.K. makes up 37 percent of the European market, France 12 percent, Netherlands 7 percent and Germany 6 percent. Spain has seen significant growth in the last few years, especially outside the major cities of Barcelona and Madrid. It now makes up 12 percent of the market.
Europe is very much a series of micro markets. Efficiency can be affected by different languages, legal systems, planning laws and sometimes currencies between countries. Each region also has a slightly different customer mix and requires unique marketing campaigns.
Shurgard Self Storage Europe SARL, the European affiliate of U.S.-based real estate investment trust Public Storage Inc., is the largest operator in Europe, with more than 200 stores in seven countries. The only other operator with a significant presence across the continent is Safestore Holdings PLC, which owns or manages stores in Belgium, France, Netherlands, Spain and the U.K. All other storage companies operate within a single country or region.
Most self-storage businesses in Europe are privately owned, though there are more choosing to list on the stock exchange. The most recent of these being Sweden-based 24Storage and Shurgard. There are now six self-storage companies listed on European stock exchanges and one U.K. operator owned by Stor-Age REIT, based in South Africa. All are performing well despite the challenges of COVID-19 and the general depression of the market.
The level of interest in self-storage from institutional investors in Europe has certainly increased in the past few years. Some of the more significant partnerships include The Carlyle Group joint venture with Safestore, which has expanded into new markets. Investment firm Legal & General has also entered the U.K. market, acquiring and developing properties to be managed by the SureStore group.
Other institutional investors are looking to enter, however, suitable acquisitions remain scarce. The industry has largely consolidated, stripping out many of the middle-tier operators. Investors may prefer to buy a portfolio with 10-plus A-grade stores, as it allows them to gain instant presence in a market; however, there are previous few. Instead, many investors are forced to develop their own stores, or purchase single stores or small chains, which takes more time and often doesn’t suit their investment model.
Meanwhile small, independent operators continue to build new sites or expand existing holdings in their own local markets, particularly outside the major cities. There’s also an increasing number of container-based storage companies joining the market. This is seen as an easy, low-capital entry point, though changes to taxation and planning laws in some countries are making it more difficult to convert vacant land to a container-storage yard.
Lack of suitable and affordable land remains the biggest barrier for development in the European market. The publicly listed companies have relatively low levels of debt and access to capital when the right properties become available. Independent operators are also finding it easier to get bank financing, particularly when they have an established facility and brand.
This lack of land has contributed to relatively stable industry growth, with few issues of oversupply. In fact, despite all markets having significant growth over the past three years, they have almost all increased their rental rates, return per square foot and occupancy rates. This indicates demand for the product is growing faster than supply, even though awareness and understanding of self-storage remains low in developing markets.
Across Europe, the average occupancy rate is 80 percent and the return per square foot is €24.50. However, in the larger cities like London, the return can be well above €40 per square foot.
Occupancy rates vary between countries. Italy is down at 75 percent while France and the Netherlands are approaching 85 percent. Despite the political uncertainties of Brexit and various changes in government in some countries, the industry has remained a positive performer in the alternative asset sector. The recent COVID-19 crisis has reinforced this, with the industry continuing to perform well while most other asset classes struggle.
Each country has dealt with the COVID-19 crisis differently. Some, like Belgium, enforced strict lockdowns early and even went into a second lockdown as cases increased. Others, such as Sweden, took a more relaxed approach, banning only larger gatherings and advising people to socially distance where possible. In all but a few places in Germany and Italy, self-storage continued to operate, though there was less activity in the stores and, in some cases, customers could access their units only by appointment.
Self-storage provides support to some essential services but also to online traders and other small businesses, so it was deemed essential. It was also considered low-risk, with limited contact between customers and staff and no gatherings. Many stores moved to online contracts and move-ins so customers could rent without interacting with facility staff. Common areas like keypads and loading areas were regularly cleaned and disinfected, and staffing rosters were changed to keep minimum staff on site. Some stores were able to operate remotely.
Move-ins and -outs dropped to around 40 percent of normal trading during the height of lockdowns. Income, however, was largely maintained. Occupancy only dropped around 2 percent, and revenue was down only 2 percent. In some cases, revenue was maintained at normal levels.
As soon as lockdowns started to end, inquiries soared to record levels. Move-ins picked up almost immediately while move-outs took more time to return to normal. This meant that, in most cases, stores were at a better occupancy after the lockdown than at the start of the year. Most held off on rent increases during lockdown but reintroduced them during the summer.
Revenue is also back up to pre-March levels. There was a small increase in bad debts or write-offs, but it was marginal. While summer is usually a good season for self-storage, many stores reported better 12-month results than in previous years. So, the overall impact of the crisis was negligible, and some operators would argue their business benefited slightly from the pandemic.
Of course, the long-term economic impact of COVID-19 is yet to be felt. Some commentators are predicting the deepest recession in centuries. Some businesses are folding and making staff redundant as government subsidies are removed and the impact of social distancing and working from home affects various sectors like retail, events, live performances, leisure and travel. They’ve been hard hit and will continue to struggle for some time.
Still, there are a lot of trends in play that benefit self-storage: Online retail is increasing, and businesses are storing more stock. The pandemic has caused some relationship strain in couples, which can lead to divorce. Some people are preparing to permanently work from home and need space for a home office.
On the investing side, businesses like student housing, car parking, hotels, dry cleaners, nightclubs and airports are all showing heavy losses with long recoveries. As a result, self-storage investors and developers are hoping to capitalize on a changing commercial real estate landscape, which may open more property.
All in all, there remain many growth opportunities for self-storage in Europe, in 2020 and beyond!
Rennie Schafer is CEO of the Federation of European Self Storage Associations and the Self Storage Association of the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.fedessa.org.


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More people using Apple iPad while holiday shopping than Amazon Kindle, Nook
- Orlando Business Journal
Editor's note: A version of this story published Nov. 27, 2012, incorrectly described the data as sales of tablets, rather than consumer purchases via tablets.
Apple Inc.'s iPad accounted for more than 88 percent of purchases made via tablet during early holiday shopping, crushing the number of sales made with Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle, which accounted for only 2.4 percent.
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“Six and a half per cent of London’s population is of Indian-origin, either first-generation or second generation,” said Hemin Bharucha, Country Director-India and Senior Leadership Team member at London & Partners (L&P).
Watch as Daisy Irani Subaiah trains the Spotlight on Alankrita Shrivastava to discuss her new series on Netflix, Bombay Begums.
NRI Stories: Indian in Singapore, Shalima Motial started the company with the aim to promote local performing artists in Singapore.
You Are Here explores Pooja’s story and her history – from her parents’ decision to settle in another country to her grandparents’ border-crossing romance. She has grappled with a simple yet complex question - “Are you Singaporean”?
Ronnie Screwvala's edtech startup upGrad announced that it has crossed the milestone of USD 14 Million a month and achieved an Annual Revenue Run rate (ARR) of USD 165 Million.
DBS India announced that it has been named 'India's Best International Bank' by Asiamoney, a financial publication of Euromoney Institutional Investor Group.
Singapore: Dale Chihuly Glass in Bloom will be on display from May 1 till August 1, 2021 and marks the artist’s first major garden exhibition in Asia.
Singapore Airlines and real estate firm CapitaLand today embarked on a new rewards partnership scheme, beginning with the launch of a two-way rewards conversion programme between their respective KrisFlyer loyalty programme and CapitaStar shopping and lifestyle rewards programme.
Ahmedabad, the largest city in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat, boasts 30-odd museums but the stunning Kite Museum in the 608-year-old world heritage city is in a class of its own.
Gone are the days when people used to like luxurious holidays. it is now the age of nature lovers and expeditions. Here are some choice locations to go for a summer trek in the Himalayas.
Nothing can quite compare to the rocking vibes of a live band.
Amitabh Bachchan contracted the virus in 2020 and spent some time in Mumbai’s Nanavati Hospital before testing negative a few weeks later.
The Biden-Harris ticket’s victory in the US 2020 Presidential elections was celebrated across the country which had been eagerly awaiting the result for the past week.
Beginning the festive quarter on a distinct upbeat note, South-Central Mumbai localities witnessed luxury home sales worth INR 500 crore last month (October). In 2019, the corresponding period saw luxury sales worth approximately INR 150 crore, thus improving by >230% in the year.
A London-based Indian-origin economics professor has been appointed to a new expert panel set up by the UK government to advise on the use of "cutting-edge" trade models and techniques as it moves towards clinching post-Brexit Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with countries.
Indian-origin Shilpa Krishnan Shukla, an amateur Singapore-based filmmaker, tries to capture the multiculturalism of both her native and adopted lands through her work.
For eight-year-old Indian-origin Milan Kumar in the United Kingdom, the lockdown presented the chance to further enhance his love of books and reading.


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Paragon Countess Announcement Trailer
Paragon reveals its new Burst Caster hero, the Countess! Countess becomes available on October 25.
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- Gamania has announced the start of closed beta testing for Soul Captor.


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Wright Enterprises Congratulates Doris Ward SF OEWD Workforce Development Program Inaugural Student
Tanisha Nicole Cyprian, a talented emerging business owner at the time of her enrollment in the program that teamed the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc. San Francisco Chapter and the City of San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, continues to grow and flourish recently adding a magazine to her business strategy. Jackie Wright, CEO of Wright Enterprises conceived and developed the program that gives women well paid training opportunities, is pleased to get reports of women who have benefited from the experience. Read More.
Wright Enterprises Congratulates Commander Courtney Ellington on the 2024 Women Veteran Engagement Conference and Fashion Show
Major San Francisco event serving veterans is posted courtesy of Wright Enterprises Community Spotlight. Click the event image link to find out more.
Consumer Action In-person train-the-trainer on navigating smartphone/computer warranty rights
Posted Courtesy of Wright Enterprises Community Spotlight San Francisco ~ Dallas ~~~ Since the smartphones, tablets and computers that consumers depend on to stay connected take a significant bite out of the household budget, itís important for consumers to understand their options and rights when it comes to protecting their investment. Consumer Action is inviting consumer educators, counselors, case managers, social services providers and advocates to a free, in-person training on smartphone, tablet and computer warranty rights


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We know that Fallout 4 will be released in November, so the question is when will the system requirements for the PC version be released? Last we heard it could be unveiled in October, but as it turns out even in September, Bethesda is still hard at work trying to nail those specs down which is a bit unfortunate as many are undoubtedly curious.
However according to a tweet by Bethesda’s VP of PR Pete Hines, he wrote in response to a gamer who asked about the system specs, to which he replied by saying, “We’re not going to give out incomplete or inaccurate info before we know. That’d be irresponsible.” He also added that they were testing out compatibility on varying hardware.
“We’ll make them available as soon as we reach some level of certainty as to what they are. can’t ‘make that go faster’. It’s not just about quality. for sys requirements it’s compat testing to figure out performance on a lot of different hardware,” Hines wrote in a separate tweet. Either way it looks like we’ll have to wait to find out.
However we expect that the October date to be more than likely especially since the game has been pegged for the 10th of November, so safe to say that Bethesda would definite love to give their gamers a bit of a heads up in the event they might need to upgrade.


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27 Jun. 16, MUMBAI: NASSCOM 10000 Start-ups in partnership with IvyCamp, an initiative of IvyCap Ventures, today announced a strategic collaboration to connect start-ups, investors, mentors and industry bodies to converge and ways of working together to provide solutions that change the way people live and industries work. The collaboration is aiming to develop strategies and initiatives to strengthen the Internet of Things (IoT) movement in Indian Start-up Ecosystem.
Commenting on the partnership, Rajat Tandon, Vice President, NASSCOM 10,000 start-ups said in a statement, “India’s digital revolution is at the tip of transformation right now. NASSCOM 10000 has been consistent in creating a sustainable ecosystem for the technology led products. The potential scope of disruptive technologies in India is vast, as they can have a massive economic impact. IOT is one such sector which is gradually gaining popularity. With this collaboration with IvyCamp, we aim to promote an IOT ecosystem, which is vibrant & at the same time innovative, which will help our country attain a leadership role in this field.”
“This being an age of Internet Of Things (IOT), the start-ups today define the momentum of our economy. We are excited to announce the collaboration between NASSCOM 10000 StartUps and IvyCamp. Through this association, we will provide a platform to the budding entrepreneurs to connect with the industry veterans to seek guidance for formulating and driving the IOT innovations and help the ventures grow,” said Mr. Vikram Gupta, CEO & Managing Partner – IvyCap Ventures.
IvyCamp is the country’s first unified technology based platform for innovation and entrepreneurship. Its parent firm – IvyCap Ventures is raising its second capital of Rs 600 crs. IvyCap has raised and deployed Rs 250 crore in its maiden fund in 2015. The company has assisted by investing in early stage startups like FT cash, Grabon rent and has connected various start-ups to industry mentors.


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Jeff Levin, lead counsel for the Coalition for Hardwood Parity (CAHP), released a statement after the U.S. International Trade Commission issued its final affirmative determination in the trade investigations of multilayered (engineered) wood flooring from China yesterday.
The investigation was initiated by a petition filed last year by CAHP. Levin stated, “We are very pleased with the ITC’s determination. This marks a successful conclusion to a hard-fought battle, and represents an important win for American manufacturing, and the fight to keep honest paying manufacturing jobs in this country. This also represents a substantial step towards redressing the harmful impact of unfair trading in the U.S. market.”
As reported yesterday, Jonathan Train, Alliance for Free Choice and Jobs in Flooring (AFCJF) president, said he believed the results of the case were “a failure of the system rather than any validation of the petitioners’ claims. We eagerly await our chance to review the commentary and will decide then if we wish to appeal the decision with the higher courts.”
U.S. imports from the Chinese manufacturers are now subject to cash deposit requirements for estimated antidumping and countervailing duties at rates determined last month. However, U.S. importers will not know the actual amount of duties they will owe on current and future imports of the product for more than a year, until after the U.S. Department of Commerce determines their ultimate duty liability through its annual administrative review process.
Petitioners respond to ITC China decision
November 10, 2011


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The creators of Grand Theft Auto, the popular video game series based on motor vehicle theft, are known for punishing hackers in creative ways. In the real world, preventing hackers from attacking highly-connected vehicles is an ongoing challenge. A number of incidents in the past couple of years have highlighted the ease with which a car's braking system can be remotely hijacked—leading to dangerous consequences and expensive recalls.
What makes automotive cybersecurity so complex, is that a car is only as secure as the least of its Electronic Control Units (ECUs) or smart parts, which for a modern connected car number can total as many as 150. These parts span a wide range of technologies, vendors, and protocols, with minimal common ground. For an automotive cybersecurity solution to be practical, it needs to be vendor-agnostic to support out-of-the-box usage with a variety of OEMs. The consumer of today is a digital native who will not compromise on their car's cybersecurity, particularly if it is connected. With 250 million connected vehicles expected to be on the road by 2022, securing the car is becoming a top priority for OEMs worldwide.
Asaf Atzmon, Vice President and General Manager of HARMAN's Automotive Cybersecurity division emphasizes, “The time is now for the automotive industry to develop comprehensive security solutions that enable threat detection and promptly respond to cyber-attacks. End-to-end vehicular protection is a key differentiator—the consumer demands a fully secure car, especially if it is connected."
Statista predicts that 70 percent of light-duty vehicles and trucks will be connected to the internet by 2023, making the risk of large-scale hacking attacks a very real possibility. Moreover, in the brutally competitive automotive industry, automotive cybersecurity provides a significant competitive advantage. The consumer of today is a digital native for whom the end-to-end security of their connected car is a top priority. A robust automotive cybersecurity platform can provide new channels for revenue and a secure platform for continuous innovation.


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When news broke that Knob Creek would likely run out of bourbon before the new batch is ready in November, the brand used the news to its advantage. It launched an ad campaign tagged “Thanks for Nothing” that featured empty bottles to signify that the company would rather run out than sacrifice the integrity of its product. Bernie Lubbers, a “whiskey professor,” which is what the brand calls its ambassadors, explained just why Knob Creek is running dry.
“It’s not a bad problem to have,” he admits. A spike in demand, coupled with the way Knob Creek labels its bottles, is responsible for the shortage. In particular, an age statement on the bottle means that every drop inside must be at least as old as the age stated — in this case, nine years. Rather than remove the age statement in order to use younger bourbon it has in store, Knob Creek decided to just stick it out and let certain markets run dry.
“Maine is out,” says Lubbers. New York, however, won’t likely be affected.


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A $700 million analysis and growth facility in Hillsboro, Oregon, is the most recent venture on Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger’s chopping block.
The x86 big introduced the 200,000-square-foot mega-fab final spring. Intel envisioned the location — positioned 20 miles west of Portland — as a analysis and growth middle the place the chipmaker would prototype, qualify, check, and demo its datacenter portfolio utilizing quite a lot of cooling tech.
“As we speed up our technique and reply to the present demand surroundings, we wish to scale back prices and improve efficiencies by a number of initiatives,” an Intel spokesperson stated in an electronic mail to The Register.
We wish to scale back prices and improve efficiencies by a number of initiatives
“This consists of exploring cheaper actual property choices to proceed our knowledge middle R&D work in Oregon that’s already in progress.”
Among the many headline developments deliberate for the US West Coast facility was an open reference design for immersion cooling techniques. Because the title suggests, immersion cooling entails submerging entire techniques in a bath of dielectric fluids. Warmth from elements equivalent to software processors and GPUs are captured by the fluid and dissipated utilizing both a liquid-to-liquid warmth exchanger or by evaporation of specialised two-phase fluids developed by the likes of 3M.
Whereas immersion cooling is nothing new — the expertise dates again many years — implementing it at scale has confirmed tough due partly to a scarcity of agreed upon requirements.
Regardless of this, immersion cooling has gained mainstream enchantment in recent times as chips have grown ever hotter. For reference, Intel’s personal datacenter silicon now tops 350W for CPUs and greater than 600W for its GPUs and AI accelerators. Immersion cooling can be extremely environment friendly, able to capturing and rejecting one hundred pc of the warmth generated by techniques. Submer, Iceotope, Midas, and Liquid Stack are only a handful of the distributors engaged on immersion cooling tanks and chassis.
We requested Intel whether or not it will transfer ahead with the event of an immersion cooling reference design at one other location and if there have been another deliberate cancellations on the horizon; we’ll let if we hear something again.
The cancellation is the most recent cost-cutting measure following a few dismal quarters for Intel, the newest of which noticed the manufacturing titan’s revenues plummet 20 p.c yr over yr.
Final week, Intel issued a California employee adjustment and retraining notification (WARN) discover for 544 jobs and confirmed the termination of a $200 million analysis and growth middle in Haifa, Israel. The high-tech campus was one of many first bulletins Gelsinger made after changing former chief exec Bob Swan in 2021. Intel will full development of a parking storage on the location, in line with Israeli publication Globes.
R&D services might not be the one issues dragged from the venture folder to the desktop trash can. In October, confronted with dwindling PC demand and lackluster datacenter revenues, Intel stated it will lay off a “significant quantity” of employees and minimize spending by roughly $10 billion yearly by 2025.
And on the World Financial Discussion board in Davos final week, Gelsinger warned of a semiconductor downturn and alluded to extra cancellations. Talking with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, he stated whereas Intel would transfer ahead with its semiconductor fab venture in Germany, plans for a complicated packaging facility in Italy have been something however closing.
Authorities subsidies have been a sticking level for Intel as rising rates of interest have pushed up the price of its Intel Foundry Companies construct out. Since saying a pair of modern foundries at its Arizona campus in 2021, the price to construct the services has elevated 50 p.c. The skyrocketing capex expenditures drove Intel to hunt assist from non-public fairness.
In the meantime, Intel, going through related headwinds in Europe, is reportedly at odds with the German authorities over subsidies for a mega-fab in Magdeburg, Germany. Chipzilla now expects the venture will value simply shy of $22 billion and is angling for extra subsidies. ®


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Upfield to introduce carbon labelling on 100 million packs by end of 2021
World’s leading plant-based nutrition company encourages consumers to make more sustainable food choices
Amsterdam, 10 August 2020 – Upfield announced today it is introducing on-pack carbon labelling to 100 million packs of its plant-based spreads, margarines, plant-based butters, and plant-based creams by the end of 2021. The goal is to help consumers make informed decisions about the environmental impact of the foods they choose. Brands including Country Crock Plant Butter in the United States and Flora Plant in the UK and Ireland have introduced the new labels. In the coming months Upfield plans to roll out the labels on their leading brands including Flora, Becel, ProActiv and Rama.
According to a report released last year, consumer behaviour is positively affected by carbon labelling with purchasing decisions. When consumers can make direct comparisons between different food groups they opt for food with lower environmental impacts. Consumers tend to underestimate the carbon impact of the foods they eat, so informing and inspiring them to choose foods that are not only healthier, but more sustainable, is a crucial step in the transition towards a more sustainable food system.
“Today’s food labels already provide consumers with a lot of important information about ingredients, health benefits, allergens, storage and use. By adding carbon labels, consumers will also be able to understand the impact their food choices have on our climate,” said Dr. Jeanette Fielding, Chief Corporate Affairs and Communications Officer, Upfield. “This initiative will support the transition to a more sustainable food system, using full disclosure and transparency as a key motivator for sustainable food choices. We call upon our industry peers to follow suit and implement on-pack carbon labelling now.”
Following an initial study in 2016, Upfield commissioned Swiss sustainability consultancy Quantis to independently assess the environmental impact of the entire life cycle Upfield’s products. The results were published in a peer-reviewed study in the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. The study, conducted across 21 markets in Europe and North America, found that Upfield’s plant-based margarines and spreads have on average a 70% smaller carbon footprint, use half the amount of water and occupy 2/3 less land than dairy butter.
“Upfield is committed to assessing the environmental impact of our plant-based foods and using these assessments to help consumers make more sustainable food choices,” said Sally Smith, Head of Sustainability, Upfield. “Living within environmental limits for a growing global population requires a shift from growers, manufacturers and consumers. Sharing science-based environmental assessments is the only responsible way of communicating to consumers the climate impact of their food choices.”
The urgency to transition to a sustainable food system is laid out in the landmark reports from the EAT-Lancet Commission, the World Resources Institute and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In 2019 the IPCC studied analyses found that plant-based diets could ensure adequate food production by 2050, using less land than is currently used, allowing considerable forest regeneration, and reducing land-based GHG emissions by up to one third of the ‘business-as-usual’ case for 2050. A vast positive impact can be made by consciously choosing foods with lower emissions.


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Plataine, Eastman Machine partnership enhances Industry 4.0 capabilities
Advanced material cutting machine manufacturer to offer customers increased process automation, streamlined production, process traceability and overall efficiency on the production floor.
On June 2 Plataine (Waltham, Mass., U.S.) AI-based and IIoT (Industrial IoT) solution provider and Eastman Machine Co. (Buffalo, N.Y., U.S.) a cutting machine manufacturer, announced a partnership agreement. This partnership is said to offer significant benefits to industrial manufacturers, including reduced material waste, improved manufacturing efficiency and quality control on the production floor.
Plataine and Eastman’s collaboration will enable industrial manufacturers to put in action Plataine’s Digital Assistants (see “Composites 4.0: digital assistants, edge computing and the future of smart factories”), delivering real-time proactive recommendations that can impact the bottom line of the business. In addition, automation will also lead to a paperless production environment. Plataine says its AI-based Digital Assistants help shop floor production workers dynamically optimize operations and eliminate delays during the manufacturing process by delivering predictive alerts, actionable insights and real-time recommendations.
Further, the combination of increased process automation and improved human-machine collaboration, Plataine notes, streamlines production, ensures higher quality, reduces the risk of human error and minimizes re-work and scrap. Real-time asset tracking further reduces material waste and human error, as well as eliminating production delays. The system automatically generates a complete digital thread — a comprehensive record of all stages of production (see “Digital thread vs. digital twin”) — giving full traceability from raw material to end product. The digital thread is also said to deliver radically improved quality control and ensures that the customers are always audit-ready.
“Eastman offers the industry’s widest range of fabric cutting machines, as well as a comprehensive line of fully automated spreading and material handling systems,” says Trevor Stevenson, vice president of Eastman. “Now, working with Plataine, we have future-proofed our offering to our customers, ensuring that they leverage the tangible manufacturing optimization benefits of the latest AI-based and IIoT technology today, and also ensuring that they are ready for the challenges tomorrow will bring.”
Eastman Machine Co. designs custom cutting solutions for elite manufacturers around the world. In collaboration with world-renowned material producers and industrial manufacturers, Eastman says its engineers are continuously innovating and expanding product offerings. Automated cutting systems, engineered for single to high-ply requirements, reduce labor while maximizing quality and material use for a range of demanding materials. According to the company, Eastman machinery is proven to be simpler to operate and less expensive to maintain, boosting productivity and efficiency.
“Eastman’s engineering capabilities are world class. I am excited about our partnership with Eastman, that will enable our joint customers to leverage the benefits of the AI- based and IIoT technologies, drive reduction in production costs and bring manufacturing efficiency to a new level,” says Avner Ben-Bassat, CEO and president at Plataine.
Decades of development have propelled it to prominence but its future demands industrial solutions for handling cost, complexity and process control.
As the use of composites on commercial and military aircraft grows, repair facilities seek more science in what remains a primarily manual art.
Toward the goal of more consistent, repeatable and quantifiable Class A surface analysis, automakers and systems suppliers are developing and employing automated surface inspection tools.


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Pretoria - Entrepreneurship remains one of the best ways to boost job creation, Deputy Trade and Industry (dti) Minister Elizabeth Thabethe says.
Speaking at a "Taking the dti to the people" outreach campaign in Douglas in the Northern Cape, Thabethe told small business owners that entrepreneurship can help government reach its target of creating five million jobs by 2020.
The campaign aims to reinforce government's commitment to empowering rural and peri-urban communities to fast-track job creation.
She called on small business owners to register their businesses so as to make it simpler for government to empower communities.
"Registering and formalising of businesses is the only channel to receive assistance from government and as much as registering of businesses is important, I also need to stress that you need to guard against fraudsters masquerading as the dti agents. For you to register your company you don't need a middle man and it does not amount to the exorbitant fees that you are being charged by unscrupulous people posing as agents of the dti," she said on Thursday.
The department said it was keen to educate small business owners as well as those aspiring to be entrepreneurs about business opportunities, products and responsibilities.
At the campaign small business owners and entrepreneurs were given workshops on how to start, grow and sustain their businesses.