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On Sunday, Jan. 15, a little boy and his father went to Carmichael’s Kids, searching for a book about Martin Luther King Jr. Unfortunately, the children’s bookstore in the Highlands had become a victim of flooding from the intense rain the day before. Carmichael’s Kids co-owner Kelly Estep saw the boy in tears and went out to talk to the father and son. The boy asked if his beloved bookstore would be okay and if the stuffed animals survived the damage. Estep fetched the book that he wanted, and she assured him that everything would soon be okay.
The same day, Carmichael’s Kids released a statement on Instagram and Facebook announcing that they would close indefinitely due to severe flooding. Estep told LEO the bookstore that the building will be closed for “at least several weeks.” Parents and children expressed their concern via social media, and Estep told LEO that there has been nothing but positive support from not only Louisville families, but also from other indie bookstores across the country.
Estep said that flooding is quite common for businesses in the Highlands neighborhood, and the bookstore suffered around $1,000 worth of damage to its books alone. She told LEO that fixing the damage will include replacing the floor, all of the carpet, and much of the furniture.
Local families told Estep that they were hoping for a quick rebuild, and some even offered to volunteer with the process. The indie bookstore world also offered immense support. The daily newsletter “Shelf Awareness” featured Carmichael’s Kids as its lead story on Tuesday, Jan. 17. Then, Estep received dozens of texts and emails from other indie bookstore folks showing their support and offering advice. Carmichael’s Kids even got the attention of the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (BINC), who reached out to encourage the bookstore to apply for funds to rebuild after the natural disaster.
Estep told LEO, “It’s an amazing industry to be a part of, and now we really all support one another all across the country. It’s really cool because when you own a business, sometimes you start to feel a little overwhelmed and isolated. I really love knowing that I have this huge group of people across the country who are going through the same things and trying to make a successful business out of an industry that some people say is old-school.”
Building a community around reading has been a heartwarming experience for Estep. She said that the bookstore, which opened about eight years ago, has created a community of young readers who value “the warmth of the space.” She said the bookstore exists to foster “a lifelong joy of reading,” even though competing with phones and video games is “a battle against the devices.” It means the world to her, she said, when children keep coming back to Carmichael’s Kids, then grow up and move on to the main Carmichael’s Bookstore as adults.
When Estep and her team came to assess the damage on Jan. 15, she said several other kids stood outside the store crying, worried that their bookstore would never open again. She assured them and everyone that Carmichael’s Kids was not going anywhere, and she hopes to open again soon.
“We just want to see all those kids’ faces coming back in the doors and keep doing what we’re trying to do, which is foster [a] love of reading and to reach out to try to build community partnerships,” she said.
For now, employees at Carmichael’s Kids are working at other Carmichael’s locations, and Estep is working on the best way to replace the furniture and other items that were damaged by the flooding. Carmichael’s Kids encourages patrons to visit their location in Crescent Hill (2720 Frankfort Ave.) until the bookstore reopens.


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International Franchise Exhibition BUYBRAND Expo to take place on September 28-30, 2016 in Moscow, Russia
BUYBRAND Expo is N1 Franchise Exhibition for Russia and CIS countries. During 14 years over 27000 franchise units were opened due to the Exhibition.
BUYBRAND’2015 showed that the Russian market potential is huge. Total investment potential of the Exhibition visitors was $ 801 400 000. BUYBRAND Expo is an effective tool for foreign companies to enter the Russian market and for Russian companies to find partners not only all over the country, but also in CIS, Eastern Europe and Middle East.
Key figures of BUYBRAND Expo 2015
The Exhibition participants presented 165 brands from 12 countries. Among new companies there were Chicking (UAE), Wyndham Hotel Group (USA), Aptech (Great Britain), Star Kebab (Moldova), as well as the Russian brands.
Over 4,098 businessmen from all Russian regions, and also from 28 countries, like Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Latvia, Uzbekistan, etc, visited the Exhibition.
The companies conducted hundreds of negotiations and highly evaluated the level of the Event.
“This year BUYBRAND Expo has become even more productive, we received numerous requests from representatives of other countries.” (Maksim Makshanov, General Director, COFFEESHOP COMPANY, Russia)
“After BUYBRAND 2014 we have signed contract with franchisor from Khabarovsk. In 2015 we met at the Exhibition investors from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Republic of Belarus, so we are setting the bar higher this year and hope to conclude even more contracts.” (Aleksey Shatalov, Head of Development, Hilton Worldwide for Russia and CIS)
Traditional International Forum “Russian franchising: map of the new time” was held during the Exhibition. It gathered several hundreds of participants and over 50 speakers — heads of franchising companies, Russian and foreign experts.
“We’ve got very interesting contacts, and a lot of ideas were generated that can be successful in the long-term perspective.” (Nadezhda Turbanova, Franchising Director, Papa John’s)
“The demand for our franchises is really great at the Exhibition, and the demand is targeted. I’d say there is a real rush at our stand, so I hope that the Exhibition will boost the development of our brands.” (Yevgeniya Zyabkina, Franchising Director, Chaykhona No. 1)
BUYBRAND EXPO 2016
Nearly 180 franchises are expected to present their brands at the Exhibition. Such companies as Hilton Worldwide, Wyndham Hotel Group, Invitro, Sportmaster, Shokoladnitsa, Mosigra, Weekender, Glance, TRAVELER’S COFFEE, Miniboss, Il Patio, etc. have already booked booths. Advertising campaign of the Exhibition will target all regions of Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kirgizstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Belarus, the Baltic States, Middle East and Eastern Europe to attract entrepreneurs and investors interested in buying a franchise or a master franchise.
The Exhibition will be accompanied by International Business Forum. For the first time “Start” area will be launched for beginners in franchising – both potential franchisors and franchisees.
For more information please visit: http://www.buybrandexpo.com/en/exhibition/archive/2015/
To book a stand: email@example.com, +7(495) 249 11 09

domain: news


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Ardagh holding company to raise $2.22bn in refinancing
Leverage of group unaffected by this intended financing
Paul Coulson, who effectively owns 33 per cent of Ardagh.
A holding company that controls Irish financier Paul Coulson’s glass and metal containers maker Ardagh Group said on Monday it plans to raise $2.22 billion (€1.99 billion) in a bond sale to refinance existing debt.
ARD Finance, which owns 92 per cent of Ardagh Group, said it will use the proceeds from the debt sale to redeem $399 million of payment-in-kind notes that carry an 8.75 per cent interest rate, €845 million of marginally cheaper so-called senior toggle notes and a further $770 million of similar securities. All the debt being refinanced was due to mature in 2023.
Leverage of Ardagh Group is unaffected by this intended financing, with its parent company debt maturities extended from 2023 to 2027 as a result of the planned transaction.
The group reported last week that it recorded earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) of $424 million in the third quarter, up 6 per cent on the same period a year ago, led by gains in its European glass packaging and Americas metal beverage packaging divisions.
Ardagh recorded revenue of $412 million in its European metal beverage packaging business in the third quarter, down 1 per cent versus the same period a year ago. Turnover at its American beverage packing division was up 5 per cent to $465 million.
The company’s European glass packaging business recorded a 1 per cent decline in revenues to $414 million, while the US division saw turnover rise 1 per cent to $438 million.
Ardagh, which is effectively 33 per cent owned by chairman Mr Coulson, also recently completed a deal to fold its food and speciality business into a joint venture called Trivium, controlled by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board. Ardagh received $2.5 billion in cash as part of the transaction as well as a 43 per cent stake in Trivium.


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CEDAR RAPIDS – Earlier this year, Brucemore ended its annual plant sales and now, the long tradition of the Brucemore Garden and Art Show has ended, as well. Typically held in late August, the event featured presentations by Master Gardeners and other guest speakers, food demonstrations using in-season produce, guided tours of the historic Brucemore […]
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Tag: Art Show
After such a long winter and cold start to the spring, I’ve heard from many gardeners eager to get their hands in the dirt. To kick-start the gardening season, area plant sales are getting under way. I think it’s especially cool to see that Friends of Hickory Hill Park will have milkweed plugs for sale, […]
CEDAR RAPIDS – You can’t walk away from the Brucemore Garden and Art Show without learning something new, and often, buying something new, as well. Gardening experts offer tips on raised beds, insect identification, heirloom vegetables and much more, while vendors sell garden art, pottery, jewelry and other artwork.


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Ascential plc, the specialist information, analytics, events and ecommerce optimisation company, has acquired Contagious Communications. Contagious is a multi-format creative insights business that provides forward-looking creative inspiration and trend analysis for their agency and brand customers.
Contagious joins Ascential’s existing Marketing brands: global creative benchmark LIONS and leading authority on marketing effectiveness, WARC. Together, LIONS, WARC and Contagious provide market-leading events, best-in-class subscription products and world-class advisory services, helping marketers and their agency partners understand the marketing and creative strategies that have made an impact, and which innovations will shape the future.
Philip Thomas, CEO of Ascential Intelligence & Events, commented: “Contagious’ ability to anticipate and analyse creative trends brings new capability to Ascential’s Marketing segment, alongside LIONS and WARC. It will support our mission to help the world’s biggest brands produce world-class, highly effective and truly creative marketing.
We look forward to welcoming Contagious to Ascential, and to delivering even stronger insights for our customers, accelerating growth for all.” Paul Kemp-Robertson, Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Contagious, commented: “We are excited to join Ascential and partner with such well-established and esteemed brands in our industry as LIONS and WARC.
Our focus on creative intelligence and innovation will add a new dimension to Ascential and supercharge our ability to help customers deliver marketing with more impact and a competitive edge.” Headquartered in London, Contagious employs 40 staff, and will continue to be led by Chief Executive Officer Karl Marsden, and Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer Paul Kemp-Robertson.
The acquisition of Contagious supports Ascential Events’ strategy to deliver exceptional insights to customers year-round.
MARKETING Magazine is not responsible for the content of external sites.


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Video Creator by Splenvid is the easiest way to make movies of your life. Capture photos and videos (or import them) and Splenvid will...
Showing results 1 to 20 of 5,527
The social network is adding video calling, setting up face-to-face conversations between friends on mobile phones running either iOS or Android.
Gary Scholten, CIO for Principle Financial Group, tells ZDNet the benefits and challenges of integrating IT with the cloud, including agility, cloud bursting, governance, vendor management, and more.
Ford's Global Future Mobility Manager Erica Klampfl explains how Ford is getting massive amounts of sensor data from its vehicles and is using the cloud to manage and process it.
Australian-founded enterprise software development and collaboration platform provider Atlassian has acquired French video conferencing player Blue Jimp.
In emails leaked from Sony Pictures, executives have expressed their frustration at Netflix for not stopping users in Australia and elsewhere from bypassing geoblocks to access the streaming video service.
Play with friends, family, or strangers with this simple to learn mix of strategy and luck. Play online no matter where you are or...
Twilio said it will support up to 4-way peer-to-peer calling, unlimited video connections, low latency relay and a mobile stack to deploy video on mobile platforms.
In Android this week surfaced reports of Android Wear getting iPhone support, Prime Instant Video hits Android, and Dell releases an Android 2-in-1.
ATTENTION: requires additional hardware sold separately!!!More info on www.alternativeindustries.itThe TV Remote turns your device...
Singtel is set to ramp up its focus on digital marketing, regional premium video, and advanced analytics, while scrapping other digital initiatives within its group digital life businesses that have been deemed unscalable following a review.
After bringing Prime Instant Video to Android phones, Amazon sets it free for tablets. Here's how to get it and why you need to jump through so many hoops to do so.
The video streaming website says the open-source codec will allow for 4K streaming at up to half the bandwidth cost.
Octoshape is known for creating efficient transport methods for the delivery of video streams across the internet, using standard media formats and players.
The Apple Watch launches in a few weeks, but given the new user interaction and controls there are still many questions about how it really works. Apple's new video are very helpful and informative.
ZDNet spoke with Priv CTO Greg Kopyltsov about how the wellness startup has relied on the cloud to drive speed and scalability. Kopyltsov also talked about what he looks for in a cloud vendor.
ZDNet spoke with Priv CEO Morris Sutton about how the cloud is fueling the wellness startup's rapid growth and enabling the company to punch above its weight class.
The company makes a sports video analysis platform that allows coaches and athletes to capture, edit and share game or practice video from mobile devices.
ZDNet's Jason Hiner interviewed CXOs at a San Francisco roundtable on IoT, big data, and the cloud. Here are the biggest challenges they anticipate in the coming years.
ZDNet hosted a roundtable with CXOs in San Francisco to talk IoT, big data, and the cloud. Here are the big opportunities they see in the years ahead.
The video game streaming site, bought by Amazon for almost $970 million, has reset user passwords amid concerns it may have been hacked.
Telstra has made a multimillion-dollar equity investment in Taiwanese video big data and analytics company Gorilla Technology Group, which will have its software integrated into the Australian telco's network.
Polycom will customize its video collaboration tool Polycom Roundtable specifically for Skype for Business, at a price point that makes the platform accessible for small to midsized businesses.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
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- 3 How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199)
- 4 So you have an app idea and want to make a bajillion bucks
- 5 ZDNet Cloud TV: Impact of cloud on HR (highlights)


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Iceland tops Europe as most expensive
The hot springs of Iceland are not the only thing making tourists sweat, as a look at the hotel or lunch bill will tell you that most things cost more, sometimes much more, than anywhere else in Europe.
On the subarctic island, consumer prices were on average 56 percent higher than the rest of Europe in 2018, making Iceland the single most expensive country, ahead of Switzerland (52 percent), Norway (48 percent) and Denmark (38 percent), according to Eurostat data.
In order to avoid unpleasant surprises, a tourist, Quint Johnson, said he had done "some research," before travelling to Iceland from the United States for a week's vacation with his family.
"But it's been a little bit of a shock," the 22-year-old student told AFP, having discovered the chilling rates for familiar items like a simple hamburger with fries and a beer.
A glance at the menu at an Icelandic restaurant will tell you that a plain cheese pizza will run you around 2,400 kronur—around 17 euros ($19)—a glass of wine will be the equivalent of at least 10 euros ($11) and a pint of beer costs about seven euros ($8).
"That's a big price jump compared to what I'm used to," Johnson said.
"I can get a burger and fries and beer at home for probably $12-$13 and here we're more like $20 if not $25."
According to the consumer price comparison site Numbeo, a dinner for two in an average restaurant comes to about 85 euros, a bottle of wine in a shop is priced at around 17 euros, and a dozen eggs cost up to five euros.
A small population of 355,000 coupled with a high dependence on imported goods and high taxes on alcohol all help explain Iceland's steep prices.
"Iceland is so small. So it's very difficult to get the same economies of scale as you have with companies in countries that are 100 times larger," said Konrad Gudjonsson, chief economist at the Iceland Chamber of Commerce.
Regulation also plays a part. Imported products based on things like raw eggs or unpasteurised milk face significant customs barriers.
Large fluctuations in the Icelandic krona in 2016-2017 have also led to a general price increase.
Gudjonsson points out that there is also a "strong link between how expensive countries are and the standard of living," and Icelanders on average do well for themselves.
In 2018, the median monthly wage for someone working full-time was 632,000 kronur before tax (about 4,450 euros), according to Statistics Iceland.
So while the cost of living can come as a shock to tourists, the locals have the salaries to match it.
"We have to take into account the level of wages in Iceland. Here, we have one of the highest wages on average in Europe," said Breki Karlsson, chairman of the Consumers' Association of Iceland.
Clouds on the horizon
But according to the central bank's forecasts, Iceland is heading for harder times.
The economy is on course to contract by 0.4 percent in 2019, which would be the first time it shrinks in 10 years.
Statistics Iceland also lowered its outlook in May. It now predicts a 0.2 percent contraction of GDP, after having forecast 1.7 percent growth for the year in February.
The worsening outlook is attributed in part to a decline in the island's outsize tourism industry, which is has been exacerbated by the collapse of Icelandic low-cost carrier WOW air.
Meanwhile the fishing industry has been hit by a sudden disappearance of capelin fish in Icelandic waters, leading to the government not issuing any fishing quotas at all in 2019 for the economically vital fish.
Meanwhile, inflation has picked up, reaching 3.1 percent in the first quarter of the year, "thus decreasing everyone's purchasing power," said the Chamber of Commerce's Gudjonsson.
The silver lining is that he thinks the looming recession could help with housing prices, which have risen in the last few years due to a shortage.
"A rise in consumer goods and services but decreasing housing costs," Gudjonsson said.
The current average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the centre of Reykjavik is around 1,300 euros a month.
© 2019 AFP


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Just a few days ago, a listing for the Ryzen 5 3500X popped up on Newegg.com for $269.99. It is imported directly from Hong Kong by an e-retailer called Corn Electronics. If you want your very own, make sure you get it fast as this listing expires on September 17. The Ryzen 5 3500X launched nearly a year ago featuring six cores and six threads, a 3.6GHz base clock, and a boost clock of 4.1GHz. Unfortunately, the 3500X was limited to OEMs, and being a China-only exclusive made it almost impossible to get your hands on one. The actual MSRP is unknown due to it being an OEM SKU; however, a year ago, you could grab it for $154 on some Chinese retailer sites.We reviewed the Ryzen 5 3500X several months ago and praised it’s overall good performance for the price (we paid $190 for our sample on the grey market). Its lack of SMT made it a solid gaming CPU at the time, handily beating out the Core i5-9400F in several gaming titles. However, it’s lack of SMT means it is severely hampered in threaded applications. Should you buy the 3500X today? Unless you’re a CPU collector, definitely not…. Read full this story
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AMD's China-Exclusive Ryzen 5 3500X Listed At Newegg US have 315 words, post on www.tomshardware.com at September 13, 2020. This is cached page on ReZone. If you want remove this page, please contact us.


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Ken Case, The Omni Group:
The underlying problem, as noted above, is that downloading the
app has a fixed cost. We’ve always set that cost to be the
standard price of our app, leaving us no way to charge less. But
what if we take a fresh look at this problem, and make our
downloads free? You know, like every iPhone app in the Top
Grossing List has already done? It’s not that they don’t sell
anything — or they wouldn’t be on that list.
Disko, a Windows 10 PC and Mobile storage management app, is currently free through Saturday, October 1. The regular price of the app is $9.99. ...
Virtuix's first batch of production Omni VR treadmills is on a ship bound for the U.S. Now that production is underway, the company plans to raise the price to reflect the true cost of manufacturing.
Ken Case: My apologies: I’m afraid we will not be able to offer upgrade pricing to our Mac App Store customers after all. So long as we continue to sell our apps through the Mac App Store, we are not allowed to distribute updates th...
Omni Group CEO Ken Case has made a statement on Twitter that confirms that all of the company’s document based apps for the Mac and iPad, including OmniGraffle, OmniGraphSketcher, OmniOutliner and Omniplan, will be getting iCloud su...


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BBC – Autos – Lego’s 2,704-piece Porsche is not a toy
Posted by jpluimers on 2016/06/01
Reminder to self: see if lego set 42056 has been released yet:
The Danish brickmaker’s new Technic 911 GT3 RS set is beautiful, desirable and slightly scary — not unlike the actual car.
- BBC – Autos – Lego’s 2,704-piece Porsche is not a toy
- Lego Technic 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS | Technic Factory


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PARIS: New car sales in Europe accelerated by 6.4 percent in September, with data released on Friday showing the thirteenth month running of increases as a recovery in the market spreads across the continent.
The European Automobile Manufacturers Association said "substantial growth prevailed in all major markets" in the EU in September with nearly 1.24 million new cars sold.
Spain led the pack, with sales jumping by 26.2 percent, thanks mainly to its "cash-for-clunkers" programme, although the country's economy is gradually recovering after six years of crisis.
For the January to September period, sales climbed 6.1 percent to 9.57 million vehicles.
Spain also led the recovery for the nine-month period with a 17.2 percent increase, followed by Britain where sales shot up by 9.1 percent.
Despite anaemic growth in their economies, car sales in Italy still rose by 3.6 percent, by 2.9 percent in Germany and 2.1 percent in France.
Sales volumes are still far from pre-crisis levels, however. The 1.24 million vehicles sold in September 2014 is far off the 1.4 million sold in sold in September 2006.
Volkswagen is extending its lead in European sales, with a 7.9 increase over the nine months to 2.4 million vehicles, expanding its market share to 25.2 percent from 24.8 percent.
France's PSA Group, which manufactures Peugeot and Citroen vehicles, saw its market share slip to 10.9 percent from 11.0 percent despite a 4.8 percent increase in sales to 1.0 million vehicles.
Renault was in third place, expanding its market share to 9.6 percent from 8.8 percent thanks to a 15.9 percent jump in sales to 921,038 vehicles. Sales of its low-cost Dacia lineup jumped by 29.2 percent.
Sales in the GM group were down by 3.3 percent, however, although this was due to the US group deciding to phase out its Chevrolet brand in Europe. Its German unit Opel, beat the average with an 8.2 percent increase to 671,198 vehicles.
Shares in Volkswagen climbed 2.4 percent to 157.80 euros, while shares in Peugeot jumped 4.8 to 9.08 euros, and Renault rose 3.4 percent to 54.15 euros.
Meanwhile shares in Faurecia, a unit of PSA Group, rose 5.5 percent after the car parts maker said its third quarter sales jumped 6.5 percent.
For More Detail: http://www.brecorder.com/business-a-finance/industries-a-sectors/200311-european-car-sales-accelerate-64pc-in-september-trade-body.html


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UNC Kenan-Flagler's Joey Engelberg discovered that stock ticker symbols searched for frequently on Google can forecast a bump in the company’s share price over the next two weeks.
Using operational data such as store growth, selling, expenses and capital investments boosts the accuracy of predicting retail business performance than just studying past sales performance, professor finds.
New research finds that while church elders don’t intentionally construct pay-for-performance criteria for pastors, financial incentives do seem to matter, even for ministers who are spiritually motivated.
Contrary to popular belief, the TARP bailout money wasn’t a free gift to banks. And it wasn’t all at the taxpayers’ expense either. That’s according to new research from UNC Kenan Flagler’s Anil Shivdasani.
Gagan Bakshi (MBA ’01) used his MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler to transition from a technical to a financial mindset.
High-profile debacles around derivatives obscure the practical ways that many stable companies use derivatives daily to hedge risks.
Firms can reduce cash flow risk and market risk by managing with derivatives, research finds.
Adam Reed, associate finance professor at UNC Kenan-Flagler, argues that without short selling, a stock’s price doesn’t promptly reflect all the pertinent information about the company that issued it.
Though emerging markets present tremendous opportunities for both diversification and catching a ride on the world’s long-run growth engine, they still present significant risks.
How Kassandra McClure Rempel (BSBA ’95, MAC ’98) went from working in a top accounting firm to launching a designer shoe catalog and Web site is as simple as this: she followed her passion.
Innovative companies should not fear competition because competition between rival companies because it can be a great motivating factor for employees.


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A SURGE in punters betting online and via mobile phone gambling apps helped William Hill to a better-than-expected half-year profits rise.
The bookmaker, which employs more than 3,000 people in Yorkshire, including over 1,300 people in its Leeds office, saw amounts wagered using its mobile sports app rise by 112 per cent after it was downloaded more than a million times since its launch in February last year. Meanwhile, mobile gaming net revenue was up 198 per cent.
Pre-tax earnings for the company before exceptional items were up four per cent to £156.2m while net revenues rose by a fifth to £751.6m.
Overall online sports revenues were up 44 per cent, driving web operating profits 16 per cent higher to £80.2m.
Earnings from Hill’s more traditional retail business were still the greater portion but the figure of £107.6m was a two per cent fall from the same period last year.
Amounts wagered over the counter were down five per cent compared with a period which included the start of the Euro 2012 football tournament.
However, net revenues from this area were up by five per cent helped by Hill’s best ever Grand National result when 66-1 outside Auroras Encore won at Aintree. Gaming revenue in shops was up 18 per cent.
Chief executive Ralph Topping said: “We have continued the momentum in online, particularly in mobile Sportsbook. The shift to mobile sports gaming is an important development and we have invested significant resources in getting the business fully prepared to accelerate this important opportunity. With almost 200 per cent growth in mobile gaming net revenue in the first half, this decision is clearly justified.”
The 79-year-old firm closed 10 shops but opened another 16 over the period, bringing the total to 2,398. It also launched in Australia, buying Sportingbet’s business in the country for £459m, while it also gained full control of its online business with the buyout of the outstanding 29 per cent stake for £424m.


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Helping to implement privacy by design is a key offering of the CPO on Demand™ service. —Justine Young Gottshall, Partner at InfoLawGroup
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) March 15, 2017
InfoLawGroup LLP is pleased to announce the launch of CPO on Demand™, a legal service that provides customized privacy and data security compliance programs to businesses by acting as their outside chief privacy officer (CPO). CPO on Demand™ offers businesses—particularly those who do not yet have a dedicated CPO in place—with access to experienced privacy professionals who can help as little or as much as needed to ensure they are achieving and maintaining full compliance with ever expanding regulations.
“State attorneys generals and federal agencies are ratcheting up their scrutiny of companies, and hackers are sharpening their game—all at the same time companies are trying to take more sophisticated technology products to market to satisfy customer demands,” said Justine Young Gottshall, Partner at InfoLawGroup. “Not only are companies struggling to meet compliance requirements, but they are grappling with how to extract ROI from their privacy investments. There is value in privacy investments that goes above and beyond addressing litigation risks. Helping to implement privacy by design is a key offering of the CPO on Demand™ service.”
Driven by huge growth in cloud, mobile devices, and big data analysis, the role of a data privacy executive is becoming increasingly vital to organizations worldwide, and these are now more frequently C-Suite and board matters. Yet, according to a survey of Fortune 1000 chief privacy officers conducted by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), only 26% of companies characterized their privacy programs as “mature.” Additionally, another IAPP study found that at least 28,000 data privacy officers in the European Union alone will be needed to meet the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements, which go into effect in 2018. The CPO on Demand™ services can be a key component in helping companies keep up with these evolving issues.
Several organizations, including global freelancing website Upwork, have already benefited from the firm’s CPO services. "When Upwork has security or privacy questions that we can't answer in-house, we depend on InfoLawGroup's sound advice,” says Crystal Tajalle, Senior Compliance Counsel at Upwork. “Not only do they have extensive experience in technology, but they also possess the rare ability to balance legal requirements with business needs."
InfoLawGroup has also helped software company Signal to successfully navigate complex privacy and data security issues. “Signal has partnered with Justine Gottshall and InfoLawGroup from the earliest stages of our company, and they have been with us as our needs have grown much more complex over the past seven years,” says Blane Sims, Chief Innovation Officer at Signal. “Justine in particular has helped us think about privacy-by-design in ways that have helped shape our products and our business, and as our CPO has helped us navigate privacy and governance globally. As we continue to expand internationally, we are impressed by the depth of knowledge and connections to local counsel that the InfoLawGroup team is able to bring to the table.”
Read more information about CPO on Demand™ on the InfoLawGroup website.
About InfoLawGroup LLC
InfoLawGroup LLP is a national boutique law firm focusing on privacy, advertising and technology. The firm is led by partners with significant experience in these core areas, who previously led teams at leading national law firms and have well-known expertise in their areas of practice. The firm is ranked as a top Privacy & Data Security firm by Chambers & Partners.


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By Mark Prado, Marin Independent Journal | POSTED: 09/25/17, 5:21 PM PDT | UPDATED: ON 09/27/2017
Six months into a revitalization push at the Marin Gateway Center in Marin City — marked by the arrival of Target — the shopping hub is getting good reviews from the community.
The center, which has 182,000 square feet of retail space and 900 parking spots, opened in 1997 as part of the Marin City USA economic redevelopment project that also included new townhomes. Though the center brought the prospect of economic vitality for Marin City, it left many in the community of 3,500 disappointed, saying it has never lived up to expectations.
But the arrival of Target has given the center and the community a boost.
“Target hired a few dozen Marin City residents,” said Damian Morgan, a Marin City resident and community activist. “It’s pleasant to walk into Target and see staff that resembles the neighborhood it serves.”
The store is attracting people from beyond Marin City as well, Target officials said.
“This new store is serving a wide range of guests in the area, including commuters on their way in and out of the city, tourists vacationing as well as families in the community,” said Trish Thompson, the store’s team leader. “For the families that continuously shop the store, the store team members are able to build relationships with the guests.”
Also, the store has donated to local organizations and food banks.
Felecia Gaston, executive director of Performing Stars of Marin, said her youth organization received $2,000 unsolicited from Target. She used that money for her summer program.
“I love having it here,” Gaston said, adding she hopes the store will continue to employ local residents. “It brings people from all over the county. You see lots of new faces. The community really loves it. Personally, it’s great to not have to jump on the freeway to get food, clothes, shoes and other items.”
Gateway manager Terrence Tallen, a partner with the Southern California-based Gerrity Group, which owns Gateway, said Target has refreshed the center.
“Target is drawing consumer traffic from the Marina District in San Francisco as well as far as Sonoma County,” Tallen said.
Tallen reports the property’s co-tenants — West Marine, Ross, CVS, Starbucks and others — have experienced increased sales due to the draw of Target.
Other changes at the center include the opening of a new drive-thru Starbucks, the only one in Marin. It is in the former Burger King site and expanded from 1,800 square feet at the old Starbucks location at the center to 2,889 square feet at the new spot, making it one of the largest Starbucks in Marin.
“Starbucks recently transitioned into a bigger space, which allowed Starbucks to add more community space to be reserved by appointment, if necessary,” resident Morgan noted.
Also, Anytime Fitness has signed a long-term lease to occupy 6,000 square feet adjacent to CVS and is in the process of getting permits from the county, Tallen said.
“With the proximity to Highway 101, we believe that the club will serve the fitness needs for all of Southern Marin,” Tallen said.
There have been some recent losses at the center. Gateway had donated space to The Hannah Project, a student and community enrichment project, but work to the building where it was housed forced it to move.
“The Hannah Project was an excellent community gathering place, a worthwhile project and they had to relocate to other facilities in the community when we redeveloped that outdoor area; we did extensive work to the concrete due to the sloping of the property,” Tallen said. “It became non-compliant from an (Americans With Disabilities Act) perspective and we identified it and fixed it. The building was uninhabitable during this period.”
Outback Steakhouse also closed recently, part of a restructuring by new owners.
“The Marin City Outback was not a one-off closure and in my opinion, it is not indicative of the location,” Tallen said. “The former Marin City Outback is an excellent facility, enjoys tremendous freeway visibility and we believe that this is an opportunity to attract a new and exciting restaurant.”
Overall, Tallen said he is excited about the future of the center.
“I am very pleased with the progress that has been made over the last year and expect many new and exciting announcements in the future,” he said.
Morgan, the community activist, said he is encouraged by the center.
“Gateway Shopping Center has made great strides as of late,” he said. “I’m real hopeful that more businesses will sign leases and move in. Gateway Shopping Center seems to be headed in the right direction. The community will be greatly impacted with a healthy local mall.”


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Teresa Ann Boeckel of the Daily Record/Sunday News wrote this morning:
Stump Acres Dairy has stopped giving away raw milk after some customers became sick and were diagnosed with salmonella this month. This marks the third time this year that the North Codorus Township dairy has stopped selling or giving away raw milk because of customers becoming ill.
Consumers who got raw milk from the dairy in July experienced gastrointestinal illness and have been diagnosed with salmonella, according to a news release from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. A recent laboratory test result confirmed the presence of salmonella in raw milk at the dairy, the news release states.
Terry Stump, the son of the dairy owner, said Stump Acres hasn’t sold raw milk for about two months. However, the dairy has given it away to people who ask for it. “We will not be giving it away,” Stump said Saturday.
I say – THANK GOODNESS! Given that there have been repeated incidences of bacterial illnesses related to raw milk, one wonders why the www.westonaprice.org group still exists. We have been involved with two legal cases involving raw milk sales and illnesses. I gave a talk last year on the legal implications of selling (or giving away) raw milk – PowerPoint Link.
According to the FDA:
Consuming raw milk may be harmful to health. From 1998 to May 2005 CDC identified 45 outbreaks of foodborne illness that implicated unpasteurized milk, or cheese made from unpasteurized milk. These outbreaks accounted for 1,007 illnesses, 104 hospitalizations, and two deaths. This is based on information in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report for the week of March 2, 2007. The actual number of illnesses was almost certainly higher because not all cases of illness are recognized and reported.


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Today there are two latest news about Iphone 8, one is to use OLED screen, and Apple has ordered large enough parts for mass production. According to current situation, Apple will release three iPhone, one is iPhone 8 with OLED screen, 5.8 inch, which is the first time for Apple to use this kind of panel. The other two are iPhone 7s, iPhone 7s plus with 4.7 and 5.5 inch LCD panel.
In addition, Iphone 8 OLED version will ditch Home button to use a touch button. And iPhone will not use Lightning port that uses for many years, but adopt USB Type C port. Currently, there are more and more smartphones, tablet pc, PC and other devices use USB Type C port, and Macbook Pro has also used it before. It shows fast speed and convenient charging.
Therefore, in the near future we only need one USB cable to support Android devices and iphone. Although right now we can’t confirm this news totally, because others still leak that Apple will continue to use Lightning port, stay tuned more news about iPhone 8 here.


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Wednesday, August 03, 2005, 04:00 pm PT (07:00 pm ET)
Apple\'s Jobs to unveil Japanese iTunes serviceApple Computer chief executive Steve Jobs will be on hand in Tokyo today to formally introduce a Japanese version of the company's industry leading iTunes Music Store, sources tell AppleInsider.
Jobs is slated to kick-off a special music event at 10:00 am at the Tokyo International Forum— just a matter of hours from now.
According to sources, the iTunes Music Store Japan will launch with a catalog of well over 500,000 music tracks, which will mostly consist of music from the US and European iTunes stores.
With over half-a-million tracks, the iTunes service will be more than double the size of its largest local competitor, Sony-owned Labelgate.
Last Tuesday Apple Japan sent out invitations to select journalists and members of the media inviting them to the invite-only special music event.
Official iTMS Japan Logo Image
On Topic: General
- Rumor: Google pressured Asus to cancel Android/Windows dual-boot devices
- Apple's Tim Cook meets Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at Apple HQ
- Apple gobbling up retail market share as Radio Shack, Best Buy shrink
- Construction of Apple's new San Francisco flagship store gets final go ahead
- Apple exploring device pairing with Touch ID, camera privacy using diffusers


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Says it will sell twice as much to those markets in 2014 as it does in North America.
Tesla’s unstoppable expansion is in the midst of taking Europe by storm, with 30 sales and service centers expect to open on the continent this year alone. Concurrently, the EV company is rolling out more and more battery-charging stations in Europe, preparing for an onslaught of sales that will eventually dwarf its North American market, especially when coupled with its upcoming sales in China. According to the company, global sales will rise more than 55 percent this year.
With increased manufacturing ability aided by its planned “Gigafactory,” Tesla will launch its dealerships in China later this year, joining its existing sales in the United States, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark and Belgium. This spring, it will also add a right-hand steering wheel to the Model S, allowing it to sell the car in the UK. Tesla sales are also expected to increase significantly once it releases the Model X crossover later in 2014 and the rumored Model E further down the line.


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On November 12th, a tour took place in the North Huetar region as part of the plan run by the Chamber of Exporters of Costa Rica (CADEXCO) in order to take advantage of the Asian market.
The trip was made along with Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China Song Yanbin and representatives of the Municipality of San Carlos.
Laura Bonilla, President of the Chamber, stated that the delegation visited Upala Agrícola Company, Ticofrut and Water Monterreal, which showed to be suitable to market their products in China, since this is a market with preferences for fruits and fresh products.
They also toured El Agua Juan Castro Blanco National Park (APANAJUCA) and inspected the progress of Muelle Business Park and Business Park project, an infrastructure that includes in its first stage near 20 companies engaged in agribusiness, technology and logistics.
During this work, the quality of the products of this area and the opportunity they have to be positioned in China was proven.


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With the latest trend, display is getting larger and flexible too. The device still fits nicely in your pocket and with a press of a button or a gesture, the display will roll out depending on the use.
A phablet is not a tablet. It's smaller than a tablet, but bigger than a smartphone. It's something in between. Fashion designers have already started to design clothes with bigger inside pockets to carry them.
That may be the trend at the moment, however I believe consumers will still want small size phones such as Smartphones to be able to easily carry around. Smartphones can fit in a pocket, not so easy with Tablet sized phones.
I think it is difficult to return to small display. Prior of my current smartphone, my phone is the small-display feature phone, I can not image to browsing websites, see novels on small display phone, so tired.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.


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L'Oreal Looks For Friendlier Locales In Its Suits Against eBay
from the you-can-even-shop-for-jurisdictions-easily-online dept
US courts have generally recognized that eBay isn't liable for the actions of people who use its site to sell counterfeit goods, though a recent decision went the other way. This situation reflects the lack of uniformity around the world in this type of case: for instance, eBay was found liable in France, but was not in Belgium. In the Belgian case, eBay was sued by cosmetics maker L'Oreal, but the company hasn't let the ruling slow it down, as it's now filed a similar suit in the UK. It's also sued eBay in France, Germany and Spain -- which could lead one to believe that it's jurisdiction shopping, simply filing suits in many different countries and seeing what sticks, with the hopes that victory in one place will force eBay to play ball worldwide. The issue of eBay's lack of liability as a platform provider remains an important one, but the problem of international jurisdiction shopping remains a massive one for companies online.


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Recently, Fashion Group International (FGI) hosted a breakfast panel of beauty leaders from the worlds of media, private equity, retail and brands to discuss shifts in consumer mindsets, brand opportunities, investments and M&A, and more.
The Niche Explosion
The beauty industry has undergone parallel explosions in the amount and variety of niche brands and voices, which have provided unprecedented choices and democratization of information and perspectives for consumers. As a result, products such as face oils have become their own discrete category, while vloggers have harnessed immense power sought after by even the largest multinational beauty houses.
Elle beauty director Emily Dougherty noted that there are now more than 10,000 people on LinkedIn listing themselves as beauty editors. This spike in the number of voices has been enabled by a concurrent diversification in communication channels. Yet standard bearers such as Elle continue to cast a large shadow as influencers.
The rarest type of innovation, the lightning bolt, involves a completely new concept or product category and is most likely to excite a beauty editor.
Inside the Mind of a Beauty Editor
What does an Elle editor look for? Dougherty explained that, when surveying products for editorial coverage she asks: does it work, is it better than products already on the market, is it a breakthrough technology or format, and is it inspirational?
Inspirational products are fun, but maybe not always more efficacious than their predecessors, Dougherty said. In some cases, inspirational products may represent a breakthrough in rethinking a specific category or consumer need and, while not perfect, represent further innovations to come. In short, these products can act as a bellwether of where beauty is going.
Dougherty discussed the various types of innovation beauty editors look at, including so-called pivot products—repurposing existing tech for a new application—and refinement products, which are all changing the experience or point of view of a product or category or boosting relevance.
The rarest type of innovation, the lightning bolt, involves a completely new concept or product category and is most likely to excite a beauty editor. Dougherty detailed one recent lightning bolt, BitterLaceBeauty’s prism cheek highlighter, which comprises a pan (44 mm) of multicolored pigments that can be swiped by finger onto one’s cheek for a prism effect.
A brush can be used for a more blended look. Sold by the small brand on Etsy, the product unexpectedly took off on social media, creating immediate sellouts and long delays for replenishment orders.
Because millennials are led by what their hearts are attracted to, connection can trump performance.
The Etsy Effect and Its Limitations
Lightning bolts are particularly potent for millennials, Dougherty said, because those consumers are often less focused on efficacy than products’ “vibes.” Describing this phenomenon as “the Etsy effect,” she noted that often small niche brands can get away with efficacy lapses because of their emotional connection with consumers.* Because millennials are led by what their hearts are attracted to, connection can trump performance.
The same cannot be said for multinationals. Top brands, said Dougherty, have to be perfect. Alicia Valencia, senior vice president of beauty for HSN, agreed, noting that if brands don’t have efficacy, they don’t really have a brand at all. As a result, clinicals and other backing evidence on claims is crucial.
Quality will trump anything else in the long run, added Peter Jueptner, senior vice president, strategy and new business development at The Estée Lauder Companies. Brigitte King, deputy general manager of Kiehl’s USA, echoed those sentiments, adding that efficacy matters.
Products have to have a payoff, which is why some of Kiehl’s legacy products remain among its top sellers. Elana Drell-Szyfer, CEO of Laura Geller Beauty also noted that some of her brands’ decade-old products remain some of its top sellers because their quality is their legacy. The brand continues to focus on its core ingredient and process story to bring women to the brand. She concluded, that it “100% has to work.”
The End of Influencers?
Brands seeking to speak to millennials’ hearts—and, ultimately, their wallets—are eager for access. Yet television viewership continues to decline for Americans age 18-24, according to Nielsen, while ad blocking has decimated many online campaigns even as digital marketing spends continue to rise. That’s why, according to Schlesinger Associates, 84% of marketing groups surveyed would introduce at least one influencer marketing program.
Paying trendsetters and thought leaders to advocate for brands is big business, and is already creating its own celebrities, like YouTube personality Michelle Phan. Last year, GCI reported that The&Collective launched an influencer marketing agency to connect brands with social influencers who have gained significant traction on digital platforms. But does it work?
According to Dougherty, yes and no. While influencers on Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat can indeed positively impact brands, scale matters. As digital celebrities begin to amass hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers, their potency to influence declines.
As a result, Dougherty noted that consumers are beginning to embrace micro influencers, those personalities with large followings below the 100,000 threshold. Because engagement diminishes with the larger audiences, smaller-scale influencers truly have a new opportunity to boost brands.
Stuck in the Middle
While the niche and top multinational and heritage brands are succeeding in the digital space and connecting with millennials in their own distinct ways, there is a challenge in middle. Mid-tier brands—like mid-tier influencers with neither massive nor targeted audiences—have difficulty generating excitement. Dougherty suggested that mid-tier brands need to rediscover their stories and tell it consistently.
Private equity money and attention can shore up these challenges, making the brands highly attractive acquisitions for top beauty multinationals.
The Beauty of Private Equity Investment
Private equity has become more specialized in recent years, said Rich Gersten of Tengram Capital Partners, leading to a decline in generalist investing. Gersten’s firm targets the consumer product space, with five of its 11 brands—including thisworks, Laura Geller Beauty, Deva Curl, Nest Fragrances and Cos Bar—falling in the beauty space.
So why is more private equity and investment banking turning to beauty? For one, said Gersten, beauty is a large and growing industry that is highly fragmented, with niche and indie brands offering unique investment opportunities.
Many of these businesses are passionate, uniquely positioned and founder-owned. These businesses sit in a high-margin space and offer private equity investors “attractive” exit opportunities.
Skin care has seen strong M&A activity, said Gersten, including Nestlé purchasing Proactiv, Unilever purchasing Dermalogica, and Estée Lauder’s stake in Dr. Jart+ and GlamGlow.
Often, these business are succeeding despite themselves, Gersten said, with fantastic products and highly engaged consumers overcoming deficits in human resources, infrastructure and business strategy. Private equity money and attention can shore up these challenges, making the brands highly attractive acquisitions for top beauty multinationals.
In acquiring “upgraded” brands from private equity, purchasers are typically seeking new territory or segments, or even expertise in elements such as social media, said Gersten.
Where the Action Is
Color cosmetics have driven a fair amount of private equity activity, Gersten explained. Prestige beauty, no surprise, is expanding “incredibly.” Brands such as L'Oréal have acquired brands such as Urban Decay and NYX from private equity. Meanwhile, other brands such Laura Geller have taken on new private equity investments or are actively seeking them.
Skin care has seen strong M&A activity, said Gersten, including Nestlé purchasing Proactiv, Unilever purchasing Dermalogica, and Estée Lauder’s stake in Dr. Jart+ and GlamGlow. A number of brands are currently held by private equity, including Sundial Brands and Perricone MD.
Working within a small business means that executives have to process great volumes of information and quickly prioritize and make determinations.
Hair care has seen less activity in private equity, perhaps due to less clear growth and a smaller prestige hair market, Gersten explained. That said, there has been some M&A activity in recent years, including Church & Dwight’s purchase of Toppik and Henkel’s acquisition of SexyHair.
Growth in fragrance investment has shifted to artisanal brands, Gersten continued. Recent activity has included Estée Lauder’s acquisitions of By Kilian and Le Labo. On the retail side, Macy’s has acquired Bluemercury, while Target has purchased DermStore.
Anatomy of an Acquisition
As Gersten noted, private equity may often seek out founder-owned companies that are seeing success despite structural or resource challenges, whether it be a lack of capital, direction or talent.
Founder-owners must trust the private equity partners they select because they are not just selling their company—they’re selling their name. Gersten added that keeping founders engaged requires giving them a continued ownership interest in the company and providing them, through investment, with the money to grow to the next level.
From Gersten’s perspective, ROI on a private equity deal should come in at roughly three times the money invested. Typically, a private equity firm holds onto and builds its acquisitions for four to five years prior to sale.
If a company has been sitting in a private equity portfolio for a longer period, it’s typically “because it’s not working,” Gersten added. But when do you know when to sell? Gersten’s answer was simple: when you begin receiving a slew of unsolicited interest from potential buyers.
In the case of Laura Geller Beauty, Tengram Capital Partners brought in an experienced beauty executive, Drell-Szyfer, as CEO. Drell-Szyfer said she was interested in the opportunities afforded by a private equity environment and felt her skill set—speed and agility, among others—fit the company’s needs.
Drell-Szyfer previously held roles with companies such as L’Oréal, The Estée Lauder Companies and Avon Products and compared those experiences with working in a private equity environment. Aside from the rapid pace, she explained that one typically has the same goals and expectations as in any other top beauty company, but with fewer resources and capital and less time.
Large brands must never lose sight of the unique stories behind their smaller acquisitions.
This has taught her how to analyze and process situations and make decisions quickly and firmly, she said. Working within a small business means that executives have to process great volumes of information and quickly prioritize and make determinations. Time and financial management skills are an absolute must, she concluded.
Aside from her duties with the Laura Geller Beauty Brand, Drell-Szyfer has helped scout itworks—Tengram Capital Partners’ only non-US brand—while on a trip to the United Kingdom. Her initial discovery and the firm’s investment occurred within a year, according to Gersten, showing the pace of deals in the private equity space. Drell-Szyfer has also become involved in finding new talent for the firm’s other portfolio companies.
In the end, she said, her role is to add value to the brands and make them a resource that other companies would want to acquire. Drell-Szyfer added that it is critical to talk openly with staff regarding the goal: to build the brand in order for it to be sold.
Don’t Love It? Don’t Buy It.
Top brands have become aware that competition can come from anywhere, said King. As a result, they are engaging in M&A at the smaller niche level. Jueptner noted that beauty brands are looking at smaller assets that can “refresh” their portfolios. These acquisitions create greater diversification and can be built up to handle today’s fragmented consumer base.
Jueptner said that fragrance is an arena with great potential, particularly in high-end artisanal luxury products. He added, however, that passion comes first: “If we can’t fall in love with brand, we won’t buy it.”
Valencia cautioned that success, particularly on her platform, requires a great product, great story and great storyteller. Failure on any one pillar could hinder success. As a result, she said, large brands must never lose sight of the unique stories behind their smaller acquisitions. In this way, HSN can act as a partner in helping build brands.
It is important to keep acquired brands’ headquarters where they are rather than consolidating them within the beauty centers of New York or Paris.
King noted that, in addition to fixing supply chain issues, her job has focused on preserving brand DNA. She noted one incident in which, while mapping out the brand, the Kiehl’s founders demanded the resulting document be printed on parchment.
This small detail signaled to King so much about what the brand must continue to be. To this day, while Kiehl’s evolution is ongoing, she said that L’Oréal is focused on enhancing the brand’s roots while keeping it competitive and agile by, among other strategies, scaling up and leveraging digital channels.
Jueptner concurred with King, saying it is crucial to ensure that entrepreneurs don’t get lost in the large acquirer company and lose their unique voices. For one thing, he said it is important to keep acquired brands’ headquarters where they are rather than consolidating them within the beauty centers of New York or Paris.
This retains brand authenticity and discrete identity. Because, unlike the tree- to four-year timespan of private equity, brands like Estée Lauder are focused on building brands over 10- and 50-year periods. Building them to last.
*That said, Dougherty explained that millennials do like products that come from specialists and experts—people seen as authentically knowledgeable.


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NATEXPO is set to write another successful chapter in its history. Building on their experience, the teams at this reference tradeshow are hard at work to make sure that this major event for the organic sector in France and Europe delivers on its promises. The Lyon show will take place over the space of three days, from Sunday 18 to Tuesday 20 September.
Following on from the successful 2021 show which attracted nearly 15,600 professionals, the 2022 edition is already displaying a healthy dynamic: with 8 months to go before the show opens, all the big names have already confirmed their attendance, more than 75% of the surface area is booked, and international exhibitors make up 15% of the registered companies! French regional pavilions will also be out in force. Eight regions have already confirmed their attendance: Brittany, Centre-Val de Loire, Hauts de France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitania, PACA, Pays de la Loire, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
Staying true to its reputation, NATEXPO will once again be the definitive venue for organic professionals to meet and get up to speed on the trends and prospects of a market in constant flux. With a finger on the pulse of all the latest trends, the exhibition’s teams have planned an array of new developments to help professionals meet new consumer expectations. For instance, this year NATEXPO inaugurates a new sector dedicated to e-commerce solutions, and a visitor trail for premium organic cosmetics.


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The failing FDA: What is to be done?
Everyone is worried about the FDA (or should be) and I’ve been collecting suggestions for how to fix it. I have three so far.
I. Move food safety out of FDA and into a new Food Safety Administration.
This would be housed (as FDA is) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Senators Durbin, Blumenthal, and DeLauro have proposed legislation to do this. The bill text is here and a fact sheet here.
- “In recent years, FDA has been plagued by one failure after another—from a failure to properly recognize the dangers of prescription opioids, to a failure to protect children from e-cigarette products, to a failure to properly ensure the safety of our nation’s food supply,” said Durbin. “The sad reality is that FDA seems unwilling or unable to use their authority to protect Americans from preventable illness and death.
- “Americans deserve to know the food on their plates is safe to eat,” said Blumenthal. “By protecting consumers from foodborne illnesses and acting swiftly to respond to recalls, the Food Safety Administration will improve the safety of our nation’s vital food supply.”
- “Food safety is currently a second-class citizen at the Food and Drug Administration,” said DeLauro. “Right now, there are no food policy experts in charge of food safety at the FDA.”
II. Move all food functions out of FDA into a separate agency.
This is proposed by several public action groups: Consumer Reports, STOP Foodborne illness, the Environmental Working Group, and Healthy Babies Bright Futures.
[The] groups discussed the need for congressional action to separate the food portion of the Food and Drug Administration into a separate agency under the Depart of Health and Human Services. The agency would be solely devoted to the food side of the FDA, which oversees 80 percent of the nation’s food supply.
These groups have not developed specific details about how this might work.
III. Move FDA’s food functions into USDA.
This proposal comes from Jerry Mande, former FDA and USDA official: “A Farm to Fork approach to Fixing FDA’s food program.”
USDA is best positioned to succeed due to its history and mission. Created by President Abraham Lincoln to be the “people’s department,” USDA has the comprehensive resources and authorities needed to succeed. These include its 15 nutrition assistance programs and their $175 billion budget, its farm executive directors in every state and its transformative extension agents in literally every county, and the nation’s leading food and nutrition research programs.
Specifically, we propose that the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Nutrition (CFSAN) merge with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) under one Food, Nutrition and Health mission area at the USDA.
The Government Accountability Office has been calling for a separate food safety agency since at least 1990. Its idea would be to combine the food safety functions of FDA (generally, plant foods and food products), USDA (generally, animal foods), and other federal agencies. From a food safety perspective, that makes sense.
But what about FDA’s other food functions, such as oversight of food ingredients, labels, and health claims?
And what about food advertising (FTC), health risks (CDC), etc?
What’s good about this is that doing something to strengthen food regulation is on the agenda.
How best to do it?
Ultimately, it’s up to Congress.


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Obamobile For Sale on Ebay
However, the vehicle's value is already high because of Barack Obama's actual position. For those who missed it, the Obamobile is available for purchase on eBay, with the latest owner setting an amazing $100,000 opening bid.
The blue vehicle has automatic transmission and exhibits a comfortable cabin: leather seats, sunroof and dual zone air conditioning. In addition, the car has power windows and power door locks. And if having Obama's Chrysler 300c Hemi isn't tempting enough, you should know the car is still under the manufacturer's warranty.
The 2005 year model has 20,000 miles on board and served Obama faithfully until the president elect decided to opt for a greener vehicle. The Illinois senator traded it for one of Ford's hybrid Escape SUVs after being criticized by the US media for his speech blaming the Detroit industry to have failed in the production of cars that reflected consumer needs for greater efficiency. Look who was talking!
Yet, according to US price guides, a low mileage 2005 model 300C shouldn't value more than $15,000. Considering the opening bid, the Obamobile is not exactly what we could call a bargain but curiosity floats in the air to see if the Obama charm will increase the price of the vehicle with more than $80,000. Most probably we'll find this out on December 17, when the bidding ends.
❐ Check out the Obamobile For Sale on Ebay photo gallery


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We’ve all heard of Bitcoin and new cryptocurrencies.
We may not understand what bitcoin is, how it works, or why people would use it. But, we’ve heard of it. If we’ve been paying attention, we would know that everyone and their grandmother are creating their own crypto currencies.
Isn’t Bitcoin a Bit Shady?
In short, yes.
While there are many benefits to currencies like bitcoin, they are also used for nefarious reasons and to evade the law. The “anonymous” nature of the transactions allows, if not encourages it.
Also, the fluctuation of the currency is massive.
Why? Because the currency attracts a lot of the wrong people looking to clean their cash. Even worse, that same technology has attracted a lot of venture capitalists, who can use their massive investments to manipulate the prices and make themselves billions of dollars.
Look at it this way. Bitcoin is like the New York Stock Exchange without any rules. And large investors, often working together, use that to their advantage to manipulate bitcoin prices, making themselves millions and leaving others invested in the currency in the lurch.
What do Notaries Have to Do with Bitcoin?
Remember when we said people use bitcoin to skirt the law?
They are now using it to circumvent notary laws, avoid taxes and other legal responsibilities under the law.
Documents and transactions that are required to be notarized, are now being pushed through the bitcoin network, allowing users to make their industries the wild west once more.
Can I get a Current Example?
There is a shortage of coffee in the world right now, causing a crisis in the market, and sending prices for a cup of joe and other caffeinated products up.
But, is there really a crisis?
If you read the news, it is black and white. In reality, there is a whole bunch of gray there. The answer might just lie in how coffee is being traded.
Coffee producers are manipulating the market, using bitcoin as their weapon of choice, saving themselves money, evading notary law, and secretly filling orders that make it look like the market is short a whole bunch of coffee.
That is not to say definitively that there is not less coffee beans this season. As we said, there is a whole bunch of gray here. But, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are exacerbating the problem.
Small Farmers Start to Drive up Profits and Prices
Let’s start by saying we have no problems with small farmers. Most are paid a pittance of a wage for a job that is very rough on the body. So, seeing a situation where they make more money, how can we argue with that?
But, we do have a problem.
The coffee growers and their buyers are evading tax law, notarial law and regulations by selling in cryptocurrency. They make more money than if they went to market, and the buyer gets a better deal than on the open market.
Sounds like a Win-Win.
We love Win-Wins, except when the notaries are adversely affected or pushed out of the process.
Like we said the buyers and sellers are avoiding notary requirements. They are not just earning more for themselves, they are putting notaries out of business.
So, Would We Call That an Attack on Notaries?
Of course it is.
Notaries might just be caught in the crossfire now, but if current trends continue, notaries might just be pushed out of the process. What is now transparent will go dark, and eventually the public will suffer for it.
If allowed to continue this is going to affect a lot more than coffee beans. It very well could be a scourge across industries and push those who bring accountability to the market fewer opportunities.
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▪ CHANGING FACES
Concurrent with Millennium Hotels and Resorts' relocation of its management headquarters from Washington, D.C., to New York City, Paul T. Underhill has been given responsibility for U.S. operations, which includes 13 four-star Millennium branded hotels. As president for Millennium Hotels and Resorts, the Americas, Underhill replaces Robert Morse, who has joined MeriStar Hotels & Resorts as president, hotel operations.
Chet Carroll has been named sales manager for Westin Mission Hills Resort, Rancho Mirage, Calif. He had been senior sales manager at Caribe Royal Resort Suites in Orlando, Fla.
David J. Sargent has been named director of sales and marketing for The Westin New York at Times Square, which is scheduled to open in November. Sargent was most recently director of sales and marketing for Sheraton Hotels of New York.
Bill Pennington has been appointed regional sales manager at World Golf Village Renaissance Resort in St. Augustine, Fla. Pennington will be responsible for group business in the mid-Atlantic region for the 300-room resort. He had been sales manager for Adam's Mark Hotel in Jacksonville, Fla.
Bruce Seigel has been named director of marketing at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes Resort, Fla., opening in summer 2003. He was formerly director of sales and marketing at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis. The resort will have 33,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as an 18-hole Greg Norman — designed championship golf course.
David Berwick, CMP, has been appointed director of the newly established destination services department at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. The department was formed to provide on-site staff to help meeting planners design and implement meetings. Berwick was named 1996 Meeting Professional of the Year by the New England chapter of Meeting Professionals International.
At Pine Mountain, Ga.'s, Callaway Gardens Resort, Joe Henry has been named director of operations. Henry spent nearly 25 years at Nashville's Opryland Hotel, most recently as manager.
Mark W. Thomas has been appointed national sales manager at the Greensboro (N.C.) Convention and Visitors Bureau. He will be responsible for sales in Chicago, New York, and other major cities.
Randy Parker has been appointed director of sales and marketing for the 398-room Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Ariz. Parker was most recently director of sales and marketing at Fairmont Hotel in Dallas.
At the Pointe South Mountain Resort in Phoenix, Geoffrey Cooke has been named national sales manager. He had been director of national accounts for more than 10 years at International Conference Resorts in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Don Jones has been named director of marketing for The Pierre, a Four Seasons Hotel in New York City. Jones joins the Pierre from Dean & Deluca, where he was vice president of sales for its business-to-business division.
Linda Kamp has been promoted to senior national sales manager, and Julie Ryczak has been named national sales manager, at the 1,334-room Rosen Centre hotel, adjacent to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Kamp will be responsible for sales in the Washington, D.C., area, while Ryczak will handle sales in the southeastern United States.
Vineyard Creek Hotel & Spa, a 155-room boutique hotel in Santa Rosa, Calif., has appointed Susan Dunn senior sales manager. Before coming to Vineyard Creek, Dunn was senior sales manager at several San Francisco properties, including the Sir Francis Drake Hotel.
At JW Marriott Orlando, Fla., Grande Lakes Resort, Jane M. Chaney, CMP, has been appointed director of marketing. For the past three years, Chaney has been vice president of convention sales and services for the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Angela Willard has been promoted to director of conference services at Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club in Naples, Fla. Willard had been conference planning manager at the hotel since 1999.
▪ GOING PLACES
Scheduled for a summer 2003 opening, the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes Resort, Orlando, Fla., will have 1,000 rooms. The property will be in a 500-acre resort complex that includes a 584-room Ritz-Carlton hotel, a 40,000-square-foot spa, and an 18-hole golf course designed by Greg Norman. The hotel's 72,000 square feet of flexible meeting space will include a 30,000-square-foot ballroom and a 20,000-square-foot ballroom. In addition, there will be two boardrooms, 23 conference rooms, and an additional 62,000 square feet of outdoor meeting space. Professional meeting assistance will be on-site. www.marriott.com
Six miles from downtown Los Angeles and 30 minutes from Disneyland, the new Crowne Plaza Los Angeles-Commerce Casino is about to open. The 220-room hotel will offer high-speed Internet access, voice mail, and on-demand video in all guest rooms. The 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting space will offer 11 meeting rooms, including a 13,600-square-foot ballroom that can seat 1,430 people. The hotel will also include a full-service spa and a 24-hour casino. www.crowneplaza.com
Adam's Mark Hotels & Resorts is scheduled to complete its $45 million expansion of the Adam's Mark Daytona Beach Resort, Fla. The new North Tower will add 306 guest rooms, bringing the hotel's total rooms to 746. A ground level, covered walkway will connect the existing hotel to the new tower. More than 30,000 square feet of flexible meeting space have been added, including an 18,000-square-foot ballroom, bringing function space to a total of 60,000 square feet. A new swimming pool, full-service sports bar, and health club have also been part of the expansion.
With its $25 million renovation and expansion, the Sheraton Station Square Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pa., has added a 97,000-square-foot, nine-story addition that includes 104 new guest rooms and eight new meeting rooms. The hotel's guest rooms now total 396, and all the original rooms and hallways have been completely refurbished. The Sheraton now has 21 meeting rooms plus an executive boardroom, and can accommodate up to 1,000 meeting attendees. A new pool and exercise room have also been added. www.sheraton.com
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, on the Gulf of Mexico in Sandestin, Fla., has embarked on a three-phase expansion plan. The 28-acre Village of Baytowne Wharf, a pedestrian village with 42 retail and food and beverage merchants, will open Memorial Day weekend and include 175 new village accommodations. The Baytowne Conference Center will open in spring 2003 and will feature 32,000 square feet of meeting space, bringing the resort's total meeting square footage to 65,000. Also opening in spring 2003 is the Grand Sandestin, a 12-story resort hotel with 150 guest rooms. When all expansions are complete, the resort will offer 1,500 guest rooms, four golf courses, 15 tennis courts, four swimming pools, a restaurant, and the new pedestrian village. www.sandestin.com
Suburban Chicago's Indian Lakes Resort is undergoing an $18 million renovation. The 260-acre resort in Bloomingdale, Ill., recently completed a full redesign and renovation of its garden-level ballrooms. The property's 30,000-square-foot conference center, which is connected to the hotel, can accommodate up to 2,000 attendees. Renovations to the center's upper ballrooms, waterfall atrium, and breakout areas are also nearing completion. The resort has an additional 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space. The upgrading of the property's two 18-hole championship golf courses and redesign of all 308 guest rooms, food and beverage outlets, and public areas is scheduled for completion this spring. www.indianlakesresort.com


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The tame Apple Press has enthusiastically been running storied about how well Apple is doing in China. Reuters for example has been saying that the one million pre-orders that Jobs’ Mob has just collected is a triumph for Tim Cook’s negotiating ability. Getting a deal out of China Mobile was something the sainted Steve Jobs could not manage.
However saner heads are urging caution, While it is true that launching its iPhone on China Mobile vast network on Friday, opening the door to the world’s largest carrier’s 763 million subscribers and giving its China sales a short-term jolt, it is not likely to last. For a start the deal could start a war which China Mobile would not want. Some analysts predicting a costly subsidy war as rival carriers compete to lure customers. If China Mobile does not make its targets on sales for these phones, they are going to increase the subsidies.
China Mobile’s iPhone sales are expected to reach 12 million in its 2014 fiscal year, but its subsidies will leap 57 percent to $7 billion. In addition, the prices are still really high for the Chinese market. For the basic 16GB iPhone 5S, with no subscriber contract, China Mobile is charging $870.
China Unicom and China Telecom slashed their iPhone prices by as much as $210 following the announcement that a deal had been struck between Apple and China Mobile. The pair have also offered a range of cut-price deals on contracts. But there are also some problems with the pre-orders. Reuters checks showed that there were multiple registrations using fake ID numbers which means that people are buying up hoping to make a swift buck on resales.
All this is the least of Apple’s Chinese worries. The outfit has fallen out of favour with consumers who are increasingly opting for domestic products. Those who want an iPhone do not need to pay excessively to get one through China mobile either. In China, you can buy handsets typically smuggled from Hong Kong and then sign up for a China Mobile contract. This is a swings and roundabouts for Apple. If people buy from China Mobile, they will not buy from Hong Kong so it will lose sales there. If they don’t then the China Mobile contract is rubbish.
Sales of Chromebooks enjoyed rapid growth,going from basically nothing in 2012 to more than 20 percent of the U.S. commercial PC market, analyst firm NPD reported, while Windows PCs and Macs remained flat at best.
NPD estimated that, throughout all of 2013, 14.4 million desktops, notebooks, and tablets were sold through U.S. commercial channels, typically resellers. That compares to 16.4 million PCs, overall, sold in the U.S. during the third quarter alone–excluding tablets, according to IDC. All told, about 46.2 million PCs have been sold in the U.S. during 2013, IDC found.
Within that segment, however, NPD reported some intriguing findings. Chromebooks, once largely the province of Acer and Samsung, have been embraced by Dell, HP, and others–not the least of which are paying customers. In 2012, Chromebook sales were “negligible,” NPD reported. But in the space of a single year, they climbed to 21 percent, NPD found, helping push overall notebook PC growth up by 28.9 percent.
Windows notebooks, however, contributed nothing to that, as NPD found that growth was flat. Worse still, Macs actually declined, with combined sales of desktops and notebooks falling by 7 percent. Windows tablet sales tripled, albeit off what NPD called “a very small base”.
The message? Businesses are turning to the Web, which Chromebooks almost exclusively run. And those low-cost, Net-focused devices are becoming engines of productivity. As a result, they’re receiving validation from traditional PC vendors including Acer, Asus, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard, plus Google’s own Pixel.
“The market for personal computing devices in commercial markets continues to shift and change,” saidA Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD, in a statement.A “New products like Chromebooks, and reimagined items like Windows tablets, are now supplementing the revitalization that iPads started in personal computing devices. It is no accident that we are seeing the fruits of this change in the commercial markets as business and institutional buyers exploit the flexibility inherent in the new range of choices now open to them.”
Naturally, tablet sales continued to explode, capturing 22 percent(or about 3.16 million units) of all the computing device sales sold through the U.S. channel. Of all tablets sold commercially, iPads dominated with 59 percent of all unit sales, leaving the rest to Android (which grew more than 160 percent) and Windows.
Baker said that diversity will be key to the future success of hardware makers, a signpost for what vendors might release at 2014 and the weeks and months following.
MediaTek raised quite a few eyebrows earlier this year when it announced it would build the world’s first proper ARM octa-core, not a big.LITTLE design. The MT6592 has now popped up on a Chinese site, with the first Antutu results.
It scored 25,496, which places it behind the 1.7GHz Snapdragon in the HTC One, but it’s still a lot faster than the Nexus 4’s Qualcomm APQ8064, although throttling may have something to do with that. The score seems too high, but not long after the results emerged, a number of mobile sites started talking about disappointing results, claiming that MediaTek’s octa-core was somehow supposed to end up on a par with Samsung’s latest Exynos 5 big.LITTLE chip and the Qualcomm 800.
This of course is utter rubbish and FUD of the highest order.
The 28nm MT6592 is indeed an octa-core, but it has eight A7 cores, not a combo of A15 and A7 cores. The A7 is about one fifth of the die area of an A15 and according to ARM it consumes one quarter to one fifth of the power, making such comparisons asinine. In other words, MediaTek’s octa-core should end up a lot smaller and cheaper than a quad A15, maybe even a quad A12. That is why we find the 25,496 result hard to believe – it should be less, not more. For example, the Tegra 4 on Shield hits about 36,000, yet it’s a much bigger chip, on a device with more RAM.
The benchmarked chip ran at 1.7GHz, but MediaTek said the MT6592 should have no trouble hitting 2GHz, which could make it faster than a Snapdragon 600. What’s more, the tested device featured 1GB of RAM, 720p display and a Mali-450 GPU, so it is clearly not high-end.
However, the big problem for MediaTek’s curious new SoC is the sheer number of cores. Most apps simply can’t put them to good use and unless MediaTek has a clever trick up its sleeve, the chip might not be nearly as fast in real world applications. It does look promising in benchmarks, though.
Kaveri is coming in a few months, but before it ships AMD will apparently spice up the Richland line-up with a few low-power parts.
CPU World has come across an interesting listing, which points to two new 45W chips, the A8-6500T and the A10-6700T. Both are quads with 4MB of cache. The A8-6500T is clocked at 2.1GHz and can hit 3.1GHz on Turbo, while the A10-6700T’s base clock is 2.5GHz and it maxes out at 3500MHz.
The prices are $108 and $155 for the A8 and A10 respectively, which doesn’t sound too bad although they are still significantly pricier than regular FM2 parts.
AMD really needs to make up its mind and figure out how it interprets its own roadmaps. A few weeks ago the company said desktop Kaveri parts should hit the channel in mid-February 2014. The original plan called for a launch in late 2013, but AMD insists the chip was not delayed.
Now though, it told Computerbase.de that the first desktop chips will indeed appear in late 2013 rather than 2014, while mobile chips will be showcased at CES 2014 and they will launch in late Q1 or early Q2 2014.
As we reported earlier, the first FM2+ boards are already showing up on the market, but at this point it’s hard to say when Kaveri desktop APUs will actually be available. The most logical explanation is that they will be announced sometime in Q4, with retail availability coming some two months later.
Kaveri is a much bigger deal than Richland, which was basically Trinity done right. Kaveri is based on new Steamroller cores, it packs GCN graphics and it’s a 28nm part. It is expected to deliver a significant IPC boost over Piledriver-based chips, but we don’t have any exact numbers to report.
Demand for Windows 8 may be still somewhat lukewarm, but Dell is maintaining its stance that it is the best operating system for business tablets and plans to roll out more Windows 8-based products later this year, according to a senior executive at the computer maker.
“Our Windows tablets are more secure and easier to manage than Android-based products and iOS-based products [because Windows is] on our tablets,” said Jeff Clarke, vice chairman and president of global operations at Dell. “And we are not going to change that.”
Windows-based devices accounted for just 4.5% of tablet sales in this year’s second quarter, according to research firm IDC. In comparison, Android-based devices had 62.6% of the tablet market and Apple’s iPad had 32.5%.
The slow adoption of Windows 8 tablets is partly due to their high prices, and to the operating system’s lack of mobile apps, analysts say. Windows 8 has also received mixed reviews, with some people citing its lack of a Start button in the desktop mode as a major problem.
But Dell expects demand for Windows 8 devices to pick up with the availability of Windows 8.1, which Microsoft will release in October.
The acquisition, which was first reported by tech journalist Jessica Lessin, follows other recent mapping purchases for Apple: HopStop, another maker of apps for public transit directions; and Locationary, which provides data about local businesses; and WifiSLAM, an indoor location and mapping company.
Apple did not directly confirm its acquisition of Embark, but in an emailed statement said, “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”
Apple declined to comment further on the deal.
Apple has faced some serious challenges over the past year in providing a consistently solid mapping product with its Maps app. Last September Apple CEO Tim Cook was forced to publicly apologize for a series of issues plaguing the company’s Maps app in Apple’s iOS 6 operating system.
Embark is a company based in the San Francisco Bay Area that makes a mobile mapping app designed to help people navigate mass transit systems. The company’s app provides “tailored trips” specific to the user’s region, along with notifications for late-running trains and other advisories and closures.
Embark’s technology, if it does find its way into a future Apple product, could enhance Apple’s mapping products and make the company a stronger competitor to rivals like Google. Google’s Maps app already offers real-time public transit navigation features, as do some smaller players like iTransitBuddy.
Embark’s app is available for free on the iPhone for 10 transit systems including Boston’s MBTA, Chicago’s L, the New York City Subway and San Francisco’s Bart and Caltrain systems, with more on the way, according to Embark’s website.
It is not clear whether Embark’s app will be shut down as part of the acquisition. The app was still available in Apple’s App Store at the time of this article’s posting.
Embark’s team could not be immediately reached to comment on the deal.
The necromancy department of Apple has been summoning the spirit of Steve Jobs in the hope of turning around its current dismal growth figures. For a while now, even amongst Apple fanboys, there has been a belief that Jobs’ Mob has gone done the tubes since Jobs croaked.
It is a myth of course, Jobs’ specialty was not innovation but to market a working ideas as if it were his own. But either way Apple is attempting to try and convince everyone that the new iPhone was personally designed by its former CEO. Even after being dead for a while now, and having no impact over the disasters the company has since suffered, Jobs apparently was on board for the iPhone 5S.
According to Apple’s government liaison Michael Foulkes, Jobs oversaw the design of two models of iPhone to go on sale after his death. We suspect that it will take full resurrection before anyone takes this particular spin seriously. If Jobs could really see into the future and predict where his toys would be three years after he died, we would have thought he would have also seen that was a stupid idea not to accept conventional medical treatment for his cancer until it was too late.
Intel’s new SSD 530 series was detailed a while ago, but now it is finally official. Intel has formally announced the new drives in three form factors: mSATA, M.2 and 2.5-inch.
The drives will be available in a wide range of capacities, starting at 80GB, through 120GB, 180GB, 240GB, 360GB and 480GB for 2.5-inch drives. As for M.2 and mSATA drives, they will be available in 80GB, 120GB, 180GB and 360GB capacities.
Intel’s new 530 drives are based on 20nm MLC flash and the brains behind the brawn come from LSI, in the form of the SandForce SF-2281 controller. Although transfer speeds will vary depending on capacity, the fastest 530-series drives will deliver read speeds of up to 540MB/s and write at 490MB/s. As for random performance, they boast 41k IOPS in random read and 80k IOPS in random write.
Intel also says the 530-series is its most power efficient storage product to date, which is hardly surprising, but it is good news for notebook vendors who will use mSATA units.
ARM’s upcoming ARMv8 architecture will form the basis for several processors that will end up in servers. Now the firm has announced that it will work with Oracle to optimise Java SE for the architecture to squeeze out as much performance as possible.
ARM’s chip licensees are looking to the 64-bit ARMv8 architecture to make a splash in the low-power server market and go up against Intel’s Atom processors. However unlike Intel that can make use of software already optimised for x86, ARM and its vendors need to work with software firms to ensure that the new architecture will be supported at launch.
Oracle’s Java is a vital piece of software that is used by enterprise firms to run back-end systems, so poor performance from the Java virtual machine could be a serious problem for ARM and its licensees. To prevent that, ARM said it will work with Oracle to improve performance, boot-up performance and power efficiency, and optimize libraries.
Henrik Stahl, VP of Java Product Management at Oracle said, “The long-standing relationship between ARM and Oracle has enabled our mutual technologies to be deployed across a broad spectrum of products and applications.
“By working closely with ARM to enhance the JVM, adding support for 64-bit ARM technology and optimizing other aspects of the Java SE product for the ARM architecture, enterprise and embedded customers can reap the benefits of high-performance, energy-efficient platforms based on ARM technology.”
A number of ARM vendors including x86 stalwart AMD are expected to bring out 64-bit ARMv8 processors in 2014, though it is thought that Applied Micro will be the first to market with an ARMv8 processor chip later this year.