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Diageo-Pernod to bid for Seagram
British drinks giant Diageo and French spirits empire Pernod Ricard have formed an alliance in an attempt to win the Battle of the Bottle for Seagram's Martell cognac, Captain Morgan rum and Chivas Regal Scotch drinks monolith.
Canadian-owned Seagram has put its drinks portfolio up for sale having decided to concentrate on media and entertainment in the future, having agreed a $34bn (£26.6bn) merger with Vivendi to create the world's largest media giant. Diageo had been in talks with privately owned Bacardi to bid jointly for Seagram. However, in a surprise move today, Diageo, which owns Johnnie Walker Scotch, Smirnoff vodka and Bailey's coffee liqueur, said that it had linked with French-owned Pernod Ricard to 'work together to make an offer for Seagram'. Pernod is the world's fifth largest spirits group, owning Wild Turkey bourbon, Jameson Irish whiskey, Havana Club rum and the famous Ricard and Pernod aniseed spirits.
The Diageo-Pernod link-up was seen as a blow to the ambitions of Allied, which is also interested in the drinks division of Seagram, and its share price fell 15p to 311 1/4p, a 5% drop.
The scene is set for a bidding auction that could value Seagram up to $7bn and leave Diageo and Pernod with a new portfolio of blue-chip spirits brands that they may split between them. Diageo shares fell 18p to 593p.


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GOAT, the world’s largest marketplace for authentic sneakers, has announced a partnership with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma as its first Brand Ambassador. The 2018 All-Rookie First Team select will represent GOAT on and off the court throughout the NBA season, wearing rare and highly-coveted Nike sneakers provided by GOAT.
The endorsement is the first athlete partnership with a sneaker reselling platform. The deal follows the NBA removing its restrictions on sneaker colors to allow its players to be more expressive on the court. The upcoming 2018-19 season will be the first in which players have the full freedom to wear shoes of any color, and Kuzma will lead the charge in partnership with GOAT, the largest resale platform for sneakers.
“GOAT has inspired me to start collecting more seriously and build my style around sneakers,” said Kuzma. “People assume that, as an NBA athlete, you can get access to any kind of sneaker you want. When in reality, it’s hard to get the exclusive releases or shoes from the past, and feel confident they’re authentic. GOAT gives me a second chance at not only the limited releases I missed, but also the shoes I wasn’t able to afford growing up.”
“GOAT has always celebrated great athletes,” added Eddy Lu, co-founder and CEO of GOAT. “Kuzma is emblematic of the passion, focus, and determination that reflect what it means to be great. We couldn’t be more proud to have Kuzma represent the GOAT brand, and inspire others both on and off the court.”

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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets PM Narendra Modi for talks on trade, defence
Updated : June 26, 2019 01:30 PM IST
Just days before Pompeo's visit, India slapped higher retaliatory tariffs on 28 US products following Washington's withdrawal of key trade privileges for New Delhi.
India's relations with Russia and Iran - both under US sanctions - are also a sore point.
Under US pressure, India has stopped buying oil from Iran, one of its top suppliers.


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My new column is live in The Drum:
AI or BS? How to tell if a marketing tool really uses artificial intelligence
Amid the giddy excitement about artificial intelligence, chronicled in our latest deep dive, columnist Sam Scott cautions us to look twice at some of the big claims about how AI is supposedly remaking marketing.
Advertisers and publicists know that they can use the phrase “artificial intelligence” to describe software and that almost everyone will repeat it without giving it a second thought. Well, let’s give it a second thought.
A common way to seem trendy is to use a new buzzword to refer to something that already exists. The “cloud” is usually just using someone else’s IT infrastructure. The “blockchain” is just a digital ledger. An “NFT” is just an online graphic design accompanied by the ludicrous proposition that someone can pay to own it.
One of the most recent buzzwords, of course, is the “metaverse.” But it is simply the virtual reality platform of Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook. And VR is nothing new – look up “AI Winter.” From stereoscopic images in 1838 to Second Life in 2003, VR keeps trying to come back, but it is never successful.
Last week, a New York magazine feature by Paul Murray proclaimed the metaverse a “deserted fantasyland.” At the same time, Meta’s commerce and fintech lead, Stephane Kasriel, announced on Twitter that the company would be “winding down digital collectibles (NFTs).”
Mark Zuckerberg himself told his employees last week that now “our single largest investment is in advancing AI and building it into every one of our products. We have the infrastructure to do this at unprecedented scale, and I think the experiences it enables will be amazing.”
And what about all those marketing consultants and influencers who breathlessly proclaimed that the metaverse and NFTs were the future and that all companies should immediately use them or perish?
That sound you heard last week was them switching their Twitter and LinkedIn profiles from proclaiming their expertise in the metaverse and NFTs to artificial intelligence. Even though they have likely never taken a single university course in the subject.
Several marketing software companies have done similar pivots and recently released tools that purport to use AI. But is that true – or are they just using that newly popular buzzword? For this column, I contacted Folloze, HubSpot, Intercom, Prequel and Propel to see.


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Investor Carl Icahn and business executive Darwin Deason have redoubled their efforts to nix Xerox Corp.’s $6.1 billion sale to Fujifilm Holdings Corp., attacking the decision-making of CEO Jeffrey Jacobson in a new letter sent to shareholders.
Icahn and Deason’s letter to shareholders of the Norwalk-Headquartered corporation, dubbed a “Presentation on Rescuing & Revitalizing the Company,” berates Jacobson for his handling of negotiations with Fujifilm and says the company never investigated strategies beyond the Fujifilm deal.
“Both the substance of the proposed value-destroying transaction and the conflict-tainted process by which it was hatched are an insult to long-suffering Xerox shareholders and make a mockery of well-established corporate governance norms,” wrote Icahn and Deason, who together control 15 percent of the company’s shares.
Icahn and Deason also presented a four-step strategy to explore new business partnerships, more aggressively drive cost-savings efforts, monetize the intellectual property output from Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center, and pursue new Asia-Pacific market alliances beyond Fujifilm.
Xerox responded to the latest volley from Icahn and Deason with a statement that dismissed the presentation as a rehash of “prior misleading statements,” adding that it “failed to provide a credible or actionable alternative to create value for shareholders.”


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Akamai has revealed its global content delivery network has hit an all-time high of 106 Tbps (terabits per second) in its delivery of digital content, the first time the company’s CDN has surpassed the 100 tbps mark.
“Delivering 106 terabits per second is roughly the same as downloading 3,300 two-hour HD movies every second, or nearly 12 million an hour,” said Adam Karon, Akamai executive vice president and general manager, media and carrier.
The traffic peak was driven by content and data delivered at the same time, largely contributed to by a popular video game update, according to Karon.
It was in 2018 that Akamai surpassed 70 Tbps with its delivery combination of live sports, gaming releases and software updates. Currently, it averages more than 50 Tbps on a daily basis.


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(CBS NEWS) -- Now that things are reopened across the country, a wedding boom in being felt.
After the pandemic shut things down for a year, couples had to keep rescheduling their big day.
Planners and vendors are working over time to keep up with the demand.
Wedding planners across the country say they've never seen the wedding business this booming.
"I had so many COVID rescheduled brides. Plus, everyone seems to be getting married now.// I have about double what I have in years past," says Souther Bas Wedding Planner Kari Loth.
Loth says it's the couples from 2019, 2020 and now 2021 all competing for the same services.
But this isn't just about more brides and busy wedding planners, it's an entire industry.
Since reopening completely, bridal stores have seen a 40% increase in sales, with brides coming to buy gowns from all over the nation.
"Basically bride after bride after bride each day. Brides from New York brides from California people who probably wouldn't have bought their wedding dress here. Have been since we have been open for so long," says Catherine Freeman with Warren Barron Bridal.
There's only so many weekends in a year, so popular venues plan to finish the year with 200% more weddings then they had during their best year… especially if they're out doors.
to put it lightly, the party planning business is slammed.
"We've been booked up since 2019 on the 2021 days. It's not this common to have every single Saturday booked this far out," says Anthony DiGiovanni with Hotel Crescent Court.
If you plan to get married in the next year or so, the best advice from planners is: be flexible.


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Gross Value Added in the UK vs the European “Big 5”
Comparing Gross Value Added (GVA) per worker in the pharmaceutical industry across the EU “Big 5” countries (UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain), the UK retains the highest GVA per worker over the period 2012-2014. GVA per pharmaceutical worker in the UK grew to reach €191,000 per worker. Although not at the previous values seen in 2008, it is a welcome increase for the British pharmaceutical industry.
Last modified: 20 September 2023
Last reviewed: 20 September 2023


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TradeTheNews.com Weekly Market Update: S&P Officially Falls into Bear Market and Fed Remains Undeterred
US indices opened for trade this week with a modicum of momentum coming out of last Fridays rally. Hopes for further improvement in the China zero Covid situation and valuation compression finally seemed to have offset some of the relentless selling pressure allowing risk assets to hold onto very modest, marginal gains. The US 10-year yield appeared to find resistance around 3% amid weaker than expected manufacturing data which also may have convinced some to wade back into equity markets. Investors’ moods soured quickly, though, after Walmart and Target reported quarterly results. Both high profile managements were caught off guard by the staggering surge in freight costs and supply chain issues which along with changing consumer behavior resulted in a significant hit to their profitability. Shares of each company tumbled an eye popping 20+% on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, the biggest one day declines for those shares since 1987’s Black Monday. By Friday the S&P futures traded below the May 12th intraday low and the Dow was staring at its 8th straight weekly decline which was the longest losing streak since 1932. For the week the Dow and S&P lost 3% and the NASDAQ shed nearly 4%.
Federal Reserve officials remained unnerved in their most recent commentary, and even admitted they welcomed the recent repricing seen in markets. A cadre of officials underscored a unified message that the central bank will do what is necessary to get inflation down. 50 basis point rates hikes at the next two meetings appear to be a given, but Fed officials remain realistic that rates will likely have to go significantly higher than that, but just how much higher remains to be seen. Oil prices continued to work against the Fed as well. Despite the clear slowdown in China, increasing global growth concerns crude oil prices moved up 2% this week. The US dollar finally downshifted, helped in part by lower US Treasury yields. The Euro rose to a two week high after ECB members continued to note concerns around the greenbacks recent strength. The ECB’s Knot like many others threw his support behind a 25 basis point hike in July, but also opined that a 50 basis point move could be warranted if inflation data were to worsen. Bitcoin remained heavy dipping back below the 30K mark.
In corporate news this week, major retailer earnings drew most of the market’s attention. While Walmart revenue grew during the quarter, higher supply chain and employee costs ate into profits. Target’s quarter told largely the same story, with management noting fuel and freight costs could be $1B higher in 2022 than it had expected. Home Depot blew away estimates, while BJ’s Wholesale kept margins largely intact as it posted beats on its top and bottom line and saw gains in member traffic. Kohl’s cut its FY forecast, as did Ross Stores, which subsequently saw its shares drop the most since 1986. On the manufacturing side, Deere boosted its FY guidance despite seeing continued rising costs that have pressured margins and affected their consumer base buying power. Colgate told investors they are seeing supply chain pressures abate, though some costs are still rising. Renault confirmed it would divest its Russia unit and controlling interest in AVTOVAZ, becoming the latest automaker to leave the country over its invasion of Ukraine. McDonald’s also agreed to sell its Russian assets to a current Siberian licensee, who will operate the stores under a new brand.
US government officials reportedly have found that the black box from the China Eastern plane crash in March points to an 'intentional nosedive' as the cause and there are no indications of problems with the Boeing aircraft. Harley Davidson disclosed that it would suspend all vehicle assembly and shipments (excluding LiveWire) for a two-week period due to a parts issue from a Tier 1 supplier, though they promise to recoup lost production later in the year.


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Our coverage of the Cannes International Festival of Creativity is brought to you by Centro, a provider of media services and software that aims to improve campaign performance and digital media teams’ productivity.
Digiday is heading to Cannes next week for the Cannes Lions. We’ll aim to cover the festival, which has morphed from an agency creative gathering into an all-encompassing event for all media, from a different point of view. We’ll aim to pull back the veil on the real action in Cannes, from the parties to the scuttlebutt along the Croisette. Thanks to Centro for sponsoring our coverage.
On Tuesday evening, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Digiday is putting on a game show, in partnership with Mediamath. “Are You Calling Me Liar?” features top advertising executives telling tales, some true and some false. Two teams will compete to figure out who is telling the truth — and who isn’t. This being Cannes, there will be cocktails served. The participants are:
Lauren Crampsie, CMO of Ogilvy
If you’re interested in attending, please RSVP.
Image via Shutterstock
More in Marketing
Esports companies are still trying to figure out how to make competitive gaming profitable, and it’s encouraging news for a major league operator to dip its toes into the livestreaming game in order to more effectively monetize its core product. But EFG’s announcement also raises questions about the technology powering the venture.
Candy giant Butterfinger doubles down on gaming with streamers and creators to reach younger audiences
Candy brand Butterfinger is making a bigger bet on gaming, increasing its media spend this year on gaming creators and streamers to boost brand awareness with younger shoppers.
Over the last year or so, ad execs have noted how much Amazon’s ad tech has changed to become omnichannel in nature — i.e. more of a competitor to the two largest DSPs: The Trade Desk and Google’s DV360.


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LG is reportedly delaying its plans to release an Android tablet.
According to a report by Reuters, the move is due to a decision by LG to skip the current Android 2.2 "Froyo" release and base the tablet on a later version of the platform.
"We plan to introduce a tablet that runs on the most reliable Android version ... We are in talks with Google to decide on the most suitable version for our tablet and that is not Froyo 2.2," an unnamed company source told Reuters.
The company was reported to be planning a fourth quarter release for its tablet. The Reuters story said that a new release date for the tablet has yet to be determined by executives.
When the tablet is released, LG will find itself in an increasingly crowded and competitive tablet space. Apple has enjoyed healthy sales to its iPad tablet, while Toshiba, Dell and Samsung have unveiled tablets of their own.
Most recently, Research In Motion threw its hat into the ring when it revealed the PlayBook tablet. The company is planning to release the device early next year.
Would you want to live in a world without memes?
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Scientists closer to developing material capable of splitting water for better storage of solar energy
Experiments needed to see if the material works in the real world
Developers first in the queue to test TensorRT and TensorFlow integration tools running on Nvidia GPUs


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Volvo has revealed an all-new S60 as well as a new factory in the United States. The S60 has also been confirmed for South Africa. Here's what you need to know about the new sexy Swede.
Volvo has built a car... Read More
We've compiled a series of articles dedicated to fuel efficiency because it's one of the most important criteria to factor into your decision when looking to buy a new car. Here are the 5 most fuel efficient... Read More
Take a look at 5 new crossovers that you need to add to your shortlist in 2018.
The market demand for crossovers has risen substantially in recent years and manufacturers are responding by introducing new... Read More
The XC40 – arguably the most eagerly anticipated new Volvo in quite a while – is finally in South Africa. Will Volvo's compact SUV be able to lift the Swedish marque’s local sales figures to... Read More
The Volvo XC60 has quietly arrived in South Africa and we have pricing and some details for this new SUV.
The Volvo XC60 will be pitched competitively against key rivals – the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Jaguar... Read More
New vehicle prices in South Africa have rocketed skywards over the last year as a weaker Rand drove the costs of importing vehicles to our market ever higher. We investigate whether there’s still some real... Read More
The Volvo XC40 has just launched in South Africa and its thrown straight into the ring to compete against some stiff competition. Here are 5 rivals that the Volvo XC40 needs to beat if it is to succeed in the local... Read More


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Kalyan Jewellers plans to start 15 more showrooms in FY13
Kerala-based Kalyan Jewellers has said it is planning to start at least 15 more showrooms in the country this fiscal and aiming a turnover of Rs 16,000 crore.
The brand had a turnover of Rs 9,473 crore last fiscal, a company release said.
The jewellery retail chain's 36th showroom will be inaugurated here tomorrow by Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Malayalam actor Dileep.
The showroom has been set up in an area of 20,000 sq feet spread over three floors and offers a variety of jewellery, it said.
"The largest ever collection of gold-studded designs with silver designs and a collection of gift articles are among those displayed," T S Kalyanaraman, Chairman and Managing Director of Kalyan Jewellers said.
The over 100 year-old Kalyan Jewellers recently signed up two mega Superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as brand ambassadors, the release said.
The company has 35 branches spread over Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Kalyan Jewellers plans to open 15 more showrooms in this financial year. Showrooms in Warangal, Kukkatpally (Hyderabad), Kancheepuram, Kakkinada and Ahamedabad will be opened in the second half of 2012 and would expand to 100 stores spread across India by 2015.
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Buffalo: A potato’s best friend
What would you think if you were driving along the N2 and saw a field of buffalo? It’s the home of Hunky Dorys of course! We talked to Largo Foods to hear how three-in-a-bed did wonders for his brand
10 November 2008
“We kill the buffalo every two or three weeks and dry the meat out until it’s bone dry. Then we macerate the product and spread it on the crisps.” Raymond Coyle, managing director of Largo Foods, tests out my gullibility reflex with this hair-raising explanation of buffalo Hunky Dorys.
Incredulous as it may sound though, Coyle does in fact keep a herd of over 250 buffalo at the Largo Foods headquarters in Kilbrew, Ashbourne, County Meath. However, he explains that he actually bought the buffalo 12 years ago, “as a wild thing to do,” (no pun intended), and decided to introduce buffalo flavoured crisps on the back of this, which “believe it or not it worked!”.
This affiliation between Hunky Dorys and Buffalo has now been cemented by a newly revamped pack design which features the buffalo logo on all varieties including the new Chargrilled Steak and Worcester Sauce flavours.
The company has spent a lot of time and effort on the Hunky Dorys brand, which Coyle reveals nearly received the name “Oakey Dokey”. This effort is not surprising, considering that Hunky Dorys is the fastest growing crisp brand according to AC Nielsen.
“A year ago it had a 12.4% value share, now it has a 13.6% value share, so that represents a 1.2% share gain which for a crisp brand is very high,” explains marketing manager Rita Kirwan. “The company wanted to refresh the brand while it was growing at its fastest, which is why we are making changes now,” she adds.
A humorous streak
Humour has played a central role in the guerrilla advertising campaign used by the brand, reflecting Coyle’s gregarious personality. Typical billboard campaigns have included a man in bed with three models, and not to be outdone in the equality stakes, the reverse scenario with a woman and three hunks.
The question posed was, “Which one would you throw out of bed for eating Hunky Dorys? Text A, B or C.” Says Coyle, “We got a huge amount of texts and a lot of media coverage from this; it’s typical guerrilla advertising because we don’t have the money to actually support the brand the way we would like to, so we’ve picked a niche media to cut through to the consumer.”
For Coyle, that a campaign “makes you smile” is essential, explaining, “It has to be funny, to make you see it when you’re driving along the road and it must also make you feel warm and have a bit of a laugh, but not be offensive.”
The family brand Tayto has also benefited from similar, although perhaps a little less risqué advertising tactics. “We wanted to make people more aware of Tayto as a fun and lively brand,” says Coyle, “So we refreshed the packaging and had two very successful ads that were supported by the media, TV and poster campaigns; namely ‘Vote Mr Tayto Number One’ and ‘The Search for Mrs Tayto’. Incidentally, for those who may be wondering, the potato icon plumped for a bachelor’s life in the end.
These campaigns were essential in helping Largo Foods retain market share, which was top priority as the business expanded, especially after acquiring Tayto.
“I was concerned about losing sales,” says Coyle, although this has changed now. “In fact the reverse is the case, the business is increasing slowly and I feel there’s going to be more snack foods consumed in these tougher times because it’s seen as a comfort food.”
Largo Foods has also impacted positively on Tayto’s sales: “Tayto was losing market share each year since Walkers arrived in 1990, [but] we were able to stop that decline, where it’s not losing market share any longer.” Coyle modestly describes his aim now as holding onto these gains. “The challenge is holding what we have”, he says, “Because the people we sell against are professional, very well funded, multinational companies so we have to be innovative with our product, offer value, quality, and try and make sure the consumer enjoys the product.” He adds, “We’re encouraged that we can grow Hunky Dorys’ market share by maybe a point a year. We’d like to leverage the brand perhaps into other snack products within the coming months, which will be bread based.”
Leader of the pack
Certainly, in value terms, the company is faring well, possessing an overall market share of 46.9%, followed by Walkers at 21% and Robert Roberts at 15%. It is not surprising that Coyle is keen to hold this dominant position, considering the company has worked hard to reach this point.
Coyle, originally from Kilbrew, started off growing potatoes for Tayto and Perri in the 1970s, later moving into the crisp-making business in 1983, in what he describes as, “a very modest way with a very small cooker.” This was at a time when “money was extremely difficult to come by, and interest rates were high.”
Says Coyle: “We hadn’t got a business, we hadn’t got volume and it was very difficult to try and build things up. Everything was against you; I think Tayto had approximately 80% market share.”
For the first two years, when the company was making own label crisps for N&N and Thrift crisps for Superquinn, Coyle says: “It was touch and go whether we’d survive or not.” However, the company had its first real breakthrough after four years when it acquired the Perri brand from the Capally family. With one brand in its portfolio, it decided to develop Hunky Dorys in 1989-90, which were actually originally intended for the UK market.
Next, Largo bought Sam Spudz in 1996 and Tayto two years ago in 2006. A significant step surely, buying the brand which has now entered into the Irish lexicon as a synonym for crisps, and for which Coyle used to grow potatoes? He explains that at the time, Largo had been making Tayto crisps under contract for C&C and when it came up for sale, “were very anxious to be able to buy it.”
He candidly admits, “If it was for sale now we wouldn’t be able to buy it, with the credit crunch. It wouldn’t make as much money obviously as it did then, but it made a different business out of our business. It gave us a buyer, and it gave us brands.”
Coyle didn’t actually stop growing potatoes until only two years ago, however, and still supports local producers. In total, the factory uses about 38,000 tonnes of potatoes, mostly supplied by 16 farmers within a 30 mile radius, and all its supplies apart from French sunflower oil, come from Ireland, including flavourings supplied by Kerry Foods. However, Coyle believes the company benefits just as much, if not more from this authentic Irishness.
“Ok we are supporting local producers, but we see it as an Irish crisp, made by Irish people from Irish materials…and we’re trying to play that card unashamedly to the consumer.” Other consumer concerns such as environmental credentials have similarly been addressed, with the company using its own water and treating wastewater on site. Furthermore, it has also reduced the salt content of its crisps by approximately 20% over the past four or five years.”
Investing for the future
Significant investment has been made in its machinery and processes to create a better product moreover. Largo spent €5.6 million on improving machinery in Kilbrew and approximately €4.2 million on building a new logistics centre there, while building three more plants in Donegal costing €6.1 million.
The investments should pay off in the tougher times, although, while rising commodity costs may prove a source of chagrin for the company, Coyle isn’t letting it get him down. “I’m pleased that we got support from the trade, and more importantly, the consumers in the way we approached the business. They continued to buy the product, and if they didn’t we would have been in difficulty with the whole thing.”
While “there has been a couple times in the last 24 years where we were on the edge financially… we got through it,” he says. And the proof is in the eating; Largo Foods now employs 610 people between its factories in Kilbrew and Gweedore, County Donegal and continues to invest to improve efficiency.


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10 years in! At this point in our history we’d invested $100 million in quality-job-creating companies, and provided 215 companies with pro bono advice. In 2008 PCV took our theory of change one step further, starting to show how investing in small, local businesses and prioritizing quality job creation over excessive shareholder profits can recession-proof an economy. 2008 was the year that America’s economy tipped into recession, yet our companies had job growth levels at 12% — while similar companies in all states reported average declines.
We’ve proven that we can create successful, double-bottom-line businesses where traditional models fail. Historically, small businesses have been our country’s reliable growth engine. In thriving and challenging economies, small businesses have employed more people and created more growth.
Even though our economy was on precarious footing this year, we kept pushing the ball forward on improving the lives of working Americans. We piloted a new innovation in healthcare with the VIDA Card initiative – pre-paid MasterCards for our small businesses’ employees to use for medical expenses and co-pays. Far from an ideal solution, it was a way for philanthropists and investors to offset the rising healthcare costs for workers at companies that couldn’t yet afford full employee-sponsored healthcare plans.
Maura, an employee of Farmacia Remedios, faced a frightening medical emergency. “I had to have surgery on May 21st. I needed laproscopic surgery to have my gull bladder removed which is very expensive.” In the past, as an hourly worker with few resources, Maura would not know where to turn to pay for the surgery. Now, thanks to Farmacia Remedios decision to enroll with VidaCard Prepaid MasterCard®, Maura got the care she needed. “I used VidaCard to pay for the office visits and a portion of the total bill.” Now fully recovered, Maura praises the benefits of VidaCard “Es rapido, es facil y todos acceptan.” (It’s fast, it’s easy and everybody accepts it).


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To hear Apple tell it, the reasons for the slowdown in iPhone sales can be attributed to changing economic conditions in China, the fluctuating change of the dollar in other countries and a shift in how people buy the iconic device.
To listen to analysts describe it, the issues could be solved with a simple fix: lower prices.
Shortfall - Sales - Forecast - January - Apple
The shortfall in sales, first forecast in early January, was stark. Apple sold $51.9 billion worth of iPhones this quarter. That's a $10.1-billion drop from the year-ago quarter, which saw $61.1 billion worth of sales.
That's drastic, and suggests that perhaps new features that were added this year to the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, like more powerful processors and snazzier screens just didn't resonate with consumers. The XS Max is the most expensive iPhone ever, starting at $1,100.
IPhone - People - Daniel - Ives - Analyst
"What's clear is that a four-digit iPhone will not get people to upgrade," says Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities.
In laying out various reasons for the shortfall in an earnings call with analysts Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook looked to China and the dollar as well as the way people now buy phones—at full price.
Customers - Phone
Many would-be customers looked to upgrade, yet remembered how they used to pay $199 down for the phone and then paid off the...
Wake Up To Breaking News!


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Sony's Nixxes Software Acquisition Reaffirms Company's PC Commitment
By Ray Ampoloquio July 1, 2021
Sony just hit it big with the acquisition of Nixxes Software, a studio that specializes in PC ports.
The British company previously worked with Square Enix to port its Tomb Raider trilogy games, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and Marvel's Avengers to the PC.
With the acquisition, Sony just confirmed just how serious it is about making more of its games available on the PC.
Sony has already released Days Gone for the PC after the success of Horizon: Zero Dawn last year.
With Nixxes Software in tow, Sony might ramp up its production of PC ports.
Nixxes Software's first project under the PlayStation Studios banner could be Uncharted 4.
Nixxes Software might have already finished working on porting Final Fantasy VII Remake over to the PC before it was acquired by Sony.
Stay tuned to Xfire for more PlayStation news.


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Japan Car of the Year title was won by the Honda Fit Hybrid, with the prize being awarded by a group of industry movers and Japanese automotive journalists, the international media announced on Sunday. The reasons for Honda Fit Hybrid’s victory included the small-car concept, Honda’s Intelligent Dual Clutch Drive evolution of hybrid technology, and superior space and packaging for its class.
Honda won the award for the 12th time since the awards began in 1980, becoming thus the automaker with the most victories so far. Aside from the 2013 award, Honda receives its most recent prize in 2010 for the CR-Z hybrid. This will also be the third time the Honda Fit itself has taken home JCOTY honors, one for each generation.
The Honda Fit Hybrid is based on the third-generation Honda Fit, which went on sale in Japan in September. It is powered by a 1.5L Atkinson-cycle engine with a built-in lithium-ion battery. The engine and motor can be engaged and disengaged with Honda’s i-DCD (Intelligent Dual Clutch Drive) system. With the help of a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, it has achieved 85.6 mpg, the highest rating for any hybrid vehicle in Japan, according to the media.
During the last years, the award was given mostly to environmentally friendly cars. 2011’s winner was the Nissan Leaf, followed by the aforementioned CR-Z in 2010, Toyota Prius in 2009 and Toyota iQ in 2008.


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(Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Co. is taking pickup trucks into new territory: the rarefied air of six-figure price tags.
In Texas on Thursday, the automaker is unveiling the F-Series Super Duty Limited 4X4 with a starting price of $80,835. The biggest version -- the beefy F-450 -- loaded with all the extras tops $100,000 after tax in major truck-buying states.
The truck interior comes swathed in two-tone custom “Camelback” leather, hand-finished dark ash wood trim and a serial number laser-etched into the armrest to accentuate exclusivity. Outside is a twin-bar satin grille with chrome accents and a satin-finished tailgate applique. The F-450 also can tow more than 30,000 pounds -- roughly the weight of an F-35 fighter jet, according to Ford. But would you really want to risk marring that satin finish?
Why would Ford create such a costly truck? It’s what customers are demanding -- more than half of Super Duty sales are high-end models, according to the company. Wall Street also happens to love the fat margins on these princely pickups.
To contact the reporter on this story: Keith Naughton in Southfield, Michigan at firstname.lastname@example.org.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Craig Trudell at email@example.com, Anne Riley Moffat
©2017 Bloomberg L.P.


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Like decorating your Christmas tree and baking cookies, the Kardashian family Christmas card is a tradition that it would just not quite be Christmas without. The family has been creating the cards on and off since the 90s, each one-upping the last. In 2017, there was a new photo every day in December until Christmas, like a little KUWTK advent calendar. But now, Kim Kardashian says there might be none — for the first time since 2014.
Are we on some naughty list? Why would the family deprive us of a tradition we hold so dear? Anyone who's been watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians might know the answer.
"I feel like with the drama that happened last year, we may not get a Kardashian Christmas card this year," tweeted @thejakekardash. "Ill be cool with a West family one tho!"
He's referring to the biggest drama that went down early in the most recent season of the E! show, when Kardashian referred to her sister Kourtney as the "least interesting to look at" in regards to organizing their Christmas photoshoot. This led to Kourtney wanting to escape from the clutches of the Kardashian empire, which would explain why Kim would not be interested in a repeat of that experience.
"Wow reading my mind," Kim wrote, all but confirming that we won't be getting some grand holiday spectacle this year. However, the door is open for a smaller family celebration, maybe of the make-up brand creator, her husband Kanye West, and children North, Saint, and Chicago. Like this, but more festive:
Oh, and maybe with North a little cheerier.


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Famous Dave's (NASDAQ: DAVE), a Minnetonka, MN.-based chain of barbecue restaurants, is on the prowl for a Chicago ad agency to handle its advertising account, sources say.
The chain is believed to be currently working with a freelance group of advertising professionals in the Minneapolis, MN. market. A corporate press release indicates Periscope Minneapolis was named ad agency of record for the restaurant chain in 2008. Famous Dave's head marketing honcho Chris Toal did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Famous Dave's search for a new ad shop comes just weeks after Ed Rensi, the former president and CEO of McDonald's USA, was named CEO at Famous Dave's, which owns 53 restaurants and franchises 141 additional units in 34 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and one Canadian province. Rensi was named interim CEO last February following the resignation of former CEO John Gilbert III.
Rensi's search for a new ad shop in Chicago, sources say, may have been prompted by his familiarity with the Chicago market and the advertising industry here. McDonald's two lead ad agencies — DDB and Leo Burnett — are both based in Chicago.
Rensi joined McDonald's in 1966 as a grill man and worked his way up to president and chief operating officer of McDonald's USA in 1984. In 1991, he was named CEO. Rensi is credited with having spearheaded the development of the extra value meal and Chicken McNuggets, among various accomplishments during his long tenure at the Oak Brook, IL.-based burger behemoth.
Famous Dave's has three locations in the Chicago suburbs. Famous Dave's had a restaurant in the city's River North neighborhood for a while, but that location shuttered several years ago.
Sources say the Famous Dave's ad account could be worth about $10 million a year in billings.


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Editorial: Ban on alcohol powder is just common sense
We strongly support Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin's legislation to ban powdered alcohol for consumption in California.
This is the white, odorless powder that can be added to any liquid to create an alcoholic drink. It is scheduled to go on sale in California later this year.
Even before it won final approval of its labeling by the federal government, which permitted its sale in this country, states were lining up to ban it. So far, 27 have done just that. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in signing the bill banning it in his state, said, "This dangerous product is a public health disaster waiting to happen. I am proud to sign this legislation that will keep powdered alcohol off the shelves and out of the wrong hands."
Assemblywoman Irwin, in her argument supporting the ban, points to the continuing problem of binge drinking among underage teens. Powdered alcohol, she says, will provide them easier access.
"A simple water bottle in algebra class or at the senior prom can turn into a bottle of vodka with the same effort of adding sugar to your morning coffee," she wrote in an opinion page column for The Star supporting the legislation.
Mark Phillips, the creator of Palcohol, which is the brand name of powdered alcohol, defended his product Sunday in a follow-up piece for The Star's opinion page.
He tossed out a mishmash of reasons to support the product. He said it would be more expensive than liquid alcohol and harder to conceal than a bottle of vodka because it would need a liquid mixing agent. He said it's hypocritical to ban powdered alcohol and not all alcohol. Another argument was that banning it would make it a black market item, like marijuana, which is easier for underage teens to buy than a bottle of booze. And lastly he said the ban is fiscally irresponsible because it sacrifices the tax revenue from legal sales while adding costs of enforcement.
Most of you, we believe, are able to dismiss each of Mr. Phillips' arguments individually. Collectively the weight of the arguments is simply not persuasive and does not come close to countering the rational understanding that this is simply a bad product.
It doesn't take an expert to know this is wrong. It only takes a parent.
This will add to alcohol abuse in our country and undoubtedly result in additional alcohol-related deaths.
Mr. Phillips has said he created the product because he is an avid hiker and this will allow him to have a drink at the end of a day of backpacking. There are dozens of recipes and videos showing how to make your own homegrown powdered alcohol. Mr. Phillips is encouraged to do that in his kitchen and hike on.
We don't want this product. We don't need it.
We encourage you to contact Assemblywoman Irwin and lend your voice in support for AB 1554.


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For Colin and Donna Craig-Brown, growing the world’s largest potato was about to change everything. With a Guinness record comes massive attention and worldwide admiration for one’s farming prowess. So when the duo discovered that their astronomically large potato, affectionately named Dug, was not a potato at all, the closeness of a record-breaking title fell quickly to the waste side.
When the New Zealand farmers reported that they had grown an outstanding 17.2 lb potato, Guinness wanted to ensure that this root vegetable was the real deal. A potato sample was sent to the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, ready to test its genetic makeup. The researchers at the lab found that Dug was not a potato at all but some sort of gourd. This realization crashed the world’s largest-potato dream the Craig-Browns almost achieved, but the genetic test doesn’t take away from their unbelievably massive tuber.
The investigation persists on how these farmers crafted the potential world’s largest potato. Colin Craig-Brown commented that Dug could’ve sprouted from a crossbreeding of a cucumber and gourd, though he doesn’t know for sure. The most frustrating part for the New Zealand farmers was how much the gourd resembled a real potato.
Unfortunately for the Craig-Browns, even tasting the world’s largest potato wasn’t enough to accurately define its nature. Several months before submitting the DNA, the farmers taste-tested the root vegetable to see what the flavor was like. Surprisingly, Dug tasted exactly like a regular potato, which startled the couple even more when they found out the DNA wasn’t a match.
This is a significant relief for Guinness champion Peter Glazebrook, a farmer who has held record-breaking titles in 15 different categories, including world’s largest potato. Some of his achievements include preposterously sized carrots, onions, tomatoes, cauliflower, and pumpkins. He’s held the world’s largest potato record for the past decade and, thanks to Dug, will remain the titleholder for the foreseeable future.
The 76-year-old Glazebrook continues to be a force to be reckoned with in the record-breaking vegetable game. Aside from his decade-long reign with the world’s largest potato, he also held the world’s largest tomato record. Unlike the Craig-Brown fiasco, Glazebrook’s tomato was recently overtaken by a British farmer’s produce in 2020. This tomato weighed 6.85 pounds, just slightly larger than Glazebrook’s.
This failure to produce the world’s largest potato hasn’t stopped the enthusiasm and farming drive for the Craig-Browns. The couple wants to invest in creating a monstrously large potato that is an actual potato, unlike their unfortunate, fraudulent one. Today, they’ve come to peace with their Guinness-record denial, happy that they weren’t awarded a prize for a fake potato. The Craig-Browns are yet to discuss their technique for growing an actual Dug, but their excitement for producing a massive potato won’t be stopping anytime soon.
Growing the world’s largest potato is a competitive sport. For Peter Glazebrook and the Craig-Browns, unearthing an ungodly vegetable is a neverending goal. Farmers all over the world continue to pull out insanely large produce from their farms, inspiring people globally that the impossible is suddenly possible.


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A new breach involving data from nine million AT&T customers is a fresh reminder that your mobile provider likely collects and shares a great deal of information about where you go and what you do with your mobile device — unless and until you affirmatively opt out of this data collection. Here’s a primer on why you might want to do that, and how.
Certain questions might be coming to mind right now, like “What the heck is CPNI?” And, ‘If it’s so ‘customer proprietary,’ why is AT&T sharing it with marketers?” Also maybe, “What can I do about it?” Read on for answers to all three questions.
Emergency 911 systems were down for more than an hour on Monday in towns and cities across 14 U.S. states. The outages led many news outlets to speculate the problem was related to Microsoft’s Azure web services platform, which also was struggling with a widespread outage at the time. However, multiple sources tell KrebsOnSecurity the 911 issues stemmed from some kind of technical snafu involving Intrado and Lumen, two companies that together handle 911 calls for a broad swath of the United States.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today proposed fines of more than $200 million against the nation’s four largest wireless carriers for selling access to their customers’ location information without taking adequate precautions to prevent unauthorized access to that data. While the fines would be among the largest the FCC has ever levied, critics say the penalties don’t go far enough to deter wireless carriers from continuing to sell customer location data.
Incessantly annoying and fraudulent robocalls. Corrupt wireless company employees taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to unlock and hijack mobile phone service. Wireless providers selling real-time customer location data, despite repeated promises to the contrary. A noticeable uptick in SIM-swapping attacks that lead to multi-million dollar cyberheists.
If you are somehow under the impression that you — the customer — are in control over the security, privacy and integrity of your mobile phone service, think again. And you’d be forgiven if you assumed the major wireless carriers or federal regulators had their hands firmly on the wheel.
The past month has seen one blockbuster revelation after another about how our mobile phone and broadband providers have been leaking highly sensitive customer information, including real-time location data and customer account details. In the wake of these consumer privacy debacles, many are left wondering who’s responsible for policing these industries? How exactly did we get to this point? What prospects are there for changes to address this national privacy crisis at the legislative and regulatory levels? These are some of the questions we’ll explore in this article.
Several times a week my cell phone receives the telephonic equivalent of spam: A robocall. On each occasion the call seems to come from a local number, but when I answer there is that telltale pause followed by an automated voice pitching some product or service. So when I heard from a reader who chose to hang on the line and see where one of these robocalls led him, I decided to dig deeper. This is the story of that investigation. Hopefully, it will inspire readers to do their own digging and help bury this annoying and intrusive practice.
In September 2014, I penned a column called “We Take Your Privacy and Security. Seriously.” It recounted my experience receiving notice from my former Internet service provider — Cox Communications — that a customer service employee had been tricked into giving away my personal information to hackers. This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fined Cox $595,000 for the incident that affected me and 60 other customers.
Many readers have been asking for an update on the “SWATting” incident at my home last month, in which someone claiming to be me called in a phony home invasion in progress at my address, prompting a heavily armed police response. There are two incremental developments on this story. The first is I’ve learned more about how the hoax was perpetrated. The second is that new evidence suggests that the same party or parties responsible also have been SWATting Hollywood celebrities and posting their personal information on site called exposed.re.
“Our dependence on all things cyber as a society is now inestimably irreversible and irreversibly inestimable.”
Yeah, I had to re-read that line a few times, too. Which is probably why I’ve put off posting a note here about the article from which the above quote was taken, a thought-provoking essay in the Harvard National Security Journal by Dan Geer, chief information security philosopher officer for In-Q-Tel, the not-for-profit venture capital arm of the Central Intelligence Agency.


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The Air Jordan 6 has always been a staple in sneaker and sports culture, and now we will see the silhouette dressed in an NCAA fan-favorite color scheme! Reports release that an Air Jordan 6 Georgetown is in the works and will be available for consumers in September 2022. Thankfully @zsneakerheadz released a mock-up of what the sneakers are planned to appear as, which seems to be in the widespread color blocking nodding to the well accomplished and historical Georgetown Hoyas. The pair is scheduled to arrive in predominantly Wolf Grey with Navy Blue touches on the midsole, heel tab, and lace lock. More minimal but effective attributes include an all-grey tongue, sock liners, and a translucent icy blue outsole to complete the design. Stay tuned for more information on the Air Jordan 6 “Georgetown,” which is currently scheduled to release in September 2022 with a retail price arranged at $200 USD.
WHERE TO BUY
AIR JORDAN 6 GEORGETOWN RELEASE DETAILS:
AIR JORDAN 6 GEORGETOWN
Style Code: TBA
Release Date: September 3rd, 2022


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Cardboard added to recyclable items for Fox Chapel residents
Going greener is among the New Year's resolutions for Fox Chapel Borough.
Residents now can recycle cardboard, along with plastics, steel, paper and glass.
“We noticed there was a lot of cardboard, being placed in the bulk-item compactor at the municipal building,” Manager Gary Koehler said.
“We ordered a bin just for cardboard but people don't even have to leave the house. They can put it into the containers they set out every week for collection.”
Koehler said cardboard should be flattened but can be comingled in a container with other recyclables such as pop bottles and newspapers.
“It will be separated at the plant,” he said.
Residents who have large quantities of cardboard or oversized boxes can bring them to the municipal bin, which is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends.
The new cardboard container sits behind the borough building next to the compactor used for bulk items such as recliners and other items that weigh more than 45 pounds.
“If someone forgets and throws a cereal box into the compactor, it's not a big deal,” Koehler said. “But we noticed a lot of cardboard going in.”
“We are trying to make it convenient for people,” Koehler said. “Collecting cardboard is a simple improvement that will help.”
The bins at the municipal building are open to residents only. Koehler reminds people that items less than 45 pounds can be left at the garage door for pickup by the trash hauler.
Anyone who wants to dispose of bulkier items can do so. There is an attendant at the bins to make sure rules are followed, Koehler said.
Drop-off service is for hard-to-dispose-of items such as furniture, hot water tanks or lawn mowers.
“It does not include food, building materials and yard waste,” he said.
After violations from more than a few residents, the attendant now checks each bag that is dumped.
“We can't have food in there. It will attract rodents,” Koehler said.
For more information about recycling, visit the borough's website at www.fox-chapel.pa.us
Tawnya Panizzi is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-782-2121, ext. 2 or at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ:IAC) Lowered to Hold at Zacks Investment Research
According to Zacks, “IAC is a leading media and Internet company. It is organized into four segments: The Match Group, which consists of dating, education and fitness businesses with brands such as Match.com, OkCupid, Tinder, The Princeton Review and DailyBurn; Search & Applications, which includes brands such as About.com, Ask.com, Dictionary.com and Investopedia; Media, which consists of businesses such as Vimeo, Electus, The Daily Beast and CollegeHumor; and eCommerce, which includes HomeAdvisor and ShoeBuy. IAC’s brands and products are among the most recognized in the world reaching users in over 200 countries. The Company is headquartered in New York City and has offices worldwide. “
Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. JMP Securities initiated coverage on Zoom Video Communications in a report on Monday, May 13th. They issued a market perform rating and a $79.63 price objective for the company. Nomura dropped their price objective on CytomX Therapeutics to $22.00 in a report on Monday, May 13th. Wells Fargo & Co dropped their price objective on Nevro from $75.00 to $70.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a €52.00 ($60.47) price target on Vonovia and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, May 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on IAC/InterActiveCorp from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, April 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $265.82.
IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ:IAC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 8th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.51. The firm had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.09 billion. IAC/InterActiveCorp had a return on equity of 16.05% and a net margin of 14.74%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.71 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that IAC/InterActiveCorp will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
In related news, CFO Glenn Schiffman sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.00, for a total transaction of $225,000.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders have sold a total of 10,000 shares of company stock worth $2,232,440 in the last 90 days. 11.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of IAC/InterActiveCorp in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Icon Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of IAC/InterActiveCorp in the 1st quarter valued at about $32,000. Winslow Evans & Crocker Inc. grew its position in shares of IAC/InterActiveCorp by 40.3% in the 1st quarter. Winslow Evans & Crocker Inc. now owns 216 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of IAC/InterActiveCorp in the 1st quarter valued at about $56,000. Finally, NEXT Financial Group Inc grew its position in shares of IAC/InterActiveCorp by 152.0% in the 2nd quarter. NEXT Financial Group Inc now owns 315 shares of the company’s stock valued at $69,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.51% of the company’s stock.
IAC/InterActiveCorp, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a media and Internet company in the United States and internationally. The company's Match Group segment provides subscription dating products under the Tinder, Match, PlentyOfFish, Meetic, OkCupid, OurTime, Pairs and Hinge, and other brands.
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Integrity Anti-Spyware, scheduled to hit the market in November, is designed to detect, automatically quarantine and remove spyware programs. Check Point, primarily a seller of firewalls and virtual private networks, historically has been slow to launch new products. With this move, the company has joined McAfee and Symantec, which introduced enterprise anti-spyware products earlier this year.
Check Point is offering its anti-spyware application with its SmartDefense Anti-Spyware Service, which provides updates from real-time spyware information collected through its network of ZoneAlarm users. Integrity Anti-Spyware will be offered as an add-on-module or part of the Integrity product suite.
"Spyware is becoming a very potent threat to every business today...it is responsible for significant dollar losses," Gonen Fink, Check Point's vice president of solutions and strategy, said in a statement.
A few competitors entered the market in February of this year. Symantec debuted its Client Security 3.0 and AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10.0, which are designed to automatically detect and remove spyware, adware and blended threats. McAfee unveiled its Anti-Spyware Enterprise, which is designed to remove spyware, adware, dialers, keyloggers, cookies and remote-control programs.
"We began shipping our anti-spyware product at the end of the first quarter, and it's done well," McAfee president Gene Hodges said during a presentation at the Morgan Stanley Software, Services, Internet and Networking conference last week. "There's been a lot of discussion around pricing, and a lot of customers are demanding free anti-spyware, but our anti-spyware discounts have been less than our antivirus discounts."
Later this year, Microsoft expects to unveil its Client Protection security software for corporate customers. Its product will be designed to address desktop security, including spyware to viruses, for business users.


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Back to School Bash aims to raise money, school supplies for needy
The new school year is still a month away, but many cash-strapped parents are struggling to find money to buy their kids clothes and school supplies.
Enter the Back to School Bash, an annual event which collaborates with more than 50 non-profit organizations and urges to people to donate cash, clothing and school supplies for students in need.
"Children who are well prepared on the first day of school with the needed school supplies and appropriate school clothes are much more likely to succeed during the school year," said Stephanie Saraco, the event's president.
The benefit, in its 16th year, will help more than 11,000 kids, Saraco said.
Sixteen BB&T bank locations are collection sites throughout Palm Beach County. Lists of needed school supplies and bank sites are available at www.backtoschoolbashpbc.org.
All families must be pre-registered and qualified to receive the school supplies and clothing.
When the event was started in 1995, it served only 125 families, Saraco said. That number rose to 9,100 last year. This year it's 11,875.
According to the National Retail Federation, in 2009 parents spent an average of $204.67 on clothing, $93.59 on shoes and $82.62 on school supplies for just one child.
That's too much money for many families, Saraco said.
"So many people in Palm Beach County lost their jobs or are living from paycheck to paycheck," Saraco said. "So they turn to places like us."


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China's Smog Couture
Posted: Oct 29 2014
China has been suffering from a national smog problem for several years, with the worst affected areas being Beijing and with severe episodes also affecting the municipalities of Shanghai and Tianjin throughout 2013.
China’s smog problem has infiltrated haute couture. One fashion designer has embraced the ongoing problems with pollution, incorporating the need for face masks into their Spring/Summer 2015 sportswear collection.
Yin Peng’s collection was paraded at China Fashion Week, currently being held in Beijing, with models parading down the catwalk wearing face masks. The masks varied from full-face cover, as with a fencing mask, to angular lightweight mouth-covering designs to compliment running gear.
In February last year, Japan was subjected to clouds of suffocating smog wafting over from China, just one month after Beijing air pollution reached beyond the permissible levels of pollution on the local environmental center’s scale.
The same month, a half-naked participant was seen jogging in the “Guangzhu (naked) Run”, carrying along with him an enormous gas mask – which may even have served as inspiration for the collection.


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Facing increased competition from other satellite TV providers and cable companies, DirecTV is bidding farewell to its installer character, "Dan," and cranking up the celebrity quotient in an estimated $100 million-plus campaign from Deutsch/LA.
The effort from the Marina del Rey, Calif., agency includes three 30-second TV spots breaking today, as well as one 60-second radio ad and one print execution—all centering around celebrities who are DirecTV customers.
The TV spots, done in a letterbox format, feature actors Danny DeVito, Laurence Fishburne and Andy Garcia giving dramatic readings of actual letters sent to DirecTV from subscribers. In one, Fishburne recites the lines, "This morning, I turned on the tellie and all I can say is, 'Jumping jehosafat yeehaw!' Thank you, DirecTV, for all the local channels." Another has Danny DeVito giving an angry interpretation of the lines, "Cable says reception quality is poor with satellite TV. Lies! My reception is way better with DirecTV than it ever was with cable."
Each spot notes the name of the performer and the letter writer and reveals that both are DirecTV customers. Onscreen copy reads, "11 million fans and counting."
The radio spot is similar, with comedian Dennis Miller reading a letter. The print ad has 21 faces of subscribers, including one celebrity, Dennis Hopper, who is referred to as "fan" No. 10,972,015.
While the TV spots do not contain a tagline, "Feel the joy" remains the tag for print and radio.
DirecTV had featured Dan the installer in its ads since the fall of 2000.
"It began to be confusing as cable companies started to use installers [in their ads]," said Francine Harsini, vp of advertising and creative services for DirecTV in El Segundo, Calif. In addition, she said, "with increased competition not only from cable but from [EchoStar's] Dish, we wanted to reassert our leadership position and leverage the passion people have for the brand."
"In the past, with the installer campaign, [DirecTV] tended to be seen as a hardware company," said Mike Bryce, svp and associate creative director at Deutsch. "We also wanted to make sure we owned the ground as an entertainment company. It's something cable can't copy."
In terms of subscriber numbers and ad dollars, DirecTV has an advantage over its closest satellite competitor, the Dish network, which has more than 8 million subscribers and spent just over $40 million on ads last year, according to TNS Media Intelligence/CMR. Cablevision System Corp. is said to have earmarked $100 million in marketing support for the December launch of its own satellite TV service, Rainbow DBS.
DirecTV is also facing scrutiny from the Federal Communications Commission over News Corp.'s proposed takeover of DirecTV. General Motors previously had a controlling interest in the company.


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BBNaija housemate, Mercy Eke has gifted herself a new whip as she takes to the internet to flaunt it.
The brand influencer has added a new Mercedes Benz to her fleets of exotic whips and it is worth multi-million naira.
She’s already having Range Rover and Mercedes Benz SUV but now she has added a saloon car to her collections making it three.
She recently bagged a mouthwatering ambassadorial deal with a clothing brand.
Announcing on the internet, she posted the pictures and sitting in the car with the caption “added”


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British Airways owner in grab for BMI
British Midland International (BMI), the 47-year-old airline brand, could be dropped in the long term by the owner of British Airways, which has agreed to buy it from Lufthansa.
International Airlines Group, the holding company for British Airways and Iberia, today disclosed it had reached an agreement in principle with Lufthansa.
An IAG spokesperson said: "Initially we plan to keep BMI as a separate business", but confirmed that in the long-term it would consider a rebrand.
BMI's low-cost brand, bmi baby, appears less likely to survive an acquisition. The spokesperson indicated it was "something we would look at once the purchase has gone through".
However, the deal is subject to regulatory clearance as well as a binding purchase agreement and further due diligence.
Rivals may object to the impact on competition, as it would add the loss-making BMI's 8% of take-off and landing slots at London Heathrow to IAG's 45%.
Virgin Atlantic did so this morning, disclosing in a statement that it had bid for BMI.
It said: "British Airways' hold over Heathrow is already too dominant and we are very concerned – as the competition authorities should also be – that BA's purchase of BMI would be disastrous for consumer choice and competition.
"With Government limiting growth at London Heathrow, they cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the deterioration of competition that would result from a BA purchase of BMI."
IAG said the aim was for the transaction to be completed in the first quarter of 2012.
Bmi reportedly lost £105m in the first half of this year, which puts it on track for a worse annual performance than the £125m net loss it recorded for 2010.
Follow Daniel Farey-Jones on Twitter @danfareyjones
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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KUALA LUMPUR, 20 October 2023: Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) appointed its new chief executive officer, Dr Mohamed Ali Abu Bakar, effective 16 October.
Ali will spearhead MHTC’s operations, ensuring its commitment to facilitating and promoting the nation’s healthcare travel industry. With his vast experience and leadership, he brings a fresh take to Malaysia Healthcare’s growth, furthering Malaysia’s vision to be the trusted and leading global healthcare destination.
As the new CEO, Ali will continue to build strategic and valuable partnerships with stakeholders in both private and public sectors at home and abroad. Under his leadership, Malaysia Healthcare will remain committed to building the Malaysia Healthcare brand and simultaneously raising Malaysia’s profile as a safe and trusted provider of quality healthcare across the globe.
Ali has 28 years of experience in C suite positions, specialising in strategic, financial, digital, and operational turnaround of companies. He has gained extensive experience in health and medical tourism from his early days working with the Malaysia Tourism Board.
The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) is a government agency under the Ministry of Health Malaysia that has been entrusted with the responsibility of curating the country’s healthcare travel scene, making it a key export service industry.
Founded in 2009, MHTC works to streamline industry players and service providers in facilitating and growing Malaysia’s healthcare travel industry under the brand “Malaysia Healthcare”, aiming to make Malaysia the leading global healthcare destination. MHTC works closely with over 90 private healthcare facilities in Malaysia, which are registered members of MHTCO
(Source: Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council)


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Patio Living announces new reps
Linn, Mo.-based Patio Living Concepts named four new independent representatives with a combined 100 years of sales experience to its sales team.
Three representatives were announced for U.S. territories and one for the Ontario, Canada, region.
“We are excited to expand the sales representation of our lines of outdoor lighting into areas across the U.S. and Canada,” said Douglas Orians, VP sales and marketing, Patio Living Concepts. “The depth of sales experience represented by these new members to our marketing team will benefit our company and our retail partners alike. We are now able to realize greater exposure within the specialty marketplace nationally and internationally.”
Appointed to represent Patio Living Concepts in the Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida Panhandle region was Phil Spring. Spring has worked as a manufacturer’s rep for 23 years representing outdoor furnishings and accessory lines. Sam Velasquez, a 39-year veteran of sales and marketing, will represent Patio Living Concepts in the California, Nevada and Arizona region. For the Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky region, Andy Mucha has been appointed by Patio Living Concepts to represent its product lines. As the owner of Andy Mucha and Associates, Mucha has worked 24 years as a sales representative. For the Ontario and Western Canada region, Rich Causton has been appointed as an independent rep for the domestic lighting manufacturer. Causton has represented outdoor-related products for the past 24 years.
Established in 2001, Patio Living Concepts designs and manufactures in its Linn facilities weatherproof, portable outdoor lamps and accessories.
Home Depot opens 100th store in Mexico
Home Depot has opened its 100th location in Mexico, according to an article in El Financiero. The Atlanta-based retailer now operates 95 stores in 60 cities in Mexico, where it generates annual revenues of $1 billion, the newspaper said.
In the final quarter of 2012, Home Depot will open stores in the towns of Coahuila, Sonora, Veracruz, Michoacán and Nuevo León.
Report: Handy Hardware to close Meridian DC
Houston-based distributor Handy Hardware will close its Meridian, Miss., distribution center, according to an Associated Press report.
The Associated Press reported that Handy Hardware plans to close its Meridian, Miss., distribution center Dec. 31, and the state of Mississippi wants to recover $3.6 million in incentives for the project.
Handy Hardware operates a main distribution center in Houston, and had described the Meridian facility as a key to expansion into southeastern states.
According to the AP story, Handy CEO Ken White said the costs to run the Meridian facility far outpaced the business that was taking place in the region.


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Jon & Kate Plus 9. Jon & Kate & Deanna Hummel Plus 8. Jon & Deanna Plus an Ex-Wife and 8 Kids ... These titles don't seem to roll off the tongue, do they?
Perhaps for that reason, TLC is denying rumors that Jon Gosselin's mistress is joining the show when Jon & Kate Plus 8 it returns with new episodes in August.
Now that Jon and Kate Gosselin are separating, rumors swirled that teacher Deanna Hummel, 23, who has been seeing Jon this year, would come on board.
Not so much, says the network.
GIANT HOME WRECKER: Despite initial assertions that she and Jon are just friends, Deanna Hummel is widely believed to be the woman he was cheating on Kate with.
"There are no plans to use her," a rep for TLC said of the Deanna Hummel rumors. "We are in hiatus and all future episodes haven't even been planned."
The rumor was launched in today's New York Daily News, which said "Deanna's role isn't expected to be big, but because she's part of Jon's life, she'll be filmed."
Well, here's hoping they change their mind there. Imagine the kids asking their new stepmom whether that's really her getting pummeled on that sex video.
Click to enlarge more photos of Deanna Hummel ...


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Simon Gresswell, founder of sports licensing consultancy SGLP and Sport Ambassador for Products of Change, ponders on how a big change in core football merchandise could increase the sustainability of an iconic product and the business model used.
As a sports licensing consultant and the Sport Ambassador for Products of Change, it’s genuinely exciting to see how the sports industry is addressing sustainability on so many fronts.
From operational ‘savings’ like reduced event schedules/locations and remote TV production and commentary teams, to the very fan-inclusive, removal of single use plastics and athlete-led initiatives like Hannah Mills’ www.bigplasticpledge.com, it’s a fascinating time to observe and to be getting involved in and actually, a privilege.
Over the last year, I’ve brought together a group of licensing and retail experts from football, rugby, golf, tennis, sailing and motorsport, to share, discuss and learn more about sustainability in relation to their work for their sports and clubs, even managing a face to face meeting and private tour (thanks Gary) at the inspirational Tottenham Hotspur Stadium… our very own form of LBE (location-based education). It’s not an exclusive club, it’s an industry team initiative and everyone related to sports licensing and retail is also welcome to join, share, discuss and learn. Just ask me firstname.lastname@example.org.
What strikes me every time we meet and discuss, is the ever-increasing attention being given to the relationship between sport/club and fans and how merchandise is right at the heart of the shared responsibility that sustainability has become. Just like sports stars and athlete activists are influencing fans’ consumer purchasing choices on a daily basis, sports and clubs have an everyday influence on fans’ lifestyles. The now quite old adage of ‘small change, big difference’ applies in so many ways to sport and fans.
Writing this shortly before Christmas, I was drawn one morning to my sister-in-law’s latest Facebook post about a well-known but small, everyday lifestyle change, as one aspect of the sustainability group she runs in her town. They use and sell ‘the world’s first cup, made from used cups’ from Circular & Co. in Cornwall. This is an enterprise founded in 2003 with the guts and ambition to try to change the world. Check them out www.circularandco.com.
This got me thinking again about how an apparently big change in core football merchandise could ultimately in fact make small and big differences, to clubs and fans, but also could increase the sustainability of an iconic product and the business model used.
We should particularly applaud the work of Forest Green Rovers FC, the world’s greenest football club, eco-blazing their way from the world’s first bamboo-based kit in 2018/19 to their work with PlayerLayer, launching a new kit made from coffee waste in early 2021 and swiftly followed by another global-leading launch of a digital kit, with digital clothing brand republique.
But among the ‘material’ and base material changes being made to football kits, the stand out move recently must be the announcement from Premier League newcomer Brentford in November, that their 1st PL kit is to be retained for the 21/22 season, in response to fans VFM calls. So in effect, a small difference or maybe even doing nothing, in order to give fans better value.
Can’t argue with that at all, it’s apparently a small change, with a big difference to fans. However, with the greatest of respect to Brentford, I’m sure the big six PL clubs would argue that the economics and T&Cs of their mega-kit deals, are hugely different and they therefore couldn’t experiment or make such decisions in the short-term.
If one of them did decide to go fully circular, in theory, what are some of things to consider and that could happen?
- Could they invest in all aspects of a circular subscription model? Over time, yes.
- Would they lose sales? Initially, possibly.
- Are they planning this? Probably… well I hope so.
- Could they do launch via the always controversial limited edition and third kits? Hope so.
As evidenced by Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United, record-breaking shirt sales alone are a healthy part of the balance sheet. I believe they even sold a few on the other side of Manchester, when Jack Fantastic moved north, until this was overtaken by sales of a calendar of his calves. HNY City fans.
It would seem big clubs could in fact invest to make this big change, with ultimately only a small difference to their coffers and to their fans purchasing habits? It could, of course, also be construed as a small change, with a big difference to both fans and the planet. As a fan, just like the change to your coffee cup, it’s hopefully not a big ask either way.
So, who will show their full hand of sustain-abilities first?


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Roku q4 650m 615m yoy 14.3m
Roku q4 650m 615m yoy 14.3m, the popular streaming platform, has reported strong Q4 results with a total of 14.3 million active accounts, up from 11.7 million in the same quarter last year. The company’s revenue also increased by 49% year-over-year to $411.2 million, beating analysts’ expectations.
Strong Growth in Platform Revenue
Roku’s platform revenue, which includes advertising and licensing fees, grew by 71% year-over-year to $259.6 million. This growth was driven by an increase in advertising impressions and higher average revenue per user (ARPU). The company’s ARPU increased by 29% year-over-year to $23.14, thanks to a mix of higher ad load and subscription revenue. Roku’s advertising business continues to be a key driver of growth, with the company’s ad-supported streaming channel, The Roku Channel, seeing significant growth in Q4. The channel now has over 40 million viewers, up from 27 million in Q3. Roku also saw strong growth in its international markets, with international revenue increasing by 78% year-over-year.
Hardware Sales Remain Strong
Despite the strong growth in platform revenue, Roku’s hardware sales remain an important part of the business. The company’s player revenue, which includes sales of Roku streaming devices, increased by 22% year-over-year to $151.6 million. This growth was driven by strong sales of the Roku Ultra and Roku Streaming Stick+.
Outlook for 2020
Looking ahead to 2020, Roku expects to continue its strong growth trajectory. The company is forecasting revenue of $1.6 billion to $1.7 billion for the full year, representing growth of 42% to 50% year-over-year. Roku also expects to reach 36.5 million to 38.5 million active accounts by the end of the year.
In conclusion, Roku’s strong Q4 results demonstrate the company’s continued success in the streaming market. With strong growth in both platform revenue and hardware sales, as well as a positive outlook for 2020, Roku is well-positioned to continue its growth trajectory in the coming year.


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In his first interview as Kwalee’s new head of casual games, King, Activision, EA and Wargaming veteran Callum Godfrey told us:
- Kwalee’s first casual game is in pre-production, with soft launch potentially early next year
- The company aims to rejuvenate stale genres with new mechanics, like Playrix has with match-3
- Its new casual team, led by Godfrey, could grow to around 25 in the next twelve months
- Acquisitions are on the table following its deal for Tictales earlier this year
Godfrey was hired as Kwalee’s first head of casual games in May, and is building an internal team to produce casual titles as well as looking to partner with – and potentially acquire – external studios.
Best known for its slate of hit hypercasual games like Draw It, Airport Security and Traffic Cop 3D, Kwalee is now pushing out “into every area of the games industry,” says Godfrey. That includes PC and console games, on top of casual mobile.
“We want to move into non-hypercasual games,” he tell us. “The analogy I like to use is that the hypercasual business is like being a professional sprinter. We’re going to use those muscles to run but we’re doing a long distance race now rather than a sprint.”
It’ll be a steady start for now, says Godfrey. He was appointed in May, but an internal team of around 10 already has Kwalee’s first casual game nearing the end of pre-production. It is being tested with a small group of players before heading into full production, and could go into soft launch early next year.
Godfrey can’t confirm what the game is exactly, but he can talk around the areas of the casual market he believes are ripe for a bit of disruption.
“We think there’s some stale sectors of the market which have been stagnant for a while in terms of interesting new features, interesting mechanics or interesting things that help differentiate,” he tells us. “Things like the classic Mahjong and Solitaire-type games, bubble shooters – where there have been long-established market leaders that haven’t had to innovate.”
What Playrix has done in match-3 is a great example of how to rejuvenate a genre, says Godfrey. “They laid on the narrative element, which has now become the new norm for how people do casual puzzle games,” he says. “And not just in match-3, but in merge games and in hidden object games. That new meta layer has been super successfully applied to a whole range of things. So we’re looking now to bring elements a little bit like that to different ranges of games that have been kind of, I guess, innovation or feature-stagnant for some time.”
Godfrey also suggests that some parts of the mobile business are not as fast and dynamic as they think they are. “We talk about mobile as being this thing where we iterate fast, we fail fast. But I think over the course of the last five or six years we have slowly moved away from that, and the timelines, the team sizes, the amount of upfront planning and preparation that goes into making mobile games now is actually getting much much closer to triple-A console and PC development.”
Working with teams well-schooled in hypercasual means that Godfrey’s team is able to “get rid of a lot of the fluffy stuff that’s kind of crept into the industry over the last three, four or five years,” he says.
Starting with Godfrey, Kwalee’s casual games department could reach about 25 by this time next year, a mix of internal developers and publishing staff.
(Let’s quickly get the blockchain / web3 question out of the way here: “It’s not currently part of our strategy, at least not as far as I’m aware,” says Godfrey. “But I think as a business you have to always be open to the opportunities that come up.” So there you have it.)
Kwalee’s not averse to acquisitions, either. It bought narrative game outfit Tictales in January of this year, and continues to be on the lookout for deals that fit Godfrey’s vision. “We’ve already gone through our first acquisition and we’re definitely open to others in the future, depending on what studios are out there and what their product offering and studio offering looks like,” he tells us.
“When we look at acquisitions, it’s not just about who they are and what they bring to the table,” he adds. “It’s about how we can provide something back to the partners we want to work with as well. So yes, we are definitely in the market for people who are of the right fit for us.”


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Qualcomm has released SDKs (software development kits) for LTE broadcast and digital glasses at its Uplinq conference, hoping to give the two burgeoning areas a push.
Would you pay US$4,000 for an iPhone 6?
Sales of Apple's latest smartphone began in Japan with a humanoid robot welcoming eager fans to a shop in Tokyo close to ground zero for a Dengue fever outbreak.
The health care industry has long been a laggard in adopting technology, but that will soon change as the challenge of aligning doctors, insurance companies and patients is figured out.
Network operator Orange wants to help businesses deliver relevant information to their customers, and keep track of things and people, with three new services that take advantage of its mobile networks.
A bug in Apple's HealthKit -- a back-end feature in iOS 8 -- is delaying the launch of outside developers' fitness and health apps, the company said Wednesday.
With the release of its new mobile operating system, Apple has become the first smartphone maker to enable by default a kill switch that can lock and secure a stolen phone.
Chinese smartphone maker ZTE is hoping to drum up smartphone sales in the U.S., with a new 5.7-inch phablet that'll be available exclusively on T-Mobile from Sept. 24.
Some iPhones never die: they go to a four-story electronics mall in Shenzen, where stacks of them are sold every day.
A Silicon Valley startup is developing an optical zoom lens unit that's thin enough to slip inside of a smartphone and won't protrude when used.
Subway will soon allow customers to pay for their sandwiches with the tap of a smartphone.
You'd be forgiven for thinking Panasonic's latest gadget is a smartphone. It's a slim rectangle with a touchscreen and LTE connectivity.
The attorney general of the U.S. state of Connecticut is concerned about the privacy implications of Apple Watch's handling of consumers' health information.
The Wi-Fi Direct standard for linking two devices without a LAN is about to get easier to use.
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} Computer Associates: CA, -3.29% Using tech to boost sales, not profit By Brenon Daly, CBS MarketWatch Last Update:
LAS VEGAS (CBS.MW) -- Businesses should use emerging technology to pump up sales, not necessarily profit, the head of Computer Associates said Tuesday.
Charles Wang, chief executive at the world's third largest software company (CA) CA, -3.29% , told a large audience at his Comdex keynote address that "the top line is where the action should be."
He said companies have viewed technology for too long as a way to save costs, through automation or streamlining operations. Now, he said, companies should use technology to "identify new opportunities and exploit new markets."
"It should be less about saving more money and more about making more money," the chief executive said.
He pointed to Amazon.com as an example of his view. "This company didn't exist before the new application of technology."
Amazon's efforts have resonated with Wall Street, which now give the on-line bookseller (AMZN) AMZN, -4.12% a higher market capitalization than its two closest earthbound rivals combined. Indeed, the stock bolted 22 1/4 -- 18 percent -- to close at 148 1/2 on Tuesday after Amazon confirmed it plans to sell more than just books and music.
New vision needed
During his hour-long speech, Wang also said the technology companies needed to change their outlook in the coming months and years.
"We can't deal with the next 5 years with the same thinking we've had for the past 5 years," Wang said.
Not that 20-year-old CA, which has made some two dozen acquisitions over the past years, is widely associated with breath-taking innovation. The company has been a solid, if stodgy, performer, selling primarily mainframe and, more recently, client-server software.
And finally, Wang also noted that "technology must be used to improve humanity," adding that the Islandia, New York-based company recently set up the computer system and Web site to help locate missing children.
A noble cause, sure, but some investors might be given to some cynical thinking when Wang talks about altruism. Recall that in May, Wang got a whopping $670 million bonus -- that's right, bonus -- for keeping company shares above 53 for 60 days.
Not that Wang's underlying salary is peanuts. Fred Hult, analyst at The Carson Group, points out that Wang has drawn a base salary of $1 million for the last three years.
Add to that: $6 million in incentives and $9 million in restricted stock awards in 1998, according to Hult.


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We sampled a ton of different games at this year's show.
From superheroes to the undead and even dystopian futures, E3 2018 had it all.
We've collected together our favourite trailers from this year's conferences.
Fresh from the reveal of the next entry in the series, we take a closer look at Hitman 2 through the lens of a high-powered rifle.
What kind of announcements do the publishers and platform holders have in store for us? We've looked into our crystal ball to see what we can see...
We recently caught up with Milestone's Michele Caletti and took a closer look at a trio of games.
Controversy after controversy, but what's happening with esports pros?
We take a deep dive into the development of Forgotton Anne with members of development team.
Want to know when to set the alarm for a specific press conference? Look no further...
With the coming launch of the International version of AO Tennis, we put some questions to studio founder and CEO Ross Symons.
It's been a long and eventful journey for gaming's leading lady.
Here's the second instalment of our Kingdom Hearts round-up.
We take a closer look at the genre where being last is the aim of the game.
A busy week in Boston saw us discover a bunch of interesting upcoming indie titles.
We grabbed a word or two with Frontier as the studio prepares its latest tycoon-style title.
We speculate on what the future could hold for Rare's pirate-themed online sandbox.
After a rocky start, Epic's Fortnite is taking the gaming world by storm.
We sat down with TT Games' Nick Parks to talk about the latest big cinematic IP to get the Lego treatment.
Surviving the Cult made easier.
A parrot, a peg leg, and an eye patch isn't enough to make you a legend in Sea of Thieves. Here are our beginner's tips to becoming a feared pirate in Rare's latest game.
As Death Road to Canada nears its console debut, we caught up with creator Kepa Auwae and found out more about the game.
Including the origins of the partnership, what it's bringing, and more.
Two years after launch, the tactical shooter has cemented its place as a top competitive shooter.
We explored the world of ACO in a whole new way.
And a trophy guide for those completionists out there.


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As more engine makers aim to push the use of low viscosity oils for their products, mainly in a bid to comply with ever-tighter heavy truck fuel economy mandates, fleets are voicing concerns about the long-term protective capability of such “thinner” oil – a concern lubricant makers are trying to dispel via a variety of outreach efforts.
“The big concern for a lot of fleets is protection,” Jim Gambill, Chevron’s North America Commercial and Industrial brands manager, told Fleet Owner. “Even though about a third of the trucking market has converted to low viscosity oils, most fleets don’t have the luxury to try something out to see if it works. They want more concrete proof that it works, which is why we’ve been conducting such ‘live’ engine teardowns in the market.”
Gambill explained that, from the fleet perspective, any fuel economy savings generated from using low viscosity oils won’t be worth it if the protective capability of the oil is compromised. “Simply put, the dollars gained just aren’t worth it if the [low viscosity] oil can’t protect the engine like today’s thicker oils can,” he stressed.
That’s the reason why Chevron took its engine teardown on the road, he noted – to show that a lighter 10W-30 oil blend offered protection comparable to a thicker 15W-40 blend in a DD15 engine with over 400,000 mi. of service on it.
“We made sure via the teardown exercise that fleets and truck operators could see all the vital parts vulnerable to excessive wear – particularly the cam, cam shaft, and piston linings – were in the same if not better condition when using 10W-30,” Gambill said. “Having that protection is critical to obtaining the full fuel economy savings of the low viscosity oil.”
He added that the price differential between 10W-30 and thicker 15W-40 blends is not large, with the 10W-30 blends typically costing 10% more and sometimes only 5% more based on volume discounts, with the lower viscosity formula able to deliver about a 1% to 2% fuel economy savings based on Chevron customer fleet tests.
“When we isolate the engine oil performance in the lab, we see savings of about up to 1% – but even a half percent gain in fuel economy can save significant money over time when diesel is costing near the $4 per gallon mark,” Gambill explained. “Not only that, we’re seeing reduced use of diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) and longer oil filter life as well so there are ‘ripple effect’ savings to be gained as well by switching to lower viscosity engine oils.”
He added, too, that the trend towards smaller displacement engines – downsizing from 15 liter to 13 liter models to help save on weight – adds another dimension of savings potential for lower viscosity oil blends.
“You tend to generate more fuel savings from low viscosity oils when engine RPMs increase, simply because the engine isn’t working as hard with the thinner oil at that those higher RPMs,” Gambill said. “Thus is the engine works less at higher RPMs, the bigger the fuel savings. That’s the key trend here.”