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NovAtel Inc. Appoints Michael Ritter as new President and CEO
A trained engineer, Ritter has over twenty years of experience in the precise Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) industry. Most recently as a senior executive with Trimble Navigation Ltd., Ritter was successful in implementing winning product and organizational strategies that were critical in driving both customer satisfaction and corporate revenues. Prior to Trimble, Ritter held senior positions with Schlumberger and various other companies around the world.
Mr. Ritter said, “NovAtel is well respected as a leader in the GNSS industry, with cutting-edge technology, strong customer relationships and a tremendously talented employee base. I look forward to building on their current success to take the company to the next level.”
Outgoing President and CEO, Jon Ladd stated, “After an extensive executive search, I believe we have hired the best candidate to continue expanding NovAtel’s business and to develop strategies that will ensure the companies long-term success in the new global economic environment. Michael’s understanding of the industry, his experience managing change and improvement processes, and his team oriented leadership style will fit very well with NovAtel’s culture and business environment.”
Ola Rollén, President and CEO of NovAtel’s parent company, Hexagon AB said, “We are extremely pleased that Michael, who has world-class industry experience, will be leading the NovAtel team. We anticipate a very smooth transition of leadership and look forward to supporting Michael in his new growth initiatives for the company.” Of Ladd, Rollén stated, “One only has to look at NovAtel’s tremendous growth during Jon Ladd’s tenure to recognize the value he delivered to the company. He and his management team firmly established NovAtel’s position as a leading global manufacturer of GNSS precision technology, creating a powerful brand that is second to none in the industry.” Ladd will be assisting Ritter in his transition to NovAtel, after which he will be joining Hexagon in a strategic advisory role.
For more information, visit www.novatel.com.
Read more at www.hexagon.se.


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Eminent American experts have questioned the credibility of social media platforms like Facebook, which is in the middle of a controversy over a potential breach of user confidentiality.
Although the tech giant yesterday announced that it would bring changes in its privacy settings tools to better protect the users' data, experts are still unconvinced and want such companies to be held accountable on privacy matters.
"This data breach should put an end to any possibility of Facebook being used for voting, and its an opportunity for all of us to rethink the trust we have put in social media companies," he said in response to a question on the Facebook controversy.
Whistleblower Christopher Wylie, a founding employee of London-based consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, has accused that the firm, hired by Donald Trump during his primary campaign, illegally mined tens of millions of users' Facebook data and then used it to target potential voters.
Following this, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg issued a statement outlining his firm's role in the scandal and apologised to its billions of users for the breach.
Garlin Gilchrist, from University of Michigan, said that Facebook and the social media platforms that dominate the attention economy are now being called to understand what that responsibility entails.
Erik Gordon, a clinical assistant professor at the Ross School of Business, said the data scandal means that Facebook needed to consider a new model in which it is responsible for content.
"That is a costly model. It's a model that will lose posters and viewers. Facebook's revenue model would be significantly hurt by regulatory changes in how it can turn data on users into revenue and by users getting off Facebook or using it less because of data privacy concerns," he said.
The Federal Trade Commission is already investigating Facebook over its privacy practices and Zuckerberg has been asked to testify before a Congressional Committee next month.
A communication researcher at Cornell University said that the social media giant's announced plans to revamp its privacy tools won't alter the company's core business model, which relies on user data.
He instead suggested that Facebook take steps to build trust.
"For example, Facebook could make its data sharing and advertising policies much clearer to users, be more transparent about what data is shared with apps and third parties, and make privacy settings easier for users to understand and modify," said Natalie Bazarova.
Bazarova said the best way to protect social media users was through public education and awareness-raising.
"Facebook can also change their default privacy settings to allow users to opt in to sharing their information, rather than asking them to make an effort to opt out of it," she said.
"Public education and awareness-raising relating to online privacy can help individual users protect themselves. Users need to be aware that when it comes to the internet, there's no free lunch," she said.
According to HV Jagadish, a professor of computer science and engineering and expert on ethics in computer science, the solution lies in developing ethical principles regarding the analysis and use of data.
"Recent research shows that by observing a few hundred of your Facebook likes, it is possible for an algorithm to predict your personal preferences better than your spouse can predict them," said Jagadish.
He said the politicians and businesses that profit from such data shouldn't be blamed for trying to better predict people's choices, "since it's the role of politicians".
"The problem is that they now have tools so effective that the persuasion happens on a playing field we perceive as not being even," Jagadish said.
Aviv Ovadya of the University of Michigan warned that pushing too much for privacy may impact data portability, or the ability to determine if foreign actors are manipulating online discourse.
"or even the ability to hold Facebook accountable itself," he said.
Ovadya, a Knight News Innovation Fellow at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University, sounded the alarm about the vulnerability of social media platforms to propaganda and misinformation from foreign governments.
"If even aggregated Facebook data is so private that only Facebook can see it, then how can independent bodies determine if Facebook is acting responsibly?" Ovadya asked.

domain: news


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New York, Oct 5 (IANS) Global professional services company Accenture on Monday said that it has appointed Bhaskar Ghosh as its Chief Strategy Officer.
Ghosh succeeds Simon Eaves who has now been appointed as the company’s Managing Director of UK and Ireland effective January 1, 2021, with overall responsibility for Accenture’s industries and services in those countries.
Effective immediately, Ghosh will be responsible for the company’s strategy and investments, including ventures and acquisitions.
He will continue to lead the growth strategy for Accenture’s Industry X business, which includes digital manufacturing and intelligent products and platforms.
Ghosh most recently served as adviser to Julie Sweet, Accenture’s Chief Executive Officer, on critical areas including growth and investment strategy, business performance, organisational effectiveness and restructuring.
Previously, Ghosh was Group Chief Executive of Accenture Technology Services, directing strategy and investments, and leading platforms, products and global technology delivery.
“Bhaskar brings incredible vision and business acumen to his new role as chief strategy officer,” Sweet said in a statement.
“Under his leadership, he helped grow Accenture into a technology industry powerhouse and expanded our data, cloud and security offerings.”
Olly Benzecry, who has served as managing director and chairman of Accenture in the UK and Ireland since 2011, will continue as chairman until he retires at the end of August 2021, Accenture said.


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The prospect of the industry
(1) solar energy for the high-tech industry, is a consistent with our policy to encourage industries, products are widely used in industry, agriculture, transportation, civil and other fields.
(2) is a major national strategic emerging industries. According to the "solar development" 1025 "rules" to the end of 2015 solar power generation installed capacity reached 21000000 kW, an annual generation capacity reached 25000000000 kwh.
(3) solar energy photovoltaic industry by Hefei City as "one of the three major industries during the 12th Five Year Plan" key development, to 2015, Hefei city planning photovoltaic solar cell production capacity more than 9GW, will become the country's largest manufacturing city of photovoltaic solar energy.


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The owners of Hulu are due to receive first-round bids today, with the winning company likely to make a splash in the already turbulent seas of digital entertainment.
Google, Amazon, Yahoo and DirecTV are said to be potential suitors, though it’s possible that current owners News Corp., NBC-Universal and Walt Disney Co. could opt to hold onto the service. Apple and Microsoft aren’t regarded as likely buyers, though their deep pockets and tech savvy make them too dangerous to rule out entirely. It’s too early to discount any other comers, but one sure outlier is Netflix, which signaled in its second-quarter earnings call that it had no intent to pursue Hulu. That could end up a regrettable decision given whichever buyer does snap up Hulu will likely go after the Los Gatos, Calif.-based market leader, which has a sizable lead of more than 25 million subscribers.
Merriman Capital analyst Eric Wold estimates that Hulu could fetch anywhere from $500 million to $2 billion. In a research note Monday, he identified Google and Amazon as the top contenders because Hulu could represent a quantum leap over the modest forays they’ve made to date into securing premium content.
The broad price range reflects the uncertainty over what exactly a buyer would be getting. The most valuable parts of Hulu are the licensing deals the streaming service has with its principals that delivers series programming from broadcasters Fox, NBC and ABC as soon as 24 hours after its original airdate.
While News Corp. and Disney have renewed those deals to help the sale, it isn’t known just how many years they’ll let Hulu hold onto that content. The latest episodes of hits like “Family Guy” and “The Office” are the biggest draws on Hulu, which has also begun to license and develop original content such as its new Morgan Spurlock series “A Day in the Life.”
Another important deal term with uncertain conditions is how quickly series go from on air to online. Just last week Fox extended the delay on its shows from one to eight days unless the viewer has a subscription to Dish Network that would grant authenticated access or Hulu Plus. Fox is on the hunt for more multichannel providers that could reserve the one-day delay to their subscribers, and other broadcasters like ABC are expected to follow suit as well.
The move toward authentication and the impetus to sell Hulu itself are a recognition of the reality that the congloms have a greater financial incentive to protect the retransmission-consent fees they negotiated with MSOs than the mix of advertising and subscription revenues they gained from Hulu.
But therein lies the $2 billion question: Will Hulu be reduced to a shadow of its former self if next-day access to top primetime shows aren’t readily available to everyone? While Hulu served 963 million video ads in July, according to Comscore — far more than any other website — its impressive metrics could be seriously diminished soon given that Fox began tightening its reins as of Aug. 15.
Hulu has already begun to emphasize attributes other than its traffic in advance of the sale. Earlier this month, it declared its intent to expand into Japan — one of the only regions Netflix hasn’t claimed amid a rash of recent reports that see the brand relocating everywhere from Latin America to Europe.
Hulu also barely addressed its core ad-supported business in a corporate blog post attending its second-quarter results. CEO Jason Kilar projected that Hulu is on course to top 1 million subs for Hulu Plus by the end of summer. While this number is still well below Netflix, Kilar was essentially positioning Hulu Plus as a potential vehicle for giving chase to Netflix.
For interested companies, the value of Kilar himself may be second only to that of the content deals. The well-regarded CEO defied dim expectations to steer a path to the projected $500 million in revenues Hulu projects to reap this year, a feat made all the more difficult by contending with multiple owners with differing agendas.


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Maryland attends Arab Health, awards more than two dozen business grants
01/24/2022 | Amanda Winters
Arab Health 2022 – one of the world’s largest healthcare exhibitions – is officially underway.
Joining the Maryland Department of Commerce in Dubai is a delegation of 14 local businesses from across the Capital Region to the Eastern Shore.
Now in its eighth year of attendance, Commerce is hosting a 450 square-foot booth to allow companies to display their products and services at the exhibition and meet with international leaders in the industry.
The department also recently awarded several rounds of ExportMD grants – to 29 small and mid-sized companies – to help them expand into the global marketplace. Many of these recipients utilized the funding to travel to the Arab Health trade show.
“We have always looked forward to leading our yearly delegation to Arab Health, but now more than ever, we want to continue providing a variety of resources to help our Maryland businesses expand their customer base,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Mike Gill.
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New reports suggest that Apple has hammered Android's market share over the past twelve months on the strength of iPhone X and iPhone 8 sales. Early sales of these devices in the back half of 2017 may have raised concerns that Apple could have bet wrong with its iPhone 8 and iPhone X positioning, but overall sales since seem to have allayed those fears.The latest data from the research and analysis company Kantar suggests that iOS's market share surged by 5.9 percent from June 2017 to June 2018, driven by strong sales of the iPhone 8 and iPhone X. Eight of the top 10 smartphones sold on the market are iOS models according to Kantar's Dominic Sunnebo, Global Director for Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, who states(Opens in a new window):
Apple continues to wield huge power in the US market, with iPhone models making up eight out of the ten best-selling models in the past three months. Apple currently enjoys unprecedented depth across the smartphone price spectrum, ranging from the iPhone SE to the $1,000 iPhone X; resulting in continued growth and hitting Samsung and LG hard. While Samsung is well represented at the premium end of the market with its S9 and Note series, and its budget orientated J series helps compete against LG, lack of depth in the mid-high tier is allowing Apple to find a new avenue for growth.
This is an interesting argument. Normally when we talk about Apple as a premium brand, there's an expectation that this perception is principally enjoyed by the top-end models. But with Apple locking down eight of the top-selling US phone spots and the iPhone X identified as #4, the implication is that US consumers would rather be packing even non-X Apple devices over most Android hardware, even if Android devices ship more overall.Data by Kantar
At the same time, I'm not sure I'd say Apple has found any kind of "new avenue" for growth. The company is selling more phones at more price points and it's achieved this by continuing to sell older devices that it previously would've retired. That strategy has clearly paid off, but let's not pretend it takes a Harvard MBA to come up with the idea of selling a product you already manufacture.
Apple gained share in countries like Germany and France, but lost two points of market share to Android in China (likely worth far more unit sales). The iPhone X, however, remains the top-selling Chinese device even if iOS only enjoys roughly 19.4 percent of the market. Android holds 79.3 percent of the smartphone market in Europe overall.Kantar also notes that Huawei's improved performance was a major driver of Android's overall success, a fact that's likely to grate on Samsung. The P20 smartphone -- a phone we featured for its incredible performance on the DxO benchmark earlier this year -- reportedly single-handedly raised Huawei's market share in Great Britain from 2.7 percent to 13.7 percent in just the past three months. The US government has warned repeatedly against Huawei products and the company has no market in the United States.


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Samsung, Hyundai Motor, SK and LG groups posted a combined net income of 37.6 trillion won ($31.7 billion) last year, up 2.2 trillion won from a year earlier, according to the data that the Fair Trade Commission presented for an annual parliamentary audition.
The figure took up 83 percent of slightly over 45 trillion won registered by the country's 30 leading conglomerates by assets.
The percentage was up 12 points from the previous year, with the total bottom line of the 30 groups declining by about 4.6 trillion won in 2020 from a year earlier.
The top four groups saw their sales drop by 4.6 trillion won to 778.8 trillion won last year, and the combined top line of the 30 conglomerates also decreased by 53.8 trillion won to 1,373.3 trillion won.
But the ratio of the top four's sales to the total increased to 56.7 percent last year from 54.9 percent a year earlier, according to the data.
Market watchers said the figures show the concentration of economic power in the top four conglomerates has deepened over the past five years despite the Moon Jae-in administration's efforts to reform the country's large business groups. (Yonhap)


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The CDC is continuing to urge consumers, restaurants and retailers not to eat, serve, or sell recalled eggs produced by Rose Acre Farms' farm in Hyde County, North Carolina.
Rose Acre has come under scrutiny before after three separate outbreaks that left about 450 people sick in three states were traced back to the farm in 1990.
Almost 50 people have been sickened by the contaminated eggs.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service stated that, if not washed and sanitized properly, salmonella can latch onto the outside of the egg's shell because the egg exits the hen's body through the same passageway as feces is excreted.
Among the 35 cases are 11 hospitalizations.
The grocery stores are located in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Virginia, Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. The egg business is so interconnected that in mid-April, Cal-Maine was forced to issue its own recall for 280,800 eggs because they'd been "purchased from Rose Acre Farms and re-packaged" as Cal-Maine's. FDA analysis of the samples revealed that the same rare strain of Salmonella Braenderup that caused the illnesses was present at the Hyde County Egg facility, tying the facility to the outbreak. The affected Rose Acre Farms recalled eggs are identified with plant number P-1065 and Julian date ranges of 011 through date of 102 printed on either the side portion or the principal side of the carton or package. These eggs were repackaged and sold under multiple brand names, including Publix and Sunups.
"State and local health officials continue to interview ill people to ask about the foods they ate and other exposures they had before they became ill. Sixteen reported eating various egg dishes at different restaurants", said the DCD statement. Consumers can check the Food and Drug Administration's website for a full list of recalled brands.
Knowing whether to toss out your eggs is unfortunately far less simple than checking the fridge for a box labeled "Rose Acre Farms".


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Last year on April 12th, we announced that Amazon acquired Ring.
When we joined forces with Amazon, we were met with the means to provide our neighbors with even more resources to protect their homes and neighborhoods. I am very excited to say that working with Amazon over the past year has enabled Ring to rapidly increase our rate of innovation: we delivered more value and more home security tools to our neighbors (what we call our customers) in the past year than any year prior.
In the last year, Ring made an incredible 19 product announcements, including Ring Stick Up Cam, Ring Smart Lighting, and the launch of a free crime and safety app, Neighbors. In addition to product launches, we’ve also introduced new integrations with Amazon Alexa, providing added value for our customers. For example, users can view their Live Views from Ring Doorbells and Cams on compatible Echo devices by asking Alexa. Importantly, being a part of Amazon also means we are able to leverage their team of world-class security experts who help improve the security of our products every day.
We started working with Amazon in 2016 on various projects, and every year since, they have proven to be the best partner we could ask for. Ring’s speed of innovation in a single year is a testament to our shared dedication to furthering our mission and delivering value to our customers every day.
As we look back on the past year’s accomplishments, we’re honoring our achievements the Ring way. Instead of celebrating our 1-year acquisition close anniversary with a company party, we’re putting that budget towards furthering our mission by donating to Hollenbeck PAL, a nonprofit committed to nurturing young people to become responsible, productive and law-abiding citizens. This donation is a continuation of our pledge to bringing safety to all neighborhoods.
Looking forward, I’m filled with a sense of excitement and our team is energized to continue making a positive impact on our homes, our neighborhoods, and the world. With our amazing neighbors, our hard-working talented team laser focused on furthering our mission of reducing crime in neighborhoods, and the backing and expertise of Amazon behind us, it’s now time to get back to work. At Ring, we will not celebrate until we have improved the safety and security of every single neighborhood around the world.


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Today, the University of Connecticut’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity released Snack FACTS 2015, a thoroughly researched report evaluating snack food nutrition and marketing to youth. The report “examines the nutritional quality and advertising for 90 snack food brands offered by 43 companies that were marketed to U.S. children and teens on TV, internet, and in schools in 2014.”
One particularly disturbing aspect of the report examines how advertisers target Hispanic and Black youth with unhealthy snacks. Here are just a few of the statistics that caught our eye:
- “From 2010 to 2014, TV ads for savory snacks viewed by black children increased 48% and ads viewed by black teens increased 95%.”
- “In 2014, black children saw 64% more snack food ads on TV compared to white children, and black teens viewed 103% more compared to white teens.”
- “In 2014, companies spent more than $45 million to advertise snack foods on Spanish-language TV, a decline of 6% versus 2010. However, spending on savory snack ads skyrocketed 551% and sweet snack ads rose 30%.”
- “Ads for unhealthy snacks comprised 88% of snack food ads viewed by Hispanic children on Spanish-language TV in 2014, a dramatic jump from 39% in 2010.”
Just last week the New York Times reported on research which suggests that fast-food advertising works on children (no wonder industry spends tens of millions on it).
No wonder food companies — including AND sponsors — protest at even the slightest hint of voluntary rules to regulate marketing to children; it works like a charm.
We wish the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics would bring light to this issue, which is a legitimate public health problem. Its sponsors may not take well to that position, but any organization that aims to improve the health of Americans should address this problem.


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News by Luke Jones on Thursday July 31, 2014.
|Sponsored links, if any, appear in green.|
Chinese mega brand Huawei has today teased a product launch for a new smartphone, with an event that will take place at 15:00pm on September 4th. The launch will be held during the IFA show in Berlin, Germany, where a number of smartphone vendors will be releasing new products.The invite has the title tagline "Empowering a Future of Exciting Possibilities" which hardly rolls off the tongue. Huawei hints a little towards the new device with some blurb that says that the upcoming device will be about speed, design, and personalization. We assume that the Chinese company is talking about a smartphone, but here is a left field theory. If you look at the hands holding the title, they are fairly wide apart, so could that mean that Huawei will launch a new tablet? Food for thought we think. Smartphone or slate, whatever the device is, Huawei says in the blurb that people around the world will experience the new product, which hints that it will get a global roll out. Those familiar with the company will know that is not always the case as Huawei does not enjoy huge market presence in Europe and the US. The company is massive in Asia and has been constantly attempting to crack Western markets, perhaps with this new device the company will have another stab at it. If the new product is indeed a smartphone, then it would make plenty of sense for it to be the Ascend Mate 3, a handset that has leaked plenty of time over recent weeks. The Ascend Mate 3 is due to be another typically blockbuster smartphone from the company. source: NDTV
Luke Jones is the Managing Editor at MobileBurn.com and is the person you need to speak to about the content on the site. Luke studied creative writing at degree level before carving out a reputation as a freelance tech writer. He settled here at MobileBurn, where he reviews devices and contributes to the news, as well as overseeing the site's content and direction.


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India’s government will push Apple, Samsung (KS:005930), and other mobile phone makers to prioritise rolling out software updates to support 5G in the country. This is because there are worries that many of their models are not ready for the recently launched high-speed service.
On October 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 5G services with a lot of fanfare. Leading telecom company Reliance Jio said it would offer the service in four cities, while rival Bharti Airtel said it would offer it in eight cities. Both businesses said that the service would grow in the coming year.
Three industry sources and the Airtel website say that Apple’s iPhone models, including the latest iPhone 14, and many of Samsung’s best phones do not have software that is compatible with 5G in India.
Top officials from India’s telecoms and IT departments are worried about this, so they will lead a meeting on Wednesday to push for early 5G adoption. They will invite smartphone executives from Apple, Samsung, Vivo, and Xiaomi (OTC:XIACF), as well as from Reliance, Airtel, and Vodafone (NASDAQ:VOD) Idea, to attend. Reuters has seen a document from the government that says Apple, Samsung, Vivo, and Xiaomi should also be there.
The notice for the closed-door meeting said that they would be talking about how to “prioritise” and release software updates to help the high-speed network.
When asked for a comment, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Samsung Electronics (OTC:SSNLF), Vivo, Xiaomi Corp., and the three domestic telecom operators did not respond right away. The IT and telecom departments of the government also did not answer.
India has said that the launch of 5G in the world’s second-largest mobile market, after China, will give people access to high-speed internet and help the economy in areas like agriculture and health.
In August, Jio, India’s biggest mobile carrier with more than 420 million customers, paid $11 billion for airwaves at a 5G spectrum auction that cost $19 billion. Airtel spent over $5 billion, and Vodafone spent more than $2 billion.
While telecom companies and smartphone companies have been talking to each other, one source in the industry said that it takes time to work out compatibility issues between the 5G technology used by telecom companies in India and phone software.
Under the 5G compatible section of Airtel’s website on Tuesday, all of the iPhone 12 and 13 models showed “Apple yet to update software.” Airtel said that many Samsung models were not ready either, but it showed that more than 30 Xiaomi and Vivo models from China were ready to use with its 5G service.
“Apple has been very slow lately. Airtel has been worried about this “because a lot of their high-end customers use Apple products.” A second person in the business world who knows what’s going on and has direct knowledge of the situation said that Apple and Airtel have been talking.
A third source with direct knowledge of the situation said that Apple was testing and confirming the different 5G services that network providers in India were offering.
Users are already annoyed by the lack of 5G software updates.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma, CEO of the Indian digital payments company Paytm, which is backed by SoftBank, tweeted on Sunday, tagging Airtel, that he bought a Google Pixel 6A phone just to use 5G, but it didn’t show the network as an option in New Delhi. Later, he sent a Tweet to Google asking for a software update.
In response, Mudit Mathur, a Twitter user, posted screenshots of his conversations with the Google Support Team. They told him that the company was working with Indian telecom carriers to add 5G functionality to its phones “as soon as possible,” with a goal of December.
Google did not respond to a request for comment.


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Posted at 9:31 PM on July 14, 2011
by John Birge
A news report says by the end of the year, it should be possible to drive the 600 miles from southern Oregon to the Canadian border in an electric car. Seventeen fast-charging stations will be installed along Interstate 5.
The legendary violinist Jascha Heifetz would've been pleased. In 1966, he bought a custom-built electric car in 1966, when smog was terrible in Los Angeles where he lived. It was the the first electric car on West Coast.
Here's the electrifying violinist going out for a spin. Looks like his other car is a Rolls-Royce!


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Latest News on Weibo
Showing of 0 - 10 from 104 results
Weibo - Total results - 104
Jan 04, 2019
Huawei punishes two employees and cuts their pay for tweeting from iPhoneThe tweet was quickly removed but screenshots of the blunder spread across social media.
Dec 28, 2018
China warns government departments to clean up their social media imageThe State Council vowed to remove dormant "zombie" accounts, "shocking" comments from official channels.
Nov 25, 2018
Dolce & Gabbana co-founders share video apology after backlash over racist ad campaign, derogatory remarks about Chinese cultureItalian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana was accused of depicting Chinese stereotypes in a marketing campaign and then bashing Chinese culture in private messages.
Nov 22, 2018
Dolce & Gabbana cancels fashion show in Shanghai amid racism accusations, issues apologyDolce & Gabbana were accused of depicting Chinese culture in a derogatory manner after a marketing campaign showed a Chinese model struggling to eat cannoli, pizza and spaghetti with chopsticks.
Nov 16, 2018
Serie A: Juventus apologise for posting message of condolence about suicide of Chinese fan after false Weibo postJuventus's post to its 725,000 followers mourning the supposed suicide triggered several days of criticism and shrill calls for the club to apologise.
Nov 13, 2018
China erases 9,800 social media accounts for posting objectionable contentChina’s censorship rules have tightened in recent years with legislations restricting media outlets.
Nov 01, 2018
Nubia's new gaming phone expected to launch on 6 November with 10 GB RAMThe poster mentions Nubia's gaming phone to come with both air-cooling and liquid-cooling systems.
Aug 27, 2018
Chinese police say Didi bears "unshirkable responsibility" for passenger's deathDidi Chuxing said it would suspend its Hitch carpooling service from 27 August.
Aug 26, 2018
Honor 8X and 8X Max to officially launch in China at an event on 5 SeptemberThe Honor devices are expected to have a notch, rear dual cameras, big batteries, large displays.
Aug 04, 2018
Christopher Robin, Disney's live-action film, to not release in China amid ban on Winnie-the-Pooh memesWinnie-the-Pooh has emerged as a symbol of political dissent against the country's ruling Communist Party and its leader, Xi Jinping in China


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Of course Canada’s not mentioned here. Still, David E. Gumpert reports some fascinating news from the wider raw milk world. From his “The Complete Patient” blog:
“A few weeks ago, the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency came out with an eye-opening report on raw milk. This agency, the UK’s equivalent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, acknowledged and accepted, at least on a minimal basis, the reality of raw milk, including the following:
* The FSA sought out the opinions of more than 100 raw milk consumers via “an innovative consultation event” on “options for controls for RDM (raw drinking milk).” “The overarching conclusion from the event is that there is an appetite among producers and current RDM consumers for increased consumer access to RDM…” Continue reading
From The Verge, which, for the most part, is a technology blog:
Photo from nine-year-old Martha’s blog “Never Seconds”. That’s Martha on the right, getting some personal cooking instruction from chef Nick Nairn. Click image to go to that post.
“A month and a half ago, a nine-year-old schoolgirl called Martha began blogging photos of the food from her elementary school cafeteria. After just ten days the blog, entitled NeverSeconds, had already received 105,000 views, thanks largely to an endorsement from British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. It went on to amass over two million hits and also raised nearly £2,000 (around $3,110) for food charity Mary’s Meals. Continue reading
Is this how “the system” uses the seemingly impartial objectivity of economics to put the screws to what the elite may regard as “useless eaters”? From The Independent:
The Hunger Games book
“Evidence is mounting that thousands of children in the UK are not getting enough food to eat – and that, as financial hardship spreads, their numbers are increasing rapidly. Chris is 10. He and his brother are so malnourished that their skins are pale and they have rings under their eyes. Their older brothers have such an unhealthy diet that they have lost their adult teeth. They live in the sixth-richest city in the world – London.
The boys are just four among thousands of Britain’s hungry children – victims of a “silent epidemic” of malnutrition in the capital and beyond….” Continue reading
Monsanto has failed to establish a beachhead in Britain, according to this story from British newspaper The Mail Online:
“The giant bio-tech firm Monsanto yesterday announced a major withdrawal from the UK amid intense opposition to genetically modified foods.
The company, the leading multinational behind the production of GM crops, is closing its wheat growing operation, based in Cambridge.
Officials said the move was partly due to the opposition to GM crops which has inspired the Daily Mail’s campaign against so-called “Frankenstein Foods”. Continue reading
From Denis Campbell’s UK Progressive:
“The controversy over whether people have the right to produce, sell, buy, and consume raw milk products is a huge one these days. Government regulators in Canada and the US insist they are protecting the public against dangerous effects of raw milk, while those who seek raw milk and other raw foods say their way of eating – is healthy. Continue reading
From Beyond Pesticides.org
(Beyond Pesticides, April 1, 2011) A British government scientist on Wednesday announced that he has ordered a review of a class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids, to determine what effects they may have on bee and pollinator health. Neonicotinoids, such as clothianidin and imidacloprid, have come under intense scrutiny recently due to concerns regarding their toxicity to honeybees, which are essential for a secure food supply in their role as crop pollinators. This has led some to suggest that chemicals such as these could be contributors to honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Continue reading


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Nifty 50 has gone through decent correction in the last two weeks. Probably, we could be in the last leg of the correction. The gap in the chart has been the major concern for the traders from past two months that was emerged ahead of Lok Sabha election result euphoria. The July 19 session registered the low of 11,399.3, and the gap has been filled, the scenario indicating that we can expect some stability in the market now onwards.
As per the Fibonacci retracement, we are trading near 50 percent retracement level of recent up-move and intraday charts are trading in oversold zone. The overall picture is reflecting that selling pressure is likely to mature and bounce back is not ruled out.
Though the midcaps are going through rough phase, but we believe that it is a time to look for good pedigree stocks that delivered phenomenal performance in Q1 and are expected to do so in the subsequent quarters.
Here is the list of four stocks which could give double digit return:
IndusInd Bank: Buy | CMP: Rs 1,420 | Target: Rs 1,730 | Return: 22 percent
As expected, the bank delivered good set of numbers, with consolidated PAT rising 38 percent for the quarter. Alongside the strong balance sheet growth, advances grew 28.4 percent. Expect 25 percent growth levels ahead. Both corporate and consumer finance loan-books grew handsomely at 20 percent. The management is in line with its stated planning cycle 4 (2017-2020). Giving guidance of 25-30 percent loan growth, it stood at 28 percent during Q1.
NIM’s stood at 4.05 percent higher by 13bps (QoQ) which is mainly attributable to high growth in retail lending business and expected to remain in the levels of 3.85-3.90 percent ahead. Though the increase in NNPA and GNPA at 1.23 percent and 2.15 percent translates to concerns of asset quality risk, most of them are already accounted for in books and are expected to stabilise soon.
As the merger with Bharat Financial has taken place, it has driven synergies across revenue opportunities and operating efficiencies, boosting return on asset and NIM. But, the higher piece of the pie is still left on the plate. Moreover, it would help increase penetration and strengthen balance sheet.
The focus of the management is to continue growth on the retail lending business side after this merger. It aims to add 7.5 million new savings accounts by end of FY20. This would support CASA, which will lower funding cost. Though the vehicle sale remained subdued all over, the bank delivered better growth amongst peers. Going forward, as the festive season unfolds; it could drive growth from Q3FY20.
Bandhan Bank: Buy | CMP: Rs 528 | Target: Rs 620 | Return: 19 percent
The bank has started the year with phenomenal Q1 performance. The net profit jumped 46 percent. Total deposits surged 42 percent, with the asset growth at 39.36 percent. Moreover, NII grew by 36 percent; NIM’s was higher at 10.45 percent. With the decline in provisions, the bank has also maintained a stable asset quality (GNPA and NNPA stood at 2.02 percent and 0.56 percent). Further, it has added 7.08 lakh customers during Q1 to reach a total customer base to 17.27 million.
Going forward, the bank’s focus would continue to remain on micro-loans, with a growth of 40 percent in micro banking assets. Moreover, it is looking at exploring and expanding into housing segment and retail. The management is looking at good deposit pockets for new branches. With the completion of the merger with Gruh Finance expected in 2019, it would further add into growth and bring diversification.
Avenue Supermarts: Buy | CMP: Rs 1,400 | Target: Rs 1,700 | Return: 21 percent
It has kicked off FY20 on an optimistic note by registering sturdy double-digit growth in its operating metrics led by store addition and improvement in gross margin. The profit grew 31.87 percent to Rs 323.06 crore and the revenue soared 27 percent to Rs 5,814.6 crore. EBITDA surged 39.17 percent YoY to Rs 607.71 crore with margin came at 10.45 percent, owing to better operational efficiency despite growing concerns over pricing pressure and competitive intensity. The net profit margin is at 5.56 percent, higher than 5.35 percent a year ago and ahead of 4.0-4.8 percent range seen in the last three quarters.
In addition, it opened eight stores in Q1, aggregating 184 stores as of now. It is the highest compared to any other Q1 historically and is expected to add 25-28 stores in FY20 though a large part of additional store was a spill-over from the previous quarter. With consciously opening large stores and steady same-store-sales-growth plus superior per store revenue compared to peers; the company’s sharp value-retail positioning with efficient backend operations and e-commerce initiative could be a silver lining for its superlative growth in next few quarters.
ACC: Buy | CMP: Rs 1,540 | Target: Rs 1,800 | Return: 17 percent
Despite the muted volume growth in Q2, ACC remains in a sweet spot going ahead. The revival of the pricing power is to be seen in recent quarters as demand remains firm. It is expected to gain traction that will lead to higher capacity utilization. Rising cost efficiencies and lower energy costs should boost profits and upswing margins in subsequent quarters for the company, indicating a solid future ahead.
Looking on operating metrics for Q2, it reported a solid 39 percent YoY growth in Net profit at Rs 455.68 crore and 7.8 percent growth in Revenue at Rs 4,149.82 crore. EBITDA rose 25 percent to Rs 783 crore on back of sharp jump in operating margin. The cost increased on account of higher fuel prices YoY. It was partly mitigated by lower cost of raw materials, improvement in operating efficiency and lower fixed cost. Additionally, the company’s ongoing expansion plans (to add six million tonne by making Rs 3,000 crore capex), which will come on stream by CY21, will drive volume growth from CY22 onwards and boost ACC’s positioning in the central market.


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Tiga released his ‘No Fantasy Required’ album last year. Following Benny Benassi, Prosumer and Audion’s previous remixes a new one from Edu Imbernon has been just announced.
The new remix from Edu Imbernon comes through with the deepness while maintaining a certain degree of ‘energy’ that he has become know for in his latest productions. A delightful, almost ethereal mixture of synth and vox takes this jam deep into the night.
‘No Fantasy Required’ package will be released on 12” and Digital on Turbo Recordings. Last year’s ‘Prosumer Remix’ and a ‘Extended Version’ will be included on Vinyl as well, dropping on stores September 30th.


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BEIJING—Mesnac Co. Ltd. has signed a strategic cooperation partnership protocol with Bosch Rexroth Ltd. on Feb. 28 to develop a drive and control system for the rubber and tire industry.
Mesnac President Zheng Jiangjia and Rexroth CSO Ren Yixing signed the protocol on behalf of each party on Feb. 4, according to Mesnac.
Bosch Rexroth will support the development of Mesnac's drives and controls business in the rubber and tire industry, Mesnac said. The firm added that Bosch Rexroth would also make a special action plan to promote Mesnac's products.
Mesnac said Bosch Rexroth will support its modular and standardization work, advancing expansion activities of both parties in their respective fields and markets.
The partnership is aimed at reinforcing the two companies' positions within the drives and controls field of the rubber and tire industry.
Mesnac said the two firms will work together to promote the intellectual and digital development towards the rubber and tire industry, providing better products and service for global rubber and tire customers.


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Sales of the Envy™ apple nearly doubled in volume between 2014 and 2015, reports Canada’s Oppenheimer Group (Oppy).
And Envy’s dollar contribution rose by over 120%, growing faster than all other premium apples in both measures, according to FreshLook data.
Vancouver-based Oppy, a leading fresh produce sales, marketing and distribution company, said Envy demonstrated the strongest growth in pounds and also the strongest growth in retail sales of 11 premium apples in 2015 compared to 2014.
The apple currently ranks fifth in volume, behind the well-established Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, JAZZ™, and Ambrosia, which is remarkable given it has been commercially available for just four years, said Oppy’s executive category director for apples and pears David Nelley.
“We’re proud of that achievement, but not surprised, given that one super premium retailer in California told us Envy has been the biggest item in terms of gross sales in the entire store for certain periods,” Nelley said.
The Washington crop sold out in March but from June through September, Oppy sources the bright red apple – which it says has a crisp crunch and intense sweetness all season long – from New Zealand and Chile.
It said last week that the New Zealand Envy crop was already on its way, “much to the delight of retailers across North America, who are eager for the strong dollar and volume contributions of this premium apple to resume.”
“Cool nights and dry harvest days have colored up this season’s New Zealand Envy crop beautifully. Our retail partners are in for a real treat, not only because the fruit looks and tastes so good, but its category contribution is proven and continues to come on strong,” Nelley said.


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SuperValu says it is considering spinning off its discount grocer Save-A-Lot into a separate publicly traded company as competition in the industry intensifies.
The Ford Tri-Motor was the first all-metal, multi-engine commercial airliner. Step aboard this nearly 90-year-old plane they call the "Tin Goose."
U.S. single-family home prices in May rose from the previous year at the same pace as April but fell short of forecasts as construction slowed and new home sales lagged existing home sales, the S&P/Case-Shiller survey said Tuesday.
U.S. home prices rose at a steady pace in May, pushed higher by a healthy increase in sales this year.
U.S. house prices rose 1.1% in May, supported by the spring sales market, with gains in all the cities tracked by the Case-Shiller 20-city composite index released Tuesday.
Ann Rule, the author of such true-crime books as "The Stranger Beside Me" and "Every Breath You Take," has died. She was 83.
A Dallas police officer is being credited with saving the life of a 22-month-old toddler who had accidentally swallowed a coin.
The announcement of a new, original Dr. Seuss book sent a wave of nostalgic giddiness across social media, and the number of preorders for "What Pet Should I Get?" has been climbing for months. Now, its time is here. The first new book in 25 years by Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel, debuts Tuesday.
President Obama is feeling good about his chances at re-election -- if he could run again.
Baltimore officials knew that protests could erupt the day of Freddie Gray's funeral, but were overwhelmed by riots that followed.
NATO's North Atlantic Council will meet Tuesday after Turkey called for special talks amid heightened concerns over its security.
BlackBerry Ltd. was upgraded to equal-weight from underweight at Morgan Stanley on Tuesday under the premise that cash flexibility and cost-cutting initiatives will drive stock-price value in the near term.


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The official announcement has now arrived, confirming what had been leaked through the photos of the Australian website UltraFootball. Roma’s next sponsor will be Digitalbits, a company that – as we’ll see in our in-depth analysis – is organic to the world of cryptocurrency
This is shocking news for many, but it follows a trend that has already seen several large groups linked to the world of cryptocurrencies (and intermediation) settle in the world of professional sports – such as Crypto.com, which sponsored the last Coppa Italia final
. The official announcement is expected to come soon With the
arrival of Digitalbits on the shirts of Roma, one of the most famous clubs in Italy, the music changes – because millions of fans of the capital’s team will be immediately exposed to the world of cryptocurrency – even among those who would have had difficulty in coming into contact with this very special niche
official announcement has also arrived The official announcement of the club has also arrived, confirming what we had seen with the photos attached to this article, which came from the Australian store UltraFootball, one of the most important in the country, which then promptly removed the ad, clearly suggesting a mistake (and the overcoming of the classic embargo for this type of news)
Digitalbits is a company that deals with infrastructure on Blockchain and manages an advanced and complex ecosystem, with several projects already under its belt. From Zytara, a digital banking platform, able to manage also NFT
, to the wallet that is already available for iPhone and Android devices.
Interesting, from the project, also Stably, that offers infrastructure to corporate
clients for the creation of stablecoin and NFTY Labs, a 360° solution for the world of non-fungible tokens.
We had already seen the Digitalbits symbol on the advertising panels during the press conference for the presentation of José Mourinho, who will be the next coach of the capital team for the upcoming season. It comes, with the shirt, the confirmation of a much more important commitment of this brand
. It will in fact be on display on the front of the official game jersey, which will be accompanied by Hyundai, relegated however to the back of the uniform. <p>And the confirmation of Roma’s official social accounts leaves no room for denial, in a week that has seen all the major teams in the world present their uniforms for next season. An event that keeps fans glued to their screens, as well as, in this case, cryptocurrency enthusiasts, with some other big company that could make a splash and arrive on the uniforms of such emblazoned clubs.
It’s not Roma’s first time in the world of blockchain
In fact, Roma is by far the most active team in the blockchain world, at least among Italian football clubs. The team had ASR Token-holding fans vote on the livery of the bus that will accompany the team home and away next year. As well as being one of the most active on the Socios.com platform, which is headed by Chiliz.
A platform that collectively offers access to over 50 top tier teams to the management via blockchain of fan loyalty programs. With Roma leading the Serie A, proving, if there was any need, as one of the teams with the most modern marketing management.
The presence of Digitalbits among Roma’s official sponsors had sent the price of the $XDB token soaring – and allowed, on a bad day for the whole sector, a good price recovery today as well. This is a sign that certain types of sponsorship pay off, especially when they involve such important teams with such a large following.


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Thus far, everyone has heard of the plummeting of WeWork. Although everything came to light soon after filing their IPO papers, the company’s issues go way back. As it turns out, soon to be former CEO is to blame for most of the company’s wrongdoings.
This summer, a string of high ranking members of staff left the company, all of them blaming Adam Neumann, the firm’s CEO and co-founder. What’s more, the paperwork the company submitted with the intention of going public has raised eyebrows, placing the company under a microscope.
For starters, documents in the filing showed that Neumann paid himself a total of $5.9 million, being payment for the trademark rights of “We”, the first part of the company’s name. Although he has already put back the money, this is only one of the many vices he engaged in.
In July, the Wall Street Journal revealed that the CEO cashed out $700 million in stock sales. Naturally, this is a move that shareholders wouldn’t take very kindly. For a company that is just to go public, the norm is usually for its top executives to cash out after the IPO.
This is because the assumption is usually that the stock will increase in value, making it the better option to cash out after the public offering. Any smart business mind would get this, right? As such, it became the reason why Neumann would cash out that early. Did he know something that investors in the company had no idea about?
Additionally, it turns out that the company co-founder owns four buildings rented out by WeWork, with this being an out and out conflict of interest. Being as smart a player in the game as he is, Neumann can’t possibly feign ignorance, so it’s in the right of his critics to bay for blood.
As for the company’s valuation, interested parties have had quite the reason to be skeptical. In January this year, WeWork was valued at $47 billion. That’s an enviable valuation, right? However, for a company that generated revenue worth $1.8 billion, it still made losses worth $1.6 billion in 2018.
By June this year, the company had already registered a loss of $1.3 billion, a clear telling sign that 2019 may be much worse than 2018. While all this is happening at WeWork, its competitor, IWG, is raking in profits. For the first half of 2019, IWG has already reported a $62.8 million profit on revenue of $1.6 billion.
Transparency in WeWork seems to be a foreign concept, as INC reports. Apparently, the company owes $47 billion in leases thanks to the nature of how they do business. As you know, they provide working space to other companies, so they lease properties to which they must pay rent even if said spaces are unoccupied.
There’s a whole mess about why they owe so much though, with investors complaining that the company doesn’t give them enough insight into WeWork finances. This sentiment is also echoed by other interested parties, and don’t they say that there’s no smoke without fire?
No wonder some media outlets are describing September as having been the worst month in the company’s history.


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Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury has released its second earnings upgrade of the year, hailing a locked reading boom, but the trend may not continue as restrictions on the coronavirus pandemic are lifted for summer.
The publisher, who last released a profit upgrade in January, said February also turned out to be “exceptional” as readers sought entertainment during the third stay-at-home order of the United Kingdom.
Sales were driven by recently released titles including A Court of Silver Flames, the latest episode in a series about women warlords from fantasy writer Sarah J Maas, and Anna North’s Outlawed, which features the daughter of ‘a midwife on the run in 19th century America. In terms of the backlist, the ever popular and evergreen Harry Potter books continue to have strong sales, as does the Dishoom cookbook.
Bloomsbury expects full-year revenue to exceed revised expectations of £ 171million and adjusted pre-tax profit to be ‘significantly higher’ than its already improved forecast of £ 14.8million. pounds sterling for the year up to the end of February.
“The popularity of reading during the lockdown is a ray of sunshine in an otherwise very dark year,” said Nigel Newton, managing director of Bloomsbury. “February, the last month of our fiscal year, saw an exceptional trading performance for Bloomsbury as the reading continued to rise.”
Bloomsbury said it was not yet clear whether the reading boom would continue. As a result, the publisher maintains the medium and long term sales forecasts unchanged.
“We don’t yet know how consumer behavior will change with the reopening of academic institutions, stores and leisure activities and whether this popularity will continue with the lifting of restrictions,” Newton said.
In October, the company announced its most profitable first half in more than a decade.
Bloomsbury said he had repaid the £ 63,000 he initially took from the government’s leave program, as well as temporary pay cuts taken by staff in the first three months of his fiscal year.


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Mike Stuart of Philadelphia joined about 200 protesters in Lykes Gaslight Square Park Sunday afternoon.
"Some rain is not going to stop us," he said as the first bands of Tropical Storm Isaac blew through downtown Tampa.
Stuart said he works at Guitar Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, just across the Delaware River from Philly.
In 2007 the musical instrument chain store agreed to a $2.1 billion buyout from Bain Capital, the Boston-based venture capital firm co-founded by Republican presidential presumptive nominee Mitt Romney.
Stuart said Bain slashed the pay of his assistant manager position to $7.50 an hour from $10 an hour. He said the store's commission system is "set up for failure" and created a revolving door of short-time employees.
He carried a sign that read, "Can't Get No Satisfaction with Romney Economy."
Stuart said he came to Tampa with a group of other activists and plans to leave on Tuesday. "I'm going to spend money as little as I can," he said. "I don't have the means to spend much."


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Dog lovers, rejoice! Lifestyle Queensland has THREE double passes to the Brisbane Dog Lovers Show to giveaway!
After attracting over 150,000 visitors to the Melbourne and Sydney events since 2013, the award winning Dog Lovers Show is finally heading to Brisbane to WOW dog-tragics on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th November at the Royal International Convention Centre at the Brisbane Showgrounds.
It is the complete opposite of a Best In Show; it is for people who genuinely love dogs, want to learn how to have a happier and healthier canine, find the latest food, tech and toys in the market, and have lots of cuddles with a plethora of pooches.
Visitors to BDLS will get to see some of the country’s most beloved celebrity talent, including Dr Chris Brown, Dr Katrina Warren & The Wonderdogs, and animal behaviourist Dr Jacqui Ley.
What’s more, the most Instagram famous dogs of Brisbane will strut their stuff on the ‘dog’ walk, get snapped by the pup-arazzi and take their rightful place on plush velvet thrones, ready for selfies and paw-tographs with adoring fans.
And of course, there will be a dedicated Rescue Dog Zone, where over 30 QLD shelters will have stalls full of pups looking for their fur-ever homes.
Don’t forget your codeword: POOCHY.
Competition closes 24th October. Winners will be announced 25th October.
For more information, visit https://dogloversshow.com.au/brisbane/.


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Morrisons has launched a slate of value veg boxes – including an organic option – in what it says is a bid to make fresh veg affordable for all UK families.
Britain’s supermarkets are missing a trick as sales of organic food and drink continue to grow says the Organic Trade Board. The OTB’s campaign manager, Catherine Fookes, tells The Times today that none of the Big Four – Tesco, Asda, Sainbsury’s, and Morrison’s – currently has “a proper strategy” for organic. Quoting from a recent […]
A new survey by Action on Sugar has found that cereal manufacturers have made little attempt to tackle the worrying issue of excessive sugar in their products, with some brands having even more sugar now than they did in 2012. Action on Sugar surveyed the same 50 products studied in the 2012 Which? Breakfast Cereal […]
Morrison’s has become the first supermarket chain in Britain to ban sales of high caffeine energy drinks to under 16s. The restrictions apply to certain brands with more than 150mg of caffeine per litre. Leading brands caught by the ban include Red Bull which has 320mg, Monster (338mg) and Relentless (320mg). Most popular energy drinks […]
OTB receives £1.73m in funding
January 12, 2018 Rosie Greenaway
The Organic Trade Board (OTB) is to receive a loan from Triodos Bank, Europe’s leading sustainable bank, to help grow organic sales in the UK in 2018 and beyond.
Forest Whole Foods named Best New Business
Online organic retailer Forest Whole Foods has been awarded Best New Business in the New Forest Business Partnership’s Brilliance in Business Awards.
Gove charms audience at the Oxford Real Farming Conference
Michael Gove became the first Defra minister to address the rebel Real Farming Conference in Oxford, usually a prerogative of the established Oxford Farming Conference.
Government plans for plastic
In a speech broadcast today by the BBC, Theresa May spoke of her plans to ‘nurture’ the environment through a ‘comprehensive 25-year environment plan’ which puts plastic at the forefront of the agenda.
November 21, 2017 Jane Wolfe
With mounting research emphasizing the crucial part the microbiome plays in preventing and fighting disease, Jane Wolfe takes a look at the best ways to optimize gut health (more…)
Food of the gods
Regularly consuming a little of what you love could have long-term health benefits – even where chocolate is concerned, discovers Rosie Greenaway (more…)
A significant rise in job insecurity since the UK’s decision to leave the EU means people are loath to take time off work – and with an increase in colds and flu, this is leading to higher demand for OTC remedies. Jane Wolfe reports (more…)
Let’s do lunch!
Sharna Waid has been taking a look at how natural products retailers and brands are maximizing the crucial two-hour lunchtime selling period (more…)
Natural beauty made in Cyprus
Sharna Waid has been finding out how passionate producers in Cyprus are using the fruits of the land to create natural beautifying cosmetics. According to the ancient myth, Aphrodite – the goddess of love and beauty, pleasure and procreation – was born out of the waves off the coast of Cyprus. Aside from attracting three […]
As Europe braces itself for a winter flu outbreak, protect yourself with Sambucol and the power of black elderberry.
Experts across Europe have warned the EU to brace itself for a bad flu season this winter. A new vaccine has been produced which is effective in fighting H3N2, the flu strain likely to hit the region this year; however, the vaccine is generally available for free to over 65s, pregnant women, those with an […]


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EE has unveiled a new look for its flagship store, located in Westfield London, White City.
‘The EE Studio’ is a 4,230-square-foot retail space and is the first of EE’s new “Experience” stores. Three more ‘Experience’ stores will also be opening in the coming months in Cardiff, Manchester Trafford Centre, and Bluewater.
The launch of ‘The EE Studio’ is a key part of the company’s new retail strategy. Bridget Lea, Managing Director of Commercial, EE described the new store as the “antithesis of the traditional mobile store”.
The retail space includes experience zones including the Welcome Zone, a dynamic shopfront with a changeable digital window canvas; a Digital Spa, aimed to show customers how to better balance their technology use; a Gaming Zone; a Stage which will host events, pop-ups, and skills workshops; and a Tech area for showcasing new devices and products. There are also various room sets displaying technology applications in kitchen, children’s bedroom, and home office settings.
The store has been designed to be inclusive and “welcoming for all”, explained Lea. She also added that EE are working with partners to make the space accessible to the local community.
Speaking at the new store this morning, BT Group’s CEO Consumer, Marc Allera described the store as “a glimpse into the new world of EE” and the company’s renewed brand identity. EE’s new strategy will see the company focus on more than just delivering the best connectivity for customers and will see the brand focus on supporting customers to better understand how to navigate an increasingly complex digital world.
When asked about yesterday’s announcement of a planned merger between Vodafone and Three in the UK, Allera was confident about the strength of EE’s brand commenting: “We’re treading our own path and our own plan. The great thing is that we’re many years into an integration and they’re very hard things to execute. When you have big brands, big customer bases, IT, cultures, everything is different. What you’re starting to see now is the fruits of many years of hard work to pull those capabilities together to create something that’s stronger than when we were apart…Our belief is that we’re in a really strong position if you think of our assets; we’ve got the best fixed network, the best mobile network and when you think about the experiences you can create with bringing mobile and fixed networks together, we get really excited about that”.


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The problem with the green movement is that there's a hesitation happening right now. It has trouble reaching critical mass. It's stalling because everyone's waiting for everyone else to do something. ...
We can't wait another generation; we can't wait another 10 years. And I can tell you why the green movement isn't cool yet. Michael Jordan changed the face of basketball fashion overnight when he showed up to the game wearing baggy shorts ... He had a 1-800 number to the minds of tens of thousands of young people. The green movement doesn't have a Michael Jordan.Paul Hawken, Al Gore, Bill McKibben—I mean I love these guys to death but they're just not cool like Michael Jordan.
But you know what's cool? Consumer electronics. When new cell phones come out, every year they're twice as cool. Cooler than any sci-fi writer could ever imagine. They're the bowsprit in front of the ship, going into the waves of consumer culture. When electronics show that sustainable is officially the new America cool, then the sprint will begin. The hesitation will end in a snap.
I feel it in my bones that 2008 is the year."
—Artist Chris Jordan in his opening keynote speech at the Greener Gadgets Conference in New York City, Feb. 1, 2008


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At the core of Fazer’s revised sustainability approach are four interconnected goals. The time frame for the core goals is by 2030.
Goal 1: Reducing emissions by 50%. This is a direct means of providing food with a smaller environmental impact.
Goal 2: Reducing food waste by 50%. Less food waste means fewer emissions while improving the efficiency of the food system at the same time.
Goal 3: 100% sustainably sourced. Sustainable sourcing has long been high on Fazer’s agenda. Fazer contributes by developing further the basic requirements for all suppliers and with specific targets for chosen raw materials such as cocoa and grain.
Goal 4: More plant-based. Increasing the share of plant-based foods reduces the impacts of food production on the environment and supports people’s health.
“The IPCC report published in 2018 indicated that rapid and far-reaching actions are needed to limit global warming. According to the recent report by the EAT-Lancet Commission, favoring plant-based foods would reduce climate emissions but also improve people’s health. By offering people choices that support their well-being, we are inviting them to participate in solving these challenges together. We see food as a solution,” says Christoph Vitzthum, President and CEO, Fazer Group.
Fazer innovates and invests
It is essential to develop the global food system into a more sustainable direction. This is exactly what Fazer wants to do. The company’s revised sustainability approach takes into account a variety of aspects from food safety and water management to fair value chain and diversity.
The new approach is based on Fazer’s long tradition and commitment to sustainable development. Over the years, the company has carried out a variety of environmental and social initiatives, and sustainability aspects are observed in everyday work across business areas. For instance, Fazer sources 100% sustainable cocoa, only RSPO-certified palm oil and is committed to sustainable grain farming. Fazer has improved energy efficiency through several actions and uses 100% renewable electricity in its operations in Finland and Sweden.
“We, as an international food company, are in a position to take a stand and make a difference. This new sustainability approach is part of a strategic renewal process we are undergoing to become a modern sustainable food company. We are placing the consumer first, and based on deep consumer insight, consumers today expect companies to operate in a sustainable manner. By operating responsibly, we are also ensuring the continuity of our business,” says Vitzthum.
Fazer is working full steam on the four core goals. Fazer is continuously developing new products that support the core goals, for example under the Fazer Yosa brand. In 2018, the company opened a new pilot restaurant, TestEat, in Helsinki, Finland, in cooperation with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and IBM. Its purpose is to gather data on people’s eating habits and create future food solutions with the help of modern technology.
Innovations and continuous development are integral in sustainable food production. By creating new food solutions that cater to the needs of the consumers in a more environmentally and socially responsible way, Fazer can gently steer consumption towards more sustainable choices. This year, Fazer announced in January that it is investing 40 million euros in a facility in Lahti, Finland, that will produce added value grain products, in which the company is already a forerunner.
The Fazer media phone line is open Mon–Fri from 8 am to 4 pm 8–16, tel. +358 40 668 2998, firstname.lastname@example.org
Nina Elomaa, Sustainability Director, Fazer Group tel. +358 45 354 8611, email@example.com


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Canada's best corporate drama has a new leading man. Last night, Research In Motion appointed Thorsten Heins, one of two chief operating officers, as its new chief executive. Heins replaces the duo of CEOs, Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, who ran the company together for the last 20 years. Under the unusual co-CEO leadership structure, Balsillie and Lazaridis led RIM to become the leader in smartphones before the iPhone and Android began decimating the BlackBerry's market share in 2007.
The last two years have been particularly demoralizing for RIM's approximately 17,000 employees, as they've seen the company go from owning 43% of the smartphone market in early 2010, to just 16.6% today. This summer, the company laid off 2,000 employees, or about 10% of its workforce. The company's stock price has plummeted 88% from a high of $150 in mid-2008, to as low as $18 last week.
Now all eyes are on Heins to see if he can restore RIM and once again make it the pride of Waterloo, Ontario. Heins, a 54-year-old German, joined RIM In 2007 from Siemens AG, where he was chief technology officer. In his seven-minute YouTube video addressing RIM's employees he said the company can be one of the top three players in wireless, called for more discipline in product development, and said he will listen to the voices of employees. Investor and entrepreneur Paul Kedrosky wrote on Twitter that the message was "prom video meets un-coachable corporate droid." Give the guy a chance!
Why the Jobs Left (NYT)
The iPhone was invented in the Cupertino, Calif., headquarters of Apple Inc., but virtually none of the 70 million smartphones that Apple sold last year were manufactured in the U.S. That helps explain why the U.S. lost 687,000 high-tech manufacturing jobs over the last decade. Chinese workers are both cheaper and can be called to work in the middle of the night.
Boston's Skyword will hire 40 new employees this year after raising $6 million in new financing. The 39-person company helps Web writers tailor their content to the rules of search engine optimization.
Management Shakeup (WSJ)
Intel has appointed Senior Vice President Brian Krzanich as its newest chief operating officer, and Executive Vice President Dadi Perlmutter as its chief product officer. Krzanich is seen as a possible CEO candidate once current CEO Paul Otellini retires in 2016.
Speaking Up (NYT)
The chief executive of GenArts, Katherine Hays, talks about selling one of her first companies to Microsoft, why she looks for employees who "own" the outcome of their work, and how she thinks about leadership from the perspective of an athlete.
When Adobe, Apple, Google and other tech companies were conspiring to not poach each other's employees in 2007, Steve Jobs received a blunt note from then-Palm Chief Executive Ed Colligan. The practice was not only wrong, Colligan wrote, but "likely illegal."
Continental Drift (WSJ)
Meet Matt Brittin, Google's main main in Europe. He's got a tough challenge battling regulators concerned about the company's monopoly. Brittin says the scrutiny is just a byproduct of the company's success.
Government Funded (Chicago Tribune)
Iowa is known as the first stop in the presidential primary season, but it also has something of a tech scene in downtown Des Moines called "Silicon Sixth." One firm in the state, Tactical 8 Technologies, will hire at least 23 employees after receiving $330,000 in state money.
Like It Is (TechCrunch)
Groupon Chief Executive Andrew Mason says his company is a "cyborg" that would go to "hell" if its employees decided to take off a few days. The company now has 10,000 employees, with about 70% of them working overseas.
Buzz Around the Office
Dashboard camera to the rescue!
List of the Day: Affection Faux Pas
How physically chummy do you get with your colleagues? Before opening your arms, stop and think whether your workplace would tolerate the seemingly innocent act.
1. Consider where you are. A business luncheon would not be ideal.
2. Don't do it if it could be misinterpreted at sexual harassment.
3. When in doubt, offer a handshake.
(Source: AOL Jobs)


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Recent "Injustice 2" news has revealed that NetherRealm Studios, who also developed "Mortal Kombat X," may unveil the highly-anticipated game at E3 2016. This will be a sequel to 2013's "Injustice: Gods Among Us."
Design&Trend reported that "Mortal Kombat X" developers NetherRealm Studios may be revealing important "Injustice 2" news at E3 2016 next month. Samsung Mobile recently posted a teaser which appears to be connected with the highly-anticipated video game.
"Injustice is about to be served," the official Facebook page of Samsung Mobile posted. "Coming soon."
Samsung tagged WB Games and DC Comics in the post. The short clip showed Batman's logo on what seems to be a device with a spotlight going back and forth the symbol. The logo of "Injustice: Gods Among Us" can also be seen at the lower right corner of the screen.
This sparked speculations that "Mortal Kombat X" developers NetherRealm Studios will be announcing "Injustice 2" news at E3 2016. This generated excitement for fans who have waited years for the sequel to the 2013 hit.
The publication also noted that E3 2016 would be the ideal place for Warner Bros. to reveal its "Injustice 2" news. Moreover, the partnership would make a lot more sense if the sequel will be released soon.
The "Mortal Kombat X" developers have been keeping quiet regarding the "Injustice 2" release date. There were speculations that the game's launch would coincide with the premiere of "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" but it did not happen.
""We love the fact that fans are so passionate about Mortal Kombat," Boon told Game Reactor. "Unfortunately, it's simply not possible to satisfy every single wish from players... The fans are very influential in determining which characters we include for the DLC fighters that come after the game is released."
Meanwhile, a new "Mortal Kombat X" DLC pack may include characters that fans want to see in the game. According to Christian Today, if NetherRealm Studios wants to please fans, they should make Spawn the first character to be in the expansion.


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National Football Post & Handmark Huddle Together for Free Mobile App
It’s football season and people are looking for ways to keep up with the latest news, rumors, and fantasy updates.Â A new Android app is available today that helps fans stay on top of all things concerning pro football.Â National Football Post (NFP) and Handmark have partnered up to launch to launch NFP Mobile.
The application delivers real-time content and news, offering views and commentary from NFL executives, agents, as well as NFL players past and present.
- Hot News and Rumors
- Columns from NFP Experts
- Notes from Lombardi
- Fantasy Football News
- Scouting Department
- Daily Jolt
- Team News – featuring a customizable tab that lets users get up-to-the-minute news on all their favorite teams.
Most of the content found within the app can be shared via your favorite social bookmarking/networking sites and service. Future updates promise to deliver commenting and video
â€œThe demand for quality mobile content continues to escalate as people increasingly expect instant access to information on their mobile phones, and sports news is a prime example,â€ said Evan Conway, EVP of Marketing at Handmark. â€œWeâ€™re pleased to partner with NFP to deliver its popular sports content and ensure a great user experience for news-hungry football fans everywhere.â€
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”There has been overwhelmingly customer feedback that people want access to open bootloaders on HTC phones. I want you to know that we’ve listened. Today, I’m confirming we will no longer be locking the bootloaders on our devices. Thanks for your passion, support and patience,” Peter Chou, CEO of HTC
T-Mobile has yet another Android handset lined up for the coming weeks in the form of the Huawei Ideos. T-Mobile is re-branding the phone as the Comet and plans to offer it in both pre-paid and post paid fashion.
Verizon Wireless officially announced today that the Motorola Droid will be launching on November 6th with a $200 price tag.Â We have to admit, the cost does come as a


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In an uncommon frequency of a neighborhood organization making a move against a global for supposed brand name infringement, Parle Agro has moved the Bombay High Court against Walmart India for selling an apple drink with ‘misleadingly comparable imprint’ as its Appy Fizz.
In a between time request, the court has limited Walmart from selling any item supposedly like the candidate’s item until further request.
The nation’s biggest home-grown refreshment firm has asserted that the Indian unit of the world’s biggest retailer was fabricating, showcasing, selling, and advancing an apple drink, ‘Bubbly Apple’, utilizing indistinguishable text style, style and shading plan as those Parle Agro utilizes for Appy Fizz.
According to advocate Hiren Kamod Walmart has used a similar kind of marketing strategy as used by Parle Agro Appy Fizz as the shape, label, color of the bottle, structure of the bottle, and the way it has been put for demonstration by Walmart is an exact identity of its competitor Appy Fizz in the market. Since Appy Fizz has been able to get a good market in terms of juices. Therefore, Walmart tried using a similar strategy of Parle Agro while promoting their product. “Bombay High Court Justice BP Collabawala surrendered a stretch lightening to Parle Agro on July 9. He will next hear the issue on August 20.
Propelled in 2005, Appy Fizz was the nation’s first shimmering squeezed apple drink and commands the portion with over 90% piece of the pie. Bollywood star Salman Khan is the brand envoy for the brand.
“The litigants are looking to ride on the notoriety and altruism created by the offended party in its ‘Appy Fizz’ item and the broad advancement and ad of the equivalent embraced by the offended party and are trying to make improper additions,” Kamod told the court. Abhishek Malhotra, overseeing accomplice of law office TMT Law Practice, speaking to Walmart India, contended that the word ‘Bubbly’ is a typical illustrative word and nobody can guarantee an imposing business model on the equivalent. Parle Agro declined to remark since the issue is sub judice. Email questions to Walmart India stayed unanswered as of press time Friday. When reached, Kamod and Malhotra declined to remark since the issue is sub judice.


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Namaste Technologies (TSXV:N) is a Canada-based e-commerce cannabis company. Namaste’s investors have had quite a ride over the years. Namaste stock has risen over 400% in the last five years. These returns are impressive. But if you investigate further, you will see that the stock has lost a whopping 86% since September last year and has burnt significant investor wealth.
This means Namaste stock had been on an absolute tear between September 2014 and September 2018 when it returned a mind-boggling 5,583%. Most cannabis stocks have lost considerable value since October last year, but few have been decimated like Namaste.
Namaste Technologies has been riddled with controversies
Cannabis stocks were overvalued back in October 2018 and due for a significant correction. The euphoria surrounding cannabis legalization sent these stocks skyrocketing towards all-time highs.
Namaste Technologies saw its quarterly revenue touch a record high of $5.6 million during the fiscal first quarter of 2018 (ended in February). Sales then fell to $4.1 million in the second quarter of 2018.
In October last year, Namaste was hit by a class-action suit. The lawsuit accused the company of failing to disclose the sale of its U.S. subsidiary. In early 2019, Namaste booted its CEO and replaced him with the company’s former product head, Meni Morim. Namaste’s auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP resigned in March 2019, within five months of appointment. Namaste also reported an 18.5% year-over-year drop in company sales during the first quarter of 2019.
Has Namaste stock bottomed out?
Namaste stock is currently trading close to its 52-week low at $0.47 per share. But is there hope for investors, or will the stock continue to spiral downwards? In the second quarter of 2019, Namaste reported revenue of $4 million. Though this was lower than sales of $4.1 million in the prior-year period, the company’s revenue decline has decelerated. Namaste Technologies reported a loss of $8.6 million in the second quarter of 2019. This was higher than the loss of $8.1 million in the prior-year period but lower than the $10.3 million loss in the first quarter.
Namaste might well experience revenue growth in the coming quarters. The global cannabis market is expected to grow at a robust pace. Further, Namaste also acquired a 49% stake in Pineapple Express Delivery, a medical cannabis delivery company. It is now looking to enter the edible cannabis market and announced an intent to acquire a 49% stake in Choklat. These inorganic investments will drive revenue growth for Namaste Technologies.
Do you need to invest in Namaste Technologies?
While most cannabis companies are enterprise-focused, Namaste Technologies has targeted the consumer retail segment. The company is now looking to gain market share and improve working capital management to maximize opportunities in a high-growth market. Namaste has also made technological improvements to its online platform and expanded its list of licensed producers.
Namaste Technologies has reached an agreement to settle its class-action suit. The company will pay less than US$500,00 as part of this settlement. Namaste has a cash balance of $55.8 million, which means the company will have to raise capital if it wants to further grow inorganically.
There are indications that Namaste Technologies is on the cusp of a turnaround. However, it will need to build a sustainable moat to get investors interested. Namaste stock bounced back and gained 16% in May 2019 before wiping out these returns in the last two months. Risk-oriented investors might just take a chance with this stock, but there are still too many uncertainties for the traditional investors at the moment.


text: Guwahati, Sept 1: Amway India has announced the launch of a new pimple control range under its beauty brand ‘Attitude’. The new Attitude Clear Activ Pimple Control Range priced from Rs 349/- onwards, includes Attitude Clear Activ Pimple Control Face Wash and Attitude Clear Activ Control Spot Corrector. The new Attitude Clear Activ Face Wash is a water based and sulphate free gel formulation recommended to be used twice daily in order to effectively remove oil, dirt and stickiness. The Attitude Clear Activ Spot Corrector contains Rose Berries, Salicylic Acid and Zinc PCA which reduces redness and size of pimples. Anisha Sharma, Category Head-Beauty & Persol Care, Amway India said, “Pimple is a major concern area for youngsters in India which hampers their confidence and deters them from socializing. This was stated in a press release.


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HP says it will lay off up to 6,000 workers over the next two years | CNN Business
HP Inc. announced on Tuesday that it will lay off thousands of workers over the next three years, becoming the latest tech company to significantly reduce its workforce amid a tough economic climate.
The computer maker revealed the significant job cuts late Tuesday in a statement accompanying its lackluster quarterly earnings report, where it also said sales fell more than 11% compared to the same period last year.
“The company expects to reduce gross global headcount by approximately 4,000 to 6,000 employees,” HP said. “These actions are expected to be completed by the end of fiscal year 2025.”
HP had previously reported that it had a global workforce of about 51,000 employees.
HP President and CEO Enrique Lores added in a statement that the company’s so-called “Future Ready strategy” will “allow us to better serve our customers and drive long-term value creation by reducing our costs and reinvesting in key growth initiatives to position our businesses for the future.”
The news makes HP the latest in a growing list of once-flying tech companies now announcing major job cuts. Facebook parent Meta recently said it was cutting 11,000 jobs at the company, and Amazon ( AMZN ) confirmed last week that they had begun broad layoffs at the e-commerce giant that would continue into next year.


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Reaping the digital transformation rewards is more than just an IT conversation and VMware’s UK channel chief is taking an approach based on helping partners increase their capabilities
Digital transformation is driving sales and creating opportunities for partners across the VMware channel base.
It has been a buzz phrase in the industry all year but according to Alanzo Blackstock, director, partner organisation UK&I at VMware, it is being translated into revenue opportunities for partners.
“Everybody is talking about digital transformation but the good thing about digital transformation is that it is real. There was a danger it was becoming a buzzword in our industry but actually where you look at where customers need to go it is capturing a real need,” he said.
He said that although there were opportunities there were challenges for the partner ecosystem and it had to make sure it had the right skills and competencies to help drive digital transformation and that had been where a lot of its efforts around its Partner Connect programme had been going.
“We need to be able to have partners that have the right service capabilities and customer relationships to really drive that transformation,” he said.
Earlier this year VMware started to engage the channel with its Partner Connect programme, with the emphasis being placed on Master Competencies to help resellers focus on areas of strength and to give customers a clear idea of which partner could help deliver their needs.
Gavin Jolliffe, CEO of Xtravirt, which has got itself into a position to gain those master competencies, said that it had seen the benefits from being able to support customers with their digital transformation needs.
“We are collaborating on huge go-to-market deals that are complex and multi-year and where the real benefits are is where we are learning how to make that programmatic, rather than one-hit successes,” he said.
Blackstock said that digital transformation had posed some challenges for the wider industry because it went beyond specific project delivery at IT level.
“Digital transformation speaks to the business level and about creating value their customers with a different engagement and that’s a challenge,” he added “We have to think differently about how we use services to make a customer successful.”
“That challenges IT and our partners to think differently about their skills and services capability,” he said.
Jolliffe said that it was talking to different people at customers that it had not previously spoken to and it was working hard to make sure it could discover the needs of the user.
“That is not just a data exercise it is quantifying and qualifying where the customer is at and what their internal barriers are, how they are communicating to the organisation and whether they understand what the journey is going to look like and what the outcome is for them,” he said.
Blackstock added that VMware had taken steps to make it easier for partners to gain the skills and capabilities to deal with those customer issues.
“We believe that we have the capabilities to offer that digital platform that customers need and to have that agility for business transformation,” he added “We need partners that are able to deliver the outcome with the full knowledge and understanding of the technology portfolio that can deliver that.”
“We need partners that have invested both in technology and the customer success to bridge that gap and our Partner Connect programme is designed all around trying to find and promote partners that are willing to have both of those two things,” he said.


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South Korea's antitrust regulator said on Tuesday it has decided to fine Google 207.4 billion won ($1768 million) for alleged abuse of market dominance in the mobile operating system and app market. In Indian currency, this amount is equal to about 13.02 billion rupees. At the same time, Google has objected to this and said that it will challenge this fine. Google accuses South Korea of defamation.
Google alleges that South Korea has ignored how its software policy benefits hardware partners and consumers. Meanwhile, South Korea has begun enforcement of the amended telecommunications law. The law prohibits app market operators such as Google and Apple from collecting payments from users for in-app purchase mechanisms. South Korea is the first country to adopt such regulations.
It is noteworthy that the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has been investigating the allegations against Google since 2016. Google is accused of preventing local smartphone makers such as Samsung from using operating systems developed by rivals. According to the regulator, Google forced smartphone makers to enter into an Anti-Fragmentation Agreement (AFA) during the contract with them to influence competition in the market.
Google Korea also ordered to take corrective steps
Under the AFA, mobile manufacturers are not allowed to install modified Android operating systems, also known as Android forks. They are not even allowed to develop their own Android forks. According to the regulator, while Google's maneuver has strengthened its market penetration, it has not been able to innovate in the development of new operating systems for smart devices. In addition to fines, KFTC has also ordered Google LLC, Google Asia Pacific and Google Korea to take corrective steps, Yonhap news agency reported.


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Blizzard will release "trial versions" of StarCraft II, Blizzard's confirmed, although you'll have to wait until the game itself's shipped to be able to try before you buy.
"We've got lots of different SKUs planned," said lead game designer Dustin Browder, speaking at Blizzard's HQ on a recent press trip.
"I don't even know what they all are right now, but there are trial versions planned, and all kinds of stuff."
Added design boss Rob Pardo: "We'll do those after release, though. We always do those after release. "
The sequel's planned for a 2010 launch.


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The new restaurant at the Japan Pavilion will be called Takumi-Tei. The name means ‘house of the artisan,’ and the restaurant will be an upscale dining experience with a menu that highlights Japanese wagyu beef. Other dining highlights include a tasting menu with multiple courses, traditional Japanese tea service, premium Sake, and signature cocktails.
As seen in the Artist Concept of the Water Room above, Takumi-Tei will create a blend of nature and upscale dining.
Takumi-Tei will join the current Japan Pavilion restaurants Tokyo Dining, Teppan Edo, and the quick-service spot Katsura Grill. It will be operated by Mitsukoshi USA, which is currently responsible for much of the dining and shopping in the Japan Pavilion.
We’re fairly excited about this new dining option for the Japan Pavilion, especially hearing that it will have a summer opening. It will be great to get away from the summertime sun attacks and dig into some new food options from one of our favorite Epcot Pavilions.


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“We saw that business double overnight,” startup says of UK grocery deliveries.
On the morning of March 30, I set out from my home in Washington, DC, to the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. In only a few hours, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam would issue coordinated stay-at-home orders. But I was going to GMU’s campus to check out a new technology seemingly tailor-made for the moment—technology that could help people get food without the risks of face-to-face interactions.
Campus was eerily quiet; most students and staff had long been sent home. But as I approached a Starbucks at the northern edge of GMU, I heard a faint buzzing and saw a six-wheeled, microwave-sized robot zip along the sidewalk, turn, and park in front of the coffee shop. The robot looked like—and essentially was—a large white cooler on wheels. It was a delivery robot from Starship, a startup that has been operating on campus since early last year.


text: DURHAM, N.C. (1/3/08)--Latino DirectNet, a new online service provided by Latino Community CU, was introduced to members Tuesday. Latino DirectNet allows members to access most of the $50.8 million asset, Durham-based credit union’s products and services. “With this service, available in English and Spanish, members will be able to manage their accounts and carry out many types of transactions from home,” said Angel Romero, Latino Community marketing director. “Members will no longer need to go to branches, use the phone or go to an ATM. They will be able to do it all from their computers--from any place that has an Internet connection.” Transactions at Latino DirectNet are protected by physical, electronic and procedural measures, the credit union said. A highlight of the new bilingual system is the possibility of making investments online. “For example, members will be able to open share term certificates to enjoy Latino Community’s dividend rates,” Romero explained. “Another feature of Latino DirectNet is that it allows users to transfer money between accounts. Users can pay credit cards and loans as well. “Also, members will be able to pay utility bills and other services with BillPay. Through the BillPay system, credit union members will be able to schedule one-time or recurrent payments,” he added.


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COMPANY NEWS; AMERICA ONLINE ENLARGES ITS STAKE IN TEL-SAVE.COM
Published: January 6, 1999
America Online Inc. has enlarged its share of ownership in Tel-Save.com Inc. to about 15 percent and said it had extended its marketing agreement with Tel-Save, a reseller of telephone services, by two years. America Online said it would make a $55 million investment in Tel-Save.com common stock at $19 a share and would exchange about $19 million in Tel-Save.com warrants for common stock. The investment will add to America Online's current holding of about 8 percent, according to Gabriel Battista, who became Tel-Save's president and chief executive yesterday. Since 1997, Tel-Save, which is based in New Hope, Pa., has sold phone services to the customers of America Online, which is based in Vienna, Va.