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In a move aimed at better serving customers — especially international tourists — the Neiman Marcus Group has rolled out Alipay to Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus Last Call stores across the U.S.
Offering Alipay online is also planned. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The move comes as shoppers seek out more alternative and flexible payment options, which is being embraced by Millennials and is par for the course for global consumers. Alipay, which is operated by the Ant Financial Services Group, is being deployed by the retailer as a way “to offer a convenient payment option for its luxury customers,” the company said.
David Goubert, executive vice president of stores and retail experience at the Neiman Marcus Group, said the retailer “is known for offering unsurpassed service and developing better ways for our customers to shop.”
“This partnership with Alipay gives our customers a convenient way to pay through channels they already use,” Goubert said. “Offering Alipay to our customers is another way we’ve exceeded our customers’ expectations as we’ve evolved our company into a digital luxury platform. In fact, we’ve already received a significant amount of position customer feedback as a result of launching this partnership and are now in the process of working to launch Alipay as an online payment option later this year.”
The retailer said Alipay is now available at 43 Neiman Marcus and 24 Neiman Marcus Last Call stores as well as two Bergdorf Goodman stores in the U.S.
Alipay said together with its global joint venture partners, 1 billion users are served worldwide. And citing Nielsen data, the company noted that over two-thirds of Chinese tourists are using their smartphones to make purchases while traveling. And of those polled in a survey, about 60 percent of retailers said sales and foot traffic increased after they started offering Alipay as an option.
“With the Alipay mobile payment platform, Neiman Marcus Group stores are better positioned to meet the unique needs of the more than 4 million Chinese travelers who are in the U.S at any given time,” the retailer said in a statement.
Yulei Wang, general manager of Alipay North America, said this is “exactly the kind of strategic partnership that will greatly benefit Chinese consumers — expats, tourists, and students — who come to the U.S. to sightsee, explore and shop.”
“In the very competitive retail landscape, the convenience, familiarity, and security advantages of Alipay give Chinese shoppers a distinct reason to visit Neiman Marcus stores and, soon, online,” Wang said adding that Alipay users “receive economic savings through the app by avoiding higher foreign credit card transaction fees.”


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Ford: Talking While Driving Can Lower Accident Rates in Some Cases
October 27, 2011 5:01 PM
comment(s) - last by
Company argues text messaging is by far the biggest danger to drivers
enjoyed an interesting presentation from Ford Motor Company (
) on Thursday. The topic du jour was driver safety and Ford had plenty of things to say about what kinds of in-car activities really
safe and what ones aren't.
I. Talking Sometimes Prevents Crashes, Texting Dramatically Increases Them
Ford Senior Technical Specialist Louis Tijerina, a 20 year safety industry veteran who co-authored the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
's first wireless telecommunications traffic safety report during 4-year stint with the agency, says that his company's exhaustive review of both internal and third party safety information reveals that the blame is often misplaced when it comes to cell phones and driving.
He points to numbers from the U.S. Department of Transportation "Safety Facts" publications, which reveal that although wireless subscriptions have increased exponentially, crashes per 100 million miles travelled have
actually declined in recent years
The punch line, he says is that talking -- be it interacting with passengers, or on the cell phone has a mixed effect on driving safety. In fact, in the case of drowsy drivers (e.g. truckers), talking on cell phones can actually reduce crashes.
This stands in sharp contrast to
past industry (and government) perceptions
. And it seems particularly ironic given that many states and municipalities have implemented strict regulations where if you get
caught talking on your cell phone
while driving, you get a ticket. If the studies Ford pointed to are accurate, these kinds of laws may actually increase accidents among drowsy drivers.
Mr. Tijerina says that evidence shows that so-called "cognitive distractions" aren't much of an issue, but physical distractions are. Some physical distractions -- such as eating, adjusting instruments, putting a CD in your entertainment system -- are relatively low risk. However, by far the most risky behavior is
texting while driving
. Ford's compiled numbers show that texting while driving
increases crash likelihood 23 times or more
While talking on the phone can reduce accidents for drowsy drivers, texting can increase accident rates up to twenty-three fold. [Source: Streets Blog]
Where past studies may have gone wrong is
lumping texting and talking
on cell phones together, when in fact these two behaviors have radically different impacts on the driver's danger level.
He comments, "Eyes on the road, hands on the wheel is not just an advertising slogan, it's summarizing research."
II. Ford Plugs Sync as the Ultimate Safety Feature
He says that the best case scenario is to have a hands free system which still allows you to engage others in coversation, keeping your mind active. Of course this is an issue Ford may be a bit partisan on -- because
provides just such a system.
"Many argue that there's no difference between hand-held versus hands free systems," says Mr. Tijerina, "That is patently incorrect. There are advantages to voice-controlled interfaces."
He says that Ford realizes that some physical distractions -- such as interaction with a touch panel are inevitable, so it tries to minimize their risks. Ford points to its participation in the
Driver Focus-Telematics Working Group
[PDF], which has published preliminary standards governing in-car touch panels.
Those standards state that panels must be within 30 degrees of the road viewing angle (i.e. high up on the dashboard) and that interactions with the device must only last for spurts of 2 seconds or less. Ford says its Sync system adheres to these guidelines. For actions that take more than a "single eye glance" (2 sec.) Ford locks users out of the functionality, while driving. Examples of such forbidden exercises include manual navigation destination entry, keyboard entry, using the movie player, and using built-in inner browsing.
Ford bills Sync the ultimate safety feature, as it replaces physical distractions with cognitive exercises (i.e. voice commands). [Source: Ford]
If there's one take home message from Ford's presentation, it's that some of things we think might be distracting aren't really that bad -- or even can sometimes be a good thing. That's a lesson that the government should bear in mind when deciding what kinds of rules and regulations to slap on motorists.
Talking on your cell phone? That's not so bad. Just don't send any text messages.
Interestingly, Mr. Tijerina says that there hasn't been much research into whether emailing while driving poses as much of a distraciton as texting. Common sense would say so. One can't help but wonder if this is where the recent correlation between
on Research in Motion, Ltd.'s (
) BlackBerry smartphones and
reduced accident rates
Updated Thur. 10/27/2011 5:50 p.m.:
To clarify, while ineffectiveness of cell phone talking bans seemed a natural conclusion to draw from the numbers Ford presented, Ford has not formally come out against a voice ban. In fact, it supports bans on texting and on holding handsets.
That said, Ford staff agrees that the information that talking while driving can actually
accidents is an interesting phenomena and should definitely be considered further.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: BAN IS USEFUL around here
10/27/2011 5:45:04 PM
The only reason Ford is saying anything is because they're pushing their SYNC systems in vehicles.
RE: BAN IS USEFUL around here
10/27/2011 5:57:37 PM
I thought you were more of a pro-market guy. Shouldn't people who innovate to improve potential safety while providing convenience and features promote that information?
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Investment in the U.S. Clean Tech industry went from $286 million in 2001 to $3.7 billion in 2010. In 2010, Clean Tech represented 17% of total VC investment in the United States. In the first quarter of 2011, venture investments in Clean Tech fell 44% compared with the first quarter of 2010. VCs seem to be more cautious about the sector. Of the $1.1 billion invested in the U.S. Clean Tech sector in the second quarter, 67% went to later-stage companies. So, given these dynamics, will venture firms be able to raise the money they need to make investments in clean energy? What, if anything, does Khosla Ventures’ recent success raising a $1.05 billion fund (50% earmarked for Clean Tech) portend for the venture investing in Clean Tech? And, will entrepreneurs be able to rely on venture capital? Our panel of clean technology VCs will address these important questions and yours.
Speakers will Include:
- Steve Hahn, Sr. Research Scientist, The Dow Chemical Company
- Ryan Kottenstette, Investment Staff, Khosla Ventures
- Matt Nordan, Vice President, Venrock
- Sven Stroban, Investment Team, Mohr Davidow Ventures
- (moderator) Christina Ellwood, Principal, Moreland Associates
This program will be held from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM at 6140 Stoneridge Mall Road, Pleasanton, CA 94588. Thanks to our friends at SVForum, readers of Green VC can receive a $5 discount when registering onlinre by entering code EBSMarch-2012


text:
OTROKOVICE, Czech Republic (Nov. 19, 2013) — Czech tire maker Mitas A.S. has commenced commercial-scale production of radial farm and off-road tires at its newest plant, in Otrokovice, just 15 months after work started on the $55 million facility.
The new plant, located in Otrokovice's TOMA industrial park, was built to accommodate off-road tire production previously housed in a section of Continental A.G.'s tire plant in the same city. Mitas had been leasing the space since 2004, when it bought Conti's agricultural tire business.
"We managed to build this new plant, which is the most advanced of all Mitas production facilities, in under 12 months," said Josef Křemeček, director of Mitas plants in Otrokovice and Zlín, Czech Republic.
"Mitas is committed to using the best available technology, and this makes the new plant one of the most advanced in the world in manufacturing agricultural radial rear tires," he added.


text:
BILLINGS — Sam Hoffman, owner of Red Lodge Ales, estimates he was losing money on every case of beer he was bottling. Changes in consumer behavior, increased competition, aging equipment, and rising costs of bottling all contributed to his decision to add a canning line.
“The last few years have been challenging for brewers like us,” said Hoffman.
New breweries continue to erode market share, and increasing competition from out-of-state beers have challenged established brands like Red Lodge Ales, which is now more than 20 years old.
Hoffman said he made the switch to cans because “it’s where the market is going.” A 2018 consumer study by Nielsen predicted canned beer will outsell bottled beer by 2021, the Billings Gazette reported.
And, those beer drinkers are increasingly reaching for microbrews. About 40 percent of the 21-plus population identifies as a “craft drinker,” according to the National Brewers Association. That’s up from 35 percent in 2015, and the strongest market among those beer enthusiasts are predominantly males ages 21-34, a critical market to Hoffman that is increasingly drinking out of cans.
In Montana, Red Lodge Ales was stagnating in bottles, Hoffman said, especially in big beer markets like Bozeman, which went from having a handful of local breweries to more than a dozen in the past several years.
Canned beer may seem trendy, but “you can take it on the river, you can take it on the golf course, you can take it skiing, you can take it hiking, and then just flatten it down and take it out with you,” Hoffman said.
And, in Montana, cans are a lot easier to recycle than bottles. Though bottles have been touted to provide drinkers a superior taste, Hoffman said the reasons were still overwhelming to make the switch to cans.
“A lot of people will try to tell you that you can save the planet by drinking beer out of a can. I’m not going to do that,” he said. “I think there’s consequences and impact to everything we do.”
What he will tell you is that canning is a lot more efficient, and therefore, it’s a lot more cost effective. Hoffman orders empty cans and bottles from Colorado, and is able to get 204,000 cans on a truck, as opposed to 90,000 bottles, cutting his shipping costs in half. When they’re full, he can ship product to wholesalers with 80 cases on a pallet, as opposed to 72 cases of bottles.
“The bottles were just starting to kill us,” Hoffman said. “Between the dying interest and the cost of bottles, we were forced to make the move.”
On the wagon
Tim Mohr, who opened Angry Hank’s 13 years ago in a small garage in downtown Billings, has seen craft beer wane in recent years.
“The industry has really taken a dive,” he said.
That may be a bit overstated, but it certainly isn’t double-digit growth brewers saw in the early days of microbreweries. In 2018, small and independent brewers saw a 4 percent growth in production, according to the National Brewers Association. This is up slightly from the year prior in what the association describes as an overall down beer market, which dropped 1 percent by volume in 2018.
“Craft (brewers) maintained a fairly stable growth rate in 2018 and continued to gain share in the beer market,” said Bart Watson, a chief economist with the Brewers Association, in a press release, touting independent brewers for creating jobs, strengthening local economies, and being “community beacons.”
Distribution channels and increased competition have been creating issues in the industry, but this hasn’t stopped breweries from opening. The number of independent breweries in the country is nearing 7,000, up nearly 50 percent from 2013.
Mohr’s business model has been focused on brewing and distributing beer while operating a taproom. Though Street Fight, the brewery’s most popular beer, is on tap throughout Billings, Mohr wants to see it on the grocers’ shelves.
“Draft was always so popular and so big, we never really had any beer to go into the cans.” Mohr is adding one more tank to his operation this year, which brings his brewing capacity to 16 tanks, “the last one that can fit in the building,” he said of the renovated 1916 carriage house in downtown Billings, where in he moved his brewing facility and opened a taproom (in 2014, the garage location closed).
Like others, Mohr is planning to start distributing canned beer. He’s been using a mobile canning operation, Montana Canning of Livingston, to can products on-site.
“As he gets busier, scheduling gets tougher,” Mohr said. “We decided to move forward on our own.”
Currently, Angry Hank’s beer in a can is sold only at the brewery, but Mohr was eyeballing canning lines at the Craft Brewers Conference last April in Denver. The lines were longest, he said, at the canning companies — primarily United States, Canadian and Chinese manufacturers.
“It just depends on how much money you want to spend. The sky is pretty much the limit,” he said.
Whatever he chooses, Mohr will have to keep his space in mind, and he’ll travel to Sidney later this spring to check out Meadowlark Brewing’s canning line, which can be deconstructed and stored when not in use. He hopes to be running his own canning line this fall.
“It does change the game for us. We can probably move a lot of volume if we have it in cans in stores,” Mohr said. “It will make us work harder.”
Return on investment
For Red Lodge Ales, it’s taken a year — and a half-million dollars — to implement a canning system, but Hoffman said it’s already paying off.
“We just had a huge month in March. Just the interest I’m seeing, it’s pretty crazy,” Hoffman said.
The equipment, purchased new, was designed to fit into the existing space vacated by the bottler, which was relocated to Hoffman’s cider business, Last Chance Cider Mill, in Billings.
At best, the bottler could produce 40 bottles a minute, and Hoffman estimates the new canning system is producing 60 cans per minute, with a top speed of up to 80 cans every 60 seconds.
“We’re still figuring a lot of things out,” Hoffman said. His goal is to get all pieces running in balance to maximize the production line.
The crew at Red Lodge Ales was averaging about 600 cases of bottled beer a day, which took about six hours, assuming nothing went wrong. With the new canning equipment, the same amount of product can be made in about four hours.
Though it has shortened their workdays, Hoffman predicts they’ll be doing more volume per day as soon as all the kinks are worked out.
Plans are also to can cider, which is made in Billings. Bottling equipment from Red Lodge Ales has also been given a new home at Last Chance, where it will be used to produce “bombers” of cider, which command a higher dollar in the market, Hoffman said.
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Ford cars’ dealership comes to Nepal
Ford India has extended its footprint in Nepal with the opening of dealership in Kathmandu and launching Ford Figo in the Nepali market today. Golchha Organization’s GO Automobile Pvt Ltd has got the dealership of the Ford Motor for Nepal. “We are proud to open the dealership in Nepal,” said Michael Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India.
As a country dealer, Go is selling four models — Figo, Fiesta, Ranger and Everest — in the Nepali market. While Ford Everest SUV and Ranger pick-up are imported from Thailand, Figo and Fiesta are manufactured in India.
The dealership will provide a range of after-sales services and support Nepali customers, said Akash Golchha of GO Automobiles. The service facility of Ford in Kathmandu can service up to 24 cars per day and also provide 24-hours emergency service in the Kathmandu Valley. GO Automobile has set up 18,000 square-foot service centre and 60 Ford-trained technicians.
“We are committed to bringing world-class service to customers and this facility will ensure better service in Nepal,” said Nigel Wark, executive director, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford India.(Source:THT)


text:
Analyst Note| Ali Mogharabi |
Grubhub reported strong second-quarter results as it benefited from increased demand for online food delivery, continuing the positive trend seen at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter reflected the full impact of COVID-19, and the firm experienced a surge in consumer demand as well as an increase in partnered restaurants. However, Grubhub must continue to spend heavily on marketing to compete with DoorDash, Postmates, and Uber Eats, with the last two planning to merge by the first quarter of 2021. Grubhub is being acquired by Just Eat Takeaway.com in an all-stock deal also likely to close early next year. However, we do not believe that this deal will improve no-moat Grubhub’s competitive positioning in the United States. While we project strong demand for online food delivery with the ongoing presence of COVID-19, there is uncertainty that it will be sustainable at current levels when the economy eventually recovers and restaurants reopen. We now value Grubhub at $61 per share based on the current market price of Just Eat Takeaway.com.


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Parents Television Council Commends Disney for Removing Nudity From Splash
While Disney+ has been part of the streaming service landscape for months now, viewers are still discovering some hidden gems -- and bizarre surprises. One of the latter got attention earlier this week, when it was revealed that the Disney+ edit of Splash goes to some awkward lengths to edit out female nudity. A viral clip showed that the streaming service superimposed CGI hair over Daryl Hannah's butt, with some genuinely bizarre results. While the choice has drawn a lot of scrutiny online, it apparently does have some fans -- namely, the Parents Television Council. On Wednesday, the PTC put out a statement commending Disney+ for the censorship, arguing that it helps keep the streaming service truly "family-friendly".
"Disney+ has a distinctive advantage over other streaming services in that its business model was designed to be family-friendly," PTC president Tim Winter said in a statement. "We are grateful to Disney+ for wisely ensuring that nudity in the original film, Splash, was edited. Making those edits does not make the film unrecognizable or unwatchable. Instead, the edits serve to ensure that children who may watch the film aren't confronted by nudity, and ultimately this makes Disney+ a trustworthy streamer for families."
"As Disney+ continues to add new content, we want to encourage the company to keep its commitment to families to provide a safe, family-friendly environment – something that is even more crucial as children are spending more time with digital media during quarantine," Winter's statement continues. "While the company has promised not to include R-rated content, we ask Disney to go a step further to protect children by adding parental controls and content filtering options. These two steps would make Disney+ even better for families."
While it's easy to see the PTC's point, some would argue that the censorship of Splash causes more problems than it solves. For one thing, the CGI used to remove the nudity looks awkward and haphazard, with many drawing parallels to the "digital fur technology" used in Cats. Some have also questioned why female nudity was scandalous enough to be censored on Disney+, while other pieces of content on the streaming service feature Hulk's naked butt or The Mandalorian slicing somebody in half with a door.
Granted, this certainly isn't the first time that Disney+ has altered its content, between reportedly removing f-bombs from Adventures in Babysitting and Free Solo, and adding the dreaded "Maclunkey" line to Star Wars: A New Hope. It also has had some issues with potential upcoming original content, with both the Lizzie McGuire revival and the Love, Simon spinoff Love, Victor (which has since moved to Hulu) have ignited controversies for reportedly not being "family-friendly" enough.
What do you think of the Parents Television Council's response to Disney+'s censorship of Splash? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!0comments


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SiliconCore showed their Lotus 0.83mm technology with a µLED display at ISE 2020. The µLED display, they say, is three times as bright and 50% more power-efficient.
SiliconCore say their new display features the lowest power consumption, highest brightness, and lowest operating temperatures. The Lotus 0.83mm LED display has a brightness of 2000 nits. It features SiliconCore’s latest innovation, called LISA: a proprietary encapsulation process that guards the high density LEDs and ensures colour uniformity and a long lifetime. Its cool surface is dust- and water-resistant, which makes it durable and suitable for touch and custom installations. The specialised optical coating does not obscure the visual properties of the LEDs, and improves the contrast ratio to provide a more realistic image without glare.
SiliconCore CEO Eric Li says the new display “is a huge achievement for the SiliconCore innovation teams and delivers a viable and cooler high resolution LED display to the market (…) we are also open to licensing our technologies so that we can work with the best in the industry to push the boundaries of this technology”.


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A blanket ban on single-use plastics could be more problematic than helpful in solving the chronic trash problem of the Philippines, the head of the Philippine Plastics Industry Association (PPIA) has said.
Studies have ranked the Philippines as among the top 5 producers of plastic waste globally.
The PPIA is pulling out all the stops to join the fight in curbing plastics waste—among them, putting heavy emphasis on the effective implementation of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, which deals with proper waste segregation.
PPIA President Vicento Co said there needs to be a clear definition of what "single-use" is, and a viable, less costlier alternative to replacing single-use plastic in a sachet-oriented economy like the Philippines, as the plastics industry has strong supply chain linkages with other industries.
"We make things like appliances parts. We make things like car parts. We make things like housewares... Let's say mga packaging like big items, for rice (sacks). We make packages like as small as sauce for instant noodles, which by the way would also be part of the ban when you really define it as single use... (even) the 3-IN-1 coffee or coffee pouch, shampoo... sinasabi na din 'yung candy kasi plastic wrapper din eh, sigarilyo, etc. It encompasses all industries," said Co.
"Like my driver, he has Absolute na bote. Kumukuha lang siya ng tubig doon sa office namin with the same bottle. Hindi na siya bumili ng mamahalin na re-usable bottle. Then, from his point of view, it's not a single-use bottle because inuulit, ulit niya eh. It is when you use it once then you throw it away, then it becomes single use. It is how you use it that determines whether it's a single use or reusable," he added.
Co, who is also the vice president for sales and marketing at Manly Plastics, Inc.—the largest provider of end-to-end plastic product solutions in the Philippines and whose clients include Toyota, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Coca Cola, and Pepsi, said the single biggest effect could see the disruption in the distribution of food and service, hitting consumers the most.
The PPIA president also raised concerns over health risks, adding, even the United States and Japan are sachet-oriented economies because of the need to maintain hygiene, and to make sure there is no contamination in one's food. For example, the sharing of condiments or ingredients in coffee shops and fast-food chains.
Even the health sector is not spared from the list of would-be effects of the plastic ban.
"Medicine is single-use packaging. All medicines are single use, 'di ba? Hindi na uso ngayon 'yung bote na madaming tabletas, except for vitamins ng individual," Co told ABS-CBN News.
In July, senators Cynthia Villar and Francis Pangilinan filed Senate Bill No. 333 or the Single-Use Plastic Product Regulation Act of 2019 and Senate Bill No. 40 or the Single-Use Plastics Regulation and Management Act of 2019, respectively.
Under Villar's bill, the issuance of the single-use plastics by food establishments, stores, markets and retailers will be prohibited.
Consumers will also be diverted to use reusable materials, and manufacturers will be mandated to collect, recycle and dispose of single-use plastics manufactured and/or in circulation in the general market. Importation of single-use plastics will no longer be allowed.
Pangilinan's bill, meanwhile, defines "single-use" plastics as "those disposable plastic which are commonly used for plastic packaging and include items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled."
These include items such as grocery bags, food packaging, films and bags, manufacturing water bottles, straws, stirrers, containers, Styrofoams or styros, cups, sachets, and plastic cutlery. Those who will re-use and recycle will receive an incentive.
The PPIA has about 200 members, but only 160 are manufacturers. The rest are suppliers of machinery and other services like banks. Some 200,000 jobs in the plastics industry could be on the line with the looming single-use ban.
For PPIA vice-president Danny Ngo, whose Dynamic Plastic Manufacturing Co. Inc business supplies plastic materials to some 50 clients in the cleaning services sector, and food packaging sector, among others, said he has already been making adjustments in recent years, including clients he has lost, like a popular popcorn brand about 2 years ago when it, too, ditched its plastics packaging for paper.
"This time dapat rehiring kami. Everything is put on hold. Other Philippine businesses I know plan to expand in Thailand and Vietnam, lalo 'yung mga Philippine businesses with Korean investors, maraming lumipat," said Ngo.
Using paper as an alternative may not be ideal in terms of durability. If many businesses start moving to other places, the Philippines, Ngo worries, may end up importing products, which he said is not a solution for the environment, but lies in people's habits.
"We are only shifting to something more costly. There needs to be a holistic, integrated approach, a circular economy. 'Pag ginawa mo 'yan, babalik 'yan. Meron na (tayong) batas. Implementation lang ang problema," said Ngo.
The PPIA vice-president said some plastic products are already experiencing a drastic drop in volume—per capital consumption is around 2 kilograms. Plastic, he added, is vital in the transportation and preservation of goods.
"As population increases, (the) volume of plastic usage will likewise increase," Ngo told ABS-CBN News. "When plastic is banned and the alternative costs are higher, cost of living will be higher and this will eventually lead to wage adjustment."
On the other hand, Ngo said, if incentives will be given to plastic manufacturers, companies will then be able to promote recovery and recycling initiatives.
But as more plastic banning will be implemented, most companies’ sales will drop and may not be able to sustain costs in the long run, especially with the rising cost of input materials and labor cost.
In a study entitled the "Life Cycle Assessment of Carrying Bags Option for Metro Manila," funded by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), implemented by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Board of Investments, and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), it was found that paper had the highest negative environmental impact measured against the greenhouse parameters.
Based on the cost remediation, the flooding contribution of paper bags is the highest, compared with non-woven bags and plastic bags, and that non-biodegradable bags are more environmentally friendly than paper.
The greenhouse analysis included the components of global warming potential, acidification, ozone depletion, human toxicity, flooding impact, and landfill volume impact, among others.
It was also found that there are 0.02 non-woven bags used for a plastic bag and 2 for paper bags for the carrying capacity of a 12 liter sando bag.
In November 2015, the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) issued Resolution No. 238, stating that the commission adopts the findings of the LCA study on plastic bags, based on the scientific study.
In a separate study comparing the impact of the plastic bag ordinance between Quezon City and Muntinlupa conducted by graduating mass communication students from the University of the Philippines in June 2015, it concluded that Muntinlupa City faced the ballooning waste generation problem from the excessive use of paper bags, with the shift of commercial establishments from the plastic to paper bags to avoid getting apprehended.
Data from the Muntinlupa Waste Analysis and Characterization Survey showed the yearly fast increasing volume when the LGU implemented their ordinance in 2011. The annual volume of waste generation in tons was at 391,929 in 2012, compared to 318, 929 in 2011.The average daily weight in tons generated reached 4,646 in 2012 from 3,780 in the previous year.
In its position paper submitted to the 17th Congress, the PPIA is proposing to define plastic bag as a polymer carrier bag designed to be provided or utilized at the point of sale for carrying and transporting goods. This, they argue, will avoid possible other interpretations to exclude in the coverage other bags used for medical purposes, courier, others and for other applications that are not from point of sale like from supermarkets.
It also appeals to redefine the term reusable bag, which refers to a washable fabric bag, a bayong or any shopping bag to include non-biodegradable plastic bag with thickness greater than 20 or 30 microns that have a minimum lifetime of 125 uses. It also means, having the capability to carry a minimum of 10 kilograms, 125 times over the distance of at least 50 meters (about 65 steps) used for carrying and transporting goods, which bags are made of organic or non-organic materials.
Regarding restricting the production, sale, and distribution of disposable plastic items such as plates, cups, cutlery and food containers, the PPIA suggests it would be more a detriment rather than an advantage. The biodegradable option for these 'rigid items' cost about thrice. This circumvents the provision under Sec. 29 of RA 9003, which states that the cost of the replacement products should not be more than 10 percent of the disposed product.
The rigid plastic items, they argue, are neither waste residuals on dumpsites nor contributors to flooding.
"Huwag na natin isipin anong effect sa plastic industry. We are serving the consumer. If the consumer decides ayaw niya gamitin produkto natin, it doesn't matter whether it's banned or not eh," said Co.
"Kailangan lahat tayo may agreed responsibility and the whole purpose of that is to reduce iyung consumption natin, to reuse yung pwedeng gamitin and kung hindi mo na magamit ulit, recycle natin para mabalik sa ibang produkto," he added.


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GPS device that helps parents keep tabs on their kids
By GWYNETH REES
Last updated at 18:15 09 July 2007
The device - which can be carried in a rucksack - allows parents back at home to pinpoint exactly where their child is when they step out.
It lets them to watch satellite images on their computer of the area where their child is and the route they are taking.
Including a panic button and mobile phone, it also allows a child to send an SOS text message to their parent's mobile phone if they get into trouble.
Aimed at children aged between six and 12 years, the makers of the device Kiditel - French car company Telematics - claim it gives parents peace of mind when their child is out of sight.
The device works by allowing parents to access a secure part of the Telematics website from their own computer.
From there, they can view satellite images of the area where their child is - allowing them to follow their progress along a route.
If the child gets lost or into trouble, the device also has an SOS panic button which they can press.
This immediately sends a text message to the parents' pre-registered phone number, giving the child's coordinates.
Once they get the message, the parent can then phone the Kiditel - to see what has gone wrong.
The device - which costs £20 a month and is about the size of a pack of cards - also filters incoming calls to allow only pre-registered numbers.
Although the device is only currently available in France, where there is a long waiting list, it is soon to be on the market in the UK and America.
It is thought that it will prove hugely popular among parents of young children who are worried about them being abducted.
It could also help find children if they get lost in a busy places, such as at a theme park.
But Michelle Elliott, director of Children's charity Kidscape, warned parents not to become too dependent on the device.
She said: "Tracking devices are useful to a certain degree but they may be more useful to follow an elderly relative or a very hyperactive child.
"Most children, I'd imagine, will probably lose this device pretty quickly.
"Anything that makes children safer is a good thing but is the world really that unsafe that parents need to electronically track their children? I don't think so."
The Kiditel - which runs off batteries - is not the first tracking device to be introduced to the UK.
In December 2005, an i-Kids phone which also used a satellite tracking device to follow children was launched.
Varying slightly in its design, it sent an automatic text message to a parent if their child strayed outside a pre-set safety zone.
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YouTube is once again awash in copyright claims with multiple creators reporting that their videos have been removed from the platform at the behest of software giant Microsoft. The latest wave of copyright claims hit mostly vloggers in the tech community and appears to be the result of some overzealous action taken by Marketly, a firm engaged by Microsoft to combat genuine cases of software piracy. The firm reportedly jumped the gun by issuing a slew of DMCA claims against legitimate videos from creators like Chris Pirillo of LockerGnome and Bill Naylor of Frugal Tech, earning the hashtag #Microstopped.
Microsoft has been quick to distance itself from the actions of Marketly. Some creators, including Pirillo, initially believed that the copyright claims were targeting videos critical of Microsoft products, but Microsoft has balked at these rumors. According to a statement released by the software maker the videos were flagged because other users had posted stolen product keys in the comments. Those keys were the real target of the takedown action but the Marketly team overreacted and the videos were collateral damage. In a message from Microsoft’s verified Twitter account the company stated that it was investigating the takedown notices and that Microsoft had no intention of targeting “great content.”
While the fault appears to rest squarely with Microsoft and Marketly, this incident does highlight a major flaw in YouTube’s copyright management tools. Marketly, a firm which clearly has a limited understanding of the YouTube ecosystem, was able to issue dozens of erroneous DMCA claims and have them actioned, resulting in video takedowns. These video takedowns can have a significant impact on a creator’s livelihood. In this case, it seems that the damage will be corrected quickly, but only because Microsoft has acknowledged its mistake. However, while these videos weren’t targeted for their content they easily could have been and the dispute process would have cost their creators months in time and lost revenue. YouTube’s copyright system itself is still ripe for abuse and exploitation.


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This spring, Hillis became a household name when he was namedthe face of Madden NFL 12 .
Hillis joined the likes of Eddie George , Marshall Faulk and Shaun Alexander as the only running backs to grace the cover ofMadden. Despite joining such elite company, Hillis told the Akron Beacon Journal he isn'tletting the honor go to his head.
"It actually put false images in my head of how (good) I really was," Hillis said Monday. "It made me feel good there for a while, but a lot of (teammates) came up to me and they said a few things. I just like to hear the guys actually joke around about it. I can joke around. I can take a lot of heat, so it's not that big of a deal."
Hillis also admitted in the article that he isn't a big fan of video games, and likely won't play the game much. The article also said, "not even the notorious Madden curse can stand in his way."
After Faulk was featured on the cover in 2003, his careerseverely declined. The Hall of Fame running back, whocoincidentally is featured on this year's Hall of Fame edition , started21 of a possible 32 games and never recorded another 1,000 yardrushing season.
In 2004, Vick graced the cover as the Falcons quarterback, butsuffered a broken leg in the preseason and missed the first 12games.
Madden NFL 12 is now available andretails for $59.99 on the Xbox 360 video game system from Microsoftand the PlayStation 3, $49.99 on Wii, and $39.99 on PlayStation 2and PSP (PlayStation Portable) handheld entertainment system. Sinceits debut in 1989, Madden NFL has over sold-in over 90 millioncopies to date.


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|By Shelly Palmer||
|January 30, 2013 11:28 AM EST||
There was a time when owning a smartphone meant you owned a BlackBerry. For those with high-speed jobs who needed to stay connected on the go, owning a BlackBerry meant owning the best in production on the go.
After Apple and Google rode into town and began dominating the market with iPhones and Androids, BlackBerries seemingly went the way of the dodo – poof, they were extinct. Things were so bad for the BlackBerry brand, in fact, that when Marissa Mayer took over as CEO of Yahoo! and told her employees that each would get a smartphone, they only had two options: Android or iPhone.
But Research in Motion (RIM) refused to give up, and on Wednesday re-vitalized the BlackBerry brand with the launch of BlackBerry 10. Actually, that sentence isn’t even accurate anymore, as one of the first things that RIM did was change its name to BlackBerry. Goodbye, confusion; hello, simplicity.
Tell Me About the Phones!
Following its re-branding, BlackBerry launched two new smartphones: the Q10 and Z10.
The Q10 is everything you’ve come to know and love about BlackBerry over the years, packaged with a sleek new OS for 2013. It’s keyboard-equipped, which means it stays true to the essence of what BlackBerry has been throughout the years. But it also features a 3.1” touchscreen, helping you maximize productivity. It also features LTE.
BlackBerry’s Z10 is the company’s first full-touch BlackBerry 10 device. Rocking a 4.2” touchscreen with a 1,280 x 768 display, the phone will also feature LTE and will be available for $199 when it hits store shelves.
Love accessories? BlackBerry showed some of those off, too. In addition to a few fancy cases and shells, the BlackBerry Mini Stereo Speaker was also displayed, which is a tiny speaker phone that has Bluetooth and has a unique “U” shape that lets you to clip it on to a seatbelt or a lapel. It’s yours for $99.
Hardware, Schmardware… Where Are the Apps?
Hardware is all fine and good, but software is the area that BlackBerry can really re-vitalize its brand. One of the first things BlackBerry showed off at its announcement on Wednesday was the inclusion of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Foursquare apps, all of which are seamlessly integrated into the OS through the BB Hub.
Those four social media apps are just a small number of the estimated 70,000 apps that are projected to be available when BlackBerry 10 is launched to the public. That’s a very solid start. Also spotted? Skype (and Jetpack Joyride, for when you’re tired of being productive).
(For a total list of apps spotted at the announcement, check out this Engadget page.)
BlackBerry 10 Perks
The new OS is BlackBerry 10. One of the things many BlackBerry owners loved in the past was BBM: BlackBerry Messaging. In the years since RIM/BlackBerry held a market share, Apple has done a lot with iMessage to make people forget all about BBM.
But early reports suggest that BlackBerry has overhauled BBM. Called “crazy slick,” it’s said to make people forget all about iMessage. The new BBM not only has reliable messaging, but also free calls over Wi-Fi, beautiful video chat and even a screen-sharing feature that lets you share whatever’s on your mobile desktop with someone halfway around the world.
So When Can I Get My Hands On It?
Depending on where you live, a new BlackBerry phone can be yours as soon as this week. If you live in the UK and Canada, the phone can be yours in just a few days. US customers? Sorry, but you’ll have to wait until mid-March.
Fifty billion connected devices and still no winning protocols standards. HTTP, WebSockets, MQTT, and CoAP seem to be leading in the IoT protocol race at the moment but many more protocols are getting introduced on a regular basis. Each protocol has its pros and cons depending on the nature of the communications. Does there really need to be only one protocol to rule them all? Of course not. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Chris Matthieu, co-founder and CTO of Octoblu, walk you through how Oct...
Sep. 27, 2016 02:45 PM EDT Reads: 2,193
Digital innovation is the next big wave of business transformation based on digital technologies of which IoT and Big Data are key components, For example: Business boundary innovation is a challenge to excavate third-party business value using IoT and BigData, like Nest Business structure innovation may propose re-building business structure from scratch, as Uber does in the taxicab industry The social model innovation is also a big challenge to the new social architecture with the design fr...
Sep. 27, 2016 02:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,242
Complete Internet of Things (IoT) embedded device security is not just about the device but involves the entire product’s identity, data and control integrity, and services traversing the cloud. A device can no longer be looked at as an island; it is a part of a system. In fact, given the cross-domain interactions enabled by IoT it could be a part of many systems. Also, depending on where the device is deployed, for example, in the office building versus a factory floor or oil field, security ha...
Sep. 27, 2016 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 283
Is your aging software platform suffering from technical debt while the market changes and demands new solutions at a faster clip? It’s a bold move, but you might consider walking away from your core platform and starting fresh. ReadyTalk did exactly that. In his General Session at 19th Cloud Expo, Michael Chambliss, Head of Engineering at ReadyTalk, will discuss why and how ReadyTalk diverted from healthy revenue and over a decade of audio conferencing product development to start an innovati...
Sep. 27, 2016 02:15 PM EDT Reads: 1,972
Data is an unusual currency; it is not restricted by the same transactional limitations as money or people. In fact, the more that you leverage your data across multiple business use cases, the more valuable it becomes to the organization. And the same can be said about the organization’s analytics. In his session at 19th Cloud Expo, Bill Schmarzo, CTO for the Big Data Practice at EMC, will introduce a methodology for capturing, enriching and sharing data (and analytics) across the organizati...
Sep. 27, 2016 01:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,711
SYS-CON Events announced today that Commvault, a global leader in enterprise data protection and information management, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Commvault is a leading provider of data protection and information management solutions, helping companies worldwide activate their data to drive more value and business insight and to transform moder...
Sep. 27, 2016 01:15 PM EDT Reads: 2,745
IoT is fundamentally transforming the auto industry, turning the vehicle into a hub for connected services, including safety, infotainment and usage-based insurance. Auto manufacturers – and businesses across all verticals – have built an entire ecosystem around the Connected Car, creating new customer touch points and revenue streams. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Macario Namie, Head of IoT Strategy at Cisco Jasper, will share real-world examples of how IoT transforms the car from a static p...
Sep. 27, 2016 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,594
There is little doubt that Big Data solutions will have an increasing role in the Enterprise IT mainstream over time. Big Data at Cloud Expo - to be held November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA - has announced its Call for Papers is open. Cloud computing is being adopted in one form or another by 94% of enterprises today. Tens of billions of new devices are being connected to The Internet of Things. And Big Data is driving this bus. An exponential increase is...
Sep. 27, 2016 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,657
If you had a chance to enter on the ground level of the largest e-commerce market in the world – would you? China is the world’s most populated country with the second largest economy and the world’s fastest growing market. It is estimated that by 2018 the Chinese market will be reaching over $30 billion in gaming revenue alone. Admittedly for a foreign company, doing business in China can be challenging. Often changing laws, administrative regulations and the often inscrutable Chinese Interne...
Sep. 27, 2016 12:26 PM EDT Reads: 211
SYS-CON Events has announced today that Roger Strukhoff has been named conference chair of Cloud Expo and @ThingsExpo 2016 Silicon Valley. The 19th Cloud Expo and 6th @ThingsExpo will take place on November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. "The Internet of Things brings trillions of dollars of opportunity to developers and enterprise IT, no matter how you measure it," stated Roger Strukhoff. "More importantly, it leverages the power of devices and the Interne...
Sep. 27, 2016 12:15 PM EDT Reads: 3,209
Internet of @ThingsExpo, taking place November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, is co-located with the 19th International Cloud Expo and will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world and ThingsExpo Silicon Valley Call for Papers is now open.
Sep. 27, 2016 12:15 PM EDT Reads: 4,553
In his keynote at 18th Cloud Expo, Andrew Keys, Co-Founder of ConsenSys Enterprise, provided an overview of the evolution of the Internet and the Database and the future of their combination – the Blockchain. Andrew Keys is Co-Founder of ConsenSys Enterprise. He comes to ConsenSys Enterprise with capital markets, technology and entrepreneurial experience. Previously, he worked for UBS investment bank in equities analysis. Later, he was responsible for the creation and distribution of life sett...
Sep. 27, 2016 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 3,493
SYS-CON Events announced today that China Unicom will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. China United Network Communications Group Co. Ltd ("China Unicom") was officially established in 2009 on the basis of the merger of former China Netcom and former China Unicom. China Unicom mainly operates a full range of telecommunications services including mobile broadband (GSM, WCDMA, LTE F...
Sep. 27, 2016 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,785
"My role is working with customers, helping them go through this digital transformation. I spend a lot of time talking to banks, big industries, manufacturers working through how they are integrating and transforming their IT platforms and moving them forward," explained William Morrish, General Manager Product Sales at Interoute, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 18th Cloud Expo, held June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY.
Sep. 27, 2016 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 3,876
Video experiences should be unique and exciting! But that doesn’t mean you need to patch all the pieces yourself. Users demand rich and engaging experiences and new ways to connect with you. But creating robust video applications at scale can be complicated, time-consuming and expensive. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Zohar Babin, Vice President of Platform, Ecosystem and Community at Kaltura, will discuss how VPaaS enables you to move fast, creating scalable video experiences that reach your...
Sep. 27, 2016 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,072
In his general session at 18th Cloud Expo, Lee Atchison, Principal Cloud Architect and Advocate at New Relic, discussed cloud as a ‘better data center’ and how it adds new capacity (faster) and improves application availability (redundancy). The cloud is a ‘Dynamic Tool for Dynamic Apps’ and resource allocation is an integral part of your application architecture, so use only the resources you need and allocate /de-allocate resources on the fly.
Sep. 27, 2016 11:45 AM EDT Reads: 2,737
“We're a global managed hosting provider. Our core customer set is a U.S.-based customer that is looking to go global,” explained Adam Rogers, Managing Director at ANEXIA, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 18th Cloud Expo, held June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY.
Sep. 27, 2016 11:30 AM EDT Reads: 3,008
SYS-CON Events announced today that SoftLayer, an IBM Company, has been named “Gold Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 18th Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York, New York. SoftLayer, an IBM Company, provides cloud infrastructure as a service from a growing number of data centers and network points of presence around the world. SoftLayer’s customers range from Web startups to global enterprises.
Sep. 27, 2016 11:15 AM EDT Reads: 964
The vision of a connected smart home is becoming reality with the application of integrated wireless technologies in devices and appliances. The use of standardized and TCP/IP networked wireless technologies in line-powered and battery operated sensors and controls has led to the adoption of radios in the 2.4GHz band, including Wi-Fi, BT/BLE and 802.15.4 applied ZigBee and Thread. This is driving the need for robust wireless coexistence for multiple radios to ensure throughput performance and th...
Sep. 27, 2016 11:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,604
SYS-CON Events announced today that CDS Global Cloud, an Infrastructure as a Service provider, will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. CDS Global Cloud is an IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) provider specializing in solutions for e-commerce, internet gaming, online education and other internet applications. With a growing number of data centers and network points around the world, ...
Sep. 27, 2016 10:30 AM EDT Reads: 2,883


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Oracle plans to release Webcentre Suite before the end of the month, a product for building application interfaces that incorporate content from a variety of sources as well "Web 2.0" as tools such as blogs and wikis.
The software allows staff to access a variety of content and services from one screen, so they don't have to flip between different applications. Other vendors including IBM and Microsoft are working on similar functionality.
Oracle announced Webcentre Suite at its Openworld conference in October. It will be sold as an add-on to Oracle Application Server Enterprise Edition for US$50,000 per CPU.
Andreas Chatziantoniou, a software consultant with Accenture Technology Services in the Netherlands, says Webcentre's appeal lies partly in its close ties with Oracle's database and application server, meaning Oracle customers can use those existing infrastructure products to deploy the blogs and wikis.
Oracle's applications customers should also pay attention to Webcentre Suite. As well as being offered as a stand-alone product, it will eventually serve as the default interface for Oracle's Fusion applications, a merger of its Oracle, Siebel and Peoplesoft applications due in 2008.
Other "Web 2.0" software being developed for the enterprise includes Microsoft's SharePoint 2007, SAP's Project Muse interface, and products from small companies like Serendipity Technologies, says Mark Levitt, vice president for collaborative computing and the enterprise with IDC. IBM also entered the game this week, announcing plans to bring "Web 2.0" capabilities to its Lotus Notes collaboration software.


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Indian brand Mowgli is the highest up the list at number 17 with an annual sales rise over three years of 106.05%.
Nisha Katona’s six-strong street food-inspired chain was followed by steak chain Flat Iron (75.05%), burger chain Five Guys (72.38%), antipodean chain Daisy Green (66.49%), pizza chain Homeslice (56.65%), burger chain Honest Burgers (47.76%) and Thai chain Giggling Squid (45.77%).
The sector has fared better than last year when just four restaurant groups made the list (although Five Guys made the top 10 with an impressive 129% sales rise).
2018 was also a good year for pub groups and brewers with the list including microbrewery and pub operator Brewhouse & Kitchen, pub operator Urban Pubs & Bars and brewer and bar operator Brewdog.
Other hospitality-related businesses to place on the list include retail leisure developer Boxpark and hotel developer and operator Ennismore, which has a portfolio that includes Breddos Tacos, Tandoor Chophouse and Gleneagles Hotel.


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OCZ Technology Introduces the Agility Series 2.5" Solid State Drives
the latest Affordable Storage Solution for Mainstream Users
San Jose, CA-June 9, 2009-OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and computer components, today released the OCZ Agility SATA II 2.5" Solid State Drive (SSD) Series, an affordable offering for mainstream notebook and desktop users demanding the latest technology in this fast-developing sector of the storage market. OCZ continues to place solid state technology within reach of the average consumer, and delivers on the promise of SSDs as an alternative to traditional hard drives in consumer targeted mobile and desktop applications. The Agility Series will join the lineup as the latest solution for mainstream users including professionals, students, gamers, and enthusiasts on a budget.
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TradeCard is launching operations in the People’s Republic of China with the opening of a representative office in the Shenzhen Special Economy Zone. The firm already has offices in Hong Kong and in Taiwan, where the majority of its manufacturing customers are based. Kurt Cavano, Chairman and CEO of TradeCard, said, ‘ We see a great opportunity here to help PRC-based companies automate their supply chains fast without the traditional costs of buying and implementing expensive hardware and software licenses to meet the growing demands for use of technology by their overseas trading partners.’ Already, most of TradeCard’s US-based buyer members such as Wolverine World Wide (Hush Puppy shoes), International Playthings and JC Penney source and manufacture their goods in China.
The annual BNP Paribas Cash Management University kicked off on Thursday morning with treasury professionals congregating in Paris from across Europe.
APIs may be a solution to MT940 challenges, says Karen Fagan, treasury operation manager, for British television company, ITV.
Kicking off the first day of the Singapore Fintech Festival, issues with cryptocurrencies were addressed by MIT media labs director, Joi Ito, and panels of technology leaders discussed how they’re using data analytics.
Sibos 2017 day two highlights: Brexit and banking, and why ‘data is the new oil’ in financial services
How nation first politics can impact global financial organisations It’s clear that data and regulation are the two key topics that are ... read more


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Samsung makes 26% of the iPhone 4's components, says infographic
The RAM and internal memory chips, as well as the A4 chipset, i.e what makes the handset tick and remember stuff are all done by Samsung, and these make for 26% of all iPhone 4 components' cost. The silicon is Apple's own design, based on the ARM Cortex-A8 architecture, bearing a lot of similarities with the Hummingbird chipset, since both were developed based on intellectual property by Intrinsity, a company that Apple bought.
The 3.5" Retina Display is marked as made by "unknown manufacturers" in the infographic, but it's been widely suggested that the 640x960 pixels LCD screen is manufactured by LG, with possible support from Toshiba Mobile Display.
Given the ongoing legal spat between Apple and Samsung, the fruit company is trying to break away from reliance on the Koreans to manufacture its silicon. We don't know about the flash memory chips - there aren't many companies that can produce them with the high quality and volume Apple demands, but Cupertino has already begun testing the A6 chipset production in the TSMC foundries, so for the next iPhone it will probably have broken up with Samsung for the large part.
The infographic suggest that the iPhone 4 costs $178 to make, when you add the Foxconn assembly and its 7% profit margin, but it will actually cost even less to produce now, a year after introduction, as the components have fallen in price. Apple sells it for three times that and even more on average, plus marketing, packaging, and R&D are not adding much more to the costs, resulting in the lustworthy profit margins that Apple collects from this gadget.


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On Thursday, Amazon rolled out the all-new Kindle Fire HD, expanding upon a family if tablet computers that continues to give chase to Apple’s market leading dominance.
Today, Amazon unveiled the new Kindle Fire HD 8.9.
“4G isn’t just the best tablet for the price,” Amazon said, “it’s the best tablet.”
$499 now gets you a large-screen HD tablet with a 8.9″ display, exclusive Dolby audio, dual stereo speakers, Wi-Fi, 4G LTE wireless, plus a $49.99 one-year 4G data package. Amazon, however, says the Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ is also available in a Wi-Fi only model for $299.
“Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Paperwhite are each in a class by themselves when it comes to hardware—there’s nothing better,” the company says. “But the real magic is that they are also a service. When combined with our enormous content ecosystem, unmatched cross-platform interoperability and standard-setting customer service, we hope people will agree these are the best tablets and e-readers anywhere, at any price.”
Are you excited for the new Kindle Fire HD?


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British newlyweds Gina Lyons and Mark Lee took drunken decisions to a new level on their honeymoon when they bought the Sri Lanka hotel they were staying in.
A bronze Elise Lotus sports car is on sale on eBay for $24,000 but there’s one slight catch — it has a salvage title due to a scratch on its front bumper.
A Toys ‘R’ Us press release on Oct. 2 shared the company will work alongside new owners and investors to bring a fresh new take on the brand after canceling its bankruptcy auction.
After criticism about not paying their employees an adequate amount, particularly from Senator Bernie Sanders, Amazon announced that starting Nov. 1, they will increase their employees minimum wage to $15 an hour.
17 thieves have hit a slew of California Apple stores, stealing over $1 million worth of the hottest products.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk in which it claims he misled investors in a series of tweets stating he secured funding to take Tesla private.
Dunkin’ Donuts has officially announced on Tuesday, Sept. 25 that it’s dropping “Donuts” in its name – and people will just call them Dunkin’.
Yandy, a sexy lingerie online company has been called out by social media users for its “racist” and “disgusting” Native American costumes.
The popular satellite radio company SiriusXM recently acquired music streaming company Pandora for $3.5 billion — all in stocks.
Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger announced in a blog post Sept. 24 they are stepping down from Instagram to take time off and eventually pursue new creative paths.


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More women are picking up guitars than ever before, according to a new study. Which is exciting — because this should inevitably mean more females in the music industry.
The research conducted by guitar brand Fender reveals that 50% of young, aspiring guitar players in the US and in the UK are female. Over recent years, the company has targeted millennials, not necessarily females or males in particular.
Fender’s study also investigated the meaning behind picking up a guitar for the first time. For 72 percent of players, it was to gain a life skill or improve themselves. Meanwhile, 61 percent wanted to learn to play songs for family, friends, or simply themselves. 42 percent viewed the guitar as part of their identity.
Fender CEO Andy Mooney spoke on the current trends he’s hearing — “Today’s players have grown up in a different cultural context and popular music landscape, and rising artists like Mura Masa, Tash Sultana, Youngr, Daniel Caesar, Grimes and Ed Sheeran are changing the way guitar is being used. As a brand, we are committed to creating tools – both physical and digital – that this generation of creators needs for self-expression, now and in the future.”
And, on the supposed “Taylor Swift factor” — “There was also belief about what people referred to as the ‘Taylor Swift factor’ maybe making the 50 percent number short-term and aberrational. In fact, it’s not. Taylor has moved on, I think playing less guitar on stage than she has in the past. But young women are still driving 50 percent of new guitar sales. So the phenomenon seems like it’s got legs, and it’s happening worldwide.”
While this probably has far less to do with Taylor Swift than one might think — the future is definitely female.


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Muc-Off has launched its new Rain Shield Re-Proofer spray.
This ‘spray on’ waterproofing treatment restores factory levels of repellence on all waterproof and breathable fabrics, by creating a cutting-edge DWR (Durable Water Repellent) layer, said the brand.
The spray has been designed to reduce the surface tension of fabrics, thanks to its microscopically ‘spikey’ surface. The surface becomes hydrophobic, so water beads and rolls off the fabric, preventing rain, snow and mud from penetrating and saturating technical apparel.
“Of course, being Muc-Off, it’s been designed with sustainability built-in, so it’s safe for the environment, unlike some competitor products which contain perfluorocarbons (PFCs),” said a statement. “It also won’t impact the breathability of garments, and as well as improving their performance, the spray will actually extend the life of those all-important shred threads.”
The Muc-Off Rain Shield Re-Proofer is priced at £9.99 and is available now at Muc-Off.com, from selected e-retailers and via the global dealer network.


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Dammy O creator and founder of Reach Magazine sat down with Karm Sumal creator and founder of VancityBuzz.com earlier this week to have a conversation about the Buzz website, entrepreneurship, how VancityBuzz.com came about, and what the future holds for the Vancouver Blog website.
Vancity Buzz came to inception in the Vancouver blogosphere in Summer 2008. Since then, VcB has grown exponentially with increased content, solid business relationships, strong social media presence, and expanded readership. We have achieved success by highlighting the greatness in Vancouver: local events, news, small businesses, and models.
The Network Hub provides co-working, shared office, office space, phone answering and mailbox rental for developers, designers, solo professionals, small businesses, start-ups located in Downtown Vancouver Canada.


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COALINGA — Harris Ranch Beef Holding Co., California’s largest cattle-raising operation, is being sold.
The company’s 800-acre Central Valley feedlot, which can hold up to 250,000 cattle, and its slaughterhouse and processing facilities are being sold to Hanford-based Central Valley Meat Co. but will operate independently under the combined ownership of Central Valley Meat Holding Co., according to an announcement made last week and reported Monday by The Fresno Bee.
The price and other details weren’t released.
The beef operations are part of Harris Farms, Inc. Founded in 1937, the family-owned agribusiness also has a thriving farming operation that produces more than 30 crops ranging from lettuce and garlic to pistachios and wine grapes; breeds thoroughbred horses and runs a popular inn and restaurant, according to the company website.
The business has more than $400 million a year in sales.
Difficulties in Recent Years
Only its cattle operations are being sold.
Central Valley Meat Co. was founded in 1993 and markets beef to retailers and to food-service companies.
The company has faced some difficulties in recent years, including a 2013 recall of more than 29 tons of ground beef destined for school lunches because of concerns that it might contain plastic pieces, the Fresno Bee reported.
The processing plant also was briefly closed by federal regulators in 2014 for unsanitary conditions, the paper said.


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Dropbox wants to be the place where you store, sync and share files at work, and, for the most part, it already is.
Only 9 percent of employers have official enterprise file sync and share (EFSS) solutions in place, so it doesn’t take an Einstein to discern that workers are going rogue.
Chances are good that they’re doing so using the most popular file sync and share solution in the world, Dropbox. In a recent conversation, Ilya Fushman, head of Product, Business and Mobile at Dropbox, told us that Dropbox is home to more than 35 billion office documents.
This is a good thing for Dropbox. But it would be even better and bosses would be happier if all this file sharing was done in the open — with employer consent and the knowledge that everyone was adhering to company policies.
That’s what Dropbox for Business is for, and why Fushman’s team is working at a rapid pace to meet the needs of business customers — and why Dropbox introduced two new products today.


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(1090 The Fan) — The entire “Legion of Boom” will be featured on the new Madden NFL 15 start screen, EA sports announced Friday.
In addition to showcasing Seahawks All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman, the game’s start screen now features his teammates Byron Maxwell, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas. The decision was announced after a number of fans — and Richard Sherman himself — called for the rest of the Seahawks’ secondary to share the cover.
Sherman took to his Twitter profile to post the news and share his gratitude:
“I’ve been trying to get the Legion of Boom on the cover, and EA has been fighting me,” Sherman said after winning the fan-voted Madden 15 cover competition in June. “So if anybody wants to start a petition to get the Legion of Boom on the cover, here it is, here’s an open invitation.”
Seahawks fan Jason Coiner started a change.org petition, requesting that EA Sports feature the rest of Seattle’s secondary on the game cover. The petition had 9,000 signatures by June 25th.
EA Sports, creators of the NFL Madden franchise, issued a statement saying:
“At E3 this year, we spoke a lot about our commitment to putting our players first. We want to engage in a two-way dialogue with our fans, so together, we can make our games better…
This year, fans voted Super Bowl Champion Richard Sherman onto the cover of Madden NFL 15. Since the announcement in June, there’s been quite a groundswell from Seattle fans. You guys want the Legion of Boom on the cover and there’s even an online petition. So, why haven’t we changed the cover to include the most dominate D in the league? While we’ve looked into it, it’s proven to be very difficult…
We wanted to give the LOB their just due, and do it in a way that was special—a way where millions of fans would see it every single day, just like a cover. Historically, the start screen in Madden (and all our EA SPORTS games) has featured our cover art. This year, we’re going to feature the entire Legion of Boom on the welcome screen. One of the major areas of focus for Madden NFL 15is defense, and what better way to introduce you to the game than with the guys who are changing the face of defense in the NFL…“
Sherman beat out Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck in the vote.
Fans can purchase Madden NFL 15 when it hits stores on August 26th.
(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)


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SoundCloud is making itself more appealing to creators, or at least it hopes so. The company announced that it is opening up applications for its invite-only Premier program and launching new track editing capabilities within SoundCloud Pulse.
Launched more than two years ago, On SoundCloud is the company’s premier program that’s for content creators interested in monetizing their work through advertising. Participants were able to tap into one of five ad products: Native, audio, channel sponsorship, display, and contests. What’s more, five brands had signed up to provide the marketing messages — Jaguar, Red Bull, Sonos, Squarespace, and Comedy Central.
When implemented, audio ads would run for a minimum of 15 seconds, with 30 second ads providing a way to opt-out after the first 15 seconds aired. The selling point would be that there’s a revenue sharing plan for those in the U.S., along with additional statistics and promotional tools.
Even though On SoundCloud had been accessible through invitation, the company is no longer manually curating those participating. It has started to roll out a new application process for independent creators to join the program.
It’s said that more than 12 hours of new content is published to SoundCloud every minute and more than 12 million creators have their work heard monthly. With more than 135 million tracks now on the service, there’s certainly plenty of interest from those who are seeking to monetize their work — they’re not all necessarily creating stuff for free, after all.
“We believe we’re only as vibrant as the people on our platform who create and drive the uniqueness of the SoundCloud community,” the company said in a blog post. “We’re always working to provide the best platform for people to share their creativity, the most useful tools to build their audiences and get their music or audio discovered, and for a growing number of people, the opportunity to make money from the work they share on the platform.”
Other announcements include an update to SoundCloud’s Pulse, its creator-focused app that launched last year. Through it, creators can manage their work and starting today, the company has added the ability to edit track titles, genres, tags and descriptions, and specify whether it should be made public, private, or downloadable. SoundCloud claims that this is one of the “highly requested new features” from the community.
Within SoundCloud pulse, tap the […] icon to edit any track information.
Like most social-based services, appealing to influencers and creators is an important thing for one’s survival and traction. Just like with what Twitter and Facebook are doing around live video and what YouTube did with video creators, this is the same with SoundCloud. And in light of reports surrounding Spotify showing interests in purchasing the company, maybe as a way to defend itself from that fate, it’s showing it still has some fight left in it. SoundCloud declined to comment on that news.
To lead this fight, SoundCloud had enlisted the help of Joe Armenia as its director for artist relations where his job is to ensure that creators and managers have a working relationship with the company. Prior to joining the company, he was Rdio’s global head of artist, label, and influencer relations where he networked with major and independent record labels, distributors, and other content providers. It was after Rdio’s bankruptcy and purchase by Pandora, when Armenia wound up at SoundCloud.
Today’s announcements come as the company holds its 2016 artist forum which is being livestreamed.


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'Small Business Saturday' focuses on locally owned shops | News
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS)- Shoppers in Cape Girardeau took part in another American tradition on Saturday.
Wedged between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday began in 2010 to focus on locally owned shops.
A lot of people told us they shopped Saturday to avoid the madness of Black Friday and to support the people they know in the community.
The owners of Renaissance in Cape Girardeau say this year has been a record year for them.
They attribute it to the downtown project being complete combined with the time of year many consumers hit the streets. It's is a trend they hope continues.
More of your small local businesses are the hub of any city," said Renaissance owner Sherry Yeager. "The more we can get everybody to understand that and participate in the local economy. That's what keeps everything going."
According to the US Small Business Administration, there are about 28 million small businesses nationwide.
Those businesses have created 65 percent of the new jobs over the past two decades.
Copyright 2012 KFVS. All rights reserved.


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Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced that starting today, Twitter Blue subscribers will receive a share of the revenue from ads that appear in their reply threads. However, no further details on the program have been provided by Musk or Twitter, as the company no longer has a communications department for comment.
Twitter Blue is a premium service that costs $8 per month or $84 per year, offering users benefits such as a blue check, editing tweets, longer video uploads, and prominence in reply threads when responding to others. In some territories, Blue subscribers already see half as many ads on their timelines compared to non-subscribers.
To be eligible, the account must be a subscriber to Twitter Blue Verified
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 3, 2023
The move to share ad revenue with Blue subscribers is aimed at improving engagement and maximizing revenue for the company. Twitter is also said to be working on another tipping feature using an in-app currency.
Twitter’s efforts to improve its bottom line include charging businesses $1,000 per month for a gold checkmark and $50 per month for verification of affiliated accounts. Additionally, the company is facing interest payments of over $1 billion per year on loans taken out by Musk to buy the company.
Twitter’s revenue share program aligns with similar offerings from platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Instagram, and Facebook, which all offer creators a share of ad revenue. The move could incentivize users, especially those with large audiences, to subscribe to Twitter Blue and increase their activity on the platform.


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India, May 24, 2023: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a leading player in the oil and gas industry, has announced its strategic partnership with Speed Force (A Ready Assist Company), India’s largest chain of multi-brand two-wheeler franchise, to establish a chain of co-branded two-wheeler garages across the country.
Under the newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), MAK Lubricants from BPCL and Speed Force will jointly develop co-branded MAK Serve garages across the country for a period of five years. This collaboration aims to provide a cost-effective business model for entrepreneurs to establish new garages while ensuring standardized service quality.
The MoU signing ceremony took place in the august presence of Shri P. Sudhahar , Executive Director (Lubes) at BPCL, who highlighted BPCL’s pioneering initiatives in the industry. Shri Abhay Shah, Chief General Manager Marketing (Lubes) at BPCL, and Shri Kapil Bhindi, Director (Business) from Speed Force, signed the MoU. The event was graced by Shri Akash Tiwari, Chief General Manager Marketing (Lubes), and other senior members from the Lubes HQ team.
Shri P. Sudhahar , Executive Director (Lubes), BPCL, stated that ” On behalf of team MAK, we are happy to have partnered with Speed Force. BPCL and SpeedForce are committed to providing exceptional service quality and convenience to customers, revolutionizing the two-wheeler servicing experience in India. With the combined expertise and reach of both entities, the partnership aims to set new benchmarks in the industry.”
As part of the strategic business model, the co-branded garages will directly engage with customers, fostering brand loyalty and positioning the MAK brand at the forefront. These garages will exclusively offer the MAK range of products for two-wheeler servicing, ensuring the use of high-quality lubricants.
The partnership will commence with the establishment of MAK Serve garages in select cities across the country. The BPCL-Speed Force partnership is set to transform the two-wheeler service industry, offering unparalleled convenience, reliability, and brand assurance. This tie-up represents a significant milestone in MAK Lubricants’ commitment to serving customers with top-notch service quality and exceptional products.
About Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL):
Fortune Global 500 Company, Bharat Petroleum is the second largest Indian Oil Marketing Company and one of the premier integrated energy companies in India, engaged in refining of crude oil and marketing of petroleum products, with a significant presence in the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry. The company attained the coveted Maharatna status, joining the elite club of companies having greater operational & financial autonomy.
Bharat Petroleum’s Refineries at Mumbai, Kochi and Bina Refinery have a combined refining capacity of around 35.3 MMTPA. Its marketing infrastructure includes a network of installations, depots, energy stations, aviation service stations and LPG distributors. Its distribution network comprises over 21,000 Energy Stations, over 6,200 LPG distributorships, 525 Lubes distributorships, 123 POL storage locations, 53 LPG Bottling Plants, 70 Aviation Service Stations, 4 Lube blending plants and 4 cross-country pipelines.
Bharat Petroleum is integrating its strategy, investments, environmental and social ambitions to move towards a sustainable planet. The company has chalked out the plan to offer electric vehicle charging stations at around 7000 energy stations over next 5 years.
With a focus on sustainable solutions, the company is developing a vibrant ecosystem and a road-map to become a Net Zero Energy Company by 2040, in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. Bharat Petroleum has been partnering communities by supporting innumerable initiatives connected primarily in the areas of education, water conservation, skill development, health, community development, capacity building and employee volunteering. With ‘Energising Lives’ as its core purpose, Bharat Petroleum’s vision is to be the most admired global energy company leveraging talent, innovation & technology.


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Stuarts Draft BB&T branch set to close. Do we still need in-person banking?
STUARTS DRAFT — The Stuarts Draft BB&T branch will shut down next year and have its clients consolidate to another branch.
SunTrust and BB&T, which merged in 2019, is now known as Truist. A number of branches for both banks have been shutting down since 2020 to consolidate.
According to Amber Odom, spokesperson for Truist, the branch will consolidate to the SunTrust Waynesboro Eastgate branch at 1100 W. Broad St. in Waynesboro.
Starting Feb. 18, 2022, the Stuarts Draft branch at 2857 Stuarts Draft Highway and will move operations to Waynesboro.
Odom said there will be no job losses associated with the consolidation.
"All teammates from the BB&T Stuart’s Draft branch are being transferred to different locations," she said. "Our client relationships will be automatically transferred to our SunTrust Waynesboro Branch Eastgate branch where they’ll receive the same attention and client service they’re accustomed to."
According to Odom, with so many BB&T and SunTrust branches in close proximity to one another, it's an opportunity to "reduce redundant branches" without impacting clients too much.
The closure begs the question, are in-person banking branches necessary?
"Like many industries, we’re seeing our client preferences and behaviors change as more and more clients choose to bank with us digitally," Odom said. "This trend has accelerated even more due to COVID-19."
Since the COVID pandemic began, activity on both SunTrust and BB&T mobile apps grew 11% and mobile check deposits grew 26%.
"This has caused a gradual effect on client traffic patterns and branch usage," Odom said.
With mobile apps and online banking, it allows customers to bank anywhere, at any time.
"To date, we’ve seen virtually no client attrition through this consolidation process," Odom said.
Overall, COVID has pushed the majority of the population to turn to online options, like mobile and online banking.
According to a Chase digital banking trends report, Chase QuickDeposit to deposit checks using their mobile phone — representing more than 40% of all check deposits versus 30% pre-COVID.
According to Value Penguin, a research brand of Lending Tree, a recent study showed that 71% of survey customers used online banking regularly and 43% used mobile banking regularly.
Among survey respondents that primarily used mobile banking over the past 12 months, major uses included:
- Checking an account balance or recent transactions — 94% of respondents
- Transferring money between bank accounts — 58% of respondents
- Receiving an alert — 56% of respondents
- Depositing a check using mobile camera — 48% of respondents
- Paying a bill — 47% of respondents
- Locating the closest in-network ATM or branch for their bank — 36% of respondents
"Mobile banking provides convenient features that are increasingly sophisticated and capable of replacing brick-and-mortar service," the survey said. "As consumers become more familiar and confident in mobile technology, the use of apps and web tools for banking will increase."
Truist is the sixth largest U.S. commercial bank, serving approximately 10 million consumer households and a full range of business clients, with leading market share in many of the most attractive, high-growth markets in the country, a release said.
The transition to Truist started in 2020 and will continue into next year. There are no merger-related changes to account numbers or routing numbers for checking, savings and money market accounts for the vast majority of clients, the release said. Most clients won't need to order new checks or make changes to direct deposits, automatic drafts or wire instructions related to these accounts, the release said.
This isn't the first bank brand to close due to the merger.
In 2020, it was announced the West Beverley Street SunTrust location in downtown Staunton would close and relocate to the BB&T Staunton Main Branch at 125 N. Central Ave.
Laura Peters is the trending topics reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Or a good feature? You can reach reporter Laura Peters (she/her) at email@example.com. Follow her @peterslaura. Subscribe to The News Leader at newsleader.com.


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Ford’s decision to collaborate with “automotive outsiders” is paying off as the marketing and development of new products becomes increasingly data driven. Paul Mascarenas, Ford Chief Technical Officer and Vice President Ford Research and Innovation created the platform in 2011 at the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of Ford’s research hub in Dearborn, Michigan. He said “Traditional collaboration with automotive partners and suppliers may be what we are used to and comfortable with – and we want those ties to get even stronger – but it is also time to accelerate and embrace new forms of collaboration outside the automotive realm that will help us create not only better transportation, but a better world.” In January 2013 at the International CES the company launched the Ford Developer Program, which makes the SYNC® AppLink™ application programming interface (API) available for the creation of smartphone apps that can be controlled by voice inside the car. While AppLink is available in Ford vehicles now, OpenXC is focused on the future as an open-source hardware and software platform developed by Ford Research and Innovation to unleash the power of the open-source hacker community to explore what can be done with vehicle data.
The OpenXC kit includes a vehicle interface module based on the popular Arduino platform that developers can use to read data from the vehicle’s internal communications network, including real-time access to the vehicle sensors, GPS receiver and vehicle speed. The hardware module is connected to a Smartphone or tablet. “Through the OpenXC platform, we are paving the way for new opportunities that will help us prepare for the future of transportation where the automobile, mobile networks and the Internet cloud come together in ways never before imagined,” said Venkatesh Prasad, senior technical leader of Open Innovation for Ford Research and Innovation. Modern computing and communications systems are not only quickly changing consumer expectations in people’s everyday lives, but are driving innovation in the automotive industry at an incredible pace in preparation for the future. “Ford was founded on the innovative spirit of Henry Ford, and the opportunity today to reinvent the driving experience excites us just as it probably would have him. Technology is enabling Ford to bring a new level of awareness and intelligence that will dramatically enhance our customers’ time behind the wheel,” said Mascarenas when introducing the new Ford Fusion.
With more than 145 actuators, 4716 signals, and 74 sensors including radar, sonar, cameras, accelerometers, temperature and even rain sensors, the 2013 Fusion can monitor the perimeter around the car and see into places that are not readily visible from the driver’s seat. These sensors produce more than 25 gigabytes of data per hour, which is analyzed by more than 70 onboard computers. “So far we’ve just scratched the surface of what is possible,” said Mascarenas. “In the Fusion, we have sensors and actuators that act independently as part of the assist features. The next phase, currently in research, involves sensor fusion, where engineers learn how to more comprehensively characterize the environment by blending multiple signals, and add externally available information through cloud connectivity.”


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Walmart and BuzzFeed's Tasty food network have joined forces on an in-app shoppable recipes feature allowing consumers to purchase the ingredients featured in Tasty recipe videos
Walmart Inc. and BuzzFeed’s Tasty food network have teamed up to provide consumers with shoppable recipes. Now customers can add the entire ingredient list from a menu of 4,000 Tasty videos directly to their Walmart Online Grocery carts with a single click. Then they can place their order for pickup from more than 2,500 stores nationwide, or have the groceries delivered to their homes from 1,100-plus stores across the United States.
“Finding that perfect recipe, creating a grocery list and finally getting to the store can keep any chef out of the kitchen,” noted Janey Whiteside, chief customer officer at Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart. “We’re excited to create a fun solution that feeds customers’ appetites to put time back in their busy schedules, all while saving money with Walmart’s everyday low prices.”
From the Tasty app, users are directed to the Walmart Grocery app or www.Walmart.com/Grocery, where they can see what’s in their cart, buy the ingredients and schedule their groceries for either curbside pickup or at-home delivery as soon as the same day. With geo-specific capabilities to map a recipe’s ingredients to the products available at the closest Walmart location, the feature ensures that customers can get the exact items they need to create a Tasty recipe. Customers can also switch out items within the Tasty app based on their preferences with regard to price, brand, quantity, and organic or other dietary preferences.
“From watching a mesmerizing Tasty video to cooking it in your own kitchen, the missing link is buying the ingredients,” said Ben Kaufman, chief marketing officer at New York-based tech-powered media company BuzzFeed. “More than two-thirds of our audience have made a Tasty recipe, and 90 percent of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store, so we’re excited to build upon our partnership with Walmart and provide a new feature that will solve the pain point of grocery shopping and make it even easier for our audience to cook their favorite Tasty recipes.”
Powered by the Northfork platform, which seamlessly integrates Walmart’s website and app with Tasty’s recipe content, the feature is the first of many upgrades to the Tasty app that the companies said “will continue to deepen Tasty’s partnership with Walmart and sweeten the shopping experience for the Tasty audience.”
The Shoppable Recipes option is the latest addition to BuzzFeed and Walmart’s partnership, which also includes a Tasty kitchenware line of nonstick cookware, bakeware, kitchen gadgets and accessories that has sold more than 4 million units since its March 2018 rollout. Later this year, Walmart plans to introduce Tasty-branded licensed products in its celebrations, dry grocery, deli and frozen meats departments, among others.
Walmart earlier enabled its shoppers to place their grocery orders online through shoppable recipes on Cary, N.C.-based Myxx Inc.'s platform.
Walmart operates more than 11,300 stores under 58 banners in 27 countries, and ecommerce websites, employing 2.2 million-plus associates worldwide. The company is No. 1 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.