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MANILA, PHILIPPINES – For Buwan ng Wika, Listerine and Wunderman Thompson Philippines celebrates the Filipino language with a campaign that not only showcases the benefits of a strong and healthy mouth, but also the beauty of our Filipino language.
Various local studies show that there has been a rapid decline in the Filipino youth’s proficiency in their own language. One of the reasons for this is that there’s a lack of proper awareness and application for the Filipino language in our media and pop culture due to globalization.
As mouths and speaking the language go hand in hand, Listerine and Wunderman Thompson Philippines launched “Listerine BIBIGkasin Challenge”—a series of Filipino tongue twisters made into playful posters that remind the youth of how beautiful and descriptive the Filipino language can be. True to the nature of how Filipino tongue twisters are constructed, the campaign told colorful stories about the benefits of having a strong and healthy mouth. And when said out loud, it gets to test the mouth of the participants in a fun and challenging way.
To further promote the campaign, Listerine invited people to try it themselves on social media with #ListerineBibigkasinChallenge.
“Listerine is a brand that stands for keeping mouths ready for any challenge such as germs, bad breath, teeth staining…and now even the difficult yet beautiful words of the Filipino language.” said Fitz Domingo, Senior Brand Manager of Johnson & Johnson Philippines. “This occasion has given us the opportunity to promote further the Filipino language and also incorporate our own product benefits for them to achieve good oral health.”
So for Buwan ng Wika, the beauty of the Filipino language was seen and heard loud and clear through strong and healthy mouths.


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Villas of Distinction is thanking its travel advisor partners with a bonus commission. Travel advisors who book their clients with Villas of Distinction from today, May 3, until May 16, 2021, for travel between now and Dec. 31, 2021, can earn a bonus commission of up to $1,500.
“More than ever, this past year we have enhanced our devotion to our travel advisor partners with the launch of our #WithYouToStay campaign in April 2020,” said Steve Lassman, v.p., villa product & agency relations for Villas of Distinction, in a press release statement. “We know the significant value travel advisors provide their clients and we want to reward that with added bonus commissions, rich promotions, heightened support, additional special events catered to them and more.”
As part of its #WithYouToStay campaign, Villas of Distinction launched “Wine Down Wednesdays” one year ago this month. In celebration of the 1-year anniversary, there will be a special Cinco de Mayo “Wine Down Wednesday” on May 5 at 5 p.m. EST with Villas of Distinction live from a luxury villa in Los Cabos. Travel advisors should grab a glass of wine (or margarita) and join for this virtual FAM trip and the opportunity to chat with v.p. and GM Willie Fernandez and Lassman. Agents can register here.
For more information and terms and conditions about the travel advisor bonus, visit the Travel Advisor Marketing Resource Portal on villasofdistinction.com.

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Online casino operator Lasseters has extended its IPO for the second time. The gambling organisation, which is hoping to raise $40 million, was expected to close its share offer yesterday, following a three-week extension from its original closure date of April 19 amid the stock market frenzy.
Peter Bridge, Lasseters' managing director, said at the time the offer was extended to allow investors to "view the offer in light of a more stable market". The reasons for the second extension are unknown. Bridge was unavailable for comment, but more details on the company's plans will be released today, a spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, despite predictions that many internet companies will opt out of public floats in favour of venture capital funding, two other online companies moved closer to the share trading room yesterday.
Barton Capital Holdings subsidiary eStar Online Trading said it intends to float on the Australian Stock Exchange later this year while online education provider Worldschool announced it will list this Wednesday.eStar CEO Albert Wong said the recent market movements had not discouraged the company from pursuing a public float later this year. "Whether the sharemarket is going up or down, the trend for shares to be traded online will continue to increase," he said.
"eStar is the preferred alternative system for independent traders that offers all the key benefits that professional traders enjoy in an online trading system."eStar plans to raise $10 million from the IPO, increasing the company's market capitalisation to $40 million, a spokesperson for the company said. The funds will be used to expand eStar into other financial institutions to enable them to offer their own online trading service in Australia, New Zealand and Asian countries, according to the spokesperson.
Further details of the planned IPO will be detailed in the company prospectus which is yet to be released.
Worldschool, which unlike Lasseters successfully closed its IPO on April 19 despite the stock market downturn that week, remains confident its Wednesday listing will be a success.
The company closed oversubscribed and raised $25.5 million from Australian and international investors.
"While the climate for new listings may have changed in the last few weeks, our business model and the market for our product has not. We are confident that Worldschool will become an education portal without peer, both in Australia and internationally," said chief executive officer Ashley Owen.


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It's been a big week for Microsoft. Monday saw the arrival of its first tablet, and Wednesday, the latest iteration of its phone OS. Like Surface, it's a big bet for the Redmond giant, as it's the point where Windows Phone finally becomes a Windows phone.
The new Window Phone start screen, in an early build of Windows Phone 7.8
Let me say that again: a Windows phone. That's a big leap forward, and a huge change for anyone who's been building Windows Phone applications.
The language Microsoft uses is "shared core". What that means is that Windows Phone 8 will use the Windows kernel — and many of the Windows WinRT APIs. Applications will be able to use familiar calls for security and for networking, for file system access, for device drivers, and for graphics. You'll be able to use native C++ code alongside C# and XAML — and you can mix and match development technologies — so an application may use a C++ business logic layer alongside a C# user interface. That same C++ layer can be common across Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 (and Windows Server and Azure) using what Microsoft calls Portable Class Libraries, which can be developed in Visual Studio 2012 and used across application projects.
Using a common driver model is a huge change, and it's one that could have far wider implications for the platform — including the possibility of decoupling elements of device updates from operator approvals (imagine Nokia being able to send out camera updates or Samsung delivering new NFC features). Instead of having to invent its own wheel every time a new piece of hardware comes along, hardware OEMs will be able to use the same driver for phone and for PC (as long as it's been compiled for ARM). That means there are going to be economies of scale, with the same hardware in a Windows RT tablet appearing in Windows Phone devices.
Despite the shared kernel and APIs, Windows Phone isn't just going to install and run any Windows application, even a Metro-style Windows 8 one. For one thing the two platforms will still target very different screen sizes and types, with Windows 8 delivering landscape experiences and Windows Phone focusing on portrait. Screen resolutions on Windows Phone, even with the two newer 16:9 and 15:9 aspect ratio views, will be lower than on the desktop.
Windows Phone's new tiles get access to much more screen real estate
Game developers will quickly take advantage of the native code features, but there's going to be a period of flux for utility and casual application developers. With Windows Phone 7.5 development supported in Visual Studio 2012, it's likely that Silverlight/HTML5 development will still remain popular, if only due to the number of current devices in use. Those same applications will run on both Windows Phone 7.5 and on Windows Phone 8 — with Windows Phone 8 downloads pre-compiled in the Windows Phone Marketplace, using the Engine .NET tooling. Although apps won't necessarily run faster on Windows Phone 8, they will launch faster, as they won't need to be run through the .NET JIT every time you want to run. It's also something that comes for free, in a future update to the Marketplace.
Windows Phone 8 will also introduce two new background agents, giving both VOIP and location-based applications the option of working with background services. The VOIP agent will handle incoming voice, video and chat sessions, while the background location agent will handle working with location data while applications are suspended — working with cloud services to support notifications. Background agents are one of the more innovative features in Windows Phone, as they allow applications to be tombstoned and for key functions to continue running in a low power state. Other options include APIs for the new NFC hardware, and the Wallet secure storage tool (and for in-app purchases), as well as access to speech recognition and to Nokia Maps (itself replacing Bing Maps).
Microsoft is packing developer features into Windows Phone 8, and it's pretty clear there are more to come. There's also an update to existing Windows Phone devices on the way, in the shape of Windows Phone 7.8. It brings in the new start screen with its configurable tiles, and possibly some of the new Windows Phone 8 capabilities. Microsoft isn't giving any details of 7.8 beyond demonstrating the new start screen on a Nokia Lumia device with a very early build of the OS. We had a brief hands-on session with the device, and found it easy enough to use — the tools for resizing tiles were obvious, and simple to use.
Resizing tiles in Windows Phone 7.8
Today's event was billed as a "sneak peek", and that's all we got. We saw new features, and got a feel for how they are being implemented. It's all very impressive, and moves the Windows Phone platform in a very interesting direction. However there's a lot to be done — much of which is around developer evangelism and getting the tools and SDKs into the hands of developers (along with devices). Microsoft has said it will be giving developers more information and early tooling over the summer, when we should get an opportunity for a deeper dive into the Windows phone.


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As avid followers of glasses in all shapes and sizes, we watched with excitement as the nation donned its 3D spectacles for last weekâ€™s live, landmark 3D broadcast by Keane. Now that 3D broadcasts on TV and online are becoming more regular, we all have the opportunity to don our 3D glasses more often.
And so to help you track down where to get your hands on 3D glasses, and to see what’s coming up to watch in 3D, we thought we’d research what’s happening where.
Top 5 places to get your 3D specs
- This US mail order site gives them way for free is you send a self-addressed envelope
- 3DImages.co.uk boasts a stock of 350,000 3D specs, from card to plastic models
- Napier University is running a science project that’s giving away 3D glasses to people based in Scotland
- Keane has a cut-out template for making your own 3D glasses
- If you have a Â£3000 Hyundai S465D TV and Sky+HD you won’t need specs at all. That’s the future of 3D viewing in your living room.
What to watch in 3D
- The 3D Keane gig is available to watch on the Keane band website
- Aliens versus Monsters is currently playing in cinemas in 3D
- Horror fans can get ready for My Bloody Valentine 3D appearing on DVD this June
- There’s more 3D viewing on the way from Sky, who also say the Olympics in 2012 is going to be a major 3D showcase.
If you want to get the 3D look in real glasses, we’ve got a few pairs in our Cocktail collection that have the thick frames and striking looks that you’ll want.
What are your favourite 3D films or TV programmes? Let us know in the comments below…


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Popular benchmarking software Antutu’s July 2023 performance rankings for the Chinese market are in, listing the best-performing Android phones in the flagship and sub-flagship categories.
How MediaTek maintained its lead during the pandemic and what’s next for the companyView Post
Taiwanese chip manufacturer MediaTek has silently unveiled a new midrange 5G chipset, the Dimensity 7050, and we probably won’t wait too long to see the first smartphone that will use it.
In December 2022, iQOO units dominated Antutu‘s lists of best-performing flagship, sub-premium, and midrange Android smartphones released in ChIna. Which models made it to the January 2023 rankings?
Antutu has released its latest rankings of flagship, sub-premium, and midrange Android smartphones released in China that performed well on the platform.
Popular benchmark app Antutu has posted the most recent lists of best-performing Android smartphones released in China. So, which flagship, sub-flagship, and midrange devices figured in the September 2022 rankings?
Antutu’s most recent performance rankings of Android smartphones released in China, which feature the best-performing handsets in the flagship, sub-flagship, and midrange categories, is now out.
MediaTek, the current market leader in the mobile chipset category, has launched a new 5G chip under its Dimensity line.
MediaTek has finally taken the wraps off its new Dimensity 8100, Dimensity 8000, and Dimensity 1300 5G chipsets. The latter brings marginal improvements over the Dimensity 1200 chip, which powers premium devices like the Vivo X70, Xiaomi 11T, and Realme GT Neo.
MediaTek remains the top mobile chipmaker for the fourth and final quarter of 2021, according to market-research firm Counterpoint Research.
MediaTek did it again. Counterpoint Research recently posted its quarterly report on smartphone chipset shipments, and the results showed MediaTek leading Qualcomm in the quarter July to September 2021.
The world’s No. 1 mobile-chipset vendor is about to go toe to toe with rival Qualcomm at the top. MediaTek today announced its latest flagship chipset, which the Taiwanese company says is easily its most powerful SoC to date and can compete with the best chips currently on the market.
MediaTek has started teasing the industry’s first 4nm chipset, likely the Dimensity 2000, and reports indicate that the upcoming flagship chip might also break the one-million mark on Antutu Benchmark.
A Taiwanese company is still the biggest smartphone chip maker in the world.
MediaTek, which became the world’s biggest chipset vendor in Q3 2020, has launched two new mobile chips that will serve as the follow-ups to the Dimensity 1000+ from last year. The Dimensity 1100 and Dimensity 1200 are the Taiwanese firm’s first products fabricated on a 6nm process, which is more advanced than the 7nm process used to manufacture the Dimensity 1000+.
A few days after sharing the Chinese market’s rankings for December, Antutu Benchmark this time revealed the list of best-performing flagship and midrange Android phones released globally.
Following a strong third quarter in 2020, MediaTek has surpassed Qualcomm to be the top smartphone-chipset vendor for the first time, according to market analyst Counterpoint Research. The Taiwanese chipmaker expanded its market share to 31% last quarter from 26% in the same period as last year.
Two days after releasing the September lists of best-performing midrange and flagship Android phones available in China, Antutu Benchmark has shared the global rankings.
Close to two weeks into October, and we finally have Antutu Benchmark’s September list of best-performing midrange and flagship Android phones that were released in China.
The global rankings of best-performing Android smartphones in August 2020 are finally out, a few days after Antutu Benchmark revealed the lists for devices released in China.
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We retired Tax Justice Blog in April 2017. For new content on issues related to tax justice, go to www.justtaxesblog.org
Back to school shopping season is just around the corner, which means it’s also time for our annual lesson on the follies of “sales tax holidays,” a tax policy idea that fails to make the grade. In our newly updated brief on the subject, we look at recent developments in this area and provide some insight on why the 17 states currently using sales tax holidays should drop them in favor of more effective alternatives.
Sales tax holidays suspend or reduce sales taxes on a particular set of items at a particular time of year. The most common use is for a weekend-long back to school holiday on certain clothing and supplies, but some states also have holidays for severe weather season, hunting season, and energy efficient products.
As our brief explains, sales tax holidays fail in several subjects:
- In Math, sales tax holidays just don’t add up. The amount of savings going to the families most in need is small compared to the hit that state budgets take.
- In Social Studies, it becomes even more clear that sales tax holidays are poorly targeted to the families that could use the help the most. Low-income families are less likely than their higher-income neighbors to be able to schedule their shopping trips around the brief time windows.
- In Economics, sales tax holidays violate one of the central lessons of taxation: consumption taxes should apply low rates to broad bases, and generally not attempt to encourage particular choices in the market. They also increase administrative difficulties and costs for the businesses that have to figure out what is taxed and what is not. And sales tax holidays do not provide a boost to retailers or state economies. Families are not likely to buy significantly more school supplies than they otherwise would have; they simply buy them at a different time.
- In Government, sales tax holidays score political points but are not effective tax policy. This is no more clear than in Louisiana, where a serious revenue crunch led cost-cutting lawmakers to cancel their hurricane-preparedness holiday but keep their “Second Amendment Weekend” for guns and hunting supplies. Sadly, the revenue loss from holidays usually hits states’ general funds that also pay for K-12 education, and much of the benefit flows to nonresidents who just happen to be passing through on summer vacation.
But we also note that many states have taken these lessons to heart. Although the concept has reached more than 20 states over the years and proposals to expand it continue to arise, no states enacted new sales tax holidays this year and several states have reduced or canceled theirs in the last few years. Lawmakers in Kansas, Maine, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin recently rejected new back to school holidays and North Carolina decided not to reinstate its “holiday.” Florida lawmakers pared back the state’s back to school holiday and rejected proposals to create new holidays for hunting and fishing gear, items bought from small businesses, and all purchases by veterans.
We hope states lawmakers and families will add our brief to their summer reading lists!


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Snap announced its first drone camera, Pixy Drone – a tiny little yellow-colored pocket-sized drone. In the user’s manual, Snap defined the drone as “a small smart drone with a camera and camera function.” The Pixy drone costs $230 and for $20 more, you can buy a Pixy kit that comes with two extra batteries. A fully charged Pixy can complete between five and eight short flight paths before requiring a recharge, hence the batteries.
Snap’s Pixy drone
The Pixy drone can hover in the air at a maximum height of 10 feet and it can be controlled from the Snapchat app itself. From the app you can instruct the Pixy drone to can hover, follow, or circle you, and it can capture photos or videos that will be wirelessly sent to your Snap memories, where Snap’s signature AR filters and video effects can be applied.
The Pixy drone has a USB-C port, as well as a removable battery on the bottom. The drone is rectangular in shape and a camera-like dial sits on the top of the drone that looks a lot like a switch that can be used to shift camera modes. It is pertinent to mention here that the company is sharing just a limited number of units in the US and France while supplies last. Talking about the future the Snap’s CEO said; “The goal is really just to get it in peoples’ hands and have them play around with it and maybe we would make more with version two if people love the original product.”
Snap’s previous hardware efforts
Snap’s previous hardware experiments include Spectacles and AR glasses. Spectacles are camera-fitted glasses that will record videos and send images to your app directly. Likewise, the AR glasses use AR effects, which Snap calls Lenses, which are projected by a pair of dual waveguide displays that sync with Snapchat on a paired mobile phone.


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The PUBG Mobile is all set to bring the new update for the lovers of the multiplayer battle royale game that will allow players to play as a zombie. PlayerUnknown's BattleGrounds, popularly known as PUBG recently released a zombie mode in partnership with Resident Evil 2 as part of it fifth season.
The developers of the game could now be adding new gameplay mode where players can witness different types of zombies or play as one. So, with the next update to the PUBG Mobile, you could end up playing as a zombie and attack other players. Zombie Mode has been the most sought after gameplay addition to the PUBG Mobile. It came with the update 0.11.0 and brought several scary update with fog making it difficult to spot the zombies. Also, there are different kinds of zombies. There are the ones who just walk slowly towards you but there are also zombies that can run. There are acid spitting zombies, and the monster zombies who can be killed only by firing around 50 bullets towards them.
The news of the new zombie mode was leaked by the YouTuber MrGhost Gaming. However, there is no information regarding the availability of the new mode. Expectations are rife that the mode could be made available with the version 0.13 or the 0.14 of the game. It might be similar to the humans vs zombie mode that is available for the PC version of PUBG.
Meanwhile, top 20 squads from India would be fighting it out in the best of 5 series for a total prizepool of Rs 1-crore. The grand finale will take place at GMC Balayogi indoor stadium on March 10. The winner of the competition will get Rs 30,00,000 as the prize money. The runner up will take home Rs 10,00,000 and the 3rd prize winner will get Rs 5,00,000. All in all, the first ten teams earn cash prizes with the person at the 10th place winning Rs 50,000.


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Saint Laurent's Latest Collection Is Taking Us For A Ride
Put your helmets on for this new release.
Buckles your seatbelts because Saint Laurent has released its latest Rive Droite collection … and a few new collaborators have hitched a ride in the back seat. Titled "The Ride," the drop features a wide array of items — ranging anywhere from surfboards to electric bikes.
First up, Saint Laurent’s creative director Anthony Vaccarello has teamed up with electric bicycle brand SUPER73 for a limited-edition collaboration featuring the SUPER73-S2 bike. The all-black bike, which has white Saint Laurent branding, comes with the Hedon two-wheeled helmet decked out in black and gold star motifs available in black leather, matte or glossy finishes.
Rain jacket brand K-Way has also partnered with Saint Laurent — creating a color-blocked bomber jacket with tiger-inspired patterns for the collection. In addition, the drop also includes exclusive “wood effect” surfboards with the Saint Laurent logo, skateboards, a black wetsuit, jumpsuits, towels, water bottles and more.
Hop on board and shop “The Ride” Rive Droite collection — which ranges from $115 to $8,000 — exclusively online or in Saint Laurent Rive Droite boutiques in Paris and Los Angeles.


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July 11, 2012 7:07 AM
Back in February in 2012 when Brian Bremer, Director of Operations, announced that USstoragesearch.com would expand their hours of operations to be open 24/7, he stated that people searching for self storage weren’t shopping around just during the hours of 9-5. His call center saw significant web and phone traffic at all hours of the days. So, having his call center open 24/7 made sense and the extended hours would better serve those looking for storage units and those owning and operating them.
Since extending the hours, the results of around-the-clock service have exceeded US Storage Search’s expectations – and also their client’s expectations. [More]
February 29, 2012 3:52 PM
I want to share a little story with you - and I'll show you how it applies to the self storage industry.
I have a friend who owns a vast library of books that she lends to friends and family members. Over three years ago, she lent a book to one of her nieces. A few days ago, the niece finally returned the book. [More]


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Verizon to conduct user trials of its LTE service in the summer
Verizon Wireless will be turning on its commercial LTE markets during the summer according to a comment from a company executive.
It has been reported that the comments serve to narrow the carrier’s next generation network launch window. CTO of Verizon Communications Richard Lynch said that in the fourth quarter we’ll be turning in markets as planned.
Previous reports had indicated just that the launch would be sometime later on during the year. The company intend on conducting some user friendly trials of the LTE service during the summer prior to the wider commercial rollout.
It is expected to launch to between 25 and 30 commercial markets this year which would cover 100 million POPs. Trial have been conducted in Boston and Seattle since summer last year, but the company hasn’t confirmed which markets will get the LTE service this year, nor what the pricing plans will be.
Source – fiercewireless.com


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Nissan along with EVgo said Tuesday they will install yet another 200 DC quickly chargers in the United States to support the increasing number of customers who are purchasing electric vehicles, including the new Nissan Leaf e+ which came to market earlier this season.
Even the 100 kilowatt DC fast-charging channels will have both CHAdeMO along with CCS connectors, which makes them accessible to more EV drivers. Both charger connectors’ inclusion is logical; it’s notable for Nissan, when the advocates for CHAdeMO chargers.
The announcement builds from the firms ’ six-year venture, which included assembling out a corridor of all EV chargers along Interstate 95 around the East Coast, as well as between Monterey, Calif., and Lake Tahoe.
Nissan says it’s set up over 2,000 connectors that are quick-charge throughout the country since 2010.
Strategies to add an additional 200 quickly chargers follows the launching of this 2019 Nissan Leaf e+. Even the Nissan Leaf e+, which came to the U.S. and Canada this spring, has a selection of 226 kilometers and fast-charging capability.
This version of this Leaf hatchback has 40% more range than other models as a result of a 62 kilowatt-hour battery pack. That 226-mile range sets the Leaf e+ just under the Chevy Bolt EV, which has a 238-mile variety, the Kia Niro EV with 239 miles along with the Tesla Model 3 regular variety plus with 240 miles.
“Given the tremendous motorist response to this 2019 long-range all-electric LEAF, Nissan and EVgo will accelerate rapid charging by committing to a multi-year charger structure application that will continue to enlarge fast-charging possibilities for EV drivers throughout the country,” Aditya Jairaj, director, EV Sales and Marketing, Nissan North America said in a statement.
The firms also plan to partner on a marketing campaign to sell customers on the benefits of EVs, also for Nissan, hopefully convince more to purchase its Nissan Leaf Plus. Nissan’s July earnings statistics were down in comparison to the identical month last year, a recession which has influenced the Leaf, as well.
Buy Tickets for every event – Sports, Concerts, Festivals and more buy tickets


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Etty Gorman and Jacqueline Hill, owners of the raw, whole foods Answers Pet Food company, will host a free “A+ Answers” program for pet owners on Thursday at Bantam Borough Hall.
“The program these nationally renowned pioneers and leaders in the raw, whole food pet food arena will present is what they present to veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and retailers across the United States,” said Susan Begasse-Marucci, owner of Pet Aesthetics grooming salon, gift and natural foods supplies boutique in Southbury. “They are experts in the raw food industry and collectively bring more than 50 years of experience to their company and presentations.”
Specialists in the creation, production and nationwide distribution of raw, whole food products for pets, Answers Pet Food’s Gorman and Hill believe naturally raw foods provide pets with the healthiest nutrition and diets possible.
Based in Fleetwood, Penn., the company encourages all pet owners to become educated on the basics of pet nutrition and diet so they have the knowledge and tools to make the best choices for feeding their pets.
“Most pre-packaged commercially created pet foods are highly processed, sterile, grain-based and enzyme-deficient,” explained Hill, in a release. “Prior to the introduction of these processed foods decades ago, animals consumed raw, protein-based foods through hunting smaller animals and rodents or from the raw bone and meat scraps they received from their human caretakers. Our goal is to support and share our knowledge with all pet owners and provide their pets with foods that are safe, nutritious, high quality and provide a 100 percent raw, whole food healthy diet.”
Hill and Gorman will educate attendees to the program on the fact dogs and cats were not created to digest large amounts of carbohydrates, which is the base of most commercial pet foods today. These animals inherently were created to digest raw protein-based diets.
“Animal naturopathic and holistic doctors have found that many diseases pets suffer from are linked to high carbohydrate, grain-based pet food diets based on pre-packaged commercial foods,” said Hill. “These diseases include chronic skin conditions, auto-immune disease, allergies, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, degenerative joint disease and cancer, to name just a few.”
The owners of three local pet businesses – Litchfield Pet Supply in Bantam, Natural Pet Market in Woodbury and Pet Aesthetics in Southbury – say they brought the program to the area because they recognize a strong desire among their customers for the best possible foods and nutrition’ for their pets.
“This is why Pet Aesthetics, the Natural Pet Market and Litchfield Pet Supply have united to support Answers Pet Food’s pioneering founders coming to northern Connecticut to help area pet owners understand the importance of healthy diets for their pets,” said Nancy Stokes, owner of Litchfield Pet Supply.
“Just like pet owners,” said Melinda Mangiafico, owner of the Natural Pet Market, “we want the animals we provide food products for, and groom and care for, to be as healthy as possible. We all firmly believe that pet owners from throughout our area will benefit significantly from what these two astonishing leaders in the raw, whole pet food industry will bring to this program in Bantam.”
if you go
The program begins at 7 p.m. Bantam Borough Hall is at 809 Bantam Road. Raw food samples will be provided for pets. Reservations are requested by contacting either Litchfield Pet Supply at 860-567-7737, Pet Aesthetics at 203-267-7297 or Natural Pet Market at 203-263-8561.


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Possible data breach at Home Depot highlights retailers’ vulnerability
The possible data breach at Home Depot Inc. that came to light this week has raised anew the question of whether retailers can prevent — or at least do more to stop — hackers from swiping customer information.
The home improvement chain said it was working with law enforcement, banking partners and security firms to investigate “unusual activity” but has not confirmed whether a breach has occurred.
On Tuesday, security journalist Brian Krebs reported on his website that Home Depot may be the source of a “massive” trove of debit and credit card information that went on sale in the “cybercrime underworld.”
Home Depot spokeswoman Paula Drake said Wednesday that “our forensics and security teams have been working around the clock since we first became aware of a potential breach Tuesday morning.... There is no higher priority for us at this time.”
If payment data were stolen, Home Depot would join a pack of other companies — including Michaels, Neiman Marcus, P.F. Chang’s and Target Corp. — that have been targeted by hackers who made off with debit and credit card information from customers.
Security experts say large companies can never completely shield themselves against cybercriminals, but many can improve their odds by focusing more attention on closing loopholes in their system.
“The reality we live in today is any company is breachable,” said Aleksandr Yampolskiy, chief executive of SecurityScorecard Inc., which rates businesses on the level of their security. “If someone is determined enough, they can hack into any company. And for the biggest companies, it’s nearly impossible to secure all of the weakest links.”
As a safeguard, some U.S. retailers have said they will adopt cards with embedded chips that many other countries use in place of cards with magnetic strips that store personal information, which can be more easily counterfeited.
In the past, the high cost of this EMV system — named for its developers: Europay, MasterCard and Visa — has prevented wide adoption by U.S. companies. Instead, credit companies created the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council in 2006 to push for better protections against consumer data theft.
Many hackers have targeted U.S. companies because they make easier targets than their European counterparts, security analysts say.
“The U.S. has not implemented chip-and-pin, so it’s the low-hanging fruit,” said Nick Economidis, an underwriter at Beazley, which provides insurance for breach response. “There seems to be a general consensus a lot of that fraud has been moved to the U.S.”
But implementing EMV will take years, and some retailers are balking at spending the billions of dollars it will take to replace their current point-of-sale technology. In the meantime, many retailers aren’t doing all they can to prevent hacks, experts say.
Yampolskiy of SecurityScorecard said his company has given Home Depot a C rating for its overall security. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corp. both have B ratings.
Home Depot takes about 1.3 days to clean up malware in its system, compared with the retail industry’s average of one day, he said. Hackers have been chattering online about vulnerabilities on the Atlanta retailer’s website since 2008.
“All the signs were there that they weren’t doing enough for security,” Yampolskiy said.
Krebs, who broke the story of the Target data breach last year, said Wednesday that the latest apparent breach involves “nearly all” of Home Depot’s stores around the country and may have started as early as April.
Card data that began popping up at the cybercrime store Rescator on Monday indicated a big U.S. retailer had been breached, Krebs wrote. Rescator was a prime digital storefront for peddling stolen payment information after the hacks at Target, P.F. Chang’s and Sally Beauty Holdings Inc., Krebs said.
Banks have indicated the Home Depot breach probably began in late April or early May, Krebs said, meaning the hacking could have gone on for longer than the one at Target.
“The Target breach impacted just shy of 1,800 stores, lasted for approximately three weeks and resulted in the theft of roughly 40 million debit and credit card numbers,” he wrote. “If a breach at Home Depot is confirmed, and if this analysis is correct, this breach could be much, much bigger than Target.”
To guard against hackers, retailers must pay close attention to vulnerable points, security analysis said, such as point-of-sale systems, malware and the security of their third-party suppliers.
Hackers are constantly scanning and probing companies for weaknesses in their systems, and they tend to go after those that are most vulnerable, Beazley’s Economidis said.
Hackers are like “a couple of drug addicts walking through a parking lot looking for cars with the window open,” he said. “When they see one, that’s the car they want to target.”
Constant vigilance is key, and merely complying with current industry protocols is not enough, experts said. Many hackers are part of criminal organizations that are looking to make a huge score by stealing personal data.
“It’s always a cat-and-mouse game,” Yampolskiy said. “Whenever new security is introduced, hackers always find a way around.”


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Charming Charlie gears up for fashion push
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Known for value-priced fashion jewelry, Houston-based Charming Charlie is making a push to brand itself as more of fashion destination than a value-centric one with its first-ever advertising campaign.
The retailer has tapped marketing and advertising firm Lambesis Agency, based in San Diego, to help it with its brand identity, reports Women's Wear Daily.
An advertising campaign will kick-off in November, just in time for the holidays, through print, television and digital platforms.
In March, amid rumors of an initial public offering, Charming Charlie added a slew of executives to its ranks. The eight-year-old retailer that got its start as a small shop in Houston has since expanded to become a fast-growing retail juggernaut run by founder and CEO Charlie Chanaratsopon.
Charming Charlie boasts a fleet of 218 stores.
Emily Wilkinson leads the weekly edition of the Houston Business Journal, including special publications, centerpiece stories, Focus sections and the Deal of the Week. Follow her on Twitter for more.
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A package of 5 bills was introduced in the House of Representatives by a bipartisan group of lawmakers. All five bills aim to reform anti-trust laws and will significantly impact tech giants like Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Google. These bills would first need to be voted on by the Judiciary Committee, then pass a vote in the House of Representatives, then be approved by the Senate before they can be signed into law by the President.
Reform of anti-trust laws to reign in the power of tech giants seems to be one of the few areas of bipartisanship left on capitol hill. The bills have support from both Democrats and Republicans. If passed, they would make it harder for dominant tech companies to complete mergers and acquisitions, and prohibit them from owning businesses that create conflicts of interest. They are the most comprehensive reforms to anti-trust laws in the United States and would force Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Google to overhaul how they are structured and conduct their businesses. Below is a quick introduction to each of the five bills:
1. Ending Platforms Monopolies Act:
Lawmakers have expressed concern in the past that Amazon and Apple, have a conflict of interest because they sell their own products or apps on their platforms. This could act as an incentive to undermme competition. This bill would make it unlawful for platforms to own or operate a business that presents conflict of interest. The act would only apply to platforms that have 50 million or more monthly active U.S users and a market cap over $600 billion. This means that Apple that promotes is own apps and software solutions on the Apple App Store would need to spin off another business to handle such products.
2. Platform Competition and Opportunity Act:
Currently the burden of proof lies on the government to prove that acquisitions by a dominant tech platform will reduce competition and hence block the deal. The passing of this act would move the burden of proof for mergers and acquisitions to the companies. They will need to prove that their acquisitions are not anti-competitive and are lawful.
3. Augmenting Compatibility and Competition by Enabling Service Switching (ACCESS) Act:
The access bill would make it compulsory for dominant platforms to comply with certain standards of data portability and interoperability. This will make it easier for consumers to take their data with them if they ever decide to move to another platform. The thought process is that businesses will be incentivized to provide better service because users can more easily move to another platform and loss of data will not be prohibitive.
4. Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act:
A similar bill was recently introduced in the Senate with the same name. The Senate version of the bill passed on Tuesday, along with a larger bill that allocated $250 billion to improve tech manufacturing and to reduce America's reliance on Chinese manufacturers. If the bill passes, companies would have to pay a higher feed to the Federal Trade Comission and Department of Justice Antitrust Division to notify them about large mergers. The aim is to raise more funds for the two agencies.
5. American Choice and Innovation Online Act:
The fifth bill aims to improve competition in digital marketplaces. It would stop dominants platforms from giving preferential treatment or advantages to their own products or services. It would also make it unlawful for these platforms to engagement in discriminatory behavior against competitors like cutting of a competitor that uses the platform from other services provided by the platform. It wold also stop dominant platforms from using data collected on their services to improvethier products that is not publically available. For example, Amazon uses data and information about 3rd party sellers on its platforms to decide what products to manufacture and sell.
Last year a subcommittee of the House Judiciary completed an investigation into antitrust practices by Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple. The subcommittee had found that the four tech giants did hold monopoly power and that antitrust laws in the United States needed to be revised in order to address the unique challenges of competition in digital marketplaces.
Global impact of such regulations
The impact of these regulations would not be limited to the United States but would impact how these companies operate world wide. Currently the EU is considered to be the global regulator for tech companies. In 2018, the EU introduced new data protection rules known as GDPR for member countries. The regulations would give EU citizens greator control over what data tech giants were allowed to collect, how the information would be stored and how it could be used. Platforms had to make changes to comply with these new regulations, however, these changes were made at a global scale because of operational reasons. It would be difficult for these companies to change how their services work from region to region. Hence, the regulatory changes in the EU resulted in changes to how the businesses operate globally. A similar impact will be felt if the proposed bills become law. The passing of the EU's GDPR also led to similar legislation being passed in Australia and Brazil. The EU is also currently considering regulations referred to as the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act. These new legislations are meant to force tech giants to take responsibility for content on their platforms and ensure fairer market competition.
Reports have come out that Jeff Bezos will helm an unprecedented lobbying push against the proposed bill. Google, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft will also make their own efforts to quash or soften the impact of the bills. Subscribe to Whitepapers.online for more information and news from the world of technology.
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US Mid-session Report 7 Dec 17: Quiet night ahead of debt ceiling talks and job data2:32
The US market basally market time for the first half of the trading day as investors held out of the market ahead of the US debt ceiling discussions which will occur over the next 2 days.
THE Australian share market looks set to open comfortably higher after Wall Street creeps up amid continued optimism over US tax reform which is seen as cutting corporate taxes. At 0700 AEDT on Thursday, the share price futures index was up 22 points, or 0.37 per cent, at 5,973.
Meanwhile, the Australian dollar has continued its slide against a stronger US counterpart. The local currency was trading at 75.63 US cents at 0700 AEDT on Thursday, from 75.84 on Wednesday.
WORLD FINANCE UPDATE:
WASHINGTON — US unit labour costs were much weaker than initially thought, declining both in the second and third quarters of this year.
LONDON — Provisional findings into Rupert Murdoch’s planned takeover of Sky will be published next month, later than expected, Great Britain’s competition regulator has announced.
LONDON — Beer is the best alcoholic drink to convert into fuel and could be key to developing a sustainable alternative to petrol, scientists have found.
GDP — Australia’s economy has expanded at a slower than expected rate in the three months to September, with the weakest consumer spending in nearly 10 years dragging on growth.
TPG — TPG Telecom has been hit with a first strike over executive pay as its smaller shareholders lodged a protest vote.
ACCC VOLTAREN — The consumer watchdog is taking two pharmaceutical companies to Federal Court over allegations they falsely claimed a painkilling product was capable of targeting specific conditions.
AMAZON — Amazon claims its Australian online store’s launch was its biggest ever international opening with tens of thousands of shoppers visiting the site in one day.
WOMEN BOARDS — A target of 30 per cent female representation on company boards in Australia by the end of 2018 could be slipping out of reach.
CONSUMER TRUST — Consumers don’t trust companies with their personal information and many think technology that knows when their fridge needs refilling is creepy, a study has found.
INCITEC PIVOT — Incitec Pivot has warned that its 2020 and 2021 full-year profits will be hit by the end of a contract to supply ammonium nitrate prill to mining giant BHP Billiton.
SLATER GORDON — Slater and Gordon shareholders have voted in favour of a recapitalisation plan that hands control of the law firm to its lenders and sets the stage for a boardroom clean-out by December.
TEGEL — Shares in New Zealand’s largest chicken producer have tumbled after its profit fell due to lower exports to Australia and rising costs.


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We complained a yesterday that Apple’s two-year-old iPad processor was running rings around the Surface Pro X, released less than a year ago.
We also reported that Qualcomm appears to be working on a more powerful version of the processor which powers the Surface Pro X, the Qualcomm SnapDragon SC8180XP, which is runs at the high 3.15 Ghz clock speed.
Now the two stories have crossed paths, as a Surface device running the new processor has been spotted on Geekbench.
The device is recognized as a prototype Surface due to the use of the typical OEMSR device name Microsoft commonly use for their own hardware. Due to a bug in Geekbench, the ARM processor is normally labelled a Pentium device, but it is clearly not the SQ1 as it is running at the new 3.15 Ghz speed, a first for Qualcomm.
The Qualcomm SC8180XP is excepted to be an 8180X Plus processor with faster clock speeds for the 4 main processor cores.
According to the documentation, 4 cores of the 8 core processor will run at 3.15 Ghz, up from 2.84 Ghz. The 4 “little” cores will continue to run at 1.8 Ghz, while the Adreno 680 GPU will hoover along at 718 megahertz.
Devices running the new processor are expected to show up towards the end of the year, though whether this includes a new Surface Pro X, which was released in October last year, we can not say yet.


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Ally Financial Inc., one of the largest U.S. auto lenders, is navigating the coronavirus pandemic in a much tighter ship than during the 2008 financial crisis.
A perfect storm of rising unemployment, uncertainty over consumer credit metrics and spiking infection rates in many areas of the country point to rougher waters ahead.
Jenn LaClair, CFO at Ally, spoke with Staff Reporter Jackie Charniga about the current state of the company's portfolio, how automotive loans and leases are performing during the pandemic and her No. 1 fraud concern. Here are edited excerpts.
Q: How many auto accounts at Ally are in forbearance status right now (July 17)?
A: It's 1.3 million accounts, which reflects approximately 30 percent of our retail auto accounts. Thirty percent of those were scheduled to expire this quarter. We have another 70 percent scheduled to expire next quarter. The next couple of quarters are going to be really telling just in terms of the payment health around our deferral population.
If you look just within the current quarter, you can see the consumers benefiting from the forbearance programs as well as from stimulus. And so you see, [net charge-offs, or debt unlikely to be repaid], even in this unprecedented stress of unemployment in the teens, you see net charge-offs coming down. The consumer is benefiting from the stimulus relief, unemployment benefit expansion and forbearance. That being said, what we've seen from a payment perspective overall has been pretty healthy with the consumers ... about a quarter of them are continuing to pay.
Q: Do auto loans in forbearance status accumulate interest?
A: Yes. If I took a 120-day deferral, I would continue to accrue interest, and I'll tack on 120 days to the length of my vehicle contract.


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A feud between Universal Music and TikTok is triggering a larger debate across the music business about whether to embrace AI — or fight it.
Microsoft President Brad Smith on Monday announced a set of principles to foster innovation and competition in artificial intelligence in recognition of its role as a market leader in this technology, a move that could stave off worries about its dominance. The move by the U.S. tech giant came amid concerns from rivals and antitrust regulators about Microsoft's market power, boosted recently by its collaboration with ChatGPT creator OpenAI. Microsoft has pushed chatbots into its core products such as its Office software and Bing search engine over the past year, attracting business customers eager to try the tech industry's next breakthrough.
(Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp., under mounting political scrutiny globally for its deep ties to OpenAI, has cut a deal with the startup’s primary competition in Europe. Most Read from BloombergBYD’s New $233,450 EV Supercar to Rival Ferrari, LamborghiniJack Ma-Backed Ant Outbids Citadel Securities for Credit Suisse’s China JVJacob Rothschild, Financier and Philanthropist, Dies at 87Norwegian Cruise Ship Halted at Mauritius Due to OutbreakOn Monday, the French company Mistral AI announced a “stra


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| Few Takers
New Delhi, May 29: The agro-based industries have managed to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) worth Rs 724 crore between January 2002 and December 2004, of which Bengalís share is a mere Rs 4.92 crore.
According to the state-wise data compiled by the commerce ministry, Maharashtra with Rs 398 crore worth of FDI approvals during this period figures at the top of the list followed by Karnataka with Rs 100 crore.
Tiny Himachal has succeeded in attracting Rs 52.5 crore, while Tamil Nadu and Delhi came next with Rs 44.6 crore and Rs 43.32 crore FDI inflows respectively.
Interestingly, Punjab, the nationís leading agricultural state, could get only one FDI proposal during the two-year period entailing a negligible investment of Rs 0.01 crore. However, Chandigarh, which is listed as a Union territory and is the capital of both Punjab and Haryana, attracted FDI worth Rs 25 crore. This investment has the potential of benefiting farmers in both states.
The sector-wise analysis of the data reveals that food processing industries attracted the highest FDI with 101 proposals involving an investment of Rs 573.5 crore, followed by vegetable oil and vanaspati with Rs 71.84 crore FDI. Tea comes next with an FDI inflow of Rs 68.82 crore. The sugar industry figures at a poor fourth slot, being able to attract only Rs 9.87 crore investment.
While some multinationals have invested in processed fruits and vegetable industries, their investments are small given the fact that India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world.
These multinationals confer the advantage of introducing the latest technology both in processing and packaging, which is considered essential for marketing agro-goods in overseas markets. Their strong brands also make it possible to tap the lucrative western markets.
Domestic players, too, would end up adopting higher technologies as a part of the powerful display effect and enable the country to boost exports.
Given the fact that exports have to contend with the stiff quality control norms set by the European countries and the USA, it has become imperative to have the latest techniques to process the agricultural produce.
India has been criticising some of these measures as non-tariff barriers that have been deliberately put in place to stop exports.
However, it cannot be denied that consumers in advanced countries are extremely particular about the quality of their food.


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Firaxis Games has confirmed that Marvel’s Spider-Man voice actor Yuri Lowenthal is reprising his role as the web-slinger for the upcoming Marvel’s Midnight Suns, although was quick to point out that it’s not the same version of the wall-crawler as in Insomniac Games’ title.
Speaking with VGC during a visit to the studio, Jake Solomon, who serves as creative director on the superhero title, commented:
It’s not meant to be that Spidey, but we heard that Spidey and said ‘that sounds like Peter Parker to me’ but it’s not the exact same character.
Lowenthal is no stranger to stepping into Spidey’s skin-tight outfit, having also voiced the character in Marvel Future Revolution, and also portrayed The Lizard in the Spider-Man animated TV series.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is scheduled for release on October 7, 2022 for PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. Meanwhile, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is currently in development for the PS5 at Insomniac Games, and sees Parker and Miles Morales teaming up against Venom.
[Source – VGC]


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Long has champagne reined as the drink of choice at weddings, but now Scotland wedding videos look set to catch the toasts and speeches with the guests all supping on prosecco and sparkling wine.
New research from wine merchant Laithwaites, reported by the Daily Mail, has revealed this to be the case, suggesting that the reason behind it is down to the fact that there are a lot more modern sparkling wines now available.
At the typical wedding, 150 bottles of alcohol are drunk, including 60 bottles of red wine, 45 bottles of white wine, 44 bottles of sparkling wine and a single bottle of dessert wine.
Wine buyer at Laithwaite’s Beth Willard said: “The average wedding requires 44 bottles of sparkling wine and not only is prosecco far better value for money, we also find our customers say it’s easier to drink than champagne.”
Some of the top wines drunk at weddings include Alessandro Gallici Prosecco, Roche Lacour Cremant, Corsiero Nero savoury red, Il Papavero Prosecco and Il Papavero soft red.
If you’re getting married this year, the bar should be one of your main areas of concern. There are areas of a wedding you can cut back on but the alcohol should perhaps not be one of them. People like to drink at weddings and while it may seem astronomically expensive, offering a free bar – even if it’s just for a portion of the evening – will make a big long-lasting impression on your friends and family.


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MilliporeSigma has expanded its Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin site in a big way.
The company opened a $47 million, 80,000 square foot manufacturing facility at the campus, reports the Sheboygan Press. It will support the projected growth of the company’s flavor and fragrances portfolios, increasing production, material handling, warehousing, shipping and receiving efficiency.
MilliporeSigma has five manufacturing sites in the Badger State; its North American distribution center is based in Milwaukee. Said the company: “This new facility in Sheboygan will play an important role in allowing MilliporeSigma to better serve its customers around the world.”


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Malta Will Pay Foreign Tourists to Visit This Summer
An island getaway, with bonus cash
What’s better than going on vacation to an idyllic archipelago in the Mediterranean? Answer: going on vacation to an idyllic archipelago in the Mediterranean and getting paid for it. Locations that rely heavily on tourism for their economy are looking for ways to bounce back this year. In one case, the answer is simple: giving people a financial incentive to spend their money.
The nation doing this is Malta — which has plenty of attractions even before the “go there, get paid” element is factored in.
A new article by Sean O’Neill at Skift explains just how the deal will work. Foreign travelers will receive up to €200 ($238) if they book a stay for three nights or more at a hotel in Malta. (Tourists will need to book their stay directly with the hotel.) The amount of money travelers will receive depends on the class of hotel where they’re staying; the money going back to the travelers will be issued by the Malta Tourism Authority and the hotel.
For visitors staying on the island of Gozo, there’s a slightly higher amount offered to sweeten the deal. Overall, the plan is for this to benefit 35,000 travelers.
Malta anticipates that the majority of its COVID-19 regulations will be lifted by June 1. According to O’Neill’s article, tourism “directly and indirectly accounts for more than 27% of Malta’s economy” — which helps explain why such dramatic measures have been taken. It’s not hard to see the appeal of this — though, before you book anything, you should probably see if any travel restrictions are currently in place.
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Mayo, who is a former finance director at the company, bought the shares to shore up investor confidence following a dip in the company’s share price by more than 50%.
Marconi’s new FD Steve Hare also indicated his support by buying 25,000 shares at 113.25p each.
The fresh round of buying took Mayo’s holding in Marconi to around 360,000 shares valued (5pm Friday) at £374,000 following a further fall to 104p.
According to Marconi on Wednesday operating profits would be halved in the years to March 2002.
Mayo was expected to take on the post of chief executive succeeding Lord George Simpson. But despite Mayo’s departure, large investors are expected to press for a change at the top following a disastrous week for the company. The company issued a profits warning on Wednesday and announced that 4,000 jobs would go worldwide.
The second largest improvement in ‘significant’ levels of financial distress since the EU Referendum was in professional services, found research from Begbies Traynor
Just one half of UK practices have implemented a pricing structure around auto enrolment implementation and advice - with many suffering increased costs
Deloitte's north-west Europe foray; BDO, Smith & Williamson investment paths; Shelley Stock Hutter; and Wilkins Kennedy discussed by editor Kevin Reed on our Friday Afternoon Live broadcast
Accountants should alter their perspective on auto-enrolment to maximise business opportunities, according to Eric Clapton.


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Over the past few years, there has been significant anticipation that the use of cheques in the United States would decline in favour of electronic payments. While there has undoubtedly been an increase in the use of electronic payments, the shift is gradual rather than seismic, particularly amongst smaller and medium-sized enterprises.
One of the challenges is that it is not always easy to convince suppliers and customers of the benefits of migrating from cheques; secondly, the necessary infrastructure and settlement instructions are not always in place.
Dawn LothringerTreasury Manager
Zachry Industrial, Inc.


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BANGALORE: Biotechnology firm Biocon's consolidated net profits for Q1 of FY13 was Rs 78.80 crore, an increase of 12.42% when compared to the same period last year but a 19% drop on a sequential basis. Chief managing director (CMD) Kiran Mazumdar Shaw said the plunge in net profits was because of R&D investments, an integral part in running a biotechnology company.
"Investors have to look at Biocon in a holistic way and not compare us with the usual pharma story. Do not penalize us for a drop in EBIDTA because our business has to be R&D driven," said Shaw.
The EBIDTA at Rs 139 crore dropped by 11% on a year on year basis but grew by 5% when compared to the fourth quarter.The Bangalore-based company pushed its R&D investments by 75% from last year to Rs 36 crore, but has seen a sequential drop of 32% when pitted against the previous quarter. Shaw said this was because investments on research do not happen every quarter and take place in chunks.
Total income posted by the company was RS 592.6 crore, a 4.79% dip from the previous quarter but increase of 29.49% on a like to like basis. "Topline is above estimates mainly aided by higher contribution from both Biopharma and CRO segment," said Bhavin Shah, senior analyst at Dolat Capital Market. Bio-pharmaceuticals segment clocked in Rs 368 crore, a 23% rise from last year.
Biocon's contract research service posted a 40% increase to clock in Rs 123 crore and the integrated service model scheme, said Shaw, was giving them rich dividends. The research services- Syngene, which is a custom research organization and Clinigene, a clinical research organization, had been restructured a year ago to make them an integrated service provider rather than follow a piece-meal approach.
Biocon's core business branded formulation segments, which has verticals like Diabetology, Oncotherapeutics, Nephrology, Immunotherapy and Comprehensive Care posted a 52% growth at Rs 86 crore.
Shaw also refused to comment on reports that the firm is about to sign a deal with Brystol Myers on oral insulin saying "they are speculations". Oral insulin is touted to be the company's coming of age drug.
Expected to address the issue of diabetes for around 300 million people in a painless and simpler way, experts say that if the company does manageto launch this successfully it would substantially increase the company's market cap. Net sales of the firm increased by 30.23% to Rs 570.86 crore.
Licensing income for the quarter was Rs 14 crore and the CMD said that after dissociating with Pfizer they have been able to concentrate on marketing their products more aggressively. "We are in multiple discussions and reengaging with our different insulin partners and see big growth from our bio-pharma business," Shaw added.
In March Bioconhad severed ties with global drug-maker Pfizer stating difference in priorities. The company had entered into a $350 million agreement with Pfizer for commercializing its biosimilar insulin products. Biocon had received $200million upfront payment for the deal, and was supposed to receive milestone payment worth $150 million besides the royalty from the sale of the products.
Earnings per share for the quarter was RS 3.98 on a diluted basis.


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We brought to you the exclusive images of the upcoming new-gen Hyundai Santa Fe spotted winter testing a few days back. Now, the Korean carmaker has dropped a teaser image of the SUV showcasing the silhouette of the car ahead of its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show this March.
The Santa Fe will enter into its fourth-generation this time. The Korean SUV is expected to grow in size with a seating for eight with the generation change. It will become more rugged in an effort to compete against rivals like the Toyota Kluger and Nissan Pathfinder. Although it is tough to recognize in the teaser and was handsomely concealed on the test mule, the headlights appear to adopt the sleek Kona-like sweptback design. The signature Cascading-grille will continue to be the imposing feature of the fascia.
More importantly, Hyundai promises that the new Santa Fe will come with something called Rear Occupant Alert system. The first of a kind safety system can monitor the rear seats and alert the driver when the driver is about to leave the car. This is to prevent leaving a child or a pet locked inside the car by careless drivers. Apart from it, there will be an upgraded cross-traffic collision warning system with the automated braking system as another added driver aid for the ‘soccer moms’.
There are no powertrain details revealed yet, however, the current range of petrol and diesel engines are expected to be carried forward. Inside the cabin, things will be refreshed as well with added features and comforts to keep up with its direct rivals. Hyundai will reveal more details and images of the cars next month before the public debut at the Geneva stage. There will be a realignment of the model depending on the seating capacity and the wheelbase when the actual car arrives. Expect the Indian debut of the new Santa Fe once the SUV goes on sale in international markets.


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A Bloomberg report today offered early details on what Apple has up its sleeve for the new generation of AirPods coming this year. The report highlighted that this year we can expect ‘Hey Siri’ support, while water resistance is also on the roadmap for a later date.
What features would you like to see added to AirPods?
‘Hey Siri’ support on AirPods would be useful as they currently require a double tap interaction to enable Siri. While it works well for the most part, ‘Hey Siri’ support would be far more intuitive as it’s how many users interact with Siri on their iPhone.
The report also indicates that the AirPods will add a new wireless chip for managing Bluetooth connections, which could be the ‘W2 chip’ seen in the Apple Watch Series 3.
More interesting to me personally, however, is a water resistant design. While AirPods aren’t incredibly sensitive to water now, and some users claim they work just fine in the shower, a design that’s tested and officially water resistant would be incredibly useful.
Photo via Martin Hajek
Of course, there are other features that be welcomed additions to the truly wireless AirPods. For instance, one common request is for different earbud designs or options for users who don’t find the standard design comfortable.
Apple has previously said that we can expect an updated AirPods case with support for wireless charging with the company’s upcoming AirPower accessory. What sort of other changes that update entails, however, are unclear.
Personally, I’m incredibly happy with AirPods in their current state and there isn’t a whole lot that I would change. Water resistance and wireless charging will certainly be welcomed additions, but fit and comfort are not an issue for me.
Interestingly enough, AirPods remain supply constrained via Apple’s website, with shipping times often quoting a week out. It’s unclear at this point when we can expect the second-generation AirPods to come out, though.
What features would you like to see added to AirPods? Let us know in the poll below and if you have additional suggestions, tell us down in the comments!
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After the news yesterday of Mixer shutting down and transitioning to a partnership with Facebook Gaming, the Xbox team faced a healthy amount of backlash due to both the handling of the announcement and the fact that many people don’t trust Facebook nor want to partake in working with them.
This puts the Mixer community in a tough spot and also raises the question of how Xbox players will stream in the future given the growth of streaming and upcoming launch of the next-generation Xbox(s). Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox, took to Twitter to presumably try and reassure the Xbox community that they should expect options.
Yes, we absolutely want to give gamers choice of where to stream from Xbox.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) June 23, 2020
The issue seems quite obvious however. There are only a handful of relevant streaming options. Twitch is the obvious go-to and still available. However, if streamers don’t want to work with Twitch, at this point in time they are left with no other native option on Xbox consoles.
Even once Facebook Gaming integration is presumably added, there’s a large percentage of the community that doesn’t want to work with them (including Shroud and Ninja it would seem). The only other option is YouTube Gaming but there’s a long-standing contention between Google and Microsoft and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Google focus on some type of exclusivity for Stadia as well.
In the end, we hope that Phil Spencer and the Xbox team is truly dedicated to helping players on the Xbox platform integrate ways to stream easily and natively to multiple platforms. It only makes sense for the future.


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Published on : Thursday, May 9, 2019
With an aim to increase the Chinese visitor numbers to 200,000 by 2025, Tourism Ireland is doubling its marketing investment in China to €1 million. It is expected to double its marketing team to 12 over the coming months.
Shane Ross, Ireland tourism minister made the announcement concerning Ireland’s largest ever sales mission to China.
This week a record 26 tourism businesses along with five island of Ireland tourism industry leaders will be visiting Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shanghai and Beijing to meet the travel agents and tour operators. It will also include key airlines and travel journalist.
Tourism Ireland is ramping up investment in China to €1 million as a part of the Global Ireland initiative. Last year it saw an increase of 11 per cent in Chinese visitors to Ireland.
There will be direct flights to Dublin and in prominent gateway regions that will target high end independent travellers. The new strategy will see Tourism Ireland increasing its focus on promoting to Chinese consumers in key cities.
Ross felt happy to announce that Tourism Ireland had doubled its marketing budget as a part of its growth strategy In China, considered to be the world’s fastest-growing outbound travel market.
Due to significant additional funding allocated to Tourism Ireland in the budget for 2019 this investment was made possible. These initiatives will help them deliver ambitious targets set for tourism in the Global Ireland 2025 initiative.
Tourism Ireland with the support of Fáilte Ireland will be implementing its market growth strategies in several new and emerging markets like China.


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The latest newspaper and magazine articles, blogs, and social content can be found below.
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In their latest move to increase their upcycling of materials that normally end up in landfills, TerraCycle has partnered with five East Coast Walmart stores to test a new collection system for 28 types of trash that TerraCycle will then … Continue ReadingEnviroThink Blog · Oct 4, 2010
Tom Szaky has built an entire business around the notion anything can be recycled. “There is no such thing as garbage,” said the 28-year-old Canadian founder and president of TerraCycle Inc. ”The only difference between a soda bottle and a … Continue ReadingThe National Post · Oct 4, 2010
Teen Kids News featured the TerraCycle Brigades. T/KN airs on more than 200 TV stations, including 53 Fox, 47 ABC, 27 NBC, 29 CBS, 20 MNT, 6 CW affiliates and on 26 IND Stations.Teen/Kids News · Oct 1, 2010


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Navigating the evolving landscape? Cisco DC Networking Free Trials and Promotions can help!
3 min read
Cisco is continuing its global commitment to help customers and partners navigate an evolving landscape with the introduction of a new Business Resiliency Program.
Cisco Nexus 9500 – Revolutionizing Modular Switch Design
2 min read
Read today’s data center news and it’s all about software innovation, Cloud, SDN, Internet of Everything, Big Data, applications…etc. One would think that the days of hardware innovation are long gone. That’s far from the truth! Software and cloud may be the water cooler topics of today, but they depend on a highly reliable, high […]


text: Huge week in the Destiny world and there is lots for zswiggs and UnOfficialTonyP to talk about. Iron Banner is back this week with new gear, a new vendor, new bounties and new reputation gains. The mystery of the 5th monitor is solved and Outbreak Prime is now out and in the wild. Is it worth it all the trouble? Plus, a large discussion on the future of Destiny as we break down the newest rumors. Will Destiny on PC ruin the community? zswiggs goes on a lengthy rant questioning the PC Master Race. Also, new, hilarious Grimoire and Saladin and Shiro are the worst quest givers ever.


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VaynerMedia has hired Tumblr Agency Development Lead Ari Levine to run new business as the 400-person digital shop maps out plans to grow.
"The agency is quite large, but it doesn't have a [structured] new business department," said VaynerMedia CEO Gary Vaynerchuk, agency co-founder and entrepreneur. "We had no lead. This is the first sign of us being on the offense on new business."
It's part of a larger plan, also including the recent investment in a more robust HR team, to quickly grow from 400 to 1,000 employees, and then perhaps add another few thousand. Unlike plenty of shops on the make, however, Mr. Vaynerchuk said the agency is not building toward a sale.
"My belief is I won't end up selling Vayner because nobody can ever pay me enough," he said. The argument is that he doesn't need to sell for cash after making a number of sound investments in companies including Facebook, Tumblr, Buddy Media and Birchbox. So he'd ask for a price that no sound acquirer would pay.
"Can I sell?" he said. "Of course, but I have too much respect for the CFO rigor of the holding companies to ever come close to that price -- it's whatever the greatest multiple on EBIDTA and revenue ever created in the agency world is, times ten."
Mr. Vaynerchuk is also the man behind Wine Library TV and tech seed fund VaynerRSE. VaynerMedia, founded by Mr. Vaynerchuk and his brother A.J., grew revenue 57% to $22.5 million in 2013 and expects to nearly double revenue in 2014, the shop said early this year.
More enticing than selling for Mr. Vaynerchuk, he said, would be growing the shop to a 4,000-person global agency that can also support another future investment and brand. "At the highest levels, I want to buy the New York Jets," he half-joked.
For now, he'll focus on building an infrastructure "to check boxes to be in categories we don't play in" and think about ways to avoid conflicts as the shop aims to grow, Mr. Vaynerchuk said. The shop has begun exploring new service categories, recently starting an events arm called Vayner Live, and a social-insights group called Wingman.
Acquisitions are also top-of-mind, he said.
Mr. Levine joins the shop with no agency experience, following in the footsteps of Mr. Vaynerchuk and the shop's first 20 employees.


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Chinese tech company Vivo is offering special discounts on its T-series smartphones. Flipkart’s Big Billion Days Sale between 22nd September and 30th September will give customers the benefit of many offers and the company has informed about it.
Vivo has recently launched the Vivo T1 5G Special Festive Edition in a new Silky White color. Apart from the flat discount on this device and other devices of the T-series, some cashback deals are also being offered.
Vivo T1x (offer price: 9,999 rupees)
Customers who buy the Vivo T1x in the sale will get a 1,000 rupees discount coupon, and they will also be able to apply bank offers. If customers have ICICI or Axis Bank debit or credit cards, they will get up to Rs 1,000 extra cashback during payment.
Vivo T1 5G (offer price: 13,999 rupees)
The newly launched Vivo T1 5G Special Festive Edition and other variants will be available at a starting price of Rs 14,999 only. Also, you will get an additional 10 percent cashback up to Rs. 1,000 with ICICI or Axis Bank cards.
Vivo T1 Pro (offer price: 17,999 rupees)
In the Flipkart Big Billion Days sale, those who buy the Vivo T1 Pro will get a discount of Rs 4,000 on prepaid orders. In addition, the company is offering an additional discount of 2,000 rupees on 5G phones and the price will be reduced by exchanging old phones. With offers, it can be bought at a starting price of only 17,999 rupees.
Vivo T1 44W (offer price: 12,499 rupees)
This smartphone can be bought for Rs 12,499 in the sale with a flat discount of Rs 1,000. With ICICI and Axis Bank cards, 10 percent extra cashback is offered on this phone up to Rs. 1,000.


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Miles Morales’ Spider-Man: Miles Morales gets A PS4 Trailer almost A Year After Launch
Despite being a standalone expansion, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales was one of the biggest games released last year. It was well received by both critics and fans when it launched, and was one of the most popular PlayStation exclusives according to the NPD Group.
Miles Morales takes place in the same open-world as New York City, but players can access to new moves in form of special Venom powers. Miles’ mission is to keep criminal records under control as Peter Parker goes out of town at the beginning of the game. While Miles Morales was a PS5 launch title, it was also available on PS4, and Sony has just released a new trailer for the previous generation version of the game.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Fan Discovered Incredible Doc Ock Detail
The PS4 trailer for Marvels Spider-Man: Miles Morales explains the story while also giving a glimpse into a few gameplay sequences, comparable to videos that are posted shortly after the release of a game. The game features several sets-pieces and boss fights, as well as Mile’s unique Venom powers. In the video, anyone who buys the PS4 version will be able to download the PS5 edition for free. Despite being the same game, the PS5 version offers a variety of extra features, such as ray-tracing, a high framerate mode, and extremely fast loading times.
It’s a bit odd for Sony to release a trailer for the PS4 version of the game almost a year after its initial release. Fans have had a similar reaction to the video, according to the comment section. There’s the possibility that some aspiring gamers don’t know that the game is also available on PS4, as it was heavily marketed as a marquee PS5 title. However, if that would be the case, it would have made more sense for Sony to release the trailer earlier in 2021.
Regardless, Miles Morales might have a significant influence in the upcoming Spider-Man 2, a full sequel that was released in September during the PlayStation Showcase event. While Spider-Man 2 will be available for play, it is a single-player game that won’t include co-op gameplay of any kind.
Marvel’s Wolverine is now under the supervision of Miles Morales. Given Miles Morales’ positive reaction to other recent releases from Insomniac Games, Wolverine’s expectations will be sky-high. Last week, Spec Ops: The Line, a game known for having an excellent story, had revealed that Marvels Wolverine.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is now available for PS4 and PS5 as well.


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Music to their ears
With compact-disc sales plummeting, record companies are rethinking how to distribute copyright music online. This time, the technology for managing digital rights could actually be smart enough to do the job
Song swapper shows the way
HAS the music industry finally got the message? The days of stamping out albums by the million, stacking discs in record shops, greasing the palms of disc-jockeys and then ringing up obscene profits are over. The crude but effective audio compression algorithm called MP3 changed everything. By squeezing audio tracks into a twelfth of their original digital space, a compact disc (CD) “ripped” into MP3 format could be sent over the Internet and downloaded on to someone's computer in minutes instead of hours.
Suddenly, it seemed, more CDs were being freely swapped over the Internet than were being bought. With CD sales slumping—though as much for economic reasons as because of piracy—the record companies are at long last having to learn that there are ways of protecting their copyright material without turning consumers off completely.
Previous attempts to encrypt digital music tracks to prevent endless pristine copies being distributed freely have failed because the protection methods were too easily circumvented, consumers objected to the restrictions placed on their freedom of use, and—perhaps most important of all—nobody wanted to pay for something that they could download over the Internet for nothing. Despite the industry's apparently successful effort to shut down Napster, other file-sharing networks mean that the piracy part of this equation remains as big as ever. But the latest technology for digital-rights management (DRM) is making it possible for content owners to protect music tracks and other forms of copyright material from theft, while offering flexible ways of packaging, distributing and selling entertainment online that are more likely to appeal to consumers.
Not all of the 30m consumers who use pirate services such as KaZaA and Morpheus (two of the bigger content-swapping networks to spring up since Napster's demise) want to steal music and movies. Like shareware, many download tracks on a try-before-you-buy basis. Others turn to pirate networks simply because they are easier to use. One thing has become clear: if commercial downloading services are to succeed, they must at least match the virtual jukebox features and content libraries that the illegal services provide.
On cue, RealNetworks, Microsoft, IBM and America Online have started offering far better encryption tools for their popular video and audio players, making them less of a nuisance to use. Using DRM, copyright owners still have to encrypt content such as songs and movies. And to play those encrypted files, a user still has to buy a licence that includes a code or digital key to unlock the content.
So far, no different. But the technology now allows record companies, film studios, artists and publishers to vary the rules that control how their content is used. And that, in turn, is letting record companies and other content owners experiment with more profitable ways of doing business.
For example, subscribers to some commercial online-music services are now given the option to send encrypted copies of songs to friends. In exchange for the key to unlock the content, record labels can choose to charge or give the song away free if the friend provides, say, demographic details about himself.
Another example of DRM in use is Arista's recently launched web channel for fans of the band Boyz II Men. The channel serves up unreleased tracks, early access to concert tickets, exclusive videos, lyrics and singing lessons from members of the band for an annual subscription of $25-35. Meanwhile, film studios are using DRM to secure content for test screenings of films, allowing them to be distributed without the risk that copies might “leak”.
On top of that, Microsoft, Nokia, IBM, Intel and others are working on hardware-based encryption technology, which is more difficult to hack into than today's software. Michael Aldridge, a product manager at Microsoft, expects to see encryption chips embedded in portable devices such as DVD players with Internet access and mobile phones, as well as PCs and set-top boxes. Such tools are helping to persuade content owners to overcome some of their suspicions about the Internet as a distribution channel.
Some have been persuaded already. Pressplay, a joint venture between Sony and Universal, has expanded its catalogue to 100,000 tracks—a big improvement over earlier offerings, though still a fraction of what is available on pirate services. By applying new rules for content access based on Microsoft's DRM software, Pressplay has been able to add features that consumers demanded. Until recently, people could rent songs only for a limited period. For $9.95 a month, they can now get unlimited downloads, save tracks permanently (for an additional 99 cents a song) on a PC's hard-drive, transfer files to portable devices, and even “burn”CDs (ie, store tracks on recordable compact discs)—an idea that was once anathema to record companies.
Other content owners are being more adventurous still. Record labels such as Virgin, Arista and Sony have begun to cross-promote CDs with online fan clubs. Some of them have started to incorporate special passwords into CDs, to give fans access to artists' dedicated websites. By using DRM tools to protect the content of such sites, the record companies can do clever tricks. For instance, the passwords may include a unique identifier that can be used to capture basic information about customers. This can then be used for cross-marketing—ie, offering consumers something that others with similar tastes have also bought.
Inevitably, embracing online distribution of copyright material involves some risks. That is something that many of the media giants—which have traditionally relied on money-spinning record labels to underwrite costlier movie and television ventures—are reluctant to accept. But at least they now have a better set of software tools to protect their copyright. More to the point, they now have the chance of a whole new way of doing business. That could encourage ideas which are more adventurous—and profitable—than trying fruitlessly to stuff armfuls of music albums into the limited rack-space at record shops.
This article appeared in the Technology Quarterly section of the print edition under the headline "Music to their ears"
From the September 21st 2002 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contentsExplore the edition


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Recalled: 1 million Little Tikes toy cell phones
Wed, May 28, 2008 (BabyCenter News) — Kids Station Toys International has announced a recall of about 1 million Little Tikes kids' Chit 'N Chat toy cell phones in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
The hinge cover on the toy cell phone can detach from the phone, posing a choking hazard to young children.
The red and blue toy cell phone resembles a flip-phone with a 10-key numeric button pad and three buttons with pictures of animals. All of the buttons make a sound when pressed. The model number can be found on a sticker on the back of the phone: KSL4010 for phones sold individually and KSL8032, KSL8033, or KSL8051 for phones sold with other items. The words "Designed and Licensed by Kids Station Toys International Ltd." are printed on the back of the phone. Toy phones with a screw visible on the hinge cover are not included in this recall.
The cell phones were sold at department, juvenile product, and drug stores nationwide from June 2006 through March 2008 for about $8 individually or about $20 per set. They were made in China.
-- Grace Blasco, BabyCenter News
What you can do:
• Immediately take the toy cell phone away from your child. You can also contact Kids Station for a full refund.
• For additional information, call Kids Station at (888) 620-0930 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, or visit the company's website
• See a photo of the recalled toy cell phones
on the CPSC's website.
• Keep abreast of children's safety recalls by checking our recall finder
Talk about this story in our In the News group
See all of today's news


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CANTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Leaf peeping and pumpkin picking season may be more than a month away but Dunkin’ is helping fall lovers get in the spirit by launching their fall menu earlier than ever before.
Pumpkin-flavored coffee and espresso, spiced drinks, and seasonal bakery treats will be making a comeback nationwide by Aug. 19, the coffee chain announced Wednesday.
“This is one of the most anticipated times of the year for Dunkin’ guests, and we’re excited to make pumpkin favorites available at Dunkin’ restaurants earlier than ever,” said Jill Nelson, Vice President, Marketing Strategy at Dunkin’. “This year, we have an especially robust menu of new products with something for everyone – from craveable bakery items to snacks and sandwiches that pair perfectly with our seasonal lattes and coffees. No one does fall flavor better than Dunkin’.”
Along with the classic apple cider and pumpkin donuts, maple sugar bacon breakfast sandwiches, and pumpkin-flavored coffees, Dunkin’ is introducing new signature pumpkin spice lattes and chai lattes.
They’ve also added to their snacking choices with stuffed mini bagels, steak and cheese rollups, and maple sugar seasoned Snackin’ Bacon.
These menu items will be available for a limited time.
(Copyright (c) 2020 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)


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Emerge, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based digital freight marketplace, announced Tuesday it has closed a $20 million Series A financing led by NewRoad Capital Partners, a growth equity capital firm based in Rogers, Arkansas.
The round also includes Greycroft and 9Yards Capital, among other investors.
With the latest round of funding, the company plans to expand its development, operations and enterprise sales teams and is expected to move into its new 36,000-square-foot headquarters in Scottsdale in March 2020.
Emerge’s freight logistics platform is basically a transportation management system (TMS) with an attached marketplace. Shippers can put their vendors on the platform, but that private network is also hooked up to a larger marketplace, allowing participants to share excess capacity.
“We want to provide a more delightful experience for our shippers where they can procure their truckload and less-than-truckload in the most efficient way possible,” Emerge CEO Michael Leto told FreightWaves.
Most shippers are sourcing truck capacity from a very small percentage of the industry, he explained, on average only working with approximately 20 trucking companies or brokers.
While larger U.S. shippers may contract with around 200 or 300 carriers, both of these groups of shippers are only connecting with a small fraction of available vendors.
The Emerge platforms connects shippers and brokers “with hundreds of thousands of carriers to find the perfect truck,” said Leto, driving efficiencies and reducing costs.
The environmental wins compound the benefits. About 20% of all truck miles are so called “empty miles,” — driven while the truck has no load. Optimizing carrier and shipper matches cuts down on empty loads and associated greenhouse gas emissions.
Founded in 2018 by Leto and his brother Andrew — a sibling duo who founded the third-party logistics giant GlobalTranz — Emerge has already processed over $1 billion in freight and reported 1,400% year-over-year growth from 2018 to 2019.
Several Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of other companies have adopted the platform, and many have achieved double-digit cost reduction on their transportation spend, the company said.
Amid a slew of new digital freight platforms, Emerge stands out for the cumulative experience of its leadership team, according to Leto, who in addition to co-founding Emerge and GlobalTranz, launched along with his brother 10-4 Systems, a freight-tracking software company eventually sold to Trimble.
Other members of the Emerge executive team include Vice Chairman Jack Holmes, retired CEO of UPS Freight, and Chief Commercial Officer Grant Crawford, a former FedEx executive.
“We’ve got the dream team as far as transportation is concerned,” Leto said. The founding group consists of “freight people building technology,” he added, and “that kind of experience really sets us apart from our competitors.”
Tracy Black, operating partner of NewRoad, echoed those sentiments.
“Uniquely, Emerge combines an exciting new technology designed to serve existing, unmet market need with experienced industry operators and entrepreneurs,” Black said in a press release.
The Letos are building “the most innovative marketplace we’ve seen in the freight and digital marketplace industry — bringing contracts and carriers together to create new capacity,” she added. “We are excited to be leading their Series A.”


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Bakers Journal This Week - April 2, 2018
In this episode of Bakers Journal This Week, the royal couple-to-be has chosen Violet Bakery to create their wedding cake, Bäckerhaus Veit is named one of Canada’s best managed companies, and a global study reveals most people have a soft spot for baked goods.
Nourish Marketing's finds shifts in food trendsWhere consumers in 2018 were concerned with "disruptions" in the…
Corbion joins North American Sustainable Palm Oil NetworkCorbion, global supplier of sustainable bio-based food and biochemical ingredients,…
Prices for Fairtrade cocoa to increaseFairtrade International will raise the Fairtrade Minimum Price for conventional…
Comax Flavors opens two new facilities in ChinaComax Flavors announced the opening of two new facilities in…
Bakery Showcase Montréal 2019
May 5-6, 2019


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Mark Post, a physiologist at the University of Maastricht, will become the first person to eat a lab-grown beefburger, assembled from thousands of individual strands of protein »
Mark Post, a vascular biologist at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, is about to create a proof-of-concept lab-grown hamburger »
In what is best described as a flash memory willy-waving demo, Kingston has unveiled a 1TB USB thumbdrive -- that’s over a thousand gigabytes on your keyring »
Here's Syria's three-year-old civil war -- mapped in all its morbid chaos »
Wired.co.uk reviews the Samsung Galaxy K zoom »


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Image Copyrights - www.nbcnews.com
Lexus Made Worst Recalls Ever ( 121,000 vehicles)
Reportedly, in this week, Lexus has made worst recalls ever in car making history. It‚Äôs about 121, 000
vehicles and cause of the recall is fuel leaks in engine that can cause fires.
All recalled models have 3.5 liter V6 gas engines and recall effects multiple models including 2006-
13 IS350s, 2010-14 IS350Cs and 2007-11 GS 350s and GS 450h cars.


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Ige relaxes rules on outdoor activities in restaurants, but social distancing is still required indoors
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) — On Nov. 12, the governor will drop all COVID restrictions for outdoor activities at restaurants, bars and gyms.
But the rules of social distancing inside will remain in place.
He said his new emergency proclamation would not affect Oahu’s rules for managed events.
Under the new rules, restaurants, bars and gyms won’t have to meet any capacity or social distancing requirements for outdoor activities.
But indoors, the restrictions depend on the county you are in.
Only counties with programs that require customers to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test can reach full capacity. Right now this covers Oahu and Maui County.
Counties without these rules will have to stick to 50% capacity.
However, all restaurants, bars and restaurants will have to continue to follow social distancing rules.
Business owners said adhering to 6 feet of social distancing has effectively reduced their capacity, limiting the number of people they can fit into their establishments.
The governor defended keeping social distancing rules in place, saying they are based on CDC guidelines. He acknowledges that social distancing limits the capacity of sites.
“It’s about finding a balance,” Ige said. “We think that’s an important part of mitigation.”
The fact that the governor is essentially maintaining indoor restrictions at restaurants, bars and gyms is a blow to those businesses — and comes as Oahu allows large, professionally-hosted events.
This story will be updated.
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