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JUST water recently launched six-packs of its responsibly sourced and packaged 100 percent spring water, which now is available at Stop & Shop in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey, the company says. Released in response to consumer demand, the new six-pack features a light blue recyclable case and is available for a suggested retail price of $6.29, it adds.
For beverage-makers, the quality and safety of their products are among the top priorities for their brands. When those aspects are threatened, locating and removing tainted products is one of the first steps executed.
The idiom “greasing the skids” commonly is used when describing a mechanism to help matters run smoothly. It is especially apropos for beverage plants that literally have to “grease the skids” with lubricants like oils, greases, pastes and sprays in order to keep multiple pieces of equipment in the supply chain operating at peak efficiency.
Highlights zero-waste achievements in beverage market
November 15, 2016
America’s leading non-alcohol beverage companies are celebrating America Recycles Day, which takes place Nov. 15, with the latest gains in their mission to eliminate all waste going to landfills from their U.S. production facilities, according to the Washington, D.C.-based American Beverage Association (ABA).
New Belgium partners with Been & Jerry's for sustainability initiative
November 14, 2016
Miller Lite named Santa Fe, N.M-based HoneyMoon Brewery as the grand-prize winner of the 2016 Miller Lite Tap the Future competition. HoneyMoon Brewery, which produces a probiotic kombucha tea with a touch of alcohol, took home the $200,000 grand prize. Now in its fourth year, Tap the Future is a business plan competition that offers entrepreneurs a chance to grow their businesses, the company says.
In its July 2015 report titled “Beverage Containers,” The Freedonia Group, Cleveland, forecasted that plastic beverage container demands will account for 148.8 billion units by 2019 in comparison to the 124.9 billion units in 2014, which equates to a 3.6 percent annual growth rate from 2014 to 2019.
La Colombe coffees switched to more eco-friendly packaging for all of its coffees, the company says. In addition to being fully recyclable and optimized for rapid biodegradation, the packaging is being produced using green energy.
Whether it is beer-makers using treated grey water in their recipes or beverage facilities powering their plants with solar energy, the push to care for the planet’s resources is impacting every category within the beverage industry.
Harbor Distributing LLC, High Country Beverage take home award
October 24, 2016
White Plains, N.Y.-based Heineken USA announced that Harbor Distributing LLC of California and High Country Beverage of Colorado have been selected as this year’s recipients of the company’s 1864 Award for Responsibility and Sustainability. For the first time, the 2016 selection process considers environmental sustainability efforts, as well as best-in-class practices promoting responsible consumption and moderation, the company says. The award was presented to the winners on Oct. 20 at the Heineken USA annual National Distributor Conference in Chicago.


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Coming down heavily on the central government over the issue of adulterated milk availability, the Supreme Court on Friday suggested that those found involved in adding harmful chemicals to milk should spend a lifetime behind bars. It further said that the current punishment of six months' imprisonment has hardly been able to curb the crime in the country.
The apex court questioned the Centre over repeated delay in amending the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, for which an ultimatum was served by the court in March 2014.
The SC voiced the concern in response to a petition filed four years ago by spiritual guru Swami Achyutanand Tirth of Haridwar.
"Since in India traditionally infants/children are fed milk, adulteration of milk and its products is a concern and stringent measures need to be taken to combat it. The consumption of adulterated milk and adulterated milk products is hazardous to human health," the court said.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur reminded government of its own admission in parliament four months ago when it said that two out of three people in the country drink milk adulterated with detergent, caustic soda, urea or paint.
"As observed by this court earlier, it will be in order if the central government considers making suitable amendments in the penal provisions at par with the provisions contained in the State amendments to the Indian Penal Code. It is also desirable that Union of India revisits the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006(FSSA) to revise the punishment for adulteration making it more deterrent in cases where the adulterant can have an adverse impact on health," the SC bench said.
The apex court also issued several directives, including the implementation of FSSA, 2006 in a more effective manner, sending clear warnings to dairy owners and dealers that if the milk is found adulterated they will have to serve extreme punishment, identification of areas where the risk of milk adulteration is relatively higher, setting up laboratories and milk testing vans, and also putting up a website that raises awareness about laws dealing with milk adulteration.
The court said that just because any serious case of illness or death has not been reported due to milk adulteration does not mean that there should be laxity in dealing with crime.
As per the Indian Council of Medical Research, presence of detergents in milk can cause food poisoning and other gastrointestinal complications. Its high alkaline level can also damage body tissue and destroy proteins. Other synthetic components can cause heart problems, cancer or even death. While the immediate effect of drinking milk adulterated with urea, caustic soda and formalin is gastroenteritis, the long-term effects are far more serious.

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One of the trailers that were shown off at X019 this year was the new trailer for Age Of Empires 4. The game was announced about two years go and we now get to see how the latest version of the game will look like when it finally arrives.
In the trailer, we get to see the warriors, knights, cavalry, and catapults. The announcement also revealed that the game will be set in the medieval era this time around and that the first two civilizations of the game will be in the game, the Mongols and English.
Microsoft recently announces that they have formed an Age of Empires studio called World’s Edge which will be headed by Shannon Loftis. You can check out the new trailer below.
While we wait for the Age of Empires 4 to arrive, fans can also look forward to the release of Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition which is already out on PC right now.


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Peanut Butter Outbreaks: Rapid Response Required
February 19, 2013
When public health agencies recognized the signs of an emerging Salmonella outbreak in early September 2012, they could tell that the bacterium was contaminating a food popular with children.
And there aren’t many foods more loved by kids than peanut butter.
The outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney in peanut butter produced by one company has infected 41 people in 20 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The majority of those who have fallen ill with diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps are children under age 10.
More people would have fallen ill if not for fast action by federal and state public health agencies.
Those actions culminated on Nov. 26, 2012 with the Food and Drug Administration’s suspension of the food facility registration for Sunland Inc., of Portales, N.M. Sunland produced the peanut butter product linked to the outbreak—Trader Joe’s Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter made with Sea Salt.
This is FDA’s first use of the suspension-of-registration authority since the authority became effective in July 2011. Provided by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, this authority enables FDA to suspend a facility’s registration when the agency has determined, in part, that a food that is manufactured, processed, packed, or held by a facility is likely to cause serious illness or even death.
Sunland will not be able to distribute food from this facility until the suspension is lifted.
Donald Zink, Ph.D., a senior science advisor at FDA, says that peanut butter is particularly vulnerable to Salmonella contamination. “Salmonella is in the soil and peanuts come right out of the ground,” he says.
Great care has to be taken to produce peanut butter in a “highly sanitized” environment, he says. Special protections have to be in place to make sure the finished product isn’t contaminated after the nuts are roasted, the only “kill step” for the Salmonella.
However, FDA inspectors report finding insanitary conditions at Sunland, including conditions that likely resulted in cross-contamination between raw and roasted peanuts, such as unclean equipment that comes into contact with food, employees who didn’t wash their hands or wear clean gloves, and the use of totes to transport both raw and roasted peanuts without any cleaning or sanitizing process.


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Eighteen lucky Emirates NBD customers from 13 countries have won trips to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the bank said today.
Babul Hootha Abdul Vahab, who won the grand prize, will enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip for two to two of the Seven Wonders of the World.
In addition, 18 other customers won a fully paid trip for two to one of the Seven Wonders.
Ahmed Al Marzouqi, the bank's general manager of retail distribution, said: "We look forward to introducing more such initiatives that go beyond our customers' expectations."
[ firstname.lastname@example.org ]


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May 24, 2012
Enjoying those ads you see on your Facebook and Twitter accounts? As you might have already heard, you’ll need to start getting more used to them. Yesterday, eMarketer & BIA/Kelsey released its estimates for local and national social media ad spending, which is predicted to increase over the next four years. Much of the growth will be in national social media ad spending and display ads, though local and non-display ads will also comprise a significant amount. And with the recent Facebook IPO, I guess this isn’t really a surprise.
But what does this mean for mobile? For starters, mobile will definitely be playing a bigger role in the social media ad spending increase. When you’re out and about and happen to be checking your Facebook account on your phone, you can expect to see more location-relevant ads from your favorite local businesses–which is a good thing!
Based on the charts above, below are some key highlights and takeaways I think are important for mobile marketers & advertisers to consider.
- Social network ad spend predicted to reach $4.8 billion in the US this year and $7 billion by 2014
- Local ad spending will grow from about a quarter of all spending this year, to nearly 1/3rd by 2016, due largely to geolocation capabilities
- The lion’s share of social media ad spending will go to display, though non-display format will see spending climb more quickly from a smaller base
- Overall growth is attributed to better performance, coupled with richer formats and creative elements, like video
Expect to see the following in the next few years…
- Social media advertising comprising larger portions of marketing budgets
- More promotions and campaigns available only through social media
- Friends claiming deals comprising more of your Facebook and Twitter feeds
- Larger variety of companies advertising via social media as well as larger variety of social media ad types
- More social media ads from your local businesses


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The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) has announced that they are partnering with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, enabling BCLC to begin developing a website for SIGA’s online gaming platform.
SIGA + FSIN
It’s been a long time coming, but last September, the online gaming industry in Saskatchewan finally took form.
In September 2021, SIGA announced they would run a new online gaming site. Talks and conversations finally led them to an agreement with the Saskatchewan government as well as FSIN – one of Canada’s largest First Nations peoples– to move forward on this project to establish clear guidelines about how it will operate legally; including all related matters such financial transparency or addictiveness among others things!
The parties to this agreement comprised some exciting elements. For starters, the FSIN will receive 50% of revenue from gaming profits while Saskatchewan Government gets half–a fair share for all!
Gamblers can find various games on this site, from online casinos and sports betting to poker.
All Parties in Agreement
The government is confident that SaskGaming will do just as well with the gaming site. The IGMI platform was developed by an international team of experts who have decades’ worth of experience in online gambling and gaming technology, so it’s no surprise they were chosen to build this exciting new venture for customers all over Saskatchewan!
SIGA has signed an agreement with Sask Gaming to operate and manage the site.
The signing of this agreement is an important moment for First Nations in British Columbia. The additional revenue opportunities from online gaming and sports betting will only increase our ability as a nonprofit to positively impact employment, economic growth, positive community relations with other organizations within the province-and financial self-reliance.
The FSIN Chiefs-in Assembly authorized the project after years of working on this idea. “This will bring in new revenue opportunities that benefit our 74 First Nations communities,” said Chief Bobby Cameron, adding even during the COVID pandemic, they are continuing to work hard for all Indigenous peoples across Canada .
SIGA + BCLC
The new agreement was signed at the beginning of June, and it’s clear that BCLC is best suited for this project.
To ensure that they can provide their customers with a gaming platform tailored specifically for the needs of Saskatchewan residents, SIGA hosted an extensive open request for proposals and considered all viable options. The best turn-key online gaming portal option happened to be from BCLC, who will customize it according to t the specific preferences in Canada’s capital city ( LB ). It also offers different games than what is available on PlayNow because some people prefer one type over another depending upon how much time there has or if you’re looking forward to something more active like hockey betting – but no matter which way your cup runsnuch.
The BCLC team has a history of success with this project. They are already providing PlayNow, which offers casino games and live dealer game sessions at brick-and-mortar locations and online through an app store type service for clients who want to gamble Fully Responsible in Manitoba licensed premises all across Canada! The new platform will continue on those same principles but also include sports betting alongside your typical tabletop gaming options – it’s going to be awesome!! You can bet securely from anywhere thanks to GameSense’s responsible gambling program advisory system powered by Chatango, so there’ll always be someone available should you need help.
The President and CEO of SIGA, Zane Hansen, believes that the PlayNow platform will be able to seamlessly integrate current casino operations while providing customized services for players in Saskatchewan.
The goal is to launch the product by 2022.
” BCLC is proud to provide its industry-leading PlayNow.com platform so that players in Saskatchewan have access not just the very best slots and casino games, but also a full suite of sports betting products.”
Revenue in Uncertain Times
The pandemic made it clear that land-based gambling was limited. When establishments shut down for months upon end, SIGA (the South African Government’s gaming authority) was one of many regulators around the world taking a closer look at internet gambling – but not before implementing strict regulations to protect consumers in their markets, too!
To stay competitive in the online gaming industry, Sigasa watched as other provinces expanded their options and quickly embraced single-event sports betting. Even further, it mustered up the courage to offer more gambling online with Ontario’s newly created competitive market. The province of Saskatchewan was not prepared for this kind of move but knew that if they wanted any chance at success, then maybe now is just what needs doing?
When SIGA first started the project, they thought it would cost 10 million dollars in development and launch costs. However, last year’s agreement between FSIN (Fédération des Sociétés d’Industrie)and the Saskatchewan government guaranteed 55 million in revenue for this new venture!
In most gaming markets, revenues quickly outweigh initial costs.


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Nov. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:
China Automotive Rubber Hose Industry Report, 2012-2015
Automotive rubber hose refers to the rubber hose installed in vehicles, used for transmission of a variety of liquids and gases (including fuel, lubricating oil, refrigerant, water, etc.), so as to ensure normal operation of the vehicle. Benefiting from
China's enormous automobile market, its automotive rubber hose market has shown rapid growth in recent years, with demand and value in 2011 up to 387.03 million meters,
RMB14.514 billion respectively. It is expected that in 2015 Chinese automotive rubber hose market capacity will surge to 487.41 million meters, valuing
So far, there has been over 800 manufacturers of sundry rubber hose in
China, involving more than 60 dedicated automotive rubber hose manufacturing enterprises (about 20 overseas-funded ones and 40 local ones), which are primarily gathered in
Hubei Province and other regions.
China, foreign manufacturers of automotive rubber hose mainly refer to Hutchinson (
France), Parker Hannifin Corporation (U.S.), Continental ContiTech (
Germany), Tokai Rubber Industries (
Japan), TOYODA GOSEI (
Japan), etc., which sweep approximately 50% shares in Chinese automotive rubber hose market, while above 90% in the luxury car market.
Local Chinese producers consist of Tianjin Pengling Rubber Hose Co., Ltd., Shandong Meichen Science & Technology Co., Ltd., Sichuan Ring Technology Co., Ltd., Ningbo Fengmao Far-East Rubber Co.,Ltd, Shanghai Shangxiang Automobile Hose Co.Ltd, etc..


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The holiday season is quickly approaching! What a better way to get in the holiday spirit than a visit to the 23rd Annual We Care Trim-A-Tree Festival, currently underway now through November 15, 2015 at Markland Mall.
Dozens of beautifully decorated Christmas trees and wreaths are lined throughout the mall and can be seen Monday -Saturday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday 12-6 p.m. The tree auction will be held November 15 at 5:00 p.m., with all proceeds going to We Care. Markland Mall is located at the corner of SR 931 and Markland Avenue in Kokomo.


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Wall Street brokerages forecast that Sonic Automotive Inc (NYSE:SAH) will announce $2.41 billion in sales for the current fiscal quarter, according to Zacks Investment Research. Two analysts have issued estimates for Sonic Automotive’s earnings. The highest sales estimate is $2.48 billion and the lowest is $2.33 billion. Sonic Automotive reported sales of $2.40 billion in the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year over year growth rate of 0.4%. The firm is scheduled to report its next earnings report on Thursday, April 25th.
On average, analysts expect that Sonic Automotive will report full year sales of $9.78 billion for the current financial year, with estimates ranging from $9.30 billion to $10.35 billion. For the next fiscal year, analysts anticipate that the business will report sales of $9.91 billion, with estimates ranging from $9.07 billion to $10.99 billion. Zacks Investment Research’s sales calculations are an average based on a survey of sell-side research firms that cover Sonic Automotive.
Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 20th. The company reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by ($0.17). Sonic Automotive had a return on equity of 9.66% and a net margin of 0.52%. The business had revenue of $2.57 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.70 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.84 EPS. Sonic Automotive’s quarterly revenue was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis.
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Legal & General Group Plc increased its holdings in Sonic Automotive by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 89,744 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,229,000 after purchasing an additional 1,173 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Sonic Automotive by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 192,047 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,643,000 after purchasing an additional 1,288 shares in the last quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System increased its holdings in Sonic Automotive by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 109,452 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,506,000 after purchasing an additional 2,094 shares in the last quarter. Stone Ridge Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Sonic Automotive by 15.1% in the 4th quarter. Stone Ridge Asset Management LLC now owns 16,309 shares of the company’s stock worth $224,000 after purchasing an additional 2,137 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System increased its holdings in Sonic Automotive by 6.3% in the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 36,429 shares of the company’s stock worth $501,000 after purchasing an additional 2,158 shares in the last quarter. 60.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Sonic Automotive stock opened at $13.91 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. Sonic Automotive has a 52 week low of $12.78 and a 52 week high of $23.60. The firm has a market cap of $622.63 million, a PE ratio of 7.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.47.
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th will be issued a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.88%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 14th. This is a boost from Sonic Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. Sonic Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.60%.
About Sonic Automotive
Sonic Automotive, Inc operates as an automotive retailer in the United States. It operates in two segments, Franchised Dealerships and EchoPark. The Franchised Dealerships segment is involved in the sale of new and used cars and light trucks, and replacement parts; provision of vehicle maintenance, manufacturer warranty repair, and paint and collision repair services; and arrangement of extended warranties, service contracts, financing, insurance, and other aftermarket products.
Read More: Price to Earnings Ratio (PE) Basics
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Draft Picks: A Growing Number of Breweries Now Call Brooklyn Home
With the opening of multiple new breweries, Kings County is officially hopping!
For the first time in 40 years, Brooklyn is brewing.
After beer production dried up around the borough in the 1970s, Brooklyn-produced suds are staging a comeback. A growing number of local breweries have opened in recent years, churning out pints quite different than the standard Budweiser and Coors lagers.
Just in the last year, Grimm Artisanal Ales opened a brewery in a former truck repair shop at 990 Metropolitan Avenue in East Williamsburg, and Braven Brewing took over a former Bushwick beer bar at 52 Harrison Place and turned it into a brewery, producing brews like hoppy triple IPAs and guava- and raspberry-flavored sour beers.
As recently as last week, the owners of bars Jimbo Slim and Northern Bell announced they were opening a new brewery at 300 Richardson Street in East Williamsburg called 18th Ward Brewing, while developer Two Trees Management Company said it will bring popular Carroll Gardens-based Other Half Brewing Company to its Domino Sugar Complex in Williamsburg at 1 South 1st Street.
“New York before 2012 was a great beer destination, but for beer that came from all around the world,” said Lauren Grimm, a co-owner of Grimm Artisanal Ales, which recently opened a 7,500-square-foot brewery and taproom at 990 Metropolitan Avenue. “We’re pushing out those out-of-state, out-of-country breweries and people are more interested in local beers.”
Before 2012, after prohibition, de-industrialization and giants like Budweiser killed beer production in the county, Brooklyn was only home to three breweries: the famous Brooklyn Brewery in Williamsburg (which, while having a highly touted spot at 79 North 11th Street that offered great tours and tastes of the hooch, produced most of its beer out of the city), Sixpoint Brewery in Red Hook (which also contracted out most of its brews) and the now-shuttered commercial brewery Greenpoint Beer Works in Clinton Hill.
Since then the number has grown to 20 with more on the way, according to the Brewers Association trade group. Breweries have popped up as far south as Sunset Park with Five Boroughs Brewing and up to Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co. in the eponymous neighborhood. Owners tend to focus on industrial neighborhoods with plenty of warehouses in manufacturing zones that still have foot traffic, making Williamsburg and Bushwick popular options.
“You’re looking for both low-cost manufacturing space that also has ability to do retail,” said Max Lu, who leased space for Braven Brewing Company last year and Kings County Brewers Collective in Bushwick in 2015.
The high cost of business in the city has pushed out many industrial businesses, leaving plenty of empty space for breweries to pick up. And some don’t need much. Staten Island’s Kills Boro Brewing Company pumps out kegs from a 700-square-foot brewery in the back of a Stapleton barbeque joint.
“Businesses are moving out because it’s getting expensive,” said Jordan Beldner, a co-owner of 18th Ward. “You’re seeing a lot of vacancies.”
Even with the growing number of breweries opening around the city, some brewery owners aren’t too worried about oversaturation and welcome their new neighbors.
“The more breweries that open the better it is for all of us,” said Matt Monahan, a co-founder of Other Half Brewing, which first opened in 2014 at 195 Centre Street. “People see New York City as a beer destination now. I really don’t think that was true a decade ago.”
“We all can’t possibly make enough beer to service everybody that lives here to drink,” he added.
Companies like Other Half regularly collaborate and brew kegs with other local beer makers. Other Half has made beers with KCBC and Queens’ LIC Beer Project, which opened in 2015.
“It’s a huge benefit to have friends,” Monahan said. “We all share info and resources. It’s just a nicer day to day world to live in when you’re friends with everybody instead of trying to chip away at them.”
And beer can be big business. Beer sales around the country reached $111.4 billion in 2017 with independently owned breweries, (a.k.a., craft beer), accounting for more than 23 percent of the market with $26 billion, according to the Brewers Association’s most recent data.
While the total sales were up in 2018 compared with 2015 and 2016, the percentage growth for craft beer started to slow in 2017 with a 5 percent increase compared with a 10 percent increase in 2016.
“Independent U.S. craft breweries continue to thrive but at a slower pace than recent years,” Julia Herz, the director of the Brewers Association’s craft beer program, said in prepared remarks. “Many competitive factors including challenges with access to market, big beer companies purchasing formerly independent breweries and consolidation at the distributor level are making it more difficult for craft breweries who want to increase their sales.”
However, Herz added sales grew by 5 percent in the first half of 2018. The Brewers Association’s sales data doesn’t get down to the state or county level, but other data found that nearly 350 breweries across New York State produced almost 1.5 million barrels of beer and contributed $4.1 billion to the local economy in 2017.
And even with the sluggish growth, brewery openings don’t seem to be slowing down in the borough. The Brewers Association shows at least seven breweries in the planning stages in Brooklyn. Nomadic brewer Stillwater Artisanal is currently searching for permanent digs in the borough and 18th Ward plans to open next month.
“It was a now or never kind of thing,” Beldner said. “I wasn’t expecting it so soon after we built up the last bar, but I saw the space and it was right. If there was a time to stress myself out it was now, so we pulled the trigger.”
The 18th Ward owners—Beldner, his father Jim Beldner and Michael O’Brien—always planned on opening a brewery in the next couple of years but moved up the timeline when they found a perfect space across from popular music venue Brooklyn Steel, a former carpet cleaning factory at 300 Richardson Street.
“It’s not saturated with bars,” said Jordan Beldner about why the spot was a perfect fit.
Beldner said 18th Ward plans to brew beer “to appeal to the masses” because of its proximity to Brooklyn Steel, but head brewer Dailey Crafton will also focus on the farmhouse-ale style saison.
Brewing in Brooklyn is not a new phenomenon. Its history began when the original Dutch settlers came to the city but really kicked off in the mid-19th century when German immigrants moved here and started opening small breweries, The New York Times reported.
The number peaked at 45 breweries at the turn of the century with one 12-block stretch in Williamsburg being home to 11 itself, according to The Times. But by 1976, every brewery either moved or shut down and the borough was dry until Brooklyn Brewery started in 1988 and opened its production facility in 1996.
“When I first got into the business, nobody wanted to hear the word Brooklyn if you were outside the State of New York,” said Ed Raven, one of the owners of Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co. who has worked in the beer world for more than 25 years. “I think over the years the name and the attitude has definitely changed.”
Brewers also credit the recent massive growth of Brooklyn-made brews to the Craft New York Act passed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2014, which eased restrictions for operating breweries and distilleries around the state.
“Craft breweries are hubs of activity and opportunity for local economies, and by rolling back red tape and modernizing the craft brewery industry, we are supporting farmers and small businesses, boosting tourism and driving robust economic growth in Brooklyn and in every corner of this great state,” Cuomo said in a statement, adding he later passed other laws to help breweries.
“That kind of opened the floodgates for people to say, ‘Oh, I can now afford to rent a building in New York City and sell beer,’ ” Grimm said.
One of the most significant changes in the law was lifting the ban on selling cans and glasses of beer inside the brewery itself. Previously, it was illegal for breweries to directly sell to customers, leaving some to come up with workarounds like Brooklyn Brewery’s old system of selling wooden tokens that could be traded into a bartender for a beer.
“That sort of turned our world upside down in terms of possibilities,” said Monahan, who opened Other Half before the law passed. “We can now really interact directly with our customers. That’s the world to us now and that means everything.”
Since the law was enacted, breweries have also opened in Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island, but Brooklyn has a quicker pace because of its reputation for locally made, artisanal products and, simply, because the brewers mostly live in the borough.
For Grimm, the new law meant her and her husband, Joe Grimm, were finally able to give up the nomadic brewing life and put down roots.
“When we thought ‘Let’s open a brick-and-mortar brewery in New York City,’ the hold back was the law surrounding brewery sales,” Lauren Grimm said. “If the law had been different in 2012, and we had been able to get loans, we would’ve opened immediately.”
The couple started home brewing out of their Gowanus apartment more than a decade ago and decided to go pro in 2012. It was too restrictive and expensive to open under the old laws, so they decided to become “gypsy” brewers and rent unused tanks in breweries in Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., and across the Verrazano at Staten Island’s Flagship Brewery to make their brews.
They would then package the beer on the site and worked with distributors to sell it to bars and beer stores around the city.
“We would just brew a batch of beer and then sell it and wait until we got the money to brew our second batch of beer,” Grimm said. “We never had this grand plan for how this was going to work.”
Eventually, Grimm secured small business loans and found an East Williamsburg warehouse. After negotiating with the owner, the couple was able to buy the building for $4 million in 2016 and started a $2 million buildout installing tanks and fermenters. Grimm eventually opened its doors last June.
While Grimm said finding the space was the least of their troubles, for other brewery proprietors it can be a struggle to find a landlord willing to take a chance on a new brewery. Unlike other warehouse users, breweries tend to need more concessions in order to open.
“Landlords have to be willing to work with them,” said Lu. “[Breweries] need longer leases, free rent and more help with the construction.”
Getting a landlord on board coupled with the high cost to buy brewing equipment can make opening a long process. Braven and KCBC each needed about five years to nail down their locations, Lu said.
And brewers are still subject to the problems retail stores face around the city. Raven, who opened the 6,500-square-foot brewpub Greenpoint Beer at 7 North 15th Street in 2014, was forced to move after his landlord sold the industrial building to Simon Baron Development last year. The new owner plans to raze it and erect an office building.
Raven said he had plenty of time to find a new location and signed a lease for a slightly smaller space at 1150 Manhattan Avenue 10 months ago, which should open its doors soon.
“We wanted to be in Greenpoint, obviously, and we wanted to find space that had some foot traffic,” he said. “We found both of those things in our new location.”
The space is about 15 percent smaller at 5,000 square feet, but it has a 1,000-square-foot roof deck to help offset the loss. Raven also dedicated a lot more space to brewing equipment in the new digs and it will allow Greenpoint Beer to produce four times the number of barrels.
“I think we went a little bit crazy on the capacity compared to the amount of space,” he said. “It is really tight.”
For Other Half, it has instead been fielding offers from developers looking to get it in their project. The founders—Monahan, Andrew Burman and Sam Richardson—randomly found their 195 Centre Street space through a residential broker on Craigslist and later expanded to take over a former brewery in Rochester, N.Y.
Earlier this month, Other Half announced the 3,600-square-foot outpost—with a small brewing system inside—on the ground floor of the Two Tree’s residential development at the former Domino Sugar Factory site in Williamsburg.
“We just wanted to be able to serve a different section of the community,” Monahan said. “It was a no-brainer.”
Two Trees, which also recently announced that Bushwick pizzeria Roberta’s will be opening an outpost at the development, reached out directly to Other Half to entice the proprietors to head to Williamsburg.
“As big fans of the product and overall vibe of the brewery, we felt it was a natural fit for Other Half to expand into Domino,” Two Trees managing director Dave Lombino said in a statement. “So, we reached out and it just worked.”


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Amazon made a splash during October’s Advertising Week while previewing its advertising business, but that was merely a ripple compared to the waves the e-commerce behemoth has coming for 2013 and beyond.
Over the past year, Amazon has built a proprietary real-time bidding platform that plugs into exchanges and supply-side platforms, including Google’s AdX and PubMatic. This platform lets the company retarget its users across the Web based on their browsing and purchase habits on Amazon’s owned-and-operated properties. That could be a game changer. Given Amazon's recommendation engine and general deal-closing prowess, the company's data should have advertisers drooling.
Darren Herman, chief digital media officer at The Media Kitchen, said he’s bullish on Amazon’s market opportunity. “I think they could become one of the bigger media companies in the next five years or so. You have to realize that they’re capturing a ton of demand through their owned-and-operated sites and have people shopping right now.”
Amazon slowly rolled out the platform in 2012, but as early as the first quarter of 2013 it will introduce a self-serve real-time bidding platform for media buyers, including agency trading desks, which will be able to use the platform to manage their own buys, according to multiple sources with knowledge of Amazon’s plans.
“Amazon has a longstanding practice of not commenting on future plans, so we can’t speak to a self-service platform,” emailed an Amazon spokesperson.
While Amazon has yet to demo the platform for agency buyers, according to trading desk executives with knowledge of Amazon’s plans, the platform is expected to let buyers leverage Amazon’s valuable data—to an extent. The self-serve RTB platform would hypothetically function similarly to Facebook’s Ads Manager in terms of how buyers could target their ads. Sources said Amazon is extremely protective of its data and wary of providing outside access, so like Facebook, Amazon's platform would enable buyers to create targeting segments such as “men; aged 25-34; in California; interested in high-definition TVs; who have purchased how-to books and home improvement tools.” But Amazon is not about to hand over its customer's names or individual buying histories.
The self-serve platform would be a significant step for Amazon and its advertisers. Amazon has run ads on its owned-and-operated sites like IMDb.com for years, and more recently its Kindle devices, but those ads are sold more traditionally. That is, typically media buyers work with Amazon’s sales reps to discuss the audience their advertiser is looking to to target, and they then negotiate a buy—like any other online ad deal. In those cases, buyers submit insertion orders, and Amazon executes the buy across its network and reports back results.
Amazon also has the Amazon Advertising Platform, which it showed off during Advertising Week. That product has been in market “for about two years,” said the Amazon spokesperson. But sources said that until Amazon began building its own bidding technology last year, the company had partnered with ad tech firms including Triggit to place ads. That’s no longer the case. “Amazon Advertising Platform is a fully-managed service, run through our own, proprietary technology. We don’t currently work with DSPs,” the spokesperson said.
According to sources and confirmed by Amazon’s spokesperson, that platform’s media-buying process works much in the same way as advertising on Amazon's properties: lots of hand-holding and data-safeguarding, but in this case the ads run on non-Amazon sites.
“Amazon Advertising Platform leverages the same, pre-defined audience segments we offer for campaigns running on Amazon.com to show users more relevant ads—in much the same way Amazon has been recommending products to its retail customers for many years. These segments have a minimum size, and are based on anonymous, aggregate data,” said the Amazon spokesperson. Sources said Amazon currently offers two types of targeting options. Lifestyle targeting crunches Amazon’s data into product-related interest pools, such as those who view consumer electronics products; in-market target functions like traditional display retargeting programs.
For example, Amazon might see a user check out Blu-ray players on its site, drop a cookie on that user’s browser and then bid to run an ad for a Sony Blu-ray player when that cookie pops up on a site Amazon has access to through one of its inventory sources, such as PubMatic. The Amazon spokesperson said the platform’s inventory “comes from multiple sources—a mix of Amazon owned-and-operated properties (Amazon, IMDb, DPReview, etc.), ad exchanges and direct publisher relationships.” According to data from Evidon’s tag-tracking tool Ghostery, which measures the top domains delivering the AdChoices icon (a good indicator that RTB ads are being delivered), Amazon.com ranked 23rd globally during the week ending Dec. 10.
Amazon has also been using the platform internally to promote products it sells with banners on sites it doesn’t own that direct back to Amazon, sources said. In fact, last year Amazon used Turn’s platform to run its ads but has shifted to its own platform this year, said insiders.
Ads served on Amazon’s owned-and-operated sites have been sold on a cost-per-thousand-impressions basis, but agencies are said to be wary of Amazon switching them to a cost-per-acquisition model since the e-commerce company would then have more insight into which clicks resulted in purchases (potent data that often isn't shared with most publishers). Nonetheless, the idea of such closed-loop advertising has many media buyers excited.
“What’s so powerful is having revenue data and action data on purchases,” said Scott Symonds, managing director of AKQA Media. “Google has [some ability to track conversions] through Google Analytics, but everyone is desperate to see [a closed-loop system].”
Said IgnitionOne CEO Will Margiloff: “I’ve always believed that the best data is conversion data. Who has more conversion data in e-commerce than Amazon?”
“The truth is that they have a singular amount of data that nobody else can touch,” said Jonathan Adams, iCrossing’s U.S. media lead. “Search behavior is not the same as conversion data. These guys have been watching you buy things for … years.”
Amazon is pulling at the low-hanging fruit of online advertising: retargeting, a market crowded with other retailers including Walmart, Best Buy and Target as well as pure-play retargeters like Criteo. The company had even been in deep acquisition talks with Criteo before Amazon began building out its bidder over the last year, sources said. Those talks dissolved after Criteo pegged its price higher than Amazon was willing to pay; one source estimated Criteo’s current valuation to be around $1 billion. The Amazon spokesperson did not respond to a question on the acquisition talks with Criteo.
But Amazon also has an opportunity to shift up the funnel, to go after demand-generation ad budgets (i.e. branding dollars) by using its audience data to package targeting segments. It's easy to imagine these segments as hybrids of Google’s intent-based audience pools and Facebook’s interest-based ones.
Many media buyers agreed that Amazon has the potential to seismically shift the online advertising market, with Google, Amazon and Facebook replacing Yahoo, AOL and MSN as online advertising’s holy trinity. That's if they even want in.
Several sources, including buyers and ad tech executives, questioned how invested Amazon is in advertising. One trading desk executive who met with Amazon executives said the company's execs seemed most interested in how to beat Walmart, not Google. Another ad tech exec noted that Google has tens of thousands of employees focused on advertising. Sources ballparked the size of Amazon Media Group, which runs its ads business, in the range of 600 employees. The Amazon spokesperson declined to confirm the number of Amazon Media’s Group employees. Amazon has staffed a respected team within the Amazon Media Group, with sources pointing to former MediaMath vp Mark Mannino and former NBCUniversal sales exec Ryan Mayward as key hires.
Should Amazon choose to compete on a level with Google and Facebook, it will have one clear advantage. The Amazon brand lends the company a trustworthiness among consumers not shared by lesser known entities like Criteo or even well-known companies like Google and Facebook, both of the latter two have had their hands slapped by the Federal Trade Commission over privacy violations.
Amazon seems to recognize that advantage. Ads run through the RTB platform are expected to feature Amazon branding, as is currently often the case with Amazon Advertising Platform ads. Those ads are advised to display either the Amazon name or Amazon-approved calls to action, such as “Shop Now at Amazon.com,” though the Amazon spokesperson said Amazon Advertising Platform “campaigns running off-Amazon are not required to include Amazon branding or link back to Amazon.com.” Affixing the Amazon brands to ads display outside of Amazon’s sites could eliminate the creepiness factor often associated with retargeting (Amazon features the AdChoices icon on its ads and operates an ad preferences manager, the spokesperson said). If someone was just checking out watches on Amazon.com or The Wire’s page on IMDb.com, they’re less likely to be startled when navigating to a blog about cats and seeing a Swatch or HBO ad featuring the Amazon logo.
A challenge Amazon could face—though admittedly a stretch, even a long one—is explaining its off-Amazon ads business to people outside of the advertising industry. Ad-supported companies like Google, Facebook and Yahoo can justify their ad business as necessary for keeping the lights on; those companies apply user data to ad targeting because it bolsters their advertising revenues and therefore allows them to keep services free for consumers. Amazon doesn’t have that luxury.
Instead, Amazon has always been about commerce. The company banked $13.8 billion in Q3 revenue, with 84 percent of its sales being products (including shipping fees). Advertising fell into the “other” bucket alongside Amazon Web Services and co-branded credit cards, and the miscellaneous business segment altogether chipped in less than 5 percent of the period’s revenue. Amazon’s advertising business is “quite literally gravy,” said iCrossing’s Adams. Though that doesn’t mean Amazon couldn’t explain how it exchanges value from advertising for consumers.
“The promise of ad-supported shopping continues to be Amazon’s killer story,” Adams said. “Consumers always support ad-supported sales models with cheaper products than higher prices with no ads model.”
Throughout its history Amazon has operated on low margins. That lean strategy has let the company reduce prices to pressure competitors while inducing pressure from profit-hungry investors. Amazon’s advertising business—provided it reached its potential atop the online advertising food chain—could subsidize the rest of the company to the point that competitors should get very nervous, especially because Amazon has yet to really roll out its weapon of mass disruption.
The Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud-computing platform is where things get really intriguing. The product has been in market since 2006; it powers the back-end technology for companies including Netflix, Instagram, Pinterest and News International. Sources said Amazon’s ties into media companies’ platforms could pave the way for Amazon to run ads alongside their content, with AWS functioning as an ad server without the need for Google’s DoubleClick or 24/7 Real Media’s Open AdStream ad servers. So theoretically, Amazon would have a delivery mechanism to any property with an Amazon tag.
And as more TV viewing shifts to streaming on-demand content, Amazon is well positioned to become the content-and-advertising-distribution platform of choice, taking a cut of those companies’ ad revenue. That could explain why Netflix, which does not currently run ads on its platform, has engineered its own technology with the ability to pull away from AWS.
But in the meantime, before it takes on the greater media world, Amazon has the Web-display market right in its sights. A giant sleeps no more.


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Last month, mobile security company Lookout announced that they would be enforcing tighter guidelines for adware. After a 45 day grace period for ad networks to shape up, the time has come and Lookout has named names—and flagged the worst offenders in their app.
The new rules are focused on protecting users from aggressive information harvesting, and requiring user consent before ad networks use more imaginative means to send ads. "There's a lot of grey area because it's a new industry," Lookout product manager Jeremy Linden explained. "The rules aren't clearly set." Obviously, Lookout is aiming to change all of that.
The exact adware definition was provided in a press release from Lookout. Going forward, Lookout will define adware as, "an ad network that exhibits one or more of the following intrusive behaviors without requesting appropriate user consent: display advertising outside of the normal app experience, harvest unusual personally identifiable information, or perform unexpected actions as a response to ad clicks."
Lookout continues by defining user consent as, "providing a clear alert in the application that allows the user to accept or decline before any of the above behaviors takes place." This is in stark contrast to the current model in Google Play, where the user must accept all permissions requested by an app.
Adware, By The Numbers
According to Lookout, 6.5 percent of Google Play is adware. That may not sound like much, but Lookout found that around one million U.S. Android users had downloaded adware.
Among adware apps, 26 percent were free personalization utilities, like live wallpapers. Racing and sports games were the next most common, at 23 and 18 percent respectively. These apps are generally free, meaning that users probably download them quickly and without much thought. Outside Google Play, Lookout says adware numbers are "significantly higher."
Speaking to Security Watch, Linden said that apps linked to the ad networks LeadBolt, Moolah Media, RevMob, SellARing, and SendDroid would be flagged as adware starting today.
Advertising Isn't Always a Dirty Word
Even unobtrusive ads can be annoying, but Linden says that networks are are a key part of the mobile ecosystem. "Everyone has to make a living," Linden said to SecurityWatch. "Broadly speaking, users can't expect to have free apps and also have no advertising."
Ad networks give developers an easy way to monetize their free apps. Developers simply include an ad network's SDK in their code, apply the appropriate permissions, and then get a cut of the ad dollars generated.
By more tightly defining adware, Lookout has given a path for ad networks to improve and identified the most egregious ad networks out there. It's also cleared up space for developers who use ad networks to monetize their apps.
"We've always protected against some of the worst offenders in the adware world," said Linden. "We wanted to give companies a chance to change." Among the worst offenders are companies like Letang, which has aggressively targeted India and China and demonstrated some truly unusual behaviors.
The Dark Side
Though ad networks can get people paid, they can also be a security concern. Linden explained to SecurityWatch that the information gathered by ad networks, which can include phone numbers and email addresses, is sometimes sent to servers overseas. In these situations, Linden says "there might not be clear standards regarding what they can and cannot do with your information." This is particularly true if the data is stored outside the U.S.
The worst case scenario, Linden said, was that this information could be sold off by unscrupulous persons to spammers.
More problematic than these dire scenarios are ad networks that went too far without user consent. Linden told SecurityWatch about ad networks that sent SMS messages unexpectedly from apps, or put ads in the notification bar. One company, said Linden, changed users' ringtone to instead play an advertisement.
What This Means
For ad networks, Lookout's move makes it clearer what activities will be tolerated. They can, for instance, still send you ads via push notifications, but they have to ask you about it first. For developers, Lookout has made it clear how to avoid getting flagged as adware. Hopefully, this will encourage developers to choose ad networks that play fair instead of those that are a bit shady.
Linden says that Lookout hopes the new adware definitions will give consumers more confidence. "We believe that users should be able to know before they have their user experience changed," he said.
Lookout's approach is certainly pragmatic, and I'm eager to see if it brings about noticeable change for Android users. But part of me worries that this will end up muddying the issue of adware further by pitting Lookout against everyone else. The proof of Lookout's success probably won't be in adware numbers, but if Google Play starts to feel a little safer. Here's hoping.
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Jump confirmed the tease earlier this week and revealed Shanks will be playable in One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3. The captain of the Red Haired Pirates has three kinds of Haki. One move allows him to slow time and another deals a wide range attack.
Japan will finally get to play as Shanks when One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 comes out on March 26. Bandai Namco confirmed the game will be released in the West for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PC this summer.


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- 2.Nasty [Explicit]
- 3.That Way (Feat. Jeremih & Rick Ross) [Explicit]
- 4.I'm So Paid
- 5.Quote the raven
- 6.I-Illy Bomb On Em
- 7.Still Standing (feat. Jill Scott)
- 8.Miami Nights [Explicit]
- 9.Nasty [Explicit]
Blackberry taps Alicia Keys to attempt to set the brand back on fire. The Grammy-winning singer was on hand for the announcement today at RIM’sBlackBerry 10 launch event in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
In her new position, Keys will work closely with app developers, content creators, retailers, carriers, and the entertainment industry to further shape and enhance the BlackBerry 10 platform through music, books, film, and apps.
“Alicia Keys has come to BlackBerry because she believes in the product andtechnology, and subscribes to our overriding philosophy to ‘Keep Moving’: to empower people through mobile computing and communications,” saidBlackBerry President and CEO Thorsten Heins. “We are excited she will be bringing to us her enormous capabilities, as well as a vast network of relationships in the entertainment, social media and business communities, to help shape our brand and grow our business.”
Alicia shared her excitement over her new job. “I have been using theBlackBerry 10 for a few weeks now, and I’m truly inspired by its innovation,” she said. “It has entirely revolutionized the experience. I know the potential this platform has to help creative people be more productive, and help productive people be more creative. This is such an incredible age to be living in, with such profound advances in communications and technology. As Global Creative Director, my goal is to inspire creativity with this platform, and I’m so excited to jump right in.”
As part of BlackBerry’s “Keep Moving” Project, she plans to use the device to create a music video for each city she tours in on her “Set the World on Fire” tour, launching this March.


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Restaurants across the U.S. are closing their doors for dine-in guests amid the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and most of them are ramping up their take-out efforts — and occassionally offering bonus treats to brighten people’s days during this difficult time.
The Cheesecake Factory announced on social media early Wednesday that dine-in service will not be operating, but that they will be remaining open for takeout and delivery through DoorDash.
“Your well-being & safety is our number one priority. As many cities transition to not allowing dine-in service, we remain open for takeout & delivery. Even when we’re apart, we can get through this together.” the company posted.
The restaurant chain is also giving away free cheesecake slices for online to-go orders of $30 or more now through April 16. When purchasing online, add the promo code FREESLICE at checkout to receive a free slice on pick-up or Curbside To-Go orders.
Here’s What Chain Restaurants Like McDonald’s, Domino’s, and Chipotle Are Doing Amid Coronavirus Crisis
Quarantine Cakes Are Helping Save This Bakery’s Business During Coronavirus Outbreak
“As many of our cities and neighborhoods transition to no longer allowing dine-in service, our restaurants are open to help our guests continue to enjoy their Cheesecake Factory favorites whether they’re ordering them online for pickup or in person for takeout,” said Donald Evans, Chief Marketing Officer of The Cheesecake Factory. “We thought a complimentary slice of cheesecake would provide our guests with some happiness during this time of uncertainty.”
As the United States continues to tackle the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, many restaurants and bars will continue to face closures or limited service.
As of March 15, Ohio, Illinois, California and Massachusetts issued orders and recommendations to close certain gathering places in an effort to encourage social distancing and combat the spread of the virus.
Source: Read Full Article


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The Mercury Cars Guide : August 1st 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009 Ford plans production in Asia for Focus Ford has confirmed that thenew Focus, set for release in 2011, willbe sourced to Asia. NeilMcDonald reports ATTRACTIVE: The 2011 edition of the popular Ford Focus which will be manufactured in at Asian plant. Picture: CARPARAZZI T HE Focus will become Ford Australia’s fourth Asiasourced car. The company already gets the Escape off-roader from Taiwan and Ranger ute out of Thailand, which will be joined mid-2010 by the Fiesta hatch. Now an as-yet unnamed Asian plant will build the next-generation global Focus sedan and hatch for local launch in 2011. ‘‘But in terms of the detail and what location in Asia, it is still to be finalised,’’ says Ford Australia president, Marin Burela. Adecision is expected with- in a few months. Thailand is unlikely despite a $608 million upgrade to the Auto Alliance Thailand (AAT) joint-venture plant at Rayong, south-east of Bangkok. Ford announced earlier this year that the upgrade would allow AAT to lift production capacity from 175,000 to 275,000 vehicles a year, building the Mazda2 and Fiesta for export markets. If AAT had the capacity for Focus, Thailand would be attractive as Australia enjoys a free trade agreement with zero tariffs with the Asian country. Mr Burela backs his deci- sion to cancel local Focus production. He says the global car in- dustry was different back in July 2007 when Ford originally announced it would build 40,000 Focuses a year at Broadmeadows, with 15,000 exported to Asian and African markets. Since then the industry has been rocked by the global financial crisis. ‘‘The economic climate has changed,’’ Mr Burela says. ‘‘When we made this decision in 2007 it was the right decision at that time. Since then the world has changed and the rules have changed completely.’’ The decision to abandon the Focus Broadmeadows’ plan was not taken lightly. ‘‘I think we’re responding absolutely appropriately with the direction that we’re taking,’’ he says. ‘‘We came to the conclusion that tomakeasmall car viable with the right level of technology, feature, content, styling in this country we needed to bring the most competitive levels of opportunity with that vehicle. ‘‘We recognised, after study- ing this to death, that there was just no appropriate way for us to be able to do that by producing the vehicle locally.’’ Mr Burela is confident the next-generation Focus will lift the company’s ability to compete in the C-car segment. ‘‘The C-car segment is very crowded,’’ he says. ‘‘There are 24 different competitors fighting for 180,000 units in this country. The key for success here is you have to make it right, it has to be competitive and it has to have the highest level of technology, features and content. We are so confident we will deliver.’’ Ford cagey on V8 plans WHATis happening with Ford’sV8s? With all the mention of four-cylinder Focusand Falcons, Ford Australia has beenvery quiet about itsV8 line-up. All Ford chief Marin Burela will say is that eight-cylinder engines are the hallmark of Ford performance vehicles. Wesuspect Ford will soon announce its strategy to replace the current 5.4-litre V8ahead of the Euro IV emissions targets. Family matters mayspawnafamily of lowercapacity engines. While the 2.0-litre EcoBoost is astart, the companymayextend the range with smaller butno less powerful EcoBoost engines in the Fiestaand Focus ranging in size from 1.4 to 1.6-litres. Ford executives in Detroit say that by2013,mostof its line-up will have afour-cylinder option for every car andoffroader. LIKE Volkswagen, Ford’s EcoBoost four-cylinder Classifieds 62 300 400 • carsguide.com.au —3
July 25th 2009
August 8th 2009


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BLE’s Anna Knight on how the sector is getting richer and higher profile by
Start Licensing’s Ian Downes looks at how powerful celebrity licensing can be.
Retailer marks tenth birthday, revealing toy sales have doubled in last four years.
Strong social media reaction helps put licensing industry in media spotlight.
Truly will launch in autumn and will carry product as well as producing content.


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Online retailers are wishing themselves a Snappy Christmas, with predictions this will be their best year yet.
However, with the online boom comes the threat of internet scams.
More Australians shop on their mobile phones than any other market place and this Sunday our online shopping is tipped to have its biggest day ever.
Ebay reckon they will see almost two-and-a-half million people come into their site to source Christmas gifts – and over half of those people will be on their mobile phone. That figure is up to 30 per cent on last year’s total.
While there remains worries over online shopping – such as the worry of not receiving your gift in time – for the time poor and those wishing to avoid trudging through shops, it can bemore than welcome.
The online boom has prompted a warning, though.
While many business websites look professional and trustworthy, they are not always what they seem.
Rod Stowe of fair trading said: “Web sites that show bad English, grammatical errors - often that is a good indication of a scam-type site."
For the disorganised, surveys show a quarter of people buy their gifts on Christmas Eve - four per cent of them at a service station on Christmas day and eight per cent regift last year’s present.
Whatever you decide, remember there are only 21 days left.
A black mark on your credit file can follow you around for as long as seven years and can stop you getting credit.
7News finance expert Scott Pape has three tips to keeping a clean credit file.
1: Don’t apply for too many loans.
2: Pay your bills on time.
3: Get a copy of your credit file.
To find out yoyr credit rating for free write to:
PO Box 964 North Sydney NSW 2059


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Sycamore Networks has been taken private
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- Alexander Soule, Special to Mass High Tech
More than 13 years after lodging among the most successful initial public offerings of stock of any Massachusetts company, Sycamore Networks’ (Nasdaq: SCMR) remaining viable business was taken private Friday by a private equity company.
Los Angeles-based Marlin Equity Partners is paying $18.8 million for substantially all of Sycamore’s “intelligent bandwidth” management business.
The new Sycamore Network Solutions Inc. remains based in Chelmsford and is led by John Scully, who had led sales and marketing for Sycamore Networks. Sycamore plans to dispose remaining assets, including its IQStream mobile broadband optimization business.
Under founder Desh Deshpande and longtime CEO Dan Smith, Sycamore Networks was at the vanguard of a wave of telecommunications companies launched in the late 1990s, selling optical switching systems and maintaining the Bay State’s industry prominence as onetime icons like Digital Equipment Corp., Cascade Communications and Wellfleet Communications faded into history.
Just months after Sycamore’s ballyhooed October 1999 IPO, however, the Internet bubble burst, and Sycamore and its rivals settled in for a long slog to maintain growth as a public company.
In its most recent fiscal year ending last July, Sycamore lost $12.9 million on $57.3 million in revenue, compared to a $17.9 million loss in fiscal 2011 on $48.7 million in sales.
Sycamore reported significant profits in just two years of its tenure, in 2000 and 2006. In Sycamore’s last quarterly report as a public company, it calculated an accumulated deficit of more than $1.1 billion, more than half of it due to massive losses it took on the books in 2001 and 2002.
The change does not come as a surprise. In October, the company said it would wind down operations after selling one business line for $18.75 million and liquidating its other assets.
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The Wisconsin Rapids Staples store will close May 31, a Staples representative confirmed Tuesday.
"We continually evaluate our store performance to ensure we're operating the business in the best way," Kaitlyn Reardon, public relations specialist for the company wrote in an email. "As customers shift online, we are taking aggressive action to right-size our retail footprint.
"We are committed to providing great service and every product businesses need whether it's in-store, online or through mobile," Reardon wrote. "We are working to provide transfer options where possible."
Neither Reardon or the local store manager could comment how the number of employees who would be affected by the store closure.
Customers can continue shop at the Plover location and online at Staples.com, Reardon added.
Earlier this month, the company announced a plan to close up to 225 stores by 2015. The report also indicated the company expected 2014 first-quarter sales to decrease compared to the same time period in 2013.
The Wisconsin Rapids store opened June 12, 1999.


text: In 1974, an anti-poverty charity published a booklet accusing Nestlé of getting mothers living in developing countries unnecessarily addicted to baby formula. The organization even went so far as claiming that babies were dying because of the Western-style infant milk. A New York Times article published in 1981 uncovered that many families were over-diluting the formula with contaminated water preventing children from absorbing the proper nutrients. During the same period, research came out indicating that breastfeeding was healthier for babies. All of this created a major disaster for Nestlé, and the company faced boycotts around the world. The food and beverage giant reacted by issuing guidelines for mothers about how and when to give babies formula. Nestlé officials also completely remade their marketing materials to deal with complaints that advertisements were pushing products on mothers. Today, the debate over baby formula remains heated. However, the market is still growing, particularly in Asia, according to research from UBIC Consulting.


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Some 148m consumers will make NFC mobile payments this year, with Apple and Samsung accounting for nearly 70% of new customers, Juniper Research forecasts. “The research also anticipated that models based on host card emulation (HCE) would be widely deployed by banks and a number of leading OTT (Over The Top) players,” the firm says, predicting that NFC smartphones will be the main driver for contactless payments in the US owing to “the limited number of cards that currently offer the facility”.
- Shell pilots RFID system that scans all the items in a shopping basket in one go
- Metro Bank lets customers open an account with a selfie
- Dutch banks ING and Rabobank begin QR code payments pilot
- ABN Amro pulls out of Dutch banks’ mobile payment venture
- Commonwealth Bank introduces chatbot that can answer 200 banking and payments questions


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The greater connectivity that will result from these projects is expected to lead to better economic opportunities for underserved communities, especially small farmers and small and medium
enterprises through new roads, cargo terminals and logistics parks. A multi-modal plan will help
improve India’s inefficient logistics network.
Meanwhile, the target of expanding the national highway network by 25,000 kilometres in FY23 will give an immediate boost to infrastructure companies and also generate demand for construction equipment and commercial vehicles. The Centre has allocated Rs 20,000 crore for the plan. Other targets like making 400 new Vande Bharat trains and 100 cargo terminals will augur well for multiple industries, including steel and cement.
Stocks of steel, cement, construction and logistics companies were some of the highest gainers on
Tuesday. “It is a visionary budget that lays a blueprint for ‘amrit kaal,’ supported by PM Gati Shakti Mission with multi-modal approach to boost transport and logistics,” said Dilip Oommen, chief executive officer at steel maker AM/NS India. The higher capital expenditure will have a “multiplier effect” and help create demand for steel, he said.
The Gati Shakti scheme is targeted at aiding economic growth and sustainable development through the development of roads, railways, airports, ports, mass transport, waterways, and logistics infrastructure, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her budget speech.
The railways will develop new products and services targeted at small farmers and businesses to help them become a part of larger supply chains. Meanwhile, contracts for developing multi-modal logistics parks at four locations through the public-private participation (PPP) mode will be awarded in FY23
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- Now, Tesla Rival VinFast Looks to Make in India
Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast Auto – a deemed Tesla rival that emerged as the world’s third most valuable carmaker last month – is mulling setting up a manufacturing unit in India, multiple people aware of the development told ET.Festive Wave may Lift IIP Growth in Coming Mths
India’s industrial economy is expected to receive a festive bump, growing around 6% year-on-year in the next couple of months with improvement in monsoon rains, softening inflation, and election-related rise in spending adding to the festive sentiment.Desi Snack Packs are a $1b Bite for Haldiram’s
Traditional sweets and snacks brand Haldiram’s earned over a billion dollars from packaged snacks during FY23, as Indians prefer to munch more desi snacks instead of Western ones such as chips.
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After being forced to halt production for weeks, the luxury industry's supply chain is slowly restarting in Italy and France. The system has been battered by the Covid-19 pandemic, with many sub-contractors struggling.
Styling app Drest has recruited industry leading make-up artist Mary Greenwell, who has ongoing collaborations with Chanel and Armani, to create a digital make-up portfolio for the luxury fashion game.
Francois-Henri Pinault, the head of French group Kering, has agreed to give up a quarter of his fixed wages for the rest of the year and the entirety of his variable compensation for 2020, the company said Friday.
Pyer Moss, Kering, Nike, Estée Lauder and L'Oréal USA have all announced new and updated commitments to providing support, as the state of New York experiences its hardest day of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Like many brands, some luxury labels are producing online content to dispel the gloom in these times of isolation, for example Bottega Veneta with a multi-media project, and Salvatore Ferragamo with a trivia quiz.
Kering, the world’s second largest luxury conglomerate, has decided to postpone its annual shareholders meeting, the latest major publicly quoted company in fashion to delay its ASM in the wake of coronavirus.
The French luxury giant, which owns Gucci and Saint Laurent, among other brands, predicts a 15% decrease in comparable sales in the first quarter ending March 31, as the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic takes its toll.
CEOs and designers in Paris fashion are praising Emmanuel Macron for taking decisive action this week in the struggle to control corona virus, even as the industry braces for a disastrous second quarter.
The French luxury group will internalise part of the embroidery work handmade in India by some of its sub-contractors, to boost the group’s expertise in the field and improve local workplace conditions.


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RIM could unveil its first tablet as early as next week, with a possible release planned for the end of the year. The tablet will have a brand-new operating system but will not include 3G connectivity. The Wall Street Journal’s Spencer Ante and Andrew Dowell discuss why the tablet release is critical for RIM, which has faced increased competition from Apple and Google in the smartphone market.
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Cirrus Logic on Wednesday announced a new chip that could cut the price for Flash-based digital music players to less than £70. The Maverick EP7409 processor, which will be available in full production quantities late this year, integrates many digital music player components onto a single chip, allowing for lower cost and reduced power consumption.
The company, based in Austin, Texas, said the new Maverick chip should also nearly double the length of time a player can operate on a single set of batteries.
Present players, which mainly use MP3 but can generally also play formats such as Windows Media Audio (WMA), are in demand because they can transfer Internet audio files from a PC, but they are far more expensive than a comparable portable tape or CD player.
The chip will begin sampling in the third quarter of this year and will begin full production in the fourth quarter. 128-pin and 144-pin versions are priced at $15.85 and $16.35 in quantities of 10,000 units.
See Chips Central for the latest on processors and the semiconductor industry.
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Ongoing problems with unauthorised distribution of Kingmax and Pioneer have come to a head with both vendors taking action to clear up their channels. Kingmax has suspended trading with one Australian partner while Pioneer is tackling the grey market head-on with significant price cuts on one of its DVR products.
Memory vendor, Kingmax, suspended its relationship with South African-based Rectron, over a row about parallel importing. This in turn affects its relationship with Melbourne-based Rectron Electronics.
Kingmax sales and marketing manager, Ken Barsley, said Kingmax Australia and Taiwan had suspended Rectron’s authorised reseller status pending further investigation into a significant problem the vendor had noticed with parallel imports in Melbourne.
“We’ve been aware of it for about the past 12 months, but haven’t been able to find the source,” Barsley said.
Kingmax had been tipped off as to the source of the unauthorised imports when a faulty module, sourced from South Africa, was returned under warranty, he said.
Rectron had already received a warning two weeks before the suspension, Barsley said.
While Rectron admitted it did not purchase through Kingmax Australia anymore, sales manager, Susan Chang, insisted that the company had done nothing wrong.
“All Kingmax products that Rectron South Africa and Australia are reselling are officially and legitimately purchasing from Kingmax Taiwan, which is their head office,” Chang said.
If Kingmax Australia felt “left out” by Rectron sourcing product overseas and wouldn’t honour customer warranties, “Rectron will undertake the warranty on behalf of Kingmax in Australia,” she said.
Kingmax had been covering warranties for unauthorised imports, Barsley said. But customers with faulty parallel imports might wait up to six months for replacements.
Locally sourced product had a same day replacement rate.
Kingmax was concerned that the delays could reflect badly upon resellers and its brand name, Barsley said.
He encouraged resellers to purchase through authorised channels.
Meanwhile, Pioneer Electronics Australia has been combatting parallel importing of its DVR-A06 writer by dropping its prices as well as trying to sell the benefits of buying through authorised channels to resellers and end-users.
Pioneer’s marketing manager for multimedia products, Simon Bartlett, said the vendor had taken action after customers complained about unauthorised product which didn’t match a Pioneer advertised product bundle.
The Pioneer advertisement promises Ulead software as well as a blank Maxwell DVD-R and DVD-RW disc, which did not come with the unauthorised product bundle, Bartlett said.
Sydney-based wholesaler, NaSa Multimedia, has been advertising its “independent importer” DVR-A06 bundle on the front page of its website, and offers a customer comparison of what is contained in the authorised bundle.
NaSa manager, Hong Liu, said the company wasn’t misleading Pioneer customers. It advertised a different product bundle.
Customers who had wished to purchase the authorised bundle could get a full refund, he said.
NaSa said dealers were benefiting from price competition which the wholesaler had created.
The product had dropped $200 in price in two months, he said.
Customers had been voting with their feet on the DVR-A06 bundle, Liu said.
“We sell 3000 units a month,” he said. “From our figures they sell 3500 a quarter.”
Pioneer had tackled the grey market problem head on with its “significant price drop” on the product, marketing manager for Pioneer distributor Lan 1, Glenn Jones, said.
The reduction of $30-$40 at the dealer level was an attempt to “drive the grey marketers out of business”, he said.
The vendor was also attempting to clamp down on unauthorised product through education, Jones said.
“The message we’ve been getting out to customers is that there are significant benefits in supporting the channel,” he said.
Pioneer was attempting to give the end-user “a very good experience” by providing everything they needed to use the product out of the box, Jones said.
“Technical support is less of an issue,” he said. “They’re going to support the product, no matter where it came from.”


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|By Marketwired .||
|November 21, 2012 10:50 AM EST||
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 11/21/12 -- skobbler (www.skobbler.com), a leading provider of mobile map-based solutions, today announced that ForeverMap 2 is now available on Android via Google Play. ForeverMap 2 delivers unparalleled anywhere, anytime map access to users, making it easier than ever to explore the world with your Android device. Android owners can download ForeverMap 2 by visiting http://bit.ly/T3SOgG.
Powered entirely by data from the OpenStreetMap -- a free and editable map of the world built by over 900,000 voluntary contributors using data from satellites, GPS logs, local knowledge, and other sources of geographic information -- ForeverMap 2 is one of the only map apps on Android that offer "hybrid" functionality, allowing users to switch between online or optional offline map access through in-app purchases of downloadable maps. Offline maps allow for fast and reliable results using only the device's GPS rather than a network connection, providing a flexible mapping service without the constraints of cellular carriers and excessive data fees. Whether you're trying to find directions to the nearest coffee shop or are headed overseas, ForeverMap 2 delivers worldwide map data to your disposal -- anytime, anywhere.
Unlike other map services available on Android smartphones and tablets, including Google Maps, upon purchase of a downloadable map upgrade, ForeverMap 2's offline functionality is unlimited, meaning routing and various search capabilities are provided in full. The offline capabilities are not at all diluted.
Users can download ForeverMap 2 for a one-time payment -- free map updates are provided for life -- of just $0.99 USD, with the option to upgrade and install the downloadable map upgrades for offline use, such as city ($0.99), state ($1.99), country ($2.99) or continent ($5.99) maps. Users can also purchase a worldwide map ($9.99), which includes access to all available in-app map upgrades. Each purchase is a one-time payment, no subscriptions required. Upon purchasing ForeverMap 2, users also receive one country map upgrade for free. The free country map upgrade can be a complete map of the US or otherwise -- the selection is completely up to the user, making it a great value.
In addition to its standout online and offline "hybrid" functionality, by using OpenStreetMap data, which is unmatched in terms of overall detail, ForeverMap 2 provides hyperlocal information beyond just the street level, making it particularly useful for outdoor activities, such as bicycling, hiking and camping. Intuitive map interactions and cutting-edge visuals, plus a user interface that quickly adapts to your screen, are powered by skobbler's advanced NGx map engine for mobile and make it easy to use ForeverMap 2 on any Android device -- whether smartphone or tablet.
"Next to Google Maps, this is, by far, the best map experience available today on Android," said Marcus Thielking, Co-Founder of skobbler. "Beyond hybrid functionality, the benefits provided by using OpenStreetMap data are unparalleled. We encourage everyone to try ForeverMap 2 and see for themselves. From the level of map detail provided, to the cutting edge visuals -- this is a game-changer."
Founded in 2008, Berlin-based skobbler (www.skobbler.com) is one of the premier players in mobile location-aware services. With over 3 million customers on iOS alone, skobbler has regularly topped overall and category app charts in more than 20 countries, leading the way in the development of location technology and end consumer products based on the OpenStreetMap. This experience also facilitates skobbler's development projects for third parties. Based on the skobbler GeOS map access technology, companies can base their location-aware web or mobile services on the OpenStreetMap.
The 20th International Cloud Expo has announced that its Call for Papers is open. Cloud Expo, to be held June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, brings together Cloud Computing, Big Data, Internet of Things, DevOps, Containers, Microservices and WebRTC to one location. With cloud computing driving a higher percentage of enterprise IT budgets every year, it becomes increasingly important to plant your flag in this fast-expanding business opportunity. Submit your speaking proposal ...
Dec. 4, 2016 12:45 PM EST Reads: 2,112
You have great SaaS business app ideas. You want to turn your idea quickly into a functional and engaging proof of concept. You need to be able to modify it to meet customers' needs, and you need to deliver a complete and secure SaaS application. How could you achieve all the above and yet avoid unforeseen IT requirements that add unnecessary cost and complexity? You also want your app to be responsive in any device at any time. In his session at 19th Cloud Expo, Mark Allen, General Manager of...
Dec. 4, 2016 12:30 PM EST Reads: 1,664
The Internet of Things (IoT) promises to simplify and streamline our lives by automating routine tasks that distract us from our goals. This promise is based on the ubiquitous deployment of smart, connected devices that link everything from industrial control systems to automobiles to refrigerators. Unfortunately, comparatively few of the devices currently deployed have been developed with an eye toward security, and as the DDoS attacks of late October 2016 have demonstrated, this oversight can ...
Dec. 4, 2016 12:00 PM EST Reads: 746
"ReadyTalk is an audio and web video conferencing provider. We've really come to embrace WebRTC as the platform for our future of technology," explained Dan Cunningham, CTO of ReadyTalk, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at WebRTC Summit at 19th Cloud Expo, held November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Dec. 4, 2016 11:45 AM EST Reads: 368
Bert Loomis was a visionary. This general session will highlight how Bert Loomis and people like him inspire us to build great things with small inventions. In their general session at 19th Cloud Expo, Harold Hannon, Architect at IBM Bluemix, and Michael O'Neill, Strategic Business Development at Nvidia, discussed the accelerating pace of AI development and how IBM Cloud and NVIDIA are partnering to bring AI capabilities to "every day," on-demand. They also reviewed two "free infrastructure" pr...
Dec. 4, 2016 11:15 AM EST Reads: 890
Major trends and emerging technologies – from virtual reality and IoT, to Big Data and algorithms – are helping organizations innovate in the digital era. However, to create real business value, IT must think beyond the ‘what’ of digital transformation to the ‘how’ to harness emerging trends, innovation and disruption. Architecture is the key that underpins and ties all these efforts together. In the digital age, it’s important to invest in architecture, extend the enterprise footprint to the cl...
Dec. 4, 2016 11:15 AM EST Reads: 2,194
"Dice has been around for the last 20 years. We have been helping tech professionals find new jobs and career opportunities," explained Manish Dixit, VP of Product and Engineering at Dice, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 19th Cloud Expo, held November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Dec. 4, 2016 10:45 AM EST Reads: 871
More and more brands have jumped on the IoT bandwagon. We have an excess of wearables – activity trackers, smartwatches, smart glasses and sneakers, and more that track seemingly endless datapoints. However, most consumers have no idea what “IoT” means. Creating more wearables that track data shouldn't be the aim of brands; delivering meaningful, tangible relevance to their users should be. We're in a period in which the IoT pendulum is still swinging. Initially, it swung toward "smart for smar...
Dec. 4, 2016 09:45 AM EST Reads: 541
Successful digital transformation requires new organizational competencies and capabilities. Research tells us that the biggest impediment to successful transformation is human; consequently, the biggest enabler is a properly skilled and empowered workforce. In the digital age, new individual and collective competencies are required. In his session at 19th Cloud Expo, Bob Newhouse, CEO and founder of Agilitiv, drew together recent research and lessons learned from emerging and established compa...
Dec. 4, 2016 09:30 AM EST Reads: 795
Extracting business value from Internet of Things (IoT) data doesn’t happen overnight. There are several requirements that must be satisfied, including IoT device enablement, data analysis, real-time detection of complex events and automated orchestration of actions. Unfortunately, too many companies fall short in achieving their business goals by implementing incomplete solutions or not focusing on tangible use cases. In his general session at @ThingsExpo, Dave McCarthy, Director of Products...
Dec. 4, 2016 09:30 AM EST Reads: 604
Businesses and business units of all sizes can benefit from cloud computing, but many don't want the cost, performance and security concerns of public cloud nor the complexity of building their own private clouds. Today, some cloud vendors are using artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify cloud deployment and management. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Ajay Gulati, Co-founder and CEO of ZeroStack, will discuss how AI can simplify cloud operations. He will cover the following topics: why clou...
Dec. 4, 2016 08:00 AM EST Reads: 707
The WebRTC Summit New York, to be held June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, announces that its Call for Papers is now open. Topics include all aspects of improving IT delivery by eliminating waste through automated business models leveraging cloud technologies. WebRTC Summit is co-located with 20th International Cloud Expo and @ThingsExpo. WebRTC is the future of browser-to-browser communications, and continues to make inroads into the traditional, difficult, plug-in web ...
Dec. 4, 2016 06:45 AM EST Reads: 1,233
In his keynote at 18th Cloud Expo, Andrew Keys, Co-Founder of ConsenSys Enterprise, provided an overview of the evolution of the Internet and the Database and the future of their combination – the Blockchain. Andrew Keys is Co-Founder of ConsenSys Enterprise. He comes to ConsenSys Enterprise with capital markets, technology and entrepreneurial experience. Previously, he worked for UBS investment bank in equities analysis. Later, he was responsible for the creation and distribution of life sett...
Dec. 4, 2016 06:15 AM EST Reads: 6,981
20th Cloud Expo, taking place June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world. Cloud computing is now being embraced by a majority of enterprises of all sizes. Yesterday's debate about public vs. private has transformed into the reality of hybrid cloud: a recent survey shows that 74% of enterprises have a hybrid cloud strategy.
Dec. 4, 2016 05:30 AM EST Reads: 1,769
WebRTC is the future of browser-to-browser communications, and continues to make inroads into the traditional, difficult, plug-in web communications world. The 6th WebRTC Summit continues our tradition of delivering the latest and greatest presentations within the world of WebRTC. Topics include voice calling, video chat, P2P file sharing, and use cases that have already leveraged the power and convenience of WebRTC.
Dec. 4, 2016 04:30 AM EST Reads: 1,568
Amazon has gradually rolled out parts of its IoT offerings, but these are just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to optimizing their backend AWS offerings, Amazon is laying the ground work to be a major force in IoT - especially in the connected home and office. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Chris Kocher, founder and managing director of Grey Heron, explained how Amazon is extending its reach to become a major force in IoT by building on its dominant cloud IoT platform, its Dash Button strat...
Dec. 4, 2016 04:00 AM EST Reads: 6,238
Internet-of-Things discussions can end up either going down the consumer gadget rabbit hole or focused on the sort of data logging that industrial manufacturers have been doing forever. However, in fact, companies today are already using IoT data both to optimize their operational technology and to improve the experience of customer interactions in novel ways. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Gordon Haff, Red Hat Technology Evangelist, will share examples from a wide range of industries – includin...
Dec. 4, 2016 03:45 AM EST Reads: 1,585
"We build IoT infrastructure products - when you have to integrate different devices, different systems and cloud you have to build an application to do that but we eliminate the need to build an application. Our products can integrate any device, any system, any cloud regardless of protocol," explained Peter Jung, Chief Product Officer at Pulzze Systems, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at @ThingsExpo, held November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Dec. 4, 2016 02:15 AM EST Reads: 894
"Once customers get a year into their IoT deployments, they start to realize that they may have been shortsighted in the ways they built out their deployment and the key thing I see a lot of people looking at is - how can I take equipment data, pull it back in an IoT solution and show it in a dashboard," stated Dave McCarthy, Director of Products at Bsquare Corporation, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at @ThingsExpo, held November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Dec. 3, 2016 11:00 PM EST Reads: 977
The cloud promises new levels of agility and cost-savings for Big Data, data warehousing and analytics. But it’s challenging to understand all the options – from IaaS and PaaS to newer services like HaaS (Hadoop as a Service) and BDaaS (Big Data as a Service). In her session at @BigDataExpo at @ThingsExpo, Hannah Smalltree, a director at Cazena, provided an educational overview of emerging “as-a-service” options for Big Data in the cloud. This is critical background for IT and data professionals...
Dec. 3, 2016 11:00 PM EST Reads: 4,176


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Dunmurry firm launches new heat ventilation product
A major investment in research and development has helped a Belfast engineering company to launch an innovative new product.
Dunmurry-based Brookvent has introduced aircycle 3.1, a heat recovery ventilation system.
Brookvent has been manufacturing and supplying energy-saving ventilation products for the residential sector since 1984. Exports account for more than 35% of sales and the company has major contracts in Eastern Europe, serviced from its office in Poland.
The new product was developed with £675,000 from the Growth Loan Fund, a £50m fund provided by Invest NI and the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC). In addition, Invest NI gave the company a grant of almost £50,000.
Managing director Declan Gormley said the company's innovative approach was helping it to win business against global competitors.