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Georgia-Pacific Supports National Clean Hands Week
In honor of National Clean Hands Week, Sept. 20 through 26, Georgia-Pacific Professional is making a poster available online to promote good hand hygiene practices among elementary school children. The poster and accompanying hand washing and drying handout features Germ-Jitsu Mo, Georgia-Pacific Professional’s VP of Hygiene and Chairman of Cool, who teaches students how to help kick germs out of the classroom. The poster is available at www.GPPRO.com/HealthSmart.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports hand washing as one of the most preventive measures against the spread of disease, and Georgia-Pacific Professional is committed to doing its part to help educate the public about proper hand washing practices. The offering of the Mo Germ-Jitsu Poster and hand washing and drying handout is one way Georgia-Pacific Professional is taking action.
“Proper hand washing and drying with a paper towel are the foundations of successful infection control practices,” says Craig Yardley, VP and General Manager - towel category, Georgia-Pacific Professional. “As a leading provider of hand hygiene products, we feel it is part of our responsibility to promote good hand washing and drying practices, and we are proud to be taking this initiative at such a critical time in disease prevention.”
Consumers can learn more about the hand hygiene campaign as well as download a copy of the hand-washing poster by visiting www.gppro.com/HealthSmart.
Disclaimer: Please note that Facebook comments are posted through Facebook and cannot be approved, edited or declined by CleanLink.com. The opinions expressed in Facebook comments do not necessarily reflect those of CleanLink.com or its staff. To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines.


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Dior Homme spring 2018 collection, designed by Kris Van Assche, Creative Director of Dior Homme, and embodied by the actor and House muse Robert Pattinson in the new campaign photographed by Karl Lagerfeld.
Nick Young was featured in GQ & Neiman Marcus for their latest Spring 2017 shoot. Four pro-basketball’s were chosen for GQ x Neiman Marcus Spring 2017 Lookbook. Participating athletes include Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, along with Aaron Gordon.
We have all been waiting for the release of Gucci’s Pre Fall 2017 campaign . Gucci teased us in January and released a sneak peek series of casting videos, that was featured and posted to Gucci’s official Instagram page .
We are so excited to see the release of the Gucci Pre-Fall 2017 campaign, which features an all black model cast . The campaign is Titled “Soul Scene,” .
Sidibe, photographed parties in Mali , and Bamako . Gucci was also inspired by England’s Northern Soul movement, a musical era influenced by African American soul music.

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A Silicon Valley start-up called Dishcrawl is launching an event in Saratoga, CA on August 31, 2011 at 7PM. The idea is that Dishcrawl takes food lovers on a gourmet adventure to four distinctive restaurants in one night. Dishcrawlers will get the opportunity to dine at Sent Sovi, Da Mario, and Uncorked to name a few.
It’s a community event, focused on getting to know local chefs, owners, and neighbors. Dishcrawl is founded on the premise that communities can be brought together through good food and good company. The neighborhood inspired mission allows folks a reason to get out, socially engage with the community while giving restaurants a new way to get in front of the diners of Saratoga and the Bay Area. Tickets, which include all the food for one night, are $45 and can be purchased at their website.
Founder Tracy Lee explains the basic premise of a dishcrawl, “I grew up in Cupertino, so Saratoga has a special place in my heart. I love the little local restaurants and it’ll be like exploring my “hometown”. I’m happy to share the experience of Dishcrawl with friends and faces that know the town just as well as I do, as well as welcome new folks into the beautiful city! We launch in Saratoga with the mission to build a vibrant community around the local restaurants.”
View their segment on NBC Bay Area http://vimeo.com/20363303.


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Home Tags Cruise ship
Tag: cruise ship
Spain’s Malaga port to welcome seven cruise ship calls in February despite low season
IN a typically quiet month for cruise activity to Malaga, the international seaport will welcome seven cruise line stopovers this month—almost four times more...
Mega yacht that has two helicopters, submarine set to sail into Malaga port
An astronaut from NASA will make an appearance in Malaga as an important maritime luxury sails into the port in June. The Andalucian port city...
Cruise ship passenger feared dead after falling overboard west of Spain’s Balearic Islands
AUTHORITIES are searching for a female cruise ship passenger who fell overboard on Sunday morning. The unnamed passenger fell into the water at 2.00 am...
MSC Cruises chooses Spain’s Malaga as port of embarkation for 29 calls next summer
MSC Cruises, the third largest cruise company in the world, reinforces its presence in the city of Malaga, which will be the port of...
Windstar Cruises returns to Spain’s Malaga port with one of the largest sailboats in the world
THE largest sailing ship in the world, the Wind Surf, is due to dock today at Malaga Port. This spectacular, 187-metre long, sailing ship, considered...
FLAG-RANT: Fabian Picardo steps in after American cruise ship infuriates Gibraltar with ‘Welcome to Gibraltor’ message printed on Spanish...
Fabian Picardo demanded that the captain of ship, from the US-based Holland America company, write a formal letter of apology
WATCH: Dramatic moment British tourist airlifted from cruise ship by helicopter off coast of Spain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uezUbVUZKSA THIS is the moment a sick British tourist was airlifted from a P&O cruise ship 130 miles from the Spanish coast. The Maritime Safety and...
All aboard the five-star Sunborn Hotel in Gibraltar
A massive former cruise liner, there were plenty sceptical that it would not take off
La Sala restaurant in Gibraltar is really making waves
The new La Sala restaurant is really making waves thanks to an expected sprinkling of glitz and glamour, writes Jon Clarke
Five people dead after being trapped under a lifeboat
Cruise ship tragedy as lifeboat falls 65ft from docked liner in La Palma and crushes five crew members
Explosion rocks Gibraltar
Initial concern of terrorist attack in Cruise Line Terminal has left 'serious injuries'
Cruise ship does a U-turn
A passenger boarded the wrong cruise ship forcing it to turn around


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The 5 Things You Should Expect From The Upcoming iPhone 6
Everyone is certain we’re going to see the new iPhone in 2014. It’s also looking pretty certain that Apple might follow its own footsteps by releasing two iPhone handset, instead of just one. Rumours suggest there will be two versions available with two different sized screens: 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch. And the rumors are, it’s likely to be called the iPhone Air. Though we have to wait till it releases to see what Apple planning to do with next instalment of iPhone. Until then, we are listing 5 things about iPhone 6 that you should expect from the next iPhone:
1. Improved Camera
Its the feature everyone looks for the most, and Apple’s always put huge resources behind improving its cameras. More importantly, Apple’s filed a patent for a particular kind of image stabilization in a smart phone; it will reportedly increase the size of the pixels in its 8-megapixel sensor; and apparently there’s a “Super Resolution Mode” in the next version of the camera app. We have something something remarkable heading our way.
2. Online Payments Using TouchID
Apple has almost 800 million iTunes accounts and hundreds of millions of credit cards on file, and all working towards larger option for users to buy things on their phone. It would take on PayPal and Google Wallet, and could launch alongside the new iPhone. TouchID would be Apple’s ultimate weapon, paying for everything online with your fingerprint is both secure and simple, and a “Pay with iTunes” of sorts could be a huge revenue magnet for Apple.
3. Lightning Port Headphone Jack
There is a possibility of Apple killing classic 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of the company’s propriety Lightning Port. The company has introduced a new design for manufacturers in its made-for-iPhone (MFi) program that will let them to produce headphones with Lightning connectors. The new type of headphones will be able to make the change between analogue to digital audio with an elevated lossless stereo 48 kHz digital output, it would in addition convert the traditional headphones into a smart device.
4. Placement of Buttons
With the flood of iPhone 6 mockups there is a good idea of what the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 might look like. Expect a thinner iPhone between 6-7mm and more metal with curved edges that make it look more like an iPad Air or mini. The new volume buttons are slimmer to fit on this new edge and the power button is now on the right side. This new power button placement is crucial as it allows users to reach the button more easily.
5. Hiked Price
There’s one thing we can be sure about when it comes to the iPhone 6 – it won’t be cheap. Apple’s legacy is a long line of premium devices sporting premium price tags and you can expect that trend to continue with the iPhone 6. One analyst even goes as far as predicting that Apple will hike up the price of the iPhone 6, possibly by as much as $100. With a larger screen, new glass covering the front and possibly even a new, more impressive, material used in construction, we can already foresee the price being hiked.


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Boots is introducing free ‘Rehydrate Stations’ to help fight plastic pollution. The international pharmacy chain has launched the drinking fountains in its flagship Covent Garden store in London.
Founded in the UK, Boots is now a subsidiary of the international holding company Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. The Walgreens Boots Alliance collectively operates in over 25 countries.
In a recent press release, Boots has indicated that the new format will eventually be adopted by all 2,500 branches.
“Brand new Beauty and Wellness halls will introduce exciting new brands, innovative experiences, and access to expert advice,” says Sebastian James, Managing Director, Boots UK and ROI. “There will be a rehydration point for refilling water bottles and an Innocent bar for people to pick up snacks.”
“There will be no single-use plastic bags used in the new store; they have been replaced with unbleached paper bags,” explains James. “This is a continuation of Boots journey to reduce plastic use across the business with expected usage down across the chain by over 1000 tonnes this year alone.”
“Our new Covent Garden store starts a journey of reinventing Boots for the future,” says James. “The store is full of exciting beauty brands, ideas for living well and services to help you get better, all with the great care that Boots colleagues give.”
The new store format also includes a Vegan Wellness Spotlight for cruelty-free cosmetics and plant-based beauty projects, an area that Boots has previously expanded by stocking and producing more vegan-friendly products.
Superdrug – the second-largest health and beauty retailer in the UK after Boots – has also expanded its line of vegan and cruelty-free products to match this increased consumer demand. Last year the chain even opened a completely vegan store in London which exclusively sells cruelty-free makeup, skincare, and perfume.
“We’ve seen more and more of our customers are choosing products which are vegan,” Gemma Mason, Superdrug’s Head of Customer Experience, said to Cosmetics Business. “Even if they don’t live a totally vegan lifestyle they want to ensure the products they put on their skin don’t include animal derivatives.”


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Sean Murray of Hello Games announced on Twitter that, contrary to recent reports, the PC version of No Man's Sky will release on August 12 alongside the PS4 version.
"I really want to clarify our PC release date. It's something we're working extremely hard on," Murray tweeted. "PC NMS release will now be global and will be August 12th worldwide. It's so important we get it right and make the best version we can."
Originally, it looked like PS4 owners would get No Man's Sky on August 9, leaving PC owners to wait three agonizing days before charting their own course through the game's procedurally generated galaxy.
Of course, we're all behind that one guy who paid thousands of dollars for a leaked copy on eBay—and who already made it to the center of the galaxy, "beating" the game in so far as No Man's Sky can be beaten.
"There are reasons we have to be tight lipped at times. I'm sorry for the confusion caused," Murray concluded in a final tweet.


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With its mobile web pages, NuernbergMesse has reacted to the increased demand for the Internet using smartphones and other mobile devices. Information about visits to NuernbergMesse tradeshows can be accessed on-the-go when entering the Internet address www.nuernbergmesse.de or a number of event websites while using a mobile device.
“The NuernbergMesse allows the exhibitor and visitor to prepare their visit to the trade fair in a much more comfortable way,” said Roland Fleck, managing director, NuernbergMesse. About 20 tradeshow websites should be available by the end of the year, and 17 are up and running.
By mid 2013, the number of mobile devices with which you can access the Internet will be more than the number of stationary PCs according to Gartner, a global analyst in the IT world. And the new mobile application means tradeshow attendees at events run by NuernbergMesse can have critical information at their fingertips.
“Exhibitors and visitors should be able to access important information at any time during their trip to Nuremberg,” said Petra Weinzierl, head of the new media team at NuernbergMesse.
Events for which mobile information is available through the new mobile application are BioFach, Brau Beviale, Chillventa, embedded world, FachPack, fensterbau/frontale, FeuerTRUTZ, GaLaBau, HOLZ-HANDWERK, Interzoo, it-sa, IWA & OutdoorClassics, mailingtage, POWTECH, TechnoPharm and Vivaness as well as the mobile news portal “oneco“ (BioFach) and the corporate website of NuernbergMesse.


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Brit named as new host of The Late Late Show
The very first season pass for a Lego videogame will include 6 DLC packs, over 40 unlockable characters, vehicles, achievements and more.
The upcoming horror-thriller title has gone gold ahead of its release next month.
Warner Bros’ upcoming fantasy-action-adventure title has been delayed from October until November.
Rocksteady Games’ upcoming final instalment in the Batman: Arkham series will launch worldwide in June 2015.
Hangover actor to star in upcoming biopic of the legendary comic
For those who pre-order the title through an exclusive UK retailer, they’ll receive the character Goro when it releases in April 2015.
Whilst a sequel to the horror-thriller title has been postponed, Sam Lake assures fans that the door to a sequel hasn’t been closed.
Fernando Agaoito Jr., best known as Yeardley Diamond on YouTube, passes away at 29 due to cardiac arrest.
Titled Bad Blood, it will feature an all-new story campaign, new side missions available in single or co-op mode, new weapons, and outfits.
NBA Live 15 will feature enhanced player likenesses, new body types, updated footwear and accessories this October.
Having already been brought forward once, The Evil Within has been brought forward yet again in Europe.
Dead or Alive 5: Last Round will be launching on next-gen and last-gen consoles in Spring 2015.
Developers from the likes of Ubisoft, Sony, Microsoft, Crystal Dynamics and more want an end to hateful and harassing comments.


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Green Growth Brands will seek more licenses and aims to top $150 million revenue from the state as its stores mature, CEO Peter Horvath said in a release In all, the state will issue 64 licenses in this round, doubling the number of stores.
Xanthic Biopharma d/b/a Green Growth Brands (OTCMKTS:XTHCF) has received seven retail cannabis dispensary licenses from the Nevada Department of Taxation. “Our presence in Nevada has been strategic from the start. With 3 million residents and 42 million annual visitors this is a market like no other, which is why we chose Nevada as the first state where we will present the full expression of our brands, products and services. At maturity, we see Nevada as a consumer market that represents USD$150 to $250 million in revenue potential to GGB with ten or more dispensaries across multiple brand formats,” CEO Peter Horvath said in a press statement.
Since embarking upon adult-recreational legalization last July, the state of Nevada continues to break its own cannabis sales records. Nevada's successes point to an intriguing potential should the federal government move closer to national legalization, which would benefit cannabis companies inside and out of the state, including Green Growth Brands (CSE: GGB), Medmen Enterprises Inc. (CSE: MMEN) (OTC: MMNFF), HEXO Corp. (TSX: HEXO)(OTC: HYYDF), CV Sciences, Inc. (OTC: CVSI), and Green Thumb Industries Inc. (CSE: GTII) (OTC: GTBIF).
"Cannabis Company Backed by Retail Fortune Eyes East Coast Expansion"
"Opinion: The future of cannabis retail is simple, integrated, and welcoming"
“Unlike big names in production at centre of cannabis frenzy, company plans to focus on retail side of things”
"Former Victoria Secret executive raises $85 million for cannabis startup…"
"Green Growth Brands completes upsized raise of $85 million to satisfy investor demand."
"Green Growth Brands announced it has completed a raise of C$85 million ($65.7 million) in a private placement…"


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Last week, a select group of up-and-coming and industry-leading beverage brands convened in Santa Monica, CA for the invitation-only [BLUE BOX] 2018 Conference; a full day of collaboration, storytelling, knowledge-sharing and inspiration. According to the organizers, “[BLUE BOX] was born out of a desire to produce a highly differentiated beverage industry conference…one that digs deep to discover the many factors at play in the innovation of new brands and the disruption of beverage segments.” Based on previous work 3Degrees has done in the beverage industry, I was pleased to receive an invitation to attend the conference to gain deeper insight into this fast-growing industry; 3Degrees also offset the full carbon footprint of the event.
There were several key themes from the conference, most of which revolved around identifying and exploring emerging trends in Beverage. Bill Anderson, Founder and CEO of First Beverage Group, the organizer of [BLUE BOX], acknowledged that traditionally the beverage industry has been slow-moving, conservative and entrenched. Old-guard beverage suppliers have not been keeping pace with emerging consumer trends and have done very little to shake up the industry. New market entrants and ‘disruptors’ in the beverage space, however, understand the importance of paying close attention to consumer cues. Following are some of my key takeaways.
CONSUMERS ARE BECOMING PART OF THE STORY
Ian Beacraft, vp, group director: digital strategy at the data-driven marketing agency, Epsilon, noted that by the year 2020, Gen Z will comprise 40% of total consumers. These young consumers are familiar and comfortable interacting with brands. In fact, 40% expect to communicate with brands 24/7, with social media being the primary, and in many cases, the only way to connect. With this kind of unfettered access to brands, consumers are now engaging at such a level that they are themselves becoming part of the brand story and are influencing the narrative.
BUILDING AN AUTHENTIC BRAND NARRATIVE
Given these insights, it’s no wonder that so many conversations at [BLUE BOX] revolved around brand storytelling. Younger, savvier consumers can recognize when brands are not being authentic, and they vote with their wallets. Now more than ever, brands are aligning themselves with a mission, story or emotion that is relatable, approachable and speaks to the values of their consumers. This is especially true for new market players.
According to the 2017 Edelman Earned Brand study, “57% of consumers around the world will buy or boycott a brand solely because of its position on a social or political issue.” All this is to say, to succeed in a very saturated consumer packaged goods market, companies need to find meaningful ways to stand out and be relevant to an ever-growing and engaged market segment. Studies show that integrating an authentic mission into the very DNA of a brand can be an effective way to achieve this. Which brings me to my final takeaway, one that has been a foundation of my career and has developed into my life’s mission – advocating for sustainability in the fight against climate change.
SUSTAINABILITY’S ROLE IN STORYTELLING
Since co-founding 3Degrees over a decade ago, I have seen the motivations for addressing climate goals of the average corporate multinational shift towards proactive, voluntary action. Increasingly, companies understand that taking action to address their greenhouse gas emissions can positively affect every aspect of their business – from cost to resiliency to innovation. And, consistent with both the research statistics above and the conversation among the [BLUE BOX] participants, consumer pressure is frequently a driving force for companies to decide to take action on climate change. In fact, 53% of CDP reporting companies listed climate-related reputation as an inherent risk to their business. By committing to sustainability goals and effectively communicating their action to address climate change, brands are able to build a reputation for social responsibility, which brings us back to that authentic brand narrative, one increasingly desired by today’s – and tomorrow’s – customers.
Participating in [BLUE BOX] 2018 left me inspired by the energy of these new and well-established beverage brands alike. It is reassuring to know that doing the right thing for the environment is not at the detriment of building a successful business. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Companies today have to be about more than making money if they want any chance at building the defining brands of tomorrow.


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Shares of Yahoo! (YHOO) are falling 5 percent in after-hours trading tonight after the company reported first quarter earnings of 10 cents per share, a penny below analyst estimates. If you are an investor in the company, here are five reasons to sell your stock:
1) They are overhyping Panama
CEO Terry Semel and company have been hyping their new ad platform, Panama, ever since it launched. Yahoo! stock has risen 25% so far in 2007 mostly due to the fact that it appeared the new system would really boost results. With first quarter profits below expectations and second quarter guidance in-line with projections, it appears they are overhyping Panama’s potential and any benefits from it are clearly priced into the shares already.
2) Growth in the U.S. is over
I was amazed when I saw this figure in their press release. Revenue in the United States for the first quarter was $1.1 billion, growth of zero percent over 2006. This should be a red flag. It’s true that international market opportunities trounce those domestically, but Yahoo! stock is selling for prices that reflect a high growth Internet leader. With no growth in the U.S. it will hard for the company to deliver superior results going forward.
3) Their time has passed
There was a time when Yahoo! was hot. Those days are over. Their email is still popular and I pay them 20 bucks a year for their fantasy sports program, StatTracker, but Google is eating their lunch in search and other properties Yahoo! bought a long time ago to diversify out of search (HotJobs, etc) just are not going to be growth engines. They just can’t stand out from the crowd anymore.
4) Google is eating their lunch
When Google reports first quarter numbers on Thursday, you won’t see U.S. growth anywhere near zero. Google has taken over Yahoo!’s leadership position in search and internet advertising and has the cash stockpile to continue to innovate and grow faster than Yahoo! can. There is certainly room for more than one player in this market, but without major changes at Yahoo! it is hard to see how they will reinvent themselves.
5) Google shares are cheaper
This is best reason of all to sell the stock. Google has the momentum, more growth, more resources, and amazingly, a cheaper stock! Google shares trade at a 2007 p/E of 33, versus 59 for Yahoo. Why not just sell your Yahoo! shares and buy Google? There is more growth potential and even if you believe the potential to be a little overhyped, you are paying a lower multiple of earnings to get a faster growing business anyway.
Full disclosure: Long Google and short Yahoo! at time of writing


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You have been warned! Hilarious snaps reveal signs created by people weary of others who don’t get subtlety
- Pets Reporter rounded up a selection of hilarious signs from around the world
- Many snaps show signs with very sarcastic warnings about potential danger
- One supermarket offered advice to those who don’t like their sharing food
In a world where we’re constantly being bombarded with information it may be necessary to shock people to get their attention, as proven by these quirky signs.
Pets Reporter rounded up a selection of hilarious signs from around the world that have gone viral on social media – and it will make you take a closer look at the displays you usually walk past.
From advice that you must be faster than a bull to use a crossing, many of the snaps show signs with very sarcastic warnings about potential danger.
The gallery also includes a supermarket with a display advising customers to buy their spouse’s least favourite flavour of crisps to avoid sharing.
Pets Reporter rounded up a selection of hilarious signs from around the world that have gone viral on social media, including a warning that you must be faster than a bull to cross a pasture
Use at your own peril! A sign displayed on a computer warns users they’re being watched with a hilarious illustration of a computer monitor
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One shop owner who is fed up with customers walking into their clear door, displayed a sign reminding customers to open the door before entering
Another hilarious snap believed to have been taken in the US, shows a fed up boss trying to make contact with their missing employee using a billboard
Walking on the wild side! A lifeguard who is fed up of people being injured along the coast displayed a sign revealing they’re ready for claims in court
One site manager displayed a graphic sign of how pedestrians could be injured if they ignore the caution sign
Another individual made a grammatical error on their parking sign, suggesting illegally parked cars won’t face any consequences
Mistakes happen! A supermarket penned a sign advising customers who don’t like sharing to ‘accidentally’ buy crisps their spouse won’t like
One person spotted a bizarre sign advising people not to try diving in the toilet bowl because it could cause permanent injury
Another individual snapped a sign believed to have been displayed in the US, offering the opportunity to purchase a used parachute that has never opened
You’re not animal food! A zoo keeper who is fed up of people falling into the animal’s cage, warned accidents could make the creatures unwell
A sign at a corn field attempted to reassure visitors that if they get lost someone will rescue them within a week
Fly away! Another sign urges people to focus on escaping the building instead of posting on social media during a fire
Source: Read Full Article


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Debenhams administrator fees hit £5m
The administrators to Debenhams have made £5.3 million in fees in the two years since the department store chain filed for insolvency.
FRP Advisory was appointed to Debenhams in April 2020 after the retailer went bankrupt for a second time, shortly after lockdowns forced the closure of its stores. It oversaw the sale of the 200-year-old department store’s brand and website to Boohoo for £55 million last January.
The deal with Boohoo resulted in 12,000 job losses and 124 store closures. Almost 90 per cent of the chain’s former shops remain unoccupied.
According to new documents, Debenhams’ hedge funds have now received £314 million from the administration process, while unsecured creditors — including local authorities, HM Revenue & Customs and defined benefit pension schemes — are unlikely to receive any return.
It is understood there were about £200 million of trade creditor claims at the time of administration. The hedge funds have made most of their money back from the sale of the Danish business Magasin du Nord for £120 million.
The administrators’ report reveals that FRP partners’ charges had increased from £495-£595 an hour to between £595-£695, while a junior professional and support staff rate had also risen from £150-£195 to between £175 and £245. An FRP spokesman declined to comment.
Debenhams was one of Britain’s oldest names in retailing, starting out in 1778 as a single drapery shop in London.
Industry experts have blamed its brief spell of private equity ownership for its demise, as sale and leaseback agreements resulted in huge returns for the buyout firms but saddled the store with expensive and lengthy contracts that made it almost impossible to close branches, despite shop sales sliding.
The retailer first filed for administration in 2019 — a move that handed control to a consortium of hedge funds, led by Silver Point Capital, Alcentra and Golden Tree, while shareholders, including Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, were wiped out.


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Nintendo Switch Linux Hack
Someone has hacked the Switch, but it is not all goof news.
SlashGear – By: Eric Abent – “For as long as consoles have been around, people have been hacking them. Nintendo in particular has a long and storied history with hackers, especially with its more modern consoles. Healthy homebrew scenes popped up around the Wii, DS, and 3DS, and now that the Switch is on the scene, hackers have turned their attention to it.
Toward the end of last year, a team of hackers created an exploit tool that allowed for homebrew on the Switch, but there was one major drawback. As the exploit ran on Switch firmware version 3.0.0, it meant that those who applied it (and wanted to keep it) weren’t able to play Super Mario Odyssey, one of the console’s must-own games. The fact that there isn’t a significant amount of homebrew applications for the Switch just yet is also a problem, but it’s one that will fix itself as time goes on.
Now, however, we’re hearing of new progress on the homebrew front. A group called fail0verflow (which some of you will already be familiar with) posted a very intriguing image to Twitter a few days back, showing the Switch running Linux. The folks over at Nintendo Life got in touch with fail0verflow today, and the group makes some pretty big claims about the potential longevity of this exploit.
According to fail0verflow, this exploit can’t be fixed by a future firmware update by Nintendo. That’s big talk, but if it’s true, it means good things for a homebrew community that has been trying to gain a foothold when it comes to hacking the Switch.
Of course, the flip side of that benefit for the homebrew community is that an exploit that can’t be patched is bad news for Nintendo, as it opens the platform up to piracy. Indeed, whatever advances the homebrew community makes always seem to go hand-in-hand with an increase in piracy, so you can bet that Nintendo will be looking for a way to fix this exploit regardless of fail0verflow’s claims. Stay tuned.”


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NASA satellite sent into space by Sally Ride in the 80s will come crashing down this weekend. But the odds of being hit are 1-in-9,400.
NASA said the concern of being hit by falling debris from the satellite is "very low," maintaining there's only a 1 in 9,400 chance anyone is harmed.
The incredible life of Sally Ride, who became the 1st American woman in space after answering an ad in her college paper
Sally Ride went to space twice for Space Shuttle Challenger missions, and spent her life spreading her passion for science.
Read the 40-word letter astronaut Sally Ride wrote to NASA that led to her becoming the 1st American woman in space
Sally Ride went to space twice, and spent her life spreading a passion for science and advocating for better science education.
Lego's all-female 'Women of NASA' toy set is already selling like crazy
The "Women of NASA" toy set went on sale November 1. It follows a powerful trend of Lego selling products that are more female-inclusive.
Lego is selling a 'Women of NASA' set featuring 4 female scientists, engineers, and astronauts
Lego's new "Women of NASA" figurine kit goes on sale Nov. 1 for $24.99 and includes a mini Space Shuttle Challenger and Hubble Space Telescope.


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This serves two strategic purposes for Google. First, it advances a codec that's de facto controlled by Google at the expense of a codec that is a legitimate open standard controlled by a multi-vendor governance process managed by reputable international standards bodies. ("Open source" != "open standard".) And second, it will slow the transition to HTML5 and away from Flash by creating more confusion about which codec to use for HTML5 video, which benefits Google by hurting Apple (since Apple doesn't want to support Flash), but also sucks for users.
It is, in other words, a thoroughly nasty bit of work. It's not quite as bad as selling consumers down the river to Verizon on 'net neutrality, but it's close. And if Google is actually successful in making WebM, not H.264, the standard codec for web video, they're literally going to render hundreds of billions of dollars worth of tablets, smartphones, set-top boxes, etc. with H.264 hardware support obsolete.
"But wait!", the OSS fans are saying. "Isn't Google really standing up for freedom and justice, because H.264 requires evil patent licensing?"
No. Expert opinion [multimedia.cx] is that WebM infringes on numerous patents in the H.264 pool, and will need a licensing pool of its own to be set up, just like Microsoft's VC-1 did. So the patents are a wash. This is Google manipulating the market entirely for selfish advantage here, and it's all the worse because they're pretending otherwise. And it's going to be really frustrating watching people fall for it.
Tips for Hiring Security Guard Companies in Los Angeles - Security is a paramount concern for businesses, residential complexes, events, and institutions in Los Angeles. To safeguard assets, ensure the safety of...
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Someone takes a pill and doctors watch as the tiny camera it contains wends its way through the colon. It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, but it is a reality already in use worldwide. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a pill camera made by Given Imaging Ltd. for colorectal cancer screenings. The company received approval for a similar pill that shoots images of the small intestine in 2001.
Called the PillCam COLON, the digestible pill camera has been approved for use in screening for polyps and early signs of colorectal cancer. Originally touted as an alternative to a colonoscopy, the device was found in testing to be not as effective as a colonoscopy. The images taken the by cameras are not as crisp as those used during traditional colonoscopies, so the company pursued a more limited use for its device. This allowed Given Imaging to receive FDA approval for use of its pill camera on those who have trouble undergoing a complete colonoscopy.
A colonoscopy is an invasive procedure where four-foot long tube containing a camera is inserted in the rectum to reach the colon. It offers a more comprehensive view of the colon than Given Imaging’s PillCam COLON does. However, an estimated 750,000 patients per year in the U.S. are not able to have a complete colonoscopy because of their anatomy, previous surgery or various diseases.
The pill camera capsules are not cheap. Given Imaging’s approved capsule will cost $500, but that is significantly less cost for a colorectal cancer screening than a colonoscopy, which costs roughly $4,000. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends regular colonoscopies from age 50 through age 75, but many adults do not get them. However, it is expected that the pill will be requested by adults who are reluctant to get regular screenings because of fear, pain and embarrassment.
The device consists of a small capsule (12 mm x 33 mm), which contains two tiny color video cameras, a battery and a light source. Once swallowed, the cameras are designed to transmit images for approximately 10 hours. The images are picked up by a recording device worn by the patient. The video images gathered are later reviewed by a doctor. Given Imaging, an Israeli company, developed its pill cameras using technology developed for missile defense systems.
Given Imaging makes seven product lines of medical devices and supplies. The company, which has had four products approved by the FDA within the past year, is in the middle of an acquisition by Irish medical device firm Covidien, which is expected to takeover Given by March 31.
Given Imaging’s PillCam COLON was approved for colorectal cancer screenings in the U.S. based on a clinical trial conducted on 884 patients at 16 sites to assessed the safety and effectiveness in detecting adenomas of at least six millimeters. The pill camera had already been in use in over 80 markets worldwide, including Europe, Japan, Latin America, Australia, Canada and more. The company indicated that it now expects PillCam COLON use to be 3 million procedures worldwide including the U.S.
By Dyanne Weiss


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Louis Dreyfus Co. Holdings B.V. (LDCH) announced that the group has signed an agreement to sell an indirect 45% equity stake in Louis Dreyfus Co. B.V. (LDC) to ADQ, a large holding company based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). As part of this transaction, LDC has also signed a long-term commercial supply agreement with ADQ for the sale of agricultural commodities to the UAE.
“The transaction announced today constitutes a milestone in a decade-long strategy envisioned by the supervisory board, which started with the consolidation of LDC's parent company's shareholding,” said Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, chair of the LDCH supervisory board. “We are delighted to welcome ADQ to our shareholder group as long-term partners and investors, with a common vision for LDC's future, and experience that will bring further value to the business and support the group's ambitions.”
ADQ's broad portfolio of major enterprises spans multiple sectors, among them food and agriculture. As part of its strategy for the sector, the company seeks to generate financial returns and strengthen the economic cluster in the UAE.
ADQ chief executive officer said H.E. Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, “As one of the world's leading agri-commodities and food companies, LDC represents a strategic investment opportunity for ADQ, in line with our long-term food and agriculture investment strategy. We share LDC's vision for future growth of the business and look forward to partnering with LDC's existing shareholders and management team to capitalize on the sector's emerging opportunities by accelerating LDC's transformative growth strategy to move towards greater value chain integration — from producers to consumers."
Upon completion of the transaction, a portion of the proceeds of the sale amounting to a minimum of $800 million will be invested into LDC to support the pursuit of the company's long-term business plan and strategy, including the acceleration of strategic investments.
“Our strategy aims to leverage global consumption trends through investments in new business opportunities, as the company embraces more of the agricultural value chain to become an increasingly integrated food, feed, fibers and ingredients company,” LDC Group CEO Michael Gelchie said. “With a shared ambition for investment in innovations and technologies that can transform food and agricultural production, the investment potential created by the long-term partnership with ADQ brings additional strength to the pursuit of LDC's strategic growth plans, building on the strong performance delivered in the first half of 2020.”
LDC remains focused on putting its strategy into action while fulfilling its key role to keep essential food and feed supply chains moving, helping to ensure global access to food.
“LDC will continue to leverage its core historic capabilities to efficiently analyze and capture opportunities in a rapidly changing context while pursuing our vision to shape resilient food supply chains, guided by our purpose to create fair and sustainable value for the benefit of current and future generations,” Margarita Louis-Dreyfus added. “As we embark on the next stage of LDC's development, we look forward to working with ADQ toward the realization of that shared vision.”
Completion of the agreement is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
LDC is a leading global merchant and processor of agricultural goods whose activities spanning the entire value chain, from farm to fork, across a broad range of business lines. Since 1851, the company's portfolio has grown to include grains and oilseeds, coffee, cotton, juice, rice, sugar, freight and global markets.
LDC originates, processes and transports approximately 80 million tons of products each year and is active in more than 100 countries, with approximately 18,000 employees globally.


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American steel producers said they need to see more details of the recently negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, but initially expressed concerns that some aspects of the 12-nation deal may be detrimental to them and their customers.
“Early reports give us concern regarding many of the areas that matter most to the steel industry — including the auto rules of origin, currency manipulation and disciplines on state-owned enterprises,” said Thomas Gibson, president of the American Iron and Steel Institute.
Philip Bell, president of the Steel Manufacturers Association, called the deal — which is pending ratification by the signatory nations — “an extremely ambitious undertaking” but initially withheld comment while the agreement was under review. “Ultimately, this deal will be evaluated on its ability to promote domestic jobs, competitiveness and net exports,” Bell said.
Gibson said NAFTA steelmakers have stressed that the TPP must require regional value content rules of origin that are consistent with those previously set forth in the NAFTA — 62.5% for autos and light trucks as well as their engines and 60% for other auto parts, and not percentages in the 40s and 30s, respectively, that are reportedly contained in the deal.
“We are very concerned about reports that the auto rules of origin in the final TPP set out a regional value content requirement that is much lower,” Gibson said. “A weaker rule of origin here simply confers the benefit to the TPP [area] countries outside the agreement and would weaken critical existing North American auto supply chains.”
Gibson also noted that the agreement does not provide for enforceable disciplines on currency manipulation. “If left unaddressed, currency manipulation could easily undermine any market access benefits to be gained under the TPP for the steel industry or its customers,” he said.
Gibson said he was anxious to study the details of the TPP chapter on state-owned enterprises and what exclusions or other exceptions might have been made. “Any significant limitations on the scope of the new disciplines could seriously diminish the value of the TPP to US industry,” he said.
Zhejiang Yaang Pipe Industry Co., Limited (www.yaang.com)


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FSSAI has received a number of representations from Direct Selling FBOs and their Associations, in which they have conveyed the difficulties that they are facing in getting their food businesses registered under FSS Act, Rules and Regulations made thereunder. In this regard, the FSSAI has issued an order uploaded on 28 March 2018 which is related to how these Direct Selling FBOs can do registration.
The FSSAI has examined the representations in detail and after taking into consideration Direct Selling Guidelines, 2016 as specified in notification No. 1013(E) dated 26th October 2016 issued by Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. The observations that came to light were that since Direct Sellers do not have premises/storage facilities, so they find it difficult to obtain registration certificate as Direct Sellers from Registering Authority. The Direct Selling agents have also attached to Direct Selling Entities (DSE) which has taken on the responsibility for safe storage and transportation of the food products.
Since Direct Sellers are mobile and do not have any premises of their own, it has been decided that registration of such mobile direct sellers could be done by respective
- Registering Authority on production and verification of their identity certificate/ authorization issued by their Direct Selling Entities
- Along with the above, they will also have to provide their personal identity proof such as Aadhar /PAN/EPIC, etc.
In order to facilitate quick registration in case of bulk Direct Sellers, the DSE will have the option to get the bulk registration of its Direct Sellers done on its own, by using the facility provided by Common Service Centre (CSC).


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On Demand Books to Become Major Presence
September 19, 2012
On Demand Books, makers of the Espresso Book Machine, has partnered with Eastman Kodak and ReaderLink Distribution Services. Currently, the Espresso can only be found in a few bookstores and libraries throughout the nation, but this partnership promises to make on-demand book printing paired with the Kodak Picture Kiosk available at approximately 105,000 new locations worldwide. The partnership with ReaderLink, a major distributor of books in North America, will bring 24,000 more book machines. New locations will include retailers that already have Kodak Picture Kiosks and also drugstores, supermarkets, and stores such as Walmart and Target. On Demand Books already boasts a catalog of over seven million books, and will work with ReaderLink to expand that number.
“We are thrilled to be able to work with ReaderLink and our publisher partners to bring a broad list of book titles to Kodak’s vast, worldwide retail footprint,” said Dane Neller, CEO of On Demand Books. “We envision an integrated solution that can substantially redefine the publishing industry and bring exciting new solutions to customers.”
Neller said consumers will be able to walk into a store, select a title for print, and pick it up by the time they’re finished shopping. He added that the presence of on-demand book printing will not challenge the future of brick-and-mortar bookstores, saying he anticipates some overlap, but that customers who go to bookstores will still go to bookstores.
“This is part of the digital transfer going on in the media space,” he told Huffington Post. “Content is going directly to the consumer, via the Kindle or in print via our machines. We’re bypassing the traditional supply chains.”
On Demand is currently busy testing and preparing its software and hardware for the big change. Launch is expected in 2013, but Neller suggests that an earlier launch is not unlikely.


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Watch Live: Paris Fashion Week Louis Vuitton AW14
The womenswear collection walks at 1pm Abu Dhabi time zone
Louis Vuitton is set to present its Autumn/Winter 14 collection in Paris today, and Nicolas Ghesquière will make his creative debut for the label.
This show will truly be one of the most important events of the season; last year's withdrawal of Marc Jacobs from the brand and the subsequent appointment of Ghesquière made a lot of noise in the industry, who are well accustomed to Jacobs' vision for Vuitton – after all, he commanded the position of creative director for 16 years.
Don't miss the live broadcast via Buro 24/7 Middle East, today at 1pm (Abu Dhabi time zone):


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Yandex bought the remaining Uber stake in the joint venture and became the sole owner of the Yandex.Taxi group of companies. Includes taxi ordering service, scooter rental and car sharing. The settlement amounted to $702.5 million.
Yandex became the sole owner of the Yandex.Taxi group of companies. The company bought Uber’s full stake in the joint venture for $702.5 million, the Yandex press service said.
The Yandex.Taxi group of companies includes a service for ordering a taxi, car sharing and renting scooters. Changes in the composition of the founders will not affect the operation of services for users and partners, specified in Yandex.
Previously, Yandex bought Uber’s stake in Yandex.Food, Yandex.Lavka, a delivery service, and a division for the development of unmanned vehicles and rovers.
With the acquisition of the full stake in Yandex.Taxi, Yandex has fully consolidated the passenger technology and food technology business areas.
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.


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Beyoncé has been called out for copying others before, but this time, she's not having it.
I ain’t sorry. When artists create great work, it’s no surprise when others start hating. Beyonce‘s critically acclaimed visual album Lemonade is…
Last week, rapper/songwriter Ingrid burst a lot of bubbles when she revealed the "real" inspiration behind Beyoncé's Lemonade standout "Love…
Beyonce drops the new visual for “Sorry” and we got it for you to watch!
Despite years of speculation that Beyoncé had completely removed her dad, Matthew Knowles, from her life, the proud father is setting the…
Rachel Roy may be the first person to ever turn lemonade into the lemons. The fashion designer, who caught herself…
According to reports, Beyonce's Lemonade exclusive on Tidal lead to 1.2 million new user sign-ups
The multi-talented songstress recently invested in WTRMLN WTR, a watermelon juice company that has been around for about three years.
Beyonce can't lose.
When Beyonce‘s “Lemonade” album dropped, she took the world by storm yet again with her creativity. But Jeff Johnson worries about the…
Beyonce has had the best weekend ever. First the kick off of her tour and no reigning at number one!
Kylie Jenner maintains that she's a role model, Karrine Steffans stakes her claim as Jay Z's 'Becky' & more
In yet another Twitter rant, rapper Azealia Banks accuses Beyoncé of exploiting black women's suffering for her own personal gain
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Pabst Brewing Co., owner of Pabst Blue Ribbon, Schlitz and other old-line beer brands, is on the sale block again.
Pabst's owner, the Kalmanovitz Charitable Foundation, based in Mill Valley, Calif., has hired Bank of America Merrill Lynch to find a buyer willing to pay around $300 million, according to the New York Post, which cited unnamed sources in a Monday article.
Executives at Pabst, based in suburban Chicago, and foundation officials didn't return phone calls seeking comment.
The sale effort is apparently the result of a deadline imposed by the Internal Revenue Service. Federal tax laws don't allow charitable foundations to own for-profit companies.
The IRS initially gave the foundation until 2005 to sell Pabst. That deadline was extended to 2010 when a buyer couldn't be found, according to a 2008 report by the Chicago Tribune.
Pabst, and its predecessor company, Best Brewing Co., was a Milwaukee mainstay for more than a century when it was acquired in 1985 by Paul Kalmanovitz. He bought other declining breweries, including Pearl and Falstaff, that were losing market share to growing giants Anheuser-Busch and Miller Brewing. Kalmanovitz died in 1987.
Pabst closed its Milwaukee brewery in 1996 and shuttered its last remaining brewery in 2001 after hiring Miller, now known as MillerCoors LLC, to brew its brands. Pabst in 2006 moved its offices from San Antonio, Texas, to Woodridge, Ill., where it has around 30 employees.
Because Pabst doesn't own breweries, it mainly operates as a marketing company, crafting strategies for selling dozens of brands, which also include Old Milwaukee, Stroh's and Heileman's Old Style.
In recent years, Pabst Blue Ribbon has seen revived sales when it was embraced by drinkers in their 20s, who see it as welcome contrast to heavily marketed beers.
Pabst Brewing also successfully relaunched Schlitz with its original formula from the '60s and announced it was bringing back "kraeusening," a process that uses additional fermentation, for Old Style.
Despite those efforts, Pabst Brewing's sales volume in 2008 dropped by 3.3%, to 5.9 million barrels from 6.1 million barrels, according to data compiled by Beer Marketer's Insights.
But that was a smaller drop than Pabst Brewing had seen in previous years. And it came as the company saw a big boost during the fourth quarter of 2008, with a 9% increase. That was fueled by a big jump in Pabst Blue Ribbon sales and higher Schlitz sales.


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The Cruise Ship Interiors Awards were back at ExCel, London at the end of November to celebrate the very best of cruise design.
GDS delighted to announce that our Drive Hub system has been formally recognised by the Association of British Theatre Technicians at the ABTT Awards 2023.
GDS sits down with Gemma Wasley, founder and owner of interior design studio Rehab Squared, to discuss lighting for interior design.
We are delighted to announce that The Old Rep in Birmingham has been chosen as the recipient of the GDS FoH Fund.
Following an incredible £40m refurbishment, South London's largest arts centre, Fairfield Halls, returns as a much needed major venue for the community.
We take a look at areas of problematic lighting to look out for, that can dramatically improve the lighting scheme on a project.
An integral part of the workplace, businesses are waking up to the great benefits a carefully designed lighting scheme can bring.
A stunning lighting feature and feat of engineering, the GDS case study is coming soon!
A stunning compilation of some of the best DTS outdoor feature lighting projects from around the world.
Discussing all things CRI with architects at the A@W show, the Alundra Zoom highlights the importance of light quality for the best visual experience.
GDS will be exhibiting at ARCHITECT@WORK London, stand 51, on the 29th-30th January.
The new SM Console - Concept 2, is the next generation stage management prompt desk that has been recently installed in the New Vic theatre.
GDS works with the RWA to find the best solution for precision controlled illumination, in 3 multi-use gallery spaces.
GDS is delighted to become a corporate member of the ALD (Association of Lighting Designers)! The ALD is the professional body representing all those who work or are interested in the creation of lighting, video & projection for live performance and events.
Recorded live from The Old Truman Brewery, Shoreditch at [d]arc room : live 2019, GDS Managing Director Richard Cuthbert talks ‘Adding Value with light: The Inspiring Spaces Handbook’
Hallam Smith introduces the new GDS Prodigy Series at PLASA London 2019. Prodigy was nominated for the innovation award at PLASA 2019
The Italian lighting manufacturer expands its innovative product range, presenting two new products at PLASA 2019. The aim is to offer the right solution to any lighting.
Theatres Trust, the national advisory public body for theatres, is delighted to announce a partnership with the award-winning, specialist LED lighting manufacturer GDS to offer a new in-kind award.
GDS is proud to announce the nomination of the Prodigy Series at the 2019 PLASA Awards for Innovation, organised by LSi magazine. The awards aim to recognise and reward outstanding new product ideas in Lighting and Sound.
Bill Price heads up the Business Development team in GDS Korea
GDS will be exhibiting for the first time at [d]arc room, showcasing our beautifully engineered Reality Series range.
GDS will exhibit alongside DIT during the International Motor Show in Frankfurt
We are exhibiting at Plasa 2019 on the 15th-17th of September. Find us on stand G20 for new product launches and live demonstrations.
Hallam Smith joins the GDS family, as the UK's exclusive DTS product manager.
We are hiring for a Business Development Manager- Midlands and a Post Sales Coordinator in Bristol!
In a world-first application, GDS Special Projects created a unique LED lighting control system at UNI.T, the Theater of the Berlin University of the Arts.
GDS has secured custom lighting contracts with South Korean car giants Kia and Hyundai, developing innovative colour matching products for the automotive industry.
In an exciting year of growth for the company, pioneering lighting manufacturers GDS announce two additions to their Bristol-based team.
GDS are delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with Italian lighting manufacturer DTS, that will see the two companies work together to bring some truly unique products to the UK.
GDS is on the hunt for the next talented members of our dynamic Sales and Logistics departments. We are looking for candidates with bags of passion, energy and charm to take on our Regional Sales Manager (London/ South England), Project Estimator, Lighting Designer and Warehouse and Stock Supervisor roles.
Today at GDS HQ we celebrate International Women’s Day, supporting the amazing women around the world who work in the entertainment and architectural lighting industry!
GDS signs an investment MoU with South Korean Government which will in turn create 100 jobs in both Bristol and Korea over the next 5 years.
We are delighted to announce that James Hall will be heading up sales in both the entertainment and architecture sectors, whilst Scott Kerslake will act as key accounts executive for entertainment products.
We will be exhibiting at this year's Prolight + Sound event, between the 2nd- 5th April at Messe Frankfurt.
GDS are excited to announce the launch of our new architectural lighting range, REALITY Series.
In January this year, we were delighted to be involved in the Hansam System product seminar, to showcase our latest control system, PRODIGY.
For the first instalment of the GDS 'Leading Lights' series, we meet our long-standing Finance Director, Ian Colquhoun.
GDS has entered 2019 with a spring in its step with a new office set up and launch of exciting new product lines


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Just recovering from the temporary setback it survived last week alongside other firms in Japan, as a result of the deadly earthquakes last week, Toyota Motor Corporation has restarted some plants for production in Japan last Monday.
This is not the first time Toyota halts output this year. In January, an explosion at the Aichi Steel plant in Japan, operated by one of Toyota’s affiliates, affected the production of steel parts at that time, thus making the automaker to suspend all vehicle assembly lines within the country from February 8 through February 13.
Recall that the island of Kyushu deadly twin earthquakes that struck last week forced the world’s biggest automaker by sales to halt production in stages between April 18-23, as it could not get auto parts in time from its suppliers.
The largest and leading automakers in terms of numbers now plans to gradually restart most of its vehicle assembly lines in Japan starting from Monday. However, some the factories will remain on hold, including the Motomachi and Miyata plants, which build among others Lexus models.
Such Lexus product lines are the LFA supercar, NX and RX SUVs, ES and GS sedans or CT compact hybrid hatchback. At Motomachi, Toyota also makes the first mass-market fuel cell hydrogen vehicle, Mirai.
According to some estimates made by Kurt Sanger, auto analyst with Deutsche Securities Japan, and quoted by Automotive News Europe, a full week of loss production would total less than 90,000 vehicles and cost the company between 50 billion to 70 billion yen (458.2 million to 641.5 million dollars).


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Sleep startup Beddr has developed a compact sleep sensor and a complete programme to help improve sleep
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Spotted: The startup Beddr has developed a wearable that promises to better measure your sleep, in order to improve its quality. The company has upgraded its tech to include further data and other services.
According to Beddr, around 45 per cent of people have chronic sleep issues. The SleepTuner uses a compact sensor, which sits on the forehead during sleep. The sensor measures metrics such as sleep duration, breathing, oxygen saturation, heart rate, position and more. Beddr also comes with a mobile app which provides data analytics, makes recommendations on how to improve your sleep, and includes a sleep coaching programme and targeted treatment options.
The company claims its sensor is the most accurate on the market, and its programme the most comprehensive.
Initially, Beddr is marketing its programme to companies that want to help employees get better rest. The program costs €322 per person and includes the SleepTuner, mobile app, and four weeks of coaching, which can be extended with a monthly subscription.
Beddr is just one of many new products and apps aimed at people who are worried about getting a good night’s sleep — a worry that in itself is likely preventing people from getting a good night’s sleep. Apps recently covered by Springwise include an attempt to gamify sleep with Pokemon Sleep, and a fitness tracking ring that can also measure sleep metrics.
Explore More: Health & Wellness Innovations


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|Articles - June 2013|
|Tuesday, May 28, 2013|
BY LINDA BAKER
For the past two decades, the liquid display industry has revolved around thin film transistors: semiconductor devices that are manufactured on one of the two glass panels that make up an LCD display. Now a Corvallis-based startup, Amorphyx, has developed an alternative to the transistor, which acts as a dimmer switch controlling the amount of light coming through the display screen. The materials innovation is called the “amorphous metal thin-film diode,” and the advantages range from its flexible properties — think bendable mobile phones — to improved picture quality and environmental efficiencies, says chief executive John Brewer, also an entrepreneur-in-residence at the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI). Most of the research in the $120 billion LCD sector involves tweaking the thin film transistor to make it work better, Brewer says. “We’re coming in and saying, ‘Just get rid of the semiconductor altogether.’” Using technology based on doctoral research by Intel veteran and Amorphyx CTO Bill Cowell, the design team is refining the metal-diode application so it will plug into existing manufacturing processes. The startup is also in conversation with several companies about commercializing the innovation. Nevertheless, Amorphyx’s “revolutionary” approach is making the process a bit of a hard sell with manufacturers, admits Brewer. “They’ve said, ‘We can do that. It’s really cool.’ But still, they’re skeptical.”
PRODUCT: Liquid display technology
CEO: John Brewer
CUT TO THE CHASE: “Despite the fanfare that the software gets, hardware begets software. Without hardware, you don’t get any software. We’re working on stuff that allows you to watch Netflix while attending the boring Chinese opera.”
BACK OFFICE: Raised a total of $480,000 from ONAMI gap fund and OSU Venture Development Fund. “Amoprhyx is an Oregon story,” says Brewer. “Not a lot of states give scientists enough funding to get out
Friday, January 23, 2015
BY DAN COOK | PHOTOS BY JASON E. KAPLAN
A real-estate developer and a Lithia Motors executive aim to revamp the city's forlorn downtown.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
BY NISHANT BHAJARIA | OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
Startups in the growth phase are associated with a fresh infusion of capital — human and financial — a curiosity factor and products to disrupt the market and drive demand. Portland’s economy gives off the same aroma.
Friday, February 27, 2015
VIDEO: 2015 100 Best Companies to work for in Oregon
Friday, February 20, 2015
BY JOE CORTRIGHT | OB CONTRIBUTOR
"Shipping containers to Portland is like waiting for a bus that travels once a day."
Friday, February 20, 2015
BY JACOB PALMER | OB DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
The ongoing labor disputes at the Port of Portland came to a head two weeks ago when Hanjin, the container port's largest client, notified its customers it would be ending its direct route to Oregon.
Monday, January 26, 2015
BY JOE CORTRIGHT
"Nostalgia is not an economic strategy."
Friday, February 20, 2015
BY COURTNEY SHERWOOD | OB CONTRIBUTOR
Marijuana is big business in Oregon, and it’s about to get bigger.
Real Time - Oregon Business
Tweets by @OregonBusiness
|The 100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon|
|Help Wanted: Poached Jobs aids restaurateurs |
|On the Brink|
|How Oregon will survive the loss of Hanjin|
|Thy neighbor's house|
|How a Utah-based essential oils company cornered the Oregon market|
|Green Rush: Cashing in on legal marijuana|
|SeaWorld aims to alter marketing strategy|
|Herbalife stock falls after forecast cut|
|Target reports $2.6B loss in 4Q after closing Canadian holdings|
|Jury: Apple must pay $529.9M to settle patent case|
|Study finds many retire earlier than they expected|
|Rhetoric heats up ahead of net-neutrality vote|
|Google readies to fight Apple Pay|
Generations of students and graduates have been plagued by the question: What is my true calling in life? Four alumni from Corban University’s Hoff School of Business who graduated in different decades say the school helped them find the answer by giving them a practical, well-rounded education.
It’s happening whether anyone’s ready or not. Businesses here in Oregon and across the U.S. are already experiencing the effects of the largest generational shift in recent history, and these changing tides will impact every level of the workplace — from a company’s executive leadership to its cultural core.
Success stories spotlight meaningful career opportunities in Oregon's diverse and lucrative tourism industry.
The Firm was recognized for the strength of its case matters during 2014, including precedents set or verdicts with notable high dollar amounts at stake.
The Oregon Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, will be hosting it’s Annual Dinner and Keynote event on March 12, 2015. The evening promises to be memorable, with this years Keynote, Christine McKinley.
Lane Powell will team with Oregon Business magazine for a half-day seminar titled “Best Practices For Best Employers™: How to Become One of ‘Oregon’s Best Workplaces’ Starting Today!”


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Shopping may not yet be a mainstream Smart Speaker activity, but there are indications that it’s becoming more widespread. In a new presentation, comScore reveals that 30% of Smart Speaker owners have purchased an item online using their device, and about 1 in 8 (13%) have ordered food or services.
This latest survey was conducted in March of this year, and the figures compare favorably with similar research conducted by comScore in Q1 of 2017, about a year earlier. In that survey, just 11% of Smart Speaker owners reported having ordered a product using their device, and only 8% had ordered food or services.
These latest figures are supported by recent research from TiVo. In its survey of more than 3,000 US and Canadian adults, TiVo found that almost 3 in 10 (28%) Smart Speaker owners used them to make purchases.
As such, it seems fairly reasonable to suggest that roughly one-quarter to one-third of Smart Speaker owners are using them to order items, although it is worth noting that other research has found even higher rates of purchasing activity. Read the rest at MarketingCharts.com.


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"Fast" Facts About "Fast" Furniture
- Americans buy $18,000 of furniture every second, which equates to 27,000,000 hectares of forests cut down or burned, 52,000,000 tons of PVC plastics produced, and 26,000,000 tons of cotton produced globally just this year alone
In 2018, there were 9.8 million tons of waste, with furniture accounting for the second-largest portion of urban waste
- According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans throw out more than 12 million tons of furniture and furnishings each year
- 9 million tons of wood, metal, glass, fabric, leather, and foam end up in landfills
- Materials and chemicals that make up fast furniture products are nearly impossible to process in a recycling facility
The growth in furniture waste has far exceeded the country’s population growth in the past six decades, and global green efforts are dwarfed by fast furniture waste
Particle board, which often contains formaldehyde, is a key component of mass-produced items, which requires more energy to manufacture and uses chemical adhesives. In fact, one mass-produced manufacturer uses 600 tons of wood particle board each day.
- Synthetic fibers used in furniture are made from fossil fuels, which requires huge amounts of energy to manufacture, and requires water and energy to run factories
Chemical toxins found in fast furniture include formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene, vinyl acetate, and more. These toxins have adverse effects on humans, and can lead to cancers, reproductive and respiratory system disorders, developmental effects, immune and central nervous system disorders, and kidney dysfunction, just to name a few.


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Google is executing off its committed Google wifi app for managing its routers, turning that functionality over to the Google Home app. As the organization proceeds to “help our customers control and manage all their connected products in one place and enable routines across them.”
The switchover to the Google Home app will come in two stages: first, Google will disable the more significant part of the Google wifi app’s functionality on May 25th. Starting at that point, clients may have the option to see their networks’ current status — however, any changes, including adding new routers or passages — should be done in the Google Home app.
Starting On May twenty-fifth, Users Will Have To Use The Home App To Make Any Changes To A Google wifi Setup.
At some point in June, Google will eliminate the wifi app from the Play Store and iOS App Store, piping all clients to solely utilize the Google Home app. (It’ll additionally quit supporting the old app around then for existing clients, as well.)
Google’s been working on this change since 2019 when it dispatched the Nest wifi routers — which must be arranged in the Google Home app. Yet, at that point, the Google Home app still didn’t offer a large number of the highlights that the Google wifi app did.
Google had guaranteed that it would support both apps until it had updated the Home app to incorporate all the highlights offered in the wifi app, which it says will be the case once June moves around.
Google points out that migrating existing wifi setups to the Google Home app will offer some new advantages. Including the capacity to utilize Google Assistant for things like stopping the wifi association, testing your present internet speed, and (in a slick piece of item cooperative energy) showing a visitor wifi password on a Google Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max display.
Migrating a network setup seems to be a moderately essential interaction, even though Google’s the way to cautions it’s a single direction road. When you switch over to the Google Home app, you can’t return.
Update April second, 4:15 pm: Added extra clarification regarding which Google wifi routers are affected by the standalone app’s sunsetting.


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Ever since ChatGPT dropped in late 2022, the potential for generative AI to transform the digital workplace has been an intriguing possibility for digital workplace professionals. We’re now at the stage where many organisations are investing in generative AI solutions and starting to roll them out, although we still have a long way to go in terms of driving adoption, making them effective and managing risks.
One of the key ways that the power of generative AI will be reach users is through the launch of Microsoft Copilot, the overarching brand for generative AI features and solutions that are based on OpenAI’s Large Language Models (LLM).
Microsoft is investing heavily in Copilot and in marketing it too. Copilot dominated the announcements at the 2023 Ignite event, and one of our key digital workplace themes of 2024 is that “Copilot will start to embed across 2024.” Moreover, the solution is still evolving at a rapid pace with new versions of Copilot appearing within different Microsoft tools and apps, and even new features still being announced.
Unsurprisingly Microsoft are going to ensure that everybody is going to be hear about Copilot and experience it in some way, and have now made an announcement that extends Copilot in some form or other to more businesses and users, and also launches new functionality.
In this post we’re going to cover what’s in the announcement and what it means for Copilot.
Copilot Pro is launching for non-business users
Microsoft have announced that they are launching “Copilot Pro” – a new licensing tier aimed at individuals and home users, who principally already have personal or family 365 subscriptions. It’s priced at $20 per month per user, so it’s going to be a premium add-on to any home subscription.
Copilot Pro provides access to Copilot across Office 365 tools – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote – and also access to the ChatGPT 4 model, although notably only at “peak times”. Image generation is also provided via Image Creator from Designer, which was formerly Bing Image Creator. Individuals will also be able to build their own “Copilot GPT” available via the Copilot GPT Builder, which is covered in more detail below.
While Copilot Pro will be of little interest to digital workplace teams, its certainly a way to extend awareness of the Copilot brand and also get more individuals to experience its advantages, who then might advocate or ask for the service in their workplace.
Copilot for Microsoft 365 is now more widely available
The new Microsfot announcement also enables smaller organisations to introduce Copilot for Microsoft 365 and extends subscriptions:
- Copilot for Microsoft 365 is now generally available for smaller businesses that have a Microsoft 365 Business Premium or Business Standard license, with the possibility of buying up to 300 seats.
- For Microsoft 365 commercial plans, there is no longer a 300-seat minimum seat purchase for Copilot for Microsoft 365; this might encourage medium-sized businesses to try it in particular teams or specialist functions, for example.
- Copilot will also now be available for purchase to all Office 365 E3 and E5 customers.
- Commercial customers can now purchase Copilot for Microsoft 365 through Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider partners.
- Staff working in the education sector such as schools, colleges and universities and students over 18 are also eligible for Copilot for Microsoft 365.
The cost for Copilot is still considerable though at $30 per user per month, and it remains to be seen if Microsoft will lower this, for example if take-up is not as extensive as they have hoped.
Copilot GPT and the Copilot mobile app
The new update also includes some new Copilot features. The first is the launch of Copilot GPT, a feature that allows Copilot Pro users to customise their Copilot experience around different themes. Further down the line there will be also the launch of Copilot GPT Builder which will allow individuals to create their own Copilot GPT experiences, although there is little extra detail about this.
While again this feature may be of less interest to digital workplace teams as it effectively applies to non-work accounts, there’s an interesting principle at play here where individuals can customise and configure their own Copilot experiences. This may start to be a dynamic and emphasis we see more in work-related Copilot offerings.
Microsoft has also announced that the Copilot mobile app is now available for both iOS and Android devices, and can be downloaded from the public app stores and matches the capabilities available from the desktop. Copilot is also being added to the Microsoft 365 mobile app.
What other Copilot developments can we expect?
It’s going to be a very active year with Copilot and we can expect regular announcements through the year, as different flavours of Copilot launch across the whole of the Microsoft suite of products. Many of these have already been announced, with a high number of reveals relating to Copilot at Microsoft’s 2023 Ignite event, including further details around Copilots for Microsoft 365, 365 Admin, Teams, Microsoft Viva (and individual modules) and more. Across all these offerings we can expect future enhancements and extra features and given the usual pace of Microsoft product updates, it’s going to be a very active product roadmap.
There is also considerable support for developers with the launch of Copilot Studio, where enterprises can design, test and manage custom Copilots, while a new sandbox also encourages organisations and Microsoft partners to develop more Copilot plug-ins.
But perhaps where there is going to be most day-to-day change for digital workplace teams is internally, as organisations deploy Copilot across their organisation and grapple with change management, use cases, minimising risks and more. There is going to be a lot of work to do.
Keeping an eye on Copilot
We think digital workplace teams will have their work cut out helping to implement Copilot this year and getting value out of it. Copilot will also continue to rapidly evolve and it’s valuable to keep an eye on the latest updates from Microsoft. We’ll be revisiting Copilot throughout the year with key updates on this blog.
If you have any questions about Copilot or want to discuss the best way to deploy it across your digital workplace, then get in touch!


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HOT curries are not only delicious but may also offer substantial health benefits after a new study revealed that eating spicy food as part of a daily diet could lower the risk of early death.
Research showed that people who ate spicy foods almost every day had a 14 per cent lower risk of dying prematurely compared to those who consumed hot food less than once a week.
Moreover, participants who ate fresh chillies frequently were also found to have a decreased risk of dying from cancer, ischaemic heart disease and diabetes.
Authors of the study, which was published in the BMJ journal this week, said fresh chillies were richer in capsaicin, vitamin C and other nutrients than the dried variety.
The research said: “Our analyses showed significant inverse associations between spicy food consumption and total and certain cause specific mortality (cancer, ischemic heart diseases, and respiratory diseases).
Nonetheless, given the observational nature of this study, it is not possible to make a causal inference. “Further prospective studies in other populations would be essential to demonstrate generalisability of these findings.
More evidence will lead to updated dietary recommendations and development of functional foods, such as herbal supplements.” An international team, led by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, carried out the investigation.
They monitored 487,375 men and women aged between 30 and 79 in China. They were enrolled between 2004 and 2008 and followed up for reports on diseases, poor health and deaths.
Compared with those who ate spicy foods less than once a week, people who consumed it one or two days a week had a 10 per cent reduced risk of early death.
And heat lovers who enjoyed meals which contained chillies three to seven days a week increased their mortality rate by 14 per cent. A follow-up session after 7.2 years revealed that there had been 20,224 deaths.
As it was an observational study, no definitive conclusions could be drawn about the cause and effect of spicy foods on mortality, but the authors have called for research that may lead to updated dietary recommendations.
Participants were asked how often they ate spicy foods and what the main sources of spices they usually used in cooking were, including fresh chilli pepper, dried chilli pepper, chilli sauce, and chilli oil.
The research said: “The beneficial effects of spices and their bioactive ingredients such as capsaicin have long been documented in experimental or small-sized population studies.
For example, an ecological study showed that populations with a higher consumption of spices have a lower incidence of cancer. “The ingestion of red pepper was found to decrease appetite and energy intake in people of Asian origin and white people, and might reduce the risk of overweight and obesity.
“In addition, the bioactive agents in spices have also shown beneficial roles in obesity, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal conditions, various cancers, neurogenic bladders and dermatological conditions.
“Moreover, spices exhibit antibacterial activity and affect gut microbiota populations, which in humans have been recently related to risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, liver cirrhosis, and cancer.”
Gulshinder Chatta, an NHS dietitian who works in Leicester, told Eastern Eye: “The findings don’t surprise me, but I would be cautious to think that it is only spices that may have directly affected the outcomes in the study.
“Spices can have high levels of antioxidants and some, like chillies, do have a high level of vitamin C. “High vitamin and antioxidant consumption is known to have a protective effect on our health. I think there needs to be more research to establish a cause and effect relationship between spices and improved health.”
Chatta said many spices predominantly used in Asian cooking, such as turmeric and ginger, contain anti-inflammatory properties and are high in beneficial compounds which can help with certain health conditions.
“Spices are a healthy addition to any meal and if used in the place of salt, they would certainly help decrease our risk of diseases,” she added.
Nita Forouhi, from the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, leads a nutritional epidemiology programme which aims to understand the relationship between diet, nutrition and the risk of diabetes, obesity and related disorders. In an accompanying editorial in the journal, she called for more research to test if the findings were the direct result of spicy food intake.
“The use of hot spices in food to enhance taste has captured the attention of the popular press as well as food outlets, fueling a worldwide trend towards greater consumption,” she said.
“In parallel, there is increasing scientific interest in spicy foods. Many potential benefits have been suggested for chilli or its bioactive compound capsaicin, including but not limited to antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties, a beneficial influence on gut microbiota, and anti-obesity effects.”


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Columbia Pictures is streaming the red carpet premiere for Made of Honor live online tonight and you can watch it using the widget below. After the event, it will run a wrap-up piece of the premiere. At the premiere, they are also holding an actual wedding ceremony for the winners of a “Get Married at the Premiere” contest the studio held.
Opening May 2, the romantic comedy stars Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin McKidd, Kathleen Quinlan and Sydney Pollack. For more info and to watch the trailer and clips, click here.


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Big Chinese firms fined over anti-monopoly law
China fined 11 companies including tech giant Tencent on Friday, taking aim at their acquisitions and joint ventures as authorities target monopolistic practices.
The penalties come weeks after e-commerce giant Alibaba was hit with a $2.78 billion fine by China's market watchdog when an investigation found it had been abusing its dominant market position.
Twelve tech firms, including giants Tencent, Baidu and ByteDance, also received smaller fines in March for allegedly flouting monopoly rules.
Regulators have in recent months ramped up scrutiny, particularly of the country's high-flying tech firms, telling industry leaders to rectify anti-competitive behaviour.
Beijing has expressed concern over the reach of private companies into the public's daily finances, with financial regulators summoning internet companies with fintech operations this week to warn them against unfair competition.
On Friday China's market watchdog said it had identified nine cases that violated anti-monopoly regulations by creating an "unlawful concentration" of business operations.
The companies were fined 500,000 yuan ($77,259) each, said the State Administration for Market Regulation.
But the regulator noted the violations did not eliminate or restrict competition.
In one case involving Tencent, the company was found to have failed to declare the acquisition of auto services firm Shanghai Lantu Information Technology.
Other companies hit with fines include Didi Intelligent Transportation Technology for similarly not declaring a joint venture, and Suning Rundong Equity Investment Management over an acquisition.
© 2021 AFP


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Nokia's HERE Maps Quick to Draw Suitors
Four companies have expressed interest in acquiring Nokia's HERE Maps business, reports Reuters. A coalition of German auto makers, Audi, BMW, and Daimler, are weighing a joint bid, as are Facebook, Uber, and U.S. investment firm Hellman & Friedman. Nokia recently said it is considering strategic options for the mapping unit, formerly Navteq, which it acquired in 2008 for more than $8 billion. Nokia expects to bring in about $2.1 billion through a sale of the business. Nokia may use capital generated by the sale to help fund its recently-announced purchase of Alcatel-Lucent. Nokia did not confirm Reuters' report, which cited a German trade magazine. The other companies could not immediately be reached for comment.
Apr 4, 2018
Facebook today made significant changes to its platform as it continues to deal with the fallout from the Cambridge Analytica breach. To start, the company now believes Cambridge Analytica was given improper access to the data of as many as 87 million people, mostly U.S.
Jun 18, 2019
Facebook today announced Libra, a new digital currency that aims to combine the best features of other cryptocurrencies in order to be more consumer-friendly. The currency will be administered by the Libra Association, a new non-for-profit based in Geneva.
Feb 8, 2019
After holding out longer than most auto makers, Toyota's new 2020 lineup includes, for the first time, a variety of models that support both Apple CarPlay and Google's Android Auto. The new models include the 2020 4Runner, Sequoia, Tacoma, and Tundra.
Jun 22, 2020
Apple has revealed iOS 14, which brings a number of new features to the OS for Apple's iPhones: Widgets : Apple has promoted Widgets to the main home screen. Just as Android has always allowed, you can now mix re-sizable widgets in with your app icons.
May 1, 2018
Facebook today made a significant number of additions to its platform that will lead to more features for end users over time. For example, a new tool will allow Facebook users to post to their Facebook Stories directly through third-party apps.


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The Obama administration recently used your tax dollars to advocate for the "Marketplace Fairness Act," more accurately called the National Internet Sales Tax Act. The push came in the form of a taxpayer-funded "study" by the United States Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy pended by two pro-Internet tax economists from the University of Tennessee.
The SBA Office of Advocacy spent 80 billion of your money on this pro-tax propaganda which recycles the same old discredited arguments for taxing the internet. Even though the bureaucrats that used your money to fund this report are supposed to educate congress and other federal agencies on how legislation and regulations impact small businesses, the report ignores how small business will be harmed by out-of-state tax collection and enforcement powers. In fact, the report explicitly denies that forcing small business to comply with tax laws of other states does not raise any due process concerns! I guess the principle of "no taxation without representation" doesn't apply in the Internet age.
For a more realistic look at how the Internet Sales Tax will effect small business read Dr. Paul's September 23 Texas Straight Talk "Internet Sales Taxes Could Crush Small Businesses."
Campaign for Liberty will continue to oppose all versions of the National Internet Sales Tax Mandate.


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- Your Consultant
- Green Growth
|Vietravel keeps ailing from COVID-19|
Vietnam Travel and Marketing Transport JSC (Vietravel) has just published its financial report for the first quarter of 2021,showing a 65 per cent drop in revenue on-year to VND276.6 billion ($12 million). Efforts to reduce operating costs were not enough to counter market impacts, resulting in after-tax loss of VND72.8 billion ($3.17 million).
With the health crisis not quite over, with occasional flare-ups in Vietnam, Vietravel’s performance has been poor. Earnings from travel service reduced to VND72 billion ($3.13 million) from VND535 billion ($23.26 million) over the same period last year. Earnings from the sale of plane tickets also dropped to half, to VND70.6 billion ($3.1 million).
As of the end of March, Vietravel saw negative after-tax profit of VND102.2 billion ($4.44 million), VND65.2 billion ($2.83 million) more than in the previous year. The sum also exceeded its equity of VND102 billion ($4.43 million). Operation costs also rose by VND180 billion ($7.83 million) against the beginning of the quarter to VND2.042 trillion ($88.8 million), including VND1.94 trillion ($84.35 million) in debts.
The COVID-19 lockdown reduced the company’s revenue by 73.3 per cent last year, resulting in a full-year deficit of VND90 billion ($3.9 million).


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On February 14, fast-food chain McDonald’s will expand the test of its first meatless burger, the McPlant, to approximately 600 additional locations in the San Francisco Bay area and the Dallas-Fort Worth region. McDonald’s first began testing the McPlant—which it developed in partnership with vegan brand Beyond Meat—in early November at eight test locations in Irving, TX; Carrollton, TX; Cedar Falls, IA; Jennings, LA; Lake Charles, LA; Manhattan Beach, CA; and El Segundo, CA.
The meatless burgers feature a plant-based patty made from peas, potatoes, and rice that comes topped with tomato, lettuce, pickles, onions, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and a slice of American cheese. Both the mayonnaise and cheese are not vegan and the burger’s patty is cooked on a shared surface with animal products. “McDonald’s USA is expanding the test to select restaurants in your area to help us understand customer demand,” the chain said in a statement.
Prior to this expansion announcement, Wall Street analysts were optimistic that McDonald’s would expand the McPlant sooner than expected due to its successful performance in test markets. After only a month on the menu, the McPlant was hitting its sales targets of 70 burgers per day at each of the eight test locations. Analyst Michael Lavery, from investment banking company Piper Sandler, believes that a national rollout of the McPlant to McDonald’s more than 13,600 US restaurants can occur as early as the end of the first quarter of 2022. Back in December, analyst Peter Saleh, of global finances firm BTIG, correctly predicted that the meatless burger will hit an additional 700 test locations in February. Saleh’s prediction is that the McPlant will go national in 2023.
McDonald’s goes meatless
In 2019, McDonald’s tested the meatless P.L.T. (which stood for “Plant, Lettuce, and Tomato”) burger made with Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burger patty at 28 locations in Ontario, Canada. The test resulted in a three-year development deal between the vegan brand and fast-food giant to create the McPlant platform that will result in a global roll-out of region-specific plant-based items. While the partnership has thus far resulted in the launch of the McPlant burger, additional items—from plant-based chicken to breakfast options—are also in the works.
The McPlant burger made its debut earlier this year in several European countries, including in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Austria. Last month, a fully vegan version of the McPlant—featuring vegan mayonnaise and cheese and cooked on a separate grill—landed at 250 locations across the United Kingdom with a full national rollout expected next year. In the UK and Ireland, McDonald’s aims to become a category leader in the plant-based space to help it become a net-zero business in the region by 2040 and globally by 2050.
Beyond Meat meets its McDonald’s goal
In 2016, when Beyond Meat Founder and CEO Ethan Brown initially launched the Beyond Burger, the entrepreneur already had his sights set on McDonald’s. “I’ve set a goal for the company and for myself, and it is very personal to me,” Brown told Fortune that year. “By the time my kids are 16—they are 11 and 12 today—they should be able to walk into a McDonald’s or Burger King and be able to buy a Beyond Burger.” Brown’s children have now hit that age and his goal of them ordering a Beyond Burger at McDonald’s anywhere in the country might soon become a reality.
“We are proud to enter into this strategic global agreement with McDonald’s, an exciting milestone for Beyond Meat, and look forward to serving McDonald’s as they bring expanded choice to menus globally,” Brown told VegNews in November. “We will combine the power of Beyond Meat’s rapid and relentless approach to innovation with the strength of McDonald’s global brand to introduce craveable, new plant-based menu items that consumers will love.”
In December, Beyond Meat brought on board two new executives, Bernie Adcock and Doug Ramsey, each with decades of experience working for meat giant Tyson. Ramsey—who previously oversaw Tyson’s McDonald’s business—is now Beyond Meat’s COO and will help the company navigate its expansion plans with McDonald’s.
For more about plant-based at McDonald’s, read:How To Eat Vegan At McDonald’s—Before The McPlant258 McDonald’s Serve the McPlant Plus Everything Else You Need to KnowMcDonald’s UK Announces Goal to Become Leader in Vegan Fast Food


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NORCROSS, Ga., Sept. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Molnlycke Health Care US is helping Maine expand its international presence with a trade mission to China.
The maker of advanced wound care products made its new facility in Brunswick, Maine, available for a video that will promote the state's products and solicit foreign direct investment. Maine's Governor Paul LePage is leading the trade mission to Hong Kong and Shanghai from September 8-15.
Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, Molnlycke Health Care US is a leader in wound care products, with a five-layer technology called Safetac® that promotes healing and minimizes pain to patients and trauma to wounds. The company is building the Brunswick facility to make a line of advanced wound-care products used to treat pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers and burns. Its Mepilex® dressings are also used by hospitals to prevent the development of wounds.
Earlier this year Maine officials named Molnlycke Health Care its Foreign Direct Investor of the Year. The U.S. unit's parent company is based in Sweden.
When completed by the end of 2012, the Brunswick facility will bring 100 jobs and $37 million to the local economy, according to Molnlycke spokesperson Emily Butcher. The video showed highlights of the new plant and the products that will be made there.
Molnlycke decided to build the Maine facility because it wanted to produce wound-care products closer to one of its major markets. The company initially sourced the foam component of its dressings from Brunswick-based Rynel, then bought the manufacturer. "We used to purchase from them; now we've decided to invest in them," said James G. Wetrich, FACHE, Molnlycke's president and general manager of the Americas.
The company ships the foam to Finland for assembly into the final product. When the Brunswick facility opens, the products will be fully assembled in the United States.
The trade mission offers Maine companies a chance to showcase their products in one of the fastest-growing markets in the world. "China offers enormous opportunities for Maine businesses," said Janine Bisaillon-Cary; state director of International Trade and president of the Maine International Trade Center (MITC). "U.S. exports to China reached record levels last year at $103.8 billion; the market now represents the state's third largest foreign export destination with $275 million of Maine products exported in 2011."
The MITC is a public-private nonprofit funded through the state's Department of Economic & Community Development and the dues and sponsorships of its members.
Molnlycke Health Care US
|SOURCE Molnlycke Health Care US, LLC|
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