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Under the Microscope: We talk to Nissan UK's sales director, Darren Payne
03 March 2017
Author: Debbie Wood
It's all change at Nissan, with a restructured corporate sales team, a new product range and a focus on autonomous technology all part of a wider plan to deliver growth in fleet in 2017.
Having joined the company in May 2016, Nissan's UK sales director Darren Payne is striving to deliver the firm's best-ever fleet performance this year, and his newly expanded corporate team will be crucial to success.
A series of key appointments were made in 2016 to grow the team from 51 people up to 75. It's all part of a key focus to deliver a greater service to fleet customers, something Payne admits has become something of a challenge in recent years.
"The choice has been expanding for end users, which means there is more ground for brands to cover. It's one of the reasons we have invested in more resource and spent a lot of time profiling the fleet market," he tells BusinessCar.
Payne heads up both the retail and corporate UK business and appointed Robert Tweedie last year as fleet sales director to oversee the day-to-day fleet operations.
Within the team are eight fleet sales professionals, who form a new, mid-sized fleet team responsible for looking after customers with 50-300 vehicles.
To support the larger fleets, there are also six corporate sales managers, as well as two EV managers, four contract hire and leasing managers, and a dedicated fleet marketing team.
And the changes are clearly paying dividends: Nissan grew its true fleet volumes by 2.9% in 2016 although Nissan's fleet market share has remained consistent at 6.5%.
"The team restructure is going well and that's part of the reason for the growth in fleet. When you look at our true fleet volumes that have increased, we're pleased with that result. The movement in-house is starting to produce some results for us. We're investing in our products and our people and looking at how we can develop our fleet dealer network," Payne says.
With the in-house team up to full strength, Payne is now turning his attention to the business sales managers who work within the dealers and generate small business, typically fleets of 0-50 vehicles.
"We have 57 dealers currently in the UK with a business manager. We would like to grow that ideally, but we don't want to increase it for the sake of increasing it. We will work with our dealers to make sure it's worthwhile for everyone," Payne explains.
Qashqai changed everything
Key to the brand's growth over the past few years has been the Nissan Qashqai, a car that defined the now booming SUV sector. Celebrating its 10th birthday this year, the Qashqai is still the biggest-selling SUV in the UK and currently accounts for 41% of Nissan fleet sales, including LCVs.
"The exciting thing is that it's now our 10-year anniversary for the Qashqai. We invented that segment and we've been staying at the top despite the increase in competition," says Payne.
The X-Trail is also doing well for Nissan, currently accounting for 13% of fleet sales, a figure that is expected to grow with the arrival of a new 2.0-litre diesel late last year. Joining the line-up in 2017 is the all-new Micra, a car that has been significantly improved over its predecessor and which will be important for fleet this year.
"The new Nissan Micra doubles the sector opportunity for us, so it's a key car, especially in fleet. The reaction we've had so far is really positive," Payne says.
The Qashqai will remain a heartland fleet car for Nissan, though, and to keep it ahead of its competitors and top of the sales charts, according to Payne, autonomous technology is going to be key.
"How we manage to keep the car at the top is through the design of the vehicle and also the technology we are planning to introduce," Payne explains. "We are going to showcase the autonomous driving on the Qashqai through to 2020."
Payne believes fleet will be a key market when it comes to the adoption of autonomous driving technology.
"I think autonomous technology will help fleets and I'm sure companies will look at the duty of care perspective," he says. "There's no legislation towards those types of vehicles to accelerate uptake at this point, but I think from a fleet point of view, they will be the first to adopt."
Nissan has just started testing an autonomous Leaf in London, which is the firm's first real-world trial of the technology and follows on from a recent announcement that future iterations of the Leaf and Qashqai will be equipped with technology to enable single-lane autonomous driving on motorways.
"We see autonomous technology developing in three stages: the first is on the motorway, where the vehicle follows the one in front; the second stage will be when the car can autonomously change lanes; the third stage is being able to use the technology to navigate at intersections and crossroads," Payne says.
Electric vehicle technology will also be a key focus for the brand this year. However, Payne admits that the UK is not quite at the point of mass adoption yet and awareness is still a key stumbling block.
"There's a lot of interest still in electric vehicles but we're not at the point yet of mass market. I think it's all about range and whether the cars are fit for purpose," he says. "There's also still a lot of drivers and fleets who haven't experienced an electric vehicle yet and we have a lot of work to do to keep building awareness."
Working in an alliance
Nissan forms part of an alliance with Renault, Infiniti and soon Mitsubishi, as the company brought a 34% stake in the latter last year.
All brands operate individually in the market, however, there are clear opportunities for a collaborative approach to secure business deals, particularly with Infiniti, as there's been growth in the premium sector over recent years.
Working more closely with Renault on Nissan's light commercial vehicle business is another opportunity Payne is keen to explore further.
"As a car brand Nissan is well positioned, but from an LCV point of view, Renault is much stronger so I think there's an opportunity there for us to develop our van business," Payne says. "What we are particularly interested in is the quality of that business and not just volume for volume's sake. We are working with our dealer network on how we can position ourselves and how we continue to try and differentiate ourselves from our rivals.
"We are sharing a number of things like platforms and engines, so, especially with Renault, there are clearly some similarities with both model line-ups: we both have an electric vehicle and a van. Each brand works independently but technology can be adapted for
Joint partnerships within the alliance and new technology are important, but ultimately the key focus for the Nissan fleet team in 2017 is growing the firm's true fleet share and continuing to improve the service offered to corporate customers, something Payne believes the brand has never been better positioned to deliver.
"A small share increase for 2017 is the goal, but what we really want is to build quality business, and that means true retail business, true fleet business and selling to fleet customers. That's what we're really interested in for growing our business."


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This year, more than 500,000 Ultra HD televisions will ship worldwide, and by 2016, shipments will grow to more than 7 million, according to a new report from NPD DisplaySearch.
The report, “Quarterly TV Design and Features Report,” the display industry is moving ahead with the launch of more 4K x 2K screen sizes and to increase production volumes. Among the manufacturers pushing ahead with production of 4K x 2K televisions are Sony, LG, Samsung and Sharp. Six leading Chinese brands and value-oriented brand, such as Vizio and Funai, are also advancing on the 4K x 2K front, the report says.
“Panel makers are producing 4K x 2K screen sizes ranging from 50in-110in, and there is also a push to increase TV content,” says Paul Gray, Director of TV Electronics Research for NPD DisplaySearch. “The availability of content is key to consumer adoption of 4K x 2K TVs, and TV manufacturers are anxious to prevent any potential delays that could stall adoption, as was the case with 3-DTVs.”
According to NPD DisplaySearch, China is projected to lead in demand for 4K x 2K TVs with shipments forecast to grow from 333,000 this year to more than 2.6 million in 2016. North America will follow, with just more than 2 million forecast to ship in 2016, the display market authority predicts
China, Japan and Western Europe will witness the highest adoption of 4K x 2K because these markets normally prefer that latest highly featured products, says Gray. Consumers in North America, however, generally postpone purchases of new technology until prices drop, he says. “However, because demand is heavily skewed towards large screen in this market, there is a significant opportunity,” adds Gray.
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BOOT DÜSSELDORF 2021 MOVES TO SPRING
Save the new date: boot Düsseldorf will now take place from April 17th to 25th 2021.
Boot Düsseldorf 2021 will be held from 17th to 25th April. The original dates from 23 to 31 January could not be used due to the ongoing high infection numbers across all of Europe
Due to the current situation, Messe Düsseldorf has decided with its partners and exhibitors to hold the next boot from April 17th to 25th 2021. Everything a watersports lover could dream of will be waiting for you here again then, just before the new season starts.
In addition to boats from a huge variety of classes, attractive travel offers and equipment, there will again be many magically inspiring highlights, such as the new glass diving tower and the various activity areas.
Messe Düsseldorf’s CEO Wolfram Diener is convinced that the new dates for boot Düsseldorf send out a positive signal to the water sports industry: ‘At the present moment in time, we cannot reliably gauge whether a trade fair can be implemented in January 2021. This is due to current infection rates, ongoing travel restrictions and existing legal provisions which do not permit trade fairs to be held currently. In consultation with our boot advisory board and the associations, we have selected the new dates in April with caution. Statements from numerous experts have led us to believe that it is highly probable the situation will calm down in almost all European countries by spring 2021 on account of the measures currently in place.’
Hygiene concept PROTaction will once again ensure the excellent safety that we already provided at the CARAVAN SALON 2020 – this concept passed the test with flying colours.


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February 06, 2013
Lebanon switches focus from UK to Germany
Exports of Lebanese wine to the UK have risen by a third in the last year, with the market now worth over US $3.4 million.
© 2014 Wine Communications Group - all rights reserved.
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Capital Management Associates NY Purchases Shares of 2,500 Domino’s Pizza Inc (DPZ)
Capital Management Associates NY purchased a new position in shares of Domino’s Pizza Inc (NYSE:DPZ) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 2,500 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock, valued at approximately $496,000.
Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in DPZ. TCW Group Inc. increased its position in Domino’s Pizza by 96.0% during the 3rd quarter. TCW Group Inc. now owns 70,905 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $14,078,000 after purchasing an additional 34,720 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its position in Domino’s Pizza by 22.8% during the 3rd quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 22,941 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $4,555,000 after purchasing an additional 4,263 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers increased its position in Domino’s Pizza by 10.7% during the 3rd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 105,902 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $21,027,000 after purchasing an additional 10,277 shares in the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank increased its position in Domino’s Pizza by 244.2% during the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 2,031 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $403,000 after purchasing an additional 1,441 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dorsey Wright & Associates increased its position in Domino’s Pizza by 31.3% during the 3rd quarter. Dorsey Wright & Associates now owns 10,379 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $2,061,000 after purchasing an additional 2,472 shares in the last quarter. 94.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Domino’s Pizza Inc (NYSE DPZ) traded down $0.30 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $173.03. The company had a trading volume of 672,300 shares, compared to its average volume of 933,237. The firm has a market cap of $7,580.44, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.52, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of -1.13. Domino’s Pizza Inc has a 12-month low of $153.58 and a 12-month high of $221.58.
Domino’s Pizza (NYSE:DPZ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 12th. The restaurant operator reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.22 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $643.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $627.85 million. Domino’s Pizza had a negative return on equity of 12.59% and a net margin of 9.47%. Domino’s Pizza’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.96 EPS. sell-side analysts anticipate that Domino’s Pizza Inc will post 5.78 earnings per share for the current year.
Domino’s Pizza declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Wednesday, August 2nd that allows the company to repurchase $1.25 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the restaurant operator to repurchase up to 13.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 29th. Investors of record on Friday, December 15th will be given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.06%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 14th. Domino’s Pizza’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.11%.
Several analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $210.00 price target (up previously from $204.00) on shares of Domino’s Pizza in a report on Monday, October 2nd. Instinet restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $198.00 price target (up previously from $196.00) on shares of Domino’s Pizza in a report on Saturday, July 22nd. Zacks Investment Research cut Domino’s Pizza from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 23rd. Maxim Group upgraded Domino’s Pizza from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a report on Thursday, November 2nd. Finally, Credit Suisse Group assumed coverage on Domino’s Pizza in a report on Wednesday, October 4th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Domino’s Pizza presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $208.90.
In related news, insider Russell J. Weiner sold 7,276 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.00, for a total transaction of $1,418,820.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 17,563 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,424,785. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.57% of the company’s stock.
About Domino’s Pizza
Domino’s Pizza, Inc is a pizza restaurant chain company. As of January 1, 2017, the Company operated in over 13,800 locations in over 85 markets around the world. The Company operates through three segments: domestic stores, international franchise and supply chain. Its basic menu features pizza products in various sizes and crust types.
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DPZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Domino’s Pizza Inc (NYSE:DPZ).
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India's largest private lender ICICI Bank today said it has opened its second retail branch in Singapore. The branch would cater to the banking needs of the customers, including products or services such as money transfers to India, ICICI Bank said.
"The opening of our second retail branch reflects our commitment to growing our footprint in the retail banking space in Singapore, which is a major hub in ICICI Bank’s international network," Chief Executive of ICICI Bank’s Singapore Branches, B K Iyer, said.
"The new services are part of ICICI Bank’s efforts to grow its product suite to address customers’ specific financial needs, as well as to improve their banking experience," Iyer said. He said ICICI Bank would further focus on increasing its presence in the corporate, commercial and wealth management businesses in Singapore, by capitalising on the strong trade and investment flows with India.
ICICI Bank opened its first branch in Singapore in 2003, and launched its first retail branch in Singapore in September 2010 after being granted the Full Bank Licence with Qualifying Full Banking (QFB) privileges by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.


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A new medical testing startup called Detect began selling at-home molecular COVID-19 tests through its website last week. The company also announced its CEO — Hugo Barra, a former executive at companies like Meta and Google who previously worked on hardware products like smartphones and virtual reality.
The timing was sadly serendipitous — the launch coincided with a near-unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases in the United States, driven by the omicron variant. It’s nearly impossible to find an at-home test for the virus. Detect’s website shows that its tests are sold out and notes that “limited quantities” will be available at noon each day.
“During this kind of high pressure, high tension period, where people really need these tests, we’re operating just in time — we receive inventory, we put it up for sale and literally ship it out the door,” Barra told The Verge. Right now, customers are limited to one test per household, spokesperson Anthony Ramos said in an email to The Verge. Detect’s multi-use testing platform and one single-use test sells for $75. Additional tests are $49 each.
Detect’s tests look for the virus’s genetic material, like the PCR tests that get sent to laboratories for analysis. The company joins a handful of other groups making similar at-home molecular tests. They’re different from rapid at-home antigen tests, which look for proteins on the surface of the virus (and can be less accurate than molecular tests).
Molecular testing is an unusual career pivot for someone like Barra, who previously worked on Android product management at Google, with Chinese cellphone maker Xiaomi, and on the virtual reality team at Facebook (now Meta). He told The Verge that he started working with Detect founder Jonathan Rothberg while he was still at Meta, which he left in May of this year to join Detect full-time. Barra says he was interested in taking his experiences in electronics and tech products and applying them to consumer-focused health technology. Health products often look and feel like they were designed a decade or two ago, he says, and aren’t on the same level as consumer electronic products like smartphones and virtual reality headsets in terms of their user experience.
“Part of my impetus to come into the health tech world, and specifically the consumer health world, was to try and bring that sort of DNA — no pun intended — and these playbooks from the consumer electronics world,” Barra says. While Detect formed specifically to build a COVID-19 test, it aims to expand its test offerings to things like sexually transmitted infections and other respiratory illnesses, according to Barra.
The Verge talked with Barra about making the transition from consumer tech to health and how Detect plans to grow during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
Detect launched with the goal of testing for COVID-19. Are you planning to expand to other viruses?
The platform we built can be reprogrammed to target any other sort of genetic target. We have plans to release home tests in a few different spaces. We’re building an STI test and a respiratory panel test that would look for things beyond just COVID. We’re also looking at a sore throat test, which would be helpful to help parents understand if their child has a sore throat from a bacteria or from a virus. And then there are others, which we aren’t quite ready to go into yet.
What is this type of test useful for, particularly compared with rapid antigen tests, which at this point are cheaper?
Rapid antigen tests and rapid molecular tests both have their place in the world, and it’s a combination of both of them used in the right way that we think really becomes powerful as a public health tool. Rapid molecular tests are ones that can see the virus earlier than rapid antigen tests. It’s the one you use when you need a really high-quality answer. It also works effectively as a confirmatory test for a rapid antigen test. Antigen tests can produce false-positive results, so if you get a positive result there, confirming it with a molecular test of any sort is generally a good idea.
Right now, your tests are pretty expensive and might be cost-prohibitive for many people — especially right now, when demand is so high and people need to test frequently. Is that something you think could improve in the future?
Our goal for this product is to be able to get it down to the price of a rapid antigen test. That’s what we want to be able to get to, and we think we can get there because our product is simple enough that we can make it cheaper with volume and more automation. We can definitely do that inside of 12 months and probably inside of six.
How is healthcare different than other areas you’ve worked in, and what have you learned over the past year and a half about those differences?
There are two things in particular that you really have to learn quickly if you’re going to enter the consumer health world, aside from all the science. The first is quality. In the world I come from, it’s basically quality control — you test a product and make sure it won’t fail, and there are thresholds for how often it can fail. In the healthcare world, that’s a completely different ballgame. You really have to follow a pretty strict set of guidelines of quality management to ensure you’re paying attention to every step of designing and testing a product. Quite honestly, any company in the world would benefit from that — it just leads to you making better products.
The second is regulatory. We’ve built a very healthy and successful partnership with the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] in the United States, and we’re in the process of building partnerships with regulators in other parts of the world. It’s a humbling experience. These people understand what we’re building better than anyone else and sometimes even better than we do because they’ve seen it across so many companies. At the end of the day, it also forces you to build a better product.
Tech companies are clearly more and more interested in the health space. Are there things that you’ve learned from this experience that you’d tell former colleagues at big tech companies about working in this area?
I probably would come back to the importance of really being humble and really not trying to do everything yourself. In Silicon Valley, and especially the big tech companies, there’s a general sense of “we can do everything” — because we have some of the best people in the world, and we have infinite investment. But that isn’t really enough. You really need to understand the landscape, you have to partner with public health systems, and you have to be humble. You have to build those partnerships from early days.
Source: The Verge


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Five questions for Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne
The family-hauling minivan is not dead in the eyes of Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, who says he hopes to roll out a new one at next year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Marchionne, speaking to reporters at the show, also said auto stocks are valued low by the markets because companies spend too much money building engines, transmissions and other items that could be consolidated.
He also said during an hourlong question-and-answer session Monday that high leasing levels aren't a threat to auto sales, that his company can make a good case to get the U.S. government to ease fuel economy requirements.
Here's how Marchionne answered five questions during the session. Answers are edited for length and clarity:
Q: When will we see a new minivan?
A: It is my sincere hope that you'll see it here on the stand next year. It will be the most technologically advanced minivan ever. The company is spending $2 billion on engineering, design and manufacturing for the new van, which likely would be built at the current minivan plant in Windsor, Ontario. The van will have gas-electric hybrid technology to boost fuel economy, and it will likely be named the Town & Country after the current Chrysler minivan. He expects a new minivan to go on sale in the first quarter of 2016, although it hasn't been given final approval.
Q: What impact does the recent drop in gas prices have on your plans to roll out fuel-saving technology? Will you ask the U.S. government to ease back on fuel economy requirements when they are reviewed in 2017?
A: Gas prices near $2 per gallon won't change the company's technology plans. A good argument can be made to ask the government about slowing fuel economy and emissions standards to allow for a more rational, more reasonable management of this process. With low gas prices, the big question is whether people will pay for the technology to allow automakers to meet the requirements. He says customers may go for less-expensive and less-efficient alternatives. Chrysler plans more electric and hybrid vehicles to comply. Fuel economy regulations require the fleet to average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.
Q: Is Fiat Chrysler in talks with any other companies about mergers or consolidation?
A: "There are no talks going on now." The industry's stocks are valued low by the markets because individual automakers spend too much developing engines, transmissions and new technologies on their own. He expects more "targeted collaboration" between automakers, but also sees resistance from other executives. "We spend massive amounts of money on projects which if unsuccessful could end the future viability of our business."
Q: Leasing is running a near-record 26 percent of U.S. auto sales. Do you see that and other transportation alternatives such as Uber and Zipcar as threats to car ownership?
A: I'm not 100 percent sure of the impact on all these other things that are redefining the driving experience. I think the American market in particular has a core part of the business that will be untouched. I think distances here dictate a much more personal relationship between the owner and the car. So I think all the threats are grossly exaggerated.
Q: Do you still want to end the two-tier wage system in the upcoming contract talks with the United Auto Workers? New hires made about half the $28 per hour made by longtime workers.
A: You cannot have two classes of economic packages for people that do the same work. It's almost offensive. I understand the impact on our cost structure, but we need to find a way to make that go away. The best thing to do is to grandfather the old ones, freeze them, and get everybody else on a tier two in a way that in a good year they can make as much as the tier one does. But if I'm having a bad year we all share the pain.
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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Let Toys Be Toys, the parent-led campaign that aims to see ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ signs removed from toyshops and websites, has announced the launch of a good practice Toymark: to be awarded with the help of mystery shoppers.
Supporters have been asked to nominate shops that fulfil good practice criteria. Stores that meet the standards required will be awarded the Toymark; a badge of quality to help parents choose shops with displays that welcome children, regardless of gender.
Megan Perryman, a Let Toys Be Toys campaigner, said: “As parents we know that gender labels are confusing and send the wrong messages to children. This is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the many retailers who don’t limit children’s interests.”
The Toymark scheme is a change of tack for the campaigners who up to now, have applied public pressure to retailers to remove gendered signs and labels. Boots, Tesco and The Entertainer are amongst those who have agreed to make changes. Whilst they intend to keep the pressure on shops with gendered signage, Let Toys Be Toys say the Toymark is a way to reward those retailers who do not use gender-stereotypes, as well as help adults and children find gender-inclusive shops.
Let Toys Be Toys Campaigner Leanne Shaw said “Im really excited about the Toymark scheme. As a supporter of Let Toys Be Toys it’s good to have something positive to shout about, and as a parent I’m looking forward to checking out some of the award winners during the summer holidays. It will be good to know I am spending my money in shops that allow both my children to make their own choices, free from gendered marketing”
Notes For Editors:
Let Toys Be Toys is a grassroots consumer campaign, run and organised wholly by volunteers, calling on retailers to stop limiting children’s interests by promoting some toys as only suitable for girls, and others only for boys.
See www.184.108.40.206/lettoysbetoys.org.uk for more information.
Over 7000 people have now signed the Let Toys Be Toys petition on change.org, asking retailers in the UK and Ireland to remove gender labels, and organise toys by theme and function, and the campaign has over 9000 likes/followers on social media.
The campaign has already scored successes, including convincing The Entertainer to remove ‘Boys toys’ and ‘Girls toys’ signs from their stores. Likewise Boots promised to end the practice of gendered signage in their stores, and Tesco also announced that they will be removing all gender labels on toys from their website.
For more on the Toymark see www.220.127.116.11/lettoysbetoys.org.uk/let-toys-be-toys-toymark-scheme
For more on the campaign see our media resources: www.18.104.22.168/lettoysbetoys.org.uk/media
Change.org petition: http://goo.gl/N423C


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Bord Bia survey highlights Irish eating habits
Irish consumers are price conscious and value healthy, local produce, according to a new major new Bord Bia survey.
The new research highlights Irish consumers’ changing behaviours and attitudes towards food shopping and meal preparation.
Since 2001, Bord Bia’s biennial PERIscope study has been exploring consumer attitudes towards topics such as eating at home, cooking, local food, the environment, and health and wellbeing, in ten markets – Ireland and Great Britain, six Continental European markets, along with the US and New Zealand – encompassing 10,000 respondents.
According to PERIscope 2013, 81% of consumers now look for the best value for money. This is up from 71% in 2005. Shoppers are also health conscious, with three-quarters of us ensuring we consume at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day. There is an emergence away from focusing on convenience towards family and food experiences where home cooking is seen a catalyst that brings people together. While consumers are looking for solutions to help make cooking easier, the use of convenience foods as a whole has declined from 62% to 48% since 2005.
Five key themes have emerged from the study…
There is growing interest in where the food we consume comes from, country of origin labelling and eating with family at mealtimes
- 77% of us check products for a Country of Origin label before we purchase compared to just 58% in Great Britain, which is the least likely of all countries to check for such labels
- Three quarters of Irish consumers check for quality symbols in Ireland such as Bord Bia’s Quality Mark. In relation to meat specifically, considerably more Irish consumers claim to only buy meat that is fully traceable and to always check the label for the farm name.
- Most Irish people (85%) believe it’s important to spend time over dinner as a family
Consumers are increasingly interested in cooking and find greater enjoyment in preparing meals. More meals are being made from scratch.
- 70% of Irish respondents enjoy being able to cook a great meal (up from 57% in 2005) and 15% of us consider food to be a passion
- More people in Ireland than Great Britain make meals from scratch – 67% of us ‘scratch cook’ several times per week (up from just 56% in 2005) compared to 64% in Great Britain
Overall, there is rising awareness of key terms such as food miles and carbon footprint. However, the environment is currently not the top priority for consumers
- Awareness of food sustainability has grown from 41% in 2009 to 49% in 2013.
- Almost half of those polled in Ireland (49%) are conscious of ‘food miles’ when buying groceries – up from 38% in 2007. Awareness levels in Ireland are ahead of Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and the US
- A quarter of us (25%) seek out products with low food miles
Consumers are more price conscious than ever before and are shopping around to get the best value possible
- Price is a key driver when shopping with 64% of Irish consumers looking for price (up from 54% in 2005)
- 79% of us believe the quality of fresh food is more important than price – higher than any other country surveyed
Health continues to be a major consumer trend, with people looking to find a balance between physical and mental wellbeing
- We’re a health conscious nation. Over 85% of us try to limit the amount of fast food we consume
- Three-quarters of us (75%) make sure to get our 5-a-day – up from 57% in 2005.
- The majority of Irish respondents (85%) feel they have a healthy diet – up from 79% in 2005. In fact, people in Ireland claim to be the most healthy in the study while Germans claim to be the least healthy
- 9 out of 10 Irish consumers surveyed see a link between a healthy diet and a healthy mind. Ireland has the highest level of agreement with the idea that a good diet can contribute positively to mental health
Paula Donoghue, Insight and Brand Manager, Bord Bia commented “The economic reality in recent years has led many of us to reconsider what’s important in our lives. For so many people, food features prominently – whether it’s preparing meals for the family or entertaining friends. In today’s challenging environment, understanding the consumer is more important than ever for Irish food and drink exporters as they seek to build on targets set out in Food Harvest 2020. Insight such as this assists companies to be outward-looking, future-focused and consumer driven to anticipate changes in consumers’ lives, whilst allowing the organisation to make plan for change and act as a catalyst for innovation”.
An infographic of the survey is available here


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[embed-1]If you’re like us you follow local artists religiously because you know that some day, somehow, said artists will feature their pieces at a discount, or, heck, even give them away. Lucky for us, today local artist Raven Roxanne announced a giveaway in which she partners with fellow Charlestonians Proud Mary textiles, NYC’s Lizzie Fortunato jewelry, food delivery company Daily Harvest, and framing group Simply Framed.
All told, the goods are a $2,000 value, featuring a framed Roxanne painting, Proud Mary clutch and tunic, a pair of Lizzie Fortunato silk tassel earrings, and 12 organic smoothie cups from Daily Harvest. Stylish and healthy sounds OK to us. Enter the giveaway online through July 14. A winner will be chosen randomly on July 15.


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IMAGE VIA GROW + GATHER | FACEBOOK
If you’ve been around Denver a while, you may have passed by Bill’s Auto Service on Hampden in Englewood. The shop was a fixture in Denver from 1952 until it closed two years ago. And while it’s a bummer to see small businesses close, there are big plans for the vacant Bill’s space. Focused on feeding people rather than fixing cars, Grow + Gather is setting out to be an accessible source of healthy food and a welcoming spot to meet, work, or chill.
As an urban farm, market, and cafe, the name is aptly given — Grow + Gather will actually grow things. The building will have a rooftop greenhouse that makes the most of our Mile High sunshine, as well as an indoor hydroponic farm so that fresh vegetables, leafy greens, herbs, and more will be available year-round. In the spirit of increasing accessibility to fresh, healthy food, the produce from the gardens will be available for sale to the public and also prepped on the plates served in the on-site restaurant.
But Grow + Gather doesn’t just care about the health of its community; they care about the impact its community has on the Earth. So, they’re tapping into our sunny skies (again) to fuel the space with solar power, while also collecting rain and irrigation water for reuse.
Don’t expect a few tables gathered around some rows of kale. The 12,000-square-foot space will also be home to The Feedery Kitchen and Market, a concept space featuring all sorts of local goods, a restaurant, coffee shop, open-air patio, and an event space. The folks behind Grow + Gather hope to foster a true community where you can shop and socialize, gather and grub, all in one place.
Development of Grow + Gather’s facility at 900 East Hampden Avenue in Englewood is ongoing, but the Feedery will open for business on Thursday, December 12, 2019. Keep up with the latest updates and the scoop on their grand opening on Facebook and Instagram.
Get the latest news on Denver’s fitness scene.


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The speculation of a Neverwinter Nights MMORPG is nothing new, but for the most part everything has been pure speculation and there has been no solid confirmation about the popular Neverwinter Nights franchise getting its own MMORPG. But a few things have happened of late that might help support that conspiracy theorist in all of us.
We know Cryptic has a new MMOG that they have been working on and should be revealing this summer. Bill Roper even confirmed that it was a game and franchise that they (Cryptic) were very excited about. While he didn't reveal anything about the game it left a lot for people to speculate on. Recently, Superannuation did a little digging and discovered that Atari had purchased several domain names that include: visitneverwinter.com, playneverwinter.com, saveneverwinter.com, play-neverwinter.com, and several others.
Given Cryptics ties with Atari this could mean a possible Neverwinter Nights MMORPG reveal or it could be just prep for another single player game or just Atari securing domain names for future use. Time will tell, but with any luck we'll be getting details from Cryptic soon on their next project. Until then, it all remains speculation and rumor.


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google voice - search results
If you're not happy with the results, please do another search
If you're looking to pick up a speaker, headphones, or display with Google Assistant then here's a list with all your current options.
The Google Assistant smart display platform just got some more competition now that the JBL Link View is available for pre-order.
Announced back at Google's I/O 2018, Continued Conversation in Google Assistant is now live for users in the US. Here's how to take advantage of it.
The LG G7 ThinQ could become the first non-Pixel device to get Google's fun AR Stickers feature. The flagship just went on sale earlier this month.
Google is seeing scrutiny from the US Government thanks to its various partnerships with the likes of Huawei, Xiaomi, and TenCent.
As promised back at CES 2018, Schlage has added Google Assistant compatibility to its Sense smart deadbolt. The feature went live this week.
Google is rolling new gesture controls for its Pixel Buds. The new tricks will be available to all users by early next week.
There were quite a few announcements made during the Google I/O 2018 keynote. We take a look at all of the announcements and condense them into the seven biggest.
During its I/O 2018 keynote, Google laid the future roadmaps for some of its products including Google Photos, Gmail, and Assistant.
Are you looking for a quick, easy, and reliable way to get the screenshot you want? Google Assistant is here to help. In this guide, we walk you through how to get the screenshot you want.
The upcoming LG G7 has been rumored to have an iPhone X-like notch. A new rumor confirms the notch as well as a dedicated Google Assistant button. LG is adding the "ThinQ" moniker as a nod to the growing AI trend.
Are you getting killed with international voice call rates? You might want to consider Yolla. The company offers competitive rates and great customer service. Click here for our full review.
Google delivers a highly request feature: starting this week, Google Home owners will be able to pair their device with a Bluetooth speaker.
You can now easily make payments using your voice. Just tell your Google Assistant on your phone who you want to send the money to.
The SōLIS speaker line features five smart, connected audio products, each with its own intended audience. Choose from a variety of price points and aesthetic choices. Learn more about each of them.


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Forgetting your driver’s license before a flight may no longer matter if you have an iPhone.
This week, Apple announced the rollout of featuring state driver’s licenses and IDs in Apple Wallet. Arizona and Georgia are already participating while Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah are set to follow.
Residents of these states will be able to use their phones to present their IDs wherever necessary, including at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints at airports around the country.
“This new and innovative mobile driver’s license and state ID initiative with Apple and states around the country will enable a more seamless airport security screening experience for travelers,” TSA Administrator, David Pekoske, said in a statement. “This initiative marks a major milestone by TSA to provide an additional level of convenience for the traveler by enabling more opportunities for touchless TSA airport security screening.”
In order to add driver’s licenses to an iPhone user’s Apple Wallet, residents would follow the same steps that they would to add a credit card. Once their state has been given the greenlight, customers can use their iPhone to scan a photo of their physical ID and take a selfie, which will be used for verification. Their phone will then ask them to “complete a series of facial and head movements during the setup process” for additional security, according to a press release.
Once the ID has been set up in Apple Wallet, it can also be shared with a customer’s Apple Watch, meaning a user won’t even need to take out their phone to show ID when necessary.
When it comes time to show ID to TSA, the device will request Face ID or Touch ID verification of identity, ensuring that only the person whose ID is being shown can use it.
There are, of course, several security features built in: neither the state nor Apple will know when or where a user presents their ID and encrypted communication means that users will not need to unlock or hand over their phones.
Participating states and the TSA will share more information about when the mobile IDs will be available to use.
Cailey Rizzo is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure, currently based in Brooklyn. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or at caileyrizzo.com.


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The challenge: a luxury custom menswear company wanted to instantly display online virtual versions of its suits, blazers, and pants based on countless customization options that shoppers digitally choose.
Knot Standard’s solution: Embodee’s proprietary technology that dynamically renders shoppers’ choices in real-time 3D images. The images enable them to view from every angle and in extraordinary detail the garments they’ve customized—before their final choices are bought and made.
The technology is central to Knot Standard’s recently launched Virtual Studio, which the company says is a first for the menswear industry and “combines the best of the old world tailoring process with modern online shopping convenience and personalization.” Shoppers can design their personalized clothes using thousands of options, including styles, fabrics, buttons, and more.
"This is the next evolution of menswear," said Knot Standard co-founder Matthew Mueller. "Until now, there has been no way for a customer to see what his outfit would look like before making a physical garment. We have been able to create the experience that is the future of menswear in the coming decade."
For Embodee the collaboration marks the company’s entry into the visualization of menswear, extending Embodee’s capabilities beyond customizable athletic apparel and footwear for some of the world’s largest, most successful brands.
“We’re thrilled to help Knot Standard deliver Virtual Studio to its customers and create a visually compelling and highly individualized shopping experience,” said Embodee CEO and founder André Wolper. “We think capabilities such as these will increasingly become standard in the future.”


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The World Today - Tuesday, 10 October , 2006 12:46:00
Reporter: Annie Guest
ELEANOR HALL: Now to a deal that could signal the ascendancy of online broadcasting. The Internet search company Google has bid $2.2 billion for the online video sharing service, YouTube. Analysts say the deal could deliver almost 60 per cent of the online video market to the two sites.
As Annie Guest reports.
VOX POPS 1: Have you seen what's going on in the Internet lately?
VOX POPS 2: Not really.
VOX POPS 1: Oh man, there is crazy stuff going on. There's like millions of viewers, that people aren't watching TV anymore. They are like, sitting at home on the Internet, it's kind of like…
ANNIE GUEST: YouTube was only founded last year, but it has already risen to the number one site for people wanting to upload and view amateur home videos such as these.
(Sounds of music)
YOUTUBE EXCERPT: …get me some chicken so I can make me some redneck trailer trash chicken food.
ANNIE GUEST: YouTube has even become a vehicle for news out of Iraq. Clips from American soldiers telling their stories have been among the 100 million video clips downloaded daily.
YouTube's popularity has made it an acquisition target, with companies including NewsCorp, the owner of the online communication site Myspace, believed to have eyed it off.
But Google has emerged the winner, agreeing to acquire YouTube for $2.2 billion.
Marc Phillips, from the Internet analyst, Search Forecast, says Google reaches 65 per cent of all Internet users in Australia, and the deal signifies a new area in multimedia.
MARC PHILLIPS: It's a great step forward, I mean, we've come over the last 15 years from email, data, websites, now into users uploading hobby and home video clips to a website.
So I think it's another step in the evolution of, you know, the Internet and it's multimedia applications.
ANNIE GUEST: What does this mean for websites like NewsCorp and Yahoo!, for instance?
MARC PHILLIPS: I think the pressure is on. They very much tend to play catch up and with Google having such dominant market share taking YouTube into their stable, Yahoo Seven, Fairfax, NewsCorp, and other online media conglomerates need to seriously and very quickly think about who they are going to target.
ANNIE GUEST: Marc Phillips says NewsCorp's recent MySpace acquisition and Google's YouTube deal are just the beginning of a flurry of bid mergers in the sector.
But while he says Australian companies must embrace this new multi-media direction, Marc Phillips believes the country's broadband service will inhibit market development in the immediate future.
MARC PHILLIPS: Australia ranks low on an international level, you know, the numbers of users per capita that have broadband into the homes, and it's just a function of, you know, the wholesale pricing mechanisms in Australia.
ANNIE GUEST: But one advertising expert believes there's enough local patronage of YouTube to make advertisers take notice.
Harold Mitchell from Mitchell and Partners advertising company says it will hasten the trend away from traditional media.
HAROLD MITCHELL: Advertisers in Australia will be excited by this, because they are now finding a way to use the Internet, it's approaching 10 per cent of all advertising dollars that's grown over a period of five years from almost nil.
It's been growing massively, some 60 to 70 per cent a year. So, for advertisers this is going to be big.
ANNIE GUEST: Will it hurt traditional companies reliant on advertising revenues such as free-to-air television, newspapers?
HAROLD MITCHELL: It's not going to be big enough in this one particular instance to do that, but it has been a big wake-up call for the media companies to say, the Internet is here, it's taking big advertising dollars, and it's taking a lot of their customers, they better get into the space and they are.
ELEANOR HALL: Advertising consultant Harold Mitchell ending that report from Annie Guest.


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Secret identities revealed as cosplayer community gathers at Anaheim’s WonderCon
Outside the Anaheim Convention Center on March 26, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy strolled past the water fountain, where Boba Fett and other characters from the Star Wars franchise stood chatting in a semicircle. Nearby, Doctor Octopus, complete with mechanical arms, posed for a picture while a gaggle of Disney princesses flounced by. Although it was the final day of this year’s WonderCon, there was no shortage of cosplayers.
WonderCon, the annual comic book, science fiction and film convention, celebrated its 35th anniversary and 10th year in Southern California as WonderCon Anaheim over the weekend of March 24 through 26. Put on by Comic-Con International, the same event organizers of Comic-Con, the convention attracts fans from around the country. More than 900 exhibitors filled the 412,000-square-foot exhibit hall with comic books, original art and collectible toys and merchandise.
The convention sponsored panels and presentations for every sort of interest and offered activities like autograph signings from comic artists and actors to game demonstrations and tournaments for popular games like Magic: the Gathering.
WonderCon is a place where those with rare interests can find others who share the same obsessions with anime or Dungeons & Dragons. It’s also a place where walking around dressed like the Hulk seems perfectly ordinary.
Cosplayers, and the people who love and support them, swarmed the convention floor and the outdoor areas surrounding it.
“Cosplay is broken up into two words,” said Jay Holliday, founder of Kids Can Cosplay, a nonprofit he started in 2013. “You have ‘cos,’ which is short for costumes and ‘play’ which means you play or act as the character.”
Cosplaying is more than just wearing a costume. Cosplayers recognize that when they put on a mask, makeup or outfit that emulate their favorite fictional character, they get a little bit of that power.
“Kids get to be Superman when they put on a cape, they can be Batman when they put on a mask, and they get to embrace those characters and be somebody they normally aren’t,” said Holliday.
Holliday’s organization, which had a booth on the convention floor, began with his own kids enjoying cosplay. His children came up with the idea of using cosplay to help kids less fortunate, and Holliday tapped into the cosplay community to organize volunteer cosplayers to visit hospitals and homeless shelters.
Kids Can Cosplay often hands out art supplies, toys, comics and super hero masks, and Holliday said when kids put on the mask of their favorite hero, it can change them.
“A lot of kids find, especially those that struggle with being introverts or maybe are on the spectrum, the minute they put on that mask and that cape and we teach them that you can be that hero that you want to be, they just start having so much fun being Batman or Harley Quinn,” said Holliday.
Cosplaying isn’t just for kids. In fact, a majority of those involved in the community are adults. Some even dress up as family, like Joanna Santillan from Santa Ana, who dressed as the Scarlet Witch and joined her son, Sergio Alverez, dressed as Dr. Strange, and her daughter, Jocelyn Alverez, dressed as America Chavez.
“We are united and we are a family,” Santillan said. “So why not dress up together?”
Santillan said she made Sergio’s costume, and her brother made Jocelyn’s denim jacket, with America’s signature stars and stripes along with detailed props, like a Plexiglas light-up star as a stand-in for America’s star portal and a Plexiglas representation of Dr. Strange’s spell-making complete with etched details.
The demand for specific costumes has spawned cosplay businesses like FirstStop Cosplay, who also had a booth at WonderCon.
“FirstStop Cosplay is a cosplay sewing pattern company,” said Kit Pierce. “We try to make them as user friendly as possible.”
Based in Irvine, the company features a couple licensed patterns but also basic patterns to make garments like a cropped tank top or safety shorts that can be used as a canvas to create multiple characters. The patterns are easy to read, printed on a parchment-like paper rather than the usual delicate tissue paper and come in multiple sizes, rather than nested.
“A lot of what we work on doing is making cosplay more accessible for the majority of people,” said Kelly Willie. “With cosplay, there is so much to know that you can’t know straight off the bat.”
Costumes are often intricate because they are handmade by fans who know the particular features of their favorite character down to the tiniest detail.
Lillian Becker of Murieta, who dressed as Draculaura, the Romanian vampire daughter of Dracula from “Monster High,” said her costume was a combination of thrift store finds and handmade items.
“The majority of this was thrifted,” said Becker. “I made the boots myself. It is kind of hard to find some of this stuff, so a lot of it you just have to make yourself.”
Becker said she spent about 40 hours working on the costume that included pink lace-up boots, a white pleated miniskirt, pink vest and a black lace parasol.
“A lot of it was hand sewing,” she said, pointing to the white contrast stitching on her vest.
The hair and makeup are easy, as are the fake fangs.
“They are just a pain to talk with,” Becker said.
Andrew Butler’s Mandolorian costume took considerably longer.
“I 3D-printed most of it,” said the Santa Clarita resident. “It took about two years.”
Butler wore his creation both Saturday and Sunday, and the armor held up well.
If any costumes do start to fall apart, cosplay repair people like Brian Mero are fully prepared to help.
“I am doing cosplay repair, I have a full backpack of supplies for anybody who needs repair for cosplay,” said Mero. “It is just a way for me to give back to the cosplay community.”
Appropriately dressed as Fix-it Felix from “Wreck-it Ralph,” Mero said he carries safety pins, duct tape and super glue.
Mero has been cosplaying for 14 years and helped his own kids with costumes when they were young. When they got older, Mero was looking for a way to remain active in the cosplay community when he read about cosplay repair people attending conventions in New York.
Although he doesn’t charge for his services, he has a business card with a QR code to his Venmo for donations or tips that help offset the cost of supplies, like the superglue he ran out of on Friday.
“It feels great being able to help somebody, especially some newbie cosplayers who come in, and things are falling off before they even get in the door, a bit of superglue can go a long way,” said Mero. “It is just great when people trust me.”
“Cosplay is not consent” is a phrase you will hear in the community, meaning costumes are not an invitation to flirt with or touch a cosplayer, an idea Mero understands as cosplayer himself.
“As a cosplayer, you don’t want people touching you because things will fall off,” Mero said.
Mero said the trust and respect between cosplayers and cosplay repairers like him was evident on Saturday, when he worked as a volunteer with the Masquerade, a cosplay competition that awards WonderCon trophies, cash and other prizes to cosplayers. A young woman needed help with an intimate portion of her costume, and she enlisted the help of Mero, whom said she said saw as a father figure.
“She goes, ‘You are like my Dad,’” Mero recalled. “She said, ‘Except my Dad doesn’t go to Cons. So I totally trust you.’”
Not all heroes wear capes, as they say.
As the convention drew to a close on Sunday afternoon, cosplayers surrounded the outdoor fountain, taking pictures of one another and getting in a bit more time in character until the next convention.
“I just love seeing all the costumes,” said Butler. “I love taking pictures with people. It has been so fun.”
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Canada’s agenda-setting newspaper The Globe & Mail yesterday memorialized Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring (Houghton Mifflin, 1962) as one of the world’s 50 greatest reads, praising its role in stimulating greater public understanding about science and helping to shape the modern environmental movement. I’ve been thinking a lot about the book lately, with 2 graduate students working on issues relating to environmental communication and one having just completed such a study. I read the book for the first and only time in a social and environmental studies course in high school.
So it was more than a little serendipitous that within minutes of reading the review, a Google Alert came thundering through the ether to publicize two new reports: the first is the 2008 Corporate Social Responsibility Index, released by the Center for Corporate Citizenship and Reputation Institute at Boston College. Using data collected for Reputation Institute’s 2008 Global Pulse Study, the report evaluates the top 50 U.S. corporations in terms of their commitments to sustainable economic growth and finds that corporate governance, ethics and transparency are increasing in their importance to overall corporate reputation. An important caveat is that the data were gathered long before the market meltdown; as some analysts have argued, the downturn in the economy will be a true test of corporate commitments to sustainable business practice.
The second report called MapChange was released by the Vancouver-based green marketing and brand management firm Change (the full report can be downloaded here). MapChange is a “perceptual mapping tool” that assesses how committed the top brands in Canada are to the environment, and how committed consumers think they are. In short, it allows brand managers to assess a range of possible reputational threats, whether these derive from specific stakeholder concerns, such as when activists demand that global corporations change their supply chain practices to limit carbon emissions, or expectation gaps, such as when companies fail to communicate progressive environmental practices to stakeholders, thus falling short of consumer expectations.
As the consultants at Change make clear, in the world of branding reality is a social construction: “what is real is only what is perceived to be real.” Communication is thus central not only to effective marketing but also activist criticism of brand performance.
Indeed, the report indicates that better action doesn’t necessarily equal better perception. General Motors has been regularly criticized for its sustainability efforts, but despite performing better in Actual Sustainability practices than its competitor Toyota, the latter has attained by far the highest Perceived Sustainability score (must be all those Prius product placements on hit cable shows like Six Feet Under and Weeds). The report also shows that some brands have benefitted from a “halo effect” — consumers of Apple products perceive the company’s sustainability practices to be much better (5th overall) than their actual performance (14th overall) — while others, such as Nike, have not been able to overcome the bad public images they accrued from past behaviour, despite progressive efforts to improve business practice (Nike ranked 17th on Perceived Sustainability, despite being 5th on Actual Sustainability).
It’s unclear what the future holds for sustainable business practices. The Wall Street Journal reports that on the heels of the market meltdown in the U.S., oil prices have plummeted because of fears about a global recession, a move unlikely to stimulate reductions in consumer demand for fossil fuels and thus the pressure needed to keep corporations focused on the triple bottom line. In a recent column in The New York Times, Thomas Friedman writes that we should invest all bailout profits in green infrastructure to stimulate sustainable technology. Yet, if we believe the Financial Times, the economic crisis has made consumers worldwide less likely to spend their money on green products.
All of these mixed signals mean many things, not the least of which is that if you are in the business of green marketing, there is going to be a lot of confused corporations looking for strategic counsel and a lot of environmental activists with their radars intently focused.


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Google has launched a order Cialis Black online cheap wellbutrin without prescriptions. , cheap zithromax. news archive search service. For anyone doing research or trying to dig up old newspaper articles, Google News archive Search could be an invaluable tool.
As Reto reports “It features 200 years of archival data from the New York Times and the UK’s Guardian, but includes most of the sources available from ‘live’ Google News”.
The new service is a part of Google News and buy allopurinol is linked from the Google News homepage.


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By DJ Junior
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
No rapper is working as hard as Gucci Mane, right now. Actually, no rapper has ever worked as hard as Gucci Mane has over the past year and a half. He’s released too many projects to count this year and he still has much more in the works, dropping new material with no problems.
Gucci Mane released several solo projects and also some joint releases with such people as the Migos. During this growth period, Gucci Mane has managed to extend the Trap House series, which is fitting. After all, Gucci Mane’s run began with the release of Trap House, the original that came in 2005.
Currently, Gucci Mane is up to Trap House 5 and he is ready to drop this project right in time for the holidays. Christmas is right around the corner and when the shopping begins, they can get that new Gucci, too. Trap House 5 is dropping on Black Friday, so go out and support it.
See the Trap House 5 album cover below:
Follow DJ Junior on Twitter @DJJunior1017.


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Posted on Tuesday 22 July 2014 by Ulster Business
Brendan Lappin, Irwin’s Bakery Business Development Manager, with Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI Trade Director.
A Portadown bakery has sealed a deal to supply soda farls and potato bread to the Middle East.
Irwins Bakery said it has signed a “six-figure” contract with LuLu Group in Abu Dhabi, one of the biggest retailers in the Persian Gulf, to supply the iconic Northern Ireland products under its Rankin Selection banner.
Brendan Lappin, Irwin’s Bakery Business Development Manager, said it had been in discussion with LuLu over the past 18 months, thanks to introductions arranged by Invest NI and has committed to delivering the breads to its new customer within 24 hours after leaving the Portadown bakery.
“The Rankin Selection range will be on sale in an initial eight LuLu supermarkets within 24 hours of leaving the bakery in Portadown - a significant logistics operation involving a distributor in Liverpool,” he said. “The supermarket asked us if we could provide the bread as fresh as possible and we’ve been able to meet the challenge.”
As well as the Rankin Selection, which also includes wheaten bread, it will supply Jammy Joey and Snowy Joey cakes from its Howell’s Handmade subsidiary.
The bread and cakes will initially be available in eight LuLu stores but Mr Lappin said the aim is to build the business steadily and to widen the customer base beyond the ex-pat community.
Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI Trade Director, said the deal is testament to Irwin’s export ability.
“LuLu set Irwin’s quite a test in terms of delivery of the products, which this very professional and progressive company has achieved. It’s great to know that the traditional breads which we tend to take for granted here are now being enjoyed in the Gulf, set apart by their outstanding flavours and serving versatility.”


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Less than a week after Cisco's John Chambers dismissed the “white box” switch category, HP has entered that market with its own open architecture switches.
The company wants to start with “web scale” cloud operators who don't want to imitate Facebook or Google and run up their own systems from scratch.
However, according to CTO and VP Mark Carroll, HP hopes to see adoption among lower-tier clouds and enterprise customers as well (more or less following Dell into the same space).
The switches are a partnership between HP, Cumulus Networks and Accton Technology, a set of names that plants the kit firmly into the odiously named “brite box” market (thanks, Gartner, take your jacket on the way out).
The product line kicks off with two variants: 10 Gbps / 40 Gbps spine and 10 Gbps leaf data centre switches, shipping with the Cumulus Linux operating system configured for zero touch OS installation.
In line with what the open switch market expects, the HP solutions will include a bootloader so customers can choose a different operating system should they wish.
Carroll said the switches will have Open Compute Project certification “very soon”.
Carroll said two things will set the solution apart from pure-play white-box switches: its ability to “de-risk” the supply chain and a global support operation.
Given that HP is also staying in the switching business with its more traditional offerings, El Reg asked if open network devices weren't going to be bought merely on price.
“The economics of the hardware is attractive,” Carroll said, “but there's a more important trend: the disaggregation of hardware from software, and having access to that control point in the switch.”
He said the open switches fitted well with the DevOps model: “Developers don't have a connection all the way down the stack, and they want it. They want application awareness all the way down the stack.”
Singing from the Facebook hymnbook, Carroll also said that open switch customers are after the diagnostic capabilities that they get from deeper access to the switch silicon: “Customers like being able to use third party instrumentation in Linux to get visibility through the network.”
As for Cisco's dismissal of the white-box market, Carroll countered by citing Gartner's estimate that the segment is growing at around 10 per cent annually.
As upstart vendors with OCP backgrounds sign up more partnerships with the big names, he says, it's likely to unlock lower-tier customers: “What's blocking them is that they don't have the personnel to turn on the solution,” he commented.
The switches will hit the market in March. ®


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Postal workers react to USPS long-term plan
- By FederalSoup Staff
- Mar 26, 2021
The Postal Service has been hammered with criticism especially hard over the past year, as over a decade of struggle over legislative mandates, technological changes and workforce cuts blew up under its new leader’s sharp—and politicized—slowdowns in mail delivery.
To recap, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy—a newcomer from the private sector and controversial donor to the last president—cut overtime hours and equipment, slashing on-time delivery to less than 50 percent in many areas, in an already beleaguered organization—amid massive complaints from consumers, voters and workers alike.
Service, if not labor relations, has inched back up a bit since. But the controversy rages on—and analysis and recriminations are ongoing. DeJoy meanwhile maintains his only motive was long-term savings, while many experts still see partisan motives.
However murky the argument over changes so far to staffing and equipment remains, now the Postal Service has moved the debate into a new phase, releasing a proposed 10-year plan for the future—with postal workers and their unions issuing their early responses. In brief, the reviews are a mixed bag.
The largest postal labor organization, the American Postal Workers Union, commented on March 23.
“There are elements of this plan the APWU will support and there elements of the plan we will oppose,” APWU said in a statement.
For example APWU said it supports management’s anticipated expansion of package delivery and related revenues. “We share management’s optimism in the Postal Service’s potential to grow new lines of business, capitalize on the booming package market.”
But APWU opposes other parts of the plan—including continued cuts in retail hours, staffing and facilities in some locales “[P]roposals that would slow the mail and reduce retail services—such as changing service standards, plant consolidations and reducing operating hours at post offices—will only have a negative effect on postal workers and the public,” the union said.
The National Association of Letter Carriers likewise offered mixed reviews of the plan. For example, the organization said it supported the new plan’s “credible growth strategy” and maintenance of 6- and 7-day per week delivery services, among other bullet points.
“We have obvious concerns with certain operational elements of the plan,” NALC said in an emailed statement to FedSoup. “[But] we look forward to engaging the Postal Service in productive discussions regarding any changes to ensure that our members’ contractual rights and career interests are protected and that we achieve timely and reliable service to the American people.”
NALC concerns appear to cover some of the same spots in the plan spotlighted by APWU. For now, NALC said it looked forward to engaging USPS leadership, to “ensure that our members’ contractual rights and career interests are protected and that we achieve timely and reliable service to the American people.”
For the public and consumers, the plan’s more welcome points might include its call for preserving Saturday delivery. But the more criticized spots are steeper rate increases and, in some areas, slower first-class mail delivery.


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The Orange County High Tech Deal Report is powered by Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth. Information here is provided by socalTECH.com. SYCR is not responsible for content posted on this page.
SYCR Attorney Profile
Bruce C. Stuart
Orange County Office
PRACTICE BACKGROUND AND RELATED EXPERIENCE
Specializes in commercial real estate development and finance.
Head of the Firm's real estate department.
Experience encompasses a wide variety of elements of transactional real estate including acquisition, entitlement, development, construction financing, permanent financing, joint ventures, leasing and disposition.
Specific emphasis and experience in shopping center development, financing and leasing.
Representative clients include Irvine Retail Properties Company - a division of the Irvine Company, Wall Street Property Company, Spring Creek Investors, Majestic Realty, Donahue Schriber Realty Group, L.P. and ICI Development Company, Lewis Retail Centers, and The Koll Company
Practice covers developments principally in California and rest of Western United States
Recent transactions have included the acquisition, development and leasing of a 400,000 square foot promotional center, including environmental issues; acquisition and disposition of midsize office buildings (valued in excess of $150,000,000), acquisition of regional lifestyle center (valued in excess of $85,000,000), formation of joint ventures for acquisition and disposition of neighborhood shopping centers and permanent financing of neighborhood centers and promotional centers through traditional and conduit lenders.
Lectured for the California Continuing Education of the Bar on Commercial Real Property Leasing, Real Property Financing, Major Real Property Acquisitions and Recent Developments in Real Estate Law. He has also participated in round table and panel presentations at the International Council of Shopping Centers Ideas Exchange, Fall Convention/Deal Making Conference and Annual Law Conference.
Orange County High Tech Deal Report
TECHNOLOGY NEWS FROM
Mindspeed Adds Board Member|
Newport Beach-based semiconductor developer Mindspeed Technologies has added a new director to its board, the company said Thursday afternoon. Mindspeed said Farid Adib, the Senior Vice President of Product Development & Operations at Sprint Nextel, has joined its board, as well as its governance and board composition committee. Mindspeed said Adib's experience with a broad range of next generatioFriday, May 17, 2013
Airware Gets $10.7M From Google, Andreessen For Unmanned Drone Technology
Looking to build your own unmanned aerial vehicle? A new, Newport Beach-based startup, Airware, has raised $10.7M to develop all of the infrastructure for buildling your own, commercial drone, from Andreessen Horowitz and Google Ventures. According to the company, its Series A financing will go towards expanding its team, meeting customer demand, and scaling for growth. Airware said the new fundinWednesday, May 15, 2013
Kofax Selected By Mortgage Finance Firm CashCall
Irvine-based Kofax, which develops document capture and process automation software, said today that it has been selected by mortgage loan processing company CashCall. Kofax said that CashCall is using its mobile app to streamline and automate mortgage loan processing. Financial details of the win were not disclosed. Kofax explained the mortgage lending company is using mobile devices to capture mWednesday, May 15, 2013
MediaShift Snags Clear Channel Media Vet As CFO
Newport Beach-based digital advertising firm MediaShift has snagged the former CFO of Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, as its CFO, according to the company. MediaShift, which provides digital advertising for private Wi-Fi networking providers, as well as for web publishers, said Baran was most recently Executive Vice President and CFO at Clear Channel Media and Entetaiment, heading up finanWednesday, May 15, 2013
uParts Gets $2M To Revolutionize Auto Parts Business
Friday, May 10, 2013
uParts has a mission: revolutionize the auto parts procurement business. The Irvine-based startup also now has $2M in the bank to help it with that goal, announcing this morning that it has raised a Series A funding from GRP Partners, Fraser McCombs Capital, along with others. uParts said it is developing electronic parts procurement systems for the collision repair industry, which streamlines t
Boingo Expands Wi-Fi Network In China
Los Angeles-based Wi-Fi provider Boingo Wireless has expanded its coverage in China, saying Wednesday that it has added Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) to its network. Boingo said the addition of the airports means it offers its Wi-Fi serviecs at four of the top five most highly trafficked aWednesday, May 8, 2013
Corent Technology Debuts New Software
Aliso Viejo-based Corent Technology, the developer of software which makes it easier for companies to port their software to the software-as-a-service model, said Tuesday that it has released a new product. The firm said it has released SurPaas, which it called a "SaaS-Enablement" software platform to make it easier for companies to make their software available via software-as-a-service. The compWednesday, May 8, 2013
WD Partners With SanDisk On Solid State Drives
WD, the Irvine-based storage giant, is finally getting into the solid state disk drive market, via a new partnership with SanDisk, the two said today. According to the companies, they are collaborating on a new line of hybrid storage devices, which bundle together flash memory from SanDisk with hard drive technology from WD. Financial details of the link were not announced by the companies. AccordTuesday, May 7, 2013
InstaMed Gets More Funding
Newport Beach- and Philadelphia-based InstaMed, which operates an online electronic payment clearinghouse for the healthcare industry, said today that it has raised an internal round of funding. Size of the round was not announced. The firm said the funding came from its existing investors, and will go towards growth of its customer base. InstaMed is headed by Bill Marvin; the firm has formerly anMonday, May 6, 2013
Mindspeed Seeks Buyer, Hires Investment Banker
Another day, another Southern California high tech company on the block: Newport Beach-based semiconductor developer Mindspeed said late Tuesday afternoon that it has retained Morgan Stanley & Co., the investment bank, to help the firm with "strategic alternatives". Mindspeed did not give other details on the move, however, "strategic alternatives" is widely used as the codeword for "looking for aTuesday, April 30, 2013
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Some interesting research out of Georgia Tech compares the return on sales for manufactures competing on price, and those competing on innovation.
The 2005 Georgia Manufacturing Survey shows that companies basing their competitive strategies on the development of innovative products or processes enjoy higher returns on sales, pay better wages and have less to fear from outsourcing than do manufacturers relying on other competitive strategies.
Georgia manufacturers that rely on innovation for their competitive edge reported returns on sales 50 percent higher than companies that compete by providing low cost products – a gap that grew substantially since the last survey in 2002. Innovative companies paid workers a third more than the average Georgia manufacturer and were 40 percent less likely to lose work to outsourcing than were companies competing on low cost.
I assume that a similar trend is prevalent in other states. The business lesson? Don't waste time whining about outsourcing and begging the government for help – that is the lazy way out. Focus your efforts on innovation, so that you can continue to charge a premium.


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MG Motor withdraws petrol DCT version of the Hector and Hector Plus SUVs
MG Motor has decided to withdraw the petrol DCT versions of its Hector and Hector Plus SUVs from the markets. The decision comes about a year after the carmaker had introduced the CVT versions of the SUVs. According to the MG Motor website, the Hector and Hector Plus are now available only with six-speed manual transmission or 8-speed CVT with petrol and diesel variants.
MG Motor has not made any statement why the carmaker decided to withdraw the DCT variants. However, it is believed that higher demands of the CVT variants prompted MG to take the call.
Also check these Cars
MG Motor currently sells Hector SUV with the choice of three powertrains. These include a 1.5-litre turbo petrol that can produce 141 hp of power and 250 Nm of torque. The 1.5-litre petrol-hybrid, which comes with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, has a similar output. There is also a 2.0-litre diesel engine on offer which can churn out 167 hp of power and 350 Nm of peak torque.
From this month, MG Motor has increased the prices of its cars across lineup which currently includes Hector, Hector Plus, Gloster, Astor and ZS EV. The hike in price range from around ₹55,000 for the Hector and Hector Plus, and goes up to more than ₹1.30 lakh for the flagship Gloster SUV.
The ZS EV, MG Motor's only electric car on offer in India, has also seen a hike of nearly ₹50,000 in the latest price increase. MG Motor has said that it is planning to introduce a new electric vehicle, its second in the country, by next year.
Last year, MG Motor sold 40,273 units of its vehicles in India. It is a 43 per cent increase over its sales performance in 2020. All its flagship cars, which only include SUVs, have seen significant rise in demand. While Hector SUV, the first model launched by MG in India, has seen a 21.5% growth in 2021, Gloster premium SUV too has witnessed a strong demand since its launch back in October of 2020. Though the volumes are not too high, but MG's electric car ZS EV has also witnessed a 145% growth last year.


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"It's no secret that moms are a tech-savvy bunch, but you might be surprised to learn exactly how they’re using their digital devices. According to a new survey from Meredith’s Parents Network, young moms are staying digitally connected everywhere no matter where they are—and we mean everywhere. Meredith’s second Moms & Media survey, which questioned around 1,000 moms born between 1977 and 1994, found that 21 percent of mothers use their smartphones in the bathroom, while 12 percent admitted to using their phones during sex. Although there was (thankfully) no mention of how moms use their phones during those private moments, there’s a good chance that they were indulging in some retail therapy: 81 percent of moms said they mostly used their smartphones for shopping..."
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Twice weekly, the volunteers at Bountiful Blessings Food Pantry open their hearts to help others in need.
Conveniently located at 602 N. Main St. in Pleasanton, the nonprofit organization distributes food items to clients each Monday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
Currently, the pantry is open inside which allows clients to “shop” through the rooms.
The way it works is, clients are asked to line up on Adams Street, next to the building. You will be directed to a parking space when it is your turn to come inside and shop.
Volunteers assist the clients with filling out some paperwork. There are guidelines from the San Antonio Food Bank, based on household size and income. However, if it is a person’s first visit to the pantry they are able to shop regardless.
This past Monday, Beth Gossett, who leads Bountiful Blessings, gave a tour of the building. Clients can receive items such as canned fruit, canned meat and soups.
Clients can also receive baking items, a cereal product, pasta and if they have children, items like granola bars. There are also snack items to choose from.
Bountiful Blessings purchases the food from the San Antonio Food Bank at a reduced rate, which delivers about once a month.
The food pantry has been fortunate to receive donations from individuals, local churches and schools who have held food drives. Some of the recent ones include St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Loire, Pleasanton ISD and Poteet ISD.
“They really helped us fill our miscellaneous shelves, so that’s really important,” said Gossett. “We really rely on that. Also, people will just stop by with a case of water, a case of peanut butter, so that’s so helpful.”
Generally, the pantry receives fruit juice from the food bank. However, recently they weren’t able to .“So we’re super low on juice, but normally they get a juice,” said Gossett. “We had to put hot chocolate out here to kind of fill the gap.”
In another room, clients are able to pick up nonfood items such as soaps, hand sanitizer, blankets, household cleaners and sanitary wipes.
The shopping journey continues, where clients can pick their meat choice and cake choice. In one area is a variety of produce, donated by Granzin’s Meat Market, next to a table of tortillas and baked goods donated by H-E-B.
“So the people that personally shop, they just hang onto the cart and we just fill their baskets and then they take it out to the car,” said Gossett. “So it is like a shopping experience.”
She added, “It’s been going good since the new year. We’re just starting out with new paperwork now. We’re still super busy.”
With inflation and so many families having difficulty making ends meet, Bountiful Blessings is seeing an increase in clients.
“It kind of dropped off for awhile. I think everybody was getting their checks and things were settling down out in the world, but now it’s kind of picked up again,” said Gossett.
Volunteers are seeing an increase in families and family size. Sometimes, families move in together.
Current needs list
Along with juice, specific items Bountiful Blessings currently needs are: canned meat, soups, fruit and cereal. Gossett reminds the public that they also accept deer meat that has been processed and wrapped. Ramen noodles are another product that clients enjoy.
Once a month is the Senior Commodities program for those who are already signed up. Those interested can have their name put on the waiting list so they can be added once registration opens up again. That program is still done at First United Methodist Church in Pleasanton, just down the street.
Bountiful Blessings is seeking volunteers of all ages (16 and older) to help both outside and inside the pantry. If you are interested in lending a helping hand, stop by during operation hours and they will find a task for you.
Volunteer John Ulbricht, who also serves as Project Director at Atascosa Health Center Inc., shared why he enjoys volunteering at the food pantry.
“It’s a blessing to be here,” said Ulbricht. “There are so many people in our community that are in need. Folks don’t rec- ognize the high homeless population that we have in Pleasanton. Beth Gossett started this mission 20 years ago and we’re in this great building now. It’s just like a grocery store with canned goods and dried goods.”
He added that all of the volunteers find it a blessing to be able to serve others.
Gossett is grateful for their volunteers and donors.
“The community has just done a great job of supporting us and we sure appreciate that. And the food drives, they have kind of kept us going. It seems that every time we think, ‘Oh, what are we going to do?’ somebody pops in with a food drive or they come to the door with food. So it’s always been a real blessing,” said Gossett. “It’s God’s handiwork. It’s amazing.”
She also expressed the importance of helping each other and why she enjoys being a part of Bountiful Blessings.
“It’s about looking after your neighbor and loving your community and your extended family. It’s everyone that lives here. So if they’re needing any kind of assistance, that’s what we’re here for. I enjoy doing it. I like it when somebody leaves happy and full.”
OTHER LOCAL FOOD DISTRIBUTION EVENTS & PANTRIES:
•Mega-distribution this Saturday, Jan. 15 at Poteet Strawberry Festival grounds. Starts at 10 a.m. until all items are distributed. Preregistration is encouraged, but not required. Visit safoodbank.org online and select Atascosa County. It is kindly encouraged that clients take advantage of this food drive, so that it is not moved to another location.
•First Baptist Church of Jourdanton will hold next drive-thru food pantry on Friday, Jan. 21. Distribution starts at 8:30 a.m. until all commodities are distributed. Call 830-769-3552 for details.
•Charlotte’s food pantry is a grab and go food pantry at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church.
•Hosanna Baptist Church in Poteet, 9 a.m.- 11 a.m. Opened on the first and third Thursday of every month.
•Pleasanton Church of Christ, 1003 N. Main St. Monday thru Friday, 8:30-4:30, closed during lunch. Nonperishable food items. Need ID and current address. Calling ahead is recommended, 830-281-5511.
•For details on First Baptist Church of Poteet Food Pantry please contact Stephanie Cantu at 210-632- 8018.


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Wed, 14 Nov 2018 12:01
Juice Nest drinks has all the goodness of bird nest
After the official launch earlier this year, Juice Nest challenges the beverage industry with its hybrid drink positioning. Juice Nest is a bird nest-infused beverage from Japan that combines the benefits of collagen, glutathione and Q-10.
Wed, 30 May 2018 01:00
Beauty inside and out at aviance workshop
Unilever Network beauty brand aviance, led by president Suchada Theeravachirakul, recently hosted a two-day “Beauty Goddess # Suay Pai Hai Sood with aviance Collagen Matrix” workshop at the Hilton Hotel Sukhumvit for 20 participants with four experts in beauty and wellbeing.
Thu, 07 Dec 2017 17:53
Ponzi scheme alleged as qualities of ‘white medicine’ supplement questioned online
TWENTY-SEVEN people on Thursday filed a complaint with consumer-protection police against what they alleged was a Ponzi scheme involving the sales of collagen supplements.
Thu, 29 Jun 2017 10:05
So strong, so natural
The most abundant protein in our bodies, collagen is found in muscles, bones, skin, blood vessels, digestive system and tendons.
Sun, 30 Apr 2017 10:25
Stretch and sprint in Singapore
Singapore’s famed Sentosa beach plays host to the Meiji run and yoga festival on May 20, kicking off in the early morning with a sweet yoga session in which participants will be nourished with Meiji Amino Collagen and a Meiji breakfast, including Bulgaria Yogurt topped with fresh fruits.
Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00
Is Beauty Drinkable?
There are so many drinks advertised to help boost skin radiance, whiten skin tone and increase collagen. Are the claims credible?
Fri, 21 Sep 2012 00:00
'Sleeping beauty' model prompt crackdown on beauty clinics
The severe illness of a model who suffers from "sleeping beauty syndrome" after she had a collagen injection to smooth out her hips, prompted public health authorities yesterday to order a crackdown on illegal beauty clinics.


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AVG recently announced the acquisition of a virtual private network provider (VPN) Privax, a leading global provider of desktop and mobile privacy services for consumers. The announcement was made public in blog posts by AVG and Privax. The reported selling price is $40 million with a potential $20 million bonus if certain growth goals are met within a specific time frame.
Not long after the announcement was made Privax dropped the one-month subscription price to its premium VPN service from $11.95 to $9.95. The prices for 6 month and 12 month subscriptions have remained constant. This move is clearly an attempt to grow their user base and meet their acquisition goals in order to pocket that $20 million bonus.
Privax has 250,000 paying customers and millions of users on their free products. The price drop is a strategic move in an attempt to convert users into paid subscribers through the lower price tag. AVG has 202,000,000 reported active users. Marketing Privax to their own customer base could lead to conversions as well.
“Privacy is the new currency of the digital era, particularly as the Internet population is expected to double over the next five years,” said Gary Kovacs, Chief Executive Officer, AVG Technologies. “As we connect through more and more devices, our privacy is becoming increasingly violated. At AVG, we fundamentally believe that it is a user’s choice of how and when to share their private information. With this acquisition, we will immediately be able to provide new and innovative privacy and security services to hundreds of millions of users world-wide.”
According to both AVG and the HMA! blog post by Cator, “For you, the customer, nothing will change; you will continue to enjoy the service provided by HMA! and we will continue to operate independently. As part of the AVG family, HMA! will have access to the expertise and resources of a major security company which will allow us to further improve our products.”
VPN Creative has been recommending Privax/HideMyAss for several years now and believes that AVG, best known for their antivirus software,”has a tremendous opportunity to become a market leader in the growing VPN industry…” with the acquisition. What do you think?


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Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg recently spoke to Game Informer, and explained that the future of Destiny won’t be held back by last-gen consoles, like the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360.
When a reference to the vault space compromise Bungie made on last-gen systems was brought up, Hirshberg mentioned that it was a tough choice to make, but the current-gen consoles (PS4 and Xbox One) and the “full vision” of Destiny.
We’ll never [let last-gen] hold the game back. You see decisions like the one you just referenced [vault space]; those are tough choices you have to make. I think people imagine that there is some sort of anchor around the ankle of the developers because it’s on last-gen platforms. We develop the right game for each platform and optimize for that platform. What you’re seeing on the next-gen is Bungie’s full vision for that game, unencumbered.
He also explained that the future of the game is unpredictable, and it is unknown what changes will be made.
You’re asking me to look into the future, and it depends on a lot of variables. It depends on how many people migrate over. It depends on [if people] are still passionately playing the game and want to experience the game there. It depends on opportunity costs. We try to make the right decisions on a case by case basis.
Do you think Destiny is constrained by last-gen hardware, or do you think the FPS is “unencumbered” on current-gen systems?
[Source: Game Informer]