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Disruptions & Financial Opportunities: RBI
Recently Shaktikanta Das, Governor, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) delivered his speech at the BFSI Summit & said on the theme of my address, Disruptions & Opportunities in the Financial Sector, will resonate in the current context of technological innovations and fast evolving business models in the financial sector.
The impact of Covid-19 pandemic, the recent geo-political crisis and the all-pervasive technological innovations sweeping across economies are challenging the traditional financial intermediation processes. In my address today, I would like to focus more on the banking and the financial services space. I propose to share my thoughts on possible implications of technology on the financial services industry.
Focusing on the changing paradigm of banking, he said, the edifice of growth and development in modern economies is built on the foundation of a vibrant, resilient and well-functioning financial sector. The core functions of the financial sector in an economy, viz. intermediation, asset price discovery, risk transfer and payments are globally undergoing a process of transformation.
This is primarily driven by technological advancements. The Indian financial sector has also been a part of this churning and is adopting and propelling these transformations. He suggested various areas of improvements.
Shaktikanta Das considered technology as a disruptor as well as an opportunities with a challenges. With the advent of new technologies, we are witnessing a new era of disruption. Given the growing role of technology, data and network effects, there is a feeling among the banks that having an ethos of a technology company, while offering banking services, is the need of the hour.
This is an area of opportunity for the banks; but there are associated challenges which need to be mitigated. Greater attention needs to be given to building customers’ trust by (i) offering products and services appropriate and fit for customer’s needs and circumstances.
(ii) Ensuring robust security controls, reliable and efficient delivery of services, transparency of terms and conditions to customers; and
(iii) by handling customer grievances satisfactorily and building necessary awareness among customers. All of these aspects need to be factored in when financial institutions introduce or enhance technology driven products and services. He also highlighted about all those areas of an opportunities too.


text: (Portland, OR) -- A grand jury is charging a 42-year-old man with kidnapping and attempted rape, among other charges. This, after he allegedly tried to sexually assault a worker at a cellphone store last fall. Police say Randy Wayne Bunch entered the store on North Tomahawk Island Drive in October and claimed to have a gun. He then allegedly ordered a woman into a back room and told her to take off her clothes. Police say he then told her it was a prank and apologized before leaving. Police say he grabbed a two-thousand-dollar tablet on his way out the door.

domain: news


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This is the new iPod Touch, announced at Apple's press conference today. It's got the iPhone 5's screen and the A5 processor, which makes it about as fast as the iPhone 4S.
The new iPod Touch is out in October. $299 for 32gb; $399 for 64gb.
The iPod Touch is "the world's most popular music player... but a lot of people don't realize that it's also the world's most popular videogame player as well," Apple's Greg Joswiak said while revealing the new device.
Joswiak then showed off Clumsy Ninja, a rudimentary game that resembled Nintendogs or a tamagotchi. He prodded and poked at the on-screen ninja, who could react to the environment and "learn." Out this holiday season.
(Images via Engadget)


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Cannabis businesses in the state of Oklahoma have 90 days to become compliant with the state’s seed-to-sale (S2S) tracking system. Originally, this was going to happen much sooner, but attorney Ronald Durbin representing Dr. Z-Leaf Cultivation filed a lawsuit back in April of 2021. The lawsuit alleged that the state contract with METRC violated anti-monopoly laws, and represented the foundation for unconstitutional taxing and other issues. Since the filing of this lawsuit last year, businesses have not been required to comply with any type of seed-to-sale tracking.
A compromise reached by attorney Ronald Durbin and his plaintiff, Dr. Z Leaf Cultivation, has resolved almost all of the concerns raised at the filing of the lawsuit. District Judge, Natalie Mai, signed an order stating, “all medical marijuana licensees have 90 days to become compliant with the tracking system.”
Oklahoma’s New Seed-to-Sale Tracking Program: Consumers Could Benefit
Over the next 90 days, those who have a cannabis license will need to follow the steps to become compliant. With a seed-to-sale tracking system, a cannabis plant is monitored from the time it is grown until the time it is sold.
This means any product that isn’t tagged must be sold or destroyed in this time frame. As the deadline moves closer, many places will offer huge discounts rather than being faced with destroying product. This in return could potentially help save patients across the state of Oklahoma some green on their green.
How will S2S tracking affect the future of cannabis in Oklahoma? What are the pros and cons of seed-to-sale tracking systems? Is Oklahoma the only state to have a seed-to-sale tracking system? These are all great questions that we’re going to dive into.
Cannabis and Oklahoma: A Brief History
Oklahoma used to be one of the toughest states in America when it came to cannabis laws and enforcing them. Back in June of 2018, voters in the state of Oklahoma voted in favor of legalizing medical cannabis. It was then that State Question 788 passed with a 57% to 43% vote cementing Oklahoma’s place in US history as the 30th state to legalize medical cannabis. Without delay, Oklahoma cultivated a vast medical cannabis industry.
The statistics are a little difficult to keep up on with new growers and dispensaries popping up like weeds. Oklahoma, as of December 2021, has an estimated 12,600 cannabis business licenses, an estimated 8,600+ growers and close to 2,300 dispensaries. Talk about options! Unfortunately, not all of these options are up to standards. The state of Oklahoma is flooded with low-quality cannabis. Some attempt to pass off sub-standard product as top shelf product to new patients.
Why You Should Get Your Medical Marijuana Card
Veriheal has satisfied millions of patients nationwide by giving them access to these benefits
- Larger purchase limits
- Peace of mind
- Enhanced legal protection
- Access to higher potency strains
- Save up to 25% on cannabis purchases
- Skip the line at the dispensary
To put the scope of the problem into perspective, Oklahoma has more cannabis dispensaries than if you were to combine all of the dispensaries in Washington state, Oregon, and Colorado. Oklahoma has about a 10th of California’s population, but has more licensed cannabis farms than the Golden State. In the first year of medical cannabis legalization, Oklahoma issued over 7,300 medical cannabis business licenses.
It’s estimated that over 5% of Oklahoma’s population are registered, medical cannabis patients. The sheer number of medical patients and licensed businesses in Oklahoma highlights the importance of putting some form of sales monitoring system in place to protect consumers.
What is a Seed-To-Sale Tracking System?
A seed-to-sale tracking system is a combination of tags and digital information attached to each cannabis plant. It monitors the plant from when it is cultivated as a seed to the point that it is sold. METRC stands for Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting Compliance. This web-based software is state-mandated in many places and helps to monitor the production, testing, manufacturing, distribution, and sale of cannabis.
Oklahoma is not alone when it comes to employing the use of an S2S tracking system. Colorado, Montana, Alaska, Michigan, Oregon, Nevada, Louisiana, Ohio, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington DC all utilize METRC.
Pros of a S2S Tracking System
- Consumer safety
- Access to daily audits by inventory managers
- Up to the minute data and statistics on tax revenue, sales growth, enforcement, and market performance
Cons of a S2S Tracking System
- It costs dispensaries to use this service, meaning those costs initially trickle down to the consumer
- Mistakes or human error that take place during transactions are automatically reported to the state before having an opportunity to be corrected
- Compliance training and associated costs for businesses
What Effect will the Seed-to-Sale Tracking System Have on the Future of Cannabis in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma’s cannabis industry sprung up like a weed and has become somewhat out of control. The black market has made a home in the state of Oklahoma. This market cultivates cannabis in Oklahoma and then transports it for distribution along the Eastern side of the United States. It’s half the distance of running it from California to the East Coast.
Utilizing METRC will help to slowly stomp out the illicit black market for cannabis cultivation in the state of Oklahoma. By cutting down on the number of growers and cultivators as well as focusing on quality control and consumer safety, METRC stands to increase the quality of the cannabis industry across Oklahoma.
Recently there was a recall issued by OMMA—the Oklahoma Marijuana Management Authority—for a cannabis concentrate product containing THC-O. If METRC was in place, it would have been easy to expose every location involved in the selling of this product. As it turns out, this product was being sold at a local dispensary in the town I live. This offers a tangible example of how METRC could help improve product quality and consumer safety.
If Oklahoma’s medical cannabis market is to truly thrive, quality cannabis products must be the focus for cultivators and dispensaries. Quality medical cannabis can greatly influence the results experienced by medical cannabis patients. Hopefully, in the coming months, METRC will help bring about a monitoring and quality control platform that benefits us all.
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Take a look at some of the establishments planning to open their doors this year.
Here is a list of several establishments with openings planned this year (Patch will update this list periodically): Early 2013 Walmart supercenter on Memorial Drive near N. Hairston Rd. TGI Friday's near Mall at Stonecrest L.A. Fitness at Covington and Panola Road Tuesday Morning on Stone Mountain Highway New Hyundai Dealership in former Baranco space, Stone Mountain Highway Melting Pot, 5150 Stone Mountain Highway Shell Station, Stone Mountain Highway February 2013 New arts incubator artist in former Butterfly House space, Stone Mountain Village July 2013 Walmart supercenter on Mall Parkway, Lithonia Later 2013/early 2014 Walmart Neighborhood Market at Covington and Panola
Also: Sweet Potato Cafe's birthday celebration coming up; Stewart Amphitheater in Lithonia update; Kauffman Tire on Rockbridge Road closes; updated Walmart photo; a new sign is up at the former Colony Apartments.
Here's a roundup of business news from Stone Mountain and Lithonia: New General Manager at the Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort Congratulations to Robert Woolridge, who has been named general manager of the Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort inside Stone Mountain Park. Woolridge previously was the general manager of the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway hotel. Read more about Woolridge and his accomplishments on Patch's announcements page. Chick-fil-a Owner Goebeler Moving to Tennessee Patch wishes Nick Goebeler, the owner of Chick-fil-a on Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain, well as he prepares to move to Chattanooga to head up a new Chick-fil-a there. Chattanooga is a growing market for the chain, he told Patch. Doug Richardson will …


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Bitcoin has been around since 2009, but its adoption didn’t pick up until past 2-3 years. Today, it is one of the largest crypto-currency networks in the world and the number of users joining the Bitcoin Community is increasing at a rapid pace. The increase in bitcoin transactions is speculated to exceed the network’s current processing capacity which has given rise to calls for an increase in the block size.
Even with the increasing number of bitcoin transactions, the number of merchants accepting bitcoin is still less than expected. Currently peer to peer, trading and exchange transactions make the most of the traffic on the bitcoin network. However, the use of bitcoin for everyday expenses and transactions will help the bitcoin community take full advantage of the potential bitcoin has to offer.
At present, there are few players in the crypto-currency market who are working towards creating a better experience for the Bitcoin community. Bit-X is one such company that offers simple and easy to use solutions for the community. Its list of solutions includes Bitcoin and crypto-currency trading platform, cryptocurrency exchange services and also cryptocurrency debit cards. While there are plenty of trading platforms and exchanges which support multiple cryptocurrencies, there are only a handful of companies offering cryptocurrency cards.
Bit-X is the first company to offer crypto-balance funded debit cards in the world. With this card, customers can make use of their cryptocurrency balance to pay for goods and services even at places that accept only fiat currency. Bit-X has collaborated with a Gibraltar based Wave Crest Holdings Limited. Wave Crest is licensed by Visa Europe to issue Visa powered debit cards, which are currently used by Bit-X.
The use of Bit-X debit cards is not limited only to those who are signed up on the Bit-X trading platform. Bit-X has also partnered with other crypto-currency platforms to issue their crypto-debit cards. Recently the company in partnership with CCEDK, a Denmark based cryptocurrency exchange launched Nanocard that allows CCEDK users to save their money as SmartCoins or BitShares, which can then be spent through Nanocard.
Bit-X debit cards convert the crypto balance to fiat currency of respective denomination in real-time. Real-time conversion prevents the cryptocurrency from losing (even gaining) value while spending. Bit-X cards can be used to withdraw cash from any ATM across the world. Expenses on the card will be deducted from the customer’s Bit-X platform’s BTC, LTC, USD, EUR or GBP balances.
The company recently introduced cash back reward program for both new and existing Bit-X debit card users. These cards come with additional security features which help users manage their card, preventing misuse. Debit card users can set limits to expenses, restrict payments and also link or unlink wallets. These debit cards come with an embedded chip with individual account ID number, expiry date and CCV2 numbers. All these features make Bit-X debit card as good as any bank issued debit cards both in terms of security as well as ease of payments.
The opinions expressed in this article do not represent the views of NewsBTC or any of its team members. NewsBTC is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied in Sponsored Stories such as this one.


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Polina is an undergraduate student at Belarusian State Economic University (BSEU) where she is studying at the faculty of International Business Communication for a degree specializing in Intercultural Communication. In her spare time she enjoys drawing, music and travelling.
Stripe published an article examining main issues of bitcoin market.
Stripe, API-based internet payment system provider with headquarters in San Francisco, has published a blog post about the future of bitcoin market.
The article, called “Bitcoin: The Stripe Perspective”, examines how the company can contribute to further development of bitcoin market and digital currency adoption. The blog analyzes the role of bitcoin in the world payments infrastructure. According to Stripe, users’ protection is the most serious unresolved problem for bitcoin.
Although there are certain barriers for the virtual currency adoption, the company noted that the cryptocurrency can be used today to solve main payments challenges.
In March, Stripe announced that it would start testing bitcoin support and in June, the firm’s CTO Greg Brockman said that bitcoin could unify different global financial systems.
Stripe has already raised more than $120 million from such venture capital companies, as Sequoia Capital, Khosla Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz.
The author of the blog, Brockman, indicated that it is the first time when bitcoin usage is low in countries with strong fiat currencies. Still, the technology may spread around the world by identifying new practical use cases for the digital currency.
He wrote: “Consumers mostly want a safe place to hold their savings, and the existing bank account insurances and consumer protections [in stable currency countries] have set a high bar.”
Stripe considers an increase is expected in countries with high inflation, including Iran, Venezuela and Argentina. People in such countries want to use more stable currencies.
Despite bitcoin price volatility, Argentine peso has even higher fluctuation. The post explains that such price instability can raise the value of bitcoin usage.
As post reads, bitcoin can help to solve border and capital control problems. Stripe sees the cryptocurrency as a way to change the world’s financial infrastructure.
The blog notes: “Traditional payment systems look a lot like computer networks before the Internet. Cryptocurrencies have given us a real opportunity to solve these problems.”
Stripe considers the best method to introduce bitcoin is through gateways, specializing in virtual money. Gateways would be operated by financial firms responsible for users’ protection and handling bitcoin issues.
It is similar to systems used by Ripple Labs, which intends to allow banks and other companies to connect to its payments and smart assets protocol. Stripe also noted that Ripple Labs and Open Transactions have failed to gain user support that would provide broader bitcoin adoption.
Comparing bitcoin to Visa, Stripe indicated that because of lack of proper user protection bitcoin can’t compete with such companies, as Visa.
“Unless we solve decentralized reputation, the bitcoin ecosystem will see the emergence of a few centralized consumer ‘trust providers’,” the blog reads.
Brockman ended the post with the following words: “We’re still in the very early days, but we can already start to see the shape of the potential impact of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. If we get things right, life is going to be much better for billions of people.”


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SCARBOROUGH, Maine — Employees and customers were evacuated from the Shaw's grocery store and pharmacy in Scarborough Monday afternoon due to a bomb threat.
In a press release, police say a Shaw's employee received a vague phone call referencing a bomb.
The store was evacuated and Scarborough Police responded to the scene, checking the store and grounds.
"Shaw's management deemed the store and grounds safe, and the business has reopened," police say.
The Scarborough Police Department is investigating the incident.
NEWS CENTER Maine will update this story as more information becomes available.


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HONG KONG (Nikkei Markets) -- Asian stocks fell Thursday, led by losses for the technology sector, as the arrest of a senior executive at telecommunications-equipment maker Huawei in Canada at the request of the U.S. raised fresh concerns over Sino-American trade relations.
The Nikkei Asia300 Index fell 2.4% to 1,212.28, while U.S. equity futures pointed to a weaker opening on Wall Street. The Japanese yen, considered a safe-haven asset, climbed 0.4% against the dollar.
The news of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou's arrest in in Vancouver on Dec. 1 comes days after the U.S. and China agreed to a temporary truce in an ongoing trade spat. The arrest was made on suspicion the company violated U.S. sanctions on Iran. U.S. authorities are seeking her extradition for her appearance before a federal court in New York, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
"We do not believe China will tolerate the arrest of a CFO," Laban Yu, an equity analyst at Jefferies, wrote in a note. "We would not be surprised if high pressure tactics of 'going after' Huawei misfired due to communication lapses and bureaucratic inertia. If so, we believe the U.S. and Canada have limited time to rectify the error. If not, the trade negotiations are in serious jeopardy, in our view."
While Huawei is unlisted, its supplier and regional heavyweight Samsung Electronics fell 2.3% in Seoul. ZTE, a telecommunications-equipment maker and a smaller rival to Huawei, declined 5.9% in Hong Kong.
SK Hynix declined 3.2% amid broad market losses. The company named Chief Operating Officer Lee Seok-Hee as its new chief executive officer on Thursday.
Pegatron, a supplier to Apple, slipped 5.3% in Taipei. The company has chosen Indonesia for its first diversification of manufacturing away from China, Nikkei Asian Review reported, citing a source with knowledge of the plan. The company plans to shift production of non-iPhone products hit by U.S. tariffs on Chinese exports to a factory in Indonesia within six months, the report said.
Malaysian oil and gas services firm Sapura Energy jumped 6% after saying its consortium secured a contract to develop an offshore platform for about three billion ringgit ($720 million) in India from Oil and Natural Gas Corp. ONGC shares fell 2.5% in Mumbai.
AirAsia Group edged 1.6% lower in Kuala Lumpur. The low-cost carrier on Thursday said it signed a pact "reaffirming" its intention to set up a low-cost carrier in Vietnam with local partners. AirAsia didn't provide details of what the pact entails.


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According to company Chairman Vahap Kucuk, LC Waikiki, the national clothing retailer in Turkey has turned their hand to producing 40 million face masks each week without any profits being made. LC Waikiki has done this in order to help support the Turkish fight against the spread of the deadly coronavirus currently affecting the world.
The company is producing face masks in its factories, as well as through hundreds of its partner manufacturers thanks to tens of thousands of employees’ hard work spanning 30 different cities in Turkey, Kucuk explained.
Mask production in Turkey
Noting that LC Waikiki and Taha Group have all transformed their factories and resources into face mask producing bases in only one week, Kucuk explained: “We have established the manufacturing infrastructure by undertaking the supply of raw materials, machinery and equipment.” All involved took the necessary precautions needed and have produced millions of masks for the Ministry of Health so far.
According to Kucuk, the production of face masks is a way that the company can help and support the national mobilisation, as well as a way of showing their unity and solidarity during these trying times throughout the world.
When did they start producing masks?
Production of face masks for the clothing retailer begun during the final week of March, Kucuk added, saying that by the beginning of April, a larger production scale had been introduced to meet the continuing need for face masks and the demands of the Ministry of Health in Turkey.
Protecting those making protection
During the production of the face masks, Kucuk noted that the strictest of rules were being followed in order to ensure there was safety in place for all workers and for all the products currently being made.
He commented on these rules by saying: “The teams strictly follow social distancing rules. The gloves and masks they use are frequently changed. Raw materials and products falling on the floor are directly thrown to waste. No cash or raw materials are left open during the pay hours. The entire working environment is ventilated hourly.”
With only 13 houses in total, this project is likely to sell out sooner rather than later – call or contact us today for details about these Yalikavak villas located in a superb private estate with sea view swimming pools and gardens.
Fully completed and ready to move in, these designer villas are located in the elite and highly sought after area of Buyukcekmece in Istanbul, just minutes away from the Lake in a peaceful area surrounded by greenery and nature.
For anyone looking to invest in Istanbul, this is the project for you. We are proud to offer these homes for sale at entry level prices, meaning those who purchase a home today can enjoy price increases upon completion in 2019.
Designed by an award-winning British architect, these outstanding sea view properties feature an on-site marina and other social facilities and form one of the most complete residential complexes in the city today.


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Swatch Co-Inventor: Apple Will Succeed and an Ice Age Is Coming for Swiss Watches
J Thoendell stashed this in Tech
Apple Inc. may soon sell as many timepieces as all of Switzerland, threatening the country’s four-century-old industry, the co-inventor of the Swatch predicted.
The Apple Watch may reach sales of 20 million to 30 million units annually in the first few years, Elmar Mock said by phone on Tuesday. Switzerland exported 28.6 million watches in 2014. The Apple Watch will be available next month starting at $349 for a Sport model, $549 for a midrange version, and $10,000 for the high-end Apple Watch Edition.
“Apple will succeed quickly,” said the 61-year-old, who helped create the low-price Swatch in the 1980s. “It will put a lot of pressure on the traditional watch industry and jobs in Switzerland.”
Apple is set to challenge Switzerland’s $38 billion watch industry after the Cupertino, California-based company shook up markets such as music by driving consumers from CDs to iTunes and eroded Nokia Oyj’s dominance by redefining the mobile phone. While some Swiss brands such as Tissot, TAG Heuer and Montblanc are dipping their toes in the smartwatch market, the industry as a whole has been underestimating the threat, Mock said.
“Anything in the price range of 500 francs to 1,000 francs is really in danger,” said Mock, speaking by phone from Biel, Switzerland. “I do expect an Ice Age coming toward us.”
There were plenty of swatches in the sub-$100 range.
Apple needs a sub-$100 option for this to be huge.
Like the watch equivalent of iPod shuffle.


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The first phone with a dedicated Facebook button is coming soon to an AT&T near you.
Though the phone has previously been called the "ChaCha," HTC has reportedly renamed the device the "HTC Status."
The phone, which will sport a QWERTY keyboard, will let users connect to Facebook directly from apps like the camera and address book and will also include a 2.6-inch display with 480×320-pixels resolution, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a front-facing camera for video chat. The phone will run Android's Gingerbread operating system.
A chat widget will allow users to connect with friends in groups, or privately. Other widgets will also be Facebook-centric. One will show a clock with a Facebook update stream, another a calendar populated with birthdays and events from the site. A Friend Stream widget will let users follow their closest friends.
The HTC Salsa, a touchscreen phone also featuring a Facebook button, is facing some delays and won't be available as soon as the HTC Status, according to BGR.


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January 4, 2021
WW International has released its latest approach to weight loss, a fully immersive digital membership plan called Digital 360.
The program builds upon the WW weight loss method and gives members access to on-demand and live coaching, an online community of peers, and a variety of virtual experiences and events.
Specifically, the Digital 360 program includes a personalized weight loss and...
July 29, 2020
This morning CVS Health announced that it is adding a handful of digital health apps to its Point Solution Management service, including Big Health’s Daylight, Vida Weight Loss +, Weight Watchers, Kurbo and Naturally Slim.
Weight loss and a healthy lifestyle appear to be at the center of the news, as all but mental health app Daylight have a focus on making healthy eating choices. However, the...
August 14, 2019
Following an acquisition last year by WW (formerly Weight Watchers), Kurbo Health has retooled and relaunched its weight loss app and coaching services as Kurbo by WW. The tool not only sports a new look, but now includes a new focus on healthy behavior and wellness promotion that’s designed with children and adolescents in mind.
This subtle shift in approach comes in part from hands-on audience...
November 1, 2017
Deven McGraw, former deputy director for health information privacy at HHS’ Office for Civil Rights, has left public service for an unnamed Silicon Valley health technology startup, Politico reports. Iliana Peters, a senior adviser for compliance and enforcement in the Office, will at least temporarily step into the vacant position.
While McGraw’s only hint as to her new destination was that the...
June 17, 2016
Phoenix, Arizona-based Solera Health added another $4 million in funding from investors to help connect providers, payers and patients with diabetes prevention programs available in their area. The company announced $3 million in funding last November. Return backers BlueCross BlueShield Venture Partners and Sandbox Ventures participated in the new injection of funds as did new investor, social...
February 4, 2016
Aetna subsidiary iTriage has quietly launched a new version of its app, called iTriage Essentials, for iOS and Android platforms. The app is a redesigned, stripped down version of iTriage designed to serve as a testing ground for the company, though it will likely eventually replace the original iTriage app.
“We built this as a platform to test some hypotheses we have and some deep research we’ve...
January 18, 2016
While Under Armour, Apple, and Weight Watchers, have all, to varying degrees, become more involved in the calorie-tracking mobile app space, Lose It, one of the original innovators, has been quietly chugging along, capping its funding at $7 million because, according to CEO Charles Teague, the company has been profitable since at least last March.
MobiHealthNews talked to Teague about maintaining...
December 7, 2015
Weight Watchers has unveiled a new program called Beyond the Scale, which includes a new app called FitBreak. According to a recent Weight Watchers earnings call, the new program is partially a reaction to a perceived loss of business from free fitness apps.
"Weight Watchers is a plan that works," CEO James Chambers said on a Q3 call. "It is science-based, proven in a multitude of clinical...
November 25, 2015
For MobiHealthNews readers in the United States, it's almost Thanksgiving, a holiday that's about being grateful but one that is also all about food. And for many of us, the days and weeks after Thanksgiving are the time to think about getting rid of all that turkey weight -- whether that means joining a gym, downloading a free food tracking app like LoseIt! or MyFitnessPal, or signing up with...
May 5, 2015
Weight Watchers has acquired San Francisco-based fitness app developer, Hot5, according to a report from TechCrunch.
Hot5 was established in October 2012 and launched August 2013. The startup has developed two video workout apps, Hot5 Fitness and Vertical Escape Fitness Challenge, which are available for iOS devices. Both apps are free to download and offer a handful of workouts, but users need...


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Fish farmers battle high production cost
• High Feed Cost, Irregular Prices Pose Serious Problem
• Low Patronage Recorded
Fish farmers are currently facing intense threat that might force them to go underground, as a result of serious challenges confronting the aquaculture industry.
One of the factors attributed to this; according to The Guardian’s survey is the rising cost of fish feeds, which cut across all the fish species. The other is what farmers termed irregular prices attached to fish products, as well as how consumers are affected, due to unaffordability of the fishes.
Investigation shows that a large number of the farmers have closed-shops, while those still operating are either struggling to remain in business at zero profit or incurring huge debts to stay afloat.
According to research, the demand for fish increased approximately from 1.392 million tons to 1.889 million tons between 2004-2012, with only 20 per cent of this demand met locally.
Based on the great business opportunities in aquaculture, experts claim Nigeria has the potential of 3.2 million tons fish production with further room for expansion, but due to several challenges, the growth in the sector has been stunted over the years.
From The Guardian’s investigation, majority of the farmers who managed to weather the storm, appear to be in dilemma, as they have their stock ready, but no buyers. This is not only strapping their money, it is also serving as additional burden, as they are forced to continue with their feedings, upkeep and routine maintenance of facilities, until they see buyers, who will be willing to buy at profitable rate.
One of the victims, Bamidele Onibalusi of Deloni Farms Limited, Ibadan, Oyo State, currently has 24,000 stock of catfish that are long overdue for sale, nearing seven months, as against five months maturity age.
Like many others, he is willing to sell but “there is no market. When buyers come, they come with ridiculous prices. Buyers usually come to the farm to get the fishes, but there are practically no customers at all. At a time I called a friend to get me buyers but there were no buyers. The fish keeps eating everyday; I spend at least N60, 000 everyday to feed them for close to two months since they were due for sale. That runs into millions of naira. There are farmers who are also facing this challenge that are spending more than that to feed their fishes daily.
“Prices of feeds is still a bit higher, but some appears to be falling. The falling exchange rate negatively impacted on feed production cost, which led to rising feed price. Aside the issue of feed, government is creating problems for the farmers. We heard of Triton, a company which heavily invested in catfish producing about 500,000 fishes every month, they go to the middlemen who buys from us, end consumers and every segment of the market, selling to them at heavily discounted rate, which automatically affects the market.
“This company is owned by Indians, invited by our government and operating on loan given to them by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). This administration is talking about agriculture and you invited a company that is not even Nigerian-owned who takes over the market, destroy jobs and take the money back to India, then I don’t know the meaning of that because it’s affecting local farmers badly.”
Onibalusi lamented that if farmers are producing less than 500,000 fishes per year and a company produces that in a month and sells in significantly reduced price, other farmers would run at a loss.
“Some of our buyers come from Abuja and when they come, they hire vehicles at the rate of N70, 000 to our farms, now according to what I heard, Triton has promised to take the fishes directly to them, removing the N70, 000 on transportation. I am even hearing that they are selling at a more cheaper rate, how do you expect them to patronise us?”
He confirmed that a lot of people are leaving the business, because “when you are engaging in a business and instead of making profit you are incurring losses, one needs to run from such business.”
Like Onibalusi, there are other farmers too who have over 100,000 fishes, ready for market, but no buyers.
The owner of Keen Farms, Apata, Ibadan, Mr. Abiodun Eniola, who is also a victim said the present situation is unusual compared to what they experienced in past years. He said his stock, which he has not been able to market runs into tonnages (A ton is 1,000kg).
Though he couldn’t give the actual tonnages yet to be sold, he said with the situation, he could not move forward. “You wont be able to do anything when you can’t sell what you produce. It’s like you are at a spot unable to move forward.
National Chairman, Fisheries Cooperative Federation of Nigeria, the apex body of fisheries cooperative societies, unions and federation in states, Evang. Anthony A. Ashagye, who told The Guardian that the sector can solve 70 per cent of the country’s problem, said with challenges like high cost of fish feeds, problem of sourcing fingerlings, acquisition of land, inadequate training, lack of financial support and lack of modern fish markets, it may be difficult to achieve their dreams.
While noting that aquaculture is growing at a faster rate and the challenges getting bigger, he said the high cost of feeds, is caused by total dependence on feed importation, adding that about 80 per cent of the feeds are imported. “This is one of the things government should have done, by establishing feed mills. We have raw materials for the establishment of feed mills, but it was not considered by the past administration. So, the cost of feed is taking the highest budget in aquaculture.
“Taking a critical look at Agriculture, one can easily access a rice farm if it’s 10 hectares of land or more, it could easily be ascertained. That also goes for livestock, the number of the animals can be counted, but for aquaculture, the fish grows in the water and nobody sees it, fish farmers are underrated, that’s why we don’t get assistance in terms of loans.
“The contribution of this sector is immense to the growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Federal Government launched a roadmap, the Green Revolution, it has enumerated ways to encourage aquaculture, we believe in the document, but when the stakeholders are carried along, it would achieve the best. We have communicated with the minister on the way out, if we can be carried along, the aim of the roadmap will be attained.”
Few weeks ago, the Catfish and Allied Fish Farmers Association of Nigeria (CAFAN) held a Congress in Ibadan for Southwest farmers to address challenges plaguing the industry. The Congress dwelt purposely on how the industry can be sustained amid cost of feeds and irregular prices attached to fish products, which are major factors threatening fish production.
In a communiqué released, the farmers appealed to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), to review policies of background integration in the aquaculture industry, for the removal of the tariffs and import duties on fish and other related fish feed additives, and to intervene in the exportation of fish products.
The CAFAN President, Rotimi Olibale lamented that farmers’ cost of production has gone out of reach, just as the purchasing power of consumers has also gone down. “So the farmers as producers of food should ensure security of the populace. So we came together to compare notes, to see how we can better produce our fish at a lower cost.
“What has been happening is that farmers have been selling below their cost price. So what we are trying to do is to establish individual’s cost prices, and having that as a minimum selling price so that farmers do not sell at a loss, rather, they mark up and sell at a profit to cover all their cost of production and keep sanity within the market,” said he.
Onibalusi appealed to government to regulate the fish industry, work on prices and create policies that favours farmers.


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BrewDog Recruits Local Entrepreneur Tanisha Robinson to Head U.S. Operations
Scottish brewery BrewDog has announced new leadership for BrewDog USA. Tanisha Robinson, founder of several local startups, will head the company’s stateside operations, establishing the brand and sales strategy, and heading up their operational growth.
“We have been searching for someone to head up our USA operations, and as soon as we met Tanisha we knew we’d found our Top Dog,” said co-founder James Watt in a press release. “Our USA launch and expansion is one of the most exciting and ambitious ventures we’ve dreamt up yet, and with Tanisha at the helm, the sky is the limit.”
The announcement comes just ahead of the August launch of BrewDog’s new 100,000 square foot brewery in Canal Winchester and planned tap rooms in Franklinton and Short North. As the company expands its Ohio (and eventually U.S.) operations, they turned to Robinson for her “astute business instinct, huge passion for craft beer, and her love of our new hometown, Columbus.”
Robinson’s own entrepreneurial ventures are diverse. She founded design, technology and marketing company Print Syndicate in 2012. TicketFire was her baby as well. The app creates digital tickets from paper ones, allowing users to share and resell event tickets more easily.
Robinson will take her experience and develop a cohesive business culture that easily transfers between their headquarters in Aberdeenshire and Columbus. As the craft brewing industry looks toward a 20 percent market share by 2020, she’ll spearhead BrewDog’s growth of distribution and their American bar division as well, focusing first on Ohio before moving on to neighboring states.
This process starts immediately as BrewDog is set to distribute in stores and venues by next week.
“Because there are so many craft breweries in America, it’s really forcing everyone in the industry to fixate on creativity and quality,” Robinson said. “The Columbus (and Ohio) beer scene is particularly vibrant because of the constant expansion, knowledgeable patrons, talented brewers, and incredible diversity.”
For more information, visit brewdog.com/usa/.
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Fiat Chrysler announced Wednesday it's spinning off its famous luxury car brand Ferrari into an independent company.
Fiat Chrysler announced Wednesday it's spinning off its famous luxury car brand Ferrari into an independent company — listing 10 percent of the stock on the market and distributing the remaining 90 percent to its shareholders. (Video via Ferrari)
CNBC's Phil LeBeau reports the value of the entire company is around $6 billion.
Fiat Chrysler's CEO, Sergio Marchionne, said in a statement, "As we move forward to secure the 2014-2018 Business Plan … it is proper that we pursue separate paths for FCA and Ferrari."
"If you are Sergio Marchionne and the Fiat board, you are looking at Ferrari and saying, 'This is our most valuable asset that we can spin off to raise capital.'"
The news has also led to a humongous boost in Fiat Chrysler's share price, jumping almost 19 percent to $11.56 per share at one point Wednesday.
This video includes images from Getty Images.


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The Information & Communication Technology sector has been one of Australia’s strongest performing industry sectors for year on year jobs growth, according to a new report which showed an increase of 26% in the number of ICT job ads for February compared to 2017.
Technology is among the business and industry sectors to record a strong increase in jobs advertising for the three months to the end of January.
The ICT sector offered one of the highest number of job opportunities of any business and industry sector in October on the back of what has been described as a boom in Australia’s economy, according to the latest jobs advertising report from recruitment firm SEEK.
Don't sweat it, all good
My apologies, I did not mean to give that impression.
still expensive and rubbish
Given the level of cyberbullying (along with more traditional bullying) in parliament, why are they not banned for politicians. It[…]
While it is more true that you've got to give the people what they NEED, Telstra fails here on both[…]


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NEW YORK -- Apple's AAPL annual shareholder meeting is set to begin Wednesday at 12 p.m. EST.
Tim Cook, Apple CEO, is likely to be asked what the iPhone maker plans to do with its massive cash hoard of more than $137 billion.
What to Expect from Apple's Shareholder Meeting: Tech Trends
Retailer J.C. Penney JCP is expected by analysts Wednesday to post a quarterly loss of 18 cents a share on revenue of $4.08 billion.
Groupon GRPN , the daily deals site, is forecast to report fourth-quarter profit of 3 cents a share on sales of $638.4 million.
5 Stocks Set to Soar on Bullish Earnings
Priceline.com PCLN , the Travel Web site operator, said Tuesday that fourth-quarter net income rose 28%, as bookings on its Web sites jumped 33% to about $6.6 billion in the quarter.
Fourth-quarter earnings and revenue topped analysts' estimates. The company said it expects first-quarter adjusted earnings of $4.90 to $5.30 a share on revenue of $1.21 billion to $1.29 billion, in line with Wall Street forecasts.
First Solar FSLR , the solar panel manufacturer, swung to a profit in the fourth quarter but issued first-quarter net income and sales guidance below analysts' forecasts.
Juniper Networks JNPR is reviewing its enterprise-focused networking business after talks fell through late last year to sell assets, including its security unit NetScreen Technologies, Reuters reported, citing several sources close to the matter.
Cisco's Changeover Will Dominate Tech


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Removable dental appliances can be a breeding ground for life-threatening bacteria and with millions of people using clear braces, better hygiene is critical.
AGOURA HILLS, CALIFORNIA, USA, October 7, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — With the skyrocketing growth of the clear aligners market, valued and USD 2.6 billion in 2020 and expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.3% from 2021 to 2028, and over 10 million wearers of clear aligners, Grow Green Industries, Inc., is proud to offer their oral health breakthrough: guardClean™ Mouthguard, Aligner and Retainer Cleaning Spray as an important step when it comes to clear aligner and removable dental appliance hygiene.
Now more than ever, oral hygiene is critical to overall health, and according to a study published by the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), dental appliances can be a breeding ground for life-threatening bacteria, yeast, and mold.
When Grow Green CEO and Founder, Mareya Ibrahim, co-inventor of the award-winning eatCleaner® line of products found herself searching for a safe, effective aligner cleanser, she was presented with a choice between messy denture tablet soaks, mystery ingredients, or expensive specialty cleaners.
“It didn’t make sense to use an overnight denture cleaner on my aligners, and I was at a loss finding a clean-label product that was convenient, affordable and portable. I decided to create my own out of sheer necessity,” commented Ibrahim. “I found out an average of 100 billion bacteria can be harbored in the mouth, and most people don’t clean their mouthguards, which can lead to staph and strep infections, asthma, and other life-threatening conditions.” Startled by her findings, she partnered with her dentist to validate her concept.
“We have been using guardClean in our dental office for months to clean our patient’s removable appliances and are thrilled with the results,” says Dr. Chitra Tiruveedula of Advanced Dental in Aliso Viejo, California. “It works amazingly well! We are also very excited to now offer guardClean to our mouthguard, aligner, and retainer clients to use at home. They are relieved to have an effective, all-natural, well-priced, safe option. My patients have been very happy since they started using guardclean. In the office, we also use it in conjunction with our Ultrasonic cleaner, which gives great added benefit and is more effective than our prior cleaning product.”
Additionally, oral health has a direct connection to a person’s ability to fight the SARS-COV-2 virus. According to a new international study published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, infected and inflamed gums may result in higher rates of complications and more fatal outcomes for individuals diagnosed with the SARS-COV-2 virus. Researchers discovered that COVID-19 patients with gum disease were 3.5 times more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit, 4.5 times more likely to need a ventilator, and 8.8 times more likely to die when comparing to those without gum disease.
While most oral cleansers fail to disclose their full ingredient list or are intended for overnight use on dentures, guardClean is:
• All-natural and safe – formulated specifically for removable dental appliances, guardClean uses a synergistic blend of all-natural ingredients to effectively cleanse while leaving behind nothing but the refreshing taste of organic peppermint essential oil.
• Fast and effective – guardClean is the ultimate life hack for better oral hygiene and overall health, gently powering away tartar, stains and buildup in just two minutes. Simply mist, brush, rinse, and kiss harmful bacteria and residue goodbye.
• Convenient – unlike messy soaks, guardClean can be used on the go, carried in a computer bag or purse, and is TSA-compliant for air travel.
• Versatile – Fast cleaning action at home and on the go for invisible braces, mouth guards, night guards, removable retainers, CPAP and sleep apnea devices – even toothbrushes
guardClean uses patented technology without adding sugar, artificial ingredients, chemicals, alcohol, or peroxide and is available on Amazon or to wholesale customers direct from Grow Green Industries, Inc.
There is growing evidence that a lack of good oral health can increase the chances of infection from bacteria on dirty toothbrushes, mouthguards, and removable oral devices. Alcohol-free products like guardClean® – formulated specifically to cleanse these devices – is made with active ingredients such as salt, surfactant, and citric acid to significantly help remove potential contaminants and viruses, safely. Avoid mouthwashes and rinses containing artificial ingredients and harmful chemicals.
Visit eatcleaner.com for your “whole cleaning” destination for everything from produce and countertops to cutting boards and fridge surfaces and even oral health. Each patented, food-grade and USDA biobased formula use all-natural, FDA-approved GRAS ingredients, making it an effective and safe home cleaning choice.
For more information, contact Grow Green Industries, Inc., the makers of guardClean, at firstname.lastname@example.org or 888-284-2435/
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About Grow Green Industries, Inc./ Eat Cleaner®:
Grow Green Industries, Inc. dba eatCleaner® is leading the way in eco-solutions for food safety and shelf life extension. Co-founded by Dr. Shawki Ibrahim, Ph.D., and Mareya Ibrahim (“The Fit Foodie”), the company is dedicated to providing effective and scientifically proven products to help you live safely. Visit growgreenindustries.com and eatcleaner.com to learn more.


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MyBroadband is South Africa's biggest and best IT news website, covering the latest international and local IT and tech news.
The Competition Commission’s Data Service Market Inquiry report contains good recommendations which did not receive much exposure – here are the best ones.
Posted: December 12, 2019, 11:41 am
The latest MyBroadband customer satisfaction ratings reveal the best and worst ADSL, fibre, and fixed-LTE ISPs in South Africa.
Posted: December 10, 2019, 12:00 pm
A Telkom customer told MyBroadband about his three-month struggle to get a refund for an incorrect order.
Posted: December 5, 2019, 4:00 pm
MyBroadband is giving away prizes worth R5,000 to encourage you to do a speed test and rate your ISP.
Posted: November 19, 2019, 1:06 pm
Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko’s strange comments about ISPs hide a scary reality for many service providers in South Africa.
Posted: November 17, 2019, 3:57 pm
Instead of fighting for an ADSL connection, there is another connectivity option available which many South Africans might not consider - satellite broadband.
Posted: November 16, 2019, 1:29 pm
ISPA says the decline in Telkom’s fixed ISP business was inevitable once it was no longer able to force subscribers to take both its voice and ADSL products.
Posted: November 15, 2019, 12:24 pm
Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko has said that an Internet service provider (ISP) is a relic of the past.
Posted: November 14, 2019, 5:57 am
The Sentech Connect broadband service will offer speeds between 10Mbps and 100Mbps.
Posted: November 12, 2019, 12:21 pm
Huawei and MTN have announced a new 5G trial to demonstrate their readiness to roll out the technology in South Africa as soon as radio frequency spectrum becomes available.
Posted: November 12, 2019, 12:00 pm
Telkom released its interim results for the six months ended 30 September 2019, which show a concerning trend.
Posted: November 12, 2019, 6:09 am
Rain has officially launched its 5G service to the public, offering unlimited data at speeds of up to 700Mbps at R1,000 per month.
Posted: November 11, 2019, 4:11 am
MyBroadband recently tested Rain's 5G broadband service, from ordering and activation, to performing downloads and speed tests.
Posted: November 8, 2019, 9:07 am
Google South Africa announced the launch of Free Wi-Fi through its Google Station programme for the Cape Flats in the Western Cape.
Posted: November 7, 2019, 9:11 am
MTN’s fixed-LTE packages from Axxess offers a great alternative to ADSL, with prices starting at less than R7 per GB.
Posted: November 6, 2019, 7:21 am


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The new Harbor Freight Tools at the Hampton Plaza Shopping Center in Hampton — Courtesy: The Goldstein Group
By Joshua Burd
A discount tool and equipment retailer has leased some 18,000 square feet at a Hunterdon County shopping center, under a new deal brokered by The Goldstein Group.
The real estate services firm represented Kere Associates, the landlord at 17 Hampton House Road in Hampton, in the transaction with Harbor Freight Tools. The new store at the Hampton Plaza Shopping Center is now among more than 900 nationwide for the Calabasas, California-based retailer.
The Goldstein Group Executive Vice President Lew Finkelstein, Vice President C.J. Huter and Sales Associate Roy Paret represented ownership. Marcus Bourn and Andrew Connolly of Newmark Knight Frank represented the tenant.
Other tenants at Hampton Plaza include Staples, Modell’s, A.C. Moore, KFC and T-Mobile.


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Ford Australia to sell all models under Ranger sub-brand, following ute’s success – UPDATE
Ranger line-up set to expand as Ford re-labels existing models in the hope of extending the dual-cab’s stellar success.
UPDATE, 12:00pm, 01/04/21: Well done to our readers on uncovering the April Foolishness behind this one. Ford won’t be changing its branding any time soon. The original story can be found below.
Following in the footsteps of the expanded Mustang and new Bronco sub-brands overseas, Ford Australia has announced that it will consolidate its line-up under the Ranger moniker.
On the basis of full-year sales figures in 2020, the Ranger accounted for over 68 per cent of Ford’s model mix. In the hopes of emulating that momentum across the remaining line-up, Ford wants to hone in on the Ranger’s brand recognition in Australia.
“Ford has successfully expanded the Mustang from an iconic sports car into a family of vehicles, with the addition of the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV, and is preparing to revolutionise the off-road market with the recently launched Bronco family of vehicles overseas.” Ford explained in a statement.
“Ranger has forged itself a reputation for iconic styling and go-anywhere ability. Rather than impose limits, we want to remove borders. Ranger’s go-anywhere capability now includes racetracks, school runs, shopping centres, and of course the fire trails, beaches and rural roads the Ranger is already at home on.”
Following the example of Mustang and Bronco overseas, Ranger as a brand will remain under the Ford banner. The Ford and name and logo will appear in a secondary form on official brand communications, but the Ranger brand will take pride of place.
With Ranger set to function as a brand name, the current Ranger 4x2 and 4x4 utes will become Ranger Longreach models, pulling a name from Ford Australia’s back catalogue.
The new Ranger branding will also incorporate a horse-themed logo, joining the bucking Bronco and galloping Mustang logos, the Ranger will depict the silhouette of a rider on horseback, rounding out Ford’s equine-themed brand portfolio.
Other models in the Ford line-up will drop the ‘Ford’ part of their title, to be replaced with Ranger instead. Model names will stay the same, but variant names will be repurposed using Ranger ute parlance.
For current Ford Performance models, including the Fiesta ST and Focus ST, the Raptor name will feature. This will see the Ford Fiesta ST become the Ranger Fiesta Raptor, and the Focus will move to the Ranger Focus Raptor.
Because the Focus line-up already includes an SUV styled Focus Active, the new nomenclature will see the this version become the Ranger Focus FX2, signifying two-wheel drive instead of full 4x4 or all-wheel drive capability.
The XLS Sport name, another previous Ranger ute title, will also be deployed for the Focus ST-Line, and although not mentioned in Ford Australia’s announcement, is also believed to be coming as a replacement for the Transit Custom Sport, which will rebrand as the Ranger Transit Custom XLS Sport.
Despite the growth of Mustang into a sub-brand of its own overseas, Ford Australia’s decision to rely on the Ranger name will also see the iconic pony car incorporated into the new branding scheme.
“In the same way that Wildtrak stands as a respected pillar of the Ranger Longreach line-up, we believe Australian consumers will find the Ranger Mustang Wildtrak an obvious extension of the original’s style and capability.” Ford explained in its marketing materials.
“Wildtrak is a legend. Where better to realise that than on the most legendary model of all.”
Although the connection may not be immediately obvious, the car to wear the Mustang Wildtrak name will be the former Mustang GT, solidifying the interrelated nature of the new Ranger brand.
The Ranger rebrand is set to begin from mid-2021, with the completed branding make-over set to be completed before the end of the year.
CarAdvice understands there will be a media conference held at midday today confirming key details.
MORE: Everything Ford


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Sona Comstar chairman Sunjay Kapur invests in EV charging operator Sunfuel Electric
Sona Comstar chairman has invested as an angel investor to acquire a stake in Delhi-based Sunfuel Electric which is setting up ultra-high fast chargers for luxury EVs in the country.
Sona Comstar chairman Sunjay Kapur has invested as an angel investor an undisclosed amount through his family office to acquire a stake in Delhi-based EV charging operations start-up - Sunfuel Electric - which was founded in 2020 to set up EV charging infrastructure aimed at luxury EVs in the country.
Founded by Sudhir Nayak, Gul Panag, Mathew Koshy, and Rishabh Mehta, the start-up has partnered leading hospitality companies such as Radisson Hotels Group, IHG Hotels, ITC Welcomheritage, and Club Mahindra among others, to provide destination charging facility across luxury hotels and resorts at several locations in the country.
Sunfuel Electric claims that it is focused to ensure that charging infrastructure is visible even before mass-scale EV adoption takes place in India. According to Sudhir Nayak, CEO, Sunfuel Electric, “We want the Indian consumer to think of EVs as fun-to-drive cars with a go-anywhere capability. However, they will adopt only when they see seamless charging at their favourite destinations and pitstops; and we intend to do just that.”
According to Sunjay Kapur, “It is evidently clear that the preference of car buyers in India is shifting to EVs over the past few years due to their significantly lower total cost of ownership, which offsets the higher initial cost of an electric car compared to a conventionally-fuelled one. This investment is my personal endeavour towards creating world-class charging infrastructure for these cars in line with our larger vision to create a sustainable mobility future.”
While it has set up EV chargers at prominent hotels in the national capital region, Sunfuel India claims to be present in various locations across the country. Apart from hotels, the start-up is also targeting leading golf courses and clubs that have been made EV-friendly by Sunfuel Electric over the last few months.
SunFuel Electric is accelerating the adoption of electric cars by providing seamless charging experiences across the country. The company says that while there is no dearth of investments in the slow-charging network due to its low capital intake, it, however, leaves a void for high-end EVs sold in the country which require ultra-high-speed chargers. “With no charging operator currently catering to their requirements for ultra-high-speed charging, Sunfuel fills that gap, and it is well on its way to creating a world-class, high-speed charging network in the country. Our current focus is destination charging and we have established a leadership position in that category with our indigenously-designed charger Monolith – that comes replete with technology from Siemens,” Nayak added.
The EV Parking Apartments cater to electric vehicles of diverse makes and models.
The partnership has also ensured that owners of these new EVs will benefit from extensive sales and service networks thr...
The carmaker is also offering an assured buyback option for Gloster customers after three years of ownership.


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Can the state’s milk production keep up with demand?
Cornell University has released the first of two research papers that analyze both the impact and the potential of Greek yogurt production in New York.
The first paper shows the rise of Greek yogurt consumption and production. In 2009, Greek-style yogurts made up a mere 2% of total yogurt sales. Three years later, Greek yogurt comprised 34% of total yogurt sales and 22.5% of total volume. In 2011, sales of non-Greek yogurt fell 10%, while Greek yogurt sales skyrocketed 71%.
In 2012, per capita Greek yogurt consumption was 14 lb. But there’s far more potential ahead since Canadian per capita consumption is 20 lb., and French and German consumption is three times that.
New York is the epicenter of Greek yogurt production mainly because it began there in 2005 with Chobani’s founder. The state is now home to six yogurt plants.
"New York rapidly moved to become the dominant player in the Greek yogurt segment and is now the leading manufacturer of yogurt in the U.S. The large-farm milk production sector in New York is an important factor in the development of this product segment, but the proximity ... to the demographically large, rich and diverse population centers of the northern Atlantic coast is even more important," say the research paper authors, economists Robert Boynton and Andy Novakovic.
But further expansion might be hindered by New York’s inability to ramp up milk production fast enough.
To increase production, New York has modified its so-called mid-size Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) regulations. The state also promises to double incentives to install methane digesters and created a new "dairy acceleration program" that offers up to $5,000 per farm to analyze dairy expansions, adopt best management practices and employ new technology.


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BMW has announced that the German manufacturer will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year, ending a hiatus since their last entry into the historic race in 2011, when an M3 in competition GT spec finished third in class.
The 86th running of the legendary competition will take place on June 16 and 17 this year. The announcement comes with the reveal that a highly modified 8 Series coupe, a race-prepped version of the M850i which has been circulating test strips across Western America, will be put to through its paces during the grueling endurance test.
The M8 GTE, unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, ratchets up the already impressive performance of the production M850i. Modifications include weight reductions thanks to extensive use of carbon fiber, a body kit which widens the car’s aero profile while allowing for more aggressive air intake, including the use of a front splitter, rear diffuser, and an enormous rear wing. Per Motortrend, the 24 Hours of Le Mans M8 GTE will weigh in at right around 2,690 pounds, while utilizing a tuned up version of the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8, which in the M850i already produces 530 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque.
Pair the massive power figures to a six-speed sequential transmission routing power to the rear wheels (whereas the M850i has been solidly defined as an all wheel drive car) and the overall package should be quite impressive. For American BMW fans desperate to catch a glimpse of the M8 GTE, the car will be traveling Stateside to battle it out in the International Motor Sports Association’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship later in the year.
"There isn’t be a better setting for the world premiere of the new BMW 8 Series Coupe than the 24-hour race at Le Mans,” said Klaus Fröhlich, BMW’s head of development, in a statement. “The race is a pure demonstration of passion, dynamics, and long-distance capability. These characteristics define our new sports car in a special way.”
Word of a road-going M8 has circulated alongside the increasingly public profile of its M850i stablemate, though that project will almost certainly result in a more restrained final product than the fully GT-styled M8 GTE. Besides the M850i, which wears the M badge and offers a partial range of performance enhancing options, from adjustable damping suspension to a novel active sway bar setup, Motor Authority reports that BMW is also in progress developing an 8 Series Gran Coupe, demonstrating the brand’s intention to set its sights on offering a range of vehicles to compete with Mercedes-Benz’s flagship S550 coupe.


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Amazon today unveiled its latest initiative to speed up delivery times on millions of items for its growing cadre of Prime members.
The tech giant has quietly built smaller versions of its fulfillment centers closer to customers in Philadelphia, Phoenix, Orlando and Dallas to bolster same-day delivery in those areas. The move represents another way Amazon is pushing the envelope of shipping, in an attempt to get ahead of competitors that are also speeding up delivery times.
The new warehouses allow Amazon to offer more than 3 million items for same-day delivery in those cities. That is a major expansion over Prime Now, the existing same-day service that offers roughly 20,000 items for rapid delivery, along with groceries.
Customers will see a new “Today by” tag on items eligible for same-day delivery. Overnight delivery will be an option as well, with orders placed before midnight arriving by 8 a.m.
Same-Day delivery is free to Prime members on orders over $35. A $2.99 fee will be added on orders under $35. Non-Prime members will have to pay close to $13 for same-day orders.
The new warehouses are about one-tenth the size of Amazon’s typical fulfillment centers that are typically located in more isolated areas. These facilities will help Amazon reduce drive time and air shipping for deliveries, which will bring Amazon closer to a Climate Pledge it made late last year.
“This is because these new facilities are in close proximity to customers, reducing the need for aircraft transport and generally decreasing the distance drivers have to travel to deliver packages to our customers,” Jon Alexander, Amazon’s director of delivery experience,” wrote in a blog post.
Amazon revolutionized the shipping industry in recent years when it pushed for two-day delivery. That soon became the standard across the e-commerce world, with many of Amazon’s competitors adopting a two-day turnaround.
In 2019, Amazon plowed billions into a push to make one-day delivery its new shipping standard for Prime. The move has helped Amazon grow the $119/year Prime program to more than 150 million subscribers.
View original article here Source


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New Year’s resolutions are — more often than not — terrifying. They hold you accountable, push you out of your comfort zone, and force you to reevaluate something about your life.
While most of the popular, cliché New Year’s resolutions are based in personal betterment, the New Year is also the perfect occasion to think about ways you can have a positive impact on the planet.
Keep reading to check out six small changes you can make in your life to help the environment!
Invest in a Reusable Shopping Bag
Assuming you haven’t already, that is. There’s a reason why several countries around the world and cities in the US are banning the use of single-use plastic shopping bags: Research estimates Americans use around 100 billion plastic bags every year, and they are not easily recycled.
Because they aren’t easily recycled, they end up landfills — but often don’t stay there; since they’re so lightweight, they’re often lifted by the wind and end up polluting the “outside,” interfering with our water sources, trees, and animal habitats. And the ones that stay in the landfill are problematic too, of course: According to research out of the UK, it takes 500 years for a plastic bag to decay once it's in a landfill.
Buying a reusable shopping bag (or several, based on your needs) is a low-cost, one-time purchase that could have a big impact on cutting down on your plastic consumption.
While You’re At It, Embrace As Many Reusable Products As Possible
Using reusable items can start at your shopping bag, but it definitely doesn’t have to end there! While you have some extra cash from the holidays, consider buying a reusable straw, reusable coffee cup, reusable water bottle, etc.
Many companies have taken to banning plastic straws because of their negative impact on the ocean and its inhabitants; thankfully, there are plenty of alternatives such as Final Straw, which is a collapsable, reusable straw that makes it easy to use on-the-go.
The statistics on styrofoam and plastic water bottles are undeniable as well; to start, humans buy a million water bottles a minute, and 91 percent of those water bottles aren’t recycled. Styrofoam also isn't recyclable or biodegradable, and could stay in landfills for 500 years according to some estimates.
Making a small investment in a reusable coffee tumbler to bring to your favorite coffee shop or a water bottle to fill up wherever you go could be a big investment in our planet’s future.
Go Paperless When You Can
We live in a digital world — but there are still some things that inexplicably still use paper, though it's totally unnecessary in many cases. And Americans use a lot of paper: According to research conducted by the University of Southern Indiana, Americans use about 85 million tons of paper a year, which comes out to about 680 pounds per person or, in other words, about seven trees worth of paper, wood, and other products per person — and about 2 billion trees per year.
Fortunately, there are many places where you can opt out of paper — whether it’s your credit card bill or receipts at your favorite store. Going paperless can help with organization (no one misplacing your mail or accidentally tossing your receipt!), but can also help with the environment.
UK-based company DocuSign reports that the paper industry is the fifth largest energy consumer in the world. Cutting back on your paper consumption in order to go digital not only helps save trees, but also cuts back on pollution and water consumption associated with producing and transporting paper.
Also considering consuming your favorite print media — like your newspaper — online as well. Per USI’s findings, 500,000 trees must be cut down to produce each week’s Sunday’s newspapers.
Explore Going Green With Your Commute
Vehicles have a major impact on our environment — with the EPA reporting that 27 percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation; according to their findings, a typical passenger vehicle emits 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Consider biking to work, which will not only clear up congestion in major cities and commuter areas, but it will also potentially benefit your health. Research found that in cities, cyclists are exposed to less air pollution than other commuters (in part because of the short commute time).
While public transportation and carpooling are other, “greener” commuting options than traveling in a car by yourself, there are still health risks associated with spending a long time in cars (and Americans are spending more time in their cars commuting than ever — average commuting times have increased by 20 percent since the ‘80s). Leading climate change expert Professor Sir David King explained to The Guardian that even in “cleaner” vehicles, you’re exposed to emissions and dangerous levels of air pollution. As he put it, “You may be driving a cleaner vehicle but your children are sitting in a box collecting toxic gases from all the vehicles around you.”
Shop Local When You Can
While there’s plenty of convenience associated with shopping at big box stores, shopping local is beneficial for the environment and your community.
By thinking globally and acting locally, you’ll help curb the energy and resources necessary for transportation and packaging at big box stores. There are some personal benefits, too, as shopping at local grocery stores and farmers markets, it's likely you’ll get fresher produce.
On a smaller scale, shopping locally also means you’ll help your community by creating jobs and investing money in your community.
Give Up Meat (At Least on Mondays)
Joseph Poore of the University of Oxford studied the effect of farming on the planet, and came to the conclusion that giving up meat and dairy could be the best thing you could do for the planet; this is because of the air and water pollution farming creates, the emissions caused by the transportation of meat, and the water and land consumption needed for these farms. Not to mention, research in 2011 found that 119.1 million tons of methane were produced globally by livestock passing gas.
“A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use, and water use,” Poore explained. “It is far bigger than cutting down on your flights or buying an electric car,” he added, because those actions only reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Agriculture is a sector that spans all the multitude of environmental problems,” he continued. “Really it is animal products that are responsible for so much of this. Avoiding consumption of animal products delivers far better environmental benefits than trying to purchase sustainable meat and dairy.”
If going vegan full-time is not feasible for you, start slow by embracing Meatless Mondays or cutting back on your meat and dairy consumption.


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Current CEO Doug Oberhelman will step down from his role as CEO and head of the board and will be succeeded by Caterpillar President of Energy and Transportation Jim Umpleby.
Umpleby is taking the helm at a challenging time. Umpleby will face some “tough decisions”, the Wall Street Journal reported, as he spends his first few months presiding over a downsizing. After taking big losses in the commodities bust, Caterpillar has been eyeing big cost-cutting measures. In the past year, the company has laid off 14,000 workers and ended track drill production. It is now aiming to lay off an additional 10,000 workers, cut $1.5 billion in annual expenses, and close up to 20 plants through 2018.
Under Oberhelman’s leadership, the company spent almost $10 billion on plants and equipment between 2010 and 2013. In China alone, Caterpillar doubled its number of plants and facilities between 2011 and 2014. Yet 2012 proved to be a peak year for the company as commodity prices started to fall. China’s growth receded, oil prices fell and demand for such equipment declined.
Caterpillar is now in its fourth straight year of falling sales, representing the longest decline in its history. While the company’s stock is up nearly 30% for the year, it’s trading well below its 2012 peak. “Everybody was surprised by the size of the downturn and the length of it…I firmly believe we couldn’t have forecast that at the time,” said Oberhelman at a mining trade show in Las Vegas in September.
Umpleby has overseen the company’s engine business since 2013. While it has generally been a low profile part of the company’s operations, it also has been one of the most profitable, generating up to 40% of its equipment sales and up to two-thirds of Caterpillar’s annual profit. Joe O’Dea, an analyst for Vertical Research Partners, told the Journal that the management in the engine business “could identify opportunities that are not immediately obvious now.”
Longbow Research analyst Eli Lustgarten told CNBC the decision to go with Umpleby makes sense. While Longbow is currently neutral on the stock, they still think Caterpillar is a great company, but also think the next five years will likely be very volatile. “It’s not a great surprise that the guy who runs that business and made it so profitable gets a chance to run the rest of the company,” said Lustgarten.
Umpleby has been with Caterpillar for 35 years and started his tenure with Solar Turbines Incorporated, a wholly owned subsidiary, in 1980. Umpleby was elected in 2010 as Caterpillar vice president and president of Solar Turbines before becoming a Caterpillar group president and member of Caterpillar’s Executive Office in 2013.
Umpleby will be the first CEO since 1980 who isn’t also a chairman. Oberhelman will oversee the company and the board until March 31, at which point Umpleby will take over as CEO and current board member Dave Calhoun will become the board’s non-executive chairman.


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NEW petrol cars will soon be banned by the government, in an effort to reduce the UK's contribution to climate change.
Here, we explain more about why it is happening and when.
Will petrol cars be banned in the UK?
Britain will block the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 – five years earlier than first planned.
Johnson announced the bringing forward of the ban, while launching a UN climate summit, COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in November 2019.
The Then-Prime Minister declared: "As we set out our plans to hit our ambitious 2050 net zero target across this year, so we shall urge others to join us in pledging net zero emissions."
The ban is part of the Government's plan to tackle air pollution, particularly at busy road junctions and "hotspots".
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Back in 2017, it said that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels were breaching legal pollution limits on four per cent of Britain's major roads, especially in London.
NO2 is released into the atmosphere when fuels are burned, for example petrol in a car engine.
Evidence shows that high levels damage our health, as the brown gas inflames the airways in our lungs, with asthmatics particularly affected.
Road transport is responsible for about 80 per cent of NO2 concentrations at the roadside.
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As part of its "Road to Zero" measures, the Government wants to push the take-up of ultra low emission vehicles.
By enabling a "massive expansion of green infrastructure", it hopes to deliver cleaner air and a better environment, according to the Department for Transport.
Transport secretary at the time, Grant Shapps, hinted at the acceleration of the new petrol and diesel cars ban last year, to push drivers into buying electric models as soon as possible and help the UK "become a world leader in green technology".
What will happen to classic cars when petrol is banned?
Classic cars will still be allowed after the 2030 ban, as they already registered to drive on the road.
With the growth of the electric car market, it may make finding petrol harder to find at a service station.
Some may consider converting their classics to run on a different fuel, such as vegetable oil.
Can I still drive my diesel car after 2030?
After 2030, petrol vehicles will be unavailable to buy from new.
However, you will still be able to drive a petrol car following the ban in 2030 as the Government's push for zero emission vehicles only affects new cars registered after 2030.
The Government said that, subject to consultation, it planned to bring forward an end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans to 2030, or earlier if a faster transition was possible.
It also said it would now include hybrids – which combine petrol and electric motors – in the proposals.
Petrol models currently account for 90 per cent of sales in Britain.
But some prospective buyers of greener models are worried about the limited availability of charging points, the range of certain models and the cost.
Ian Plummer, commercial director of Auto Trader, said: “The target is a stretch given where we are today – pure electric vehicles [EV] only accounted for 1.6 per cent of new car sales last year, and even fewer of used.
"That said, consumers do feel ready for the change.
"Appetite and interest is high as environmental concerns play a more influential role in people’s purchasing decisions, but price is still holding many back.
"EVs remain almost double the price of their ICE counterparts, so Government grants and incentives are essential to drive meaningful uptake of EVs.”
In February 2020, Ford boss Stuart Rowley voiced his criticism of the plan to ban hybrid cars saying "electric vehicle ownership for everyone is just not realistic".
There is currently no UK-wide scrappage scheme in place for petrol and diesel cars.
People will still be able to buy a second-hand petrol car in 2030 and drive one you currently own.
There could even be a boom in petrol or diesel sales in 2029, as motorists prepare to buy combustion engines for the final time.
Source: Read Full Article


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Two days ago, FV Pharma, the Cannabis company who bought the Kraft plant, announced that they had closed their financing agreement with Cannabis Wheaton Income Corp. They had previously announced a letter of intent to do this (see link below). They are saying that the deal has “the potential to build out the largest indoor cannabis cultivation facility in the world” and that they will produce 400 million grams of Cannabis a year of which half will be “paid” to Cannabis Wheaton. Chuck Rifici, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cannabis Wheaton commented that “it has the potential to create hundreds of jobs for the City of Cobourg.” What they don’t say is that there are a whole lot of competitors in this business. In fact, Cannabis Wheaton is financing many of them – basically spreading their bets.
But Thomas Fairfull, President and CEO of FV Pharma is happy: “We couldn’t have asked for a better joint venture partner for the development of our world class facility and the execution of our business plan that we expect will create hundreds of quality skilled jobs for the City of Cobourg. We are excited at the opportunity to build and operate something special with Cannabis Wheaton and to set the gold standard for cannabis cultivation and for cannabis-derived consumer products.”
They both call Cobourg a City – we love our Town but it’s not a city.
Note that at $10 a gram, 400 million grams per year translates to a business producing $4B a year in revenue – not bad for a few hundred employees.
Legislation has not yet been passed to legalize recreational use and in the meantime the only licences to grow are for medicinal purposes – and there are currently 91 producers licenced for that in Canada. Of these, 48 are in Ontario – see link below for details.
Although growth in the world-wide Cannabis market is expected to be exponential, and although Canada is leading the pack in legal businesses growing the weed, it seems extremely unlikely that there will be a market worldwide for all the Cannabis that Canadian growers plan to produce. That means that even though Canadian companies are planning to export much of their production, many of these companies will either fail or merge with others. No doubt all the owners of these ventures have optimistic faith that they will be one of the winners but it will be interesting to see what happens to FV Pharma and whether Cobourg will in fact get the hundreds of “quality skilled jobs” that have been promised.
- Update on Cobourg’s Marijuana Facility
- Health Canada List of licenced producers
- Press Release by Cannabis Wheaton Income Corp.


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All Articles: Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
Sony has announced (via the PlayStation Blog) that Jak and Daxter will make their PS4 debut later this year with a special PS2 Classics re-release of the first four games in the franchise.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, Jak 3, and Jak X: Combat Racing will be available to download for the PS4 later this year with full Trophy support and up-rendered to 1080p. Unfortunately, it looks like Sony had to remove Jak X: Combat Racing’s online multiplayer. But both single-player modes (Adventure and Exhibition), as well as splitscreen multiplayer, will remain intact.
More details about these games will be revealed closer to their launch date, but for now, Sony has uploaded a rather celebratory “Jak and Daxter on PS4” trailer, and it’s been embedded above.


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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday announced the recall of a thyroid medication after it was found that lots of the drug may be “subpotent.”
IBSA Pharma Inc. confirmed it is recalling Tirosint-SOL, or levothyroxine sodium, a medication used to treat an underactive thyroid gland. It said that the “voluntary recall has been initiated because these lots may be subpotent,” stated the announcement, published on the FDA’s website.
“The company’s analyses show a slight decrease below 95.0 percent of its labeled amount in levothyroxine sodium (T4) for some lots,” according to the recall notice. The recall doesn’t apply to Tirosint capsules.
People who take the recalled, subpotent drug could “experience signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) which may include, fatigue, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, dry skin, puffy face, hair loss, slow heart rate, depression, swelling of the thyroid gland and/or unexplained weight gain or difficulty losing weight,” the notice said.
Other side-effects, it said, may include “negative effects” on bone metabolism, reproductive function, cardiovascular function, growth and development, gastrointestinal function, cognitive function, emotional state, and glucose and lipid metabolism, the company said.
Read more: FDA Issues Alert, Announces Recall of Common Thyroid Medication


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Producer prices in Croatia rose 1.1 percent year-on-year in November of 2018, easing from a 3.4 percent gain in the previous month. It was the lowest producer inflation rate since April, as prices slowed for intermediate goods (0.8 percent compared to 1.0 percent in October); capital goods (0.4 percent compared to 0.5 percent) and energy (5.9 percent compared to 16.0 percent). On the other hand, cost declined at a softer pace for for durable consumer goods (-0.4 percent compared to -0.6 percent) and non-durable (-1.1 percent compared to -1.2 percent). On a monthly basis, producer prices dropped 0.8 percent, after rising 0.3 percent in the prior month. Producer Prices Change in Croatia averaged 1 percent from 2009 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 8.20 percent in March of 2011 and a record low of -6.40 percent in May of 2016.
Producer Prices Change in Croatia is expected to be 3.60 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Producer Prices Change in Croatia to stand at 2.30 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Croatia Producer Prices Change is projected to trend around 1.90 percent in 2020, according to our econometric models.


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Kylie Jenner Has FINALLY Unveiled Her New Bleach Blonde Hair. What’s Your Verdict?
She looks so like Kim, no?
Kylie kept us guessing yesterday when she shared snaps of her stylist dying her hair platinum blonde from a dark brown.
And though she shared the whole process on Snapchat, along with a few snaps of the new colour while it was still wet, crucially she didn’t show her followers what the finished look was like once it was dried and styled.
Well, until now. Kylie finally debuted the new look on Snapchat last night, and we gotta say, it’s pretty stunzo.
While it’s certainly a brand new look for Kylie, we’re definitely getting major throwback vibes of Kim’s platinum dye job circa February this year. Could KJ’s new look be mirrored on big sister Kim’s?
Copied or not, we love this bold new look for our fave-o reality star.
What do you make of Kylie’s new do? Like it or loathe it? Drop us a comment below.
Have your say


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Apple News ramps up its video push while publishers wait on revenue
Apple wants publishers to distribute higher-quality videos on Apple News. But publishers want to see higher revenue from those videos. Apple has told publishers it knows the money isn’t yet there, and it has begun to show them how the company hopes to raise their videos’ profiles and revenue prospects.
Last month, Apple added a Top Videos section to the app’s main For You tab to make the 60 million people in the U.S. that use Apple News every month more aware of publishers’ videos. And it has begun inserting skippable interstitial video ads between these videos, which publishers hope will generate money they’re not getting from the videos they distribute on Apple News.
Apple is keeping 50 percent of the revenue from those ads and divvying up the remaining 50 percent among the publishers whose videos appear in the feed when an ad runs, according to three publishers. Based on a document published to Apple’s developer site and dated “April 2018,” the interstitial video ads are currently “only available as Apple inventory.” An Apple spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
The Top Videos section within Apple News mirrors the Top Videos section that Apple added last fall to the app’s widget that people can access by swiping left on their iPhone home screen. The Apple News editorial team selects the videos for both sections, and they play in sequence. Videos featured in these sections outperform the average video on Apple News, accounting for a majority of the views for some publishers, according to two publishers. However, in the experience of one of those publishers, people are quick to skip through these videos, which can have median watch times of less than 20 seconds.
Publishers are interested to see if the in-app Top Videos section will lead to longer watch times, but they said it’s too early to know and will be hard to determine for sure; Apple doesn’t break out the two placements separately from one another in publishers’ measurement dashboards. Besides, there’s another reason that video watch times would increase.
The Apple News team is pushing for longer, more original videos from publishers, coinciding with the additions of the in-app Top Videos section and interstitial video ads. To date, publishers typically distribute the same short, sound-optional videos on Apple News that they post on their own properties as well as platforms like Facebook and Twitter. If they do tailor those videos, that usually means making sure a video features text for audio-averse viewers and that it is edited into a square or vertical format to be eligible for the Top Videos sections. But since adding the in-app Top Videos section in March, Apple has solicited longer videos that exceed two minutes.
“They’re trying to find ways to put more premium, evergreen content in the experience,” said a publisher.
Apple is seeking more serialized programming for its news app. For example, Apple has run what are described as “takeovers” within the Top Videos section, in which all the videos relate to a specific topic and can even be from a single publisher. Videos within these takeovers tend to receive a higher viewership than the standalone videos typically included in the section, according to two publishers. Another example of Apple’s interest in higher-quality programming: Last week, BuzzFeed News premiered the first three episodes of its docuseries “Future History: 1968” on Apple News.
However, for publishers to invest more in the videos they distribute on Apple News, Apple needs to show they’ll receive a return on that investment. So far it hasn’t, and Apple knows it.
“At this point, the money is not there,” said one publisher.
NBCUniversal has sold ad inventory for Apple News for the past year. Trevor Fellows, evp of digital sales and strategy at NBCU, said it’s taken time for that effort, announced in late 2016, to ramp up, but that ad sales in the app should be “significant” this year. He acknowledged that the amount of revenue each publisher sees will vary depending on how much content they distribute and traffic they get on the app, and Apple’s cut will also influence it.
“2017 was a startup year,” he said. “We’re seeing significant ad revenue this year.”
While big money may not be there yet, publishers aren’t giving up on it, thanks in part to Apple’s transparency about the issue and the size of the app’s audience. “They’ve been patient with us, and we’re patient with them. A lot of people have iPhones,” said one of the publishers. But that patience won’t last forever, particularly as publishers see the money they could be making.
Publishers receive 70 percent of the revenue from the pre-roll ads that Apple sells against their videos through NBCUniversal in the U.S. and The Telegraph in the U.K. But given that the Apple News audience skews toward affluent people in their mid-20s to mid-40s, publishers would prefer to sell that inventory on their own. And while they can, Apple hasn’t made it easy to do so. Apple has begun letting more publishers use Google’s DoubleClick for Publishers to serve ads against their Apple News inventory, but limits on targeting and third-party verification impose “a major burden,” said one publisher. As a result, publishers are left for now to largely rely on the revenue share and to approach Apple News as more of a marketing play than a business driver.
To stay up to date on the modernization of the video business, subscribe to Digiday’s weekly video briefing email.
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