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The broadband policy which the Coalition has repeatedly described as a "white elephant" gained its freedom today with the long-awaited news that Labor will form government with the support of the Greens and three independent MPs.
Federal Independent MP Bob Katter today claimed that there was little difference between the broadband policies of the two major parties at a press conference this afternoon, where he announced his support for the Coalition.
Telstra today delivered a handful of fixes and updates to its BigPond broadband services to include faster shaped speeds, transferrable email addresses, free customer service calls and up to 15 free mailboxes.
Apple's iOS mobile operating system is now the third-most popular platform on the Internet, with a share nearly six times larger than Android's, a Web measurement company said Wednesday.
The iPad, which could dominate the tablet market until 2012, has been appearing in boardrooms and cubicles around the country. Previously it could be blamed on a manager showing off a new gadget or ordering one for the office in hopes of figuring out...
Samsung's latest addition to its Galaxy series, the Galaxy Tab Android tablet made its very first appearance today at IFA in Berlin. The Tab will initially launch in Europe in mid-September and makes its way to the U.S. and Asia in coming months.
Fake antivirus programs appear to be adopting some of the money-raising tactics of more threatening ransom malware, security company Fortinet's latest threat report has found.
Secunia has updated its Personal Software Inspector (PSI) with the ability to silently download and apply patches from multiple vendors soon after their release. PSI 2.0 is now available in an open beta test,
The Samsung Galaxy Tab--officially unveiled at the IFA show in Berlin this week--looks like the first tablet worthy of challenging the Apple iPad. However, there are still some obstacles and unknowns that could get in the way of the success of Samsun...
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd has been appointed co-president of Oracle, the software company announced Monday.
The world's best open source projects are going to be under close scrutiny in an effort to determine which one is the biggest game changer in the market.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is the first tablet to come along that appears to be capable of challenging the Apple iPad. On paper, and in initial hands-on reviews, the Galaxy Tab is impressive, but the burden of carrier contracts may seal the unfortunate f...
The software industry's police self-styled police force, the Business Software Alliance (BSA), has said that it recently paid a £10,000 ($15,300) bounty to an employee who informed on his former company's use of unlicensed software.
The curse of the unencrypted memory stick has stuck Manchester Police, which has suffered embarrassment as a drive containing apparently sensitive information was found lying in the street.
Even as Mozilla's Firefox recently garnered the No. 2 spot in the worldwide Web browser market overall, the software has taken a step closer to staking its claim on the Android platform as well.
The impact of the cloud and the as-a-service approach cannot be understated.
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The print quality also does not disappoint, it’s clear, bold, doesn’t smudge and the text is perfectly sized.
The Huddle Board’s built in program; Sharp Touch Viewing software allows us to easily manipulate and edit our documents (jpegs and PDFs) all at the same time on the dashboard.
The biggest perks for me would be that it comes with easy to use and comprehensive programs that make the collaboration process a whole lot more intuitive and organic
I rate the printer as a 5 out of 5 stars as it has been able to fit seamlessly into my busy and mobile lifestyle.
It’s perfect for mobile workers. Just take it out — it’s small enough to sit anywhere — turn it on, load a sheet of paper, and start printing.
The HP OfficeJet 250 Mobile Printer is a great device that fits perfectly into my fast paced and mobile lifestyle. My first impression of the printer itself was how incredibly compact and sleek the device was.
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Nintendo announced that Super Smash Bros Ultimate update 13.0.1 is coming soon! The update includes the final fighter adjustments for the game. Like previous updates, replay data will be incompatible once the update is installed. Players may convert their replays before updating by going to Vault -> Replays -> Replay Data and finally Convert to Video. A release date for Super Smash Bros Ultimate update 13.0.1 is still pending.
In the meantime, stay tuned at Final Weapon for the latest Japanese gaming news and updates!

domain: news


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Okay, so there are a ton of people that absolutely love Fortnite on consoles and PC…so what’s the next logical step? Why, expanding to a new audience on the mobile front, obviously.
Epic Games has announced that Fortnite Battle Royale will be making its way to phones and tables, across both iOS and Android. Now, keep in mind that’s just for Battle Royale, and not the full game. But for some players, that will be more than enough.
“Fortnite is the same 100-player game you know from PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Mac,” the company noted in its press statement. “Same gameplay, same map, same content, same weekly updates.” So it sounds like it’ll be pretty close in experience – save for touch-screen controls. (There might be Gamepad support, though.)
What’s more, Epic is already taking mobile sign-ups for the game, starting this Monday for a special Invite Event on iOS. Details should be available soon on the Fortnite page, though the company noted that you’ll need to be updated to iOS 11, and have an iPhone 6S/6E, iPad Mini 4, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2 or an iPad 2017 device.
“In partnership with our friends at Sony, Fortnite Battle Royale will support Cross Play and Cross Progression between PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, iOS and eventually Android,” the company noted. “This means players across devices can squad up with friends and play together.
“We believe this is the future of games. The same game on all platforms. Console quality graphics and action. Play when you want, where you want.”
It’s unknown if the game will follow the same free-to-play structure as the current console and PC versions, but it sounds like that will be the case.
Regarding the beta, interested parties can go to the site above starting on Monday to take part in the beta. “Email invites will start rolling out soon thereafter. When you are invited, you will receive an email with a link to download the game from the App Store. If you don’t receive an invite right away, don’t worry. We’ll be adding more players regularly over the coming months.”
And now, the kicker – you can invite others! “Players who receive invites from Epic will also get friend invite codes to share with others.” Granted, they’ll need strong Apple devices too, but they can squad up with you with ease.
The game will release sometime this year, and Epic concluded with “See you on the Battle Bus.” You can bet we will.
Fortnite is available now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.


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By Ethan A. Huff, staff writer for Natural News
You’ve probably seen it on milk cartons, yogurt containers and cheese packaging if you live in the U.S. — that little asterisk followed by a claim that the milk used in the product does not contain rBST, rBGH or other artificial growth hormones. But a series of studies conducted by researchers at Harvard University has revealed that, despite this claim, many commercial dairy products still contain high levels of growth hormones, particularly the feminizing hormone estrogen.
While most rBST- and rBGH-free dairy products likely do not contain these added hormones, the fact of the matter is that modern dairy production methods, particularly those now used in the U.S., cause more hormones than normal to be present in milk. The reason for this, according to Ganmaa Davaasambuu, a physician and scientist from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), is that many commercial dairy herds are milked excessively as well as during pregnancy, both of which result in higher-than-normal hormone levels in the finished product.
“Thanks to the way it is produced nowadays, milk from a commercial dairy is likely to contain much higher levels of natural sex hormones than you’d find in milk from a traditional (pre-industrial) dairy herd,” writes Josh Harkinson for Mother Jones, citing Davaasambuu’s extensive research into the subject.
Old-fashioned milk did not cause disease like today’s milk
Back in the early 2000s, Davaasambuu and her colleagues decided to investigate why rates of prostate cancer in Japan had escalated nearly 25-fold over the past half-century. This inquiry led the team to the discovery that cancer rates began to spike right around the time that American dairy techniques were brought over to the country following World War II.
After examining roughly 36 years of dietary data in Japan, Davaasambuu and her team came to the conclusion that the American way of raising dairy cattle in the 21st century — commercial herds in the U.S. are typically milked for 10 months out of the year rather than five or six, and are also routinely milked during pregnancy — is the most likely cause of increased cancer rates in Japan. These modern milking methods are not only taxing on cattle, but also produce milk that is highly estrogenic.
This was made more evident after a followup study in Mongolia, where cancer rates are much lower, found that traditional milking methods did not produce these negative outcomes. By milking their cows less frequently and not during pregnancy, the Mongols studied were observed to be largely free of disease.
“The reason that milk produced in America and Japan has more sex hormones than Mongolian milk is simple,” adds Harkinson. “The free-range cows kept by Mongolian nomads get pregnant naturally and are milked for five or six months after they give birth. In Japan and the United States, the typical dairy cow is milked for 10 months a year, which is only possible because she is impregnated by artificial insemination while still secreting milk from her previous pregnancy.”
“Milk from pregnant cows contains far higher hormone levels than milk from nonpregnant ones–five times the estrogen during the first two months of pregnancy, according to one study, and a whopping 33 times as much estrogen as the cow gets closer to term,” he adds.
Sadly, commercial milk products remain a staple in many public school cafeterias, both in the U.S. and Japan. Public schoolchildren in Japan, in fact, are still required, thanks to an antiquated 1954 law, to consume 200 milliliters of commercial milk every day during lunch.
Other studies have shown that chronic consumption of commercial milk can lead to allergies, asthma and other serious health problems besides cancer, which begs the question — why is the government still peddling this processed junk food to our children, while the traditional milk of old, in all of its raw and wholesome glory, remains illegal in many states?
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/044726_commercial_milk_growth_hormones_estrogen.html


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As per the latest reports, the United Arab Emirates major airline Emirates intends to add “Bitcoin as a payment service” and will also launch a non-fungible token (NFT) trading platform.
The Emirates Chief Operating Officer (COO), Adel Ahmed Al-Redha, On May 12, revealed this information at a media gathering at the Arabian Travel Market, an international travel trade show.
The move comes just weeks after the airline announced its interest in launching digital collectables and improving its flyers’ metaverse experiences in an official statement.
Following the comments published in an Arab News report, Al Redha suggests that his company may need to recruit employees to help it develop applications that monitor customer needs.
However, Al Redha did not provide a timetable for when the airline plans to launch its Bitcoin payment service.
Emirates, in its official announcement in Mid-April, had stated that the first NFT and metaverse projects are already underway and likely to launch in the coming months.
Discussion about this post


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For those looking to find strong Consumer Discretionary stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Columbia Sportswear (COLM - Free Report) been one of those stocks this year? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.
Columbia Sportswear is one of 250 individual stocks in the Consumer Discretionary sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #11 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.
The Zacks Rank is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. COLM is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for COLM's full-year earnings has moved 3.04% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.
According to our latest data, COLM has moved about 19.88% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, stocks in the Consumer Discretionary group have gained about 18.08% on average. This means that Columbia Sportswear is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.
Breaking things down more, COLM is a member of the Textile - Apparel industry, which includes 22 individual companies and currently sits at #44 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 16.94% so far this year, so COLM is performing better in this area.
Investors in the Consumer Discretionary sector will want to keep a close eye on COLM as it attempts to continue its solid performance.


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The UAE is unaffected by a worldwide recall of Nestle products after reports that plastic was found in some chocolate bars and Easter eggs in the UK.
UAE unaffected by worldwide Nestle chocolates recall
DUBAI // The UAE is unaffected by a worldwide recall of Nestle products after reports that plastic was found in some chocolate bars and Easter eggs in the UK.
A spokesman said the Emirates was not part of the recall of products in the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Malta, Austria, Singapore, the Philippines and Canada.
The brands affected include four varieties of 48-gram Kit Kat Chunky (peanut butter, hazelnut, chocolate fudge and caramel), and Kit Kat Collection Giant Egg made from September last year.
“Products in the UAE are not affected,” said Nestle. “Seven consumers in the UK have told us they found a piece of plastic in the product.
“So far we have not received any other similar complaints, but to avoid any risk whatsoever to our consumers we have decided to voluntarily recall the entire production of these four Kit Kat Chunky varieties and Kit Kat Chunky Collection Giant Egg.”


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Rigid plastic container distributor Berlin Packaging LLC is making another acquisition, this time in California.
The Chicago-based packaging supplier is acquiring Diablo Valley Packaging Inc. of Fairfield, Calif., and adding $125 million in annual sales in the process.
The deal, Berlin's second in three months, boosts Berlin's business in California and the Pacific Northwest, the company said.
“Joining forces with Berlin Packaging aligns Diablo with a nimble innovator in the packaging space while also expanding opportunities for our employees, customers and suppliers,” Diablo Valley CEO Peter Reno said in a statement. “This is a case of getting bigger and better, accelerating our growth as well as Berlin's, and building a stronger company that can serve the widest possible range of packaging needs.”
This deal, which closed Nov. 10, follows a previous acquisition of Vivid Packaging Inc. of Cleveland in September.
Diablo Valley has warehouses and sales offices concentrated on the West Coast, but also has locations in Texas, Louisiana, New Jersey, Tennessee, Fort Madison, Iowa and Canada, according to its website.
“By combining the strengths of both companies, this acquisition helps us meet our high growth goals and solidifies our position as the industry's largest, most comprehensive, and most customer-focused rigid packaging supplier,” CEO Andrew Berlin said in a statement.
Along with plastic containers, Diablo also distributes glass containers and closures.


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PopCap Games has announced that Plants vs Zombies 2, the sequel to the hit tower defense game, will be released in July 2013. No platforms or other details were announced.
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Plants vs zombies 2
One day after PopCap Games announced plans to release a sequel to Plants Vs Zombies, the casual game developer announced plans to lay off a number of its team members.
PopCap Games has announced it will release a sequel to its hit tower defense game Plants Vs Zombies. The game will be released sometime in the spring of 2013 but details have not been announced.


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(ConservativeUnit)- Well here’s an interesting turn of events. A Missouri gun shop recently announced that they don’t have ammo or guns available for supporters of President Joe Biden, in a move likely to upset radical Democrats and left-wing activists who have spent the last year pretending Antifa wasn’t burning down cities and violently assaulting Republicans.
Trigger Firearms and Reloading LLC located in Jefferson City announced on Facebook that they would not make ammo or guns available to Biden supporters, but didn’t immediately offer an explanation why.
We all probably know…
“We don’t have guns or ammo for Biden supporters,” the post reads. “Sorry for the inconvenience.”
And if you check out some of the comments, they are quite incredible. One user named Shawna Martin told the company, “Good to know, I’ll take my money somewhere else!” – and it prompted a hilarious back and forth.
One user suggested that Martin had never bought a gun in their life, and another told her to “take your money to a liberal state, and stay there, please.”
Under normal circumstances, this kind of division would have been unimaginable, but after a year of left-wing violence, Republicans all over the country appear to have begun standing up to left-wing extremists.
Austin Peterson, the well-known libertarian activist who came second in the Libertarian Party’s 2016 presidential nomination, acknowledged the news on Twitter.
“My local gun shop announced last night that they do not have any guns or ammunition available for Biden supporters,” he said.
My local gun shop announced last night that they do not have any guns or ammunition available for Biden supporters. The comment section of howling leftists is delicious like hot apple pie with ice cream. Let’s keep it going. https://t.co/GWccpCuNWh
— Austin Petersen 🇺🇲 (@AP4Liberty) January 24, 2021
“The comments section of howling leftists is delicious like hot apple pie with ice cream. Let’s keep it going,” he said.
When Democrats spend years celebrating businesses and banks that choose to stop doing business with conservatives, can they complain when a business decides to stop serving them?


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Starbucks (SBUX) has a good business and it’s making money.
But the stock is losing its edge.
And if the stock market continues to drop, it could be that Starbucks has to change its strategy.
Read moreHere are the key things to know about Starbucks stock:How the stock has fared over the last two yearsIt’s a great stock that has performed well over the past two years.
It’s been able to capture a large portion of its $7.6 billion market capitalization and has been able in the past to maintain the dividend growth rate of nearly 10% annually.
Starbucks stock has been trading at about a 40% discount to the S&P 500 Index.
The stock’s earnings growth rate, which has been above the S.& ;P 500 for a while now, has been good for investors.
The company has also managed to maintain a dividend growth of over 10% a year since its inception.
Starbuck stock has outperformed the S-curve for a number of years.
But investors are starting to question whether the stock will continue to perform this well.
Starburst stock is up nearly 15% over the course of the last three months.
The price of the stock peaked at $19.74 in October.
But it has dropped to $18.88 since then.
The S&s share price is up about 13% over that period.
The market is not overly worried about Starbucks’ stock performance.
The share price has risen as a result of strong revenue growth.
And that growth has been driven by higher revenue in the U.S. and China.
In 2018, Starbucks reported revenues of $3.6 trillion, which was a 20% increase over the previous year.
Starbucks also reported profit of $1.1 billion, which beat Wall Street expectations.
But analysts are worried that the company is not seeing the growth it needs to generate enough profits to keep up with its expenses.
Starbursts earnings are expected to be $1 billion in 2019, a 25% decline from the previous financial year.
The next big year for Starbucks is 2020.
Starbeasts stock has lost about 12% since last year.
Analysts have predicted that Starbucks will see a revenue decline of around 10% this year.
But Starbucks is not showing any signs of slowing down.
Starburgs stock is trading at around $21.70 on the Nasdaq.
Read this next article


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ICMSA president, Pat McCormack, shares his views on the new EU market transparency rules.
It is time that the mystery of the margins was cracked. That can only happen if the new law is applied rigorously and energetically.
The move is a long-overdue step in the right direction. But, the success or otherwise of this initiative will be completely dependent on rigorous implementation.
Anyone with an interest can instantly find out the price paid to farmers and the price the consumer pays.
However, the gap in between is a complete mystery known only by those in the industry, shrouded in secrecy and frequently hidden behind terms like commercially sensitive information.
EU market transparency rules
If the transparency regulations are to be in any way meaningful, they will simply have to get behind the commercially sensitive barrier and publish all the prices paid by the various links in the food supply chain.
For example, the price paid by retailers for liquid milk – including branded and own label price. The prices paid by baby food producers for powders and what this powder is sold for.
Furthermore, the prices that butter, cheese and powders are being sold at between processors, traders, marketing organisations and retailers.
Also, prices paid for food products – including beef – imported from outside the EU, where they have been produced at lower standards.
Let’s finally see who is getting what and start dealing on the basis of clear facts.
There is absolutely no reason why these figures cannot be published with the commercial sensitive issue dealt with by anonymising the data.
For far too long, the powerful links in the middle of the food supply chain have been able to dictate backwards to farmers and forward to consumers, with only themselves knowing the full picture and margin-map.
That has to end, and this law will provide the means for so doing if properly applied.
So many of these corporations are spending enormous budgets aimed at ‘green washing’ their business profile and polishing very flimsy sustainability credentials.
ICMSA has long pointed out that the best way of ensuring sustainability in food production would be by paying the farmer a sustainable price.
They do not seem to like that option much and seem to prefer spending vast amounts on public relations.
Farm input prices
Farm input inflation is becoming a serious issue, and that a degree of transparency in the supply of farm inputs now needs to be considered.
We need to know who adds what to the price we receive on the food leaving our farms. We need to know who has added what to the prices we pay for our farm inputs. Both are mysteries at present.
To share your view, email – [email protected]


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A Coca-Cola Bottler Makes Major Change To Packaging. Do You Like?
How many of us have purchased a 6-pack of our favorite soda in those aluminum cans? You all know that they often came in those plastic rings. We were encouraged to cut those rings before disposing of them in the trash. They looked like this:
We were told to cut them because the dangers of plastic rings have long been a topic of concern among conservationists and marine biologists. When these rings find their way into the ocean, they can endanger birds, mammals, turtles, and other marine life, due to their ability to get stuck around animals’ noses, mouths, and bodies. It’s estimated that plastic products kill around 100,000 marine animals a year.
Well a Philadelphia based packaging company has a new packaging solution. I hope that this idea will get adapted by more packaging companies throughout the country. For now only New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania will have this.
Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages, a local plant which bottles Coca-Cola products ranging from Diet Coke and Sprite to Powerade and Monster Energy, will replace its plastic rings with a fiber-based paper packaging. This will make it much easier to recycle, and hopefully other companies will take on this idea to reduce plastic waste. Liberty estimates that its new policy will help eliminate 75,000 pounds of plastic each year. You can read a bit more about this HERE.
If this doesn't come to Missouri, I do hope that people will take a minute to cut up the plastic rings that their soda may come in before discarding it. It is the least we could do.


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Earnings beats by big tech names could help drive stocks higher, but the "Friday-afternoon effect" may short-circuit their run. » Read More
JAB Holding could be looking to take on Starbucks in its latest deal with Panera, one analyst told CNBC.
Danielle DiMartino Booth, a former Dallas Fed advisor, said it makes her uncomfortable when the central bank comments on U.S. equities.
Larry Glazer, managing partner at Mayflower Advisors, said the current market is one of contradictions.
Forecasts are calling for another strong earnings season ahead, and that could signal a great time for investors to get back into the market.
President Trump made the right move by removing Steve Bannon from the National Security Council, says Jake Novak.
Amazon's $50 million dollar NFL streaming deal shouldn't worry broadcasters, former CBS Sports president Neal Pilson told CNBC on Wednesday.
Trump also claims that other Obama officials may have been involved in efforts to "unmask" his associates, the Times says.
The ROBO Global Robotics and Automation Index ETF is up 16 percent since the election despite Trump's efforts to support manufacturing jobs.
Stocks rose early in the morning as oil rose, bond yields moved up, and the ADP private employment report was strong.
Tesla is positioned to enter several markets collectively worth trillions of dollars, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas.
Amazon's private label fashion brands are rapidly gaining ground.
Iconic entrepreneur and investor Jack Bogle gives tips to a young generation in search of financial success.
Thomas Edison may have co-founded GE, but that doesn't mean the massive conglomerate isn't interested in selling its consumer lighting division.
The hedge fund manager told CNBC some of his bets in the tech sector that he has seen pay off, Alphabet's Google being one example.
Leon Cooperman shares his market views in an interview on CNBC's "Halftime Report" Wednesday.
Dr. Scott Gottlieb said he'd use his drug industry experience as a force to improve the FDA.
When you're in a management position, you're often tasked with unpleasant duties
If you like to roam, here are some credit cards to consider.
The FTC charged Amazon — and previously Apple and Google — because of games that blur lines between free and paid, TechCrunch reports.
Voice technology is becoming more emotionally intelligent and is being used to improve human interactions.


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Safaricom cuts Wi
May 16, 2023
NAIROBI, Kenya, April 3 – Safaricom customers are set to enjoy cheaper Wi-Fi routers after the telco cut prices by nearly half.
Huawei's fourth-generation (4G) Wi-Fi router will now retail for up to 40 percent less.
Whereas Huawei routers will now retail for Sh6,999 instead of Sh10,999, Adrian routers will go for Sh9,999 instead of the previous Sh5,999.
This, it says, is meant to increase home internet connectivity in the country.
"This end month, jibambe na 4G Wi-Fi! Enjoy a 40% price drop on Safaricom 4G Wi-Fi routers and indulge in the online experiences you love," Safaricom said on its Facebook page.
It says the routers can be purchased directly from the MySafaricom app, Safaricom shops, or dealers, as well as through a USSD code.
The routers come with 30 GB of free data for a period of 30 days.
Only last year, the telco rolled out 5G networks in five counties, enabling customers to access faster internet speeds.
The areas were Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisii, Kakamega, and Kisumu.
Faster than a 4G network, clients will be able to download, stream, and play video at neck-breaking speeds.
Safaricom currently has 35 active 5G sites spread across Nairobi, Kisumu, Kisii, Kakamega, and Mombasa.
Plans are also underway to provide 5G data packages for mobile internet customers and leverage the Lipa Mdogo Mdogo device-financing solution to avail more affordable 5G smartphones.
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 12 – The country's super wealthy individuals are increasing their holding of bonds, gold and cash, a new report by Knight...
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 9 – Businessman and industrialist Dr. Chris Kirubi has urged members of the public to exercise extreme caution when making any...
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 24 – Businessman and industrialist Dr. Chris Kirubi is set to own half of Centum Investment Company PLC, following a go-ahead...
It is without a doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has caught the whole world by surprise. Although its full impact is yet to be...
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 18 – Commercial Banks have been ordered to provide relief to borrowers on their personal loans, with loans eligible from March...
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun17 – Kenya's tea leaves manufacturer Kericho Gold, has been awarded the Superbrands Seal by Superbrands East Africa for their quality variety...
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 22 – Airtel Kenya is offering free internet access for students in order to enable continued learning at home in the...
NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 13 – As the local telecommunications industry gears up to roll out 5G networks in the country, the Communications Authority of...NAIROBI, Kenya, April 3 – Safaricom customers are set to enjoy cheaper Wi-Fi routers after the telco cut prices by nearly half.


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THE BUZZ: EA has released the full version of the Operation Guillotine gameplay trailer for Battlefield 3 that they teased last week.
This is the first official video featuring purely Xbox 360 footage, shocasing one of the game’s single-player missions.
The official description reads: “Take an extended look at how U.S. Marine Sgt. Blackburn enters the city of Tehran in Operation Guillotine, a joint operation to capture key members of the PLR leadership.”
EGM’s TAKE: EA has finally showed us some Xbox 360 footage of the game and we have to admit, it was well worth the wait.


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Vancouver’s newest Japanese restaurant is set to open next week.
Sushi Mura has operated a location at 6485 Oak Street for years, but the brand’s new 3545 Sawmill Crescent spot is officially opening its doors on July 8.
The stunning new River District eatery is looking good from interior photos, we can’t wait to dig into its food come next week.
Sushi Mura – River District
Address: 3545 Sawmill Crescent, Vancouver


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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Google has issued a report highlighting the economic contributions of its six U.S. data centers, including its original facility in The Dalles.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the Silicon Valley company said Monday it has invested $10.5 billion building data centers across the country since 2006, when it opened its Oregon location along the Columbia River. The company was the first of several large data hosting companies to capitalize on Oregon’s relatively low power costs and uniquely advantageous tax structure.
Google opened its third data center in The Dalles in February and now employs 200 there, according to the report. It has invested $1.8 billion altogether, mostly to buy thousands of pricey servers to host Gmail, photos, movies and untold terabytes of corporate data.
To read the report itself click on this LINK


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After signing a patent cross-licensing deal with Samsung earlier this year, Google has now struck a deal with another major Android manufacturer.
LG and Google have agreed to a “long-term” patent cross-licensing deal that includes their existing patents as well as any that are filed in the next 10 years. The patents in question cover “a broad range of products and technologies.” Allen Lo, deputy general counsel for patents at Google, had this to say on the deal:
We’re pleased to enter into this agreement with a leading global technology company like LG. By working together on cross-licenses like this, companies can focus on bringing great products and services to consumers around the world.
This agreement will enable LG and Google to use one another’s technology in future products, which means both of those companies win and so do we. Here’s to hoping that we continue to see more patent agreements and fewer patent lawsuits going forward.


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CTOnews.com, November 27 (Xinhua)-- Today's byte jump official announced that its game business will shrink on a large scale overnight-- games that are already online and performing well will seek to leave under the condition of guaranteed operation, and those projects that have not yet been launched will be shut down except for a small number of innovative projects and related technical projects.
According to the bullwhip news, this afternoon, Kuaishou's game company pointed to the Universe issued a recruitment poster to welcome byte Lightyear students to join us, including Hangzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing.
CTOnews.com noticed that the game makers'HR had not been idle and had arrived on the battlefield to catch people. It is reported that game publisher FunPlus HR posted "has reached the battlefield" on moments, with pictures showing four big words and logo in light years. In addition, NetEase HR posted on moments that "if you are free, come down and have a chat."
Day Lightyear said that it will adjust the business direction and organization, and will focus more on the exploration of some innovative games and related technologies. But at the same time, it will also do a good job in the continuous operation of online products to fully protect the rights and interests of players.
Welcome to subscribe "Shulou Technology Information " to get latest news, interesting things and hot topics in the IT industry, and controls the hottest and latest Internet news, technology news and IT industry trends.
Thanks to CTOnews.com netizens Wu Yanzu in South China for the delivery of clues! CTOnews.com May 5 news, OPPO A98 5G mobile phone has obtained a number of certification, the device will soon be launched in China. According to MySmartPrice,
CTOnews.com, November 15, according to the official news of China Nuclear Power, the output power of the flywheel energy storage unit of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous region, a major scientific and technological project "MW (megawatt) class advanced flywheel energy storage key technology research" led by China Nuclear Power Huineng, has recently reached for the first time.
On March 28, the White Paper on Scientific and technological Innovation of China's Garment Industry from 2022 to 2023 was released at the China International Garment Expo (Spring 2023). The white paper was initiated by the China Garment Industry Association and drafted and compiled by the China Institute of Garment Science and Technology. The white paper revolves around the clothing industry
CTOnews.com reported on January 26th that the Tails 5.9 system focusing on anonymous privacy has been released, which mainly solves the error Bug of the previous version of Tails 5.8.It also brings some new features and improvements. The developer managed to solve the Tai
CTOnews.com July 28 news, after nearly two and a half months of warm-up (the earliest is May 10, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology completed the declaration), Wuling's new pure electric car Baojun Yunduo finally officially opened a blind reservation today, and announced the configuration of four models, Guan Xuan


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Have you ever envied a member of your family who can push back from the Thanksgiving feast without overdoing it, uttering, “Lovely. I’ve had an elegant sufficiency”?
America’s prime credit card customers may be coming to resemble that moderate feaster, according to research by TransUnion.
In fact, many of them are coming to the credit table on diets.
And that has implications for banks and others who want to sell customers on signing up for new credit cards and who want customers to increase spending on those cards or on cards that they already have.
Debt and delinquencies down
Consumer credit card delinquency fell in the fourth quarter of 2013, versus the same period for 2012, with the portion of general-purpose card holders running 90 days or more past-due falling to 1.48% from 1.61%, according to the latest edition of TransUnion’s Industry Insights Report. This rate averaged 2.25% in the fourth quarter over the 2007-2013 period. The company’s report draws on data representative of virtually every credit-active consumer in the U.S.
The level of credit card debt also fell from the final quarter of 2013—$5,325 on average—compared to the final quarter of 2012, when debt averaged $5,376. Both the debt and delinquency measures went up, compared to the third quarter 2013 number, which reflected holiday spending. Over the 2007-2013 period, credit card debt per borrower averaged $5,721.
All states saw a fall in delinquencies year over year, and only seven states saw an increase in statewide average credit card spending.
The number of credit card accounts rose, when the final quarters of 2012 and 2013 were compared, with the number of card accounts hitting 341.4 million, an increase of 3.6%.
The nonprime share of the industry’s business has fallen markedly. The TransUnion research indicates that nonprime borrowers represented 30.13% of the total of card debt in the third quarter of 2013, versus 30.23% in the same period in 2012. In 2007’s third quarter, 44.03% of card borrowers were classified as nonprime, which TransUnion defines as holding a VantageScore of less than 700.
Ezra Becker, vice-president of research and consulting in TransUnion’s financial services business unit, analyzed these trends:
“Credit card delinquencies continue to remain much lower than historical norms. We also believe that there is a continuing reduced demand for new credit in the prime credit ranges. While industry reports show that direct mail has increased by about 30% in the last year, we have seen originations only rise about 11% in that same timeframe. In short, consumers are managing the cards they have in their wallets effectively and do not seem to be seeking additional card credit at this point. This also speaks to the need for lenders to examine alternative channels for account acquisition beyond traditional direct mail campaigns.”
Rethinking card marketing
In an interview, Becker indicated that these trends and related ones—for example, there are 40 million fewer active credit card accounts than there were five years ago—stress the need for increased creativity and marketing effort by card issuers.
Already, he noted, many issuers market with methods beyond the classic direct mail appeal. However, targeting of customers has required, and will increasingly require, a more nuanced approach. Prospective customers will be targeted on the basis of the seasonal spending tendencies, for instance, with promotions stressing holiday or vacation spending.
“Consumers are not responding anymore to offers of credit just for the sake of credit,” says Becker. “So lenders are being more holistic in trying to understand the consumer’s wallet.” This takes increased attention to economic trends and to consumer segmentation. Note how many offers in your own email may be related to cards that give points of some kind that very specifically address rewards that you value.
Becker says that some prime lenders have been “dipping down” into nonprime consumer strata in an attempt to widen their bases. They have been encouraged to do so by the falling delinquency trend. However, Becker warns that nonprime card lending operates under a much different model, typically, than mainstream card credit.
And TransUnion noted in its report that it expects card delinquencies to rise by the end of the first quarter to 1.57%. Though still a relatively modest increase, it’s a yellow light.
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In the United States, the social commerce sale in 2021 is about $36.62 billion, pulled up when compared to the previous year 35.8%. As per the inaugural forecast, Facebook is the top-rated social commerce platform with 56.1 million buyers, followed by Instagram with 32.4 million, then Pinterest with 13.9 million. During the pandemic majority of the US social networks have expanded their services and introduced new livestreaming. In April 2021, a survey by The Harris Poll revealed that 38% of US adults have watched a livestream of someone talking about a product they likely to purchase, and 7% said they have bought the product based on the presenter’s recommendation.
Young investors across the US, the UK, and Canada are inclined to Robo-advisors, which is an algorithm-based account service that can be operated digitally. In 2021, nearly 3.5 million U.S adult investors will be using a Robo-advisor to handle their portfolio, which is 37.4% up from 23.2% usage over 2020. The users continue to reach up to 5 million by 2025. In the UK, nearly 420,000 adults were using Robo-advisor to handle their investments — up by 25.2% over last year. By 2025, the number of users would reach 700,000, the eMarketer reported. In Canada by 2021, there will be about 360,000 users, up by 10.3% over last year. By 2025 it is forecasted that number will near to 500,000.
Due to pandemic hit local business has lost their business and some shops have closed permanently. PNAS survey revealed that 43% of small businesses closed temporarily during March and April 2020. On other hand, online business has grown up in 2020. Recently Freshworks conducted a survey worldwide with 10,500 consumers to know whether the consumer-brand relationship has changed over a year or not. The study revealed that 41% of them tried to shop from local businesses during the pandemic. About 50% said small businesses are able to deliver better customer service during the pandemic. 52% started offering online ordering, and the same percentage provided delivery service, 47% have a more personal level of service overall.
The popular short video platform TikTok announced that it has introduced a new option that allows the user to create longer videos up to three minutes in length compared with the previous 60 seconds. The global community has the flexibility to film, upload, and edit videos up to three minutes in length directly within TikTok. Even users can add special effects such as soundtracks that are pulled from a music library. TikTok is considered one of the world’s most valuable unlisted companies.
After the pandemic restrictions were relaxed, Swedish fast fashion house H&M has rebound its sales in Q2 from March to May 2021. The group’s sales over the half-year were pulled up by 12% to reach $10.1 billion. Starting from six months from December the fashion group has seen a strong turnaround around $198 million over a loss of $357 million in the equivalent time frame prior year. In Q3 the company saw a 25% uplift in sales this June. Currently, the U.S. is the largest market for H&M moving ahead of Germany at it saw a growth rate of 269%.


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GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition, Honkai: Star Rail Announced, PlayStation Play At Home | Gaming News
PlayStation Play At Home
Hello guys and welcome to the Gaming News for 09 Oct 2021. 60 million games have now been redeemed as part of the PlayStation Play at Home initiative. That initiative was set up by PlayStation during the Pandemic to help gamers get through it. They gave out a bunch of free games. 60 million games redeemed is a huge number. Thank you to PlayStation for supporting us during the pandemic.
GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition
The next bit of news for today is Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy - Definite Edition has now been officially announced by Rockstar Games. They released a trailer about it yesterday. It's just a teaser trailer. It's like 20 something seconds long. It just has the announcement and the old music from Grand Theft Auto 3, but it's to show that it's a real thing. It's not just a rumor anymore and hopefully we'll get our hands on it sooner than later. Apparently it will feature modern gameplay. Hopefully it's not just a remaster of PlayStation 2 games. They will actually try and spice up at least a little bit, but we have to wait and see.
Honkai: Star Rail Announced
And then the last bit of news for today is miHoYo, who is the developer behind Genshin Impact has announced a new project called Honkai Star Rail. It's going to be based in the Honkai Impact universe and Closed Beta Access has started as of yesterday. We will see when more details comes out about it. Like I said in my previous videos, I did play a lot of Genshin Impact. I did really enjoy it at the time, but I felt it was spoiled by the cash shop. We will see what they do with Honkai Star Rail in the future. Anyway guys, that's it for the Gaming News for today. Thank you to all the new followers coming on to the feed as always and I will see you tomorrow. Thanks guys. Bye bye.


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Supermarket bosses at Lidl have ordered all sweets and chocolates be removed from checkouts in favour of healthier alternatives in a move against obesity.
The store ran a trial of “healthy tills” and discovered 70 per cent of its customers said they preferred to use them for their family food shop.
Georgina O’Donnell, Lidl spokeswoman, said: “We hope that this initiative will demonstrate our commitment to promoting healthy products to our customers and will support them in their wish to live a healthier lifestyle.”
The firm said it was part of its commitment to making fresh fruit and vegetables more appealing to customers, and particularly to children, but should others follow suit?
Georgina Austin, 63, of Earl Close, Dersingham, said: “I think that’s a very good idea. It’s particularly good if you have got children not to have sweets there. I am diabetic so I have to resist anyway but I am all for healthy eating.”
Sharon Stanley, 30, of Stowfields, Downham, said: “It’s not so much about being better for the children than it is for me! I stand there and think, I’ll just grab that and have it in the car. I would be more likely to buy something healthy if there were healthy things at the till.”
David Wilding, 54, of Copperfield, Fairstead, Lynn, said: “I just think things like that shouldn’t be around the counter. They should be in the sweet aisle to stop the kids keep going ‘can I have this’. It would be far better.”
Faye Castleton, 25, of George Street, Lynn, said: “That’s really good. I was only having a discussion with my six-year-old about it the other day. It’s so tempting for children when you are waiting there and there are sweets. They are asking ‘can I have this? Can I have that?’ It puts more pressure on parents.”
John Pesci, 41, of Hunstanton, said: “I don’t see a problem with it so long as the things are out of the reach of children. Being a parent myself, when the children were really young they would just try to help themselves, but parents need to be in control.”


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Salesforce.com continues rise
Claims fastest expansion
CRM provider Salesforce.com announced a 55 per cent sales boost today, bagging revenues of $162.4m for its record Q1 2008.
Salesforce beat its own predictions, and reiterated the full-year outlook for profit of $0.07 to $0.09 per share.
The software as a service outfit raised its full year revenue projections from between $710m and $720m to between $722m and $728m on the back of the numbers.
CEO Marc Benioff said: "We believe that this makes salesforce.com the fastest growing software company of our size today."
The firm's stated goal is to hit the $1bn revenue league.
Shares in the firm rose almost three per cent, according to reports. ®


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While we may be in the midst of an economic recovery, many people are struggling due to high unemployment and the lack of job creation. This pain is not lost on the government, which has pushed for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for "pick- and shovel-ready" projects. One chunk of money went to the nascent electric vehicle (EV) industry -- including companies such as American startup Tesla and foreign companies like Nissan -- that are building manufacturing capacity in the U.S.
These funds are intended to promote the growth of an industry that will help the country shift away from fossil fuels and toward a cleaner transportation network. Will this investment also help to create jobs? The media and advocates on both sides of the debate have shouted their opinions, claiming everything from "Clean technology equals job destruction" to "EVs are a panacea for domestic employment." The answer lies somewhere in between.
RMI's interest in electric vehicles extends beyond transportation. The vision includes using them as a part of the electric system: to store power and deliver it back to a home or the grid during high-demand periods. With this additional capacity, EVs can help usher in an age of renewable energy and buildings with net-zero energy use.
As a way to support the EV industry, RMI and its partners have created Project Get Ready (PGR), a network of cities, utilities and industry players that shares best practices related to EV deployment. PGR regularly tracks partner cities' activities and the lessons learned. Data includes, among many elements, the cost and timing of charging station installation, utility efforts to encourage off- peak charging, and economic development.
Rather than review what the pundits claim about job creation versus job losses, PGR surveyed 20 utilities, cities, automakers and others on the frontline who deal with EV deployment. Respondents rated their agreement with statements on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is "strongly disagree" and 5 is "strongly agree." In response to the statement "Vehicle electrification efforts in my area have been responsible for creating new jobs," the average score was 4.5, representing a very high level of agreement that vehicle electrification is creating new jobs.
However, the statement "It is well-established in my community that vehicle electrification efforts have had an impact on jobs" scored 3.2, only slightly better than neutral, suggesting a messaging or perception challenge rather than an actual job creation issue.
RMI's early findings are supported by some industry research. The Electrification Coalition (EC), which advocates for a large-scale EV deployment, claims that 1.9 million additional American jobs will be created by 2030 if we make a significant transition from gas-powered cars to EVs. While the EC plan is ambitious, some U.S. companies have already added real jobs. EnerDel added 1,400 jobs at its Indiana- based EV lithium-ion battery plant and plans to add another 3,000 to meet growing demand. California-based charging station manufacturers Coulomb Technologies has grown from two to 100 jobs over the early stages of vehicle electrification efforts, according to a company representative.
These are sustainable jobs, not only because they protect the environment but also because the industry won't disappear in the near term. To support EVs, you need additional local electricians and other contractors to install charging stations, jobs that cannot be sent overseas.


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Honda 2Wheelers India Exports Cross 2 Million Milestone
By Carandbike Team
1 mins read
24-Sep-18 08:37 PM IST
- Honda exports 16 models from its line-up from its Indian facilities
- Honda exports to 28 markets including Latin America & SAARC countries
- Honda leads scooter exports from India with a 63 per cent market share
Celebrating this achievement, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) - Senior VP - Sales and Marketing, Yadvinder Singh Guleria said, "With an eye on the 2020, Honda 2Wheelers India's ambition is to 'Lead in India and the World with Quantity and Quality'. Backed by strong domestic sales, India is already the No. 1 contributor to Honda's global two-wheeler sales. On the exports front, our tri-fold strategy of introducing new models, entering new markets while consolidating in existing markets has resulted in achieving 2 million export milestone. We thank our customers and business partners across the globe for their trust in Honda 2wheelers made in India. The future is exciting as the BS-VI norms effective in 2020 will unlock new markets for us."
Honda cumulative two-wheeler exports though have seen a three-fold increase in recent years. The company first hit the one million mark 14 years after beginning export operations, while the two million mark took just three years to achieve. The company exports to 28 markets from India including Asia-Oceania, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe. A total of 16 models are exported from the country overseas with Latin America and SAARC countries leading the export demand.
Over 60 per cent of Honda's exports comprise scooters with the company being India's number one scooter exporter with a 63 per cent market share. In fact, the manufacturer says that ever second scooter exported from the country is a 'Honda Dio'. Motorcycle exports, meanwhile continue to grow double-digit and contribute over 50 per cent to Honda's total exports from India. With the BS6 norms coming up, Honda is optimistic that the upgraded motorcycles made-in-India unlock new markets for the company.
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Russian Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, Maksut Shadayev said on the Russian Internet Forum that due to difficulties in paying and downloading applications, the number of Russian users using the iPhone will decline significantly. According to the minister, its market share will be cut in half by the end of 2024. Previously, MTS analysts said that in April this year, Samsung mobile phones (26% market share) ranks in Russia. Chinese manufacturer, Xiaomi (20%) ranks second while Realme is third with 11.2% market share. Apple is fourth with 10.3% share while Honor is fifth with 5.7% share. Due to the outbreak of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, in early March this year, Apple announced that it would ban the sale of iPhone and other products in the Russian market.
The U.S. government is strongly on Ukraine’s side in the conflict. Thus, American companies have no choice but to be on the side on their government. Many American companies have already pulled out of the Russian market. In fact, Google recently declared itself bankrupt in Russia. Of course, we all know that Google is not bankrupt globally.
Russian court rejects Apple appeal – to fine the company
Apple’s appeal hit a brick wall, and the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service now has permission to start an antitrust investigation into the App Store. The antitrust case will move forward as Apple’s appeal to re-examine the Russian agency’s grounds for the investigation was rejected. If found guilty of monopolistic conduct, Apple could face fines based on its revenue in Russia. Apple is blocking developers from connecting users to external payment options, Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service said.
Gizchina News of the week
The agency gave Apple until September 2021 to rectify it and filed an antitrust lawsuit in October. However, the lawsuit comes just days after Apple removed antitrust provisions from its App Store rules. The company then appealed to the court for judicial review of the antitrust regulator’s warning.
According to Reuters, a court rejected Apple’s appeal, giving Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service grounds to continue its investigation into Apple’s App Store rules. The company has several legal disputes with Russia. A class-action lawsuit alleges that the company’s shutdown of its payment platform in Russia caused “deliberate moral damage” to people in the region.
Despite the tension between Russia and Ukraine, the company is still attending to its legal disputes in Russia. However, the company is not running its regular business. According to reports, its stores are no longer active in Russia.


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The latest JK lasers press releases
As of today 15th April 2015, SPI Lasers has completed the acquisition of JK Lasers based in Rugby (UK), to enhance its high power Fiber Laser portfolio.
With almost 100 employees and annual sales of 17.6 million euros, JK Lasers is one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-power Fiber Lasers for industrial use; their acquisition helps SPI Lasers to strengthen their position as a leader in the Fiber Laser market.
New research has revealed that demand in the global industrial fiber laser market is set to explode in the next four years, soaring by more than 21%. The report, available from Sandler Research, relied on input from industry experts and in-depth market analysis and concluded that the field is set to expand by as much as 21.4% CAGR by 2018.
JK Lasers announce their involvement as a core industrial partner in the EPSRC’s new Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Laser Based Production Processes. The aims of the CIM are to exploit the unique features of laser light to unlock manufacturing innovation, delivering ground-breaking industrial impact in key areas of the UK economy.
JK Lasers will be exhibiting at Laser World of Photonics this year as the exhibition celebrates its 40th anniversary. The show runs alongside the World of Photonics Congress and saw great success in 2011 when the Messe Münchenhosted 1,075 exhibitors and over 27,000 visitors.
A powerful 3kW fiber laser has been launched by global industrial laser manufacturer JK Lasers, part of the GSI Group. The new addition to the company’s Watt to kiloWatt fiber laser range will help enhance manufacturing productivity by processing thicker section metals at faster speeds and to higher standards.
Fiber lasers are a precision material processing tool used for a diverse range of applications from the manufacture of small, intricate medical devices to flat sheet cutting thick section metals. To ensure these parts are manufactured to the highest possible standards, the laser operator precisely controls the intensity on the target. Parameters such as pulse energy and the temporal profile are easily controlled.
The processing advantages of fiber lasers will be showcased by JK Lasers when it makes its debut appearance at The Battery Show, Detroit, between 13 and 15 November.
A flatbed laser cutting machine integrated with a 400W fiber laser from JK Lasers has been awarded a gold medal and diploma at the 2012 International Technical Fair in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
JK Lasers’ new 2kW fiber laser will be displayed on booth 2028 at the Lasers for Manufacturing Event (LME), held on 23 and 24 October in Schaumberg, Illinois, USA.


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Nintendo Co., Ltd. President, Satoru Iwata will speak at the 19th annual Game Developer's Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, according to a recent press release. President Iwata will address thousands of industry professionals in attendance in a keynote speech, entitled "The Heart of a Gamer," which will gauge the current state of the games business and where it will be heading in the future. The keynote will also detail how current games trends will help shape the future of Nintendo hardware and software development.
"Satoru Iwata is a global icon in the game industry and we are honored to have him share his knowledge and experience with the entire game community," said Jamil Moledina, director, Game Developers Conference. "The GDC strives to deliver the best the industry has to offer and Mr. Iwata certainly brings us to that level."
Iwata will also speak on the development and success of the Nintendo DS, and discuss how designing software with understanding of "gamer's emotional reactions to interactive gameplay" will further shape Nintendo's future plans. The keynote, "The Heart of a Gamer," is scheduled for Thursday, March 10, from 10:30 a.m to 11:30 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom of Moscone West.
We'll bring you more on GDC 2005 as the event draws closer.


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With a lineup of six SKUs that are sweetened with a tablespoon of honey in each bottle, Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Honeydrop Beverages has a synergistic tie to the creatures that provide its natural sweetener. David Luks, founder and chief executive officer of Honeydrop Beverages, was initially inspired to create the brand by the growing research about the health benefits of honey, which reminded him of his grandmother’s daily lemon tea and honey, and childhood snacks of apples or peanut butter with honey.
“I felt that there was this lack of a space for people like me who always loved honey, and maybe there was an opportunity to bring them something, which led me to Honeydrop,” Luks says.
Honeydrop launched in 2009 with Blood Orange and Blueberry juice drinks and Chamomile brewed herbal tea. At the time, Luks was buying honey from different suppliers and repeatedly heard about Colony Collapse Disorder, a phenomenon that has decreased the U.S. bee population in recent years. In the 2010-2011 winter alone, total losses from managed honeybee colonies nationwide were 30 percent, according to a May 2011 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Apiary Inspectors of America. Colony Collapse Disorder does not have one recognizable cause, but the USDA reports that it might be linked to pesticides, environmental stresses or a new parasite, pathogen or virus.
“As someone who is a self-proclaimed foodie, before 2009 I did not know how big the issue was,” Luks says. “Because bees pollinate one-third of all the produce we eat — 100 percent of avocados, 100 percent of almonds and 90 percent of cherries, apples and oranges — without bees all of a sudden we don’t have a third of our produce. We’re talking about a massive, massive issue.”
Because its products rely on honey, the company created its Buy A Bottle-Save A Bee campaign. One percent of the proceeds from each bottle of Honeydrop are donated to the brand’s network of local beekeepers, Luks explains. The company partners with professional beekeepers in the areas in which it has distribution and forms an agreement.
“We literally write a contract with that beekeeper that says within this defined geographic territory 1 percent of proceeds in that market will be going to you, Mr. Beekeeper, because you are our professional beekeeper, you are a responsible beekeeper, you have experience doing this and you will take those proceeds and build beehives,” Luks says. “That’s the solution: every beehive actually increases the bee population by 40,000 to 60,000 bees.”
Luks began learning more about the health benefits of honey after his diagnosis of stage 1A cancer in 2006. The cancer was caught early and Luks did not need to undergo chemotherapy or radiation, but was kept under surveillance for five years. In 2008, Luks met with a nutritionist who gave him an article about honey, which outlined that honey is an unrefined sugar that naturally contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and metabolizes slower than refined sugars and provides sustained energy, he explains.
“As a former runner, it really resonated with me and specifically triggered a memory: ‘Oh, wow, that’s why all of my former running partners used to take a tablespoon of honey before they went running,’” Luks says.
From there, Luks began researching brands claiming to have a honey component and found that many were sweetened with refined sugars and incorporated honey flavor, which provided an opening for a product that was sweetened with real honey, he says.
The first three Honeydrop varieties — Blood Orange, Blueberry and Chamomile — were chosen because the flavors paired well with honey and have functional benefits, such as antioxidants from the fruit juices and chamomile’s inherent relaxation properties. Honeydrop Chamomile is made with brewed Egyptian chamomile flowers and tends to appeal to consumers who are a little bit older and regular users of hot chamomile tea, Luks says.
During its outreach for the first three flavors, consumers highlighted new options for Honeydrop, he says. “As we were sampling, literally every consumer was like ‘Where’s your green tea and honey? Where’s your black tea and honey? Where’s your ginger and honey?’” Luks explains.
At Natural Products Expo West in 2011, Honeydrop expanded its line with the introduction of three new varieties each sweetened with a tablespoon of honey: Green Tea that also includes echinacea, Lemon Tea made with black and white tea, and Lemon & Ginger formulated with brewed ginger.
Honeydrop’s sales are not overtly dominated by one of its six SKUs, Luks says. Trendy flavor Blood Orange is Honeydrop’s most popular option and makes up 20 percent of Honeydrop’s overall sales. Lemon Ginger accounts for 17 percent of sales followed by Lemon Tea and Green Tea at 16 percent each, he explains. Chamomile and Blueberry are not far behind with share in the mid to low teens, he adds. The wide appeal of the portfolio speaks to Honeydrop’s overall brand proposition.
“We have these SKUs, which don’t necessarily target the same consumer; it’s more about attracting different consumers who are unique in the mindset that they are definitely looking for something with honey,” Luks says. “Whether that’s from a sports standpoint because they want something with added energy or because they want something that’s unrefined or low in calories or because it’s just naturally good and it naturally has vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.”
The company also is planning to release new products in the next few months, which will follow its formula of varieties that are recognizable with honey, Luks says.
Spreading the word
Honeydrop’s lineup is available nationally in natural foods outlets through natural foods distributors. The company considers these shoppers its core target because they already understand the health benefits of honey, Luks says.
“When I’m sampling in a natural foods store and I start telling shoppers about why a tablespoon of honey is good, I literally have people put their hand in my face and say, ‘I know.’ It’s amazing,” he says.
The company combines its retail outreach and education with participation at events where educated consumers and honey fans might be in attendance, including food, running, yoga and athletic events, Luks says. Honeydrop also is active in local beekeeping associations, which Luks says is a byproduct of its Buy A Bottle-Save A Bee campaign. Honeydrop attends the biweekly events of the New York City Beekeeping Association and also is active with the Santa Barbara Beekeeping Association, he says.
“That’s our core constituency, those individuals who are so knowledgeable about what’s happening with the bees and really love our product for what we are doing and how we make it,” he says.
In addition to reaching out to natural foods consumers, Honeydrop also recognizes an opportunity to educate mainstream consumers about the benefits of honey and Colony Collapse Disorder.
“A lot of those benefits are not known when you go outside of the natural foods channel, and it’s our job to educate consumers,” he says. “So what we’ve been trying to do is focus on a couple of core metro markets: New York City, which is our backyard, and then on the West Coast in San Francisco and southern California as well as New England, to see if we can get nice recognition of our brand and loyalty of our brand outside the natural foods channel.”
Luks hopes Honeydrop’s current lineup and its upcoming releases will help the brand grow beyond natural foods stores in the company’s current markets and foster broader consumer loyalty with a goal to “get people in those markets who aren’t honey lovers to become honey lovers,” he says. BI


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The Super Bowl may be the most-watched event in America, but the ads have their biggest moment after the game — that’s today!
YouTube says Super Bowl ads peak Monday when everyone watches them online, laughing and crying all over again while commenting about them on social media.
And If you missed an ad when you got up to refill your queso, you can still join in on Monday’s water cooler conversation.
For the first time in history, more people (60%) watched Super Bowl ads on YouTube using smartphones and tablets rather than PCs, Google said.
The most-watched ad on YouTube so far: Hyundai’s The Chase, in which two hikers, chased by bears, start their Hyundai Elantra using a smartwatch and just barely escape. The bears were impressed) and the ad has been viewed more than 18 million times on YouTube so far.
These are the top 10 most-viewed Super Bowl ads on YouTube, according to Google:
1. Hyundai – The Chase
2. Pokémon – #Pokemon20
3. Mini – #DefyLabels
4. Hyundai – First Date
5. Mountain Dew – Mtn Dew Kickstart (Puppymonkeybaby)
6. Axe – Find Your Magic
7. Hyundai – Ryanville
8. Doritos – Ultrasound
9. Snickers – Marilyn
10. Doritos – Doritos Dogs
But the ad with the most social buzz aired before and after — but not during — the Super Bowl. Esurance’s commercial, which advertised a $1 million sweepstakes, was tweeted about just under 1 million times on Sunday, according to Amobee Brand Intelligence. I think we all know what the appeal was with that one. Congratulations to the winner of that one.
Doritos was in a distant second in terms of social media mentions, with just over a quarter million.


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US:'Black Monday' looms over Ford's future
'Black Monday' looms over Ford's future
Ten plants, 25,000 jobs ride on Bill Ford's 'Way Forward' strategy to be announced Monday.
Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News
People familiar with the plan say:
*Ford will cut at least 25,000 jobs and close 10 parts and assembly plants, likely including plants in St. Louis; St. Paul, Minn.; and Wixom.
*Ford will reduce its North American manufacturing capacity by about 25 percent or by 1 million units.
*Salaried layoffs will begin Monday.
Ford Motor Co. workers already have a name for tomorrow.
"It's Black Monday," said Mark Mockaitis, a line worker at Ford's assembly plant in St. Paul, Minn.
Like workers from Wixom to St. Louis to Mexico, Mockaitis is anxiously awaiting Monday morning when Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bill Ford Jr. takes the podium in Dearborn to outline a massive restructuring plan he calls the "Way Forward."
As The Detroit News first reported Dec. 7, Ford will shutter at least 10 assembly and parts plants and cut at least 25,000 blue-collar jobs in North America over the next five years, according to people familiar with the plan.
The automaker also plans to cut 4,000 salaried jobs by April 1. The layoffs begin this week. Ford also will commit to reducing its number of top executives by March 1.
While workers like Mockaitis wonder where their jobs will be tomorrow, Wall Street waits to see whether the plan goes far enough.
The company that led America to greatness and put the world on wheels now faces one of the biggest challenges in its 103-year history. And for Bill Ford, the great-grandson of Henry Ford, the stakes are not only the fate of a storied company, but the legacy of one of America's last great dynasties.
"It's the most serious crisis at Ford in modern times," said David Cole, head of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor. "I think they view this as a last shot."
The situation could hardly be more critical. Ford's market value has plunged by an astonishing $40 billion since 2001. Its North American automotive business is hemorrhaging cash and market share.
Ford posted a net profit of $1.88 billion for the first nine months of 2005, but its North American unit has lost more than $1.4 billion before taxes. The numbers are expected to look even grimmer Monday when final 2005 financial results are reported.
Meanwhile, Ford's domestic brands -- Ford, Lincoln and Mercury -- saw their combined share of the U.S. market fall 4.7 percent last year, from 18.3 percent in 2004 to 17.4 percent in 2005. A decade earlier, Ford's market share stood at nearly 25.6 percent. Every percentage point of market share represents 170,000 vehicles.
"We do have a North American auto business issue and we are committed to fixing that," Bill Ford said. "It's going to be painful for some people."
So far, Ford has responded by cutting its white-collar work force, selling its Hertz rental car business and reshuffling senior management. But one fundamental reality remains unchanged.
Ford's North American manufacturing operations still look a lot like they did when the company built one out of every four cars and trucks on the road. Ford has the factory capacity to build 4.5 million vehicles in North America, but produced just 3.3 million last year. As a result, Ford's factory utilization rate is the lowest in the industry -- just 79 percent, Harbour Consulting said last week.
Trimming the fat
Most manufacturers would have been forced to downsize a long time ago. However, like the other domestic automakers, Ford's union contracts limited its ability to trim manufacturing operations to match its greatly reduced market share.
Even if Ford boarded up all of its American factories tomorrow, it would still have to pay the 87,000 United Auto Workers members who labor in them, while also continuing to cover health care and pension costs not only for them, but also for twice that many UAW retirees and their dependents.
The plant closings and layoffs that Ford announces Monday will either require the approval of the UAW or have to wait until the current contract expires in 2007.
Analysts have identified several factories that could get the ax Monday. Ford assembly plants in St. Louis, Atlanta and St. Paul are in jeopardy, along with one in Cuatitlan, Mexico. Ford's vastly underused plant in Wixom is also expected to be closed.
The Detroit News and other media outlets reported last week that Global Insight Inc., a leading industry analysis firm, believed the Wixom plant would be spared and Ford's plant in Atlanta would close. Since then, Ford insiders have said the Global Insight forecast was flawed.
On Saturday, Gov. Jennifer Granholm expressed hope that the Wixom plant, which employs more than 1,500 workers, will remain open. "I and my administration continue to be in regular contact with Ford officials related to any impact on Michigan facilities. The company has not provided any specific information about its plans," Granholm said.
UAW officials said last week they had not seen Ford's plan, but were bracing for bad news.
"You're talking about people, communities, hopes and dreams and aspirations, and it's very difficult and trying for our membership," said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. "We don't like to see any jobs go away. We're always in hope that, down the road, we'll be able to reverse some of those decisions."
In total, Ford is expected to reduce its North American factory capacity by about 25 percent, or more than 1 million units.
Including hourly and salaried job cuts, Ford will commit Monday to reducing its 120,000-member North American work force by about a quarter, according to people familiar with the plan.
Top executives will not be spared. Bill Ford also is expected to announce a significant reduction in the number of corporate officers at Ford by March 1, according to people familiar with the plan.
One of those expected to leave is Steve Lyons, group vice president over sales and marketing for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury. He is negotiating to become a Ford dealer in Phoenix.
However, Mark Fields, president of the Americas Division -- the chief architect of the "Way Forward" plan -- stresses it is about a lot more than just closing factories and laying off workers.
A new strategy unfolds
Ford is expected to outline a strategy to bring a host of new cars and trucks to the market with emotionally charged design and better quality.
The automaker will detail plans to slash vehicle development time and costs through more centralized engineering processes and more sharing of components and platforms. At the same time, Ford will continue to retool factories to allow them the flexibility to build several cars on the same line and respond to market demand.
"They haven't been able to do that in the past. Every Ford, Chrysler and GM plant was basically dedicated to a product -- and that's not the case with the Japanese," said manufacturing expert Ron Harbour. "As they improve that flexibility, you can have fewer plants and more highly utilize them."
And Ford will discuss a new marketing strategy designed to sell vehicles with lower rebates and increase profit margins for new vehicles. To do that, Ford has to make cars and trucks people want to buy. That is why another part of the plan will focus on strengthening the company's brands and product offerings and eliminating poorly conceived or outdated models.
Ford does not plan to eliminate any brands. As The News reported in November, Fields took a hard look at killing the Mercury brand. However, that study concluded that Mercury brings in more money than would be saved by eliminating it. Instead, the company will try to re-energize Mercury by giving the brand new product designed to appeal to women and more youthful buyers.
Ford is also looking at ways to make its core Blue Oval brand more appealing to younger buyers.
Though the "Way Forward" plan is focused on saving the company's struggling North American automotive operations, executives will also discuss a new Asia strategy that will strengthen Ford's focus in the fast-growing Chinese market.
While all of these aspects of the plan will be harder to quantify and take more time to realize, analysts say they are no less important to the long-term success of the company.
"The revenue side is just as important as the cost side," said Rob Hinchliffe, an analyst with UBS Securities LLC in New York.
If Ford were any other company and Bill Ford were any other CEO, Wall Street might have written them off by now. But Ford is unlike any other company.
Founded in 1903 by a man whose name became synonymous with industrial progress and innovation, Ford Motor Co. may not have invented the automobile, but did give it to the masses. In the early years of the 20th century, Henry Ford and the company that bore his name transformed the car from a luxury that few could afford to a commodity that no one could do without. In the process, they helped transform America itself from a minor power to the industrial empire it is today.
Though publicly traded, the Ford family retains controlling interest in the company through their ownership of restricted shares. The Ford family used this power to put Henry Ford's great-grandson in charge.
When Bill Ford took over as CEO in 2001, the company was barreling down the road to financial ruin. Ford had just posted its first consecutive quarterly losses in nearly a decade and was reeling from the Firestone tire scandal. There was growing concern about quality issues and product delays, and Ford's credit rating was falling fast.
When Bill Ford ousted controversial CEO Jacques Nasser and took control of the company, some employees wept openly at the sight of Henry Ford's scion striding into the Glass House to set things right. Almost four years ago to the day, Bill Ford announced a massive restructuring plan that called for 20,000 job cuts in North America, several plant closures and the elimination of vehicles like the Mercury Cougar. He promised not only a return to profitability, but also a boost in annual pretax profits of $7 billion by 2006.
That seemed like a big stretch, considering that Ford Motor Co. ended 2001 with a loss of nearly $5.5 billion. But Bill Ford's fix-it plan narrowed that loss to $980 million in 2002 and restored the company to profitability in 2003. Ford ended 2004 with earnings of $3.5 billion.
But the spreading insurgency in Iraq was pushing gasoline prices higher and higher, and the buying public's love affair with high-margin sport utility vehicles that had done so much to boost Ford's profits was quickly coming to an end. Even before Hurricane Katrina showed Americans just how painful the pump could become, SUV sales were falling fast, forcing Ford to idle more and more workers and igniting a rebate war with rival automakers that further eroded its profits.
"The plan -- even now, looking with hindsight -- was the right one," Bill Ford said. "We are profitable again. We have been profitable every year through the plan, which wasn't true in '01 when the wheels fell off and we lost a lot of money as a corporation. So a lot of what we put into place was right."
Some analysts agree.
"Generally speaking, Bill's done a good job. The last restructuring was pretty much hitting all its milestones for the first 75 percent of its life," said Craig Hutson, an analyst at Gimme Credit, a corporate bond research company. "They've done many of the things they said they were going to do, but there were a lot of things outside their control."
Others in the financial community are more critical of Bill Ford's performance as CEO, pointing out that his efforts have done little to help the foundering North American automobile business.
"(Wall Street) gives people credit for results, and the results were not acceptable," said Rod Lache, who follows for Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. in New York. "I cannot say kudos for anything."
But even Bill Ford's critics are willing to give him at least one more chance to turn the company around.
What Wall Street wants
"He's the right man for the job," said Bradley Rubin, vice president of credit research at BNP Paribas Securities Corp. in New York. "But he's made some big mistakes."
Chief among them, Rubin said, was his decision to bail out Ford's former parts division, Visteon Corp. The agreement Ford inked with Visteon last year required the automaker to keep some 18,000 UAW members leased to Visteon on its payroll. Rubin said that shows a reluctance to make the sort of deep, painful cuts that will be necessary to restore Ford's North American operations to profitability.
Rubin's concern is shared by others on Wall Street. Two of the nation's leading credit rating firms -- Standard & Poor's Ratings Service and Moody's Investors Service -- lowered Ford's credit rating deeper into junk bond territory this month, despite the promise of a comprehensive corporate restructuring.
"The company's financial and competitive position will remain under considerable stress through 2007," Moody's said in a statement explaining its decision.
Most analysts want Ford to provide a detailed timeline Monday, one that includes clear and quantifiable benchmarks by which they can gauge the plan's success.
"If that's not part of it, we'll be pretty disappointed," Hutson said.
And, while analysts recognize it will take some time for many of the plan's elements to be realized, Wall Street wants to see some tangible improvements by the end of the year -- at the latest.
"I don't think the market is going to be thrilled by a five-year plan," Lache said. "People are going to want to see targets both near term and long term -- and long term means three years."
Fields, the man tapped by Bill Ford to fix the automaker, acknowledged Ford is on the clock. "The clock's ticking," he said.
"Obviously, given the competitive situation, we can't dawdle."
My first car was a 67 Mustang Coupe, 2nd one was a 67 Cougar XR-7, 3rd one was a 66 Mustang Coupe. Why did I get rid of these cars for ? I know why, because I'm stupid, stupid, stupid.
My next Ford.....


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Andreas Renschler, the former head of commercial trucks for Daimler who went to work heading up Volkswagen's commercial truck operations earlier this year, has been appointed as the new chairman of the board of Scania. The Swedish truck and bus manufacturer is majority owned by Volkswagen.
A member of the board of management of Volkswagen AG, Renschler earlier this year took over as head of Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH, the holding company that coordinates the operations in the group’s commercial vehicles companies.
The news comes just days after published reports indicate that German truck maker MAN, majority owned by Volkswagen, will cut 1,800 jobs at its main commercial vehicles division. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company will save about 850 million euros ($951 million) by realigning operations at its German plants in Munich and Salzgitter and plants in Austria and Poland.
The revamp is part of a broader restructuring within Volkswagen, which is integrating the trucks businesses MAN and Sweden’s Scania AB to create a commercial vehicles unit under Renschler's leadership.
The goal for Volkswagen is to combine Scania and MAN with VW's commercial vehicles operations in order to better compete in global markets against rivals Volvo and Daimler. There's speculation that at some point that will mean entering the North American market in some way, as well.
Originally posted on Automotive Fleet


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Flipkart will own and operate the eBay.in business upon the close of the transaction.
Mumbai: Global e-commerce company eBay and Flipkart, have agreed to jointly pursue opportunities in the Indian market. In exchange for an equity stake in Flipkart, eBay will make a USD 500 million cash investment in and sell its eBay.in business to Flipkart, the companies said in a joint statement.
Flipkart will own and operate the eBay.in business upon the close of the transaction. eBay and Flipkart have also entered into an exclusive agreement in which they will jointly pursue cross-border trade opportunities, it added.
"The combination of eBay's position as a leading global e-commerce company and Flipkart's market stature will allow us to accelerate and maximize the opportunity for both companies in India," said Devin Wenig, President and CEO of eBay Inc.
"eBay is committed to winning in India in partnership with Flipkart. Our exclusive global trade partnership will allow eBay and Flipkart to reach even more consumers around the world," he added.
eBay's global inventory will be accessible to more Indian consumers, while its active buyers globally will have access to Indian inventory provided by Flipkart.
"This partnership bodes well for Indian and global customers, sellers and the wider e-commerce ecosystem. eBay.in has built a strong presence in India over the years and we hope to take it to greater heights as part of the Flipkart group," Binny Bansal, Group CEO, Flipkart said.
Upon the close of the transaction, which is expected later this year, Flipkart will acquire eBay's buyers in India.
eBay will remove the number of active buyers in India from its reporting during the quarter in which the transaction closes. eBay does not expect this transaction to have a material impact on its guidance provided on January 25, eBay said.


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Billionaire Marc Lore has unveiled plans to build a brand new, sustainable city – otherwise known as the City of Telosa. So, who is Marc Lore and what can we expect to see from him in the future?
Telosa is reportedly being designed with sustainability at the forefront, promoting a low impact on the environment.
Who is Marc Lore?
Billionaire Marc Lore is the mastermind behind the City of Telosa – but more on that later.
Formerly the President & CEO of Walmart’s e-commerce division from 2016 to 2021, Lore has taken on a wealth of business ventures, earning the title of serial entrepreneur. The 50-year-old also served as the CEO and co-founder of Quidsi, alongside the CEO and co-founder of Jet.com.
If that’s not impressive enough, Marc owns the NBA team the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the WNBA team the Minnesota Lynx. Talk about making money moves.
In between all of that, Lore has somehow managed to cook up a new venture that involves creating a brand new community.
Outside of the business world, Marc has two young daughters, Sierra and Sophia, with his wife, Carolyn.
Marc Lore’s net worth explored
Marc Lore’s net worth is guaranteed to be a lot. It seems as though he has been CEO of just about every company ever!
According to this source, Lore’s net worth, as of 2021, is a hefty estimated amount of $4 billion.
Some of that value could amount from his sale of Quidsi, which he sold to Amazon for $545M in 2011!
What is the City of Telosa?
In latest news, Marc Lore and European architect Bjarke Ingels are set to construct a brand new community: the City of Telosa.
The city website states: “Over 80 percent of people in the United States live in metropolitan areas — which are also the source of over 90 percent of the economic activity of the U.S. and have become important hubs for higher education, research, science, and technology. A new city built from scratch avoids the legacy issues of infrastructure and policies that constrain and restrict what can be developed.
“The clean slate allows the opportunity to redesign a city with the needs of people at the center. We benefit from the knowledge, innovation and expertise that has been learned since other cities were built in the US. We can build the most sustainable and resilient city that will serve as a model helping residents in existing cities along the way.”
A space for the new city is yet to be decided, but it is likely to be built somewhere in the Appalachian Region, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Texas, or Utah.
Further details are currently pretty sparse, given the fact that the city is still in the planning stage, but we do know that anyone can move there. The website reassures the public that Telosa is not a private city.
Read more about the city via the official website here.


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Fri October 14, 2011
Retail Sales Rose 1.1 Percent In September
Originally published on Fri October 14, 2011 8:53 am
Driven by gains at car dealers, U.S. retail sales rose 1.1 percent in September from August, the Census Bureau just reported.
It's the strongest one-month gain since February's 1.3 percent increase.
And sales were up 7.9 percent from September 2010, Census adds.
Consumers purchase about 70 percent of the goods and services the economy produces, so their demand is key to growth. Bloomberg News says that the better-than-expected increase in September should ease concerns that "slumping confidence and scant hiring will derail the biggest part of the economy."
Reuters writes that "consumers shook off some of their concerns about stock market drops and political gridlock, potentially giving new momentum to the weak economic recovery."


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The critical and pop cultural success of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories ushered in a new era for both the Parisian duo and their unlikely collaborator, Pharrell Williams. Between joining forces with Daft Punk, creating “Happy”‘s 24-hour music video and auctioning off his Grammys hat to Arby’s, the 40-year-old musician-meets-entrepreneur has had a huge year—and now, he’s extending it by venturing into the fashion world.
He’s already set to collaborate with Comme de Garçons on a fragrance and with Uniqlo on a line of tees, but Adidas announced on Thursday that they’ve also nabbed him for a “long-term partnership,” due out this summer.
What’s cooler is the yet-to-be-named line will showcase Pharrell’s fabric company—because, no, he’s not already busy enough. Called Bionic Yarn, the venture creates cloth from plastic debris found in oceans.
“Working with an iconic brand like Adidas is such an incredible opportunity,” Williams wrote in a statement. “From the classic track suit to growing up in Virginia wear Stan Smiths, Adidas has been a staple in my life. Their pieces are timeless. This is an exciting partnership for both me and Bionic Yarn.”
For a first look at the collection, check out the line’s teaser video below: