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Skift, a media plus company as founder Rafat Ali likes to term it, has been around for nearly six months but has only just received a fair dose of publicity in the travel and, more importantly, in the digital world. Billed more as a travel intelligence company than yet another media start-up, Skift, Swedish for Shift, does promise to shift the business of travel, in particular for business travelers.
Skift introduced itself to the marketplace via a factsheet as opposed to the more traditional press release noting that as a "travel intelligence media company it offers news, insight, data, tools and services to the travel industry and the very large community of business travelers who seek expert advice to help make smart decisions about travel". Relying more on data than content aggregation, Skift intends to offer a consumer site aimed at business travelers.
One suspects that, if successful, in this area the company will soon cater to a wider more diverse range of travel industry consumers. The analog is probably Smith Travel Research which began decades before the advent of the digital age but geared itself to provide performance data and trends for hotels, hoteliers and lenders eventually covering all stakeholders interested and needing that wealth of information generated by STR.
Appropos the foregoing, Skift can perhaps really end up being a disruptive technology medium as regular consumers who are under the mistaken notion that "deals" can be had via websites only to find, thanks to rate parity, that there are almost none to be had. The latter is finally under some threat thanks to an investigation by Britain's Office of Fair Trading and has been written about before here. At a minimum,business consumers, and others, are very likely to get more for their content from a site like Skift once there are real deals to be had.


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The OnePlus 9RT smartphone launched in China back in October and now it looks like OnePlus is launching the handset globally.
The new OnePlus smartphone will apparently launch globally this month, OnePlus India posted a tweet with some more code which you can see below.
When the morse code is translated it says ‘OnePlus 9RT’ so this is a hint to the global launch of the smartphone which should happen this month.
As a reminder, the handset will come with a Snapdragon 888 mobile processor and it comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
The handset features a 6.62 inch AMOLED display that features a 20:9 aspect ratio and a Full HD+ resolution of 2,400 x 1080 pixels.
Other specifications on the OnePlus 9RT include a front-facing 16-megapixel camera for making video calls and taking Selfies. On the back, there is a 50-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 16-megapixel ultrawide camera, and a 2-megapixel camera.
The new OnePlus device also comes with a 4500 mAh battery and it features 64W fast charging. This will charge the device to 100 percent an impressive 29 minutes.
As soon as we get some information on exactly when OnePlus will be launching their latest smartphone globally, we will let you know.
Source GSM Arena
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BRANDED baby formula milk has the same nutritional benefits as supermarket own brands less than half the price.
A study found £175.99 buys a six-month supply of Sainsbury’s Little Ones formula.
Alamy The findings are exposed in the Channel 4 Dispatches documentary ‘The Great Formula Milk Scandal’
The amount buys just 3½ months of SMA Pro First Formula and 2½ of Aptamil Profutura Stage 1.
All have the same essential nutrients. And researchers said additional ingredients beyond the minimum requirements in guidelines are not needed for a baby to thrive.
Infant feeding specialist Shel Banks said: “All we need in the first 12 months of life — according to our NHS, according to the World Health Organisation — is these first stage infant milks. There’s nothing to choose between them in terms of nutrition at all.”
‘I’M WASTING AWAY’ Desperate disabled man ‘can’t afford to eat’ after DWP stopped benefits TERROR AT TESCO Maniac screaming ‘kill all Muslims’ stabbed teenager in ‘terror attack’ HOUSE ABOUT THAT Couple buy 120-year-old mansion for £30k by MISTAKE after auction mix-up SHOCK AND THAW Brits face -5C freeze and frost today but it’ll be a balmy 17C next week GUNNED DOWN Man in 50s shot dead in broad daylight in Kent, sparking murder probe WINE MA DRIVE BAN Boozy mum glugged wine then crashed car taking son, 5, home from school
The findings feature in Monday’s Channel 4 Dispatches documentary The Great Formula Milk Scandal.
It says some midwives recommend particular brands after training events sponsored by makers.
Experts also warned of misleading claims, including ones about reducing eczema.
Infant feeding specialist Shel Banks advises the NHS on baby milk formula
Mum fears she fed her baby BUGS after ‘finding creep crawlies in Aptamil pack’


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Most mid-range smartphones from Samsung won't receive Android Oreo prior to 2019, according to the company's official update roadmap published via the Samsung Members mobile app earlier this week. The release schedule seen in the screenshots below reveals that the Galaxy J7 Neo is the only Samsung-made mid-ranger that's yet to receive Oreo and is planned to be updated to a new version of the operating system before the end of the year. While the South Korean original equipment manufacturer already upgraded the last two generations of the Galaxy A series, that particular product family is now blending the lines between the mid-range and premium segment of the handset market and is more of an outliner than a sign that Samsung's more affordable phones will enjoy better software support moving forward.
The Seoul-based tech giant has yet to share any concrete plans to upgrade its existing devices to Android 9 Pie, the latest version of the world's most popular OS that Google officially released earlier this week. The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus are expected to be prioritized for the update and will likely be followed by the Galaxy Note 9 and the firm's 2017 flagships. Based on Samsung's established support practices, the Galaxy S9 line may be upgraded to Android 9 Pie as early as December.
Samsung's flagship devices now ship with a promise of three years of security patches and at least two major OS upgrades, though some lines such as the Galaxy S6 family ended up receiving three before the firm attached an end-of-life label to them. With Android 9 Pie marking the full adoption of Google's Project Treble, manufacturers should have an easier time developing and testing updates for their handsets and tablets and possibly address one of the biggest issues of the Android ecosystem – fragmentation. The upcoming Galaxy Note 9 is expected to run Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box, much like the Galaxy Tab S4 launched last week.


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THE BUZZ: At E3 2011, EA and DICE promised that consumers who purchased Battlefield 3 on the PS3 would get a bonus bundled with the game—a free, full copy of Battlefield 1943.
So, now Battlefield 3 is here—but where is Battlefield 1943? PS3 owners everywhere are now asking that question, and unfortunately, the answer might not make you very happy.
First, Battlefield 1943 isn’t included, and it seems as if it isn’t coming. Why exactly the game has disappeared after being promised to PS3 owners still isn’t know. However, on the official Battlefield Twitter account, the following was posted earlier today:
@hamzaxrevenge In lieu of 1943 being available on disk for PS3 customers, EA has made all BF3 expansions available early to PS3 customers.
Getting all of the expansions a week early on PS3 doesn’t really seem like a fair exchange for losing out receiving an an entire game for free. It also isn’t exactly a correct statement to make either, due to one catch: That promise of getting content on the PS3 a week ahead of the Xbox 360 and PC was already made back in September, not in response to this new situation.
EGM’s TAKE: Though many consumers will no doubt have forgotten about that promise of a free copy of Battlefield 1943 being made, that promise was, indeed, made. As this whole situation is still in the process of breaking, we hope that EA and/or DICE have a better, more detailed response soon.
(Of course, at this very moment, both companies are no doubt busy trying to fix the issues the Battlefield 3 servers are currently experiencing due to how many people are trying to get online and play. So, we expect that is their #1 priority at the moment.)
How do any PS3-owning Battlefield fans out there think of this? Is it not really that big of a deal to you, or is this a major disappointment?


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The troubled South African poultry industry is poised for a turnaround, market analyists are predicting.
The sector has been through a difficult few years, weighed down by cheap imports, soaring feed costs, weak consumer demand and impending regulations to cap the levels of brining allowed in frozen chicken products.
Nine smaller producers have either gone under, filed for business rescue or been absorbed by larger companies in recent months. Astral Foods has recently snapped up the assets of two producers at liquidation auctions, South African publication Business Day has reported.
The sector was reprieved last year when tariffs were imposed on imports from most regions — though Europe was exempt due to free-trade agreements. However, the sector has since lobbied for duties on "below-cost" imports from Europe.
The International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) sent an investigative team to Germany and the Netherlands as part of its verification process. Spokesman Thembinkosi Gamlashe says that the investigation "is still in progress" and a preliminary determination — which could grant interim protection — is expected to be made within the next two months.
Vunani Securities analyst Anthony Clark, points to a possible decline in maize prices and import protection as the main reasons for a turnaround in the sector. He warns however, that the recovery will be very gradual, as "there are too many variables out there which are beyond the control of anyone in the sector". The upturn will be held back by food price inflation and a rising interest rate cycle, which will further stretch consumers.
Clark says, importantly, the bigger maize harvest this year could translate into lower input prices in the second half of the year. Feed costs, which are largely made up of maize, account for about half the costs of raising a chicken. Input costs have been abnormally high in recent months on high international maize prices and local shortages.
South African Poultry Association CEO Kevin Lovell expects that by midyear, the maize price should drop, while the association is hoping for "provisional protection against European dumping" by the end of next month. "It will take a little while for the effects of that to flow through. So there's a chance that quarter three could start to look better," Lovell says. "We are still in the bottom of the trough. I don't think it's going to get worse but I do think it's going to take a little while before it gets better."


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Micromax Informatics, India’s second largest smartphones maker, has plans to enter the air conditioner market in the coming weeks, as it tries to get a foothold in the consumer durables segment.
According to a Mint report, the Gurugram-based Micromax hopes durables will contribute to about 20 per cent of overall revenue in the next 12 months. It also has plans to sell a range of big ticket goods including washing machines in the second half of 2017, a senior Micromax executive told Mint.
Micromax has plans to manufacture window and split ACs at its Uttarakhand facility that is set to receive the ₹200 crore investment, the Mint report said. Prices will range from Rs.20,000 to Rs.30,000. Micromax launched into the TV space two years ago, which currently contributes to about 12 per cent of its sales.
Micromax has been facing stiff competition in the smartphones market in India from Samsung and Chinese handset makers. It recently announced plans to begin selling smartphones in China as a way to generate more cash.
Handsets shipments into India have slowed in the last six months, according to research from IDC, signalling unsold inventory of many affordable-range handsets, according to the report.
Micromax grew its fortunes on the back of cheap handsets, a strategy that helped set it apart from expensive competition a few years ago. It doesn't appear that the prices of its ACs are targeting that same affordable segment.
Also see on HuffPost:


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A man from Colchester has been jailed for 25 years for conspiring to murder his stepfather.
Opening Date Set For John Lewis Chelmsford
The department store will open its doors to customers in September.
The 90,000 sq ft store, the first John Lewis in Essex, will join others in the wider Bond Street development opening for the first time at 9.30am on Thursday 29th September.
Other retailers opening include White Company, Foyles, Joules and Jack Wills. Located at the heart of the city centre, the development will feature a range of riverside restaurants and an Everyman cinema.
Laura Rawstron, branch manager, John Lewis Chelmsford said: "I’m thrilled to be able to confirm that John Lewis Chelmsford will open on Thursday 29th September.
"The business has had ambition to open a shop in Essex for some time now, and the Bond Street development couldn’t be a better proposition for us."
The first of the 66 Crossrail trains is in operation from today running on the TFL route between Liverpool Street and Shenfield.
A crackdown, aimed at tackling online child abuse in Essex has seen more than 40 people arrested in the last six months.
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Scalping's illegal in Washington, D.C., but that doesn’t stop scalpers from selling tickets to fans, and huge headliners, from Taylor Swift to Shania Twain, have them hopping all summer. They’re easy to spot, especially around the Verizon Center, on show night or before the big game. It’s such a problem the Washington Capitals sent out a fraud alert warning to fans during the NHL playoffs.
“They’re here pretty much year around,” said Verizon Center General Manager David Touhey. But he warned fans should resist the temptation. "Their hope is they're going to sell it for more than the box office. You don't always get a good deal and you run a high risk of it being counterfeit or it being faulty," Touhey explained.
With undercover cameras rolling, the News4 I-Team hit the streets during those playoffs to see what kind of sales pitch it would hear among the sea of red jerseys. One scalper who approached the I-Team on the corner said the game was sold out but that he had tickets for $200 in the upper level 400 section. “I mean, nobody got no lower ones out here,” he told the I-Team.
Another scalper standing near the front entrance hawking tickets normally going for $89 claimed they were right near the action. He wanted $200 for them and said they were down on the ice. But later, inside the Verizon Center, the I-Team checked out those “floor” seats and found they were nowhere near the ice. Instead, he was selling tickets three levels up in the standing room only section.
Most of the scalpers the I-Team talked to admitted they work every concert and that it’s their main job. Some said they’ve been scalping for 30 years, but most were tight-lipped about where they get the tickets -- except one scalper at a recent New Kids on the Block concert, who spilled some of his secrets. He said he buys most of his tickets the day of the show or game from two sources. He said he gets them from other fans on the street or he buys them directly from the box office, because some venues release tickets, previously held back, the day of an event. He told the I-Team his biggest haul in one night was $4,000 at the Hannah Montana concert a few years back, including two tickets he said he sold for $1,600, 10 times their face value. But the insider warned there are scalpers out there who sell fake tickets or multiple copies of the same electronic tickets, meaning only the first fan gets a seat.
More than two years ago, Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier cracked down on street scalping after an I-Team investigation showed some officers not enforcing the law and how two teens lost $500 when they unknowingly bought fake tickets on the street for a Justin Bieber concert. At the time, Chief Lanier said, "We send teams of officers out to go after scalpers randomly. It’s not every single event because I don’t have the luxury.” She said it’s a balancing act for officers on crowd control and conducting other safety enforcement.
But multiple scalpers at the NKOTB concert told the I-Team police normally will not do anything as long as they don't make the sell right in front of them, and one scalper even said he’s sold tickets to police officers, most recently for the hockey playoffs. We wanted to talk to the chief again about the scalping problem that hasn't gone away. But a spokeswoman said, "We cannot accommodate your request," only saying there had been sixteen arrests since 2014.
The I-Team has learned from four different sources that there’s been discussion with some D.C. councilmembers about possibly changing the scalping law, including one idea of creating a "scalping zone" where tickets could be legally bought and sold. Unless that happens, anyone selling tickets on the streets of D.C. can still be arrested, even if it seems many are looking the other way.
The Verizon Center’s David Touhey offered a few tips on buying tickets:
- Only buy verified tickets from sites like Ticketmaster as opposed to third party sites.
- The venue is more likely to help you with any issues if it’s a verified ticket.
- Buy tickets using a credit card so you can dispute the charges if needed.
- You have a better shot of scoring better seats if you purchase tickets at the box office when they first go on sale. He said few people actually show up in person anymore.
- You can also try to purchase tickets online while standing in line at the box office to improve your chances.
- Always check with the box office for any tickets still available the day of a concert or event, even if people say it’s sold out.


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Jack Black inks TV production deal
Actor's Electric Dynamite sets up shop at ReveilleJack Black is entering the TV producing business, inking an exclusive production deal with Reveille for TV and online scripted comedies, unscripted and animated projects.
Under the two-year pact, Black's production company Electric Dynamite will set up offices at Reveille with former WME agent Priyanka Mattoo joining Black and partner Ben Cooley.
Shine International will handle international distribution for the series and formats to come out of the deal.
"The company is called Electric Dynamite and we've found the perfect home with the like-minded trailblazers at Shine and Reveille," Black said. "Don't worry TV...Help is on the way!"
WME-repped Black got his start in TV series, as the co-creator/star/executive producer of HBO's "Tenacious D."
He segued into the big screen, while occasionally making memorable TV guest appearances, most recently on NBC's "The Office," which is co-produced by Reveille, and "Community."


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HYNDBURN residents are being urged to take advantage of the council’s free bulky waste service.
The council is offering to collect any unwanted large items such as mattresses, furniture or sofas.
Cabinet member for Recycling and Deputy Leader, Coun Munsif Dad, said: “I urge everyone to carry on recycling as much as you can. Now we are collecting metal, wood and mattresses, more bulky waste is being recycled than ever before and each household is entitled to one collection per calendar month up to a maximum of six items.”
Any furniture or electrical items in good condition and in working order can also be donated to Hyndburn Used Furniture Service who will distribute them to families in the local community.
For more information call the council’s customer services on 01254 388111.


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Robbers raid posh Zurich jewellery boutique
AFP · 4 Feb 2014, 20:00
Published: 04 Feb 2014 20:00 GMT+01:00
- Man shot at McDonalds in attempted break-in (23 Dec 13)
- Fifty kilos of gold stolen from Zurich-bound plane (24 Sep 13)
- Swiss diamond necklace 'stolen' at Cannes (23 May 13)
Brandishing a handgun, the men rushed into the shop of prestigious Swiss jeweller Chopard, smashing display cases and snatching up wrist watches, rings and earrings, Zurich police said.
The men, one of them wearing a motorcycle helmet throughout the robbery, quickly fled the scene on a motorbike, making off with loot worth "well over 100,000 Swiss francs ($110,000), police said.
No one was injured in the heist.
Chopard was also one of the victims of a string of robberies at the French Riviera resort of Cannes last May during the film festival there.
Thieves broke into the hotel room of an American employee of the luxury brand while she was out for the evening and stole jewellery worth $1.4 million that was to be loaned to movie stars.
In a scene straight from a Hollywood film, a strongbox containing the jewellery was ripped out of the wardrobe and carried off.


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Losses at US fashion chain American Apparel more than doubled in the third quarter despite the retailer delivering “solid growth”.
Net losses grew from from $7.2m to $19m in the three months to September 30 as higher interest rates hit the company.
Yet the company still managed to grow with EBITDA more than doubling from £6m last year to £14m this year.
Net sales grew 15% to $162.2m compared with last year, with like-for-like sales rising 20% during the quarter. Wholesale revenues grew 6% in the quarter and like-for-like store sales in the year to November 12 grew 13%.
Gross profits for the third quarter increased 14% to $85.2m.
Chairman and chief executive Dov Charney said: “We are pleased with our third quarter results that again show solid growth and continuing momentum in all business segments and major geographies.”
“As we improve store productivity and aggressively grow our online and wholesale businesses we expect operating expense leverage will allow us to continue to significantly grow EBITDA performance.”


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- San Francisco, California-based fraud prevention startup Darwinium has launched its Continuous Customer Protection platform.
- The new offering helps close the gap between digital security and fraud prevention silos.
- Darwinium made its Finovate debut earlier this year at FinovateEurope in London.
Security and fraud prevention specialist Darwinium has launched its Continuous Customer Protection platform. The technology helps deal with the problem of disconnected point-in-time API integrations and risk scores. These issues can lead to both data breaches and a poor customer experience. Darwinium’s Continuous Customer Protection platform provides continuous visibility and control throughout the entire customer journey. This enables the technology to proactively cover the distance between the silos of digital security and fraud prevention.
In a statement, Darwinium co-founder and CEO Alisdair Faulkner noted research that highlighted the impact of fraud controls on the customer experience. More than 80% of businesses, according to the report, said that fraud controls contribute to unwanted friction for customers. “To create a low-friction customer experience while also enabling optimal fraud and security controls, Darwinium has architected a new path forward for improved fraud detection in real time that performs dramatically better and faster and takes only minutes to deploy – all while providing a positive and privacy-protected customer online experience and frustrating fraudsters,” Darwinium CEO and co-founder Alisdair Faulkner said.
Darwinium is deployed at the network edge, via content delivery network (CDN) infrastructure, using edge workers. This gives the technology full, omni-channel visibility and the ability to provide real-time insights into device, network, identity, behavior, content, and location. The solution also can call out to third-party APIs to conditionally refine risk decisions.
Darwinium’s primary customers are payment service providers, fintechs, gaming companies, and online marketplaces. Faulkner indicated that further penetration of these markets was high on Darwinium’s agenda. “The challenges online U.S. businesses face with surging fraud and operational silos, combined with our unique solution make this an ideal time to expand and enter the market in force,” Faulkner said.
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Darwinium made its Finovate debut earlier this year at FinovateEurope in London. The company was launched in 2021 by the team that founded, built, and scaled digital identity innovator ThreatMetrix. Relx Group acquired ThreatMetrix in 2018.


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ALBANY, GA (WALB) - A restaurant chain in Tifton is chipping in towards Breast Cancer Awareness and research.
Barberitos Mexican Grill is donating 10 percent of all of its sales today to local research programs for Breast Cancer.
They sold t shirts, had a raffle prize giveaway and even gave all customers pink chips with food purchases.
This event is supporting the Pink Cup Challenge in Tifton.
"When you're diagnosed with breast cancer you want that community support. You want that family support. It just makes you feel like you can survive it," said Cindy Spurlin, organizer of the Pink Cup Challenge.
All food sales will be going towards the cause until closing at 9 pm.


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News 2nd Gunslinger Girl Airs in Spring with Pinocchio Arc
posted on 2007-08-23 11:19 EDT
Follow-Up: The official website for the Gunslinger Girl anime now lists the recently confirmed second series for broadcast next spring. The original manga creator Yu Aida posted a comment that indicates that the new anime series will cover the Pinocchio story arc from the manga about cybernetically enhanced girl assassins. Source: Moon Phase
Dave inspects the the 200th Figma, and of course, it's Hatsune Miku.
Seven anime Christmas favorites to watch with a cup of hot cocoa.


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YouTube is transforming the beauty space. Incorporating YouTube into Web and commerce initiatives and leveraging YouTube’s independent beauty personalities can unlock significant opportunities for brands, especially niche players, according to recent research by Pixability.
In fact, according to the big data software company, YouTube’s top 25 beauty vloggers possess 115 times more subscribers and receive 2,60070 more comments on average than beauty brand channels. In addition, 9770 of the conversations around beauty and brands on YouTube are controlled by vloggers, haul girls and other beauty content creators.
“Brands that mistakenly treat YouTube as a quasi-television station should not be surprised by dismal ROI. Those that embrace YouTube as a critical digital marketing and communication medium, however, will see outstanding results,” stated Rob Ciampa, CMO of Pixability.
To see the charts, click here


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“A 1000-odd user survey recently carried out the US statistics gatherer the Pew Research Centre and The Economist which focused on US tablet ownership during the three weeks from 16 July found that Appleâ€™s share of the market in the States had fallen from 81 per cent in the year-ago period to 52 per cent.”
Android/Linux had momentum like this a year ago but then stalled. We shall see whether 2012 is different. If Christmas reveals ascendance of Android/Linux in tablets, the market for IT will be forever changed. The only remaining battle-ground will remain the desktop where GNU/Linux has been slowly taking ground. */Linux still has a way to go on desktops and notebooks but few are laughing any longer. The ones with axes to grind are fighting hard to preserve Wintel’s favourite cash-cow.


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Premier Cru Classé Sauternes producer Château Suduiraut has released an 'entry level' dry white wine, Le Blanc Sec, demonstrating the trend for Sauternes producers to also produce more dry styles.
Château Suduiraut Le Blanc Sec released
Le Blanc Sec de Suduiraut will retail at around £13, around half the price of the château’s existing dry white, ‘vin de garde’ S de Suduiraut.
‘It is dry, fresh, fruity [and ready] to drink immediately,’ said Corinne Michot-Ilic, spokesperson Château Suduiraut.
‘It is more of an entry level dry white wine,’ she told Decanter.com. But the château said that it had chosen plots carefully for Le Blanc Sec, which was also ‘a wine of character’ designed to meet consumers demand for white wines with more personality.
An increasing number of Sauternes producers have turned to dry white wines amid a sluggish market for their signature sweet wines in recent years.
Six hundred cases were produced this year, but the Sauternes estate plans to double the volume next year. Suduiraut makes fewer than 500 cases of S de Suduiraut per year.
Greater numbers of Sauternes and Barsac producers turned to making dry white wines when the yields of the 2012 vintage were particularly low.
Olivier Bernard, co-owner of Château Guiraud, previously told Decanter.com that the estate planned on doubling the amount of Clos des Lunes dry white wines produced over the next few years.
Some producers have said that they hope to change labelling rules, so that dry whites made in Sauternes can be labelled AOC Graves, as opposed to AOC Bordeaux as it currently is.
See Decanter's Bordeaux 2015 scores and tasting notes here
There was a flurry of Bordeaux 2005 ‘10 years on’ tastings a few months ago, as we ticked over into
Jane Anson has the details...


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Today on Business Rockstars, Ken Rutkowski talks with Arran Stephens, the Founder of Nature’s Path Organic Foods, a privately owned, family-run, and certified organic manufacturer of cereals, granolas, oatmeal, and snack bars. The recipient of Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, he will share how he turned his small vegetarian restaurant into North America’s largest organic breakfast foods company.
NEW YORK (AP) — There’s no business like small business. Mix the high stakes of running a small business with a dash of family drama and throw in a camera crew and you get hit […]
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Billionaire Warren Buffett will again auction off a private lunch to hopefully raise millions for a California homeless charity. The annual auction to benefit the Glide Foundation, which provides social services […]
Today on Business Rockstars, Ken Rutkowski talks with CEO of Weight Watchers, David Kirchhoff. A leader by example, he shed the excess pounds after joining a Weight Watchers support group. He is now sharing his personal weight-loss story in his book, “Weight Loss Boss: How to Finally Win at Losing – And Take Charge in an Out-of-Control Food World.”
NEW YORK (AP) — The Dow Jones industrial average often makes headlines. But let’s not forget everything else that happened as the Dow has twisted and turned — from The Muppets suing Mickey Mouse to […]
NEW YORK (AP) — The Dow Jones industrial average is punching through another milestone: its first close above 15,000. The Dow rose 87 points to 15,056 points Tuesday, a gain of 0.6 percent. It was […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers posted fewer job openings in March compared with February and slowed overall hiring, underscoring a weak month of job growth. The Labor Department says job openings fell 1.4 percent to […]
Today on Business Rockstars, Ken Rutkowski talks with inventor and neurotechnologist Philip Low. The founder of NeuroVirgil, he has worked with Stephen Hawkings and was recently named as “A Scientist to Watch,” by The Scientist Magazine.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Attention online shoppers: The days of tax-free shopping on the Internet may soon end for many of you. The Senate is scheduled to vote Monday on a bill that would empower states […]
Today on Business Rockstars, Ken Rutkowski talks with sisters Katherine Kallinis Berman and Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne, who are the co-founders of Georgetown Cupcake, stars of the hit series DC Cupcakes on TLC, and best-selling authors of The Cupcake Diaries: Recipes and Memories from the Sisters of Georgetown Cupcake. Their new book, Sweet Celebrations: Our Favorite Cupcake Recipes, Memories, and Decorating Secrets that Add Sparkle to any Occasion was released in the Fall 2012.
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B.C. is attracting an increasing number of tourists who include Indigenous tourism experiences in their itineraries, but the business niche remains small enough that it could be poised for exponential growth.
First Nation-themed restaurants are relatively scarce in the province. Salmon n’ Bannock is the only Indigenous-themed restaurant in Vancouver, while the Bigheart Bannock Cultural Café at the Skwachàys Lodge hotel has an Indigenous-themed weekend brunch but does not have food service through the week. Other similar businesses in the subsector include Lelem’ Arts and Cultural Café in Langley, two Kekuli Café locations in Merritt and Westbank and the Red Fox Club at the Indigenous World Winery in West Kelowna.
Compared with, say, the countless sushi restaurants that dot the Metro Vancouver streetscape, however, Indigenous-themed dining remains a very small niche.
“Moving away from your community to an expensive city, away from your family and culture, doesn’t make sense for many,” said Salmon n’ Bannock owner Inez Cook, who has co-owned her profitable restaurant at 1128 West Broadway since 2010 and plans to buy out her partner, Remi Caudron.
“Also, a lot of our products aren’t even readily available on the commercial market.”
Cook can buy bison and venison but not moose from specialty meats purveyor Hills Foods Ltd. – even though Indigenous people in B.C. are constitutionally entitled to hunt moose on traditional territory for ceremonial purposes.
Hills Foods owner Mark Hills told Business in Vancouver that he would sell moose if he could, but federal law prohibits him from doing that.
Health Canada requires federal meat inspections for meat and poultry that is sold or transported in Canada for local consumption or export, and “wild harvest game meat, such as moose, presently is not allowed,” he said.
Some Indigenous people who have operated restaurants have shifted to catering private parties, said chef Shirley Lang, who owns Kitchens of Distinction in Victoria.
She operated a restaurant for one year earlier this decade but closed it to launch her tour business and catering venture.
“I like the variety that my private clients offer me,” she told BIV. “I’m not in the same place all the time. I think that’s my Cree wandering spirit coming out.”
Indeed, Indigenous-oriented tour businesses are more common than Indigenous-themed restaurants, and those businesses are getting bigger.
Dennis Thomas, who manages the Tsleil-Waututh Nation-owned Takaya Tours, told BIV in 2015 that the number of customers for Takaya’s cultural tours increased more than 50 per cent to nearly 2,500 in 2014, from about 1,500 customers in 2013.
He told BIV in November that he had conducted 168 cultural tours with 2,985 participants thus far in 2018.
A new report funded by Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC) also buoys hope for the future of the sector. It found that in 2017 there were 401 Indigenous-owned businesses that broadly served the tourism sector – up by about one-third since 2014.
Only about one-quarter of those businesses, however, cater primarily to Indigenous experiences, explained Paula Amos, ITBC’s director of strategic partnerships.
About 60 of those 401 Indigenous-owned tourism-related businesses, for instance, are gas stations that serve tourists and locals, she said.
More than 100 businesses in B.C. offer Indigenous experiences such as dining, tour services, entertainment, accommodation and outfitting, among other businesses, Amos said.
That statistic is accurate, she said, because there are around 100 members of her association and likely a few more Indigenous-themed businesses that are not members.
“The majority of our stakeholders who we work with are at capacity,” Amos said. “So we know that the demand for Indigenous tourism is there.
“We’ve been increasing [our membership] by about 10 per cent per year for the last six years.”
Tourism to B.C., as measured by international visitor visits, has increased annually by more than 7.8 per cent on average during the past three full calendar years, according to Tourism British Columbia.
Many of those people pass through Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and cannot help but see elements of Indigenous culture as soon as they arrive.
The Vancouver Airport Authority, which runs the airport, in mid-2017 entered into a wide-ranging, 30-year partnership with the Musqueam Indian Band.
The airport authority provides the Musqueam with one per cent of its annual revenue – a sum that starts at $5 million this year and is expected to total more than $200 million over 30 years. It also provides scholarships, opportunities for Musqueam businesses to get airport contracts and other perks.
One of the most visible elements of the pact, however, is that the airport is adding to its vast collection of Indigenous art, which includes pieces such as Bill Reid’s The Spirit of Haida Gwaii: The Jade Canoe – a green jade sculpture that was installed in the mid-1990s.
“We are continually adding more pieces,” the airport authority told BIV in a statement. “This has been a long-standing part of YVR’s thematic plan and commitment to featuring Indigenous art at our airport.”
– Glen Korstrom, Business in Vancouver


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Receive $80 Grab vouchers valid for use on all Grab services except GrabHitch and GrabShuttle when you subscribe to BT All-Digital at only $0.99*/month.
Find out more at btsub.sg/promo
[MANILA] Philippine annual inflation slowed for the first time in five months in January due to declining commodity costs and slower price increases in clothing and transport, the statistics agency said on Friday.
The consumer price index rose 1.3 per cent in January from a year earlier, matching analysts' expectations and well within the central bank's 0.8-1.6 per cent forecast for the month.
Core inflation in January was 1.8 per cent, slowing from 2.1 per cent in December, while the monthly rise in consumer prices was unchanged at 0.2 per cent.
The central bank has a 2-4 per cent target for the year.


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Dainty Foods has long been located on the city’s edge amidst the forest-like tranquility of Brighton Beach.
We were a little taken aback to learn last week that Tom Bain — Essex County’s highest-paid elected official — doesn’t know how much money he makes as a servant of the people.
Heinz has agreed to pay its Leamington tomato growers a total of $1.8 million in compensation.
Tomato growers will want millions of dollars in compensation from Heinz for leaving Leamington, Walter Brown, a Leamington farmer who has grown tomatoes for Heinz for 47 years, said Thursday.
General Motors is denying media reports that the automaker has requested a US$2.1 million increase in CEO Dan Akerson’s 2013 compensation.
Residents of Oliver Farms, fed up with the added costs they’ve incurred during the Herb Gray Parkway construction, are seeking compensation.


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Mumbai, April 11 (IANS) India's first industrial-articulated robots in different sizes targeted at micro, small and medium enterprises besides large-scale manufacturers, to help increase their efficiency, were launched by Tata Motors Ltd here on Tuesday.
The TAL Brabo, weighing 2-10 kg, and costing between Rs 5,00,000 and Rs 7,00,000 are designed to increase productivity by 15-30 per cent and a payback time of around 15-18 months.
The robots have been developed indigenously by TAL Manufacturings, a subsidiary of Tata Motors Ltd, under a new technology partnership with RTA Motion Control Systems, Italy, for motors and drives.
Designed and styled in-house at TAL Manufacturing and Tata Elxsi, respectively, Tata AutoComp produced some of the critical component used in the robot.
Conceptualised to complement human workforce and perform repetitive high volume, dangerous and time-consuming tasks, the TAL Brabo robots can be deployed across industries, said TAL Manufacturing Solutions Ltd Chairman and non-executive director R.S. Thakur.
He said it has been successfully tested with over 50 customer workstreams and now the company is prepared to supply them to several sectors including automotive, light engineering, precision machining, electronics, software testing, plastics, logistics, education, aerospace and engineering, simplifying industrial manufacturing, improving quality and productivity.
"With TAL Brabo, we have taken a quantum leap in revolutionising industrial manufacturing in India. We call it Robolution because of its power to revolutionise industrial manufacturing," Thakur said.
He said TAL Manufacturing would continue to develop and leverage innovative technologies along with a new partnership with RTA Motion Control Systems, Italy, for critical components in the TAL Brabo robot.
The company's COO Amit Bhingurde said the TAL Brabo can be used to bring in efficiencies right from raw material handling till packaging of the finished products, can be programmed to operate 24/7 in all situations for continuous productions with high degree of flexibility and to perform complex functions cost effectively.
"These robots can be used for applications like pick and placement of materials, assembly of parts, machine and press tending, as a sealing application, camera and vision-based jobs, etc, and can complement workforce by taking over dull, dangerous or monotonous jobs," Bhingurde said.
The TAL Brabo complies with requirements relevant to European health, safety and environmental legislation, permitting exports to Europe, he added.


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Groundbreaking Move Sets Precedent for Overcoming Drug Price Barriers
Geneva/New Delhi, 12 March 2012 — In a landmark case, the Indian Patent Office has issued the first-ever compulsory licence in India to a generic drug manufacturer. This effectively ends German pharmaceutical company Bayer’s monopoly in India on the drug sorafenib tosylate used to treat kidney and liver cancer. The Patent Office acted on the basis that not only had Bayer failed to price the drug at a level that made it accessible and affordable, it also was unable to ensure that the medicine was available in sufficient and sustainable quantities within India.
“We have been following this case closely because newer drugs to treat HIV are patented in India, and as a result are priced out of reach,” said Dr Tido von Schoen-Angerer, Director of the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Access Campaign. “But this decision marks a precedent that offers hope: it shows that new drugs under patent can also be produced by generic makers at a fraction of the price, while royalties are paid to the patent holder. This compensates patent holders while at the same time ensuring that competition can bring down prices.”
Competition from the generic version will bring the price of the drug in India down dramatically, from over US$5,500 per month to close to $175 per month – a price reduction of nearly 97 per cent.
“This decision serves as a warning that when drug companies are price gouging and limiting availability, there is a consequence: the Patent Office can and will end monopoly powers to ensure access to important medicines,” said Michelle Childs, Director of Policy/Advocacy at the MSF Access Campaign. “If this precedent is applied to other drugs and expanded to include exports, it would have a direct impact on affordability of medicines used by MSF and give a real boost to accessing the drugs that are critically needed in countries where we work.”
Under the World Trade Organization’s TRIPS Agreement which governs trade and intellectual property rules, compulsory licences are a legally recognised means to overcome barriers in accessing affordable medicines. The Indian decision in fact mirrors similar moves made in other countries, including the US. In February 2011, the US Patent Office decided not to prevent a “generic” medical device used for skin grafts from being sold, but rather insisted that its manufacturer pay royalties to the patent holder.
“Behind this action is the idea that the public has a right to access innovative health products and they should not be blocked from benefiting from new products by excessive prices,” said Michelle Childs. “If more compulsory licences are granted in this vein, the answer to the question of how to ensure affordable access to new medicines could radically shift.”
Today’s system is one where new medicines are patented, and drug companies aggressively defend their monopolies, at the expense of patients who can’t afford the high prices charged. Instead, we could move to a more equitable system where new medicines have multiple producers, who each pay royalties to the patent holder, helping them not only to recoup their development costs but ensuring that people in developing countries have access.
This move marks the first time India’s patent law has been used to allow generic production when a drug is unaffordable.
“More generic companies should now come forward to apply for compulsory licences, including on HIV medicines, if they can’t get appropriate voluntary licences,” said Dr Tido von Schoen-Angerer
The compulsory licence has been granted by India’s Controller of Patents (the highest authority of the Indian Patent Office) to the generic company Natco for the eight years sorafenib tosylate will remain patented in India (until 2020), and against the payment of a royalty rate fixed at 6%. The order of the compulsory licence can be found here: http://www.ipindia.nic.in/
MSF relies on quality, affordable generic medicines made in India, often called the ‘pharmacy of the developing world’, to treat more than 80% of the 170,000 people in its HIV projects across 19 countries. Competition among generic manufacturers in India is what has brought HIV medicine prices down by nearly 99% since 2000, from US$10,000 per person per year to roughly $150 today. But after a new patent law was introduced in 2005, newer medicines are increasingly being patented in India, keeping prices high.
In a separate case also with important ramifications for access to medicines across the developing world, Novartis is currently challenging India's decision to not grant patents on medicines that according to the patent law aren't innovative enough to deserve a patent. Even Novartis has said India’s right to use compulsory licences should not be touched.


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Just in time for holiday shopping, the Sassy City Chicks Holiday Fashion Bash is coming to town.
At the bash, shoppers will find discounts of up to 80 percent on designer clothing, handbags, makeup and jewelry. The event will also feature complimentary spa services, cocktails and music. The fun and sales will be held at Universal in Hillcrest on Nov. 13 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Admission into the event is $3 at the door, but San Diegans with a real passion for fashion may want to consider the two-for-one VIP pass. For $20, a shopper and a friend can enjoy all the perks of being a VIP in the fashion world: early entry, spa treatments, a complimentary gift bag and more.
For more information, along with a complete list of the featured designers, visit SassyCityChicks.com.


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BOBST, its REVO partners and Mouvent are proud to host an Innovation Open House in Florence during the first week of April.
2 world premiere end-to-end solutions
3 world premiere breakthrough innovations
17 different demonstrations of presses, solutions and equipment
1 incredible event
Will you be there?
BOBST, its REVO1 partners and Mouvent are proud to host an Innovation Open House in Florence during the first week of April.
We believe the solutions on show during this event – many of which are being unveiled for the first time – will revolutionize the standards and the dynamics of the labels and packaging industry.
These are solutions that answer the most pressing challenges that brand owners, printers and label converters face today – such as reducing time to market, improving color consistency, ensuring food safety of UV inks, supporting personalization, customization and short runs.
Demonstrations will span across all REVO1 Partners, Mouvent digital inkjet printing innovations to REVO1 Digital Flexo and converting technologies giving you full color control and ease of operations.
Monday April 1st is dedicated to Brand Owners and on April 2-4th the event is open to Printers and Converters.
Each day starts at 10:00 and finishes at 17:00, and will feature short presentations, technology sessions and live demos of breakthrough inventions and technologies on the largest label portfolio in the market.


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Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G announced — to debut in an upcoming POCO device?
The Snapdragon 732G has just been announced with some iterative upgrades over the Snapdragon 730G. That’s not exactly saying a lot as even the Snapdragon 720G outperforms the Snapdragon 730G, but the Snapdragon 732G should outperform the Snapdragon 720G too, as far as its specifications go.
The Snapdragon 732G is expected to deliver improved CPU performance with the Kryo 470 cores running at 2.3GHz, a 100MHz bump over the Snapdragon 730G’s 2.2GHz. Qualcomm also boosted the Adreno 618 clocks to deliver 15% higher graphics performance, essentially putting it well above the Snapdragon 720G’s league.
It seems like Qualcomm now releases better binned variants of their processors in both the flagship and mid-range segments. For the flagship chips, their main partner looks to be ASUS, with the ROG Phones always being the first to offer the higher bins, while for the mid-range, Xiaomi appears to be their choice.
👀 Exactly The XXX You Need 👀
Here’s something brand new and #ExactlyWhatYouNeed when it comes to extreme performance… The world’s leading 4G processor, Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 732G.
Don’t miss the launch event on September 7th, 20:00 (GMT+8). pic.twitter.com/uQS0WPc9Eq
— POCO (@POCOGlobal) September 1, 2020
The Redmi K30 5G Racing Edition was released with the better binned Snapdragon 768G, which is based on the Snapdragon 765G. The first device to offer the Snapdragon 732G is slated to be the POCO X3 NFC, which has been teased on Twitter for quite some time now.
Pokdepinion: Well, at least it is doing its numbering justice…


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Startup OVP Marcellus -- which features low-cost video hosting services for enterprises and websites -- has landed its first major player, India's second-largest circulation newspaper, Jagran. Marcellus CEO Preetam Mukherjee says the deal will help it push deeper into the North American market in 2010 among small- to mid-sized businesses looking to include video in their business plans.
Mukherjee said that in the two weeks since launch of the video component of its website, Jagran.com has served up more than 300 hours of video.
"After months of evaluating online video platforms from across the world, we settled on Marcellus as the platform of our choice," said Sukirti Gupta, CEO at MMI Online, which manages Jagran.com. "They're an exciting bunch, extremely passionate about this space, with the ability to execute fast. Once we signed off with them, Marcellus took us from zero to launch in three weeks, which was a pleasant surprise in of itself. We are absolutely delighted with our choice and look forward to pioneering the online video revolution in India with the Marcellus team backing us up."
The Marcellus platform leverages the Amazon Cloudfront CDN, allowing it to provide quality, buffer-free video experiences to a global audience with a publishing workflow customized to match the enterprise level requirements of a large news organization.
- see this release
Marcellus earned a FierceOnlineVideo Fierce 15


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As America’s dairy farmers look to 2018, they are wondering whether or not higher prices are on the horizon. A massive herd, large domestic supply, falling domestic demand, and a strong dollar all show that prices may slip before they improve.
Mike North of Commodity Risk Management says there is a growing supply of product across the board as we enter the time of year when dairy consumption typically drops. North adds, “We’re continuing to make product that’s adding to an already large supply, so there’s a massive collision of increased supply and declining demand.” Scott Brown of the University of Missouri says it is not just domestic oversupply that is causing challenges, but global milk supplies are continuing to increase as well.
The National Milk Producers Federation and the International Dairy Foods Association are looking for creative ways to help stimulate domestic demand for dairy in an attempt to eat through some of the excess supply. “One of the things we’re looking at,” says Michael Dykes of the IDFA, “is can we do something with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to incentivize dairy consumption.”
Source: NAFB News Service


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Artist: Doja Cat feat. Gucci Mane
Song: “Like That”
Producer: Tyson Trax & Mike Crook
Album: Hot Pink
Doja Cat has teamed up with Gucci Mane in the official video for their Hot Pink collaboration, “Like That.”
In it, Doja combines dancing and animation, with Gucci coming through on a convertible for his verse. The song is already a big deal, but it could be huge this summer with a little more push.
Hot Pink was released in November, with other features from Tyga and Smino.
OS REWIND: Doja Cat – Unisex Freestyle


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In a data breach notification letter to customers, The UPS Store has disclosed that an unauthorized party successfully devised a phishing scheme to gain entry into the email accounts of numerous store locations. The breach exposed information contained within documents that customers emailed to stores for printing and related services, the San Diego-based subsidiary of UPS explained in its communication. In addition to names, this info included government-issued identification and financials, said Jenny Robinson, The UPS Store’s public relations and social media manager, in a BleepingComputer report. UPS did not specify in the letter precisely how many stores were involved, only saying that a “small percentage” were hit by the criminal act, which took place between approximately Sept. 29, 2019 and Jan. 13, 2020. However, Robinson clarified that the breach affected about 100 stores, less than two percent of The UPS Store’s U.S. locations.
Source: SC Magazine


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By the end of the day, we Americans will have selected a new president. It’s not too much of a stretch to look at the process as yet another battle of the brands. Republicans versus Democrats lining up in opposing uniforms, with banners waving social security, compassionate conservatism, education, defense, prosperity, and character. Elephants and donkeys.
Just when the world seems singularly global and warlike, with serious shooting wars in Africa, South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, the polls don’t focus much on qualifications or preparation for the office. Talk shows, chat rooms, and research focus pretty much squarely on the brand and its packaging. Studies show 47 percent of Americans think one guy is a little rigid and stuck up, and 82 percent believe the other guy has a cool wink and looks like he might enjoy a beer.
What’s Reality Got to Do With It?
We might like to talk about the wisdom of the electorate, but isn’t it uncanny that Election Day falls between those two other events that most fiercely engage our brand loyalties: the World Series and the Super Bowl? We choose our elected representatives the same way we choose our food, cars, and clothes. We might read the labels, but we eat, drive, and wear the brands. It takes a true brand meltdown — a la Firestone tires — for us to switch.
As it is, no amount of political financial reform can return the electoral process to its original revolutionary concept: an exercise in choice and democracy.
What’s Democracy Got to Do With It?
Fielding a national candidate — and, more often, state and local candidates — takes millions of dollars, research, packaging, half-truths and outright lies, media buys, tag lines, graphics, publicity, and the ability to pound a message home over and over again.
It’s all the stuff that makes up a brand, plain and simple. Create and advertise the ideas, images, and emotions that win the hearts and minds of an electorate at the polls, in the aisles, or at the business end of a mouse. Sometimes the results might be congruent with the candidate, but cynicism is deeply rooted in the process.
A Major Brand Switches Direction
While waiting for the election results, how about looking at a recent case of brand development — as told by a company’s public relations director. It’s a story that illustrates how simplicity triumphs over complexity and how little it might matter in the end.
You know Howard Hughes. How hard could it be to build a brand around a Texas tycoon and movie mogul who set aviation records, built the giant “Spruce Goose,” discovered Jane Russell (or at least focused his cameras on her anatomy), and fathered a company that is the world’s leading provider of commercial satellite services, satellite-based private business networks, and DirecTV, the leading digital entertainment provider with 9 million U.S. customers?
This doesn’t even take into account the history of both Hughes Aircraft Corporation and Hughes Electronics Corporation as the leading suppliers of defense and automotive electronics and the manufacturers of satellite systems.
Try dealing with this complexity as a corporate brand manager — a brand that has to live in the shadow of General Motors, which shelled out $5 billion for the company in 1985. And then consider the additional burden of the public conception of Howard Hughes ending his days as an eccentric recluse obsessed with washing his hands and bedeviled by his own demons.
The Hughes Brand… What Brand?
Laura Holson of The New York Times (October 23, 2000) wrote “…if you ask average investors what Hughes is well-known for, two things generally come to mind: airplanes and Howard… who founded the company.”
Howard Hughes was a billionaire when a billion dollars was still serious money. Search for him on Google, and you’ll come up with a few sites on his history and Hollywood career and pages of URLs pointing to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), another product of this genuine American dark genius. (HHMI does basic, genetic, and biomedical research and awards grants. Taken together, it’s one of the largest philanthropies in the world.)
The Final Irony
“The idea of rebranding goes back to the ’80s,” said Richard Dori, PR director for Hughes these past 19 years. The defense budget had begun to plateau, and Hughes began to look at bolstering commercial operations. GM brought in Mike Armstrong in ’92 to head up Hughes Aircraft Corporation. It was dramatic. Mike was identified with the PC program at IBM, and it was the first time anyone outside the company ran Hughes.
“We were engaged in a dual industry change, moving out of defense into the digital communications industry, and Mike was our spokesperson. The company had already formulated DirecTV (currently the great majority of revenues for the company). We sold our defense electronic operations to Raytheon, and this year sold our satellite manufacturing business to Boeing. With that out of the way, we rolled out our new branding program — Hughes as a pure play digital communications company — ads, logo, and publicity on October 23.”
Rebranding, in the works for 10 months, was not exactly a hard news story. The details were given to the Times in advance so the column outlining the history could break the same day as the official press release announcing the campaign.
If the objective was to change perceptions of Hughes from a defense contractor to a broadband digital communications service provider, it may be working. In the current stock market environment, although Hughes is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, “investors have treated it as if it was part of the Nasdaq technology group,” says Dori, a little ruefully.
And as for that other brand selection process going on today, you know there’s still time to vote.
Facebook Canvas has been with us for just over a year and, whilst there are many brands that have made it work, there are others who have struggled with the new medium. What can we learn from both as we look to really make the most of Facebook’s flagship ad model?
Recently, I visited my alma mater, University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, to speak with advertising students about digital marketing, analytics and how to start a career in our field.
Sandy Rubinstein is the CEO of the independently female minority-owned marketing and advertising firm DXagency. ClickZ caught up with her to find out about her role as CEO, and what advice she would give to women who want to work in the digital industry.
Effective app marketing is not about generating app page traffic, but rather about ensuring your app is discovered by targeted and relevant users who will install your app and use it regularly.


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Microsoft has disclosed what you'll have to pay to get hold of its next operating system.
Microsoft on Thursday unveiled pricing details for its highly anticipated Windows 7 operating system, which is expected to be available in stores on Oct. 22. The software maker also announced a program that starts Friday under which consumers can pre-order Windows 7 for the next two weeks at discounts of more than 50%.
The full version of Windows 7 Home Premium is priced at $199, with an upgrade from Vista or XP costing $119. The full version of Windows 7 Professional is $299, with upgrades going for $199. Windows 7 Ultimate is priced at $319, with the upgrade version at $219.
In what's perhaps a nod to the recession and increased competition in the software market, the prices are about 10% less than what Microsoft charged for the corresponding versions of Windows Vista when that product shipped in January of 2007.
Additionally, customers in the U.S., Canada, and Japan who pre-order Windows 7 from certain online and brick-and-mortar stores—including Amazon and Best Buy--between June 25th and July 11th will receive discounts of more than 50%, Microsoft said. The same program is available in the UK, France, and Germany between July 15th and Aug. 14th.
"Overall, customers will be paying less and getting more with Windows 7," wrote Brandon LeBlanc, Microsoft's in-house Windows blogger, in a post Thursday that revealed the pricing details.
Microsoft on Thursday also provided more details around a previously disclosed upgrade program.
Consumers who purchase a Vista-based personal computer as of Friday will be eligible to upgrade the system to Windows 7 at no or little cost when the latter becomes available on Oct. 22nd.
The Windows 7 Upgrade Option, as the program is called, officially begins June 26, said LeBlanc.
"Anyone who buys a PC from a participating OEM or retailer with Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate on it will all receive an upgrade to the corresponding version at little or no cost to customers," wrote LeBlanc.
Earlier this week, Microsoft urged consumers who are using the beta version of Windows 7 to switch to the more fully developed Release Candidate as the Windows 7 Beta will enter its expiration period next week.
Windows 7 is said to be lighter and easier to use than its predecessor. It also includes a number of slick new tools that aim to improve everyday tasks such as desktop searches and PC-to-PC file transfers.
How Enterprises Are Attacking the IT Security EnterpriseTo learn more about what organizations are doing to tackle attacks and threats we surveyed a group of 300 IT and infosec professionals to find out what their biggest IT security challenges are and what they're doing to defend against today's threats. Download the report to see what they're saying.
2017 State of IT ReportIn today's technology-driven world, "innovation" has become a basic expectation. IT leaders are tasked with making technical magic, improving customer experience, and boosting the bottom line -- yet often without any increase to the IT budget. How are organizations striking the balance between new initiatives and cost control? Download our report to learn about the biggest challenges and how savvy IT executives are overcoming them.


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- Rental car company Avis will integrate the parking app Arrive into its own app, giving Avis drivers direct access to Arrive’s planning and payment platform.
- Arrive allows drivers to find open spaces or reserve spots in advance, and uses Bluetooth and location technology to automatically handle payment. Avis will apply all parking fees to a customer’s existing credit card.
- "The Arrive app integration removes the stress and hassle of finding parking for both road warriors and leisure travelers, while also making the lives of travel managers easier,” said Avis Chief Innovation Officer Arthur Orduna in a press release. "This partnership cuts across all three of Avis Budget Group’s innovation initiatives: reinventing rental, digitizing the business and developing new models."
Arrive pitches itself as a solution to last mile congestion, making it easier for people to find parking without circling to multiple lots and pay for them without even taking out a credit card. According to Arrive’s website, it has more than 500 distribution partners and is active in more than 230 cities in the U.S. and Canada. Integration with the Avis app makes it available to more users — especially out-of-town drivers in rental cars — who may have to rely on commercial lots in crowded business or tourist districts.
Similarly, SpotHero announced a partnership with urban transit app Moovit, helping people plan multi-modal trips that involve parking at or near transit stations. These steps can reduce idling or circling in looking for parking, and make it more possible to plan and execute trips all in one app.
Parking-related congestion has been a constant problem for cities, and could get worse if autonomous vehicles put more people in single-occupancy cars. Apps that direct people to open spots or reduce circling can help, but some cities have taken more extreme steps to reduce parking congestion. Some cities have explored loosening parking requirements to encourage more multimodal trips, and San Francisco has instituted demand-based pricing to discourage more parking at busy times.


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Mercedes will axe its luxury Maybach line in 2013, insiders in the company have revealed, with a new S-class expected to sate the needs of wealthy road users. “It is better to cut our losses with Maybach” a supposedly high-level Mercedes-Benz source told Autoweek, “than to continue into an uncertain future with a brand that has failed to live up to original sales expectations.”
Maybach cars found some favor among the custom-obsessed, thanks to Mercedes’ willingness to modify and tweak vehicles according to buyer whim; its hefty power-plants and brutal looks also saw third-party firms try their hand at customization, such as Xenatec’s outlandish Cruiserio. The brand rode a short wave of popularity among rap artists, though was subsequently usurped by Rolls Royce’s distinctively luxe Phantom and later convertible variants. Even so, rap’s target audience generally lacked the cash to follow the trend.
Those who do have sufficient funds will find Mercedes still eager to swipe their credit cards. “Plans are already in place to fill the void left by the axing of the Maybach 57 and 62 with the next-generation S-class,” the insider says, “which will be offered in three wheelbase variations and six different body styles, including a top-of-the-range S600 Pullman.”
Mercedes has never been shy of in-car technology, and the new S-class is expected to be a tour de force of electronics and gadgetry. Hybrid engines – in which electric motors will augment modular V6 and V8 traditional power plants – have already been tipped, along with a host of safety and entertainment options in the cabin. Sales should be considerably stronger than those of Maybach, which reportedly failed to even achieve its 800 per year target.


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Cross-border payments company Airwallex has launched its online card payments solution so that Australian businesses can have a seamless and secure way to collect online Visa and Mastercard payments from customers.
The global fintech said card payment acceptance will allow Australian businesses to collect card payments as well as hold, convert and spend their funds in a single multi-currency platform.
Airwallex’s online card payments solution was first launched in the UK in 2020 and subsequently in Hong Kong earlier this year globally. Card payments is the latest addition to an infrastructure that enables businesses to manage cross-border payments quickly, easily, and cheaply.
The ability to accept payments is central to any business. The online card solution offers businesses three different ways to enhance their digital payment strategy, based on their industry's specific needs.
These include one-off links that are instantly generated and issued to customers for invoice payments and a suite of plugins that enables merchants using shopping platforms to accept card and WeChat Pay payments from customers. It also includes a payments acceptance API that integrates into the firm's website and provides a customisable checkout experience and a variety of payment options.
Additionally, the foreign exchange group said when funds are received in multiple currencies through the online payments solution, businesses can settle in more than eight currencies with no conversion fees, hold their multi-currency funds in their Airwallex accounts, and spend directly through means such as Airwallex’s debit cards in Australia.
This entire end-to-end management of business finances is made simpler, more efficient, and much more cost-effective while ensuring the margins and fees are fully transparent, the fintech said.
“Payments are a core part of any business and a highly-requested feature from our customers in Australia. And as we look to continue to empower businesses to grow and operate globally, we are focused on helping businesses manage their international payments more efficiently,” said Craig Rees, the global head of Airwallex’s platform.
“Our new online payments solution, therefore, aims to meet their demands and is designed to enable secure, transparent, and cost-effective payment transactions in multiple currencies while eliminating the need for separate tools and solutions," added Rees.
The company also recently announced a new Sydney engineering hub - to complement its existing Melbourne hub - to speed up research and development for more new products.
It aims to double its 50-strong Australian engineering team by the end of the year.
Outside of Australia, the company has engineering hubs in San Francisco, Shanghai, and Amsterdam.


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Ocean acidification is a daunting problem for shellfish farmers. It turns out that when the water becomes more acidic, the organisms aren’t so good at building their shells or reproducing. Oyster farms off the coast of Washington have already started to see the detrimental effects of increasing acidity.
In response, Paul G. Allen awarded $1.5 million to the Puget Sound Restoration Fund to investigate how kelp could help. Kelp and other seaweeds are able to take up CO2 out of the water, and therefore would make a micro climate of less acidic water. The research being led by Dr. Jonathan Davis , is specifically aimed at how kelps could be used around shellfish farms to create a acid buffer.
Davis is so optimistic, he has already began researching how the seaweed can be used as an additional commercial product for shellfish farmers. He is actively exploring kelp uses from food to fuel.
This multi-culture approach is really good idea. First off, these seaweeds would contribute to carbon drawdown, aiding in the removal of CO2 in the oceans. Additional benefits are protecting a farmers shellfish product while also adding a new revenue stream by selling seaweed products.
You can read more about the project here
You can read an article about Dr. Davis here


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Cardigan Donuts’ expansion to the IDS Center includes doughnut sandwiches with house-made ice cream.
As workers slowly make their way back to downtown Minneapolis — and its skyways — Cardigan Donuts will be ready for them.
The bakery, which opened in 2017 in City Center (40 S. 7th St. Mpls.,cardigandonuts.com), is expanding in early 2022, taking over a former Yogurt Lab on the skyway level of the IDS Center (80 S. 8th St., Mpls.).
Pre-pandemic and pre-renovation of IDS Center’s Crystal Court, Bogart’s Doughnuts Co. ran a kiosk on the ground level that is now gone. The building was left with a doughnut hole, so to speak, and Cardigan owner Justin Bedford found a sweet way to fill it.
“We’ve always wanted to expand when the time was right and serve the entire skyway network,” Bedford said. “This pandemic has kind of opened up that opportunity.”
Cardigan’s signature items — Greek yogurt-enriched old fashioneds, coffee-glazed cake doughnuts, jam- and custard-filled bismarcks — will be assembled at the much larger City Center bakery and brought over to the IDS.
But the new 650-square-foot store will have something of its own: ice cream. Scoops, pints to go, shakes and doughnut-ice cream sandwiches — ice cream is shaped into a ring and coated with chocolate before being stuffed into a split raised glazed doughnut — will make the return to office life a little brighter, Bedford said.
“We think when people come back, they’ll want to celebrate, and we’re in the celebration business,” he said.
The ice cream will be made in-house, and in addition to chocolate and vanilla, there will be rotating flavors inspired by the bakery’s beloved doughnut combinations and coffee creations. The vanilla caramel coconut bar? That’ll be a flavor. The coffee counter’s nitro cold brew? Try it as a float.
There will be some seating, but Bedford expects customers to utilize the newly renovated atrium. Look for a February 2022 opening.
Cardigan is one of the stalwart skyway food businesses that stayed open throughout the pandemic, despite the ghost-town walkways left by many companies sending employees to work from home. It offered delivery early on, then launched a doughnut outpost in the North Loop, at FRGMNT Coffee (729 Washington Av. N., Mpls., frgmntcoffee.com).
By opening a block away from its first location, Cardigan Donuts is “doubling down on downtown,” Bedford said. “We’re very optimistic about the signs of recovery that are taking shape now. We love downtown. We’re excited to be here and give people a new reason to come back.”


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Cryptocurrency and blockchain security provider Ledger is expanding its services to Hong Kong and has appointed Benjamin Soong as the company’s new head for the Asia Pacific operations.
The Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA) launches its newest suite of specifications, which are the latest trend at synchronizing the way huge companies use private versions of the second-largest Blockchain.
Tether, the company behind a dollar-pegged stablecoin, has revealed in a Twitter post that it has burned 500 million Tether (USDT) tokens.
Oxfam, a confederation of independent charitable institutions organized to alleviate global poverty, has partnered with blockchain based insurance platform Etherisc to provide inexpensive insurance to Sri Lanka’s paddy rice farmers.
CoinMarketCap’s global head of marketing Carylyne Chan states that the data come from Bitfinex’s very own application program interface (API), which transmits exchange data to outside applications.
In a Twitter post, the South Korean crypto exchange says that in celebration of the event, customers will get to enjoy an airdrop and free transaction fees until November 15.
In a speech, Klaas Knot talked about Blockchain and digital currencies, emphasizing the benefits and risks the two technologies could introduce to finance.
U.S. cryptocurrency exchange HBUS reportedly saw a massive surge in trading volume between Tether (USDT) and another USD-backed stablecoin TrueUSD.
Crypto exchange Coinbase has launched full trading of ZRX on its professional investor platform, enabling retail investors to buy, sell, trade, or store the ERC-20 token.
Ethereum Foundation has recently granted nearly $3 million to multiple blockchain startups and developers as part of the Swiss non-profit’s grant program intended to promote development on the Ethereum network.
In a blog post published on Thursday, the crypto exchange has announced that deposits for ZRX have begun while trading has been enabled 12 hours after the initial announcement.
TRON Founder and CEO Justin Sun claims that TRON will be 200 times faster than Ethereum and 100 times cheaper than EOS, which is considered a low-cost Blockchain.
Located in Sichuan province, the Ethereum Hotel’s reception area features a huge Bitcoin wall art, which also indicates that the hotel may also be accepting Bitcoin payments.
The government of Austria is notarizing the auction of a €1.15 billion ($1.3 billion) government bond using the Ethereum network.
Frank Chaparro now discloses that major New York crypto infrastructure firm LedgerX plans to launch an Ethereum investment medium very soon.


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Prolific North (05 Feb 2019)
Thompson Brand Partners appoint new Creative Director for first time
PR Week (23 Jan 2018)
Keep Britain Tidy and Harrogate Spring Water unveil 'incredible shrinking bottle' to encourage recycling
THOMPSON BRAND PARTNERS has created a video for Harrogate Spring Water, in support of Keep Britain Tidy's Great British Spring Clean in March, which hopes to encourage people to take their plastic bottles home to recycle. The move follows research that showed 95% of bottled water consumers are likely to recycle at home but only 41% would recycle when out and about. The video entitled 'The Incredible Shrinking Bottle' shows how consumers can shrink their bottles so that they take up minimal space in their bags and can be taken home to be recycled. It will be made available via non-paid social post and media relations.
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COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - Recent reports of missing women in the U.S. are leaving some people in the Columbus community concerned.
Angie Paramore, a Columbus woman, works in Uptown and says “I always try to be aware of my surroundings, I try to be aware of where I’m at and who’s around me.”
Paramore said that hearing cases of missing women and sex trafficking stories makes her uneasy.
“I don’t feel safe just going out by myself or having a drink by myself, or doing things in the evening. Unless it’s maybe running errands, but I don’t go out downtown at night by myself," said Paramore.
She has mace with her at all times and keeps her keys in hand when walking to her car alone.
Dawn Harres is a Columbus woman who says she checks the inside of her car before she gets inside.
“I try to make sure that the overhead lights stay on the auto position so that I’m able to just look inside my car before I actually get in," said Harres.
Some women are getting creative when it comes to protecting themselves and their belongings.
One trick is to use the safety strap from a shopping cart to secure your bag from getting snatched. All you have to do is strap it in, that way if somebody tries to take your purse, it’s not going anywhere. It’s stuck to that shopping cart.
Other women are taking courses that teach them how to defend themselves from predators.
Megan Kelley says “I do recommend that every woman in town, especially if you live in a rural area or even an area that can be kind of isolated, take a concealed carry course as well as a self-defense course.”


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The Impossible Quiz Book is the next installment in the Impossible Quiz series created by Splapp-me-do.
The new Quiz Book is expected to come in three “huge and frustrating” parts, each one featuring 50 questions to answer.
Part 1, Close Encounters of the Furred Kind was released last Summer.
Part 2 is expected to be released later this year.
Play The Impossible Quiz


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LEMONT, IL – Lemont resident Megan Dagnino will read her recently published children’s book at a book launch event at Three Stories Books on Friday.
The event, featuring games and activities, will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Dagnino will be reading his book, “Witch’s Brew,” at 5 p.m. at the Bookstore, 310 Canal St.
In Dagnino’s book, the witch Eldora makes a witch’s brew that readers can follow and also brew themselves. The book was illustrated by Daniella Turano.
Dagnino, who is also a registered nurse, said the idea for the book originated around 8 years ago, when she was a room-mum for her son in kindergarten. She must have brought food for a Halloween party and she created the witch’s brew. The beer uses 10 ingredients like bat brain (raisins) and skeleton bones (pretzels) to create a trail mix, Dagnino said.
“I would do it for the Halloween parties, and it became our little tradition,” Dagnino said. Eventually, at a family reunion where she made the brew, Dagnino said her father told her she should post her witch’s brew, and the idea stuck in the back of her mind.
Last year, during the coronavirus pandemic, Dagnino decided to try to publish a book with his idea.
“It was a really fun process,” Dagnino said. “Witch’s Brew” was published by Fig Factor Media Publishing.
A portion of the proceeds from the book will go to All God’s Children International. Dagnino said her two children have been adopted internationally and that she has worked closely with the organization. Profits will help support the organization’s orphan care ministry.
“It’s my way of giving back,” Dagnino said.


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502 Events LLC is organizing 502 Restaurant Week early next year.
The event will be held Feb. 22 to March 3, and participating restaurants will create special dinner menus consisting of three courses.
The cost will be $50.20 per couple or $50.20 per person, depending on the restaurant, according to a news release.
Organizers hope to have 30 restaurants participate, and a dozen already have signed up for the promotional event.
So far, the participating restaurants are:
- Amici Cafe
- AP Crafters
- Bistro 301
- Blu Italian Grille
- Maker’s Mark Bourbon House & Lounge
- Martini Italian Bistro
- The Oakroom at the Seelbach Hilton Louisville
- Ruth’s Chris Steak House
- Rye on Market
- Sway at the Hyatt Regency Louisville.


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Tech Company Financing Transactions
Rapido Funding Round
Rapido closed a $180 million Series D financing round on 4/15/2022. Investors included Swiggy, TVS Motor and WestBridge Ventures.
Swiggy (Lead Investor) (Sriharsha Majety)
Indian food delivery giant looks to broaden its fleet network across the country, the two firms said on Friday.
Private & Independent
Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd 1st Floor, SLV Nilaya 148
Rapido is India's first and fastest-growing Bike taxi app with a whopping 25 Million+ app downloads.
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We report on tech company VC transactions. VC investment data records reported here are sourced from news reports and company announcements. The information comes to us via our partnership with VentureDeal.com, an affiliated venture.
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Narcan's over-the-counter price will still put it out of reach for many, experts say
The life-saving drug "Narcan" is expected to be available over-the-counter later this year, but its price tag is expected to put it out of reach for many below the poverty line.
Emergent BioSolutions announced Thursday that it plans to sell the medication, which can reverse the deadly affects of opioid overdoses, for an average of less than $50 for two doses.
"In my own clinical practice, there have been times when families have needed to pay $30 for a copay for Narcan, and this has been too expensive for them," Dr. Scott Hadland, an addiction specialist at Mass General for Children in Boston, told NBC News.
"In many instances, the families I work with have chosen not to pay this," he added.
The FDA approved Narcan to be sold over-the-counter in March, in a move that was praised by experts as the spray can now be made available in drugstores, convenience stores, grocery stores and even vending machines.
The increased availability is expected to provide greater access to the drug and lead to fewer deaths from overdose.
Narcan used to be available by prescription only, but many states have loopholes that allow people to get it directly from a pharmacist. Some states also make it available for free at community centers and other local health departments.
Even though the estimated over-the-counter price is significantly less than the current list price (about $130 for a two-dose box), it may still be too much.
The majority of people with opioid addictions live well below the federal poverty line, says Dr. Michael Barnett, an associate professor of health policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
"It is unlikely that most folks will drop $40 to $50 on Narcan," Barnett claims. "They are also prioritizing rent, food, and also paying for opioids, which we want them to decrease."
2023 New York Daily News.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


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The sale of yoga swag helps support what is now a six billion dollar industry. From ToeSox to yoga tops, yoga studios are stocking up on merchandise to sell to their peace-seeking supporters.
In today’s world, it is not uncommon to drop over a hundred bucks on either a set of yoga videos, one pair of yoga pants, and even a yoga mat. Companies such as Gaiam, Lululemon, and Manduka do not deny the capitalistic nature of the yoga business. They manufacture innovative and quality products just as fast as you can say “om.”
It is not just the smaller retail companies enjoying the fruits of the growing yoga tree. Big name brands are also getting in on the action. The latest innovation to hit the market is the Nike Studio Wrap. While it may sound like a sarong you might don at the beach, the Nike Studio Wrap is actually a pair of shoes.
Inspired by the need to maintain a firm base of support, beyond what a yoga mat can provide, the Nike Studio Wrap was created for women who spend hours working out in the studio.
Whether it is in yoga, Pilates, or ballet-fitness classes, women can now wrap up their feet in this stylish three-part system that involves a wrap, a ribbon, and a flat bottom surface. (more…)
The popular fitness shoe that’s become widely known as the “rocker” has landed one company in a seriously messy class-action lawsuit. Skechers USA Inc., will be forced to pay out $40 million over false advertising claims they made about a variety of their athletic shoes.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed charges against the company after it made unfounded claims about its Shape-ups shoes, saying they would help people lose weight and strengthen their leg and butt muscles.
But the commission says Skechers falsely presented the clinical studies that backed up their claims, stating defects and false reports of consumer weight loss.
Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Brooke Burke helped make these controversial shoes more popular than ever. And Sketchers reported that despite the false advertising accusations, the company received overwhelming feedback from thousands of customers concerning the positive results they saw with the shoes. (more…)


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It’s been 10 years since collaborative robots appeared on the manufacturing scene. First viewed as a lab experiment by global manufacturers that would buy one or two, send them off to their innovation centers for testing never to be seen on the production floor, cobots now are hard at work in many sectors all around the world.
Endutec GmbH is a special machine manufacturer. The company from Chieming am Chiemsee in Germany is also a Certified System Integrator of Universal Robots. Managing Director, Andreas Flieher talked to us about how they are coping with the COVID crisis. "Our cobot operated around the clock to meet tight delivery schedules."


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Rockstar recently confirmed a remastered collection of three Grand Theft Auto titles, which includes Vice City, San Andreas, and GTA III. That's due for release this year, but many have wondered about GTA 6’s progress.
Development on the game is seemingly progressing steadily, as a recent job listing hints at the sequel’s ambitious features. Discovered on Rockstar’s website (thanks TheGamer), a job listing points towards “large-scale destruction” and intricate visual detail for the sixth title.
GTA 6 Might Have Destructible Environments, Job Listing Hints
Advertising for a VFX Artist, this successful candidate is expected to focus on the unannounced project’s destructive detail and ensure visual immersion for its ambient world. +
We help to bring extra life to the environment, characters, weapons, vehicles, and more. The visual effects help to immerse the player in a believable world, from using ambient effects for things like insects around the player and rain dripping off buildings up to large scale destruction events like skyscrapers crashing to the ground.
While it doesn’t specifically state this position is for GTA 6, the descriptions of buildings and gameplay destruction doesn’t fit any of Rockstar’s other projects or leaked content. This sixth main entry reportedly includes a sprawling, evolving map. A recent news story also hinted at the title’s inclusion of a central Policeman character.
Elsewhere, GTA Online continues to impress fans following its latest big summer expansion in Los Santos Tuners. With a Halloween event and standalone version on the way, it's clear GTA Online is going nowhere anytime soon.


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Worldwide shipments for Dragon Ball Xenoverse have surpassed 1.5 million units, publisher Bandai Namco announced.
“I would like to thank everyone for their support on this new challenge,” Bandai Namco producer Masayuki Hirano said in a press release. “We decided to take a risk and create a completely new concept to entertain our fans and Dragon Ball lovers and we are quite proud of the successful result! On a more personal note, I feel honored to create a game around a licence as massive as Dragon Ball! On behalf of Bandai Namco Games: thanks for your amazing support! We will continue working and reaching new heights!”
The first downloadable content for Xenoverse will launch today in North America and Europe (tomorrow for PlayStation platforms in Europe).
Dragon Ball Xenoverse launched for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on February 5 in Japan, February 24 in North America, and February 27 in Europe.


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Numerous commentaries on who won or lost in the China-US trade war have sprung up, following the signing of the phase one trade agreement. Some Chinese online commentators believe that the US won, while China lost. Some even termed the agreement as the “Treaty of Shimonoseki 2.0”.
The main reason for this stance seems to be that the phrase “China shall” appeared over 100 times in the English version of the agreement, and over 80 times in the Chinese version. It seems that China is beating a retreat of concessions and compromises while the US is making advances.
Also, the trade agreement states that, “China shall ensure that purchases and imports into China from the United States of the manufactured goods, agricultural goods, energy products, and services... exceed the corresponding 2017 baseline amount by no less than $200 billion [around S$268 billion]”. Additionally, the US did not completely remove tariffs imposed on Chinese products. Doesn’t this imply that China is being forced into swallowing the bitter pill of a massive volume of imported US products?
These arguments are indeed valid. While it may be true that China made multiple concessions in signing the agreement when compared to the principles it had insisted on at the beginning of the China-US trade war, to count China’s concessions as its failure is not an objective assessment of the situation either.
The phase one economic and trade agreement, over 80 pages long, includes the following nine sections: a preamble, intellectual property; technology transfer; trade in food and agricultural products; financial services; macroeconomic policies and exchange rate matters and transparency; expanding trade; bilateral evaluation and dispute resolution; and final provisions.
Looking at the agreement’s content, it does seem like the US demanded a lot from China. For example, in the past, the plaintiff was in charge of producing evidence in the case of a trade secret misappropriation. Under the new agreement, however, “the burden of production of evidence or burden of proof, as appropriate, shifts to the accused party in a civil judicial proceeding for trade secret misappropriation”. This burden-shifting seems to be extremely unfavourable to Chinese enterprises that are often accused of stealing trade secrets. At the same time, the agreement explicitly increased the penalty for violation of intellectual property rights. It is thus expected that some Chinese enterprises will have to pay a heavy price while adapting to stringent new rules in the protection of trade secrets and intellectual property rights.
It further says in the agreement that in terms of technology transfer, “any transfer or licensing of technology between persons of a Party and those of the other Party must be based on market terms that are voluntary and reflect mutual agreement”. In addition, “a Party shall not support or direct the outbound foreign direct investment activities of its persons aimed at acquiring foreign technology with respect to sectors and industries targeted by its industrial plans that create distortion”. It also says that in terms of opening the market, “no later than April 1, 2020, China shall remove the foreign equity cap in the life, pension, and health insurance sectors and allow wholly U.S.-owned insurance companies to participate in these sectors”.
Thus, while China has accepted many of the US’s demands, it does not imply that China only has obligations, but not any rights.
These terms demonstrate China’s acknowledgement and fulfilment of the various demands that the US laid out at the beginning of the trade war, and even prior to the outbreak of the trade war.
However, the US is not making a one-sided demand on China — following many of the terms labelled “China shall”, the line “the United States affirms that existing US measures afford treatment equivalent to that provided for in this Article” comes shortly after, demonstrating that both parties need to assume the same obligations.
Thus, while China has accepted many of the US’s demands, it does not imply that China only has obligations, but not any rights. Moreover, in the long term, a serious implementation of the agreement will bring forth huge benefits for elevating the international competitiveness of Chinese enterprises, growing the Chinese economy, and sustaining the development of the Chinese society.
For example, China is bound by the agreement to strengthen its judicial procedures on intellectual property rights, “combat the prevalence of counterfeit or pirated goods on e-commerce platforms” and “take sustained and effective action to stop the manufacture and to block the distribution of pirated and counterfeit products”. It is also called upon to ensure the removal of “discriminatory regulatory processes and requirements” and the granting of market access to a larger extent.
These conditions not only protects the legal rights of foreign investments in China, but also deepens China’s reform and opening up. This is the only way in which a business and legal environment that is more aligned with international standards can be built.
With this greater goal in mind, the compromises and concessions that China have made are not disadvantageous to China, and definitely not a “humiliation”.
In all honesty, while China’s reforms made some progress following ambitious proposals put up by the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, it still fell short of the Chinese citizen’s expectations. One of the main contributing factors is that the upper class and advocacy groups, including the administration and state-owned enterprises, are very powerful and have thus made matters highly complicated. Even if the higher-ups are determined in the policies’ implementation, most of these policies are all talk but no action. The public derives little satisfaction from the dividends of reform, with some industries even feeling indifferent towards it.
In contrast, the China-US phase one trade agreement, along with follow-up negotiations after its signing, may become a booster for the building of a quality market that is more open, and a market economy that is more comprehensive, just like in 2001, when China became a member of the World Trade Organisation. With this greater goal in mind, the compromises and concessions that China has made are not disadvantageous to China, and definitely not a “humiliation”.
Even if we look at the short-term effects, this phase one agreement not only cools the China-US trade war that lasted for almost two years and gives Chinese export companies a breather, it also temporarily puts the brakes on external concerns of a complete decoupling of China-US relations, and helps boost global economic confidence.
Thus, saying that the China-US phase one trade agreement is good for China, the US and the world, and is especially beneficial to the expansion of China’s opening up on all fronts, is not an exaggeration.
Related Reading: China held its own in phase one trade deal? | ASEAN’s future: China or the US? | [Outlook 2020] US-China geopolitical rivalry in 2020 and beyond