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Equistone Partners Europe has bought a majority stake in Whitworths, a UK supplier of dried fruit, nut and seed products, from debt provider European Capital, for £90 million (€107 million, $141 million).
Equistone declined to comment on the debt-equity split. HSBC, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland provided debt financing for the transaction, according to a statement.
Whitworths, a Northamptonshire-based business established in 1886, has grown through the economic downturn, generating 7 percent growth per annum, as the popularity of healthier food alternatives and home baking continues to increase, Equistone said. In the year to April 2013, the business had total sales of £157.3 million.
Equistone’s investment will be used to support further development of the product range and to develop further Whitworths’ growing branded proposition, in multiple brands, as well as supporting additional businesses.
Equistone made the investment from its current fund, a 2011-vintage fund that closed earlier this year on its €1.5 billion hard-cap. Following the acquisition of Whitworths, the fund has 14 investments and is understood to be approximately 45 percent deployed.
It has been a relatively busy summer for Equistone. Last month, it agreed the sale of its investment in Computerlinks Group to Arrow Electronics for €230 million. That same month, it acquired a majority stake in Karl Eugen Fischer, a leading manufacturer of cutting systems for the tyre industry for an undisclosed sum, and it invested in Charles & Alice, a well-known French manufacturer of fruit desserts, for an undisclosed sum.
In April, Equistone bought Meilleurtaux.com, a leading provider of advice to consumers looking for mortgage solutions and in March Equistone acquired a majority stake in Bretèche Industrie, a supplier of manufacturing and production equipment for the agro-food industry and for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.


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Newly minted U.K.-based sales company Jinga Films has closed half a dozen rights deals at the American Film Market.Jinga’s sold “Everything,” with Ray Winstone, to Indie Films for the Netherlands and romantic comedy “Gamerz” to Terra for the U.S. It also sold “Wild Country” to Legend for Germany and to Daylight for Brazil. And it made deals on “The Last Horror Movie” to Daylight (Brazil) and Neo Publishing for France, in addition to the 22 markets already sold.
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Apple's iPhone platform has the momentum, according to Barclay's Capital analyst Ben Reitzes. In a research note obtained by The Mac Observer, Mr. Reitzes said that even with develops such as Google and Verizon working together to accelerate the Android platform, Apple still has the advantage in this market.
"We believe the iPhone developer platform has significant momentum (over 85K apps available with over 2 billion downloaded as of 9/28) with backing from [Venture Capitalists] and rapid adoption beginning in business," Mr. Reitzes wrote. "We believe that Apple remains well positioned," though he stressed the importance of continuing to monitor the company's competitors.
Mr. Reitzes maintained his US$208 price target and reiterated his "Overweight" rating on the stock, versus a "Neutral" rating on the sector.
Shares in Apple moved slightly higher Wednesday, closing at $190.25 per share, a gain of 0.24 (+0.13%), on moderate volume of 16.6 million shares trading hands.
*In the interest of full disclosure, the author holds a small share in AAPL stock that was not an influence in the creation of this article.


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0.2% growth is cause for celebration!
With a protracted period of 'payback' underway - we shouldn't be fooled into thinking that the small growth in the economy was avoidable.
Things must be bad when economic growth of 0.2% is better than expected. And indeed, things are bad. But it is a mistake to think they could be much better.
To understand this grim sentiment you have to take a step back and think what has happened in the British economy over the last few years. UK household debt which barely budged from 63% of GDP between 1993 and 1997 rocketed to 100% in 2007. Between 1997 and 2008 the number of credit cards rose from thirty-six million to seventy-one million. In the same period our spending on holidays more than doubled to £1,068 per annum and spending on other forms of entertainment rose by 76% to £250 per month. Consumer debt topped £1.4 trillion in 2008. Britain went on a borrowing binge.
What is borrowing? The question sounds so obvious as to appear pointless but answering it explains why Britain’s economic recovery, and that in other similarly indebted nations like the US, is so anaemic.
Borrowing is the act of transferring spending from some future period to the current period. Obviously this means that in the future period, when you have to pay back the money you borrowed, your spending will be lower.
Unless, that is, you spent the borrowed money on something which raises your income in the future period. Bill Gates, for example, can probably afford to pay back what it cost to buy his first computer fairly easily. This type of spending is called investment but of all the borrowing that went on in the decade before the crunch very little of it went on this type of spending. Investment as a percentage of GDP was, in fact, lower than historical averages. We were borrowing to consume.
Business investment as a percentage of GDP
When this mountain of debt toppled over and buried the British economy in 2007 the government stepped in as ‘borrower of last resort’. The full effects of the cut backs needed to pay for what we consumed yesterday out of what we earned today were kept at bay. But when Ed Balls boasts of the strength of the recovery under Labour he is merely offering up a paean to the obvious short term boost offered by £150 billion of borrowed money.
And borrowed money wasn’t a remedy that could be applied to the economy by government long term. In the years before the crunch the Labour government had been spending like the most reckless consumer. The so called fiscal stimulus of government spending borrowed money had already been applied back during the boom when it wasn’t needed.
So here we are; In the future period having to pay back what we borrowed between 1997 and 2007 without the higher income we’d have if we’d invested what we borrowed and not spent it on houses, washing machines and holidays. Technically it’s called deleveraging. Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies calls it “payback time”.
With this in mind that 0.2% growth is actually pretty good news. The bad news is that all the economic activity which could only continue while people were spending borrowed money will cease when this borrowing stops. It has stopped among consumers and now the government can afford to borrow no more. That is why growth is slowing. That is why a double dip is a distinct possibility.
More bad news is that we have some way to go until we are out of the economic woods. Freiderich von Hayek wrote that “The magnitude of unemployment caused by a cessation of inflation will increase with the length of the period during which such policies are pursued”.
The same goes for borrowing. Individuals and government borrowed so much for so long that the period of payback, or deleveraging, is likely to be painfully protracted. According to a report from McKinsey, the process is “just starting”.
Britain, like the US, needs to move away from thinking that borrowing made it wealthy and rediscover that it was producing goods and services people were willing to pay us for that made it wealthy. This is the much talked about ‘rebalancing’ of the economy. But the impressive manufacturing figures of 2010 and early 2011 are wobbling with our trade partners increasingly concerned about whether they will default or whether they will have a currency left to pay us with.
The light at the end of the tunnel is flickering ominously.
The situation is grim but it will be no matter what. The indebtedness of our economies and the nature of that debt, pulling spending into the present with little thought for the future, guaranteed that when we woke up in the future, as we did in 2007, economic conditions were going to be brutal.
That is the painful reality and anyone who says it would be different if you ticked another box on a ballot paper are living in a dream world, the world many of us left when the credit crunch hit. In these circumstances 0.2% growth isn’t just better than expected; it’s a cause for celebration.
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HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—Remember the name Sam Taylor-Johnson. She could be responsible for the next big sales push for the pleasure products industry.
The British woman was tapped to direct the Fifty Shades of Grey mainstream movie, which is set for a summer 2014 release. After the boost industry sales saw after the trilogy of best-selling books became so popular, many manufacturers are expecting another bump following the release of the movie.
"The huge interest around this announcement shows that Fifty Shades of Grey is still the biggest name in the business," said Lovehoney Commercial Director Ray Hayes. "The recently launched Fifty Shades of Grey Sensual Care Collection and the original Fifty Shades of Grey Pleasure Collection give retailers the ideal opportunity to convert this interest into sales."
The Fifty Shades of Grey Official Pleasure Collection is the only official licensed range of Fifty Shades of Grey sex toys and bondage items. The range was developed by adult retailer and manufacturer Lovehoney, with the trilogy’s author E.L. James. Lovehoney worked closely with the E L James to make sure the stylish, high quality range perfectly recreates the items used by Ana and her billionaire lover Christian Grey.
Excitement surrounding Fifty Shades of Grey is set to continue as the casting is still yet to be announced.
A recent survey conducted by sex toy retailer Lovehoney.co.uk revealed the public’s choice to play Christian Grey is Vampire Diaries’ heart-throb Ian Somerhalder, whilst the ideal Anastasia Steele would be played by Mad Men beauty Alexis Bledel.
The survey also revealed 90 percent of fans felt the raunchy sex scenes should not be toned down in the film. In an official statement, producer Michael De Luca reassured fans, saying “Sam’s unique ability to gracefully showcase complex relationships dealing with love, emotion and sexual chemistry make her the ideal director to bring Christian and Anastasia’s relationship to life.”
To see the Official Fifty Shades of Grey Collections, visit Lovehoney’s Booth this weekend at the Erotic Trade Only show at stand ABS-C38 at the NEC Birmingham.
For more information, visit Lovehoney.com.


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Jennifer Smith Joins Brightcove as Chief Marketing Officer
Brightcove Inc. (NASDAQ: BCOV), the global leader in video for business, today announced that Jennifer Smith has joined the company as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). In her new role, Smith joins the senior leadership team to lead Brightcove’s marketing functions, including demand generation, product marketing, and marketing communications.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201210005540/en/
Jennifer Smith, Brightcove Chief Marketing Officer (Photo: Business Wire)
“With the ever-increasing need for companies to digitally improve their customer and employee engagement, video is at a defining moment,” said Jeff Ray, Brightcove’s Chief Executive Officer. “As we enter 2021 we continue to see increased demand that we believe will only continue to rise. Jennifer’s vast knowledge, experience, and leadership within the high-tech industry will help expand Brightcove’s presence across global markets.”
Smith is an international marketing executive who brings more than 20 years of experience in global technology companies to Brightcove. She is recognized for her leadership skills in go-to-market strategy and has a proven track record of making improvements across product, sales and marketing for public and private companies. Most recently, she served as CMO at Alfresco Software (recently acquired by Hyland), where she led the transformation of the company’s positioning from technology vendor to platform solution provider, managing all aspects of marketing.
“Brightcove has been an integral part of the video industry for 15 years, having developed award-winning technology used by organizations around the globe,” said Smith. “As communication continues to evolve and thrive in the digital world, storytelling with video will be even more paramount to companies. I am thrilled to join the Brightcove team as we embark on the next chapter of growth. With innovation at its core and a focus on exceptional service to world-class customers, Brightcove is positioned to thrive, while we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in video.”
Smith holds a BA Upper Class Degree in Business Management from Brunel University Business School in London. Currently, she serves as President of The CMO Club’s Boston Chapter, and is an Executive Board Member on Evanta’s CMO Summit.
When video is done right, it can have a powerful and lasting effect. Hearts open. Minds change. Creativity thrives. Since 2004, Brightcove has been helping customers discover and experience the incredible power of video through its award-winning technology, empowering organizations in more than 70 countries across the globe to touch audiences in bold and innovative ways.
Brightcove achieves this by developing technologies once thought impossible, providing customer support without parallel or excuses, and leveraging the expertise and resources of a global infrastructure. Video is the world’s most compelling, exciting medium. Visit www.brightcove.com for more information. Video That Means Business.™
Sr. PR Manager, Brightcove
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Farmers frustrated at drop in beef price
Beef farmers are angry that a year after the ‘horsegate’ scandal, many retailers and processors are not living up to their commitments that they would work more closely with farmers. The NFU has been vocal in highlighting the damage that this extreme price volatility will cause in an industry with a production cycle stretching over many years.
NFU Chairman of the Livestock Board Charles Sercombe said: “There have been calls from the processing industry that we need a vision for the beef industry. The NFU has already outlined its vision for the beef industry and we want to work with organisations across the supply chain to achieve the aims we set out in it.
“The whole industry must come together to work to ensure that consumers can continue to enjoy a sustainable supply of British beef and that all parts of the chain receive a sustainable reward from the market.”
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The Union Environment Ministry notified extended producer responsibility (EPR) guidelines for plastic packaging waste.
To be implemented from July 1, the new regulations mandate recycling and reusing a certain percentage of plastic produced by manufacturers, importers and brand owners.
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said the guidelines would promote development of “new alternatives to plastics and provide a roadmap for businesses to move towards sustainable plastic packaging”.
Registering with the central and state pollution control boards has also been compulsory under the new rules.
After recycling the mandated percentage of plastic, a company would have to submit a certificate to the relevant authority and if more than the mandated amount is recycled, it could be sold to other companies. “The idea is to create an eco-system of recycling and incentivising it. Recycling will now be driven by market forces. We expect more companies to enter the recycling market and this will create a circular economy,” said a ministry official.
The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, mandate the generators of plastic waste to take steps to minimise it, ensure its segregated storage at source and hand it over to local bodies or agencies. The rules cast Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on producer, importer and brand owner for collection and recycling of plastic packaging waste. The guidelines specify three categories. The second category relates to flexible plastic packaging of single layer or multilayer. The third category covers multi-layered plastic packaging and one of material other than plastic).
Packaging 360 is a comprehensive knowledge sharing ecosystem for the Indian packaging industry. Our services include an online content platform to deliver news, insights and case studies; organising conferences seminars and customised training; Providing Bespoke Project Consulting, Market Research and Intelligence.


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Call it Notorious Big Pharma. According to a new report, drugmakers defraud the federal government more than any other business. Even more than the defense industry, which for decades had been the poster child for government fraud. As the New York Times reports, four drugmakers accounted for more than half of the fraud settlements paid to the feds and state governments over the past 20 years.
You could say that pharma tops the list of fraudsters simply because governments have been aggressively investigating and prosecuting the industry. The feds have had new-and-improved help from whistleblowers, who, under the 1986 revisions to the False Claims Act, gained additional incentives to sue, and it's these FCA settlements that Public Citizen enumerates in its fraud report. Plus, three-fourths of these settlements wrapped up within the past five years, indicating that governments have stepped up their efforts.
Still, for government investigators to find misbehavior, it had to be there in the first place. We're all familiar with pharma's violations: chiefly off-label marketing, but also Medicaid overbilling and shoddy manufacturing. Settlements by Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly and Merck's Schering-Plough unit alone amount to $10.5 billion (although some companies have not admitted wrongdoing as part of those settlement deals).
The NYT's sources have a few additional theories about pharma's ascendance on the fraud table. Healthcare spending has mushroomed, for one thing, so it accounts for a larger share of federal spending. For another, intense pressure to boost sales has inspired some sales managers and reps to resort to off-label promotions.


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Microsoft's haphazard way of updating Outlook across its many supported platforms is undermining the product.
Recent Outlook.com Stories
Microsoft is introducing major security updates to its flagship Office 365 products, launches new File Restore, encryption features for OneDrive and Outlook.
Microsoft's Immersive Reader is getting updated with a new Picture Dictionary feature, along with other improvements on OneNote, Word, and Outlook.
Microsoft's new design for Outlook.com is being enabled by default for all users in the coming weeks.
Microsoft is bringing Cortana to Outlook's mobile apps with new integration as the company looks to catch up to Google and Amazon.
With Microsoft Office and OneDrive now supporting some key iOS multitasking features, it's time for a check-in.
Outlook.com's new look is finally coming to Outlook Calendar today, but Microsoft still needs to redesign Outlook Contacts and Tasks.
Ending months of speculation, Microsoft confirmed today that it will bring Outlook.com Premium features to Office 365 Home and Personal.
While we often get hung up on how the products and services look, how they work is arguably of even greater importance.
Microsoft announced a major update to Outlook on Android and iOS, adding several top-requested calendar features.
Did you seriously put your trust in Microsoft consumer offerings? OK, I did too. But maybe it's time to think differently.
Microsoft web page claims that Office 365 Personal and Home include "everything in Outlook.com Premium." They don't. But they should.
I'd been thinking about switching back to Outlook.com from Gmail/Inbox, so I figured I'd give the Outlook.com Beta a whirl.
The Outlook.com Beta is an opt-in program that lets users get early access to new features on the web.
Your Microsoft account supports multiple aliases, and you can assign one of them to be your primary alias at any time.
Microsoft today revealed several new calendar features that are available immediately in Outlook.com. Here's what's new.
Microsoft reached out to me this morning to discuss a nice change coming to Skype notifications in Outlook.com and OneDrive on the web. These notifications are now much more configurable.
Buried in a set of somewhat confusing announcements last week, Microsoft revealed that it is changing how it supports traditional versions of Office moving forward. Is this the end of Microsoft Office as we know it?
Microsoft quietly extended the deadline for Outlook.com Premium promotional pricing to the end of June. So you have plenty of time to save big on this interesting service.
I'm not sure why Microsoft won't promote this, but you can save big on Outlook.com Premium if you act fast. And the service is now available in many more places than was originally the case.
Yesterday's post about Outlook for Android generated a lot of discussion about that app's shortcomings. Here are some alternatives to consider.
Microsoft announced today that its Skype extension for Chrome has been updated to support Microsoft and third party email and calendar services, as well as Twitter.
Outlook.com Premium is an affordable way to set up an online identity with a custom domain. But there are a few gotchas to know about.
There's no announcement from Microsoft, but Outlook.com Premium has shed its Preview tag, meaning it is now generally available. The bad news? It's still offered only in the US.
Microsoft has expanded the testing of Focused Inbox for the Mail app in Windows 10, indicating that this feature will debut with or around the Creators Update.
Microsoft this week began rolling out an update to Cortana that makes the personal digital assistant's reminder capabilities a lot more sophisticated.
This week, Microsoft announced add-ins for Outlook Mobile, starting on iOS. This is an important step for Outlook Mobile and for mobile productivity apps in general.


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Amid soaring EV sales, China’s charging infrastructure is struggling to keep pace. Read more about Chinese e-mobility in Roland Berger’s EV Charging Index 2023
In the post-COVID-19 world, bancassurance remains one of the most significant channels of insurance distribution in Asia, offering a proven go-to-market approach. In the future, Roland Berger believes future bancassurance would be anchored on "5+1" aspects deep-diving relationship between banks and insurers.
In 2022, Roland Berger released the first version of white paper on cross-border air cargo in China, establishing a Cross-border Air Cargo Navigator with the mission to lead the industry.
2023 witnesses increasingly complex international situations. In response, Roland Berger releases an updated version of the report "China Cross-border Air Cargo White Paper (2023)" to provide an in-depth analysis of the air cargo market trends.
At this year's Bits & Pretzels, taking place in Munich from September 24-26, over 5,000 founders, investors and industry leaders are expected to spend three days learning and networking from each other. Our Partner Maria MIKHAYLENKO will be there to share her knowledge with the future decision makers and experts of the tech startup ecosystem. For more information please contact Isabella Amann .
Event duration: September 24, 2023 - September 26, 2023


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A South Canterbury bull with an “impressive” pedigree broke the South Island record Friday, selling for nearly 10 times the average price and breaking the South Island record.
The bull, number 24 R705, is a 2-year-old Angus that sold for $92,500. His value was confirmed by DNA descended from a line of long-growing bulls, including a 13-year-old grandfather.
He grew up on Meadowsley Farm in Fairlee in the Giddings family, with father David at the helm and son George, who was also a general practitioner for neighboring Twysell, on the team.
“We were very excited,” George Giddings said. The family celebrated at the historic Kimbell Pub, where “we were very well taken care of.”
Giddings said their bulls usually sell for about $10,000. In 2020, their record sale price was $35,500 .
The bull was bought by KJ Angus, a breeder from Wairarapa, who said on social media that the competition for his win was “brutal.”
Giddings said the family was lucky to have such a quality herd, but not just luck, but decades of meaningful selection gave them the genetics they have today.
“Dad started it, he bought Angus from Gisborne in the early ’80s … we have a clear idea of what we want.
“They have to be the right size, easy to handle and have positive fat.”
“Being healthy” was important, he said, which meant their bulls not only had the largest proportions, but also had a good quality of life, including ease of walking and the ability to eat grass on their own.
Meadowsley specialized in medium-sized bulls, he said, because they were more environmentally sustainable.
New Zealand Angus breed bulls generally had that reputation, often attracting the attention of Australian breeders.
“The second top prize was from a $23,500 guy from Australia, Jade Park Angus.
“Australia has a large supply of cheap grain that has all sorts of environmental and welfare problems…they [Australians] like our Angus because they can feed themselves.”
The sale of R705 was probably the largest single bull sale on the South Island. According to Giddings, the previous record holder was sold in 2021 for about 88,000 to 89,000. In 2021, Bull was sold on North Island for more than $100,000.
R705 was sold on an online auction platform called YourBid, which the Giddings family developed during the 2020 lockout and which is now used by farmers even in the United Kingdom.
The platform used the Helmsman auction method, meaning bids could be placed over several days and all lots were put up for sale simultaneously with real-time tracking.


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Ripe Technology, INC - better known as ripe.io - says it is on a mission to bring transparency by digitizing the entire food supply chain with data taken at soil and seed level all the way to data captured at consumption.
The innovative startup that incorporates blockchain tech into the food industry, has announced a partnership with FlavorWiki, another innovator helping the food and beverage industry evaluate consumer perception with a unique digital sensory platform.
Ripe.io says it will have access to the FlavorWiki platform for flavor, texture and aroma data acquisition and analysis, with FlavorWiki's full suite of data attributes captured and stored onto the ripe.io blockchain-based platform.
'Accuracy and consistency'
"We are delighted to partner with FlavorWiki as our exclusive provider of flavor data and intelligence," said Riccardo Accolla, director of Food Science at ripe.io. "For all consumers, taste is the most important driver in our food choices, and FlavorWiki brings the most agile, consumer-centered platform to collect flavor perception and preference data, with no compromise on accuracy and consistency," he added.
Ripe.io is the only distributed ledger provider in the food and beverage industry with a dedicated flavor partner helping to bring consumer preference information into its systems.
For confectioners, food producers and sellers, the major benefit of the partnership will be to understand if and how different soil, seasons, processing and transportation conditions impact consumers taste perception and preference.
Collecting flavor data adds the last and critical step to achieve full transparency from ‘farm to fork’. In turn, improved food supply chain transparency could lead to production of better tasting foods, the joint statement said.


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Ryanair launches offer to Spanish destinations.
Ryanair has launched an irresistible seat offer for the winter months. The promotion is available on more than 530 routes across the airline’s network with 80,000 seats and fares starting at €9.99 for travel in November and December.
The Irish airline includes both major and regional Spanish airports among its lowest fares. In addition, Ryanair also includes options from Spain, so Spanish customers can now book flights to visit relatives, enjoy the country’s beaches or visit sunny destinations in Morocco during the colder months of the year.
The company offers flights from different Spanish cities such as Vitoria, Zaragoza, Madrid, Seville, Malaga or Barcelona with flights from €9.99. This promotion will be available until midnight on Sunday, November 14, through Ryanair’s website.
“We are delighted to announce this seat offer which will not only strengthen connectivity to Spain from countries such as Ireland and the UK, but will also allow our Spanish customers to visit their families or escape to the beach in the coming months thanks to the offer from local airports,” said Dara Brady, Ryanair’s Marketing Director.
Plataforma Informativa de Aviación Comercial líder en América Latina.


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Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon division, Boston Scientific Corp, C.R. Bard and four other transvaginal mesh makers are now facing one of the biggest U.S. mass torts in history, and U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin is urging them to resolve the more than 70,000 lawsuits filed against them.
A Major Break for Settlements
According to the judge, who is overseeing all federal lawsuits against the manufacturers, it would take decades to try the tens of thousands of cases and cost the company billions of dollars in penalties—far more than they would pay with a settlement. Just last month, Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon division agreed to settle its first few cases, while Bard, Ethicon, and Boston Scientific stand behind their defense, saying their transvaginal mesh inserts are not defective.
The companies have so far refused to join settlement discussions between lawyers and other manufacturers, and while Johnson & Johnson does not admit to any manufacturing faults, this may be a step in the right direction. One manufacturer commended by the court is Endo International, which has set aside $1.2 billion to cover transvaginal mesh settlements related to its own device.
“I’m going to kick it into high gear and ask that you do the same,” Goodwin said during a pre-trial meeting with the defendant device companies.
Lawyers from Ethicon, Boston Scientific, and Bard say that they will prepare hundreds of other cases for trial.
Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuits
Transvaginal mesh is used to treat incontinence and organ prolapse that generally occur in older women or women who have given birth. Once it is inserted, it is designed to hold up pelvic organs—but complications are common, and removal is incredibly difficult.
Such complications have left many women infected, in pain, and in some cases fatally injured. Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon division pulled its Prolift insert off the market when women stated that it shrunk upon insertion and caused horrible pain during both intercourse and regular day-to-day activities. While other mesh products remain on the market, many women claim that they are just as poorly designed and tested.
While thousands of cases remain to be tried, many juries have found that women were not warned about the risks associated with the device and have been presented with less than encouraging documentation of the devices’ approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Potential side effects include:
- Erosion through the vaginal wall
- Debilitating pain
- Pelvic pain
Transvaginal mesh lawsuits have been piling up for years. In 2012, the FDA ordered major transvaginal mesh manufacturers to comb through organ damage rates after device insertion in a wake of initial lawsuits.
What You Can Do
If you or someone you know has suffered injury from a device like this, you may be eligible to file a transvaginal mesh lawsuit. If you’re unsure how to proceed, it might be a good idea to speak with a lawyer who has experience in mass torts of this nature and can review your case to help make sure you’re successful moving forward. Some companies are only now beginning to make settlements, but many others are reviewing cases individually. If you’ve suffered debilitating pain or needed surgery to correct device-related injury, this is the time to participate in a class-action lawsuit.
Lori Polemenakos is Director of Consumer Content and SEO strategist for LeadingResponse, a legal marketing company. An award-winning journalist, writer and editor based in Dallas, Texas, she's produced articles for major brands such as Match.com, Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, Xfinity, Mail.com, and edited several published books. Since 2016, she's published hundreds of articles about Social Security disability, workers' compensation, veterans' benefits, personal injury, mass tort, auto accident claims, bankruptcy, employment law and other related legal issues.


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Chinese lowfare carrier Spring Airlines has dropped a promotion offering free tickets (well, free with $160 in surcharges) from Shanghai to an airport to Fukuoka, Japan, after Chinese bloggers accused the airline of being a traitor to its country.
A dispute over who owns islands in the East China Sea has seen traffic on routes to Japan drop by half, and the promotion was meant to stimulate traffic.
Instead, they saw an uproar from Chinese bloggers (“netizens” is what the article says) who said the promotion increasing traffic to Japan was offensive to the Chinese people. (I don’t exactly understand this either, but could you imagine this happening here?)
Spring Airlines also cancelled a similar promotion offering tickets from Shanghai to Kagawa, Japan.


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The cane industry has been impacted on a variety of fronts by the Covid-19 virus according to local press reports.… Login to continue
Tagged: China, Covid-19 outbreak, sugarcane industry
March Raw sugar futures on ICE settled at 18.39 cents per pound on Oct. 20, while the. May was lower at 17.50 cents. In London, the December white sugar contract […]


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Kroger to expand ClickList service in Sumner
Kroger is expanding its online grocery ordering system, ClickList, to additional stores in Sumner County location, the store announced Tuesday morning.
The service is being added at 30 stores in Middle Tennessee by the end of the year. It's already available at stores on Nashville Pike in Gallatin, as well as West Main Street and Glenbrook Way in Hendersonville, according to Melissa Eads, spokeswoman for the Kroger Nashville division
“We are excited to be able to bring the convenience of Clicklist to more customers across the division,” she said in a news release. “The feedback from our shoppers about the service has been overwhelmingly positive. Senior citizens, parents with young children, and busy professionals all appreciate this convenience.”
Stores targeted for the service include the location at 845 Nashville Pike in Gallatin and 510 Hwy 76 East in White House.
How it works
Customers order online at www.kroger.com/clicklist. On the website, the customer creates their shopping list, they select a pick-up time, and then place the online order. Next, a Kroger store associate hand picks the order and stores it in temperature appropriate zones until the customer arrives. Last, the customer pulls their vehicle up in the designated pick-up lane and a store associate will load the order in their car.
Online orders can be created on computers or smart phones with internet access.
As an introductory offer, Kroger will waive the $4.95 service charge for each customer’s first three orders. Coupons electronically linked to a customer’s loyalty card will automatically redeem to reduce the cost of the order. Paper coupons will be deducted at time of pick up. If an ordered item is not available, store associates will offer a substitution to the customer, which the customer may accept or decline.
Pharmacy prescriptions are not included in the program.


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Automotive industry looks to further in-house battery development
02 August 2018
2 August 2018
Volkswagen Group (VW) is looking to produce its own solid state battery cells as it looks to secure supply of the new technology.
Solid state batteries offer manufacturers a longer range and reduced charging time, which would allow electric vehicles (EVs) to compete with petrol and diesel counterparts. While the technology is in an early stage of development, a number of other car manufacturers are researching the viability.
“We must not make ourselves dependent on a few Asian manufacturers in the long term,” VW Group CEO Herbert Diess said following the company’s financial results presentation. He added that advances in ceramic separators had raised the viability of mass production of solid state batteries.
Currently, the European automotive industry sources most of its EV components from Asian suppliers, including the batteries that are at the heart of all electric vehicles. With manufacturers dependent on this supply, there are fears that the market could suffer if suppliers increase prices or are unable to gather together materials.
Therefore, carmakers are attempting to bring battery development in-house. Volkswagen would be joining Toyota in developing solid-state batteries, while the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance believes it can bring cars to market using the technology by 2025.
The UK is also looking to ensure it becomes a leader in solid-state battery development, with research at the Faraday Institute being funded as part of a £42 million (€48 million) fund to ensure the UK can compete on the electric vehicle stage.
Meanwhile, Korean manufacturer Hyundai is looking to build its own battery cells for electric vehicles, rather than rely on a third party. The company is currently purchasing its battery cells from LG Chem and SK Innovation.
The carmaker is planning to build several production lines at its research facility in Euiwang and has hired a number of battery development and production researchers since the beginning of 2018. Equipment contracts for the lines have also been awarded to several manufacturers.
BMW is also supporting Chinese firm CATL as it looks to establish a battery factory in Europe. The manufacturer is also the first overseas company to get a chance to invest in the technology company, should it decide to sell shares in China or abroad, according to a statement. Such a move would give the German carmaker closer ties and more control over development for its vehicles.
Tesla is also talking to the governments of Germany and The Netherlands to find a suitable location to build a European Gigafactory. CEO Elon Musk said in June that he favours Germany: “Perhaps on the German-French border makes sense, near the Benelux countries,” Musk had said on Twitter.
Tesla’s battery cell supplier Panasonic has said it is aiming to develop automotive batteries without using cobalt.
The development of electric vehicles will require high levels of cobalt for batteries, and with a growing market and manufacturers pushing their plans to get vehicles on the road quickly, the issue of supplies of the material has caused problems for some. Additionally, prices of cobalt have multiplied as demand increased.


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Finally, the ITEP (the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy) just released a new report, Corporate Tax Avoidance Remains Rampant Under New Tax Law that shows that 60 profitable Fortune 500 companies paid nothing in federal corporate income taxes in 2018. The list of companies will be very familiar to you, including big PhRMA companies like Eli Lilly, that raked in billions in profits by gouging people on insulin costs but paid zero taxes last year. At least 60 of the nation’s biggest corporations didn’t pay a dime in federal income taxes in 2018 on a collective $79 billion in profits. Full Report: https://itep.org/notadime/
AT LEAST 60 FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES PAID NO TAXES IN 2018
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Tan Tong Hai to step down as CEO from StarHub on May 1 to pursue "own interests"
STARHUB CEO Tan Tong Hai will step down from his position with effect from May 1, 2018, the company said in an announcement after trading hours on Friday.
He has led the group for the last nine years - five years as CEO, and four years as its chief operating officer (COO).
In a statement, Mr Tan said: "I have achieved what I set out to do for StarHub to grow its Enterprise Business and I believe it is now the right time for me to step down to pursue my own interests."
Mr Tan first joined StarHub in 1999 as general manager of StarHub Internet. He then left to helm Pacific Internet and Singapore Computer Systems before returning to become StarHub COO in January 2009. Mr Tan was promoted as CEO and executive director of StarHub in March 2013.
StarHub chairman Terry Clontz noted that under Mr Tan's leadership, the group has grown its enterprise business "by more than two folds and has struck numerous strategic partnerships with established partners to give StarHub a global presence".
He also expressed gratitude towards Mr Tan for his contributions to the group and wished him success in future endeavours.
The group is currently conducting a global executive search for its new CEO.


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Morrisons is the last of the 'big four' supermarkets to launch its own clothing range, and Nutmeg will compete with Asda's George, Tesco's F&F and Sainsburys' Tu.
It will be in stores at the end of March and will debut with an offer for children aged 0-12 and an 'essentials' range for all ages.
Following a three-way pitch, Cake's team will develop and implement a consumer PR launch strategy as well as managing ongoing press office activity for the launch.
Michele Charles, head of PR and social media at Cake, will lead the account, reporting to Eileen McGuinness, head of consumer media and brand campaigns at Morrisons. McGuinness said the agency would take 'a fun, family-focused approach'.
It is the first time Cake has worked for Morrisons, which used Focus PR to help launch an online wine offering in September.
Supermarket clothing sales grew 6.2 per cent in the year to November 2012, according to research from Kantar Worldpanel in January.


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Chinese smartphone maker Coolpad Group said its unit has sued three group firms of Xiaomi, which last week filed for a Hong Kong IPO that could be worth up to $10 billion, for patent infringement.
Coolpad said in a statement late on Thursday its subsidiary, Yulong Computer Telecommunication Scientific (Shenzhen) filed a lawsuit against Xiaomi Telecom Technology, Xiaomi Technology and Xiaomi Factory in a court in Jiangsu province for using its patent without authorization.
Yulong demanded that the Xiaomi companies should immediately stop production and sale of some smartphone models, including the Mi MIX2, Coolpad said.
Xiaomi last week filed its IPO plans, which could be the largest listing globally in almost four years.
Coolpad has alleged that Xiaomi violated its patented multi-simcard design and other technology related to user interface. It demanded that Xiaomi compensate it for losses due to the alleged infringement, though Zhang declined to give a figure.
In a statement, Xiaomi said it has requested patent authorities to invalidate patent rights that are the subject of the lawsuit filed in Shenzhen. It said it will fully cooperate in the investigation by authorities on the matter.


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Sandals Barbados’ Red lane Spa named Best Resort Spa on island
General Manager of Sandals Barbados, Ramel Sobrino (centre back row), with the management and team members of the award winning Red Lane Spa.
THE RED Lane® Spa at Sandals Barbados has again been recognized and honoured at the World Spa Awards, copping the title of the 2019 Best Resort Spa on the island.
The announcement was made recently at the 2019 Awards in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), much to the delight of Sandals Resorts International management.
Launched by the World Travel Awards, the annual World Spa Awards are designed to establish a definitive benchmark of excellence in spa and wellness, and General Manager of Sandals Barbados, Ramel Sobrino, said the resort was humbled to be recognized as a titan of the industry with this achievement.
Beaming at the news and calling it a win not only for the Sandals chain but for Barbados as a country, he said: “We are fortunate to have such a lovely hotel in the most beautiful island of Barbados. Accolades like this only help to promote the destination and reaffirm our commitment to establishing Sandals in this charming country.
“I want to thank the entire Red Lane Spa team who I know will go from strength to strength. I also want to encourage the people of Barbados to come and experience the luxury and professionalism that has made the Red Lane Spa a world winner.”
Spa Manager, Andrea Green, complimented the ladies and gentlemen of the spa who made it all possible. She beamed: “It was a total team effort and a testament to the hard work of the men and women who give 100 percent every day to make the Red Lane Spa the most comfortable and relaxing experience. We are extremely grateful for this award. “
The Red Lane® Spa at Sandals Barbados offers guests a myriad of signature spa experiences rooted in time, connection and love – including everything from a 'Scents of Love' Couples Massage to a Caribbean Glow Treatment to unlock the purest forms of mind and body relaxation.
Aside from the renowned spa, Sandals Barbados, one of the newest resorts in the Luxury Included® resort company’s all-inclusive portfolio, boasts inventive accommodations spanning three unique villages, unmatched 5-Star Global Gourmet™ dining and much more – making it the perfect romantic getaway for two people in love.


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What happens when you take an iPhone up in an F16 fighter jet for a few dog fights, bringing it up to speeds of 9Gs? The pixels start to melt off the screen. Badass. [Flickr - Thanks, Jason!]
The iPhone Can't Quite Handle 9Gs
Trending Stories Right Now
Summer is officially here. For me that means butchering countless mangos with my trash knifeskills and playing Daryl Braithwaite's One Summer on repeat. Summer break is also a time where my fellow colleagues and I like to catch up on some of the books that have been piling up on our shelves and e-readers for months/years. Here's the reads you'll find us getting into our eyeballs.
Almost a year ago, Samsung acquired mobile camera developer Corephotonics, and now, if reports are true, Samsung might finally be ready to add some of the company’s fancy new photography tech on the upcoming Galaxy S11.


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Nissan has unveiled the Nissan Invitation, a B-segment concept for the Geneva motor show that combines the cuteness, compactness and agility of a supermini with the generous cabin space of a baby SUV.
With the Nissan Invitation, the firm is signaling its plan to continue launching progressive crossover designs into Europe’s mainstream market sectors.
The new Nissan “previews a forthcoming mainstream model due in Europe in 2013”. Insiders say it is a more dynamic replacement for the sober but successful Micra-based Note.
When it hits production, the new Note will sell alongside the company’s funky Juke crossover and the economy-minded Micra hatchback to underscore Nissan’s commitment to the fast-expanding B-segment.
Nissan is promising an ultra-frugal version – likely to be powered by the supercharged 1.0-litre engine already used in the Micra – which will emit less than 100g/km of CO2. All versions will be eligible to wear Nissan’s Pure Drive badge, available only to the highest-efficiency models.
The Invitation concept, created in Japan, will be adapted for European production in Nissan’s design centre in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. It will have “a refreshingly open cabin” and have equipment rarely seen in this sector such as an Around View Monitor system, which uses four cameras to provide a ‘helicopter view’ useful for reversing and parallel parking.
The concept also incorporates Nissan’s Safety Shield system, which interacts with the driver to keep him or her aware of what is happening around the car.


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The metaverse involves a network of virtual environments accessed via different devices where users can work, socialise and play. But while Facebook wants to be at the forefront of it, its elbowing into position has rung alarm bells in Brussels.
Margrethe Vestager told an online event organised by a group of German newspaper publishers she was concerned.
"Everything we do must be fact-based and based on the information that we can get... We need to understand it before we can decide what actions would be appropriate," said Vestager.
Facebook is already in Vestager's crosshairs over its collection and use of data. Companies can be fined up to 10 per cent of their global turnover if found guilty of breaching the bloc's antitrust rules.
Meta, which is betting the metaverse will be the successor to the mobile internet, has invested heavily in virtual and augmented reality. It has not shared many details about how brands will monetise in the metaverse.


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This week on StickSkills Radio: +Crowdfund a spiritual successor to Eternal Darkness. Is crowdfunding good for the industry? +Call of Duty: Ghosts to be revealed at Xbox event. What could this mean for exclusives next gen?
Really looking forward to seeing what Microsoft's going to do with the next Xbox.
We will see , apps , apps , apps ,apps ?
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Vermont vintners promote northern wines with passport
VERMONT — Those who visit a Vermont winery before the end of the year may well find themselves compelled to visit a couple — or 20 — more.
That’s because the Vermont Grape and Wine Council two weeks ago launched its own version of the wildly popular Vermont brewery passport program. The passport promotion plots out 21 wineries and tasting rooms throughout the state, and participants who collect stickers from at least 10 will be entered in a January prize drawing.
Bob Foley, owner of Neshobe River Winery in Brandon and president of the Vermont Grape and Wine Council, said the idea comes in part from the many other states that have done similar wine-tour promotions.
“It’s popular in pretty much all states that have wineries,” said Foley.
Vermont’s wine culture is young, but it’s growing quickly. Most wineries in the state, including Lincoln Peak in New Haven, Neshobe River Winery and Otter Valley Winery in Brandon, are between four and five years old. Foley estimated that the Vermont Grape and Wine Council has around 40 wine-making and grape-growing members. Also among the local members of the council is the Woodchuck Cidery in Middlebury, though it isn’t part of the passport program.
Not everyone who visits Vermont expects locally made wine to flow in northern climes. The passport program seeks to change that.
“We want to give an awareness to people that there are wineries in the state,” said Foley.
The program was developed with the help of a student from the College of St. Joseph, who drafted the proposal to expand the reach of Vermont’s wineries.
The grand prize winner in the January drawing will receive a Vermont bed and breakfast getaway for two, with runner-up prizes of a case of Vermont wine and a basket of Vermont products.
“We wanted to keep things all-Vermont,” said Foley.
He said many of the visitors his winery gets in the summer are from out of state, and with the prizes the Vermont Grape and Wine Council hopes to keep those visitors coming back.
Sara Granstrom of New Haven’s Lincoln Peak Winery, said the passport program will give people an incentive to seek out those corners of the state that they might not otherwise have explored.
“We’re all pretty scattered,” she said of the Vermont wineries. “A lot of us are down little roads, tucked away.”
She and Foley both said that even though the wineries only began the program this month, they’ve already seen people coming into their shops with multiple stickers on their passports.
Foley said if the program is successful, the council plans to hold similar promotions in the years to come. And he said he has high hopes for their success, since similar models have taken off in other states and in other Vermont food and beverage businesses, like artisan cheesemakers and breweries.
In part, that’s because it’s just fun.
“People like to make a day of it,” he said.
Reporter Andrea Suozzo is at [email protected].


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AT&T officially shut down its 2G wireless network on January 1, 2017. This means that any device that only supports AT&T’s 2G network, like the first iPhone, can no longer get service on AT&T.
As for why it decided to shut down its 2G network, AT&T explains that the move will “help support the massive growth of mobile internet usage and free up spectrum for newer technologies.” In the coming months, AT&T plans to repurpose its 2G spectrum for 4G LTE use.
AT&T’s decision to shut down its 2G network probably won’t affect most customers, as they’ve moved on to smartphones that run on AT&T’s 3G and 4G networks. That said, the shutdown will affect all of the connected devices that were running on AT&T’s 2G network. AT&T has been warning its customers about the 2G shutdown since 2012, but there are still likely to be some folks that are frustrated by the decision if they’re forced to make changes to their setups.


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One could blame Thailand's underage drinking on a lot of factors.
For starters, the ease of access and few consequences make alcohol both tempting and attainable. Tack on social acceptance, a growing wealth gap, and Thailand's education crisis, and you have more than enough leads to swing at.
Still, a recent Bangkok Post article implies something that may have been overlooked: social media. "The social network has become a powerful tool for the alcohol industry to advertise products among targeted drinkers, especially the young," said Parichart Sthapitanonda, an academic at Chulalongkorn University's faculty of communication arts.
Are youth who use social media becoming victims of predatory advertising by alcohol companies?
Well, there's no doubt big alcohol companies are better at social media than your average business in Thailand. Many of them have the advantage of participating in global campaigns or following the lead of their colleagues' in other parts of the world that have heavily invested in social media.
"Some youth-oriented marketing strategies, such as using cartoon characters and stuffed toys to represent their alcohol brands, could violate self-regulatory codes," Sthapitanonda noted.
I don't intend to defend alcohol companies that clearly target the underaged with their marketing. They should be reprimanded and fined according to or more strongly than current industry standards. However, I examined several social media campaigns being promoted in Thailand and found no instances of such behavior. I did find that these companies are wisely aligning their brands with fun, excitement and most importantly, interaction.
Of the campaigns I observed was a contest for the ThaiBev product, Blend 285, which asks fans to create a virtual persona to stand in line for their chance to win a trip to a parties in the cities they choose. Participating and winning the contest was predicated on participants being of age according to Thai law. While there's room for improvement on the age prompts, and I agree slapping "drink responsibly" reminders on ads doesn't simply make companies blameless, I failed to find any predatory ads.
More disappointingly, I was unable to answer the burning question of why companies with unlimited advertising budgets would render otherwise lucid thinking teens and preteens into irresistible temptation by using "cartoons and stuffed animals".
I did find another recent Bangkok Post article begging us to the question whether underage drinking is more deeply connected to other societal flaws and influences.
So while traditional media far outreach social media, as interest in new channels such as Facebook and Twitter rapidly grow, we should prepare to be subjected to more arguments blaming the medium for society's ills.


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Purebeauty Salon and Spa at Neiman Marcus’ NorthPark store is closing and expects to wind down operations in July.
The decision to exit the store was mutual, according to Dallas-based Neiman Marcus.
There are no immediate plans for the existing salon space, which is located in the store’s basement, a Neiman Marcus spokesman said. The NorthPark store at 218,000 square feet isn’t the biggest, but it has the highest total sales in the chain.
Neiman Marcus doesn’t have its own spa business, but it leases space in many of its stores to other salon and spa operators. Neiman Marcus’ downtown store has hair services only in the Michael Flores Salon owned by Gina Betts.
The Purebeauty location has about 15 employees who provide hair, nail, waxing, facial and massage services.
“Neiman Marcus thanks the team at Purebeauty for its partnership and wishes the ownership well,” the retailer’s spokesman said. Neiman Marcus offers some complimentary spa services in its first-level beauty department, he said.
At the end of last year, Macy’s decided to discontinue the partnership with Purebeauty, which operated spas at 20 of its stores, a Macy’s spokeswoman said.
NorthPark customers have other beauty service options at the Dallas mall.
Nordstrom operates a spa on the store’s second level. Renew Beauty Med Spa and Wellness is on the second level between Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. Miniluxe provides nail services, and Drybar is a hair wash and blowdry salon. Sephora offers facials and brow, lip and chin waxing.
The Neiman Marcus location is the only spa that Purebeauty operates in Texas. The spa, which says on its website that it’s headquartered in Minnesota and Ontario, Canada, declined to comment.


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The biggest single age cohort today in the U.S. is 26-year-olds, who number 4.8 million, according to Torsten Slok, chief international economist for Deutsche Bank . People 25, 27 and 24 follow close behind, in that order. Many are on the verge of life-defining moments such as choosing a career, buying a house and having children.
Companies looking to grab a piece of that business, however, have run into a problem. This generation, with its over-scheduled childhoods, tech-dependent lifestyles and delayed adulthood, is radically different from previous ones. They’re so different, in fact, that companies are developing new products, overhauling marketing and launching educational programs—all with the goal of luring the archetypal 26-year-old.
California accounted for 11.4 percent of the nation’s overall merchandise export trade in August. Through the first seven months of 2017, the state’s exports are running 5.3 percent ahead of last year.
U.S. factory activity surged to a more than 13-year high in September amid strong gains in new orders and raw material prices, pointing to underlying strength in the economy even as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma are expected to dent growth in the third quarter.
The economic outlook was also bolstered by other data on Monday showing a rebound in construction spending in August. The acceleration in manufacturing activity and the accompanying increase in prices could harden expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in December.
The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said its index of national factory activity surged to a reading of 60.8 last month, the highest reading since May 2004, from 58.8 in August.
China’s push to promote electric cars comes with a lot of benefits for a country that suffers from terrible air pollution from its reliance on fossil fuels. But there’s always a downside—electric car batteries are toxic if not disposed of properly, and China’s on the verge of having to deal with a slew of batteries that can no longer hold a charge.
In just a few years, China has become the world’s biggest electric vehicle market, with the help of subsidies. It saw 336,00 new electric car registrations (pdf, p.12) in 2016, according to the International Energy Agency. That includes both battery-only and hybrid models. Including other types of vehicles, China says it sold a total of half a million “new energy” vehicles last year. This month, China also said that it would eventually phase out sales of all fossil-fuel cars.
That fast-growing market, however, is also producing batteries at a faster rate too. The average lifespan of a lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery, the dominant type in China’s electric vehicles, is around five years, according to Li Changdong, chairman of the Hunan-based Brunp group, China’s top electric car battery recycler in 2016 (link in Chinese). Most batteries installed on electric vehicles during the 2012 to 2014 period will be retired on a large scale (link in Chinese) around 2018, Li told the Beijing-based newspaper Economic Information Daily.
A labor dispute over the classification of truck drivers who shuttle goods to and from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach has caused at least one local company to lose a Fortune 500 client.
Carson-based Pacific 9 Transportation Inc. no longer counts Costco Wholesale Corp. as a customer as of late August. Alan Ta, chief operating officer of Pacific 9, declined to give specifics but confirmed that Costco is no longer a client.


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Today in the news: Microsoft continues its push to improve your productivity with its Wunderlist purchase; some lucky users will get the Windows 10 upgrade pre-downloaded; Microsoft's launching 'hassle-free Internet' for mobile users across multiple platforms.
FROM OUR SITES
"BUY WUNDERLIST" CROSSED OFF MICROSOFT'S TO-DO LIST
Popular to-do list app Wunderlist and its maker 6Wunderkinder are now part of the Microsoft family. The free app had garnered plaudits from the Verge as the best to-do list app for its abilities to set and manage recurring tasks, to add tasks via email or Google Now, and to set time and date-based reminders.
Why bother making this buy? Microsoft explains it perfectly:
The addition of Wunderlist to the Microsoft product portfolio fits squarely with our ambition to reinvent productivity for a mobile-first, cloud-first world. Building on momentum for Microsoft Office, OneNote and Skype for Business, as well as the recentSunrise and Acompli acquisitions, it further demonstrates Microsoft’s commitment to delivering market leading mobile apps across the platforms and devices our customers use – for mail, calendaring, messaging, notes and now tasks.
SAY HELLO TO 'HASSLE-FREE WIFI'
Thanks to the premature public debut of microsoftwifi.com, we now all know that Microsoft will be launching Microsoft WiFi, a cross-platform pay-as-you-go service that will offer Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Windows Phone users the ability to connect to WiFi public hotspots around the world. The site's been pulled, but while it was up, it reportedly had a catalog of 10 million hotspots across 130 different countries.
Speaking of WiFi, Dan Tynan over at Yahoo Tech reports on the possibility of those wireless networking signals actually powering your mobile devices one day.
And that's it for today.


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CHICAGO, Illinois, December 17, 2009 (ENS) – The two U.S. producers of the toxic flame retardant decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE), Albemarle Corporation and Chemtura Corporation, and the largest U.S. importer of this chemical, ICL Industrial Products, Inc., today announced commitments to phase out the chemical in the United States.
DecaBDE is a flame retardant which has been used in electronics, wire and cable insulation, textiles, automobiles and airplanes, and other applications. Tests have found it to be accumulating in mothers’ breast milk.
As a result of negotiations with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the companies have committed to end production, importation, and sales of decaBDE for most uses in the United States by December 31, 2012, and to end all uses by the end of 2013.
A car on fire in Lombard, Illinois. (Photo by Daveblog)
Steve Owens, EPA assistant administrator for the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, said, “Though DecaBDE has been used as a flame retardant for years, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has long been concerned about its impact on human health and the environment.”
“Studies have shown that decaBDE persists in the environment, potentially causes cancer and may impact brain function. DecaBDE also can degrade to more toxic chemicals that are frequently found in the environment and are hazardous to wildlife.”
“Today’s announcement by these companies to phase out decaBDE is an appropriate and responsible step to protect human health and the environment,” Owens said.
Albemarle said in its letter of commitment that the transportation and military uses of decaBDE will take the longest to phase out and will remain in some products, such as automobiles. airplanes, certain warehousing and shipping equipment, until the end of 2013.
“This is primarily because of the complexity of these uses (cars and planes have a very large number of parts that rely on flame retardant chemistry) and lead times for qualifying new materials. We are committing to phase out of these uses on or before December 31, 2013,” wrote David Clary, Albemarle’s vice president and chief sustainability officer.
The company has developed alternative materials but Clary says “qualifying new materials is a complicated exercise that takes time.”
“At the same time,” Clary said, “we wish to reaffirm our belief in the safety of decaBDE. DecaBDE has been used as an effective flame retardant for more than 30 years, and we believe its use has saved many hundreds of lives.”
EPA intends to encourage the other minor importers of decaBDE to join this initiative.
DecaBDE is one form of a family of flame retardant chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers. In 2004, manufacturers ended U.S. production of penta and octaBDE, which were commonly used in furniture foams, textiles, kitchen appliances, and electronics, after high levels were found in human breast milk.
But decaBDE is still being produced and used primarily in plastic electronics, such as television and computer casings, furniture, and mattresses.
“This is a victory for people, the environment, and Lake Michigan,” said Max Muller, program director at Environment Illinois.
“People trust that products manufactured and sold in the United States are safe, but chemicals like decaBDE indicate otherwise,” Muller said. “Scientific studies demonstrate decaBDE’s neurological and reproductive health effects may already be impacting human health and wildlife. Alternatives are available. We applaud its phase-out.”
“I’ve worked for years to eliminate these chemicals because their use in products exposes Illinoisans to toxics,” said State Representative Elaine Nekritz, who has sponsored legislation to ban decaBDE in the Illinois Legislature.
“State legislators across the country raised the alarm before the federal government was acting, and now it’s paying off,” she said. “I’m heartened that U.S. EPA and the chemical companies are moving to protect public health from this chemical.”
At least four states have passed legislation banning decaBDE since Washington state passed the first state law banning the chemical in April 2007.


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Green Bay's QB has proven himself worthy in the latest Madden roster update.
Apparently nothing can stop EA Sports from creating these ads, but at least they're getting shorter.
PlayStation fans of all kinds have something to look forward to at the start of this new year.
Looks like the Gjallarhorn—puts on sunglasses—just got Nerfed.
A new raid, new job, and more will all appear in the new FFXV expansion, Stormblood.
Fans nearly got to play a title focused on DC Comics' fastest man alive.
The new roster update for Madden 17 affects the Seahawks, Dolphins, and more.


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An advertising-centric world.
You might have missed it, but a 10-page cover article in The New York Times Magazine (April 10, 2005) accurately profiled the mindset of the marketing community.
“Watching What You Watch
” was the article’s headline. “How technology is about to radically change TV-audience monitoring — and how that will transform advertising, the networks and, possibly, the very nature of television” was the article’s subhead.
What was all the smoke and fire about? For the past few months, Arbitron has been recruiting a couple of thousand volunteers in Houston and asking them to wear a black box the size of cellphone every waking hour.
Called a PPM (for portable people meter), the box will record exactly how much TV and radio programming a person is exposed to. Before going the bed, the volunteers will dock their PPMs in cradles which will then automatically send the data to an Arbitron computer center in Maryland.
The rating firm will measure not just how much programming, but also exactly what programming each volunteer is exposed to. Arbitron is asking radio and television stations to run their broadcasts through an encoding device so that a PPM can tell the dates, the times and the stations that each volunteer has listened to. Comparing this data with the stations’ logs will produce the first totally accurate measure of a TV or radio spot’s actual audience.
But that’s just for starters. Arbitron has a joint venture with the parent company of the other broadcast rating firm (Nielsen’s parent VNU) to measure not just the ratings, but the impact of the advertising. The venture is called Project Apollo.
If all goes according to plan, 70,000 people across the country will be wearing PPM boxes in the next future. The advertisements these people see or hear will then be matched to the purchases they make. (Even the Internet usage of the 70,000 people will be monitored.)
Voila! We have entered Marketing Nirvana. Apollo will finally answer that eternal question, Does advertising really work?
“Apollo is basically something that’s been the holy grail of measurement since people were drawing wooly mammoths on the side of caves,” said David Verklin, CEO of Carat Americas, one of the biggest media-buying agencies.
But is it the holy grail? Is Apollo going to turn broadcast advertising into a research-oriented discipline, much like direct mail? I don’t think so.
When was the last time you saw, heard or read an advertisement and then went out and bought the product or service advertised?
It happens, of course. But most of the time the trigger is not a conventional brand-building ad at all. Most of the time the trigger is a deal. (A sale, a coupon, a special offer.)
What do you find in a research-oriented discipline like direct mail? That’s right. Sales, coupons, special offers. Deals don’t build brands.
If Apollo gets off the ground, you are going to see an explosion of consumer promotions. These are the same consumers who are already bombarded with some 250 billion coupons a year.
In my opinion, Apollo is chasing the wrong model. Marketing people live in an advertising-centric world, but consumers don’t. Advertising is the bread and butter of the marketing community, but consumers see advertising mostly as an annoyance. If Apollo is the holy grail of the marketing community, TiVo is the holy grail of the consumer community.
Many marketing people believe that brand building is essentially an advertising game. The brand with the best advertising, the brand with the most advertising is going to win. So they launch programs with heavy, upfront advertising campaigns. The theory is if you can win the advertising battle, you will win the marketing war.
In a recent issue of Advertising Age, the first year cost of a major product launch was estimated to be $68.3 million, of which the advertising accounted for $40 million, or about 60 percent of the budget.
Something is out of whack. Sure there have been plenty of new brands launched with advertising budgets of $40 million or more. (Pets.com and quite a few of the early dot.coms, for example.) But when you look at the brands that really made it big, you see a different pattern.
Starbucks, Red Bull, Google, Amazon, eBay, Linux and many other powerful brands weren’t launched with big advertising budgets at all. In its first 10 years, for example, Starbucks spent less than $10 million (total) on advertising.
Take Apple’s iPod, a classic example of a billion-dollar brand launched primarily with PR. Sure they ran heavy advertising, but only after the brand had already been established.
And what do you make of the iPod television commercials? Colorful silhouettes of young people dancing with white wires in their ears. The iPod TV spots don’t tell what product is, what it does or what it costs. Viewers already know that.
What the commercials do is to reinforce the perception that the iPod is the coolest product on the planet.
Ditto for Sony’s PlayStation Portable, except that they haven’t run any advertising at all, yet they sold hundreds of thousands of PSPs the first week they were on sale.
It’s time for marketing to ditch its advertising-centric model and look at the real world. Where do consumers get most of their information about brands? It’s not advertising. Most of what consumers learn about products and services they get by word of mouth or by PR.
That’s not to say that advertising doesn’t have a function. It does. But that function is not to inform. Advertising’s function is to reinforce what’s already been put in the consumer’s mind by other means.
So when will we see a 10-page cover article in The New York Times Magazine on the virtues of launching a brand with PR? Probably not very soon. That would go against the publication’s self interest.
The New York Times Magazine sells advertising space. It doesn’t sell PR space.


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Latest from Ukie
Here you can find all our latest press releases, opinion pieces, and news so you can keep up with what we're doing and not miss out on important things happening in the UK games industry.
Join Microsoft at their Developer Camp in London on August 24th
Here's a great opportunity to get your games onto the new Windows 8 platform!
The Windows 8 Independent Games Developer Camps have been designed to get you up to speed on building games that you can promote and sell through the new Windows 8 Store.
Legally enforceable unified age ratings applied to all video games in the UK from 30th July 2012
RailSimulator.com develops and publishes simulation videogames for the PC, with a focus on train simulation. Their products are available online around the world and in stores in Europe, the US and Australia. They are a world-leader in DLC production and an established Steam publisher. They continuously develop their core software and regularly make core upgrades available to users for free, enabling users to upgrade and own the latest version and remain engaged. View profile.
Seamus Blackley and Warren Mills (Google UK) will be the keynote speakers for this year's Edinburgh Interactive.
Seamus Blackley's keynote "The Future of Fun" promises an informative and insightful discourse regarding the future we are launched into by the present we fail to understand, and the past we failed to get right.
Ukie is delighted to announce that is has re-launched askaboutgames.com – as a place for parents and families to find out more about video games.
The video games industry leads the way with child safety features such as parental controls and age ratings. The new, trusted site will provide parents and those buying games with the information on how to use them fully and responsibly, to ensure that their children can enjoy a safe games experience.
Despite being home to the most digitally innovative industries in the world and Tech City – London’s schools are failing to produce Computer Science students in enough numbers to fill the needs of hi tech and creative businesses, research by the Ukie-led, cross industry Next Gen Skills campaign has revealed.
Ukie CEO, Dr Jo Twist today revealed Ukie’s new strategy designed to benefit all UK games businesses - including a stronger focus on developers and start-ups.
Ukie has today outlined how, as a 21st Century trade association, it will take a cradle to grave approach to help to create the right policy and economic ecosystem for interactive entertainment businesses to flourish in the UK. The new strategy focusses on the real needs of the different and emerging parts of the industry and those who are seeking to disrupt it in different ways.


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Bis Reports added new article
Clinical Biomarkers Market is Expected to Reach $54.29 Billion by 2032 , Growing at a CAGR of 8.73% - BIS Research Study
BIS Research, the global leader in providing market intelligence on deep technologies, has released its latest study titled Clinical Biomarkers Market – A Global and Regional Analysis. According to this study, the global clinical biomarkers market size (in terms of revenue) was $21.30 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $54.29 billion by 2027. The...
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Until recently, corporations and their CEOs were the villains of the liberal political class and their activist friends. For years, the Left has railed against the “millionaires and billionaires” and targeted large corporations and businesses with the harshest of rhetoric and regulations.
Former presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and soon-to-be-former presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) have been the main cheerleaders of a growing crowd. Warren introduced the “Accountable Capitalism Act,” aiming to redistribute “trillions of dollars” from companies to the “middle class.” During the primary, she released an “Elizabeth Warren Stands Up to Billionaires” ad. In it, Warren once again called for a “wealth tax” to punish wealthy corporations and executives for being successful.
No Democratic primary debate was complete without many rounds of corporation-bashing. Beto O’Rourke said pharmaceutical companies had to “pay a price.” Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) alleged that big companies like Amazon “pay nothing in taxes.” Governor Jay Inslee attacked CEOs, complaining “it’s not right that the CEO of McDonald’s makes 2,100 times more than the people slinging hash” in the company.
Bernie Sanders has been guilty of similar rhetoric for over thirty years. During the early debates, Sanders endlessly attacked large pharmaceutical companies. Early in his campaign, he dropped an ad excoriating the “greed” of “Big Pharma,” pledging to take on the drug companies “so that people don’t get sick and die because of the greed of the pharmaceutical industry.”
Last fall, Sanders launched a plan to “tackle corporate greed” and transfer corporation ownership from executives to workers. His campaign website is full of similar plans, and states that “in America today, corporate greed and corruption is destroying the social and economic fabric of our society, where a small group of ultra-wealthy CEOs are making the decisions that increasingly determine our economic, environmental, and political future.”
Well, guess who America is now looking to in order to preserve our economic, environmental, and political future?
These vilified corporations and their CEOs are now doing their utmost to help Americans – more than any political party or social justice groups that have been attacking them for decades. And almost all of it has been voluntary.
Comcast, Charter, Verizon, Google, T-Mobile, and Sprint signed a pledge to ensure all Americans have internet access for at least the next 60 days – even Americans who can’t normally afford the service. UberEats and Doordash have waived commission fees for local restaurants – and can we now acknowledge that with America depending on restaurant deliveries that maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that we were becoming a “Fast Food Nation” in recent years? And maybe it’s not a bad thing that the CEO of McDonalds and similar companies are paid so well to set up these seamless national networks of sustenance.
From the beginning, large corporations have made generous gestures and payments that small companies are unwilling or unable to do.
Microsoft announced that their hourly workers will continue to be paid through the duration of the crisis. Adobe, the company behind Photoshop, is giving free access to their products to students until May 31st. Amazon, recently one of the Left’s favorite bogeymen, is giving raises and hiring 100,000 workers.
Would Americans be so calm and well-stocked without the logistical miracle that is the network of Amazon order and delivery, in the face of this unprecedented demand?
Disney will continue paying its employees despite the closure of its parks around the world. U-Haul is giving 30 days of free storage to students forced to move out of their campus dorms or apartments.
We are witnessing the anti-corporate, anti-wealth arguments of people like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders and their followers being disproven in real time. Large corporations are helping keep millions of people afloat for at least the next several weeks, if not longer.
In fact, the “big business boogeyman” has become the hero in this dark tale.
As we face disaster, we have become the greedy ones. We demand that big business works night and day for us so we can feed our families. We are imploring Big Pharma to work harder and be better so they can find a treatment, cure, and a vaccine.
When this current crisis is over, we should take time, and rather than denigrate, we should celebrate them and their work for us. They deserve it.
Phelim McAleer & Ann McElhinney are journalists and producers based in Los Angeles. Together they host the podcast The Ann & Phelim Scoop.


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NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) has sizzled on the stock market since the beginning of 2019. Shares of the graphics specialist have jumped about 500% in just over two and a half years thanks to terrific growth in the video gaming and data center businesses.
However, ominous signs are emerging in NVIDIA’s biggest business, video gaming, that could give investors déjà vu, harkening back to a regrettable period in the company’s history.
Graphics card prices are coming down as miners start dumping GPUs
Graphics processing unit (GPU) prices have started pulling back from their astronomical highs of late due to several factors. However, lower demand from cryptocurrency miners seems to be the biggest growth driver behind the correction. That’s not surprising, as miners reportedly bought a fourth of the total graphics cards sold in the first quarter of 2021 to mine cryptocurrencies, according to Jon Peddie Research.
But a drop in the price of Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) and China’s crackdown on Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) have hamstrung the demand for graphics cards used for mining operations. Etherscan, an Ethereum analytics platform, recently pointed out that the GPU power used for mining the cryptocurrency has dropped 19% in the past month. As a result, cryptocurrency miners in China are offloading their powerful graphics cards into the second-hand market, according to a report by PC Gamer.
NVIDIA’s RTX 3070 GPU is reportedly being sold for just over $400 in China. That’s lower than the card’s $499 sticker price. It is also worth noting that the RTX 3070 was being sold for $1,300 in the first half of June, according to eBay price data collected by Tom’s Hardware. As of the end of the first week of July, the card’s price had come down to just over $1,080.
GPU prices in Germany have also dropped at a breakneck pace. The price premium of NVIDIA’s RTX 30 series cards has come down to 153% of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) in the first week of July, compared to a whopping 304% in the middle of May, according to a third-party report.
NVIDIA has been hit hard in the past
NVIDIA was hurt big time by a GPU price crash back in 2018 once cryptocurrency miners decided to offload their graphics cards in the preowned market. The excess graphics card inventory in the wake of the cryptocurrency mining bust burnt investors as NVIDIA’s fortunes declined.
The recent price correction indicates history may repeat itself and wreck NVIDIA’s momentum. After all, the chipmaker’s revenue in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 for the three months ending Jan. 27, 2019, sunk 24% year over year in the aftermath of the cryptocurrency mining bust. It took the company a year to recover from that shock. NVIDIA’s revenue in fiscal 2020 dipped 7% before it regained its mojo thanks to strong demand from the video gaming and the data center segments.
However, long-term investors have no reason to worry, despite these developments that have caused NVIDIA pain in the past. That’s because the demand for its latest cards is so strong that NVIDIA has reportedly decided to cut production of the old-generation RTX 2060 graphics card in half to increase the supply of the RTX 30 series cards. Additionally, reports indicate that NVIDIA is already working to increase the production of the aggressively priced RTX 3060 card to meet strong demand.
So, even if gaming enthusiasts decide to buy a preowned graphics card from miners — which isn’t always a good idea as they may have been subjected to long hours of operation and could be prone to wearing out faster — NVIDIA will still have enough end-market demand to fill.
Consider this: Only 15% of NVIDIA’s installed graphics card user base of 140 million is running the RTX series cards. A short-term disturbance in the GPU market’s demand-supply dynamics is unlikely to change the long-term picture. Jon Peddie Research estimates that discrete GPU sales could generate $54 billion in revenue by 2025, a sharp jump from last year’s revenue of $23.6 billion thanks to the growth in video gaming. NVIDIA controls 80% of this market.
Savvy investors would do well to consider buying more NVIDIA stock if the cryptocurrency bust sends its shares packing. After all, analysts expect NVIDIA’s earnings to grow at more than 26% a year for the next five years, suggesting this is a top growth stock that’s worth buying on its rare dips.
This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. We’re motley! Questioning an investing thesis — even one of our own — helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.
View more information: https://www.fool.com/investing/2021/07/15/nvidia-stock-could-crash-heres-what-you-should-do/


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COLUMBIANA, Ohio (WKBN) – Columbiana Ford is giving back this holiday season. They’re currently collecting new toys for Toys for Tots.
The dealership is hoping to make this a special Christmas for local kids.
They’ve participated in Toys for Tots at their other locations for the past several years.
Next Friday, families are encouraged to come out to Columbiana Ford to take pictures with Santa and his reindeer.
They’re asking that anyone who comes to donate a new, unopened toy.
“We’re trying to fill as many boxes as we possibly can,” said John Blankenship. “We have a goal of 14 boxes that we’d like to fill for the kids so that way we can provide as many kids as we can with toys.”
Anyone can go to Columbiana Ford during normal business hours to drop off toys now through next Friday.
They are also partnering up with other local businesses and Joshua Dixon Elementary School in Columbiana to provide three local families with toys and a Christmas dinner.