text:
Sowing period: October to December
Harvesting period: March to May
Crop season: Rabi
Key growing regions:
- Madhya Pradesh – Neemuch, Mandsaur, Guna, Rajgarh, Shajapur
- Gujarat – Rajkot, Surendranagar, Gondal, Junagarh, Jamnagar
- Maharashtra – Mumbai, Nanded, Bhandara
- Rajasthan – Ramganj, Kota, Jhalawar, Baran, Bundi
Production trend and Stock position:
- Stock positions of Coriander seed were up by 7.54 percent held at National Commodity Clearing Limited (NCCL) approved warehouses at Gondal, Ramganjmandi and Kota locations. The stocks held as on November 19, 2020 was 3,509 MT compared to 3,263 MT as on October 11, 2020
- As per Agriwatch website final production estimate of Coriander seed production for marketing year (MY) 2020-21 was estimated at 3.52 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) compared to previous year’s 2.68 LMT which was up by 31.34 percent.
For the country as a whole, Seasonal cumulative rainfall during this year’s southwest monsoon season upto November 18, 2020 was below Long Period Average (LPA) by 3%. Details of the rainfall distribution over the four broad geographical regions of India are given below:
Market commentary: Price outlook
- Coriander Seed prices in physical markets are expected to be weak in the immediate / short term as according to media reports there has been subdued demand from market participants.
- Coriander Seed prices are expected to trade from current levels of ₹ 6,500 per quintal to range bound.


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Medical diagnostics company Quidel Corporation is to set up a new business service centre in Galway city, which will create 75 jobs over the next five years.
The new centre will support the company's new international business and is supported by IDA Ireland.
Quidel, which is headquartered in San Diego in California, employs about 1,200 people in operations in North America, Europe, Latin America, Japan, and other parts of Asia.
The jobs at the new Galway facility will include finance, human resources, customer service, technical support, sales, marketing, IT and legal positions.
Douglas Bryant, Quidel Corporation's President and CEO, said there are many very talented people in Ireland, and Quidel is proud to partner with Martin Shanahan and IDA Ireland to bring jobs to Galway.
"Our company has recently doubled in size, and we believe that Galway can serve as a linchpin for our growing international presence," he added.
"This is a terrific announcement from a new name investor in the medical device space in Ireland which will have a very positive impact on Galway city, county and the wider West region," commented IDA Ireland's chief executive Martin Shanahan.

domain: news


text:
- Reaction score
BCH under +500 usd (alert)
China's central bank has announced that all transactions of crypto-currencies are illegal, for this reason they will dump.
Many people don't should hold many amount BTC or alt-cryptos from China because it's illegal and it's right from goverement.
So indeed China has banned financial institutions and payment companies from providing services related to cryptocurrencies.


text:
Ongoing supply chain issues will continue to slow delivery times into the holiday season Kai Huang told CBC News.
Farnaz shares more about her research and four photos that represent her life as a PhD student at DeGroote.
Maryam Ghasemaghaei is studying how organizations can apply advanced technologies to make better decisions.
Professor Detlor talks about why there is a strong need to promote and deliver digital literacy training to all members of society.
Dean Hassanein welcomes DeGroote students, staff, and faculty back to campus this fall. Watch his welcome video.
Brent McKnight is examining how both sectors — main street and non-profit — are navigating the pandemic and its eventual aftermath.
With the start of the 2021-22 academic year, Dr. Teal McAteer asks incoming students about their leadership vision.
Trish Ruebottom explores how stigmatized entrepreneurs can carve out a safe space for themselves and others through social innovation.
This week's In the Know: Associate Professor Manish Verma talks about his research on transporting dangerous goods.
Two viewpoints from DeGroote and the McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics about supply chain resilience.
Erin Reid and researchers talk about the challenges gig workers face and what resources are available to help them.
Catherine Connelly's research shows that it's a smart business strategy to hire people with disabilities. Read more about the reasons why.


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Updating to latest macOS 10.13.1 disables Apple's 'root' bug patch
It appears Apple's quick fix for the recently discovered root user bug can be disabled by upgrading to macOS 10.13.1 from a previous version of the operating system, meaning users who do so are unwittingly reintroducing the glaring security hole.
According to a Wired report on Friday, multiple users have confirmed that upgrading from macOS 10.13.0 High Sierra to the latest version 10.13.1, released at the end of October, defeats Apple's security patch for the root user login flaw.
In particular, users running macOS 10.13.0 who downloaded and installed the security update released on Wednesday say the root bug reappears after upgrading to macOS 10.13.1.
Making matters worse, two people who attempted to reinstall Apple's fix after upgrading to macOS 10.13.1 say the root login bug persists until the system is rebooted. Apple in its documentation does not list rebooting as part of the required installation process.
"I installed the update again from the App Store, and verified that I could still trigger the bug. That is bad, bad, bad," said Thomas Reed, a security researcher at MalwareBytes. "Anyone who hasn't yet updated to 10.13.1, they're now in the pipeline headed straight for this issue."
Reed went on to point out that many Mac owners do not reboot their computer for months at a time, meaning the root flaw could in some cases linger.
Earlier this week researchers publicized a macOS security bug that allows anyone to log in to a Mac running High Sierra as its "root" System Administrator without first requiring a password. Less than a 24 hours later, Apple pushed out Security Update 2017-001 via the Mac App Store, plugging the hole.
The security patch introduced its own problems, however, as users had issues authenticating or connecting to file shares on their Mac. Apple posted a quick Terminal fix to its Support Pages before reissuing the security patch with a permanent solution a few hours later.
While not as damaging as the original root user bug, the glitch in Apple's security patch is unusually sloppy for the Cupertino tech giant. How the two bugs in the security patch slipped past Apple's quality assurance team is unknown.


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The number of limited company buy-to-let products to choose from has increased by a third in the first quarter of 2017, Mortgages for Business’ Limited Company Buy to Let Index has revealed.
There are currently 266 products, up from 198 in the fourth quarter of 2016.
David Whittaker, chief executive of Mortgages for Business, said: “With the changing face of the buy to let mortgage market, it is no surprise that lenders are keen to appeal to limited company borrowers.
“We have been recommending for some time that our clients seek professional tax advice to determine whether incorporation is the most suitable route for their circumstances, and these figures can only further encourage landlords to consider their position.”
Limited company rates have also dropped, as average 3-year fixes now cost 0.5% more than their individual counterparts.
As of Q1 2017 77% of all buy-to-let purchase applications are being made via a corporate vehicle, up from 69% in Q4 2016 and 21% before the 2015 summer budget when the tax relief changes were made.


text:
Apple iOS 5 To Still Use Google’s Mapping Data?
There were several rumors around Apple’s next version of iOS — hopefully to be unveiled at WWDC on June 6 — and especially about the Maps offering, with Cupertino acquiring a couple of mapping companies and also looking to hire iOS map application developers. According to hear-say, Apple is considering moving away from Google Maps and offering its own mapping alternative.
New rumors though talk about iOS 5 and how it will still employ Google mapping data. There are high changes of improvements in the mapping application but it looks like, if the rumors turn out to be true, that Apple is not yet ready to leave Google in terms of maps. What exactly will be in store in the improved application is yet unknown — but not for long — but birds are chirping about a possible turn-by-turn solution being offered too.


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Whether they deliver fortune cookies, pick up garbage or take kids to school, trucks and buses are some of today’s hottest applications for electric vehicle technology. Old-school manufacturers, such as International, Kenworth and Mack, are scrambling to ramp up their assembly lines to compete against new startups vying for a piece of this lucrative market.
Several models are currently in limited production, with others due to begin rolling off assembly lines later this year. In fact, some experts believe that commercial vehicles will become the most widely produced type of EV during the next decade.
According to IDTechEx, the market for battery electric and fuel-cell electric trucks for medium- and heavy-duty applications will reach $203 billion by 2041. Much of that demand will come from China, Europe and the United States.
Approximately 28 million commercial vehicles currently roam the U.S., which represents about 10 percent of all vehicles and 28 percent of all carbon emissions from on-road vehicles. A recent report from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) claims that electric buses and trucks represent the next frontier for electric vehicles.
“Widespread electrification already makes sense for several classes of heavy-duty vehicles based on their operating characteristics, the range of today’s battery technologies, and similar if not cheaper ownership costs,” says Jimmy O’Dea, senior vehicles analyst at UCS. “Electric trucks emit 68 percent to 88 percent less life cycle global warming emissions than similar diesel trucks, depending on the type of vehicle.”
Last year, California took a big step toward addressing the issue when the California Air Resources Board passed the first statewide electric truck sales standard. It requires commercial vehicle manufacturers to sell a certain number of EVs each year beginning in 2024, resulting in 15 percent of trucks on the road being electric by 2035. Specifically, 75 percent of new Class 4 to Class 8 rigid truck sales and 55 percent of new tractor truck sales must be zero-emission by 2035.
Electric vehicles offer many benefits to fleet owners, such as fewer emissions and much quieter operation compared to traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Those benefits are multiplied when truck fleets operate in or near congested urban areas.
An electric drive consists of fewer parts, with the electric motor being the only moving one, reducing the risk of breakdowns and the need for frequent servicing.
Electrification also boosts vehicle efficiency. Electric engine losses are significantly lower than a diesel engine’s. In addition, electric motors can deliver peak torque almost instantly, meaning they excel at towing heavy loads from a dead start or up a gradient.
“Electric trucks have numerous benefits that impact the bottom line of fleet operators, including a 75 percent reduction in energy costs and a 60 percent reduction in maintenance costs,” says Jason Gies, director of business development for e-mobility at Navistar International Corp. His company recently unveiled an electric school bus and will be launching a medium-duty electric truck later this year for pickup and delivery applications.
“Electrification in commercial vehicles is different from cars,” adds Marshall Martin, mobility industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan Inc. “So far, electric cars have been a niche segment that have a significant [markup that] only a few customers are willing to pay for.
“[However], when it comes to a commercial vehicle, customers only have one reason to own it: Can they make or save more money with it? It’s got to make business sense, and return on investment is a major factor in this.
“In recent years, with declining prices of batteries, motors and other EV components, the total cost of ownership parity between electric and internal combustion engine [buses and trucks] has come down significantly,” explains Martin. “Many OEMs are now confident that their customers can start making money on the added investment in three to five years.
“Hence, we see a sudden surge in electric variant announcements from OEMs,” says Martin. “[This activity] will stoke a slew of launches in the next two to four years that will only grow in the future.
“As far as light commercial vehicles are concerned, we can expect a lot of commonalities between cars and Class 1 and 2 vehicles, such as vans,” notes Martin. “As far as heavier trucks are concerned, they will require bigger batteries and battery packs, and higher-powered motors and power electronics. But, the major difference is going to be with the architecture and placement of these components.
“Electric cars are largely expected to have a skateboard platform that supports the battery and are most likely to use wheel-hub or in-wheel motors going forward,” Martin points out. “For trucks, however, this could vary depending on the type of construction.
“If the EV is built from scratch, the platform will be fresh and batteries most likely placed underneath the cabin, with trucks using e-axles straight from the shelf,” says Martin. “If the EV is built on an existing ICE platform, batteries can be placed behind the cab in between the ladder frame or on the side rails where gas tanks are traditionally placed.
“Most of these trucks will start off using centrally driven motors,” claims Martin. “However, in the coming years, architectures will evolve and have separate platforms for EVs that are more efficient.”
One of the hottest segments of the electric truck market is medium-duty (Class 3 to 6) vehicles, such as step vans and delivery vehicles that are used by companies such as Amazon, DHL, FedEx, Peapod and UPS.
“This segment is an ideal use case for electrification and will be one of the first ones to be electrified because of the duty cycle,” says Martin. “Limited daily driving range anywhere between 60 to 120 miles will be minimum range offered by OEMs on these vehicles. Frequent starts and stops [also benefit from] regenerative braking.
“In terms of performance (energy efficiency, power and torque), electric trucks exceed their ICE counterparts, but challenges prevail on the size and cost front,” explains Martin. “In the heavy-duty truck market (Class 7 to 8), electric vehicles powerful enough to haul semi-trailers over long distances have several technical issues that still need to be addressed before they give diesel-powered machines serious competition.
“When it comes to heavier trucks, the impediments to electrification depend on application and duty cycle,” claims Martin. “For short-regional haul, vocational and local distribution (routes that cover less than 300 miles per day), cost will be a major hindrance.
“For long-haul highway trucks, cost should not be the biggest hindrance,” adds Martin. “The major challenge is going to be range, as truckers can easily do anywhere between 400 to 600 miles a day. That’s [challenging] for OEMs to provide without compromising on payload. Another issue that needs to be resolved is the availability of charging points on highways.”
Many truck manufacturers have recently unveiled a variety of electric models intended for different market segments. They’re trying to stave off new competition from start-up companies such as Arrival Ltd., Cenntro Automotive, Lion Electric Co., Nikola Motor Co., Tesla Inc. and Tevva Motors Ltd.
“Those new-age, pure-play companies have pushed the traditional powerhouses into not only taking a fresh look at electric vehicles, but also expediting their respective EV launches,” says Martin.
One of the most anticipated models is Tesla’a Semi long-haul truck, which is scheduled to go into production sometime this year. Among other features, Tesla claims the vehicle will be capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph without a trailer in 5 seconds, compared to 15 seconds in a comparable diesel truck. It will also be able to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 20 seconds with a full 80,000-pound load vs. 60 seconds for a traditional truck.
If Tesla can deliver the vehicle with a 500-mile range (recent reports claim it can go up to 621 miles per charge with next-generation battery technology) and a price of $150,000, then it has the potential to disrupt the conservative trucking industry. So far, Tesla has racked up hundreds of reservations from companies that operate large nationwide distribution fleets, such as PepsiCo, UPS and Walmart.
All of that buzz has attracted the attention of industry leader PACCAR Inc., which produces trucks under the DAF, Kenworth and Peterbilt nameplates. It recently unveiled the Kenworth K270E, K370E and Peterbilt 220EV, which are Class 6 to 7 vehicles targeted at local drayage applications such as food and beverage distribution.
The Kenworth battery-electric vehicles offer two direct-drive motors rated at 355 and 469-hp, depending on application. The electric power train is available with high-density battery packs of 141 and 282 kilowatt hours (kWh) that deliver up to 100 and 200-mile range, respectively. The vehicles are assembled at Kenworth’s plant in Mexicali, Mexico, which produces conventional versions of the K270 and K370 cabovers.
This year, PACCAR will also begin producing Class 8 day cab trucks, such as the Kenworth T680E and the Peterbilt 579EV for regional haulage applications. They are available as either a tractor or straight truck in a 6x4 axle configuration.
Suppliers such as Dana Corp. and Meritor Inc. produce the electric drivetrain components for the PACCAR EVs. For instance, Dana has developed e-axles and driveshafts as part of its Spicer Electrified e-Power (battery packs, battery management and onboard charger) and e-Propulsion (motor and inverter) system, which are used in the Kenworth and Peterbilt Class 6 and 7 trucks. The Class 8 vehicles feature Meritor’s Blue Horizon 14Xe tandem electric power train.
Volvo Trucks is using more of a vertical integration strategy for its recently unveiled VNR Electric, which also goes into production later this year. The electric truck is designed for driving cycles with local and regional distribution ranges.
Volvo is purchasing 264-kWh lithium-ion batteries that charge up to 80 percent within 70 minutes and have an operating range of up to 150 miles based on the truck’s configuration. Its proprietary electric driveline, rated at 455-hp, generates up to 4,051 ft.-lb. of torque.
“The VNR Electric will be assembled at our New River Valley plant in Dublin, VA,” says Brett Pope, director of electric vehicles at Volvo Trucks North America. “The drivetrain will be made in-house at our facility in Hagerstown, MD.”
Volvo’s Mack Trucks division has also jumped on the EV bandwagon with its LR Electric model for waste disposal applications. From the outside, the vehicle looks similar to the diesel Mack LR, but with a few minor changes inside the cab, such as gauges and switchgear.
The truck is equipped with four lithium-nickel manganese cobalt oxide batteries and two electric motors that produce a combined output of 536-hp. Starting this year, the LR Electric will be built at Mack’s Lehigh Valley Operations facility in Macungie, PA, where all of the company’s Class 8 trucks are assembled.
Most truck manufacturers plan to produce electric vehicles in the same factories that assemble traditional diesel-powered models. However, while production processes will look similar, engineers are busy laying out new flexible assembly lines and streamlining work flows.
Daimler AG has set a target for 2039 of tank-to-wheel CO₂ neutrality for all new vehicles it sells in Asia, Europe and North America. Ground zero in its ambitious quest is the Mercedez-Benz Trucks factory in Worth, Germany. It is currently in the process of ramping up to mass produce the eActros model this year, followed by the eEconic next year.
“Electromobility will open up new opportunities for employees in the production process, as a new range of tasks and job profiles will emerge as a result,” says Matthias Jurytko, plant manager. “Preparations are in full swing to get our production ready for the demands associated with electric drive systems. For example, we are currently training our [assemblers] in the field of high-voltage systems, a fundamental area of expertise as far as the assembly of automotive batteries and the construction of electric trucks is concerned.
“The electric truck models will be assembled alongside trucks with conventional drives in a flexible process,” explains Jurytko. “The construction of the different vehicle types [will] be integrated as far as possible, with the basic vehicle structure being built on one line regardless of whether it will be getting a conventional combustion engine or an electric power train.
“Certain modifications will be made to the production process to accommodate the different types of vehicles,” Jurytko points out. “The installation of various nonconventional drive components will take place in a separate process, as will the assembly of the electric power train for the eActros.
“The centerpiece of the [e-truck] manufacturing process is going to be the production hall in building 75,” says Jurytko. “For around a year, work has been going on to convert the building and prepare it for the new production processes.
“This includes setting up a new assembly line on which the construction of all the electrical architecture of the eActros, in particular the high-voltage components, will take place, as will its initial operation,” explains Jurytko. “Subsequently, the vehicles will be fed back into the regular production process for finishing and final inspection.”
Daimler Trucks North America is also getting ready to ramp up production of electrified buses and trucks for its U.S. brands such as Freightliner, Thomas Built and Western Star. For instance, Thomas Built Buses Inc. has started to assemble Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley vehicles at its plant in High Point, NC.
Freightliner EVs will include the eCascadia, a Class 8 tractor designed for local and regional distribution, and the eM2, a Class 6 to 7 truck designed for local pickup and delivery applications. Daimler will produce the eCascadia at its assembly plant in Cleveland, NC, while the eM2 will be built at its nearby facility in Mount Holly, NC.
Another leading U.S. truck manufacturer, Navistar, also has a German parent. The company is part of the Traton Group, which is the truck division of Volkswagen AG that includes leading European brands such as MAN and Scania. Navistar recently established a new business unit called NEXT eMobility Solutions that is focusing exclusively on zero-emission vehicles.
Navistar’s first EV offering is the CE Series electric school bus that’s assembled at its Tulsa, OK, factory. The first buses were recently deployed in British Columbia.
Next in line will be a medium-duty truck that’s due for launch this fall. The International eMV Series is based on the diesel-powered MV Series. The truck’s 321-kWh battery and electric motor will generate a peak power of more than 474 kilowatts. Navistar believes that customers will be able to travel up to 250 miles on a single charge.
The company plans to build the eMV and future electrified models at its existing assembly plants. And, when its new state-of-the-art factory in San Antonio opens early next year, the first truck down the line will be an electric model.
The 900,000-square-foot facility will feature cutting-edge Industry 4.0 technology, such as predictive quality and maintenance, that will enable data-driven decisions to be made on the plant floor in real time.
“Our new plant in San Antonio will make assemblers’ jobs easier,” claims Mark Hernandez, senior vice president for global manufacturing and supply chain at Navistar. “We hope to achieve a 25 percent to 30 percent improvement in our hours per vehicle, based on the design and workflow of the plant.
“We’re going to build electric and diesel vehicles on the same assembly line,” says Hernandez. “Flexible workstations and advanced technology will enable us to ensure each vehicle that comes off the mixed-model line goes right to the correct testing station.
“Having a dedicated EV facility creates a lot of waste,” adds Hernandez. “With a mixed-model diesel and electric assembly line, if the EV market takes off, we can keep up with demand by replacing a diesel truck with an electric one. With mixed-model manufacturing, we’re able to react to the market. We don’t have to start at low volumes and then ramp up.”


text:
FTC Launches Probe Into Facebook's $1 Billion Instagram Acquisition
May 11, 2012 10:37 AM
comment(s) - last by
Facebook said it would pay Instagram a $200 million termination fee if the FTC blocked the deal
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is looking to investigate Facebook's acquisition of photo sharing program Instagram only one week before the
social network's massive IPO
According to the
, the FTC is launching an investigation regarding Facebook's Instagram acquisition in an effort to identify any clues of anti-competitive practices. The FTC isn't just picking on Facebook, though. The probe is common for any acquisition over $68.2 million because this number is tied to inflation.
Despite the probe being a routine practice, it could potentially hurt Facebook for the time being. The social network cannot use Instagram until the investigation is closed, delaying the mobile services it desperately seeks. In fact, some reports say the probe could take six to 12 months before completion.
Last month, it was reported that Facebook was interested in acquiring Instagram for $1 billion in cash and stock. The move aims to increase Facebook's mobile usage, since the company's amended S-1 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday mentioned that Facebook revenue will decline as more user's access the site from mobile devices instead of PCs.
The filings also said that the boost in mobile usage has led to a user base that is expanding faster than the number of advertisements provided.
"If users increasingly access Facebook mobile products as a substitute for access through personal computers, and if we are unable to successfully implement monetization strategies for our mobile users, or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our financial performance and ability to grow revenue would be negatively affected," said the filing.
In addition to mobile woes, Facebook is looking to go public with its
$100 billion initial public offering on May 18
and likely didn't need the extra trouble only one week before establishing its ticker symbol "FB."
Facebook said it would pay Instagram a $200 million termination fee if the FTC blocked the deal.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: Why instagram?
5/12/2012 12:25:19 AM
The majority of users of Instagram are the teens 15 and under, so if their not using FB, they now will be, its like anything else in the marketing frenzy, get them while their young and you have them for LIFE.
RE: Why instagram?
5/12/2012 1:39:55 AM
I disagree, I don't think that Instagram's demographics are that much different from facebook's
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Thursday bought the development of a job force to study the United States Postal Service and its monetary problems, after just recently declaring without proof that shipments for Amazon.com Inc were costing the service cash.
The job force will check out the post workplace’ s company design, just like a commission established by U.S. President George Bush in 2002.
“ The USPS is on an unsustainable monetary course and should be reorganized to avoid a taxpayer-funded bailout, ” stated the order, signed by Trump. It stated the Postal Service had actually lost $65 billion given that the 2007-2009 economic crisis.
The Postal Service, which is expected to be self-sufficient, need to ask Congress for approval to raise rates and should pre-fund years worth of retired person health advantages.
The order did not discuss Amazon, which Trump has actually routinely slammed in current weeks.
However, the order asked the job force to examine “ the growth and prices of the bundle shipment market and the USPS’ s function in competitive markets, ” to name a few problems.
Deliveries for Amazon and other online sellers have actually been the fastest-growing part of the United States Postal Service organisation, assisting balance out a sharp decrease in routine superior mail.
Details of Amazon’ s payments to USPS are not openly understood.
Wall Street experts have actually approximated it’ses a good idea USPS approximately half exactly what it would to United Parcel Service Inc or FedEx Corp to provide a bundle.
The order’ s language will likely motivate the job force to see if USPS can charge business like Amazon more for parcel shipment, an individual who formerly operated at the Postal Regulatory Commission stated on condition of privacy.
Amazon decreased to comment. The business is one of the Postal Service’ s most significant clients, it is progressively growing its own shipment capability, which might assist it stem any effect from modifications to USPS.
The job force will be chaired by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin or his designee, and it will speak with the Postmaster General and the Chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission, to name a few, the executive order stated.


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The sharing economy has transformed how we find places to stay on vacation and even how we get around town. But the system has a major flaw—reviews aren’t always honest and trustworthy.
Chicago crime has led Enterprise’s car-sharing operation to cancel existing reservations in the area and stop taking new ones, the company says. Enterprise CarShare has had “a lack of vehicle availability” for the past six weeks, as “a direct effect of significant vandalism, theft and fraud,” the company told its members via email Tuesday.
Its contempt for rules and its juvenile corporate culture have put Uber’s leadership in question across the globe. The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg will decide this summer if Uber should be considered a technical platform that links independent drivers and random passengers, or a transportation service. In other words, is Uber a transport service or Internet service? Should the court decide Uber is a transportation service, the company will have to comply with the safety rules in European countries and comply with the same legislation as their taxi-driving rivals.
The cities of the future embrace the principles of being inclusive, being mindful, and sharing, says Alice Charles, community lead for infrastructure and urban development at the World Economic Forum. She shared practical examples of these cities at ULI Belgium’s recent conference in Brussels.
A 36-year-old investment banker was killed in Manhattan on Monday morning when the Citi Bike he was riding collided with a charter bus, the first fatality involving New York City’s four-year-old bike-share program, the authorities said.
There’s good news for Airbnb in Japan where the government has approved legislation that legalizes its service, and others like it, in the country. The law, which was passed by Japan’s upper house on Friday, will allow home-owners to let out their property to paying guests for up to 180 days per year. They are subject to registering with local authorities who, in turn, have license to implement their own restrictions
Starting June 28, Honolulu will be transformed, and very quickly, by the introduction of 1,000 “Biki” bikes (pronounced “beaky”) at 100 self-serve Bikeshare Hawai‘i stations. “This is not for racing and exercise, it’s a different kind of transportation,” says CEO Lori McCarney.
A California-based tech startup wants to let motorists fuel their vehicles anywhere, anytime with the use of an app, instead of driving to a gas station. The mobile fuel service called Filld has partnered with car2go to deliver gas to the car-share company’s Vancouver fleet.
The BMW ride-sharing service, ReachNow, represents the latest effort by a car manufacturer to get a grip on the technological trends that could disrupt their businesses by making vehicle ownership — and eventually even drivers — unnecessary. BMW and Daimler, maker of Mercedes-Benz, are two of the most aggressive carmakers building their own “mobility services” to prevent Silicon Valley’s upstarts from keeping all the spoils themselves.
More than a half-dozen private, stationless bike-share companies are interested in opening in Seattle. They don’t want tax money, but the companies have no precedent in the U.S. and the city is trying to figure out how it will all work.


text:
A few weeks ago, Magnolia Marketplace spent most of a Friday chasing a rumor that Gov. Haley Barbour was set to call a special session for Aug. 13, in which lawmakers would consider incentive packages for an economic development project.
The rumor turned out to be partially right.
In a press release that landed in our inbox minutes ago, Barbour confirmed that he will summon the Legislature to the Capitol next Friday, Aug. 27, to consider an inventive package for a $500 million project.
According to the release, whatever company is asking for the incentives will have locations across the state, and will provide $85 million in wages and direct purchases and supply 1,000 direct and indirect jobs through the company and its suppliers.
“Additional information about the company will be released at a later date,” the release read.
When we were first tracking the rumor, speculation ranged from a project in the Delta to one in Meridian. Theoretically, if the company will have multiple locations in the state, both of those regions could be involved. Or neither of them.
Here’s the press release from Barbour’s office:
JACKSON – Gov. Haley Barbour today announced a special session at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 27, to consider an incentive package for a $500 million economic development project with locations around the state.
The project will bring $85 million in wages and direct Mississippi purchases, as well as 1,000 direct and indirect jobs through the company and the local suppliers. Additional information about the company will be released at a later date.
UPDATE: Just got off the phone with Dan Turner, Barbour’s press secretary, to ask one or two follow-up questions.
The first and most obvious: What’s the name of the company? Turner didn’t blink. “No comment,” he said. No surprise there. Barbour is the master at keeping things close to the vest until he — and only he — is ready to make it official. “We’re sticking to that policy,” Turner said.
Turner did offer somewhat of a hint about what kind of jobs the project will bring. “I think this one is tailor-made as far as jobs that have a long-range future in Mississippi.”
Since he’s been in office, Barbour has said advanced manufacturing jobs are what suits Mississippi best, things like Toyota and aerospace and the steel plants that have cropped up in the Golden Triangle. Turner’s “long-range future” description of this latest deal sure sounds like that.


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Pedego Electric Bikes CEO and Co-founder Don DiCostanzo Named Entrepreneur of the Year
Pedego® Electric Bikes CEO and Co-founder Don DiCostanzo has been recognized with an Excellence in Entrepreneurship award by the Orange County Business Journal. More than a hundred top Orange County entrepreneurs were nominated, and the journal honored five honorees as “Entrepreneurs of the Year.” DiCostanzo is the only leader of a recreation-based company to receive this award.
The Orange County Business Journal’s Excellence in Entrepreneurship awards honor individuals who exemplify the American entrepreneurial spirit. DiCostanzo was recognized for his foresight, determination and accomplishments with the development and distribution of Pedego electric bikes — bicycles for Boomers that have become the hottest growth trend in cycling. With DiCostanzo’s concept of individually owned and operated Pedego-branded stores, he is also creating small business entrepreneurs throughout the world. There are now more than 70 Pedego-branded stores with a schedule to reach 100 before 2017.by


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US-based investment firm Clearlake Capital has closed its purchase of protective packaging provider Intertape Polymer Group (IPG).
The deal was initially announced on 8 March and approved by IPG shareholders on 11 May.
As part of the agreement, Clearlake acquired the outstanding shares of IPG’s common stock for C$40.50 ($31.48) a share in cash.
IPG produces paper and film-based, pressure-sensitive and water-activated tapes, stretch and shrink films, protective packaging, woven and non-woven products for the industrial and retail sectors, as well as packaging machinery.
The company focuses on developing solutions for diversified business-to-business (B2B) and e-commerce segments.
Based in Sarasota, Florida; and Montreal, Canada, IPG operates a network of 34 locations worldwide, including 22 in North America.
Following the deal’s completion, IPG is currently operating as a privately held company and its common stock shares have been removed from the public market.
Clearlake co-founder and managing director José Feliciano and partner and managing director Arta Tabaee said: “We have been impressed with IPG’s ability to capitalise on growth within its recession resilient end markets, particularly the company’s focused efforts around the e-commerce ecosystem.
“The acquisition combines IPG’s customer-centric and sustainability-oriented strategy with Clearlake’s packaging investment experience and our OPS operational improvement approach, which should strengthen and accelerate the company’s next phase of growth and innovation.
“We are thrilled to partner with the company and believe that IPG is positioned to capitalise on e-commerce and B2B tailwinds and continue building on its industry position, particularly around sustainability.”
IPG president and CEO Greg Yull said: “Clearlake has shown confidence in our team and the direction of the company.
“Throughout our conversations, their team has expressed alignment with our customer-centric and sustainability-oriented approach in all aspects of our organisation, and we remain impressed by their understanding of the protective packaging sector.”


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project44 launches new Port Intel service with data on bottlenecks at key shipping ports
You can read this article in 3 minutes
Less than a fortnight after making waves with its acquisition of Ocean Insights, supply chain visibility giant project44 has launched a free port visibility reporting service, Port Intel™.
Free for a limited time, Port Intel shall operate as an online service offering free reports that sum up congestion at ports, notify subscribers when their containers are anchored near congested ports, and provide information to help make critical inventory and management decisions.
The Port Intel service is powered by tracking and analysis experts Ocean Insights, who were acquired by project44 earlier last month. Ocean Insights offers track and trace functionality across more than 55 shipping lines, 700 seaports, and more than 5,000 vessels, processing over five million sailing schedule changes per day.
Jett McCandless, Founder and CEO of project44, said that the new service was introduced amid “staggering” bottlenecks at ports:
“The impact of oceanic bottlenecks on the global economy is staggering. Given the critical nature of the port blockages, we released Port Intel as a service to enable global shippers to identify where the delays are occurring and how they can mitigate delays and avoid future crises. Just days after closing our acquisition, it was amazing to see the p44 and Ocean Insights teams move quickly to integrate our solutions and deliver Port Intel.”
As project44 highlighted in its statement, virtually every business is impacted in some way by disruptions in international shipping, be it due to port delays, a lack of capacity, container shortages or other imbalances.
The video embedded below, shot by the US Coast guard near the California shore last month, shows just how much port congestion has been a factor in recent times.
Given these challenges, Port Intel sets out to be a timely solution for frustrated supply chain professionals. The service will offer its subscribers the possibility to assess the status of their shipments and supply chain, in turn allowing for proactive planning and risk mitigation.
Users can access the report by visiting the Port Intel site and entering vessel identifiers, bill of lading identifiers or ocean container numbers. After inputting these details, Port Intel generates customized updates that include projected time out and port dwell times. The reports are curated by project44’s visibility experts to provide recommendations that integrate real-time data with proven shipping strategies.
To get your report free of charge, visit Port Intel here.


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Microsoft has officially launched Minecraft: Education Edition, a special version of the game designed to be used by schools. The game is now available in 50 countries around the world and in a total of 11 different languages.
The main difference between Minecraft: Education Edition and other version of the game is that it includes what Microsoft calls "Classroom Mode." With this, teachers can use a companion app to interact with students, give out items and change world settings. From Microsoft:
Classroom Mode offers educators the ability to interact with students and manage settings from a central user interface. We're also continuing to update Minecraft: Education Edition to include new game features from other editions of Minecraft. In the official version, available now, all the latest updates to Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition beta will be included.
Minecraft: Education Edition is now available, costing $5 per user, per year. The game is also available through with a volume licensing discount. Educators can head over to the Minecraft education site to learn more.
Everything you need to know about AMD Radeon RX 6000 GPUs
AMD has unveiled its new lineup of Radeon RX 6000-series graphics cards, with three new pieces of hardware to look forward to. Here's what you need to know.
AMD's 'Big Navi' Radeon RX 6000 series GPUs are here, coming November 18
AMD today launched its latest GPUs, the Radeon RX 6000 series. The new cards are a major jump over the previous generation, offering even more power with big architectural improvements.
Review: Acer's TravelMate P6 is a business laptop with killer battery life
When thinking of business laptops, lineups from Lenovo, Dell, and HP often come to mind. But Acer's TravelMate series shouldn't be forgotten, especially if you're interested in more than 14 hour of battery life and a lightweight, slim build.
These PC accessories will turn Minecraft into a whole other experience
Jumping into the world of Minecraft? Already involved and want to ameliorate your gaming experience? Check out these awesome accessories.


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In the not so distant future, homes and retail centers will be undergoing significant changes. The pervasive influence of the internet will affect how people use their homes and how retailers will adapt to e-commerce. At the University of Miami’s Real Estate Impact Conference on February 9th, top executives from Starwood Capital Group, Whole Foods Market, Lennar Corporation, and Marriott International provided their insights on a number of issues.
Barry Sternlicht, chairman and CEO of both Starwood Capital Group and Starwood Property Trust had concerns that the economy is at risk of overheating. This will drive up interest rates creating a situation where interest rates will rise faster than wages thus affecting the borrowing power of buyers. A rapid increase in rates could cause a temporary blip in both the stock market and the real-estate market.
Marriott International President and CEO, Arne Sorenson, says “He feels positive about the economy for the short term.” He goes on to say “The tax cuts and the Trump administration’s reduction in regulation will help many businesses perform better, and they should hire more people, thus increasing the buyer pool.”
Juan Nunez, President of Whole Foods Florida, sees food markets being re-designed to adapt to online orders. This will reduce warehouse space in the stores while at the same time making the home the primary retail space. According to Nunez, “By 2024, about 40 percent of millennials will shop for groceries on line.”
According to Fred Roman, president of the east region for homebuilder Lennar Corporation, “Your home is going to become the main retail center for e-commerce.” Accordingly, in many of the new homes Lennar is building, Amazon’s Alexa is being integrated, allowing homeowners to order products by voice command. These changes, especially in high rise condominium buildings, will require larger drop off and pick up areas to accommodate the volume of goods being delivered. Also, by 2025 ride sharing will be the dominant form of transportation. This will lead to a decline in individual vehicle ownership.
Ready or not, change is coming!


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Innovative or ill-advised? You be the judge. Here are 10 cars that just never quite caught on.
|Microsoft unveils new Xbox One game console|
|Army plans to launch a reality TV show|
|Apple grilled about tax havens|
|The market doesn't lie: Housing recovery is real|
|Stocks end at record highs ahead of Bernanke|


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Johnson Controls Inc. is forecasting 4% growth in earnings per share in fiscal 2013, and its worldwide sales are projected to climb by 3.6%, the company said Wednesday.
Sales in the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30 are expected to be $43.5 billion, compared with $41.96 billion in fiscal 2012. »Read Full Article
A growing number of publicly traded companies have been returning capital to their owners through dividend increases and share buybacks.
The companies, many from the technology sector, are often former highfliers whose earnings growth has slowed, but whose balance sheets are still healthy, said Steve Nichols, principal and portfolio manager at Warnke/Nichols Ltd. in Hales Corners. »Read Full Article


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Although at the moment Greece’s banks are closed and there is a daily withdrawl limit of 60 euros on bank machines, the country has 112.5 tons of official gold reserves which could provide a cure for economic collapse.
112.5 tons of gold equates to $4.18 billion at today’s gold price. That would be a huge amount of money for Greece. If the country decides to sell its gold, it could use the proceeds to make its 1.5 billion euro ($1.7 billion) interest payment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Moreover, it can also put money into the country’s banking system, so pensioners can get their checks and people can do business.
Greece is not selling its gold, however, and there is a good reason for it. There has been a debate on whether Greece should leave the eurozone and start its own currency. Bringing back the drachma would give Greece the ability to set its own monetary policy. However, to secure a new currency, Greece would need to have a substantial amount of gold reserve as a guarantee to redeem promises to pay depositors, paper money holders, and trading partners. With its lackluster economy, gold is of significant importance if the country decides to leave the eurozone.
Visit us online: diamondandgoldexchangeusa.com


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#Huggies #ClosingDown #AustralianEconomy
Kimberly Clark is closing down their Huggies Factory in Australia and is moving their manufacturing to Asia. Not because of cheaper wages, but in order to access the latest technology and research. We look at the original article from seven and then examine the economic complexity of nappies and the Australia economy. How can we be the innovation nation when we can’t even manufacture nappies?
Huggies to move production to Asia as more than 200 factory workers lose their jobs


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How to Honeymoon in New Zealand
Wanting to take their time soaking in jagged mountains, rolling pastures, steep fjords, pristine lakes, raging rivers and scenic beaches, Indonesians Gwen Winarno and Yudha Budhisurya took a road trip in New Zealand while on honeymoon.
The newlyweds, who co-founded Jakarta’s Pure Foods Company, say that they always had New Zealand as a dream destination. The couple shares their experience, made in early 2017, with The Jakarta Post.
“We decided to pick New Zealand because it happened to be on both our bucket lists and neither of us had been there,” Yudha said. “We decided to experience it for the first time with each other.”
“It’s nature. New Zealand is known for its natural beauty – and that was exactly what we wanted out of the trip, to enjoy nature,” Gwen added.
For their honeymoon, the couple said that they knew off the bat they wanted to be on the road and able to experience the island country at their own pace. As irrepressible foodies, Gwen and Yudha said they were also looking forward to enjoying some of the country’s famous premium produce – and to cooking some of their own meals along the way.
The couple started their trip in Te Anau, on the eastern shore of trout-filled Lake Te Anau, and then drove way through the famous Milford Sound fjord and the resort town of Wanaka near Mount Cook National Park, before spending five nights on the lake in Queenstown, where they rented a bach.
“It’s so much fun cooking if you have the best produce and ingredients in your hands. With a little effort – we only brought olive oil, salt and pepper – we could have just the best steaks and roasts,” Yudha said. Among the many dishes the couple concocted were lamb stews, lamb steaks and pork roasts, all served with winter vegetables.
The 18-day trip was not enough. “We spent two weeks on the South Island and we still feel we haven’t seen enough. A month is maybe enough to cover everything,” Yudha said.
Original article by Andre Arditya, The Jakarta Post, February 10, 2018.
Photo by Gwen Winarno.


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I’ve been doing a project recently that required an estimate of the number of people in Britain who have adopted a vegan diet. There’s no official figure for this that I’m aware of, and so numbers are fairly ad hoc and based on surveys.
For instance, last year there were several headlines around the finding that there are now 3.5 million vegans in Britain – 7% of the population. A more reliable figure comes from Ethical Consumer’s annual report, which suggests 3% are vegan, with 11% vegetarian.
These figures are rising. 3% might not sound like much, but it’s a 153% rise on 2016. Ugly portmanteau notwithstanding, Veganuary has captured people’s imaginations and participation this year is likely to be even higher. With every passing year, it becomes easier to be vegan. More options appear on menus, more products on supermarket shelves, more recipe books, bloggers and chefs to learn from. It hasn’t gone unnoticed. The meat industry is debating its response. This month the Spectator ran a front page feature titled ‘The war on meat has begun – and the vegans are winning comfortably’.
How many people does it take to reach a tipping point? Studies vary from 10 to 25%, so we may be a little way off the vegan revolution that’s got the Spectator quaking. Add vegetarians to that though, and a shift in attitudes seems imminent.
I doubt the change will be a mass shift away from meat eating. It’s more likely that the shift will be around the social acceptability of plant-based diets. The vegan jokes will tire. The idea that men have something to prove by eating meat will look increasingly silly. People will stop accusing vegans and vegetarians of being attention seeking or pious. More and more of us will respect friends and colleagues who choose an alternative diet, rather than ridiculing their decision or endlessly quizzing them about it.
We can already see the market forces changing already, and it’s not hard to see why. If 14% of adults are no longer eating meat, that’s potentially a significant dip in profits for the meat industry. And that’s just those that have given it up entirely. That’s reduced sales in the supermarkets, and they’ll want to make up for that loss by strengthening their vegan offer. It’s a large enough group of people now that fast food chains are competing for it. Vegans are a sector of consumer spending that has to be taken seriously.
Whether or not you are vegan or vegetarian or, like me, eat a less precise plant-based diet, this shift in Britain’s food culture is good news. It’s good for our health, good for animal welfare, and good for the climate.
- Feature image by Lauren Lester


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In a bold move that has garnered attention worldwide, Switzerland has announced its decision to ban electric vehicles (EVs) within its borders. This unexpected development has raised numerous questions and concerns. In this article, we’ll delve into the rationale behind Switzerland’s decision and explore the timeline for implementing this ban.
Switzerland Banning Electric Vehicles Environmental Paradox
The Perception of Sustainability
At first glance, Switzerland’s ban on electric vehicles might appear counterintuitive to its reputation as a sustainability-focused nation. After all, EVs are widely considered a greener alternative to traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles due to their reduced emissions and lower carbon footprint.
Addressing the Battery Challenge
However, the ban stems from concerns over the environmental impact of electric vehicle batteries. While EVs themselves emit fewer greenhouse gases during operation, the manufacturing and disposal of lithium-ion batteries present unique challenges. These batteries require rare earth minerals and pose a disposal problem, which Switzerland aims to address by preventing their proliferation within its borders.
Switzerland Banning Electric Vehicles Energy Strain
Power Grid Limitations
Another pivotal reason for Switzerland’s decision is its energy infrastructure. The country’s power grid is primarily fed by hydroelectric dams and nuclear power plants. The growing demand for electricity, driven by the increasing popularity of electric vehicles, has strained the energy supply system. The ban is a proactive measure to ensure that the country’s power grid can continue to support its population without overburdening the energy generation capabilities.
Switzerland Banning Electric Vehicles Timing of the Ban
A Long-Term Strategy
Switzerland’s ban on electric vehicles is not an abrupt decision; rather, it’s part of a long-term strategy. The government has set a timeline that allows car manufacturers, consumers, and the energy sector ample time to adjust to the new regulations. This timeline includes incentives for research and development of more sustainable battery technologies.
The ban also serves as a catalyst for innovation in the automotive industry. By restricting the use of conventional EVs, Switzerland is encouraging manufacturers to explore alternative propulsion methods such as hydrogen fuel cells and sustainable biofuels.
Switzerland Banning Electric Vehicles Economic Implications
Impact on the Auto Industry
Critics argue that the ban may have negative economic implications, particularly for the domestic automobile industry. The ban could lead to job losses in the EV manufacturing sector and potentially hinder technological progress in the country.
Shifting Economic Focus
Proponents of the ban believe that the economic focus will shift towards developing sustainable transportation solutions that align with the country’s commitment to environmental conservation. This shift could lead to the creation of new job opportunities in emerging green industries.
Switzerland Banning Electric Vehicles FAQs
- What exactly does Switzerland’s ban on electric vehicles entail?Switzerland’s ban on electric vehicles means that the sale, registration, and use of conventional electric cars will be prohibited within the country.
- Will hybrid vehicles also be affected by the ban?The ban primarily targets fully electric vehicles. Hybrid vehicles that combine electric and traditional combustion engines may still be permitted, depending on their environmental impact.
- How will Switzerland’s ban affect the global electric vehicle market?While Switzerland’s market is relatively small, its ban could influence other countries to reevaluate their approach to EVs and stimulate further innovation in the automotive industry.
- Are there any exceptions to the ban?Some exceptions might be made for specific industries or purposes, such as electric vehicles used for medical or emergency services.
- How will Switzerland’s ban impact its citizens’ daily lives?Citizens will need to transition to alternative forms of transportation, such as public transit, bicycles, or potential new technologies that emerge as a response to the ban.
Switzerland’s decision to ban electric vehicles is a multifaceted one, driven by concerns over battery-related environmental impact, energy infrastructure limitations, and a desire to promote sustainable innovation. While the ban presents challenges, it also offers opportunities for the country to lead in the development of alternative transportation technologies. As the world watches Switzerland’s journey, it raises important questions about the future of mobility and sustainability.
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Homeware retailer Habitat unveiled a new advertising campaign on TV last week.
Following the success of its last campaign entitled ‘The Kiss’, ‘Habitat Voyeur’ broke last Wednesday (April 5) on Channel 4 and will run for one month.
Founded on the premise that people can’t help themselves from looking into the homes of others, the 30-second spot is shot from the perspective of a Habitat voyeur looking into somebody’s apartment.
Watching a woman and her dog as she frantically looks for the perfect outfit, the voyeur isn’t interested in the goings-on but is, instead, captivated by The Lyle Sofa.
Under the strapline ‘you can’t help but look’ the campaign reflects our nation’s obsession with interiors.
The push and forms part of an integrated campaign covering digital, in-store, and social media.
Jocelyn Dowden, head of marketing for Habitat, commented: “We know that customers love our brand for its statement pieces designed with a sense of fun, and we’ve created another stand-out campaign that celebrates this – and reflects our customers’ obsession with all things home and interiors.
“Following the success of [previous campaigns] ‘The Kiss’ and ‘Home Alone’, we’ve continued our investment in TV advertising to support the current expansion of the Habitat brand across the UK.”
Habitat operates three flagship stores in London and Mini Habitat stores across the UK, as well as www.habitat.co.uk. Habitat has been owned by J Sainsbury plc since September 2016.


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The ongoing antitrust fight between Epic Games and Apple has disclosed yet another set of details. This time, it's a data dump on the number of applications submitted to Apple's App Store –and rejected.
The documentation is intended to demonstrate how Apple's review process works and that, despite the large number of apps submitted to the digital storefront, the vast majority of them are rejected.
In reality, Apple's app review process blocked more applications between 2017 and 2019 than the year before. In 2017, the average rate of rejection was 33%. The next year, the number jumped to 35%, and in 2019, the total rejection rate for the evaluation process was 36%.
Even so, the number of apps submitted to the App Store on a daily basis is staggering.
According to MacRumors, Apple received an average of 5 million app submissions between 2017 and 2019. Apple received 5,176,583 software submissions in 2017 and rejected 1,694,664 of them. After developers submitted 4,793,826 apps, the review process rejected 1,697,787 of them in 2018. Finally, in 2019, 4,808,685 apps were submitted, with 1,747,278 being rejected.
The following is an excerpt from today's report:
"According to Apple's documentation, the App Store receives 100,000 submissions every week, which are handled by 500 Apple-hired human experts. Apps are reviewed by Apple-designed software to search for malware and policy breaches before being sent to a human reviewer.
"Mercury, a testing tool that allows Apple to see inside apps and search for secret code or violence, runs through static and dynamic analysis methods, and there are other review tools that Apple has dubbed "Magellan" and "Columbus." After automated testing, apps are reviewed by humans."
Apple Marketing Director Trystan Kosmynka was the subject of some cross-examination. They were specifically questioned about how mistakes in the evaluation process led to scam apps being made available in the App Store. When asked if the review process is futile, Kosmynka responded that it isn't, but that Apple must continue to improve.
For the better part of the morning, Apple marketing director Trystan Kosmynka was grilled, and Epic lawyers brought up a hot topic: App Store errors. Kosmynka was questioned about some of the applications that make it through the review phase, such as a school shooting app that he claimed he was "dumbfounded" had been overlooked in an email.
When asked if the app review process is pointless because of errors made sometimes, Kosmynka responded that all it means is that Apple must "continuously improve." He claims that Apple is constantly working to close loopholes and that without app inspection, iOS will be a "free for all" that would be "very dangerous to consumers and children."
The Epic vs. Apple trial will be extended for two more weeks, with the first week ending today. During the third week, Apple CEO Tim Cook and other executives are scheduled to testify.
The App Store's popularity has become a double-edged sword for Apple, especially in terms of the review process. With such a high number of apps being submitted regularly, it seems reasonable to assume that some of them would be problematic. Despite this, many people seem to believe Apple should have a perfect accuracy score.


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CVS execs unveil health and beauty makeover for stores
NEW YORK — On the heels of its decision more than a year ago to pull the plug on tobacco products and rebrand the company as CVS Health, executives are now rethinking every aspect of the store to ensure that it not only reflects the company’s broader commitment to healthcare and but also delivers on what customers have come to expect from its pharmacy locations.
To showcase just how the health and beauty makeovers are playing out within the store, CVS Health executives met with Drug Store News Wednesday morning at a newly renovated CVS/pharmacy nestled in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood for a closer look.
“As we became CVS Health, we also had to raise the bar for ourselves and our customers and really ask the question, ‘Why did we exist and what could we do to help them be healthier?’” said Helena Foulkes, EVP of CVS Health and president of CVS/pharmacy.
The store format, which will roll out this year to roughly 500 stores across the country, brings to life several strategic themes previously outlined by CVS Health to further grow the front-store business:
- Better health made easy
- Elevate beauty
- Customer-driven personalization
- MyCVS store
- Digital innovation
Better health made easy is perhaps most evident upon entering the store as shoppers immediately see the store’s bolstered selection of on-the-go healthy foods. Situated in the store’s former photo section, shoppers will now find refrigerated units packed with healthy, on-the go snacks. The company has added more than 500 items to the section, including such well-known brands as Chobani yogurt, Kind snack and Panera soups. Also, in many of the stores the front aisle of bagged candy has been converted to healthy snacks like nuts.
“We know that customers are changing how they shop, behave and eat. They are no longer sitting down for three meals a day but are snacking through the day and they want a place that is convenient where they can snack in a healthy way,” Foulkes told Drug Store News.
Looking to better compete with specialty rivals like Sephora and further build on its strong heritage within health and beauty, the company is also rethinking the beauty shopping experience.
Shopping the cosmetics wall, for example, is easier than ever, complete with mirrors and “hot spots” that showcase on a monthly basis “what’s hot” in beauty. The store also features upgraded endcaps and displays to further elevate the shopping experience.
“I think that all of it, including the skin care work, allows us to elevate our brand and give her a better shopping experience and also show her that, being CVS Health, we’re particularly good at the things that she would expect us to be, especially around taking healthy care of herself as she thinks about beauty,” Foulkes said.
Added Alex Perez-Tenessa, VP, beauty and personal care, “What we are trying to do in the beauty department is respond to her unique needs as a customer. This is an area where she is looking for inspiration and she is looking for fun and excitement and we want to make sure that our customer finds what’s new and exciting easily in our store.”
Drug stores have typically been known for sick care; however, that is changing. Today, consumers are taking a more active role in their healthcare decisions and are increasingly searching for ways to take care of themselves proactively.
This is a shift that has certainly not gone unnoticed at CVS Health. In the new store format, shoppers will see an enhanced focus on proactive healthcare in such areas as women’s wellness and wound care.
“We are trying to help educate her right at the shelf so she can make some really good decisions for herself,” Foulkes said. One area in which the company has tried to raise the bar is in women’s wellness, where it has expanded offerings to provide a wider range of solutions to address the different stages of a woman’s life — not just prenatal but also post-natal; not just products to help manage menopause but also, perimenopause, Judy Sansone, SVP, front store business, told DSN.
“It is another great example of customers being proactive about their health and really taking self-care of conditions they are experiencing,” she said.
Sansone also noted that the company is working on a program with the Arthritis Foundation that helps customers identify the range of products available in store, both OTC and non-OTC, to help customer suffering with arthritis.
Meanwhile, in wound care CVS Health recently bolstered its family of exclusive CVS/pharmacy store brands with the new, exclusive Hospital Series wound care line.
“As we look to continue to strengthen our brand, we are looking to do some more innovative things in our core categories. The CVS/pharmacy brand is actually the No. 1 brand in our stores and as we think about it in our core categories first aid is a great example,” said Cia Tucci, VP, store brands. “We just recently launched an expanded wound care line, which is an exclusive relationship with a supplier who specializes in hospital-grade wound care. … This is one way we are strengthening the core of our brand and we are really excited about this.”
Previously, these types of wound care options were only available at hospitals and select specialty medical stores, Tucci explained. Enhanced by Safetac technology adhesive, CVS/pharmacy Hospital Series wound care dressings, bandages and scar treatments are designed to reduce both the pain and tissue damage associated with wound management.
Tucci also noted that, within core OTC categories, the company is working to rebrand its store brands to the CVS Health moniker. The rebranding will take place across 19 categories and just under 3,000 items.
“The takeaway is we are really trying to bring the best of our learnings and customer insights and bring something that is very relevant to the customer where she is, all within the framework of knowing that, first and foremost, we are CVS Health,” said Foulkes. “We are very focused on pharmacy and healthcare and the role the front store is really to invite those customers in and make them feel comfortable and ultimately serve them around their pharmacy needs.”
DSN will feature the complete interview with Foulkes, Sansone, Perez-Tenessa and Tucci in a special edition of its video series, DSNTV Store Tours, premiering next week on drugstorenews.com.
Menasha recognized for Coty Sally Hansen Miracle Gel display
NEENAH, Wis. — Menasha has announced that, during the Point of Purchase Advertising International’s 2nd Annual East Coast POP-UP Creative Gallery held in late May, it won a POP-UP Creative Award for its Coty Sally Hansen Miracle Gel family display.
“This is the first time Menasha has participated in the East Coast POP-UP Creative Gallery, and it’s an honor to be recognized by our peers in the point-of-purchase (POP) industry,” stated Dennis Bonn, VP of marketing at Menasha. “Menasha takes pride in delivering innovative and effective retail promotional solutions that go beyond our customers’ expectations.”
Menasha was awarded Bronze for its Coty Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Family display. Menasha developed the display for multiple locations to promote the launch of the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel.
“Thanks to these displays, Sally Hansen had its first eight weeks of consecutive growth since 2012,” stated Frank Intinolli, senior manager, display development for Coty. “We are fortunate to have partnered with Menasha to ensure a successful launch of this product line.”
Menasha competed against approximately 30 other displays during the East Coast POP-UP Creative Gallery. Attendees were encouraged to text-to-vote for their favorite displays in both 2-D Design Board and 3-D Display Categories. POPAI presented a Gold, Silver and Bronze Award in both categories.
East Coast POP-UP Creative Gallery is a regional POPAI event that showcases in-store marketing executions and the innovation happening in the POP industry. Menasha was also a sponsor of this year’s event.
Study: Nearly half of beauty shoppers turned to mass for beauty in 2014
DENVER — Mass retailers still reign supreme when it comes to stocking up on beauty products. That’s according to the findings of an ongoing shopper behavior study conducted by The Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research.
"The popularity of this channel is most likely due to the variety of product assortment as well as price points provided by mass beauty," stated Craig Elston, EVP of Insight & Strategy at The Integer Group. "Beauty is a category that is personal and fun and comes with an expectation from shoppers that there is an experience that goes along with it."
According to the findings, 42.5% of total beauty shoppers turned to mass retailers for their beauty needs in 2014 — a slight decrease from 43.7% the previous year.
However, despite upgrades to the beauty aisle at both Target and Walmart, shoppers haven't quite latched on to the idea of "mass-tige," according to the report. Beauty mavens continue to seek out upscale beauty experiences elsewhere. Department stores, such as Nordstrom and Macy's, saw the biggest increase in shoppers looking for their beauty needs. Shoppers said it's because department stores offer high-quality products, all of the products they are looking for, and they get to try before they buy. Those reasons are also what draw shoppers to specialty beauty. The study also shows more people buying beauty purchases through Amazon.com, with the percentage doubling in 2014.
Overall, few shoppers conduct online research to find the best beauty products for them. But for those who do conduct online beauty research, they are turning to search engines. Women conduct the most online research in the category, and, aside from search engines, they rely on retailer web sites, brand web sites, and beauty blogs for information. Males rely on retailer and brand web sites, equally, and then turn to magazine web sites. Social media remains the least used resource, according to the study. However, women drive the use of Pinterest as a beauty resource.


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After Confections bakery in Texas posted a picture to Facebook of its heart-shaped rainbow iced cookies with the caption “Happy Pride to all our LGBTQ friends! All lovers of cookies and happiness are welcome here,” the backlash was instant and predictable. One client immediately canceled a large order of cookies, apparently leaving a very hateful message in the process, and a significant number of their online followers unsubscribed as well.
Because the canceled order was already finished, Confections decided to make another Facebook post letting people know what had happened in response to their pride post and that, as a result, the shop had an excess of summer-themed cookies available that day.
The response was overwhelming. In addition to the flood of supportive comments online, there were so many customers the next day that the line for the bakery stretched around the block.
The internet’s outrage over the homophobic way they’d been treated had sent them so many customers they ended up having to close up an hour early, as people had bought out every single baked good in the store. The same thing happened the next day as well, with customers arriving too late to snap up some sweets even trying to donate directly to the store. Dawn and Miranda, the sisters who own the bakery, instead encouraged their supportive customers to donate the money to local animal shelters instead. “In the 11 years we’ve been open we’ve never seen anything quite like this,” Dawn wrote in a Facebook post.
It wasn’t just people in driving distance who wanted to buy their cookies either—people all across the U.S. flooded the sisters with requests for mail-order delivery. Unfortunately for them, the sisters had already tried mail-order and discovered that their cookies didn’t stand up to the bumpy ride, but it did give them another charitable idea. Though they don’t plan on offering cross-country delivery, they are planning on setting up a system that lets people pay for a cookie donation to local nursing homes and charities, with tentative plans for it to go live after Father’s Day.
The bakery did receive some pushback from the LGTBQ+ community, however, over their choice to give the donations to animal charities rather than organizations that help the LGTBQ+ communities. Given the discrimination faced by LGTBQ+ Texans, it felt wrong to some people that money raised in response to a homophobic incident, during Pride month no less, should be used to benefit other groups.
Co-owner Miranda has a response to that, however, commenting on one of their original posts that “LGBTQ folks love animals too. We DID NOT MAKE ANYONE donate to animal rescues, the people chose to do so. Love all y’all! Amazingness.”
We have reached out to Confections and will update this article if they respond.


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Nintendo bossman Satoru Iwata has said that N64’s Majora’s Mask was a “turning point” for Nintendo, giving the company a “glimpse” of compact gameplay of the future.
“The ‘Three-Day System’, the idea of a compact world to be played over and over again, came down from Miyamoto-san and one other director, (Yoshiaki) Koizumi-san,” explained Zelda’s Eiji Aonuma in the latest edition of Iwata Asks. “We added that to the mix, and then, finally, we saw the full substance of a The Legend of Zelda game we could make in one year.”
“Actually, I feel as though, back then, we were given a glimpse of the concept that ‘Deep, compact play is one form of the games of the future’,” added Iwata. “I think in that sense, as a product, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask was a big turning point for Nintendo.”
Those who are not lucky enough to still own a N64 system can get the game via the Virtual Console.


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The USD 35 billion Indian footwear industry has become an attractive destination for many global players. Growing at a CAGR of 15 per cent, the industry is likely to touch USD 60 billion mark by 2015, reveals ASSOCHAM report. While international brands largely dominate the higher end of the spectrum, the lower end of the market is dominated by home-grown as well as unorganised players.
Emerging Trends in the Market
Indian consumers have become more fashion and brand conscious. Due to fast changing fashion trends young professionals tend to update their footwear collection every two to three months and maintain a separate budget of their salary only for shoe shopping.
Stressing that Indian footwear market is dominated by the men's segment, Alok Rai, Director, Milano Impex (owns two brands Egle & Louis Alberti) says, “The prime reason is merely because they have a tendency to not indulge in buying quantity whereas the women tend to spend lesser in comparison to men as they indulge in buying volumes.”
There is a demand of unique and quality products. Nissan Joseph, General Manager, Crocs India, shares, “Crocs, in a short period of five years has gained immense popularity in India and is known for its vibrant colors, comfort and innovative styling.”
Sanjeev Agrawal, Managing Director, Skechers South Asia, says, “There is an increase in demand for high performance footwear, and this is what made brand Skechers enter India. We are also working on categories such as sandals and slippers in the open toes category to suit the requirements of the Indian market in the casual footwear range.”
Online footwear shopping is also a fast emerging trend and currently accounts for about 8 per cent of the overall industry and is expected to reach nearly 20 per cent by 2015.
The online format also gives buffer on test marketing before serving in their early stages. American Swan, Flipkart, Snapdeal and Yebhi.com are the customised solution for discount and online purchase. US-based Vans Shoes has tied-up with online portal myntra.com to widen its consumer reach.
Brands such as Steve Madden, Lotto, Hush Puppies and Puma chose to license the brand, while others like Pavers England, Gucci, Reebok and Adidas formed joint ventures with Indian partners. Over time, few decided to move their existing entities into wholly owned subsidiaries.
Brands are also using franchising options to present in India. Crocs India recently opened its 30th store at Khan Market, New Delhi. “Opening of the store in a premium location is a part of our strategic growth plan where we want to be easily accessible to our target group and also showcase our wide and latest range of products.” The company is using franchise format in India and looking to expand in tier I and II cities.
Anand Rajput, Store Manager, Geox has similar experience at Khan Market store. “This is a happening place for the upper segment shopaholics due to its posh location.”
Format Strategy: MBO vs EBO
According to Joseph, “The retail market is high on competition, so it always keeps you alive. Here it is needed to adapt innovative formats to meet customer’s preference. Retailers more often choose MBOs, which is an increasing trend whereas EBO is the face of the brand.”
Asking about the best suited format for footwear companies, Rai states, “Since we need to ensure our reach to target audience, presence is mall is more desirable.”
Indian footwear market is seeing remarkable growth. Going forward, not only do we see more global brands customising their product range for Indian flavour, but India also becoming the testing ground and an inspirational source for global product range.


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KAI RYSSDAL: The President’s going to be up bright and early Monday morning. He’s off for what’ll probably be his last major trip to Europe. Expectations are that he’ll get a reasonably warm reception at big U.S.-European summit meeting, and that one of the most bitter trade disputes between the two sides might actually be settled. From the European Desk in London, Marketplace’s Stephen Beard reports.
STEPHEN BEARD: The Europeans are terribly finicky about food. They have banned a string of American farm products, like hormone-treated beef and genetically modified corn. They’ve banned American chickens, expressing horror at the way they’re processed.
Andrew Bounds is with The Financial Times:
ANDREW BOUNDS: You know, I’ve heard hair-raising descriptions from officials in the Commission of just how these birds are sort of allowed to wallow in their entrails until they are basically dunked in a bath of chlorine.
But there has been recent talk of the ban on chlorine-washed chicken being lifted next week. That looks a little premature. Nevetheless, Sean Rickard, an agricultluiral economist, says European governments are beginning to change their minds about other American farm exports.
SEAN RICKARD: They’re going to, I think, take a much more relaxed attitude towards genetically modified crops in the future. And they’re going to be much happier to import genetically-modified animal feed.
He says the soaring feed prices are hurting European livestock farmers, and they are clamoring for the cheaper genetically modified varieties:
RICKARD: And I think this time next year we’ll see a very different attitude from European governments towards modern farming techniques and, in particular, genetically modifed technology.
When President Bush dines with European leaders in Slovenia next week, chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-treated beef probably won’t be on the menu. But if the price of food continues to rise, the Europeans may soon find cheap American farm produce irresistible.
In London, this is Stephen Beard for Marketplace.
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Tim Hunt, the English biochemist who won the 2001 Nobel Prize in physiology, stood in front of a room packed with the world’s brightest, most progressive female scientists and addressed his reputation as a male chauvinist. “Let me tell you about my trouble with girls… three things happen when they are in the lab…You fall in love with them, they fall in love with you and when you criticize them, they cry.” Hunt’s patronizing remarks at the 2015 World Conference of Science Journalists, hosted by the Korean Women’s Federation of Science and Technology, left both men and women, scientists and nonscientists, talking about women’s position in the scientific field. Female scientists across the globe posted pictures on Twitter of themselves at work, draped in long, white lab coats that covered their curves and large, safety masks that hid half their faces, with the ironic hashtag “distractingly sexy.”
Comments like Hunts’ may be part of the reason that, although women make up 58 percent of the overall workforce, they hold less than 25 percent of jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The US Department of Commerce found that only one in seven engineers is female. The gross inequality that is the low number of women in STEM illustrates a greater, historic residue of sexism fixed to the under-belly of many STEM fields.
While many scientific departments are trying to woo girls into picking up a pipette, the feeling isn’t always mutual, and studies have shown that women’s disinterest is correlated to their early experiences with math and science. While girls make up 56 percent of all AP test-takers, they make up only 19 percent of AP Computer Science test takers. This trend continues into college where two percent of male freshmen list computer science as their intended major, while only 0.3 percent of females select computer science as their concentration.
Many toy companies are taking this challenge to heart, believing that it is their social responsibility to help get more girls involved in STEM. Unfortunately, many of these companies are doing so by perpetuating gender stereotypes; luring girls in with pastel colors and beauty norms. Take, for example, the Lovely Lip-Balm kit by Science Explorer, where you can learn “cool spa science.” Or maybe you’d prefer the Bubble Bath Science Lab, where you can make your own smelly concoction by mixing together essential oils; “it’s real chemistry,” the packaging promises. The Magnificent Manicure Kit will leave you with beautiful hands for lab work while the Perfume Science Kit will let you freshen up between experiments. If those don’t satisfy your complicated lady needs, you can also try the Luxury Soap Science Lab, so you’ll have “designer soap” on hand to clean yourself, or the kitchen. And if you just aren’t that into cosmetic science, well then the Stylin’ Studio by Girl Tech is just right for you. This digital camera that connects to your laptop will supposedly teach you computer skills by photoshopping pictures of yourself. Because if you can’t achieve beauty through the cosmetic science kits, you can at least fake it with this one!
Marketing the princess complex to young girls, companies have smugly convinced themselves that they are growing the next generation of scientists, when all they are doing is propagating stereotypes and creating a new sect of dumbed down, girl science. A leader in the pushback against products that stress appearance alongside ability, Melissa Atkins Wardy, founder of Pigtail Pals & Ballcap Buddies, a company attempting to redefine girly through apparel, believes that using stereotypes to sell STEM to girls is “the equivalent of covering broccoli in melted, processed cheese and thinking we’ve served a healthy meal.” Wardy argues that when we use beauty norms to sell STEM toys to girls “we fool ourselves into thinking we are amazing and progressive and raising an incredible generation of female engineers, however we continue to sell our girls short.”
It isn’t just the big brand companies that are marketing on shiny, pink platforms promising beauty. Jewelbots, founded by computer science majors Sara Chipps and Brooke Moreland, sells friendship bracelets that supposedly teach girls to code by plugging in simple equations that then “light up when a BFF is near.” Jewelbots’ science blog consists of do-it-yourself food facials, nail polish, and mason jar organizers. While there is definitely a distinction between the cosmetic science kits, which simply reinforce gender roles, and Jewelbots bracelets, which appear to impart actual knowledge to its user, it is nevertheless disheartening to see accomplished female scientists such as Chipps and Brooke market gender-specific products to the next generation after having suffered the challenges of being a woman in the field themselves.
Marketing that values beauty norms alongside intelligence certainly reinforces regressive gender roles, but is it necessary in order to intrigue our young female audience? Debbie Sterline, the CEO of Goldieblox, an engineering tool set for girls, argues yes, saying, “I don’t want to propagate gender stereotypes, but the fact is that boys and girls are different.” Sterline, who has extensively studied the playing habits of boys and girls, says that girls are more inclined to play with a purpose “rather than just building for building, girls have a tendency to prefer playing with characters, themes, and stories.” But there has been no evidence to suggest that these characters, themes, and stories have to be princess ones. Proponents of segregated markets believe gender-neutrality would eliminate choice, leaving children to play with boring grey blocks. However, removing categorizations is not synonymous with decreasing variety; in the entire Sears catalog ads from 1975, less than two percent of toys were marketed to either gender. Jess Day, a campaigner for Let Toys Be Toys, an organization dedicated to erasing gender marketing, states that the increase in gendered toys stems from the top of large corporations (as opposed to consumer preferences), whose aim is to increase demand by creating products that are less likely to be handed down from a female child to a male child.
While gendering products may be a marketing technique that aims to increase demand it has effectively convinced girls they need to play with toys that promote domesticity and passivity. Studies have found that girls and boys don’t innately gravitate towards certain products; this interest is cultivated through the flawed ways we promote gender. Lise Eliot, an associate professor of neuroscience at Chicago Medical School of Rosalind Franklin University, is the author of Pink Brain, Blue Brain, a book that analyzes cerebral differences in each sex. Eliot cites only two main distinctions in the male brain: boys are exposed to increased testosterone levels in the womb, which is linked to squirminess; and boys have a prolonged development of the frontal lobe, which is linked to impulse control and attention. Ultimately, Eliot concludes that these variations do not suggest intrinsic dissimilarities in the way boys and girls play. “The boy-girl differences are not hardwired into young children,” she says, suggesting that the divide instead stems from the way we socialize gender.
Encouraging girls to get involved in STEM can go a long way as early exposure is key in sparking interest, but we must be cautious in our approaches, being wary of turning lab coats into gowns. While some companies should be commended for their efforts to expose girls to STEM, their creations don’t disrupt the pink aisle; they assume gender stereotypes and thus reinforce the notion that all other products are specifically male, creating a very fixed and limited space for this new “girl science,” and distinguishing it from “boy science.” These companies seem most concerned with grabbing girls’ attention, but where is she to turn after she has exhausted their princess products and is ready for more complex toys? Well, the answer to that remains the boy’s aisle.
The crux of this issue is that these young women (and men) must learn to collaborate because eventually they will be studying and working in environments that are not gender segregated. What better way to ensure this partnership than by fostering it through toys that boys and girls can play with together? If we wish the STEM fields to be as open to girls as they are to boys, then the toys that we provide our future scientists with should reflect this same equality.
EVE ZELICKSON B’19 is sick of the princess complex.


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East Coast International Trucks (ECI) has opened a new location on Union Rd. in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
The new 11,400 sq.-ft.. full-service facility includes a six-bay service shop, a large parts warehouse and showroom with drivers’ amenities. ECI says the dealership also is a Cummins engine warranty-approved dealer, fully staffed with certified technicians, experienced parts personnel and offers after hours emergency service.
“This is our fourth location for ECI and we couldn’t be happier to expand our territory,” says David Lockhart, president, East Coast International Trucks. “We recognize the potential market and customer demands in Prince Edward Island, and we are eager to finally be able to service our PEI customers locally, as well as build new customer relationships”.
ECI says the location officially opened on April 12. The company plans to celebrate the opening of the new facility virtually at a later date.


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REACTOR incubator aims to gamify everyday life
New funding opportunity for computer game start-ups and SMEs at Anglia Ruskin offshoot
The REACTOR project, which is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Anglia Ruskin University, launched the city's newest incubator at Compass House on Friday.
The aim of the Incubator Space is to"harness the power of games to create innovative solutions for human problems".
A total of £1million is available to support and encourage the growth of the games sector into new marketplaces. SMEs and start-ups in the Peterborough and Cambridgeshire region will be able to access one-to-one advice along with"specific support to create a new applied games product or service, and apply for a REACTOR grant of £1,200 to £6,000". Business growth and product development advice and mentoring is also available.
The REACTOR project, which has been going for just a year, has confirmed Anglia Ruskin University's key role in the development of the games ecosystem in Cambridge.
"REACTOR can provide business support from initial concept right the way through to product launch,said Dr Jan Storgards, REACTOR project director.
"The official opening of the Incubator Space will be a great opportunity to learn more about joining our unique community of games producers, developers and entrepreneurs."
The Incubator Space is aimed at the wider business community rather than the academic world.
"The incubator is run out of the university but SMEs and start-ups are the beneficiaries rather than the students,said Dr Storgards just before the opening ceremony.
Speakers on the opening evening included Sam Goodall, international projects manager at Cambridge Cleantech; Pete Jenkins, founder of of Gamification+; Abhi Naha, chief commercial officer of Cambridge Wireless; and James Shepherd, founder and CEO of Cypherdelic, who previously ran Sony's games studio in the city.
"I call Cypherdelic a bioscientific game,said Dr Storgards."James has been in the games industry for four years. The game shows you how to build a sea monster from a single cell, it's one of the best examples where gamification is hidden in the program. You go on the journey and learn about life science on the way."
"It's not about making games,said James Shepherd in his talk,"it's about using technology to augment non-game experiences."
The opportunity to network resulted in a full house on a Friday evening.
"Daniel Clarke (smart city programme manager for Smart Cambridge) is also here,said Dr Storgards."They can give support to start-ups, so if you have an idea of how to use data for infrastructure we can find people to work with you."
The Incubator Space, which is based at Compass House, is the hub for this inter-disciplinary mix.
"We are taking the positive, optimistic side of gaming and applying it into new settings,Dr Storgards said."People are learning about consuming goods and services in a more enjoyable way - this means better engagement and a better experience."