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Who knows your family, friends and loved ones better than you? A computer might, it turns out, if it studied those people’s Facebook “likes”.
That’s according to new research that shows computers are better than humans at judging personalities – and based solely on what they give a thumbs up to. The implications for industries from marketing to career counseling are huge: insight into a person’s intimate traits can help political parties tailor ads to win votes, or help career counselors provide better vocational recommendations to students, according to Stanford Graduate School of Business assistant professor Michal Kosinski, who conducted the research.
The study reveals the major advantages computers have over humans in being able to combine millions of pieces of information at once and make a prediction based off of the information, and their ability to judge without biases.
But the research also raises questions about privacy, because people are not usually aware that their seemingly benign “likes” on Facebook can be turned into predictions of intimate behavior. “People don’t fully comprehend how much information can be inferred about them, even if they’re not giving it out in an obvious way,” Mr. Kosinski said.
A computer needs the data from only 10 Facebook “likes” to beat the accuracy of a person’s coworker at judging his or her personality traits, such as extraversion, conscientiousness and neuroticism. The computer needs 70 “likes” to be more accurate than a person’s friends. With 250 Facebook data points, the computer can beat someone’s spouse.
That may sound like a huge number—250—but people click the “like” button quite a lot, according to Mr. Kosinski. He and two colleagues, Wu Youyou and David Stillwell from the University of Cambridge, published their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences earlier this year.
This study built off earlier research from 2013, when the group of researchers developed a model that predicted a broad range of people’s preferences and behavior, such as drug use, according to the Facebook “likes” of 6 million people. Here is a demo of their models that you can apply to your own Facebook profile—the program can only see your “likes” that are not private. (To change the privacy settings for your “likes” on Facebook, go to your “about” page, click on “more” and then “likes” and select the pencil labeled “manage” and choose “edit privacy”.)
Mr. Kosinski recently chatted with The Wall Street Journal about why it matters that computer models are better than humans at judging personalities. Edited excerpts:
Your paper says computer models are more accurate than humans at judging personalities. Seriously? How do you know?
From our earlier study, we had a computer model that predicted the personalities of people from their Facebook “likes”. To illustrate the accuracy of the algorithm for this study, we asked about 50,000 humans to evaluate the personalities of others—friends, spouses and coworkers. Then we compared the humans’ accuracy with the accuracy of the computer model.
Our computer model was very accurate, compared with humans, but we know that the data we used—Facebook “likes”—are not the best digital footprint we could have used to make personality predictions. Browsing the Internet, you visit websites that might be very telling about your intimate traits that you would never “like” and share on Facebook. If we based our same predictions on your browsing history, or your purchase record—you don’t boast on Facebook about everything you buy—our predictions could be even more accurate.
If browsing history and purchase records are more informative about people’s personalities, why did you study Facebook “likes”?
From an ethical point of view, it is much easier to study Facebook data than other types of digital footprint. It would be much more intrusive to install software on people’s computers to track their web browsing for research, and the ethical clearances would be far more complicated. When people donated their Facebook “likes” to this research, they weren’t contributing anything really intimate.
Companies and government institutions, however, aren’t limited by the internal review boards of academic institutions. Your web-browsing history, visa purchasing records, loyalty-card records, all of these are recorded and analyzed. People don’t realize that every website they see, regardless of whether they are in incognito mode, is stored by their Internet service provider, by their web browser, by their government, by a number of marketing companies.
Why does it matter that computer models are better at predicting personalities than humans?
There are advantages to being able to predict your intimate traits: Netflix and Pandora, for example, improve your entertainment suggestions by observing your digital behavior. But there’s also a lot of room for manipulation. If I as a company want to sell you something, and I already know your psychological traits, I can produce a far more convincing marketing message to talk you into buying something that you don’t need. Or think of the employees of a company working in places that aren’t so liberal. Local security forces, or even corporate competitors, could figure out which employee is gay, or which is atheist. This could impact the safety of the employees.
Then there are rogue individuals. They now have information that used to be reserved to very powerful institutions and government-run intelligence services. For example, I have access to all my friends’ Facebook “likes”, and with the computer model, I can predict their sexuality, their political views, etc. I’m not doing it, because I think it’s not ethical.
Are you concerned about your own digital footprint? Have you changed your online behavior?
Not at all. There’s no escape. Even if I close my Facebook account, and I wipe my laptop every month to make sure no one is tracking me, I still have my credit card, and my smartphone records my whereabouts. I think we have to accept that we are living in a world where much more is known about us than previously.


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Market Commentary and Intraday News
News Summary: Amazon meets tiny 2Q profit estimate
327 days ago
By The Associated Press
A PENNY PER: Online retailer Amazon.com Inc. matched Wall Street's second-quarter profit forecasts for a penny per share. Shares rose about 1 percent in after-hours trade.
COSTLY WAREHOUSES: The company says profits are being hurt by the losses related to a warehouse technology company it purchased called Kiva Systems Inc. It is also building out fulfillment centers ahead of the holidays.
EXPENSIVE EARNINGS: Analysts polled by FactSet expect Amazon to earn $1.17 per share this year. That means shares are trading at a whopping 190 times earnings. Apple's shares cost 13 times earnings while Google's cost 14 times.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Steam Whistle Brewery and the Toronto Blue Jays are good neighbours — the beer company sits across Bremner Blvd. from the Rogers Centre, and co-founder Greg Taylor says game days have his place packed with beer-drinking fans.
But they’re no longer business partners. The Jays have terminated their agreement with the local brewer just a year after Steam Whistle set up a kiosk in level 100 of the Rogers Centre.
According to Taylor, the club broke the news in a meeting last week, citing displeasure with the management of Steam Whistle’s Twitter feed. Taylor says the club objected to Steam Whistle sending tweets about its Rogers Centre location, claiming they violated market agreements the Jays had with other brewers.
“I don’t know that there were any other issues,” Taylor says. “We had a good partnership. We made sure there was a constant supply of fresh craft Steam Whistle, and the fans seemed to love it. But they have their agreements and you have to be careful.”
MORE: Craft beer supporters take to Twitter to voice their displeasure
Blue Jays officials wouldn’t elaborate on what caused the split.
“We are not going to make public comment on the details of our business relationships, nor the rumours and speculation about them,” said club spokesman Jay Stenhouse.
Taylor says he and the Jays had discussed the idea of Steam Whistle at the Rogers Centre for a few years before the brewer finally moved in last season.
Most other parks in Major League Baseball offer at least one craft beer at concession stands, and Pittsburgh’s PNC park, offers 13.
Options still abound for spectators who like beer with their baseball.
Rogers Centre concessions outlets sell beer from the Budweiser family, as well as Stella Artois and Alexander Keith’s and Rolling Rock.
But the end of the agreement with Steam Whistle leaves the Blue Jays without a locally brewed craft beer at its home park.
If the Jays change their minds, Taylor says he’s ready to resume doing business with them.
“This is not about being part of corporate America’s baseball franchise. This is about having craft beer available in the park next door,” he says. “We’re fans of the Jays. We have no interest in dragging them through the mud. It’s unfortunate. We were very excited.”


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Speaking during his first quarterly earnings call as the global leader of Pilgrim’s Pride, Penn shared plenty of thoughts about ASF and how it is affecting and can further affect the poultry company with operations in the U.S., Mexico and Europe. The earnings call, which reviewed the financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2019, was held on May 2.
Penn, formerly president of Pilgrim’s USA, was promoted to his current position in March.
ASF and its impact on chicken demand
“The spread and evolution of ASF globally could have a significant impact on the fundamental balance of chicken market conditions,” said Penn. “It should drive reduction in domestic availability in competing proteins as well as increased demand for U.S. chicken globally, above and beyond the resolution of any trade negotiations.”
Penn said demand for chicken typically picks up at the beginning of the year, once the holiday season concludes, but he believes the increase in demand and consumption is even more pronounced this year. ASF has played a role in that.
“After promoting beef and pork for much of last year, retailers and (quick service restaurant) operators are back to more normal chicken featuring activities,” he said. “Also, given the evolving global situation of ASF, more pork and beef are moving out of the U.S. and reducing overall domestic availability, which is positive for chicken demand and pricing. We believe these are favorable signals for the upcoming summer grilling season, and we expect to have a further pick-up in demand for chicken.”
ASF affecting feed supplies, prices
Penn anticipates lower feed costs in the near term, and the pig losses caused by ASF are a major factor in that.
“Regions impacted by ASF will likely consume less soy meal, giving us a more benign feed environment,” he said.
Penn said he already sees significant demand losses for corn and soybean meal in China, the country hit hardest by ASF. Since China’s share of the global soybean meal trade is about 75 percent, the disease’s affect on soy meal prices will be greater than its effect on corn. “China’s corn market is much less important to the global corn trade,” he said.
Effects already being felt in Mexico
Of the markets where Pilgrim’s Pride has operations, Mexico is where the effects of ASF were felt first.
With tightening pork supplies, the amount of pork being exported from the U.S. to Mexico has dropped 15 percent on a year-over-year basis, he said, which has had economic effects there.
“We’ve not seen such a price turnaround in Mexico in the last 8 years that I’ve been here, relative to what happened. That’s part of what this ASF has done, just in Mexico, by having less pork going down into that market.”
View our continuing coverage of the African swine fever outbreak.


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We all know that providing stellar customer service is important. This means ensuring a positive customer experience and adopting a multi-channel approach so that your customers are constantly satisfied. Despite these being the top two challenges cited by contact centers today, call center executives are apparently very confident when it comes to the customer service they deliver.
According to a recent survey conducted by Firstsource Solutions at Call Center Week, the “vast majority,” or about 85 percent, or call center execs said that their customer service was either “exceptional” or “good.” These execs were so sure that they were delivering optimum service that only one percent of execs admitted to delivering poor service.
Results from the survey also show:
· Over one-third (37 percent) of execs cited “ensuring a positive customer experience” as their No. 1 challenge
· 41 percent of respondents said that deficient use of data was the biggest obstacle preventing them from achieving exceptional customer service
· This is followed by 38 percent of execs who said that a weak customer-to-agent connection was the culprit for poor service
Furthermore, survey results show that converting to a multichannel approach is the biggest challenge facing contact centers today (cited by 35 percent of respondents). Even more, 40 percent of contact centers find it difficult to integrate social media into the call center to establish a solid online relationship with their customers.
Needless to say, the vast majority of call centers today could significantly benefit from call center software that boasts seamless multi-channel support with complete, transparent integration. Whether it’s digital, mobile or social, your customers want to interact with you using the communication channel of their choice. It’s time to rise above these pestering problems being faced in the industry. The time is now to invest in the industry’s best, multi-channel call center software.
Interested in our solutions?


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Las Vegas $55M Retail Loan Hits Special Servicer Amid Refi Fears
A $55 million loan backing the Cheyenne Commons retail center in Las Vegas has been transferred to special servicer CWCapital Asset Management for imminent monetary default, according to data from Trepp. The borrower is Kimco Realty, a real estate investment trust headquartered in New Hyde Park, N.Y.
Cheyenne Commons is a 361,000-square-foot retail center located at 3189 North Rainbow Boulevard in Las Vegas. The loan on the property is scheduled to mature in November and makes up 1.96 percent of the J.P. Morgan-sponsored JPMCC 2006-LDP9 commercial mortgage-backed security.
Although the loan is current, the borrower believes it will not be able to refinance it at maturity due to a decline in the property’s value, according to servicing commentary. New appraisals have now been ordered. The most recent appraisal, carried out at the time of origination in October 2006, valued the property at $81.5 million. The center was 73 percent occupied in 2015, down from 87 percent in 2014.
Additionally, approximately 48 percent of Cheyenne Common’s square footage is taken up by leases that are due to expire within the next two years. Walmart is the power center’s largest anchor—the superstore occupies 115,000 square feet, or 32 percent, of the retail space and has a lease which expires in July 2017. The second largest tenant, Marshalls, occupies 30,000 square feet and a lease that is set to terminate in January 2017.
“Only 4.5 percent of the total Vegas CMBS retail balance is marked as delinquent,” said Sean Barrie, an analyst at Trepp. “To boot, only 5 percent of the total balance is backed by properties that are reporting an occupancy below 80 percent as their most recent level. There are concerns elsewhere in the commercial realm of Vegas, but the retail sector does not appear to fall in that category.”
Officials at Kimco Realty declined to comment.


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MADISON, Wis. (3/19/15)--The CUNA Technology Council awarded the Best in Show Award to Daon for its IdentityX mobile authentication platform during CUNA's Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC), held March 8-12 in Washington.
"IdentityX is a phenomenal asset to the credit union industry," said Belinda Caillouet, chief operations and information officer at Spokane Teachers CU, Liberty Lake, Wash., and chair of the CUNA Technology Council. "Using this technology, credit unions can make huge leaps forward in their member protection initiatives."
IdentityX uses fingerprinting, facial recognition, speech biometrics, global-positioning system location and device recognition to confirm a user's identity. The platform can accommodate older mobile phones as well as the newest models.
"Every credit union CEO is worried about two things: their member's online user experience and security," said Daon CEO Tom Grissen. "Daon is proud to have been recognized by CUNA for bringing a solution to their members that addresses these concerns in an elegant and simple way."
Since 2001, the CUNA Technology Council has presented the Best of Show award to the exhibitor that best demonstrates the commitment to delivering technology that furthers product and service growth in the credit union industry. Vendors' products are evaluated according to affordability, potential benefit to credit unions and their members, commitment to open standards, usage by credit unions and company health.


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Chevrolet signs up as next Man Utd shirt sponsor
By John Reynolds, marketingmagazine.co.uk, Monday, 30 July 2012 05:25PM
Manchester United has signed a seven-year, £25m-a-year deal making US car brand Chevrolet its next shirt sponsor, replacing insurance company Aon from the 2014-15 season.
The record-deal, understood to be worth around £25m a year, trumps big money shirt sponsorship deals struck by Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
The deal kicks off at the start of the 2014-15 season, as Manchester United’s current deal with Aon has two more seasons to run.
It is unclear if Aon - whose current sponsorship deal with Manchester United is worth £20m a season - wanted to continue its shirt sponsorship deal.
Manchester United signed a lower-tier deal with the General Motors-owned Chevrolet as official car partner just weeks ago, and last week signed a similar deal with United's arch-rival Liverpool.
Chevrolet is owned by General Motors, which also owns UK car brand Vauxhall, the headline sponsor of the England team.
GM's chief marketing officer Joel Ewanick resigned with immediate effect over the weekend, with a Reuters report quoting an anonymous source claiming Ewanick failed to report proper financial details about the Manchester United sponsorship.
Ewanick has been replaced by Alan Batey, head of US sales and service, while the company searches for a replacement.
Batey said: "We are extremely proud to connect our brand, Chevrolet, with Manchester United and its passionate supporters all around the world.
"Manchester United’s statistics are impressive, but this relationship goes far beyond the numbers – this relationship is about connecting our brand with the deep-seated emotion that surrounds the team everywhere it goes."
Chevrolet will become only the fifth shirt sponsor in Manchester United’s 134-year history.
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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KUALA LUMPUR: Perodua sales rose 11.5% to 22,940 units in December 2021 from the previous month, ending the year on a high note after having faced supply disruptions due to Covid-19.
In 2021, the carmaker registered 190,291 vehicles, which was 29.8% lower than 220,154 units sold in the previous year due to the impact of Covid-19, semiconductor chip supply disruption and the recent floods.
While the registrations were below its target of 200,000 units for 2021, Perodua president and CEO Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad said the mitigation efforts have seen positive results.
“Despite the lower than expected performance for 2021, our countermeasures for the impact of Covid-19 has proven successful so far as we and our suppliers are dynamically cooperating and coordinating our efforts to ensure interruptions are minimised.
“These efforts include having a ready team of personnel to take active countermeasures at an alternate site if a supplier is under lockdown and also by allocating Perodua staff to shore up any suppliers that need temporary manpower replacements,” he said in a statement.
“We thank our customers for their support and understanding, especially those who have been waiting patiently for their Perodua vehicle. God willing, deliveries will further improve in the coming months,” he added.
In terms of performance by vehicle model, the Myvi continued to lead the overall Malaysian market by sales with 47,525 units sold followed by the Axia and Bezza dominating the country’s A segment market.
On industry performance, Zainal Abidin said the total industry volume for 2021 is expected to have decreased an estimated 23.6% to 504,536 units from 528,172 units sold in 2020.
He said the carmaker will likely review its sales target of 240,000 units for 2022 after taking into account recent developments and events.
“The local automotive supply chain had taken a massive setback in recent years, however, there is a silver lining as the order bank for Perodua vehicles remains healthy as consumers are still responding positively to the sales tax exemption introduced by the government,” he added..
Meanwhile, about 1,675 people whose vehicles were damaged in the recent floods have responded to the Perodua Flood Assistance programme.
“Our priority now is to work with the insurance companies as well as other our other partners to hasten any approval process needed to repair and restore the flood damaged vehicles.
“We understand that most of our customers rely on their Perodua for their daily activities and we will do our best to assist,” said Zainal Abidin.


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Slicon valley may be a global magnet for tech entrepreneurs and investors, but the Canadian Film Centre is positioning itself as a start-up machine for digital content breakthroughs.
A case in point is Kevin Kliman, a Toronto dentist-turned-digital producer looking to turn your smartphone into a broadcast radio station with an app called Instaradio. Kliman launched Instaradio via IdeaBOOST, a business accelerator that underpins the CFC’s digital strategy and international focus.
It’s the job of CFC chief digital officer Ana Serrano to ensure Kliman and other individuals and companies with early-stage ideas participating in IdeaBOOST reach consumers with a viable go-to-market product and strategy.
PHOTOS: The Scene at the Toronto Film Festival 2013
“All of a sudden, for the first time, it’s about content creators being asked to have a relationship with their audience,” Serrano says of IdeaBOOST’s start-up culture, which uses social media and consumer feedback to define business models.
Shawn Hardin, the tech-focused founder and CEO of Menlo Park, Calif.-based Mind Pirate and a member of the IdeaBOOST board of advisers, agrees that digital media is more than apps and gadgets.
It’s really about how to think about designing new kinds of online experiences, applications for mobile experiences, and how to create a sustainable and high-growth business out of these new areas of opportunities,” says Hardin.
That twin digital content and tech focus aimed at a global market has tech titan Google and Canadian broad-casters Shaw Media and Corus Entertainment already on board as early IdeaBOOST backers.
Elsewhere at IdeaBOOST, The Path, a fantasy web series from indie SmokeBomb Entertainment is examining how to best target a 16-to-34-year-old female audience. Says Christina Jennings, CEO of Smokebomb parent Shaftesbury Films: “What’s really great is the objective of IdeaBOOST is to test our creative assumptions for this demo with an audi- ence and a market, and to be flexible enough to adapt the creative by what we hear from the fans.”
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Peripherals / Accessories News
Wipro launches Next-Gen ATSC 3.0 receiver software with Airwavz.tv
Feb 1, 2019 – Wipro (NYSE:WIT, BSE:507685, NSE:WIPRO) has announced the launch of its Next-Gen ATSC 3.0 software stack. The hybrid-TV viewing solution has been enabled using Airwavz RedZone Receiver (RZR) USB ATSC dongle.
News categories: Wipro, Airwavz, Anita Ganti, Bonnie Beeman, ATSC 3, Digital TV, Middleware, Peripherals / Accessories, USA
Irdeto secures MEDIA BROADCAST's portable USB pay TV device
Sep 2, 2016 – Irdeto has announced that it has been selected by MEDIA BROADCAST as the end-to-end security provider for its new USB device, which will enable live HD content to be viewed on PCs by German customers.
News categories: Irdeto, MEDIA BROADCAST, Richard Frankland, Kerstin Köder, Conditional Access, Digital TV, Germany, Peripherals / Accessories, Terrestrial
ViXS launches USB DTT SoC and TV stick for mobile devices
Jan 4, 2016 – ViXS Systems (TSX: VXS) has announced its XCode 5505 chipset and CordCutterTV stick solution for Over-the-Air (OTA) streaming to mobile video devices. The XCode 5505, available now, is the engine for the CordCutterTV stick which will be available in Q1 2016.
News categories: ViXS Systems, John Pomeroy, CES2022, Digital TV, ICs, Peripherals / Accessories, Semiconductor, Terrestrial, TV Everywhere, Worldwide
ZapperBox cable HDMI stick based on MaxLinear RF ICs on show at IBC
Sep 11, 2015 – ZapperBox and MaxLinear have announced that they will showcase cable set-top box (STB) HDMI sticks for the North American and European cable markets at IBC 2015. The DTAsticks use the MxL603 cable tuner and Kore-3 EN7120 SoC from MaxLinear.
News categories: MaxLinear, ZapperBox, Patrick Tierney, Gopal Miglani, Cable TV, Digital TV, Europe, IBC, North America, Peripherals / Accessories, Semiconductor, Set Top Box, Smart TV
Opera TV solutions to power Telechips' OTT platforms
Sep 9, 2015 – Opera Software has announced that with the support of the Opera Devices SDK 4.x series and the Opera TV Store, Telechips will be able to demonstrate live and over-the-top (OTT) premium content streams from partners, such as BBC iPlayer and hundreds of other TV apps.
News categories: Opera Software, Telechips, Aneesh Rajaram, Yongkwon Lee, Digital TV, HTML5, Middleware, OTT, Peripherals / Accessories, Semiconductor
Tablet TV tuner launches in UK in time for Christmas
Dec 8, 2014 – Motive Television has announced that the Company will start taking pre-orders for TabletTV UK (TTVUK) for Christmas delivery. TabletTV UK will make it possible for viewers to watch over-the-air Freeview channels on their tablet or mobile device.
News categories: Motive Television, TabletTV UK, Leonard M Fertig, Apps, Digital TV, Peripherals / Accessories, Set Top Box, Terrestrial, TV Everywhere, UK
Belkin launches Dyle™ Mobile TV Receiver for iPad/iPhone
May 15, 2013 – Belkin has announced the availability of its receiver accessory for Dyle™ mobile TV. Paired with the Dyle™ TV app, the receiver makes live broadcast television available, without an Internet connection, to iOS device users in 37 major markets across the USA.
News categories: Belkin, Dyle, Apps, Digital TV, Mobile, Peripherals / Accessories, Smartphone, Tablet, USA
Global Market for PC-TV Tuners to Reach US$2.6 Billion by 2018
Jul 18, 2012 – Global Industry Analysts (GIA) has announced the release of a report on PC-TV Tuners markets. The world market for PC-TV Tuners resurged following a brief recessionary lull, with revenues expected to reach US$2.6 billion through 2018.
News categories: Global Industry Analysts, Market Research, Mobile, Peripherals / Accessories, Semiconductor, Terrestrial
Siano and LIFIA Team Up to Support Mobile DTV Project in Argentina
Feb 29, 2012 – Siano and LIFIA-UNLP, an IT R&D research group out of Argentina's La Plata University, have announced a combined 'Ginga' DTV solution for Windows and Linux PC applications in mobile devices.
News categories: Siano, LIFIA, Argentina, Middleware, MWC21, Peripherals / Accessories, Portable, SBTVD, Semiconductor, Terrestrial
- Magnite to manage ad placement for Brazil's NetMovies
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- More than seventy 8K TVs now certified by the 8K Association
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- Astro launches STB for TV without a satellite dish
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NASA, Rackspace launch software
By Jason Buch - Express-News : July 19, 2010
Rackspace Hosting Inc. today is announcing the release of open-source cloud computing software, a play to bring more customers to its fastest-growing revenue stream.
The software is called OpenStack and is a joint effort between Rackspace, NASA and others. Because it's open source, it will be available for free and can be manipulated by individuals and organizations to fit their needs, basically allowing them to create their own clouds, which pool computing resources and allow for efficient use of servers.
John Engates, Rackspace's chief technology officer, said the San Antonio-based Web hosting company is trying to set new standards for cloud computing software.
Public clouds, an industry led by Amazon Web Services, let customers pay for metered server usage. Private clouds help companies more efficiently use their internal servers. But Engates said there is no standardized cloud software, making it difficult for companies to change or to expand their cloud service.
He said OpenStack will help level the playing field and benefit Rackspace, which is a close second to Amazon in the cloud computing market.
“This will allow us to drive the standards for cloud computing,” he said.
It also brings attention to Rackspace, Engates said. If companies using OpenStack need more server space and don't want to drop capital into expanding, they might be more inclined to turn to Rackspace, he said.
“This is a way for us to get the software out onto the marketplace and open up an opportunity for us to serve those companies in the future,” Engates said.
And that helps Rackspace in its goal of expanding its cloud computing services. Cloud computing only accounts for about 12 percent of Rackspace's revenue, but it's growing. The cloud computing segment earned $19 million in revenue the first quarter of this year, nearly double the first quarter of 2009.
Cloud computing likely will continue to grow, and OpenStack may help it do so, said Michael Coté, an analyst with RedMonk. Companies that could use cloud computing are aware of it, he said, and are trying to figure out how it would work for them.
“It's definitely the most buzzword-tastic thing in IT at the moment,” Coté said.
What Rackspace is doing with OpenStack isn't earth-shattering, Coté said, because there's other open-source cloud software out there. But it goes further than existing open-source cloud computing software, and the earlier developers don't carry the cachet that Rackspace and NASA do, said James Staten, an analyst for technology and market research company Forrester Research.
OpenStack will allow some companies to offer their own public clouds, but it's unlikely Rackspace will lose business as a result, Coté said.
“It takes a lot of money to build a cloud,” he said. “It's very capital-intensive to buy all those servers; there's a huge barrier to entry into those markets.”
The new software allows Rackspace to expand its business as a service provider, the field the company has claimed as its own with its “fanatical support” mantra, Engates said.
“We don't really want to become a software company,” he said. “It sort of changes who we are and what we do. We want to stay close to our roots and offer technology services.”
The biggest hurdle for Rackspace using OpenStack to grab a bigger piece of the cloud computing pie will come next month, Staten said, when virtualization software company VMware is expected to launch its own open-source cloud computing software. Many companies that are likely to use cloud computing already use other VMware software, he said.
“The detail I'm still waiting on is who else is going to endorse Rackspace's offering and commit to employing it,” Staten said. “If they can get a large number of commitments between now and VMware in August, they can make it really hard for VMware to unseat them.”


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- Sears Holdings takes steps to improve Q3 performance
- Share of sales from Shop Your Way members grows as Q4 2013 comps have fallen, Kmart parent company says
- Kmart, Sears offer free 90-day memberships in Shop Your Way Max
- Sears Holdings posts Q4 results, sees drop in comp sales at Kmart
- Kmart, Sears offer early online holiday shopping for Shop Your Way members
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — The parent company of Kmart is considering taking its headquarters out of Illinois, according to published reports.
Sears Holdings reportedly is looking to call another place home, with such states as Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Georgia and New Jersey being considered, the Chicago Tribune and other media outlets have reported. The reason behind the possible move could be because state and local tax incentives for the company, which currently is based in the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates, will expire in 2012, the reports noted.
Sears Holdings formed in 2004, following a merger between mass merchandiser Kmart and namesake Sears.


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WATCH: Tia Mowry Says "Let Veganism Grow on You"
Back in March we reported that vegan guru Alicia Silverstone helped inspire fellow actress Tia Mowry to go vegan. Now, the former “Sister, Sister” star is breaking out the lettuce apron to ask the world to go vegan.
Mowry has teamed up with PETA for a new ad that says, “Let veganism grow on you”. Of course, she’s dressed in a sexy little veggie number. (It wouldn’t be PETA without some sex appeal.)
In the video below Mowry talks about her experience announcing to the world that she went vegan, and that not everyone supported her decision. She says, “I became a vegan and I was getting bullied a lot on twitter. And PETA reached out to me and they said ‘girl we’ve got your back’. And they sent so many cooking books and pamphlets.” As for why she wanted to take part in the ad campaign, she said, “I wanted to become a voice for my community. That’s one of the main reasons why I decided to be a part of this ad campaign because I wanted to educate my culture about the benefits of becoming vegan.”
Check out the full video to see the inside scoop on the shoot and how the actress is now converting her friends to sharing her love of vegan foods. For Mowry, the decision is about health and about animals. Two great reasons to take the pledge to go vegan today. As the star says, “Don’t knock it until you try it.”


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Levi's launched a new line of custom fit Denim Jeans, Levi's Curve ID, made to fit the curve of a woman’s body. At a press conference addressed by Mr. John Anderson, President & CEO, Levi Strauss & Co., and leading celebrity spokespersons Chitrangada Singh, Ileana D’Cruz and Jacqueline Fernandez, the brand showcased the Levi's Curve ID fit system as part of the India leg of the global launch.
Created after listening to women from around the world, and based on a study of body scans of more than 60,000 women, Levi’s designers created a new approach to measuring a woman’s body. Through this approach, Levi's identified three distinct body types that account for 80 percent of women’s shapes universally. The three Levi’s Curve ID fits are based on these universal body types. The three custom fits include:
Slight Curve – designed to celebrate straight figures
Demi Curve – designed to fit even proportions
Bold Curve – designed to honor genuine curves
Present at the event to launch this new range were John Anderson, President & CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., Mary Alderete, Vice President, Global Women’s Marketing, the Levi's brand, and Shumone Chatterjee, Vice President, Marketing, the Levi's brand – Asia Pacific, sharing global learning and insights which shaped the launch of the ‘Levi's Curve ID’ product.
Read More about Levi's unveils ‘Believe’ to support Levi's Curve ID line at Fibre2fashion.com
View More levi's Curve ID Line Jeans images


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FedEx Earns No. 10 Spot on the FORTUNE World’s Most Admired Companies List
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Jan. 22, 2019—FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) is once again ranked among the most admired companies in the world, according to a survey published in FORTUNE magazine.
The annual “World’s Most Admired Companies” report released today lists FedEx as the No. 10 ranked company overall. The survey measures nine attributes related to financial performance and corporate reputation.
“It is an incredible honor to be recognized on the FORTUNE World’s Most Admired company rankings for 19 consecutive years,” said David J. Bronczek, president and chief operating officer of FedEx Corp. “This accomplishment is a direct result of the more than 450,000 FedEx team members around the globe who go above and beyond for our customers every day.”
This is the 19th consecutive year that FedEx has ranked among the top 20 in the FORTUNE Most Admired Companies List, with 15 of those years ranking among the top 10.
FORTUNE collaborates with partner Korn Ferry Hay Group on this corporate reputation survey, which evaluates approximately 1,500 companies, including the 1,000 largest U.S. companies ranked by revenue and non-U.S. companies in the FORTUNE Global 500® database with revenues of $10 billion or more. Korn Ferry Hay Group surveys 680 companies from 29 countries to select the 15 largest for each international industry and the 10 largest for each U.S. industry. Executives, directors and analysts are then asked to rate companies in their own industry on nine criteria, from investment value to social responsibility, and this vote results in the 52 industry lists. A company’s score must rank in the top half of its industry survey to be listed.
The complete list appears in the February issue of the magazine, which will be available on newsstands today. To learn more about FORTUNE magazine‘s “The World’s Most Admired Companies” list, please visit here.


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The sugar industry could be headed for more turbulent times following fears that irregular imports may be making their way into the local market.
Millers in Western Kenya have expressed fear that part of sugar destined for Egypt has found its way into Kenya.
They also fear that a sugar glut that has depressed prices by between 14 and 22 per cent in the last one week may be caused by the release of huge consignments of duty-free sugar seized by the Government into the market.
Millers and farmers' representatives who spoke to The Standard were convinced that someone was taking advantage of the sharp rise in prices occasioned by the seizure of nearly 1 million tonnes of imported sugar to exploit the market.
Sony Sugar managing director Bernard Otieno said the drop in prices registered by both private and public millers in the Nyando and South Nyanza sugar belts were “definitely in response to a rise in supply.”
Sony is selling a 50-kilogramme bag of sugar at Sh5,800 from Sh6,200 a week ago following a sudden drop in demand across the industry.
In the Nyando sugar belt, factory prices dropped from Sh6,400 per 50-kilogramme bag to between Sh5,000 and Sh5,500.
Kibos Sugar managing director Raju Patel said the company had registered a big decline in demand, forcing it to lower prices for a 50 kilogramme bag to Sh5,000 from over Sh6,000 just a week ago.
Muhoroni Sugar Company receiver manager Francis Ooko said processed sugar was piling in company warehouses because of low demand. The company is selling sugar at Sh5,500 from Sh6,300 last week.
Kenya National Federation of Sugarcane Farmers Secretary General Atiang’ Atyang’ called on State agencies to investigate the source of the unexplained sugar supplies to protect the industry.


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Japan has voiced their intent to leave the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and resume commercial whaling. Despite the IWC's moratorium (indefinite ban) on commercial whaling, Japan has continued whaling over the last few decades, claiming their kills were being done for "scientific research," a practice that prompted international outrage. In September, the IWC rejected Japan's proposal to resume whaling and the country will most likely make a formal statement withdrawing from the commission over the next few days. The continuation of whaling in Japan is nonsensical, particularly at a time where the ocean is being attacked from all sides. The activity isn't being done for food or resources. Whale meat isn't a very popular dish in Japan and there is an estimated 4,500 to 6,000 tons of whale meat sitting in long-term cold storage until some purpose can be found for it.
HOW CAN YOU HELP: We encourage you to contact Senior Fisheries Negotiator Hideki Moronuki at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries website (https://www.contactus.maff.go.jp/j/form/kanbo/koho/160807.html) and voice your concern on the continuation of whaling.
You can also send the ministry letters at:
Hideki Moronuki 1-2-1 Kasumigaseki,
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8950
Tweet the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries at @MAFF_JAPAN by clicking the image below.


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Tesla is launching Solar Glass today, a third version of its Solar Roof tiles, which is now cheaper and more beautiful than a concrete roof with solar panels, according to the company.
It now starts at around $ 34,000 after incentives for an average home.
When Tesla launched Solar Roof Tiles in 2017, the automaker said it would begin volume production and installation in 2018.
However, the rollout proved to be much slower and installations have been limited to the homes of some executives and a few customers.
Tesla later delayed volume production until 2019.
CEO Elon Musk said they had to make some changes to the product to ensure it will last for 30 years and become cheaper. [1
The new version of the tiles is cheaper, faster to install and will last longer.
Musk said in the announcement:
"With version 3, we managed to achieve a cost that is less than the average cost plus retrofitting of solar panels."
Tesla now lists a 2000 ft² roof with 10 kW solar roof installed will cost $ 33,950 by incentives:
Tesla expects to be able to rapidly increase production of these new solar tiles in the next few months – resulting in a significant economies of scale and reducing costs.
Musk claims that Tesla can quickly ramp up to produce 1,000 roofs per week at Tesla's Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo.
However, the biggest difference with the latest version of Tesla Solar Roof tiles is that they made it easier to install.
Earlier this year, Electrek gave a first look at Tesla's V3 solar roof roof technology with custom fittings and the first real Tesla Solar Roof quote.
Today, Tesla management confirmed that these luminaires are streamlined with the new version of the sunroof and they reduced the customization and special tools needed to install a sunroof.
When Tesla Solar Roof first said, Tesla said it would take about the same time to install a sunroof as a tile roof installation, which is usually 5-7 days.
We previously reported that Tesla Solar Roof installations were still taking around 2 weeks, which adds to the cost of the product and makes it difficult to scale.
Musk said they focus on significantly reducing the time required to install the tiles.
Tesla is basically running installation contests to install the solar roof as quickly and efficiently as possible at its own plant in Fremont to improve installation time. The CEO sees the potential to get it done in a day with a relatively large crew.
Musk said that Tesla will also work with third-party installers to certify them for solar roofs and expects the program to help expand solar recordings.
The installations are just starting with the existing order backlog, and the company is taking new orders which should start next year.
The CEO said he expects Tesla's Solar Glass to be the best option for people who want a new roof because he thinks it will be the best option that also happens to produce solar energy.
Tesla has been trying to find a way to create product differentiation in the solar room, which is dominated by a few kinds of very solar panels and this new solar chip product is absolutely different.
Earlier this week, Musk said Tesla Energy is becoming a "distributed global tool" through its solar and energy storage business, which he believes is the Coul d outgrow automotive business.
Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.


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Rochester Institute of Technology’s undergraduate packaging science program, one of only six in the nation, has launched a new Integrated Plastics Center for multidisciplinary, applied-research projects.
Using the lab, which has $800,000 worth of new equipment, students and instructors develop cost-effective packaging by evaluating and characterizing plastic materials used in packaging. RIT was awarded $289,204 from the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation program to help launch the 1,100-square-foot center, located in RIT’s Louise M. Slaughter Building.
Maria Rubino, assistant professor of packaging science and principal investigator, says a goal of researchers is to “maximize packaging systems” by avoiding excessive or inadequate product packaging and extending a product’s shelf life. Research partnerships with food, pharmaceutical, automotive and plastic-recycling industries are being sought, she says.
The NSF grant was the first of its kind received by RIT’s College of Applied Science and Technology and, among all proposals, one of only about 25 percent that were awarded, says Rubino. She developed the lab with Elizabeth Carle and Seung Kim, RIT assistant professors of mechanical engineering technology in the College of Applied Science and Technology, RIT’s college of innovation.


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On Monday, we reported that the free WiFi network at the Courtyard Marriott hotel in New York City was discovered to be placing hidden ad codes in the websites viewed by the people who used the wireless network. Now The New York Times is reporting that Marriott International has now claimed it has stopped this practice at two of its NYC hotels.
According to a statement from Marriott International, both the Courtyard Marriott and the Residence Inn in NYC's Manhattan locations had this kind of sneaky ad insertion system in its WiFi network. However, the company added that the WiFi's ISP was the one that had placed the code in the wireless networks "unbeknownst to the hotel".
Marriott International's statement says that the ISP has now disabled this code at these two hotels at the company's request, adding:
While this is a common marketing practice with many Internet service providers, Marriott does not condone this practice. At no time was data security ever at risk. We will continue to look into this matter and find opportunities to remind our hotels of Marriott’s high-speed Internet policies.
The actual ad code was created by a company called RG Nets, which proudly describes its process on its website. The company has so far not commented on Marriott's actions. It's currently unknown how many other hotels or other "free" WiFi networks might have RG Nets' "services".


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PHOENIX — Expanding the travel area for prescreened Mexican travelers in Arizona could pump an additional $181 million into the state’s economy, a report said.
The Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce said current regulations only allow prescreened travelers 75 miles into Arizona. Should the permissions be expanded, they would be allowed to visit the entire state.
The chamber estimated the move could account for total spending by Mexican travelers to jump to $1.3 billion annually.
“We are rebuilding ties with Mexico that have been strained for quite a long time,” James Garcia with the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce said. “Something like this could actually contribute to a kind of opening of doors and development of ties between Arizona and Mexico.”
- Arizona’s economy, population growth ranked above national average
- US agent on trial in Tucson in cross-border killing of Mexican teen
- Teachers in Phoenix-area schools plan to hold protest Wednesday
- UofA, Kentucky game ranked among hottest tickets in March Madness
- Sprouts, Starbucks among stores in Phoenix mixed-use development


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GLENDALE, Calif. — ServiceTitan announced it is opening a new office in Atlanta in order to better serve its customers. The company will also be recruiting customer success, customer implementation, and technical support talent in Atlanta as part of the expansion.
“We recognize the many benefits of being in closer proximity to our customers to serve them better,” said Ara Mahdessian, CEO, ServiceTitan. “Expanding to Atlanta will allow us to better connect with many of our clients. We want to be aware of, understand, and respond more quickly with a personal touch for our customers, especially those in the Eastern and Central time zones. It’s all aimed at helping the home service business owners achieve the success they have worked for.”
Some of the benefits ServiceTitan clients will experience initially are extended customer support hours and faster resolution on technical issues with the new customer support presence in the Eastern time zone.
“By being on the East Coast, we can deliver better value for our customers,” said Vach Hovsepyan, vice president of customer success. “We can better understand their needs, provide longer support hours, have more opportunities for face-to-face time, and deliver faster technical issue resolution.”
Publication date: 8/25/2017


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Keyes Packaging Subsidiary Keyes Fibre Achieves SQF Certification
WENATCHEE, WA – Keyes Packaging Group is making significant steps when it comes to sustainability, ones that are right in line with consumer demand for food safety and responsibility. The company has announced that its subsidiary, Keyes Fibre, has achieved SQF certification.
“We embarked on the certification process to support our customer’s own SQF efforts and strengthen our existing partnerships,” said Ted Kozikowski, CEO, Keyes Packaging. “As The Original Green Company™, SQF certification supplements our focus on environmental responsibility and sustainability. It was a logical next step to our AIB audit and inspection program.”
The company first set a mandate to achieve the certification two years ago, according to a press release. Since obtaining the certification, Keyes Packaging stated that it has been the first in the molded fiber industry to do so.
This move was born after the company’s customers asked for a more globally recognized program, as they themselves were under higher federal regulations and consumer food safety scrutinization. The certification process included significant capital expenditures, in addition to the following:
- Enhancing final product traceability
- Bettering raw material tracking
- Developing multiple systematic process improvements
The company’s employees, including United Steel Workers Union Local 784, underwent rigorous preparations, pre-auditing, and numerous training programs leading up to the final certification audit in March.
These proactive measures, the company stated, will reinforce the confidence and loyalty that is already held by many of its customers. The company emphasized that SQF certification helps protect customer brands by focusing on hazard analysis, risk assessment, and proactive prevention strategies.
The SQF certification program provides buyers a reliable online listing of suppliers’ audit results and certification status.
For more in innovative measures by Keyes Packaging Group, stick with AndNowUKnow for all the latest.


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Within a week, the signing of the new contracts and the payment of aid in the amount of up to BGN 50,000 for small and medium-sized enterprises that have applied for and been approved will begin. This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Industry Cornelia Ninova during a meeting with representatives of the restaurant and hotel industry. The Minister of Tourism Hristo Prodanov, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy Ivan Krastev, as well as the Deputy Minister of Health Georgi Yordanov also took part in it.
The restaurant industry presented to Ninova and her colleagues a number of problems it faces, including the ineffectiveness of the 60/40 measure, as well as the entry into force of new restrictive measures at the regional level concerning Sofia. According to them, business compensations are problematic, as a regional order cannot take away the functions of a national order and this automatically stops compensatory payments, as well as applying for them. Business representatives stressed the urgent need for the order to be nationally regulated so that businesses can benefit from compensation mechanisms.
In this regard, Ninova undertook to assist in all ways and as soon as possible to find a solution to this case, including amendments to the State of Emergency.
The industry presented a number of arguments in favor of the abolition of the imposed evening time from 22:00 for the closure of restaurants in the capital. At the same time, they announced that they would agree if the current model is maintained - the employment in the establishments should not exceed the limit of 50% of their capacity.


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Activision-Blizzard announced today that it is culling 800 of its workforce, representing roughly 8% of all employees, and now we find out that developer Blizzard won't have any 'frontline releases' the 2019 fiscal year.
Collister "Coddy" Johnson, president of Activision-Blizzard explained: "We expect materially lower financial performance this year. 2018 benefited from the release of World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, whereas we are not planning a major frontline release for 2019".
While we might not see full fledged AAA games in the form of Diablo 4, Overwatch 2 or a major expansion for World of Warcraft - it does means we could see a smaller release. This would be something that's not a "frontline release" and could end up as Diablo: Immortal, the controversial mobile-focused title in the franchise, or World of Warcraft Classic.
We'll have to wait and see, with GDC 2019 right around the corner and E3 2019 just a few months away from now, we'll get a better picture of what Activision-Blizzard has planned this post-Thanos-snap style culling of its workforce.
- > NEXT STORY: Epic Games Store receives offline mode feature
- < PREVIOUS STORY: Call of Duty 2019 will have singleplayer campaign, co-op


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September 5, 2013, Thursday, Philippines- As part of my daily routine - opening the internet and checking of emails from branches. The new face of yahoo's logo catches my attention and to my surprise - yes they had a fresh new logo.
After 18 years of Yahoo's existence in the Internet, the company decided to design a new logo, but this wasn't that easy to come out, it took about a month of 30 day trial for the next face the company's logo. After dozens of designs, the CEO herself Marissa Mayer, former Google executive, spent one weekend last month ago to design and conceptualize the new logo, together with her colleagues.
"We knew we wanted a logo that reflected Yahoo — whimsical, yet sophisticated,...modern and fresh, with a nod to our history. Having a human touch, personal. Proud." - Mayer wrote in her Tumblr account.
The new logo retains some of the element of the old logo, like its color - purple, and its exclamation point. They didn't want a straight lines in the new logo, they said that straight lines doesn't exist in the human form, so the human touch in the logo is that all the lines and forms all have at least a slight curve. They also preferred letters had thicker and thinner strokes. The font that is being used is "sans serif font style with "scallops" on the end of the letters, and retain the OO's as its famous for the yahoo logo.
However the new and sophisticated logo, gain some negative comments from experts and yet people are still talking about it.
Yahoo is still behind by its rivals Google Inc. and Facebook Inc. but their stocks are increasing about 80 percent.


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Alberta’s Progressive Conservative caucus says it will finally scrap parts of the provincial Marriage Act that define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, to get in line with federal legislation and public sentiment that wants the rights of gays, lesbian and bisexual Albertans recognized. Premier Dave Hancock says the government also will introduce changes so transgendered people can change their birth certificates without having to have gender reassignment surgery.
Fall fashion trends were the featured exhibit at the Art Gallery of Alberta on Oct. 4, 2012, when Flare fashion folk came to town, offering a runway show of looks from Southgate Centre. The Edmonton show was one of six to be held across the country, combining a runway show with Flare’s annual fall trend presentation, normally an insider event done with vendors. Here are some photos of the sold-out event.


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False signals: Lufthansa is reshaping its Executive Board – and cutting the position for brand management and sustainability in the process. In view of the accelerating climate crisis, shouldn’t a globally operating company with several airlines be much more active in driving forward the transformation towards greater environmental protection?
Comment by Thomas Wagner
“In line with our mission statement of connecting people, cultures and economies in a sustainable way, we want to continue to limit the environmental impact of flying and continue to play a leading role in our industry in the future. Our climate protection targets are correspondingly ambitious: We are aiming for a neutral CO2 balance by 2050 and want to halve our net CO2 emissions by 2030 compared to 2019 through reduction and compensation measures,” says CEO Carsten Spohr in the foreword to the Lufthansa Group’s sustainability balance sheet for 2022.
Board reorganisation with consequences
Companies face global competition and are under constant pressure to change. This is particularly true for the aviation industry. While economic threats had to be averted during the coronavirus pandemic, a far-reaching ecological transformation is still in its infancy. A few days ago, news broke that Lufthansa was reorganising its Executive Board. Fair enough. According to unanimous reports, it had been clear for more than a year that two of the six board members would be leaving the company in 2024. Even if many reports are surprised that four out of six members of the management board are now being replaced and the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Karl-Ludwig Kley, praises the changes as a liberating move and the start of a new management culture – the far-reaching reshaping raises further questions.
Brand management and sustainability take a back seat
The new members of the Executive Board are expected – or rather asked – to do a lot. They are supposed to do nothing less than “create a kind of reinvention of Lufthansa” so that, according to the ulterior motive, one or the other of the group can recommend themselves as a successor to the current CEO Carsten Spohr, who will retire in 2028 at the latest. The platitudes offered as justification for the reorganisation – “improving quality”, “overcoming departmental silo thinking” and “reducing costs” – can hardly conceal the strategic and substantive shifts resulting from the new management structure – particularly in the areas of brand management and sustainability. Regardless of how successful or improvable the work of the previous Board member for brand management and sustainability is, the new distribution of work in the future Management Board is problematic.
Sustainability strengthens the brand
When it comes to successful brand management, there is currently a lot of talk about “purpose”. Which shows that times have changed. Managing a brand purposefully and constantly developing its profile in no way contradicts a greater commitment to sustainability. On the contrary. Only those who can make it plausible that they are actively pursuing the path to more environmentally friendly flying and not just “greenwashing” will also strengthen the brand. Therefore, where a transformation is sought, sustainability should be understood primarily as its purpose. Those who are not serious about environmentally friendly and responsible business practices and do not actually want change will perhaps win over customers in the short term but will hardly be able to survive in the long term. Anyone who agrees with this must conclude that what needs to be anchored in the Executive Board of a company like the Lufthansa Group (with all its airlines and business units) is a position for transformation processes. To put it bluntly, you could also say that a transformation designer is needed who knows all the processes and process chains that need to be altered, knows where to start and how changes can be implemented in various areas. This ranges from purchasing and the use of materials to the reduction of disposable tableware and waste management, from the replacement of conventional materials with biodegradable substances to catering and alternative aircraft engines. To achieve all of this, it would also be beneficial if it were possible to promote a community spirit within the company that supports the whole and makes it in everyone’s interest.
Committing the brand to sustainability
The fact that the Supervisory Board of the Lufthansa Group has apparently neither made such considerations nor taken them into account in the current reshaping of the Executive Board will hardly, as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board Karl-Ludwig Kley has put it, provide new impetus in the company. On the contrary. It sends out the wrong signals. Committing the brand to sustainability even more consistently than before would not only point to the future, it would actually herald the next phase of the company’s development. If the signs of the times are not deceptive, such a step would not even require any particular courage. The fact that the Supervisory Board would like to see “more team spirit” on the Executive Board will not be able to compensate for the outstanding commitment to the brand and many sustainable solutions. If you really want change, you should also anchor this in the Executive Board – and act accordingly. This would certainly strengthen the brand more than declarations of intent and marketing-driven offers such as “Green Fares”.
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In the run-up to Easter, the supermarkets are bringing out new and exciting creations to lure in shoppers.
As a lockdown celebration is on the cards, food, food and even more food is the main thing on the agenda for Sunday, April 4.
But a new creation from Morrisons has divided customers, with some even going as far as to call it a 'monstrosity'.
The supermarket chain has just launched a new chocolate Stonebaked Easter Pizza.
Priced at £2.89, the freshly baked pizza is made with a cream cheese sauce, and topped with chocolate buttons, chocolate chips, cookie dough and mini eggs.
Deals website Hot UK Deals posted an image of the new food on its Facebook page, and so far it has received 21,000 comments.
It's safe to say there isn't a unanimous opinion from fans, with something being completely against it while others think it'd taste nice.
One person wrote: "No, we used to make these where I worked and when the choc melts it slides off the pizza, sticky mess."
While another said: "People say pineapple doesn’t belong on a pizza, then some lunatic creates this monstrosity!"
Over on a Hotukdeals.com forum page, one member commented: "We didn’t need this. Easter didn’t need this. Pizza didn’t need this. Draw the line."
"Looks like something a work experience kid would make on their last day as a ‘make what you want and take it home’ type of thing," another person said.
Some fans seemed to love the idea though, with one fan taking to Facebook to write: "Chocolate pizza is yum! One of the big pizza companies did a chocolate pizza a few years ago around Christmas time. Kids loved it."
"I don’t eat cheese, and when I was at school we made pizza so I literally did this. It works so a big fat yes from me," another wrote.
"We had one of these this evening, quite rich but really really nice flavours," another person said.


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Don’t mistake Keanu Reeves for some nice-guy motorcycle dilettante.
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The Zino Davidoff Group has officially launched the Davidoff Luxury Watches and Accessories Collections in the UK, which will be exclusively distributed through Nuval.
The Zino Davidoff Group, founded in 1980, is a Swiss-based family business that manufactures watches, writing instruments and leather goods, in addition to prestige fragrances, eyewear, cognac and café.
Its UK watch distributor, Nuval, dropped TechnoMarine and Carl F Bucherer earlier this year in favour of new signings Porsche Design, Fendi and now Davidoff.
Speaking about working with Nuval, Christian Schaffner, CEO of Zino Davidoff Group, said: “I am very confident that the collaboration with Nuval will allow Davidoff to become a success in the UK in the niche we focus on. The Davidoff product portfolio caters to the modern gentleman who is looking for quality and craftsmanship in addition to timeless design and understatement. This combination should perfectly reflect the needs and expectations of the modern British luxury consumer.”
Nuval is confident that Davidoff will be a success in the UK. Nuval COO Chris Bedworth said: “We at Nuval are really excited about the partnership wIth Davidoff for the UK market, the complete lifestyle offering from Davidoff will be of great appeal here in the UK offering luxury product collections that will resonate with the UK consumer.” Nuval also works with Philip Stein, Bedat & Co, Ball Watches, Eberhard, Graham and Metal.CH.
Davidoff exhibited at SalonQP last week.


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AUTHORED BY INDUSTRY EXPERTS FROM ACROSS EUROPE TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES AND CAMPAIGN CONSIDERATIONS
AIMS TO BRING AWARENESS TO THIS INNOVATIVE CHANNEL WHILST WE ADJUST TO THE NEW NORMAL
12th November 2020, Brussels, Belgium: IAB Europe, the leading European-level industry association for the digital advertising and marketing ecosystem, has today released its ‘Programmatic Out Of Home (OOH) Advertising Guide’ which examines the strengths and opportunities around digital out of home across Europe, sharing best practices and considerations around measurement and creativity for campaign success.
Out of Home (OOH) is almost as old as civilisation itself. From the moment there were goods to sell, vendors have relied on posters, engravings and symbols to attract peoples’ attention as they go about their day. Today’s static posters and billboards are being replaced by dynamic digital frames hosted on a range of formats including billboards, street furniture, busses and trains, shopping malls and more. These frames leverage programmatic automation to serve multiple ads to multiple audiences at multiple times throughout the day. And marketers have more control than ever to select, in real-time, the perfect location, screen size and moment to reach their target audiences.
Even in times of lockdowns and curfews due to the COVID-19 pandemic, DOOH plays an important role for brands to demonstrate awareness and sensitivity to the situation at large. Programmatic buying of DOOH allows brands and agencies to control their spend, respond instantly to lockdowns - whether regional or national - and focus on times of the day that get more reach. It’s for these reasons that since March 2020, programmatic DOOH vendors have reported new first-time buyers to their platforms.
Commenting on the resilience of the DOOH industry, Helen Mussard, Marketing & Industry Strategy Director, IAB Europe said “In what started as a tough year for the DOOH industry, IAB Europe’s newly released Attitudes to Programmatic Advertising 2020 report shows that almost a third of agencies believe that DOOH will be the key growth area for programmatic investment in 2021. The aim of this guide is to therefore encourage those new buyers to continue their investment in DOOH, while encouraging others to test this new innovative and interactive channel. We are proud to raise the profile of DOOH and support companies who are spearheading the next generation of interactive ads.“
In collaboration with IAB Europe's Programmatic Trading Committee, the guide was written by DOOH experts from Awarion, Nielsen, OMD, Displayce, IAB France and IAB Turkey. Commenting on the importance of the Guide, Pierre Gauthier, Vice-Chair, IAB Europe Programmatic Trading Committee, IAB Europe Board Member and Executive Committee Member, IAB France said “Before the global pandemic, which brought a series of internal lock downs, DOOH programmatic in Europe was seeing high levels of growth across the value chain. With restrictions being lifted and movement increasing once again, SSP/DSP buying is in the midst of an uptick that looks set to continue. The market is young, but growing fast. It’s therefore the perfect time for buyers to read IAB Europe’s new guide to take stock and understand how DOOH can enhance their media plans.”
Commenting on the release of the guide, Alp Ayhan, Founder and CEO, Awarion / Vice Chair IAB Turkey Programmatic Taskforce said "The adoption of programmatic DOOH targeting and buying is increasing by the day and I think this guide is packed with great tips for all stakeholders. Digital marketers in particular are very keen to display their campaigns in the physical realm, using the technology that's available to them, so this guide comes at a perfect time."
The Programmatic Out Of Home (OOH) Advertising Guide can be downloaded from IAB Europe’s website here.
For information on the guide please contact:
Helen Mussard - email@example.com


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May marks a happy month for bicyclists: Bike Month. While the month-long celebration has Metro promoting activities to encourage bicycling, this particular week marks Bike to Work Week/Day.
Across Los Angeles County this week, Metro will be offering free rides in the name of Bike to Work Day this Thursday. That’s right: bring your bike to the Blue Line, ride for free this week.
Long Beach itself will be celebrating Bike to Work Day with:
- Pit Stop – We’ll have a Pit Stop at City Hall from 7am-9am to congratulate you for riding into work.
- Bike Plan – Head to The Promenade during lunch for a fun and interactive bike plan feedback exercise. While you’re there, Bikeable Communities & Pedal Movement will be offering free bike tune-ups and CycleHop will help you get signed up for bike share. Share photos from the event on Facebook and Twitter using hashtag #LBBikePlan.
Coffee & Breakfast Treats at Berlin with Bike Ambassador Tony Cruz – On your way in to work, feel free to join Long Beach Bike Ambassador, Tony Cruz, for coffee, breakfast treats and a celebration of bike commuting at Berlin Bistro (420 E 4th St, Long Beach, CA 90802), too. Group rides will leave to City Hall every 30 minutes (8am – 9am).


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Hybrid cars have come a long way over the past decade, transforming from downright dowdy to supercar sleek. Unveiled at this year's Geneva Auto Show, the Ferrari LaFerrari combines high-tech racing technology with improved efficiency thanks to its twin electric motors. On the heels of the LaFerrari's success, Ferrari plans to develop more hybrid vehicles in the near future. Ferrari chairman Luca Cordero di Montezelomo recently sat down for an interview with Bloomberg Television, in which he stated that "I strongly believe in hybrids." Could we expect to see an expansion of the brand's hybrid offerings?
The Sold-Out LaFerrari
Although it carries a hefty price tag of 1 million euros, the LaFerrari still managed to sell out in advance of its initial showing. Ferrari only plans to make 499 models of this luxury hybrid sports car, each coming equipped with a custom-moulded driver's seat for its owner. These will be constructed and delivered by 2014. This added exclusivity has no doubt helped to raise the profile of the LaFerrari, which appeals to collectors. This 963-horsepower sports car comes equipped with two electric motors and a 6.3 litre, 12-cylinder petrol engine, which cuts fuel consumption by up to 40%. At the same time, the LaFerrari is capable of hitting top speeds of 200 mph and accelerating from 0-62 in under three seconds.
Ferrari has a tradition of using Formula One racing technology in its vehicles, and this has been applied to this new ultra-exclusive hybrid. The system uses F1's Kinetic Energy Recovery System to get an extra lift of acceleration. This allows the LaFerrari's batteries to recharge when the brakes are applied, or whenever the electric motors are generating excess torque. However, there is no electric-only mode for the LaFerrari as there is for competitors like the McLaren P1.
Luxury Hybrids a Growing Trend
Although you can now read about hybrid Ferraris up at listings websites like carsales.com.au, many other high end car manufacturers are jumping on the hybrid bandwagon. The new BMW plug-in i8 supercar is hotly anticipated by those in the know, and manufacturers such as Land Rover and Porsche also have new hybrid models in the works. The McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder are two unique hybrid rivals that the LaFerrari must contend with. The market research firm HIS Automotive anticipates that the production of luxury hybrids will increase significantly over the next few years, with over 56,000 models produced in 2016. It's possible that sports car manufacturers will embrace this technology not only to reduce emissions, but to improve performance.
No Electric Vehicles in the Pipeline
Despite Ferrari's new focus on green-friendly luxury cars, don't expect to see any fully electric vehicles in the near future. In his Bloomberg interview, Montezemolo made it clear that he did not believe in electric cars as a viable option for this Italian brand. This could change should electric racing technology improve over the next decade. For now, Ferrari is happy to meet the consumer demand for hybrids while still providing the high-tech luxury and speed that the brand is known for.


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2 Chainz‘s Dabbin’ Santa ugly Christmas sweater was introduced two years ago by the rapper himself. Since then, alot of online retailers followed the trend and sold the same designs and are benefiting from it. Now Walmart somehow found themselves on the list and they did so illegally. 2 Chainz is now mad that they did not ask him for permission before doing so. The rapper took to Instagram and his cation read:
Oooh nooo someone please tell Walmart that they didn’t get permission to use this patent or likeness in anyway. We use this sweater this time of year to spread togetherness and also give back to those who are less fortunate or not able to provide for their families at the time. That being said it’s gone be a Jolly Holly Xmas #WALMARTGONEBUYMEAHOUSE #WALMARTGONEBUYMEACAR #Walmartgonegiveback2mycommunity #WALMARTGONEMAKEMEASTAR. gotta lil ring to it mite lay dat bihhh down later tonight when I get to the studio.
Walmart saw the post and later responded by saying:
These items were posted by third party sellers in our online marketplace. We have zero tolerance for Intellectual Property Infringement and we’ve blocked these sellers from listing the items while we investigate further.
Not only does 2 Chinz benifit from this beloved sweater but the donations also go to his TRU Foundation which help the needy and less fortunate.
More from Fashion
Pharrell and BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB EU recently dropped the first look of their Spring/Summer 2018 Drop and it is colorful and beautiful. The …


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NewsWhip is the world’s leader at tracking and demystifying the spread of news, information and ideas between people online. We license access to our technology to the world’s most sophisticated brands, Communications agencies and media. Our customers are based in more than 25 countries and include Samsung, McDonald’s, Ogilvy, New York Times and the World Health Organization.
The Account Executive role is a consultative, solutions-oriented sales opportunity that involves demonstrating our platform to qualified leads, gathering customer needs, meeting with and ultimately closing partnerships with clients at brands, media organisations, agencies and political associations.
NewsWhip clients include McDonald’s, Samsung, the New York Times and the World Health Organisation.
This is predominantly an inside sales role, focused on selling to customers across Europe and Asia through shared screen and phone. There will also be an in-person component, involving meeting with our higher value potential customers primarily in London and other European cities, and occasionally traveling to conferences in Europe.
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The AE will take time to understand customers’ challenges and pain points, and be ready to show how NewsWhip can improve their business process and bottom line and solve their problems.
With technology and support from our product team, they will help transform our customers’ workflows and business practices.
If you love social media, news, Communications and brand marketing, and are passionate about providing cutting-edge solutions in those areas, this role could be for you.
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Unknown to Ghanaians, Ms. Eunice Hinneh, a top campaign financier of President Akufo Addo’s presidential campaign and the CEO of the notorious frozen foods company La Bianca Company has been cited in a serious money laundering scandal where her companies under-declare millions of dollars worth of funds transferred outside to unknown accounts.
In 2020, the companies owned by Ms. Hinneh, namely: La Bianca Company Limited, Ayax Company Limited and White Stone Limited declared to revenue authorities and the Bank of Ghana approximately US$ 27 million as their total turnover. But an anti-corruption organization, The Movement for Truth and Accountability discovered that the amount is just about 30% of what those companies actually made.
Ms. Hinneh is so important to President Akufo Addo that he has appointed her to the board of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GHAPOHA) and the prestigious Council of State. And since her appointments in 2017, she has used her influence to arm-twist the GRA to massively reduce the amount of duties her companies pay on their questionable imports of frozen foods.
It is believed that the activities of La Bianca has been brought to the attention of President Akufo Addo during cabinet meetings with Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, but has looked the other way and has maintained Ms. Hinneh at the Council of State and at the board of GHAPOHA, where she is notorious for using her influence to perpetrated the activities linked to the reported money laundering.
It is currently unclear if the real turnover of Mr. Akufo Addo’s campaign financier was solely from trading in frozen foods or a more volatile trade that could send off serious alarm bells.
When suspicious activities of the “Queen of the Jubilee House” was brought to the attention of the Ministry of Finance, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and Financial Intelligence Center, they all practically chucked the reports under the carpet, Whatsup News gathered.
An emboldened Ms. Hinneh in April 2021, caused her company to write to the GRA to give her massive discounts on her latest imports. She was partly granted her wish, despite the GRA knowing that her companies have been cited for serious cases of money laundering.
“On August 6th and December, 4th, 2020, the Movement wrote to Financial Intelligence Centre and Ghana Revenue Authority to make them aware of the companies allegedly involved in the money laundering and tax evasion and they, in turn, wrote to us that they are also investigating the said companies…With very little done since we heard from these institutions, we hold the view that the process is too slow,” the Movement for Truth and Accountability wrote in a recent press statement.
“We currently have at our disposal the total amount of money each of the companies involved requested and the total import of some of them and the findings are staggering. Some imported brought in goods over 70% less than the amount they transferred outside,” the organisation revealed to Whatsup News.
According to information gathered by Whatsup News, there are over 1,200 importers within the money laundering ring involving La Bianca and its sister companies.
Reliable information confirmed by the relevant state institutions points to the fact that La Bianca and the other 1,200 are involved variously in either money laundering, under-invoicing or tax evasion.
Apparently, these companies upon getting their request for Import Declaration Forms (IDFs) approved to bring in goods to the amount requested, turn around to importing much less into Ghana, but use those forms to do other imports and wire the monies to unknown destinations.
According to the anti-corruption organisation blowing the whistle on this serious case, the actions of these companies are downright criminal and in breach of Ghana’s Anti-Money Laundering Act, Act 798 as amended by Amendment Act, 2014 (Act 874).
In fact, on April 8, 2021, the GRA acknowledged this fact. The GRA in a statement signed by Florence Asante, Assistant Commissioner Communication & Public Affair, admitted that there are indeed some 1,200 companies fleecing Ghana of hundreds of millions of dollars every year by laundering monies that should have come into the country either through taxes or other obligations.
“In 2020, it came to the attention of the Authority that multiple Import Declaration Forms (IDFs) issued to importers have been wrongly used for other purposes. IDFs are issued by the Ministry of Trade and Industry and indicate the type, quantity and cost of goods to aid commercial banks to transfer funds and is a regulatory requirement for reconciliation with Customs Documents,” the GRA statement in the possession of Whatsup News read.
“A multi-agency team was formed in the third quarter of 2020 with members drawn from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Finance, GRA, Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) & the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to carry out investigations into the issue. The team’s initial analysis of data on record from the Commercial Banks against Customs data for the calendar year 2019 uncovered approximately 10,000 unreconciled documents from over 2,000 companies with funds transferred in the region of $1.8bn,” the GRA disturbingly confirmed.


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The international branch of the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI), NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), has teamed with Mashreq, one of the UAE’s top financial institutions, to offer acceptance of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in the UAE.
UPI is a real-time payment system designed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to facilitate inter-bank transactions. This cooperation, it said in a statement, will allow over 2 million Indians who visit the UAE for business or pleasure to pay for their purchases using UPI-based mobile applications in UAE shops and merchant outlets.
The strategic partnership between the two organizations will help to enhance the UAE’s digital payment ecosystem and will serve as a crucial stepping stone for UPI’s expansion into foreign markets.
The relationship with Mashreq Bank, according to Mr. Ritesh Shukla, Chief Executive Officer of NIPL, will enable Indian consumers to transact smoothly using NPCI’s UPI platform and provide a seamless user experience.
According to the release, UPI is one of the most popular real-time payment systems in the world, offering ease, safety, and security in both P2P and P2M transactions. UPI facilitated $457 billion worth of transactions in 2020, almost 15 percent of India’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Mr. Kartik Taneja, executive vice-president (head of payments) at Mashreq Bank commented that “Innovation has been at the core of what Mashreq does, and we have a proud history of introducing omnichannel solutions that benefit our customers and the UAE’s economy. We are the first in this market to partner NIPL and offer cutting-edge mobile-based digital payments to our clients.”


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There's a lot to look forward to here.
It's been almost two years to the day since we last saw the BMW M3 CS. Back then, we were still bemoaning the inclusion of the now-familiar BMW grille present on both the M4 and M3. Now, two years and an entire pandemic later, we're getting our best look at the top-trim M3 yet. As expected, it's a distillation of the current M3 design ethos, though we do expect a raft of mechanical changes to hone the M3 into a more track-ready weapon.
Our spy captured this test car leaving some kind of BMW gathering. Maybe it was a cars and coffee for camo-covered BMWs, as we see another prototype in the background. Regardless, the M3 CS has shed much of its camo livery since we last saw it, which made us raise an eyebrow. First, why on earth are the rear windows still covered? And second, exactly how big is that front splitter?
Happily, we may have some answers for both. First, the rear windows. When we saw the camo-covered BMW M4 CSL, we learned that the rear windows were covered to hide a distinct lack of rear seats. In this case, we suspect that the camo is hiding a pair of bucket seats like those in the M5 CS. Duh.
Regardless, the big news is the front end. We can see that BMW has made some changes to the kidney grille's pattern, which mirrors that of the M4 CSL. It also appears that the radar cruise sensor has been relocated or removed entirely. That's good news for BMW grille haters, as the sensor often gets in the way of modified front clips. Below that sits an enormous splitter. It appears BMW has also changed up the rest of the grille, adding some more scoops and intakes to the nose. Some of those will be used to cool the carbon-ceramic brakes, which are given away by BMW's trademark gold calipers. We're also betting on some refined headlights, hence the camo and pre-production units you see here.
The fact that the mirror caps are covered suggests that these will be constructed from carbon fiber, and we wouldn't bet against fender and hood changes either. There's not much going on at the rear, which appears to be identical to the current M3 Competition, but we might be looking at a new shade of green, although that could be the light playing tricks on us. Mechanically, we're not sure what to expect out of the M3 CS. Previous spy shots show an automatic transmission, but we're optimistic and won't rule out a manual 'til we see the production version, however unlikely that may be in a speed-focused car like this. As of now, we're expecting around 540 horsepower, and there's no word yet on which wheels will be driven. We're going to have to wait for BMW M's 50th-anniversary celebrations later this year to learn more, before a full launch in spring 2023.


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Taking stock of how well assorted electric cars hold their value, the statisticians at the used-vehicle website iSeeCars.com came up with a doozy of an observation: A used Tesla Model S can command more in the used market than a brand new one off a dealer’s showroom floor. A lot more.
Based on a survey of 45 million used car listings for sale/sold in the U.S., the average used Model S is said to be going for a whopping $99,734, which is considerably richer than its model-year 2013 base price of $69,900 (or, for that matter, the top-end version’s $89,900). This is even more remarkable when one considers that an original buyer is subject to a $7,500 federal tax credit that effectively lowers the luxury EV’s retail price to the $62,400-$82,400 range.
Of course with U.S. sales estimated at around 22,450 units last year, pre-owned Teslas aren’t particularly plentiful – the Model S has yet to be listed on the online used-car price guides we checked. We suspect there’s only been a relative handful of used Teslas on the market over the last several months, with many likely coming off one-year leases. Still, the sky-high used-car prices would indicate Tesla is a long way from meeting the demand for its zero-emissions performance sedan and bodes well for its next anticipated EV, the Model X luxury SUV
This is likewise good news for BMW, with the automaker planning to release two new premium-priced EVs of its own in the coming months – the i3 and i8 (not to mention Cadillac with its Chevrolet Volt-based ELR coupe about to hit the road).
With a used-market average estimated to be 20 percent higher than its original sticker price, the Model S is the clear winner in resale values among the industry’s top-selling electric cars according to iSeeCars.com, with the Chevrolet Volt said to be selling for 17 percent below sticker price and the Nissan Leaf going for 29 percent under its original MSRP.
One reason used Model S prices are so high is that a majority of those sold last year tended to be of the higher-end model with the optional larger battery pack. Also, demand for the Model S has kept retail transaction prices high, and we would assume most sell at full retail and even above, with many buyers forced to sit on a waiting list, especially if they want a particularly equipped example. “Maybe people like to buy used because they don’t want to wait a couple months for the delivery of a new Model S,” says iSeeCars.com CEO Phong Ly.