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Steve Challouma isn’t just the UK boss of Birds Eye, he’s a self-confessed frozen food fanatic who won’t rest until each and every one of us is eating our 5-a-day. By Eamonn Duff
When Steve Challouma joined the Birds Eye frozen food business as a graduate trainee in the late nineties, he never imagined he’d carve out a life-long career in the category.
Today, however, not only is he an industry veteran and the brand’s chief custodian, he’s leading a company-wide crusade to improve the nutritional health of the nation.
“I never had a dream to work in frozen food. I don’t think anyone starts out with that intention,” he told FMCG CEO.
“Was it my plan to be here for 25 years? No. But I love waking up every day thinking how do we sell more veg? Because, actually, our children don’t eat enough veg, people don’t eat enough veg and we have great products like peas and steam fresh vegetables that make it easy. Making an impact not only in terms of nutrition but sustainability and the fight against food waste. That’s just a brilliant commercial mission to have.”
While Challouma has always worked under the Birds Eye banner, he has essentially served under three different businesses. Having secured a place on Unilever’s management development scheme in 1996 (when the business was Birds Eye Walls), he spent the next decade with the Anglo Dutch giant who then sold the brand to private equity firm Permira in 2006. As Challouma explained: “We went from being a very small percentage of a global business to a small business with very different expectations, and a real melting pot of people coming in from Pepsi, from P&G. It was a really interesting place to be.”
In 2015, Captain Birds Eye was pulling up anchor once more after Nomad Foods completed the purchase of the brand’s owner Iglo, as part of a £1.87bn deal.
Since then, Nomad have advanced the business through organic growth and the purchase of numerous other key players like Goodfella’s, Aunt Bessie’s and Fortenova’s frozen food arm.
With Challouma having spent many years working across Central Marketing and Brand teams within the business, Nomad recognised the significant impact he was having by offering him the chance to step up and implement Birds Eye’s new marketing strategy. He duly obliged with a series of distinctive brand campaigns which included a hugely successful relaunch of the iconic Captain Birds Eye character.
“It’s been a bit of a process of falling in love with both the brand and the category to be honest,” said Challouma of his journey to date. “It’s fair to say I’ve built a very strong, emotional connection as I’ve grown with the business. Never get stuck in a pub talking fish fingers with me!”
Since stepping into the role of UK General Manager at the start of 2020, Challouma’s attention has been firmly focussed on exploiting the extraordinary transformation of the frozen food category and harnessing that popularity to provide the nation with healthier, more sustainable food options.
If recent stats are any indication, there will never be a better time to grasp that opportunity.
Research from Birds Eye reveals 40 percent of British families are more likely to buy frozen today than they were prior to the pandemic. And, according to a Hearts & Science and YouGov survey last year, 62 percent of shoppers are now influenced in their food and drink purchases by sustainability issues.
“When I first joined in the nineties, frozen was a category very low in confidence,” said Challouma. “The focus from retailers was on chilled food. Category growth was sluggish which in turn fed a negative perception. It was a bit of an apologetic, back up, meal time choice with consumers.”
Fast forward to now, however, and the stars have truly aligned for the segment.
“Increasingly, sustainability is becoming the driver of food choices and on the other hand, the players in the market – and we as brand leader – are really raising our game. There’s huge focus on modernisation, innovation and improving quality. It’s become a very dynamic category. Consumers are also realising that in terms of nutritional value, it’s on par with fresh food.”
In its recently published Better Health Impact report, Birds Eye highlights a decade of general improvements to the nation’s diet, the hurdles ahead and the ongoing steps it is taking to improve the environmental and nutritional health benefits of its products. A prime example of those initiatives was the decision to market Pollock Fish Fingers as Omega 3 Fish Fingers instead.
Birds Eye had collected consumer insights which suggested many consumers faced barriers to consuming oily fish though Challouma explains: “The launch of Omega-3 and pollock was actually born out of a sustainability imperative originally because we’re cod lovers in this country and up until around 2008, we had a real problem. Cod was being overused and we were part of the issue. Its price was also skyrocketing so there was additional pressure commercially. Fish fingers are by far our biggest product so we had to face into that.”
He continued: “We knew there was an alternative in pollock…but people are very conservative with their food tastes – especially when it comes to fish. We eat cod, salmon, haddock, tuna. If you’re adventurous you might have sea bass…but pollock? If people are not familiar with that, it sounds scary.”
Aside from being a sustainable fish species, pollock is nutritionally on par with both cod and tuna: Every 100 grams of its fleshy white fillets contain 1.2 grams of fat, 600 mg of which are Omega-3 fatty acids that are cardioprotective and support healthy vision and brain function.
“So instead of selling it as pollock, we presented it as Omega-3,” said Challouma, adding: “In blind tastes, consumers couldn’t tell a significant difference between the two.”
Within a year of this particular signposting scheme, 78 percent of consumers had switched to the new product, reducing the company’s annual cod catch by 1.5m fish. Today, Birds Eye sells two and a half times more pollock than cod.
Challouma said: “It was one of those perfect examples where you’ve got a supply chain challenge, a consumer challenge and a commercial challenge. But we found a solution that’s great for the environment, for sustainability and nutritionally, it brings a new consumer benefit. I love finding jackpots like that. Yes, it’s good for the business but you’re doing the right thing as well.”
By his own admission, Challouma still finds cause to pinch himself occasionally when he stops to consider the “circle of life” brand he’s now leading.
“I’ve got three children and its incredible. They have Birds Eye several times a week. Friends come round to our house and they’ll have our food. But the stat which always humbles me is that in this country, there are over four million meals a day featuring one of our products. I know this sounds a bit sentimental but I visualise all those children coming back from school and having their fish fingers, waffles and peas. I visualise the group of people sitting down to watch Champions League and sharing a pepperoni pizza. All those Sunday dinners featuring an Aunt Bessie’s. It’s the food that sits at the heart of family life and meal times across the nation…and it makes me personally feel very proud.”
With that pride, he adds, comes a weight of responsibility that is never too far from his thoughts. “Even though I’ve been here so long, I’m very conscious of the fact that I’m only a temporary guardian of the brand. It was there before. It had a rich history, as it will when I’ve eventually moved on. So that’s a huge responsibility, to nurture it and keep it vibrant…to find new pockets of penetration through quality and innovation. There’s still a massive job to be done.”


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Automakers are scrambling to defend the electric vehicle tax credit after House Republicans last week proposed eliminating it to help pay for their broader package of tax cuts.
Lobbyists here quickly huddled to figure out how to save the tax credit, which the industry views as critical to promoting commercial adoption of electric vehicle technology.
"Tax credits are an important customer benefit that can help accelerate the acceptance of electric vehicles. Because General Motors believes in an all-electric future, we will work with Congress to explore ways to maintain this incentive," GM said in a statement.
Industry officials had understood that all tax deductions and credits — including the one for EVs championed by President Barack Obama — might be on the table for elimination as House Republicans developed their long-awaited tax plan. Senate Republicans are developing their own plan to overhaul the tax code.
Technology advances, greater economies of scale and government regulations have all helped drive the market closer to the point where automakers say they can profitably make and sell EVs. But the tax credits are viewed as an important bridge to full-scale market acceptance. They are especially critical to the sale of mainstream-brand EVs such as the Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf, helping to keep them at a competitive price point and magnify their impact on automakers' fuel economy scores.

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President-elect Joe Biden has signaled that his administration will take an aggressive posture toward big tech, which will likely include the pursuit of an ongoing antitrust lawsuit against Google (GOOG, GOOGL) as well as an effort to repeal liability protections for social media platforms like Facebook (FB).
But observers wonder whether Biden will ultimately push to break up the tech giants altogether.
In a new interview, LinkedIn co-founder and top Democratic donor Reid Hoffman cautioned against the breakup of major tech companies, arguing that their size strengthens the U.S. economy as big competitors ascend in China and elsewhere.
Hoffman predicted that heightened competition in the tech sector will soon double the number of U.S. tech giants, even in the absence of strong intervention from the federal government.
“The classic notion of an antitrust or a break up — I think those are generally speaking going to be actually in fact counter to American health and prosperity,” says Hoffman, a top tech investor in Silicon Valley at venture firm Greylock Partners.
“We have maybe five tech giants today,” he adds. “Five years from now, we’re going to have 10 tech giants.”
In Washington D.C., scrutiny of the the four largest tech companies — Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Facebook, and Google — has escalated, including last month the release of a scathing House antitrust report and the opening of a Justice Department antitrust lawsuit against Google that alleges the company illegally ensured its dominance in search and search advertising.
Meanwhile, a string of strong earnings reports from the tech giants in recent weeks showed thriving business amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced many Americans into their homes and induced further reliance on services like e-commerce and streaming entertainment. The tech giants have also propelled gains in the stock market.
While “stay at home” tech stocks like Amazon and Facebook fell after news of promising initial data for a COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, they regained some of their losses later in the week.
Hoffman predicted that the increasingly competitive sector will beget even more success stories, empowering small companies to join the ranks of the biggest firms.
“Competition between those tech giants is what creates lots of space for startups to either get their initial base, or to grow into being the 11th [tech giant], or to be bought by one of them,” he says.
“That’s part of the reason why I think — actually, in fact — the antitrust isn’t the right thing,” he adds. “But figuring out how to contribute the right way to the health of our society and global society is the right thing.”
He said he supports some regulation of tech companies, such as an effort to contain the spread of misinformation online. But he wants to ensure that the firms can continue to innovate.
“You want to shape them,” he says. “What are the tools and sets we can do to build regulation to the outcomes we want? But don’t try to enshrine the past; allow adaptation into the future.”
Hoffman spoke to Serwer in an episode of “Influencers with Andy Serwer,” a weekly interview series with leaders in business, politics, and entertainment.
Setting aside Chinese firms, Hoffman cited U.S. companies like Airbnb and Salesforce (CRM) as among those that can grow into multi-faceted tech giants that compete across multiple product categories.
“There’s a range of these companies that can become a multi-part technology platform,” he says. “Then with China, you’re going to see a ton more.”


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2014 Chevrolet Camaro SS to debut at New York Auto Show
Last Updated at
- 01:58 pm, March 21, 2013
Chevrolet releases a teaser picture of the car.
American car maker Chevrolet has officially announced that the 2014 Camaro SS will be showcased at the 2013 New York International Auto Show. The car will make its appearance before going on sale in 2014.
Here's a teaser picture Chevrolet released:
Also joining the new Camaro SS in 2014 will be the Corvette Stingray and Chevrolet SS. While we've already seen the Corvette (okay, in pictures), we'll have to wait till the Camaro makes it to the Big Apple to know how it looks.
First Published on 01:57 pm, March 21, 2013
- BMW reveals 5-Series facelift; adds new entry-level diesel variant
- Volkswagen CrossBlue and CrossBlue coupe to be made in China
- Gran Turismo 6 announced
- Skoda plans to discontinue Fabia
- Scoop: Upcoming BMW 2 Series caught undisguised


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Jul 11, 2013
App updates you should know: Facebook, Quora, Tumblr and more!There are a bunch of updates that have come in this week on both iOS and Android that will make using your favourite apps a lot more fun. From Facebook to
Apr 16, 2013
YouTube for iOS update brings along live video streamingYouTube for iOS has received a great new update thanks to which you will now be able to access live streams on your device and also be able to queue videos...


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Coming: Pizza ATMs
The latest in food presentation.
Click here for reuse options!
Over the summer, it was announced that Xavier University in Cincinnati would be getting a Pizza ATM®, which we imagine caused applications to the university to spike to a record high. Now, everyone wants a Pizza ATM® (because of course they do) and the company that makes them seems to be ready for expansion, according to a report from WCPO.
Paline, the company that manufactures the Pizza ATM® has established distribution networks, and over the course of the next year, according to product representative Alec Verlin, the machines will be all over the country and in Canada.
The way the machine works is that cooks prepare a vegan dough, and then partially bake it. The sauce is also made in-house. The pizzas are then topped with a variety of different toppings, and loaded into the machine. Customers select the pizza they want, and then the pizza is moved into an oven, where it finishes baking. From the customer’s side of things, the whole thing takes about three minutes.
Copyright 2017 Liberaland
3 responses to Coming: Pizza ATMs
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Mensa Member January 6th, 2017 at 21:06
…add a beer ATM and now we’re talking.
robert January 6th, 2017 at 21:31
I would think twice before I stuck my ID
In a ATM machine Before you know it your buying beer for anyone after you
bpollen January 7th, 2017 at 04:03
As a rule, I don’t eat food from machines. Candy and chips, maybe, but pizza? Sammiches?


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The Commission managed to push through its plan to halve common export subsidies for skimmed milk powder, despite the proposal causing a deadlock between Member States in two Milk Management Committee meetings.
The Commission has pledged to eliminate export subsidies by 2013, if non-EU countries take similar steps; a move likely to put extra pressure on dairy companies already attempting to absorb price cuts on commodities as part of EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform.
The new cut means export subsidies for skimmed milk powder have fallen from €28 per 100kg to €5 per 100kg in 11 months.
That was one step too far for 13 Member States, thought to be largely made up of those who signed a recent French memorandum on the future of CAP reform, who tried to block the subsidy cut.
The memorandum, devised by France and supported by others including Ireland, Hungary, Spain and Italy, acknowledged a pro-active approach was needed to manage export subsidies, but noted their use "continues to be permitted until 31 December 2013".
The Commission warned during last week's Milk Management Committee meeting that it planned to reduce further the export subsidy on butter for food manufacture. It also hinted that subsidies for skimmed milk powder in animal feed could be phased out.
The moves have been timed to coincide with planned price cuts in July for butter and milk powders made in the EU, as part of CAP reform.
The idea is that as the Commission cuts EU commodity prices to move them closer to world prices, less export subsidies are needed to make up the difference and keep European firms competitive on the world stage.
Critics say export subsidies merely allow the EU to maintain higher prices, while 'dumping' excess commodities on world markets.
Joop Kleibeuker, secretary-general of the European Dairy Association (EDA), told DairyReporter.com it was clear that export subsidies would be phased out by 2013 and that "most dairy companies have accepted that they have to prepare themselves for that situation".
The EDA, however, has been lobbying the Commission hard over the need to reduce export subsidies by value instead of volume, to give the sector more time to adapt.
Kleibeuker said the EU should also treat subsidies for different products separately. "In dairy, butter especially should be at the end of the process because of the significant difference between world and EU prices for butter."
EU butterfat was twice as expensive as that made outside the bloc in March this year. EU Skimmed milk powder, by contrast, was only around €30 more expensive than the €167 per 100kg world price.
The Commission's current CAP reform aimed to slash EU butterfat prices by 25 per cent over four years from 2004, yet, when finished, this will still leave producers with a big gap to close to be competitive outside the bloc; and potentially without the help of export subsidies after 2013.
Concerns over the butter market were shared widely in the UK and Irish dairy sectors.
Trade association Dairy UK has been lobbying to British government to back more support for butter, while the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society said export refunds should be raised to prevent instability on the EU market, in the face of falling prices.
The European Commission does appear to be heeding their concerns for the moment.
It increased common export subsidies for butter and butteroil by two per cent in March to €96.50 per 100kg. The same subsidies for butter last year stood at €129 per 100kg.
Still, a recent report by the UK's Milk Development Council said Britain's dairy industry needed to do more to cut its reliance on commodities, in order to better withstand CAP reform and become more competitive on growing added value dairy markets.
UK butter and butteroil production rose 17 per cent between 1996 and 2004, compared to an average drop in production of two per cent across the EU. UK milk powder production also only fell four per cent during this period, compared to an EU average drop of 20 per cent.


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Apple has taken its first step into wearable technology with a smart watch as well as two new iPhones and a mobile payments system. Some have lauded it as the technology announcement of the year, others are more circumspect. Here’s a wrap on how it’s all been received.
This is the first new product Apple has released since the iPad in 2010.
The Apple Watch will cost US$349 and is available “early next year.” The watch includes cool things like the fully digital display, different strap options and the clean, sleek design we have come to expect.
However, you will need at least an iPhone 5 to use it, and (not surprisingly) only iOS phones are compatible. It’s also only for right-handers at the moment.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said it’s the most personal device the company has ever created.
Commentators are saying this:
Bill Bennett reckons Apple’s smartwatch is going to leave the competition for dead.
“Sure some of the (non-Apple) phones will be nice. Some will be innovative. A few will even be plausible choices. There will be good ideas among them. Few will be unusable or ridiculous.
“Yet none of them will grab as much attention as Apple’s next move. That would be every bit as true if Apple drops a clunker.”
Yahoo! Tech reporter David Pogue tweeted: “I can't type fast enough to show all the stuff they're showing. But this is by FAR the richest, deepest, most elaborate smartwatch OS ever.”
CNET editor Tim Stevens: “No mention of Apple Watch battery life. Cook mentioned it's easy to charge at night. That implies charging EVERY night -- hopefully no more."
Molly Wood, New York Times: “(Tim Cook) says developers will add “things we can’t even imagine yet.” This means that Apple is betting that developers will create the so-called killer app for a smartwatch, while Apple will provide the interface and usability. It seems like a smart strategy — don’t answer the question of “why” you want the device, just make people want it.”
Mashable have a great rundown of all the watch's features.
iPhone 6 and 6 Plus
Tech entrepreneur Chris Dixon tweeted: “I'd rather have the phone be thicker with more battery life.”
The Spokesman Review was not overly impressed: “The iPhone 6 looks cool, with its rounded glass. The 6+ is big, approaching Phablet territory. Meh.”
CNET ran a poll for readers asking what they thought the best feature. At time of writing, ‘None. I’m not interested’ was out in front, followed by ‘Bigger 5.5 inch iPhone 6 Plus’.
For those not sure what the big changes are, Mashable have an excellent table to show the difference between the flagship phones to help you decide.
Apple Pay will allow NFC payments from the iPhone 6 to selected retailers. It uses touch ID for security, and stores all of your payment information and store credit cards in Passbook.
Apple says that the banks included in Apple Pay make up 83 percent of all credit card purchases in the U.S., and it will be accepted by more than 220,000 retailers.
Apple Pay works with credit and debit cards issued through American Express, MasterCard and Visa, along with a long list of American banks that includes Bank of America, Capital One Bank, Chase, Citi and Wells Fargo.
Apple Pay will be available for use in all 258 of Apple’s U.S. retail stores and will also be supported by such retailers as Bloomingdale’s, Disney, Macy’s, McDonald’s, Sephora, Staples, Subway, Walgreens and Whole Foods Market.
Reaction is mixed.
Yahoo! Tech reporter David Pogue Tweeted: “If anyone has a chance to make wireless payments a Thing, it's Apple. It's persuading stores AND online companies to accept ApplePay.”
Molly Wood from the New York Times summed up the announcement with: “What remains unknown, though, is whether these new devices, especially the watch, and the payment service will take off among consumers. No company has yet had a big hit with a smartwatch, and company after company has stumbled with mobile payments.”
What do you think?
We’re you impressed? Underwhelmed? Somewhere in between? Tell us in the comments below.


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Dow, Mitsui partner for ethanol-to-biopolymers venture in Brazil
The Dow Chemical Company has formed a joint venture with Japan-based investment firm Mitsui & Co. Ltd. to produce sugarcane ethanol and renewable biopolymers at a facility in Brazil. The companies will evenly split the equity interest and co-manage the joint venture, which includes Dow’s sugarcane plantation and harvesting operation in Santa Vitoria, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and a proposed 63 MMgy sugarcane-to-ethanol mill in the same location.
Dow Chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris said the joint venture supports his company’s 2015 sustainability goals, which call for reduced greenhouse gas emissions and energy intensity, increased products created through the use of sustainable chemistry and at least three breakthroughs that will significantly help solve world challenges in energy and climate change, water, food, housing or health. “It also combines the strengths of two global companies, creating the unique combination of world-leading technology and renewable feedstocks to meet needs in an important, rapidly growing region of the world,” he said.
Construction of the ethanol-chemical complex will begin in the third quarter, with full production expected to commence in the second quarter of 2013. Engineering and design assessments for ethanol-to-ethylene and polyethylene production facilities will begin later this year and will undergo construction next year. When complete, the project will be the world’s largest integrated facility for the production of biopolymers from sugarcane ethanol, according to the companies.
While the joint venture will initially produce ethanol, the project’s ultimate focus is on biopolymer production from sugarcane ethanol for use in packaging, hygiene and medical markets because the Latin American flexible packaging market is booming, according to Dow. “At the same time, consumers are increasingly turning to sustainable solutions,” a company spokesperson stated. “For these reasons, we are certain that there is ample market demand and growth potential for biopolymers. Dow does not envision that bio-feedstocks will completely replace traditional feedstocks in the foreseeable future. However, we intend to grow in the bio-feedstocks market as economics make this more feasible.”
“We are invigorated now more than ever about the potential for Dow’s sustainable chemistries in this growth economy,” Pedro Suarez, president of Dow Latin America, said. “With Mitsui, we will be fortifying our already strong base for advancing renewable materials, as well as enhancing the reputations of Dow and Brazil as worldwide leaders for a green economy.”
The two companies have executed a memorandum of understanding for the joint venture and expect the transaction to close by the end of the year. Financial details of the joint venture are not being disclosed.


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According to Counterpoint Market Monitor data, in the first half of 2019, due to factors such as the economic downturn in China and the prolongation of consumer replacement cycles, the Chinese smartphone market slumped. As a result, the overall shipments fell by about 9% year-on-year.
Also Read: Chinese Smartphone Market Shipments Decline Continues In Q1 2019
In the third quarter, the Chinese smartphone market declined by 5% year-on-year but increased by 3% month-on-month. The year-on-year decrease was moderate in comparison to the previous two quarters. In the fourth quarter, Counterpoint Market Monitor expects the overall decline in the Chinese smartphone market to slow further. On the whole, the Chinese market has gradually recovered from the second half of 2019. It is expected to rebound in 2020, ending the year-on-year negative growth trend that has lasted 9 quarters.
Gizchina News of the week
This company also believes that the main driving forces for the market recovery in the second half of the year are twofold: one is the active online market; the other is 5G commercial use.
Chinese Smartphone Market Switching To Online Sales
In the third quarter of 2019, although the Chinese smartphone market declined, the online market was still active due to factors such as summer online promotion, e-commerce platform discounts, seasonal brand promotions, and improved logistics efficiency. As Counterpoint claims, online sales in the Chinese market accounted for about 27%. By the way, in the first quarter of this year, this number was equal to 24%.
In terms of brand performance, Top 6 smartphone brands accounted for 84% of China’s online market in the third quarter, an increase from 79% in the first quarter of 2019. Counterpoint data shows that in the third quarter of this year, Huawei’s domestic market share of online smartphones reached 26%, ranking first, followed by Honor 20%. In other words, the total share of these two brands reached 46%.
The rest of the brands that appeared on the top five include Xiaomi (14%), VIVO (10%), Apple (9%), and OPPO (5%).


text: Fresh questions have been raised over the risks of catching the coronavirus from food after traces were found in at least five samples of ice cream made in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin. Last Thursday, authorities in Tianjin, neighbouring Beijing, said three samples of ice cream had been found to contain traces of Sars-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the disease Covid-19. An investigation suggested that Ukrainian milk powder used to make the ice cream was the likely source, after three samples of the powder and two further samples of ice creams from the same batch were also found to contain Sars-CoV-2, from more than 2,800 samples taken from the ice cream, packaging, manufacturing plants and retail stores. Most of the potentially contaminated ice cream had been traced and recalled, but 21 ice creams remained unaccounted for, the authorities said. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the possibility of catching Covid-19 from frozen food is low, but China has linked infections to imported food. In November, a truck driver, also from Tianjin, was infected with a strain of Covid-19 also found on pork imported from North America that he had handled, according to local authorities. Discovering traces of the coronavirus in ice cream prompts new questions, given that the food is usually consumed directly when cold, according to Han Jie, an environmental science professor from China’s Xian Jiaotong University. “The contamination of ice cream raw materials is different to the contamination that has happened previously during cold-chain food transportation and retail,” she said in an emailed response. “Frozen foods are usually safe to eat after being treated with high temperatures, such as cooking. But ice cream would not be treated with high temperatures. Whether the virus can infect people through the digestive tract if it enters the body via food, as far as I know there is no conclusive evidence yet.” Are fears over catching coronavirus from frozen food justified? Han was the co-author of a review published in the journal Environmental Chemistry Letters in October that looked at the available evidence at the time on whether Covid-19 could be transmitted through food and identified areas needing further research. “The continuous low-temperature environment kept through the storage and transport of refrigerated and frozen foods can dramatically prolong the survival of Sars-CoV-2, a characteristic commonly observed on other coronaviruses,” the review said. “The frequent detection of Sars-CoV-2 in frozen foods suggests that these are not random, isolated incidents but rather signs that viral contamination and food-borne transmission may present a systematic risk in the ongoing pandemic.” Previous research showed the coronavirus survived longer at 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit) than at higher temperatures. Other coronaviruses, including the one causing severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars), were found to survive at 4 degrees Celsius for 14 to 49 days, depending on the material they were stored in, but research specifically on the survival of Sars-CoV-2 on food surfaces was lacking, the review said. Fears over the ice cream and other food have become a political matter, with Chinese experts and media suggesting the coronavirus could have been brought to China via frozen products, despite there being no evidence to support this theory. WHO experts this month arrived in China to begin their long-awaited investigation into the possible origins of the virus. Instances of food being found to be contaminated with the virus have been rare. China’s National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment has said random inspections yielded positive tests just 0.48 times per 10,000 samples. Of the 873,475 frozen food samples randomly inspected by Chinese customs, only 13 returned positive results for the coronavirus, according to the agency. To try to prevent contaminated food causing infections, China has stepped up tracing capabilities. A data-sharing platform is being tested to share information with restaurants on the processing, retail and sale status of over 90 per cent of the country’s imported frozen food, according to China’s market regulator. China has encouraged food producers to maintain records to aid traceability in the event of food safety incidents.


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Shutterstock to Acquire GIPHY, the World’s Largest GIF Library and Search Engine
24 May 2023: Shutterstock, Inc., a premier partner for transformative brands, digital media and marketing companies has announced that it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire GIPHY, Inc. from Meta Platforms, Inc. GIPHY is the world’s largest collection of GIFs and stickers that supplies casual conversational content.
GIPHY’s vast library of GIFs and stickers draws more than 1.3 billion search queries on a daily basis and powers more than 15 billion daily media impressions. These impressions are distributed via GIPHY’s more than 14,000 API/SDK integrations and its owned-and-operated website and mobile app. GIPHY’s content serves as a critical ingredient in text- and message-based conversations on platforms such as Meta, other social media platforms such as TikTok, Twitter and Snapchat and team collaboration platforms such as Slack and Microsoft Teams, in addition to integrations with most mobile devices. GIPHY’s content library is fueled by both individual artists who contribute original content and top verified media partners such as NBC, Disney, Netflix, NFL, MLB, and NBA, ensuring a steady supply of fresh culturally relevant content which can be inserted into everyday conversations and shared via social media.
“This is an exciting next step in Shutterstock’s journey as an end-to-end creative platform,” remarked Shutterstock CEO Paul Hennessy. “Shutterstock is in the business of helping people and brands tell their stories. Through the GIPHY acquisition, we are extending our audience touch points beyond primarily professional marketing and advertising use cases and expanding into casual conversations. GIPHY enables everyday users to express themselves in memorable ways with GIF and sticker content while also enabling brands to be a part of these casual conversations.”
- Augments Shutterstock’s generative AI and metadata strategy, including mobile generative AI at global scale
- Taps into a large and growing TAM in native advertising for brands seeking touch points with customers in-moment via mobile phones and communications tools
- Expands Shutterstock’s content library to include GIFs and stickers used in more casual conversations – GIFs have over 75% positive sentiment among consumers
- Combines Shutterstock Studios and GIPHY Studios to enable world-class custom content solutions for brands and advertisers
- Enables access to a massive user base consisting of 1.7 billion daily users generating 1.3 billion search queries
- Extends Shutterstock’s API ecosystem to include GIPHY’s more than 14,000 API/SDK partners
Consideration for the transaction consists of $53 million of net cash paid at closing, inclusive of working capital and Cash consideration funded through cash-on-hand and existing revolving credit facility.


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[Delio] Samsung Group meets Delio
Last Friday, employees from Samsung Group, one of the leading financial institutions in South Korea, visited Delio. But what did bring them here?
Key talents from Samsung’s financial affiliates, including Samsung Life Insurance, Samsung Card, and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, has made a move to learn more about the latest trends in the cryptocurrency market and the blockchain industry.
The visit was part of the Samsung Financial Training Institute’s Benchmarking Tour program to visit leading Digital Transformation (DT) companies and understand the market and their services. The meeting with Delio, one of the most advanced companies in the domestic crypto market, and Samsung Group, a traditional finance-specialist, highlights the effort to promote the blockchain industry.
Delio introduced Delio’s crypto finance business to employees of Samsung Financial Group, and shared information on the current state of the digital assets market, business opportunities, security tokens offerings (STO) and CBDC-related businesses, and institutionalization status.
After the presentation, a Q&A session was held to share various opinions on Delio’s and crypto finance businesses.
Presently, Delio is engaged in active discussions pertaining to business collaboration in the realm of crypto finance with Samsung and other prominent financial affiliates. Functioning as an intermediary between conventional finance and the crypto finance domain, Delio intends to adopt multifarious roles aimed at rejuvenating domestic crypto assets.
Delio Official Links
Delio Official Website: https://delio.global/
Delio Facebook| Delio Twitter | Delio Instagram | Delio LinkedIn | Delio Telegram Channel | Delio Telegram Group
Safe investment is now easier with Delio App 👇


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METS 2019 announcement
We will be part of the panel discussion on sustainable yacht building at METS 2019, as well as presenting our story in a keynote. Here are the details:
Panel discussion, hosted by Peter Franklin
Wed Nov 20th, 12.30, i Innovation Lab, Hall 6, RAI Amsterdam
Wed Nov 20th, 16.30, i Innovation Lab, Hall 6, RAI Amsterdam
For more information visit the METS website >>
The first cut of the Vaan R4-01 occurred this week at www.snijtechniek-brabant.nl. The first post consumer scrap recycled aluminium sheet by www.hydro.com is cut using a CNC milling machine.
I hope other boat builders will take a close look at their products and business and start rejecting the stuff that is harmful. For every logical choice of the past, there is a new alternative that is in line with the future. Our common future that is. Let’s do this together. This isn’t rocket science. Let’s Sail the Planet.
We are happy to announce the Vaan R4 has been awarded the A’Design Award in the category Yacht Design! The R4 was voted on by a professional jury as one of only seven winners in this category of this prestigious global design award.


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updated 12:50 pm EDT, Wed May 12, 2010
GM to partner with Google on Sync competitor?
General Motors is in talks with Google on developing an in-car telematics system to compete with Ford and Microsoft's Sync, a rumor claimed today. At least one source for Motor Trend believed Google's Android mobile OS will be adapted for in-car use. The system would allow GM's cars to pair up with any smartphone for wireless conversations, music streaming and perhaps even more, such as opening, starting or adjusting the systems of the cars; Sync can't currently touch the car's full equipment.
As Android has navigation apps built-in, it may make GM's own OnStar turn-by-turn navigation service redundant, which could complicate negotiations between the two. Google Maps Navigation already does turn-by-turn directions with voice guidance, although its dependence on an active Internet connection makes it impractical for leaving the country or driving into remote areas.
The GM and Google tie-up remains a rumor at this time, and isn't expected to be officially confirmed until sometime in 2011.


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- Just Announced
Tuesday, 3 Jun 2014
SingTel and Standard Chartered Bank today unveiled Dash, a mobile money service that is the result of a first-of-its-kind collaboration between a telco and a bank. Unlike existing cashless payments, Dash does not require NFC technology to work. Hit the link to find out how Dash works.
Engineered for gamers, PC enthusiasts, and media professionals who run graphics-intensive applications, the Extreme Pro SSD boasts sequential read speeds of 550MBps and write speeds of up to 520MBps, and features SanDisk's nCache Pro technology to optimize speed and endurance for heavy workloads.
WD's prototype introduces the new SATA Express interface, a form of PCI Express technology, which is offered on recently launched Intel series-9 chipset motherboard platforms. The SATA Express interface provides a roadmap for faster speeds, lower power consumption, and increased flexibility for future OEM designs.
Strontium has just announced the launch of their flagship NitroPlus range of SD and microSD cards with read/write speeds fast enough to support 4K2K capture.
Equipped with 80 LED lights and a brightness equivalent of 60W, the new LED speaker light bulb incorporates Bluetooth Smart technology for improved integration to your smart home. Adopting dual Bluetooth chipsets, the MiPow Playbulb lets you control the brightness of the bulb while listening to music.
At Computex 2014, Zotac is showcasing a quartet of new Zbox C-series Nano Mini PCs that combine a new fan-less chassis with a choice of AMD A6 APU, 4th gen Intel Core i3, i5, or Celeron processors.
Apple unveiled its next generation mobile operating system, iOS 8 at WWDC 2014 today. One of the key themes for iOS 8 is the third party support for widgets, keyboards and Touch ID. In addition, there are other new features that bridge the gap between iOS and other competing platforms.
At WWDC 2014, Apple has taken the wraps off OS X 10.10 Yosemite. Expectedly, it sports an iOS 7-inspired design. But beyond that, it also comes with many new features. Let's take a look.
Monday, 2 Jun 2014
Just last week, Aorus had announced that it upgraded its X7 gaming notebook with NVIDIA GTX 860M SLI graphics. Now, the company is launching its second gaming notebook, the X3. Sporting a IGZO QHD+ panel, the X3 has two display options: the X3 with a 13.3-inch display, and the X3 Plus with a 13.9-inch display.
Besides the new MeMO Pad and Fonepad devices, ASUS also introduced two Transformer Pad devices which are powered by the 64-bit Intel Atom processors and sport 10.1-inch displays.


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The cybersecurity specialist reports an increase of 16 percent, with Russia, Germany and India among the hardest hit countries.
Attacks with so-called bank trojans, as designated by Kaspersky, are now the most popular hackers. Especially when the purpose of the attacks is to make financial gains. According to the cybersecurity expert, the virus steals the credentials of its victims' online payment systems and online banking through the interception of one-time passwords, sending their data to the hackers responsible for the trojans.
According to a report by Kaspersky Lab, 889,452 users were attacked, of which 25% were from the corporate sector. Russia will have been the most attacked country in 2018, representing more than 22% of global users attacked with banking malware. This is followed by Germany with more than 20% and India with almost 4%. The expert highlights the RTM banking trojan as the most "explosive" of 2018, prompting users to make payments from computers that take notice.
Kaspersky claims that in 2018, the share of financial phishing decreased from 53.8% to 44.7%, but about one in five attempts to load a phishing page blocked by anti-virus related to the banking component. Phishing linked to payment systems and online stores accounted for almost 14% and 8.9%, respectively during the year 2018. However, it dropped 1% over 2017. Mac users saw growth to 57.6% relative to financial phishing.
Smartphones also did not escape hackers. In 2018, the number of users affected by banking malware has tripled to 1,799,891 worldwide. About 85% of the general attacks come from three families of banking malware. In this segment, Russia maintains the leadership of victims, followed by South Africa and the United States as the most affected.
Kaspersky experts leave some tips to prepare and prevent any attacks. Because attacks are typically done on websites, be aware of where you use your credit card when shopping. Suspect strange or unfamiliar pages. There are also several antivirus solutions available in the market.


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Sony has finally revealed their Virtual Reality headset yesterday to industry veterans and game developers at the GDC event.
The showing has stirred up quite the excitement for all the individuals who were able to see the masterpiece with their own eyes.
Game industry veterans and developers posted their reactions, all over the internet.
We were able to compile some of those individuals, who may work with the VR technology sometime I their future.
Dave Perry, CEO of Gaikai:
Super excited that Sony finally announced Project Morpheus. I’m a HUGE VR fan.
Mark Rein, Vice President of Epic Games:
We’re excited to be supporting Project Morpheus! Congrats on the announcement tonight!
Raphael van Lierop, Creative Director of Hinterland Games:
Excited to hear about Sony’s Project Morpheus. More people with VR makes creating VR experiences more viable for us developers.
Dylan Jobe, President of Lightbox Interactive:
OMG — Image of Richard Lee with move controllers taped to MacGyver-style VR headset wins for image of the week!
David Reid, CMO of CCP Games:
VR is most a “thing,” in fact a thing to create virtual worlds more meaningful than real lifeTM
Andrea Pessino, CTO of Ready at Dawn:
RIP Oculus Rift… we barely knew you. : )
Dan Olson, Software Engineer at Treyarch:
Maybe it’s called project morpheus because it starts out really cool and then everyone’s tired of it by the third movie.
Jon Greenberg, Graphics Programming Lead at NetherRealm Studios:
Prediction – Sony party features lots of people taking red and blue pills
Prediction – @amboyes wearing armless sunglasses at Sony party, and devrels dressed like Agents
Min-Liang Tan, CEO of Razer:
Sony’s really hitting it out of the park over and over. Morpheus looks very cool.
John Carmack, CTO of Oculus VR:
Trivia: I had suggested to Sony that they try to hire Palmer Luckey before the Oculus kick starter.
Calibrate PS4 VR expectations: a game that ran 60 fps on PS3 could be done in VR (stereo 1080 MSAA low latency 60 fps) on PS4.
That wasn’t sniping; I think PS4 is a great platform, sufficient to drive VR. People just need to understand the demands.
Dan Pearce, Developer at The Tall Trees:
The Sony VR headset looks like a fancy butt massager. Okay I’m going to bed now.
Devin Reimer Owlchemy labs:
Sony’s VR announcement is great for people excited about VR. Completion is great for innovation!
Interesting overlooked item in the Sony VR announce is an extra box that will do the post-process for lens warping, performance win.
Todd Foster, Artist at Naughty Dog:
Morpheus. I’m totally taking the blue pill.
I am going to strap a go-pro to my head and feed the video into my VR headset, and wear it around. It will feel like I am in the real world
Nathan Gary, Creative Director at Sony Santa Monica:
They just showed a video of me playing the GoW VR demo. Lot of fun working with talented folks on that prototype.
Mario Lavin, Lead Sound Designer at Sony Santa Monica:
3D Audio will sell the deal?…I’m beginning to like this concept!
And now to try bring back to life the oldschool Aureal 3D audio tech from the 90′s. I love history repeating : -)
Housemarque, Independent Developer:
Sony has presented Project Morpheus… Maybe we should ask for a dev kit
just to be clear: we don’t have one. We are not working on it. It’s just cool and we could totally try it out.
Adam Boyes, Vice President of Publisher & Developer Relations at Sony Computer Entertainment:
I’m so glad I can finally use my “outside voice” about our VR – it’s been exciting to show it to devs over the past year.
Shahid Kamal Ahmad, Senior Business Development Manager at Sony Computer Entertainment:
Yes, indies have been working with Project Morpheus.
As you can see, there are mixed reviews of Sony’s virtual reality headset, but most seem to be excited for the new technology. There is praise and there is skepticism, but it looks like we’ll just have to wait and see how the consumers react to it. All we really know is that this is going to take gaming to a whole other level.
What do you think about Project Morpheus? Comment below.


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DARMSTADT, Germany -- The Wella Group, a powerhouse in professional hair care products, is now striving to become a major global player in retail products.
Bolstered by recent strategic acquisitions, the company is attempting to build on its image of salon expertise to expand abroad.
"From our figures, we believe we are in the number one position worldwide in the salon business, but the professional market is limited and doesn't show real growth," said Andreas Riecke, vice president in charge of Wella's retail hair care and color brands.
"We have the clear target of improving our position in retail," he continued during an interview at Wella's headquarters here.
Riecke noted that even in the salon business, Wella is in a horse race with the Paris-based L'Oreal. There are also formidable rivals in the retail business -- Procter & Gamble and Helene Curtis in the U.S., the Anglo-Dutch Unilever and L'Oreal. But Wella has some advantages too, Riecke asserted.
"Wella is widely recognized as a hair specialist," he said. "No other brand worldwide has the same potential in hair care or is as focused on hair care."
Riecke noted that Wella pursues a "mega-brand strategy" by marketing all its products under the Wella name. Other companies, such as L'Oreal, use a variety of brand names, some of which are applied to disparate categories of products.
Although year-end results will not be announced until May, Wella has indicated it will show sales growth of between 5 and 6 percent.
The company has reported that 1993 group sales through the third quarter, ended Sept. 30, were up 3.2 percent, to $1.19 billion (2.03 billion marks) at current exchange rates over the same period in 1992.
Pretax profits were up 5.3 percent, to $57.8 million (99 million marks).
As Wella plots its expansion in the nearly $22 billion worldwide hair care market, these are the key components of its strategy:
Innovative products. In 1990, for example, Wella recruited newer, younger customers to color with the introduction of Wella Color Intensive Coloring Mousse. The foam, whose color vanishes after six to nine washes, allows consumers to change hues with their mood.Two years later, it launched its Wella Color Soft Color line, making it the first company to introduce ammonia-free tints to reduce odors during application.
A unified worldwide marketing strategy. In the past, Wella's ad campaigns were managed by dozens of local agencies around the world, but in 1992 the group consolidated and handed its worldwide account to BBDO. The same year, the group updated its logo and adopted the English tag line "Wella. Perfectly You" in all its advertising, regardless of country.
Reinforcement of its image as a salon expert. Wella plans to renovate the training center for hair stylists at its Darmstadt headquarters this year. There are four other large centers around Europe and 78 smaller studios around the globe. A total of 850,000 professionals took courses last year.
Designating priority markets, and tailoring a strategy for each.
For example, Wella is concentrating on building its salon business in the U.S., where competition in the retail market is particularly tough and market share gains costly. But in European markets like the U.K. and the Scandinavian countries, Wella is focusing on its consumer brands.
Strategic acquisitions to meet these objectives. Last June, Wella acquired SmithKline Beecham's hair care brands, which had a volume of $64 million. In September, the company acquired Sebastian International of Woodland Hills, Calif., which generates $80 million in salon product sales.
In addition, Wella has been looking hard at developing markets like China. In May, it will open its first factory in Russia, a joint venture with a Russian chemical firm called Caprolaktam.
As a rule, most successful mass market companies first establish a solid domestic base before venturing overseas. That means Wella has some work to do in Germany, where it got a late start in the consumer products market during the Seventies. It had been beaten to the punch by L'Oreal and by another German company, Schwarzkopf.
Although Wella claims its professional care and color lines command a dominant 50 percent of the German salon products market, its consumer products share is only 9 percent.
Color is considered its strongest suit, but Wella has only 11 percent of Germany's hotly contested retail color market, estimated at $263 million. German competitor Henkel has 42 percent -- down from 50 percent in 1992 -- and L'Oreal has 27 percent, according to Nielsen.Wella's 11 percent share, however, is more than triple the company's share in 1987, when it launched its semi-permanent color products.
"Clairol already had Loving Care in the U.K., but we took a different approach," recalled Riecke. "Our product was not positioned to cover gray, but we took a fashion approach instead to bring young girls into the customer range."
Although the product was originally introduced in liquid form, Birgit Bauermees, group product manager for retail color products in Germany, said the real breakthrough came in 1990 when it became available in a foam.
"We recognized that younger people wanted to color their hair with fashionable tints, and the foam made for an easier application," she said.
The foam is priced at $5.25 (9 marks), compared to $47 (80 marks) for a salon color job and $6.50 (11 marks) for a permanent at-home application.
The Wella product has been launched in France, Spain and the U.K. Bauermees said it will be rolled out to other European markets, Latin America and Asia this year, and should be available worldwide by 1996.
Although Wella has a history of picking up innovative salon products for retail, executives discovered that not all products adapt easily to home use. Living Colors, for example, a plant-based natural coloring product introduced for salon use in April 1992, has been well received by professionals, but Wella executives worry that it would be difficult to get consistent results at home.
The company was founded by Franz Stroher in 1880 and took off in the Twenties. Although the Stroher family had registered the company name in more than 25 countries, several of the trademarks -- including those in the U.S., South America, Norway and Finland -- were confiscated during World War II.
A buyback campaign included the reacquisition of Wella Corp., based in Englewood, N.J., in 1983, and the 1990 acquisition of VEB Londa, the East German subsidiary, which was originally Wella's parent and was expropriated in 1945. Londa became a leading brand in the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War.
Riecke acknowledges that Wella's position in the U.S. is weak. The brand has less than a 10 percent share of the salon market and less than a 3 percent share of the retail products market.But he also argues that "trying to be global without the U.S. is a mistake."
"We've made lots of efforts in retail, but we didn't succeed because we're coming from a weak position," he said. "We invested, but we needed too much money and so now we are focusing on the salon business."
Riecke reported that Wella's U.S. salon sales were up more than 20 percent in 1993. The key was the acquisition of Sebastian, which has a more exclusive distribution and prestigious positioning than Wella's.
In Latin America, however, where Wella started a retail business in the Fifties because there were no salons, consumer products are the core business, although the company is now stepping up its professional business.
With sales of some $175 million (300 million marks) in the region, Wella claims it's the leading brand, especially in color.
In Europe, Wella is out to increase its consumer business, particularly in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia. Those are weaker markets for L'OrÄal, which dominates European retail market share with 30 percent, according to Riecke.
Wella also is focusing on Asia, where it got a jump on competitors by entering Japan in 1968.
Currently Japan is Wella's third-largest market behind Germany and the U.K., but Riecke believes the largest Asian growth will come from the rest of the Far East, especially emerging markets like China.
The annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Pacific Palisades this weekend drew Kate Hudson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laura Dern and more. See pictures of the star-studded event on WWD.com. (📷: @chelsealaurenla) #wwdeye
In his new book “Hollywood Royale,” Andy Warhol’s Protégé Matthew Rolston celebrates the Eighties revival of Hollywood glamour. Featuring more than 100 portraits taken by Rolston from 1977 to 1993, the book contains photos of icons like Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and @drewbarrymore, pictured here in 1991. “Hollywood Royale,” out today, will be accompanied by an exhibition opening at Los Angeles’ Fahey/Klein Gallery on March 1. #wwdeye
"Nowadays when life is not so happy with everything going on in the world, I think people come to me for a little bit of whimsy and color and fun." - Designer Rebecca De Ravenel on her cult-favorite jewelry line. (📸 : @vsteves) #wwd40
“Everyone is talking about how the retail industry is struggling, but I think it’s an incredible time because brands who are doing something different and innovative are setting themselves up for the future,” said @adamgoldston, who founded the luxury athletic brand @apl with his brother @ryangoldsten. The Goldston’s are part of WWD’s 40 under 40: a group of industry notables. See the rest of the list on WWD.com. (📷: @vsteves) #wwd40
@eyeswoon blogger Athena Calderone debuted her first-ever cookbook, “Cook Beautiful,” which is heavily centered on the presentation and visual expression of food. Pictured here are her miso glazed carrots from the book. Get the recipe on WWD.com. (📷: @johnny_miller_) #wwdeye
“It’s passion that helps get anybody to a certain point and it’s what’s propelled me,” said Kith founder @ronniefieg, one of WWD’s 40 under 40: a group of industry notables who are changing the face of retail, fashion and beauty. Fieg, who opened a Manhattan flagship on October 7, began his career at age 13 as a stock boy and salesman for footwear chain David Z. “I think staying true to [my] beliefs, hard work and passion have gotten me to where [Kith] is today.” See the rest of the 40 at WWD.com. (📷: @vsteves) #wwd40
25-year-old @samweaving is about to break out this fall, starring in Netflix’s horror film “The Babysitter,” fittingly out today on Friday the 13th. That’s not the only place you’ll be seeing her, though — Weaving’s got a role Showtime’s “SMILF” and another alongside Frances McDormand and Woody Harrelson in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” Though she’s got a full plate at the moment, there’s one role she’s got her eye on: Marilyn Monroe. “I’m a little too young at the moment, but it’s on my bucket list,” the actress told WWD (📷: @dandoperalski) #wwdeye
BFF's Poppy Jamie and Suki Waterhouse celebrated the launch of their bag line Pop x Suki at Nordstrom last night. "The line is really about our friendship, and how we are so different but complement each other," said Waterhouse. 👯 (📷: Katie Jones) #wwdeye
After designing the new @louisvuitton and @bulgariofficial flagships and a @chanelofficial boutique opening in Japan, @petermarinoarchitect has another project on his plate: The Lobster Club. Located in the Seagram Building, it’s the famed architect’s first restaurant project in New York, serving up modern Japanese brasserie-style cuisine. Bronze hues, bespoke material detailing, blush and chartreuse tones and a heavy emphasis on Picasso can be seen throughout. Mark your calendars for Nov. 1 for the much-anticipated opening. (📷: @clint_spaulding) #wwdeye


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Lynn’s Vauxhall retailer, Thurlow Nunn, is giving motorists the chance to drive down the cost of a new Corsa or ADAM by £500 with its test drive programme.
Customers who take a spin in a new ADAM or Corsa and then go on to purchase a qualifying car during September, will be entitled to a further £500 off their new dream vehicle.
Gordon Mills, general manager at Thurlow Nunn, said: “We know from our customers that once they step inside and take to the wheel of one of our stylish vehicles that they feel it’s the new car for them, which is why we wanted to sweeten the experience even further with £500 off.
“Our customers can choose to test the ADAM, which combines bold design with urban attitude, or the Corsa, which is a perfect every day car.”
The test drive programme runs until the end of September at the Campbells Meadow site. For more details go online to www.thurlownunn.co.uk or call 0844 3725690.


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Ever since the very first, impressively directed teaser for Dead Island debuted online back in 2011 and offered a nonlinear chronicle of the course of the events that turned a little girl into a zombie on a tropical resort island, a movie based on the game was almost a foregone conclusion. It didn’t take long for that film to be announced, with Lionsgate acquiring the rights a few weeks after the trailer premiered, only to have that deal expire with little word on the project in recent years — until now, that is.
Film production and financing company Occupant Entertainment announced this week that it’s partnering with Dead Island publisher Deep Silver to develop a big-screen adaptation of the zombie franchise. In the official announcement of the partnership, the project was said to be fast-tracked with a filmmaker to be announced in the near future and production beginning in 2015.
Thus far, the Dead Island franchise consists of the original September 2011 release, as well as a stand-alone 2013 expansion, Dead Island: Riptide. A spin-off game, Escape Dead Island, is expected to hit shelves later this year, and a sequel to the 2011 game, Dead Island 2, is scheduled for release in 2015. Each of the games thus far has put players in the role of vacationing tourists on an island where a zombie outbreak has turned their relaxing trip into a fight for survival.
“Deep Silver has created a highly successful game franchise based on very cinematic, widely viewed and well received trailers, which provide a great template for launching a film franchise with a distinctive and commercial take on the zombie apocalypse,” said Occupant partners Joe Neurauter and Felipe Marino in a statement accompanying the announcement.
You can watch the original trailer for Dead Island that first sparked all of this big-screen buzz below:
- 15 epic sci-fi novels you should read before they become blockbuster films
- ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’: News, trailers, and everything we know so far
- THQ Nordic acquires Saints Row and Metro publisher Deep Silver
- Everything we know about ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’
- ‘Red Alert Online’ is coming to mobile devices, and people are not happy


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Summer is officially in the rearview mirror. That means the air is cooling down, the leaves are starting to change, and Halloween is right around the corner. How do we Fools celebrate the changing of the seasons? By finding great stocks to buy, of course!
So, which stocks do we think are top buys right now? We asked a team of investors to weigh in, and they picked Rigel Pharmaceuticals (RIGL -7.29%), Hanesbrands (HBI -7.70%), Walt Disney (DIS 4.68%), Tile Shop Holdings (TTSH -0.76%), and Dexcom (DXCM -1.66%).
An overlooked biotech gem
Cory Renauer (Rigel Pharmaceuticals): My stock pick this month has been under pressure thanks to a couple of issues, but I don't think either will stop this biotech from advancing its first drug from clinical trials to pharmacy shelves early next year.
Tavalisse, formerly fostamatinib, is an experimental therapy with a troubled past. Back in 2013, Rigel nearly imploded when the drug failed to show a clinical benefit for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Success in the first of two pivotal trials for a rare disease called immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) lifted the stock last year, only to come crashing down again after a single patient in the placebo group of the second trial rendered the study a statistical failure.
Rigel's lead candidate missed the mark in arthritis, but ITP is a different disease caused by the unwarranted destruction of the platelets that allow blood to clot properly. As for the second pivotal trial that failed due to a technicality, combined results from both pivotal trials showed a clear clinical benefit, with 29 of 101 ITP patients given the drug achieving higher platelet levels versus just one of 49 given a placebo.
Although the FDA generally doesn't accept combined trial results, a recent announcement that the Agency won't convene an independent advisory committee to discuss the mixed data suggest Rigel's candidate has a much better chance of earning an approval than the stock price suggests right now.
If approved, fostamatinib could generate around $350 million in sales each year at its peak, but Rigel's market cap is just $419 million at recent prices. Biotech stocks tend to trade at mid single-digit multiples of annual sales, which means an approval decision in the months ahead could send the stock rocketing higher.
An overlooked apparel company
Tim Green (Hanesbrands): With the market at all-time highs as we enter October, finding solid value stocks is hard. There are plenty of cheap-looking stocks, but those will burn you more often than not. Good companies trading for less than they're truly worth are in short supply.
Thankfully, there are still some good options for investors unwilling to pay sky-high prices. Hanesbrands, an apparel manufacturer known best for its innerwear, has seen its stock beaten down since peaking in 2015. Concerns about the health of brick-and-mortar retailers, where Hanesbrands generates the vast majority of its sales, have been weighing on the stock.
Hanesbrands' results in recent quarters have been mixed, with declines in innerwear sales offset by growth in activewear and international sales. The company expects organic sales to be up as much as 2% this year, which isn't as sluggish as it sounds given the current retail environment. Analysts expect adjusted earnings per share of $1.99 in 2017, putting the stock just shy of 12.5 times that number. For comparison, the S&P 500 trades for about 25 times trailing-12-month earnings.
Hanesbrands depended on Wal-Mart and Target for about 50% of its annual innerwear sales in 2016, so the fact that both of those retailers are reporting comparable sales increases is notable. During the latest quarter, Wal-Mart grew U.S. comparable sales by 1.8%, while Target boosted overall comparable sales by 1.3%. Growing store traffic was the main driver in both cases, which is good news for Hanesbrands.
Hanesbrands is not an exciting company, and its dependence on the megaretailers does introduce some concentration risk. But the price looks right for this overlooked apparel company.
One of the world's greatest companies at a reasonable price
Chuck Saletta (Walt Disney): Walt Disney is well known for Mickey Mouse, a string of worldwide amusement parks, and top-tier television and movie properties like ESPN, ABC, Pixar, Marvel Studios, and Star Wars. Few companies have anywhere near the reputation that Walt Disney does of successfully and consistently separating people from their money while those people thoroughly enjoy the experience.
Yet Walt Disney's shares have taken a tumble in recent months, and they now trade at less than 18 times trailing earnings and less than 16 times anticipated forward earnings. At a time when the overall S&P 500 trades at over 25 times trailing earnings, Walt Disney looks like a relative bargain.
While Hurricane Irma temporarily shut down Disney World, and there are lingering questions about the long term growth prospects of ESPN, the overall company looks solid. Despite those well-known challenges, Walt Disney as a whole is expected to be able to increase earnings by around 7.5% annualized over the next five years. Bargain prices on quality companies rarely last, which makes Walt Disney look like a potentially compelling investment this October.
Even if its shares don't quickly rebound, Walt Disney sports a 1.6% dividend yield -- which is better than the yield on 3-year Treasury bonds at the moment. Even better, unlike those bonds, Walt Disney has been able to increase its dividends for the past several years. With a payout ratio of only around 28%, Walt Disney likely has room to continue increasing that dividend.
A beatdown has created a bargain
Jason Hall (Tile Shop Holdings): Since reaching its 2017 peak in June, shares of Tile Shop are down 61% at this writing, with the vast majority of that huge drop happening over the past week. The downhill roll started on September 27 when Piper Jaffray downgraded the stock over near-term inventory and competitive concerns, sending shares down 17% on the day, and culminated with the company's preliminary third-quarter earnings release on October 2, which indicated that Jaffray's analysts were right.
However, I'm of the strong opinion that this huge beatdown is overdone (though the stock could keep falling in the short term) and, more importantly, that Tile Shop's current problems will prove to be short term in nature.
The company said its third-quarter results are likely to show 7% sales growth overall, and 1% comps (sales at stores open more than one year) growth, similar to the second quarter's results, and that gross margins will take a big hit since the company had to more extensively discount in an increasingly competitive environment.
Here's the catch: The company says this is as much a mix problem as a pricing one, and that it is bringing in more entry-level products to meet customer demand. This should stabilize margins and drive sales higher, resulting in strong profit growth in future quarters. It could take another quarter for the results to pay off, but I think investors who buy shares after the recent drubbing will be glad they did in a few years' time.
This high-growth gem is finally trading at a reasonable price
Brian Feroldi (Dexcom): I've been an admirer of the diabetes darling Dexcom for years. Dexcom is a leading provider of continuous glucose monitoring system that allows people with diabetes to track their blood sugar levels in real time. Given the company's razor-and-blades business model and huge addressable market opportunity, Dexcom's top-line growth has been nothing short of amazing. In turn, the stock has been a home run for early investors.
Despite my admiration for the company, I've never been comfortable with the stock's sky-high valuation. However, Dexcom's stock was clobbered last week after the FDA approved Abbott Laboratories's (ABT 0.20%) FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System. Since Libre users do not have to prick their finger for calibration, Wall Street freaked out over the belief that Dexcom's growth days were over.
While the Libre looks like a very cool device, I'm not nearly as bearish as Wall Street for three main reasons.
First, Abbott's Libre system requires users to wave a piece of hardware over their sensor to get a reading. By contrast, Dexcom's sensors communicate directly with an iPhone, Apple watch, or Android phone. That eliminates an extra piece of hardware from the picture. Dexcom's system also allows data to be shared over the web, which is a highly attractive feature for parents and caregivers.
Second, Dexcom's amazing revenue growth up until now has come without any coverage from Medicare. The company finally won Medicare reimbursement just a few months ago, so it just recently gained access to an enormous market opportunity.
Finally, there are 3 million intensively managed insulin users in the U.S. alone. By contrast, only a few hundred thousand patients are actively using continuous glucose monitoring systems. That means there is plenty of room for multiple winners.
These factors make me believe Dexcom will still be able to put up big growth numbers in the years ahead. With shares currently trading at a more reasonable valuation -- about 6 times sales, which is near a 10-year low -- I think it that right now is a great time to buy into this growth story.


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Wal-Mart workers to pay up to 36% higher health costs
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- Staff Phoenix Business Journal
The wave of health care premium increases for the new year includes up to 36 percent higher premiums for workers at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., according to Reuters.
Employees of Wal-Mart will pay between 8 percent and 36 percent more for their health care coverage for 2013, the report said. The retail giant has 1.4 million workers and some of them may forego coverage altogether, according to Reuters.
Wal-Mart (NYSEL WMT) is Arizona's largest private employer.
Vice President/Mortgage Loan Officer Western State Bank | Chandler, AZ
Faculty/General Business (Occupational) Paradise Valley Community College | Phoenix, AZ
House Painters Illusions Painting | Denver, CO
Mgr, Pharmacy Business Phoenix Children's Hospital | Phoenix, AZ
Senior Auditor Robert Half Management Resources | Phoenix, AZ
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EURO – This is the Right Point for a Reversal
Daily FX Market Roundup 02.16.18
By Kathy Lien, Managing Director of FX Strategy for BK Asset Management
EUR/USD had a great run this past week but the sell-off on Friday screams of a deeper reversal. Technically, the rally that took the pair to a 3 year high stopped just short of the 100 and 200-month simple moving averages near 1.2550. These are significant resistance levels that would be the perfect points for reversal. Technically, we see reasons for a near term recovery in the U.S. dollar but fundamentally there are plenty of reasons supporting the euro’s rise. The latest Eurozone economic reports show ongoing strength in the Eurozone economy. The European Central Bank is optimistic with members like Benoit Coeure saying the central bank will discuss changes to the policy language in early 2018. There’s no doubt that the positive momentum in the economy has ECB officials thinking about normalizing monetary policy and they could make the move as early as next month. This would be irrespective of how next week’s economic reports fare. EUR/USD will be in focus with a number of market moving data scheduled for release including the ZEW survey, February PMIs and the German IFO report. So even if EUR/USD dips, we expect buyers between 1.2250 and 1.2375.
Next week’s U.S. economic reports could help seal the deal. Although the latest U.S. report show American pocketbooks being pinched by rising prices – inflation increased 0.5% in January while retail sales fell -0.3%, this will not stop the Federal Reserve from raising interest rates next month. Despite this week’s softer spending report, Fed fund futures are pricing in 100% chance of tightening in March. Next week’s FOMC minutes will reinforce those expectations as the central bank upgraded their inflation outlook and touted the improvements in the economy at their last meeting. Existing home sales should also recover after falling at the end of last year but before getting too excited about a full-fledged dollar recovery, investors should watch U.S. yields carefully because they continue to pose a serious danger to the markets and the economy. If they peak at 2.91%, we should see a stronger recovery in USD/JPY, risk appetite and stocks but if 10 year rates head towards 3%, sellers will return. Although Friday’s price action suggests that investors are not entirely convinced that USD/JPY deserves to rise, between the move in U.S. equities and Treasuries and the presence of the 200-month simple moving average at 105.60, USD/JPY should recover in the coming week.
Meanwhile a series of softer economic reports did not stop the British pound from participating in the risk recovery rally. Inflation is lower, retail sales growth slowed and there’s been zero progress on Brexit negotiations. Sterling should be trading much lower given these latest developments but investors are still hopeful that the central bank will raise interest rates later this year. Despite the European Union’s resistance, we continue to believe that a Brexit deal will be done but if Wednesday’s labor market report shows a significant slowdown in wage growth, we could see a sharp pullback in the British pound. According to the PMIs, the labor market continued to improve at the start of the year but wage growth has also been very firm and a pullback would overshadow the claimant count.
All three commodity currencies traded higher against the greenback with the New Zealand dollar leading the gains. NZD was the best performing currency behind the Japanese Yen and is trading at a 6 month high versus the U.S. dollar. While better than expected economic data played a big role in this week’s outperformance, the New Zealand dollar was also one of the most resilient currencies when stocks tumbled. According to the latest reports, manufacturing activity accelerated in January, house sales increased along with inflation expectations and food prices. Producer prices and retail sales are due for release next week, which leaves the New Zealand dollar in play. The Australian dollar also had a nice run despite slightly weaker labor data. Although the increase in job growth was in line with expectations, full time jobs declined for the first time in 6 months. It was bound to happen but if it continues it could be a big problem because consumer confidence is already falling. The minutes from the last RBA meeting will be the main focus. Having heard from RBA Governor Lowe, we know that they are not extremely concerned about the level of the currency. Although consumer spending remains uncertain and they believe the next move in rates will be higher, they don’t see a compelling reason to change policy in the near term. Last but certainly not least, the Canadian dollar benefitted the least from the risk rally. Although oil prices rebounded, existing home sales and manufacturing sales were weaker than expected. However these reports are not significant enough to explain the currency’s underperformance. Instead, investors are still hopeful that Canada’s economy is going strong and we’re set to learn if that’s true with retail sales and consumer prices scheduled for release.


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Xiaomi posts a quarterly revenue of 6.1 million yuan
posted an adjusted net income of 6.1 billion yuan ($949 million) in the quarter ended in March, surpassing the highest estimate of 5.3 billion yuan.
Xiaomi Corp's quarterly profit beat estimates after the world's third-largest smartphone maker narrowed the gap with market leaders Samsung Electronics Co. and Apple Inc. in shipments.
The Beijing-based company posted an adjusted net income of 6.1 billion yuan ($949 million) in the quarter ended in March, surpassing the highest estimate of 5.3 billion yuan compiled by Bloomberg. Higher finance income and tax refunds contributed to the profit beat. Revenue jumped 55% to 76.9 billion yuan, also ahead of analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg, according to a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Wednesday.
Billionaire co-founder Lei Jun is seeking new battlegrounds for the 11-year-old company that has already expanded from smartphones to a wide spectrum of consumer electronics, including smart TVs and laptops. The entrepreneur in March unveiled a $10 billion foray into carmaking, embarking on its biggest-ever overhaul.
“We managed to realize a very fast growth for in smartphone business with an increased gross profit,” President Wang Xiang said on a conference call. “That was helped by our strategy of realizing more higher-end products.”
On Wednesday, a U.S. court issued a final order that formally removes sanctions that could have blocked American investment in Xiaomi. The company had been accused of alleged links to China's military in the waning days of the Trump administration, though it disputed that charge and sued the U.S. government. The Defense Department has agreed that a final order vacating the designation “would be appropriate,” according to a May legal filing.
The court order marks a rare victory for China's technology giants caught in the crosshairs of the U.S. government, which had under former President Donald Trump targeted scores of Chinese tech companies over national security concerns. Huawei Technologies Co., once among Xiaomi's biggest rivals in smartphones, was cut off from its key suppliers as a result of a series of restrictions imposed by the U.S.
The lifting of the U.S. blacklisting means Xiaomi can now focus on growing its businesses, including in smartphones -- responsible for roughly 60% of company's revenue -- as well as nascent endeavors like smart cars. The company had shipped 48.6 million handsets worldwide in the first three months of the year, a 64.8% increase from a year ago and the fastest growth among the top five vendors, according to research firm International Data Corp.
Xiaomi grew its share of the premium market in China, which allowed the company to boost its average selling prices, the company said Wednesday. Despite potential competition from Honor, the smartphone brand spun off from Huawei, Xiaomi intends to stick with its existing strategy and expand offline channels to keep its sales momentum going, Wang said. But the company faces “tremendous challenges” in India -- where it holds a 28% share of the smartphone market -- because of the deadly coronavirus wave in the South Asian nation, he added.
Xiaomi remains among “the biggest beneficiaries from Huawei's smartphone retrenchment,” Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Matthew Kanterman wrote in a research note ahead of the earnings release.
Lei is also joining tech leaders from Apple Inc.'s Tim Cook to Huawei's Ren Zhengfei in the already crowded electric vehicles market. Calling it his last startup endeavor, he set up a stand-alone unit inside Xiaomi to focus on the development of next-generation EVs. It's said to mulling over a 1.5 billion yuan joint-investment in auto-driving chipmaker Black Sesame Tech as an attempt to broaden its reach in the sector. The company's car project remains in an early stage, Wang added.
EV sales could bring 18 billion yuan in sales for Xiaomi by 2030, a “modest opportunity” given the company's 2020 revenue was north of 245 billion yuan, according to Kanterman.
Those efforts may be hampered by a global semiconductor shortage that is affecting production in areas from video game consoles to automobiles. Chip lead times -- the gap between ordering a chip and taking delivery -- have climbed to the highest since 2017, forcing manufacturers to idle plants and fueling a shortage of key consumer goods.
While the shortages may not be resolved within this year, Xiaomi hasn't adjusted annual sales targets, Wang told reporters Wednesday.
“Chip shortage is seasonal and usually repeats every four years. This round of shortage may be worse than previous ones,” he said. “For Xiaomi, it's not a very serious issue because the resources we currently have are good enough to realize a nice growth. We will use this opportunity to improve our efficiency and utilize our business.”


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Alphabet announced that Wing deliveries are about to start in Finland's capital of Helsinki and detailed more about where they the drones would operate and what folks could order. The pilot program will start in the Vuosaari district, an ideal spot for drone deliveries because it's bordered by water on three sides and has a dense population.
It originally unveiled its Helsinki ambitions last winter and did its first trial delivery earlier this week. Residents will be able to order dishes like lasagna for two, chicken caesar salad and even popcorn from gourmet supermarket Herkku, or dishes from the popular restaurant Cafe Monami. When it first announced the plan, Wing said deliveries would typically take about ten minutes.
Helsinki on kiinnostava ja toimiva testialusta tulevaisuuden ratkaisuille. Tänään Vuosaaressa vastaanottamassa Euroopan ensimmäistä drone-kuljetettua ateriaa!
In Vuosaari receiving the first ever drone delivered meal in Europe! #wing #drone #myhelsinki #vuosaari pic.twitter.com/dRE8r45dzw
— Jan Vapaavuori (@Vapaavuori) May 17, 2019
Wing notes that Helsinki wants to render cars obsolete by 2025 with reliable and affordable public transportation, and drone deliveries would aid in that goal "by reducing car trips to pick up small goods." At the same time, the cost of deliveries is lower than with regular couriers.
The Alphabet division has also been running trials in Australia, but has avoided the US -- apart from dabbling in delivering Starbucks coffee -- because of stricter rules governing drones. However, it became the first drone delivery company to be approved by the FAA last month, paving the way for US trials. Wing will start working FAA's Unmanned Aircraft System Integration Pilot Program (UAS IPP) in southwest Virginia, and contact communities in the Blacksburg and Christiansburg areas to show off its technology and gather feedback.
While it might not seem practical (or resident-friendly) to have hundreds of drones buzzing over cities, it makes more sense in rural or remote areas for deliveries of medicine and other crucial goods. Alphabet is hosting community events in Helsinki to let citizens ask questions about the service and learn more about how it works. "Most residents we've heard from say they're interested in using Wing to order dinner or groceries," it wrote.


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The company said it is presenting plans for less intense promotional programs for its Duracell brand to retailers in 2003 and wants to spend more of its marketing dollars on its recently launched "Trusted Everywhere" campaign from new agency Acme Idea Co., Norwalk, Conn.
Third quarter income up 20%
The discussion came as Gillette reported third-quarter net income was up 20% to $296 million, with earnings per share up 18% to 33 cents. Cost savings from restructuring and efficiency programs drove most of the growth for the quarter, which saw sales rise 2% to $2.17 billion. Gillette's ad spending rose 1% to $160.6 million globally.
The sales increase was driven in part by success of Mach 3 Turbo men's razors, which have captured a 23% dollar share of the U.S. market since their April rollout, the company said.
Duracell sales were down 4% to $482 million, but profits were up 41% to $78 million as the company moderated some of its recent promotional spending in the U.S.
Gillette remains concerned about "heavy competitive promotional activity" from Energizer Battery Co., Rayovac Corp. and private-label makers, and plans to match rivals on price promotion in the all-important fourth quarter, said Chris Jacubik, vice president of investor relations. But Duracell is also presenting plans for lower trade promotion spending in 2003 and hopes to shift its marketing mix to consumer advertising, he said.
Earlier this year, executives of Energizer and Rayovac blamed Gillette for the intense promotional spending that has sapped ad dollars from the category in the past year.


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Ikea Sweden will grow its own lettuce next year at two of its locations. In cooperation with waste processing company Bonbio, Ikea will begin cultivating in containers in Malmö and Helsingborg in the course of 2019. Part of the plant food will come from organic waste. The goal is for the lettuce to be served in Ikea restaurants.
"More than 25 percent of carbon dioxide emissions come from food. This project is in line with Ikea's ambition to find innovative and sustainable solutions to environmental problems," says Jonas Carlehed, Sustainability Manager at Ikea. Ikea Sweden already supplies organic waste to various recycling companies, including a biogas plant in Helsingborg from OX2 Bio, a sister company of Bonbios.
"Because we can regulate light, temperature, supply of water and food, we are unaffected by weather influences and we can guarantee a large quantity of fresh locally grown vegetables all year round," says Fredrik Olrog, director of Bonbio. Ultimately, the Ingka group, the largest franchisee of the Ikea brand, hopes to become self-sufficient in terms of lettuce and other leafy vegetables. "This way we avoid transport costs and we don't need soil or crop protection. The required electricity comes from our own wind power plants," says Catarina Englund, innovation manager at the Ingka group.
Bonbio will use a cultivation container of 30 m2 for this project, but will create a total cultivation area of 80 m2. They achieve this by growing vertically on four floors. Each floor has 45 gutters and there is room for 20 cultivation bins in each gutter. It's grown hydroponically, using only 10 percent of the amount of water needed for traditional cultivation. The climate parameters, such as light and carbon dioxide, are controlled by sensors. After five to six weeks, they expect about 18 kg of lettuce to be harvested per container.


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Nat Brown is the co-creator of the XBox and also a former Valve VR Engineer, he has now joined Apple and is apparently working on the new Apple Arcade.
He announced the news on Twitter but did not say what he is doing at Apple, there is a very good chance he is working on the new Apple Arcade which will launch this year.
ohai! so today I start at apple. a little thread if you’re interested…
— Nat Brown (@natbro) July 29, 2019
When he was at Microsoft Nat Brown co-created the Xbox and he was recently working as part of the Valve VR team.
The new Apple Arcade will give you access to more than 100 games for a monthly fee, Apple has not revealed as yet exactly how much it will cost. All we know is that Apple’s new subscription gaming service is coming this fall, we are expecting to hear more details about its release date at Apple’s iPhone 11 event in September.
Source Variety, 9 to 5 Mac
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Embarc Collective, a Florida startup hub that helps founders in grow companies, is now home to 100 member startups, making it the fastest-growing startup hub in the state.
The collective launched virtually in March 2019 with 25 member companies, and quickly expanded to 49 members after opening its 32,000-square-feet space in downtown Tampa in January 2020.
Since 2019, Embarc has added 234 team members and raised $107 million in venture capital.
“Reaching this tremendous milestone, sooner than we had projected, demonstrates that Embarc Collective is officially a premier destination for tech entrepreneurs in Florida,” said Lakshmi Shenoy, CEO of Embarc Collective.
– Kelly Hayes, Extensive Enterprises Media


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Xbox One Out Sells PS4 Again
For the second month in a row, the Xbox One has out sold the PS4 in the United States, that's for the months of July and August. Prior to that, the PS4 has had at least a 12 month run (except October) of selling more consoles. Are more gamers switching back to the Microsoft console? I think the next few months will tell that with the holiday season coming up. Both Sony and Microsoft are implementing new features and one of these features is bound to win over gamers, which one will it be.
Last edited by stomp_442; 09-11-2016 at 11:35 AM.


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Demand for air freight was a bright spot in the aviation industry during the COVID-19 pandemic amid shipping disruptions and passenger travel whittling down to next to nothing — but the tide has turned.
Now, demand for air cargo has slowed so much that logistics giant FedEx is encouraging its pilots to apply for a job with PSA Airlines — a regional carrier unit of American Airlines.
“Given the softness in air cargo demand across the industry and current FedEx flight operations staffing levels, we shared information about this unique opportunity with our pilots,” a FedEx spokesperson told Insider. FedEx employs around 5,800 pilots globally, while PSA Airlines has about 1,900 pilots.
Interested FedEx pilots are eligible for an expedited interview process for a captain’s position with PSA Airlines, according to the latter’s online recruitment page. PSA Airlines is also offering FedEx pilots $250,000 in sign-on bonuses.
Pat DiMento, the vice president of flight operations and training at FedEx, told staff in a Friday memo that the cargo airline is “significantly overstaffed,” according to a Sunday report by FreightWaves, a trade publication. FreightWaves first reported on the development.
That’s amid global air cargo volumes falling over 8% year-on-year since the first quarter of 2022, while cargo rates have slumped 40% to 50% for most of this year compared to 2022, according to FreightWaves.
The decline in air cargo demand is due to a plunge in ocean freight rates and the resumption of travel post-pandemic, which allows passenger flights to carry cargo alongside travelers.
Meanwhile, US passenger airlines have been plagued by a pilot shortage — which is bad timing, given a post-pandemic travel boom.
“FedEx and American Airlines have had a good relationship for many years, and their recognition of the quality of our crew force is clear in this recruitment initiative that provides FedEx pilots an additional career path opportunity,” said the FedEx spokesperson.
FedEx shares closed 0.7% lower at $245.33 apiece on Monday. The stock is up 42% so far this year.


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Audi Close to Solidifying EV Battery Deal With China's BYD, Report
【Summary】BYD Co. is looking for lithium-ion batteries for its electric vehicles and the Chinese company is currently negotiating a deal with Audi.
Developing electric platforms, producing batteries in house, and all of the other necessities to bring an all-new electric car to market is proving to be expensive endeavors for brands. It's why a lot of companies have partnered with one another in the hopes of trying to bring costs down. Things are a lot cheaper if you can share some of the development costs. That's exactly what China's BYD Co. is looking to do with an unlikely partner.
BYD, Audi Working On Battery Deal
BYD Co. is China's largest company when it comes to electric-vehicle manufacturing and is the country's second-best automotive battery supplier. Up until recently, the company has been focusing on producing batteries for its own vehicles. But, according to a report by Bloomberg, Audi, one of Volkswagen's luxury brands, is currently working out a deal with BYD. Citing unnamed sources, the outlet claims that Audi could add BYD as its supplier of batteries for its EVs.
The sources state that negotiations are in an "advanced stage," though BYD is reportedly speaking with other automakers about a similar battery deal. For Audi, the deal would see batteries from BYD be used for the German automaker's Premium Platform Electric architecture. The first models could be on the road as soon as 2021.
Audi, similar to BYD, is also speaking with other companies for a battery deal. The two companies have also discussed the possibility of a joint development venture of Audi purchasing a stake in BYD's battery arm. The sources declined to provide any information on how those talks are progressing.
Audi Wants A Partner In China
As Bloomberg points out, the decision for Audi to partner with BYD for batteries is more than just an effort to help with the high development costs of EVs, but it also comes down to diversifying supplies of important components. China will play a crucial role for Volkswagen and its subsidiaries in the future, as the company plans to deliver 22 million battery-powered cars by 2028. The majority of those, the outlet claims half, will be built in China. With production of vehicles set in that part of the world, it makes sense to partner with BYD, which calls China home.
While Audi will get BYD's batteries, the Chinese company will solidify its place at the top of the heap. Another major Chinese battery manufacturer is CATL, which also happens to specialize in lithium-ion batteries for EVs. Unlike BYD, which just recently started to look for large automakers to partner with, CATL has already struck a deal with Toyota. Reports from earlier this year also claimed that Tesla was speaking with CATL for a possible battery deal.
Bloomberg claims that BYD plans to sell its battery business in three years to help raise funds for future expansion. What that expansion includes are left up to imagination, but we have a feeling that it probably includes electric cars.
Vineeth Joel Patel
Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods
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