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In collaboration with Cary Frye, vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs at the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), I wrote a column this week for Food Business News entitled “Halting the raw milk movement.” (Thank you Cary.) You can read it HERE.
The column discusses the reasons raw milk advocates have such strong views, while at the same time provides statistics on the correlation between consuming unpasteurized milk and getting ill, possibly dying. The science is sound. Pasteurization is a food safety technology, not some “erroneous picture of reality that is ludicrous and counterproductive,” as one reader wrote. I am thankful to the grade school teacher who summed up the power of pasteurization as explained by one of her eight-year old students: “It’s like using hot water to wash dishes or take a shower.”
The science is so solid on the power of pasteurization that even an eight-year old can understand it’s a technique to clean milk! Would you dare eat a piece of spinach right from the plant before washing it? I’ll admit I pop some blueberries in my mouth when picking in August in Michigan with the family, but don’t think that food safety does not cross my mind.
It seems in this day and age with food safety front and center after Chipotle’s recent situations, and other issues with Listeria in ice cream and cheese and E. coli on leafy vegetables, consumers would want to err on the side of caution. Please take the time to read the COLUMN and share with your local media outlets. The time is right to set the record straight: Pasteurization is a necessary food safety technology.
The time is also right to set the record straight on GMOs. Non-GMO is a personal choice, one that is appealing to an increasing number of consumers. There’s no denying this fact. But there’s no science to show that non-GMO ingredients are any better or any worse than GM ingredients.
Packaged Facts reports in its study “Non-GMO Foods: U.S. and Global Market Perspective, 2nd Edition,” that in the U.S., 80% to 90% of such key crops as corn, soybeans and cotton are grown from GM seeds and there is little effort by anti-GMO forces to undo those facts on the ground. Instead, there is bitter conflict over attempts to have foods made using ingredients from GMOs labeled as such.
The approach is very different in Europe and throughout the rest of the world where GM crops have been widely banned. Rather than focusing on labeling food products, an epic struggle is taking place over those bans. On one side are environmentalists and health advocates who would keep and extend the bans. On the other side are agricultural experts and the GM seed companies who want to see the bans removed. On both sides are farmers, non-governmental organizations and politicians of differing opinions, reports Packaged Facts.
Unlike with pasteurization, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has real, tangible data to show that between 1993 and 2006 more than 1,500 people in the U.S. became sick from drinking raw milk or eating cheese made from raw milk, the research on the safety or non-safety of GMOs is still a matter of personal opinion. There is science that shows that GMOs have caused no harm to human consumers in the two-plus decades that GMOs have been in use. But opponents reject the extensive studies cited. They question the validity of the research, noting a lack of peer review, despite approvals from leading U.S. and European health agencies, and suggesting that the period of use is too short to have provided adequate data.
Here’s one fact that the dairy industry cannot afford to ignore.
Packaged Facts estimates that retail sales of foods and beverages identified as non-GMO were approximately $200 billion in 2014. This represented about a quarter of all retail food and beverage sales for that year. Looking ahead, Packaged Facts projects that non-GMO food and beverage retail sales will reach $330 billion by 2019, an increase of 65%. In that same period, retail sales of all food and beverages will only grow by 13%.
Organic and natural foods accounted for an estimated 60% of all non-GMO retail sales in 2014. Packaged Facts projects that this share will increase to about three-fourths of overall non-GMO retail sales by 2019. Keep in mind, while all organic foods are non-GMO, not all non-GMO foods are organic.
For many dairies, organic formulation and certification is cost prohibitive. Non-GMO certification, which is provided by private organizations, or simply stating the use of non-GMO ingredients, in particular those on many watchdog lists (e.g., corn-derived ingredients), is a more practical option to attract today’s label-reading consumer.
In early 2014, Whole Foods Market stopped selling Chobani yogurt. It was reported that this was because of the grocer’s newly adapted policy of only selling organic or non-GMO Greek yogurt. (Chobani says it was because of an exclusivity deal the retailer requested, one that did not interest Chobani.) At the time, some of the Greek yogurts sold at Whole Foods were made with milk from conventionally raised cows, most of which were likely consuming genetically modified feed. Whole Foods was under the impression that animal byproducts from an animal that has eaten GM feed is also GM.
Read this again to fully comprehend its lunacy: animal byproducts from an animal that has eaten GM feed is also GM. That would mean any human—we are animal—who has ever eaten GM food is now a GMO!
With that said, Chobani is changing its ways. The company says it is dedicated to increasing non-GM feed options and is building relationships with organizations and dairy farmers who are committed to GM feed alternatives. The company is sourcing, and says it has long been sourcing, non-GMO ingredients and has started stating this on packaging.
Rising Sun Farms identifies on its ingredient statements the use of artificial growth hormone-free cream cheese, and non-GMO canola oil and soy protein.
Here’s a second fact. Two years ago Vermont passed a mandatory law requiring on-package labels of foods containing ingredients that have been genetically modified. This law goes into effect July 1, 2016. Unless Congress acts swiftly to provide a uniform standard for food labeling, food companies will be faced with hefty implementation costs, confusion across their supply chain and chaos marketing their products, explains IDFA.
The implementation costs associated with this law and other state-based labeling laws would inevitably be passed on to consumers via higher prices that would hit lower income families the hardest. Dairy products are important nutritionally, and according to the most recent 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 80% of the U.S. population does not consume the recommended three servings a day. Unnecessarily raising the cost of dairy products for consumers will only exacerbate this public health problem.
Just last week, Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts proposed legislation that would create a national uniform standard on biotechnology labeling and called for urgent action to take up and pass the legislation. The proposed bill would establish a national voluntary GMO-labeling standard to be developed by USDA within two years of the bill’s enactment. The bill would also prohibit any state from setting separate GMO labeling requirements, and also includes an educational component that will inform consumers about the safety and accessibility of information on agricultural biotechnology.
View a moving TV ad from the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, of which IDFA is a member, released in January HERE. The broadcast advertisement, which ran for a week in the Washington, D.C., television market, focuses on the critical need for a national, uniform labeling standard for products containing GMOs. The ad, entitled “Do Something” urges Congress to find a solution to keep farmers growing and food prices low for America’s hard-working families.
To read more about the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, link HERE.
A new economic study highlights the urgent need for congressional action to prevent food price hikes on families as a result of Vermont’s GMO labeling law…and it’s not just on Vermont families. The study, conducted by the New York City-based economic consulting firm John Dunham & Associates for the Corn Refiners Association, found that the Vermont law could increase the price of groceries by nearly $1,050 annually. This highlights the far-reaching impacts one state’s misguided law will have on the entire nation’s food chain and emphasizes the urgent need for Congressional action to prevent people already struggling with the cost of food from having to pay significantly more.
“Vermont’s law will cost all of us, as higher grocery costs will be a jolt to every family’s budget, with the greatest effects on lower-income families already struggling to put food on the table,” says Claire Parker, spokesperson for the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food. “At a time when 48 million Americans are already struggling with food insecurity, Congress cannot allow one state to implement an unprecedented labeling law that will significantly raise food costs for families across the country.”
Here’s what you need to know about Vermont’s law.
Vermont‘s effective date for compliance is July 1, 2016, which means unless Congress acts fast, if you want to sell product in Vermont, you need to be changing your labels very soon.
“Vermont’s GMO labeling law is not straightforward,” says Emily Lyons, director-regulatory affairs & counsel at IDFA. “The law is riddled with exemptions and includes strict record keeping requirements, all of which dairy food companies must consider when developing a compliance strategy.”
Starting July 1, 2016, foods sold at retail in Vermont that are produced wholly or in part by genetic engineering must include a GMO declaration. “While there are some exceptions that relate to dairy products, it is important to understand what the law requires before you determine if your products are exempt,” says Lyons. “Exemptions include animal products, organic foods, enzymes, foods that contain GM ingredients that make up less than 0.9% of the food’s weight and more.”
Yes, you read that correctly. Animal products are exempt, to a point. White milk from cows fed GM crops or given a vaccine are exempt. But as soon as that milk changes, the rules change. If the sweetener used in flavored milk was derived from GM crops, now that milk must be labeled according to Vermont’s law.
Here’s an example on how tedious the process is regarding compliance with Vermont’s law.
“Cheddar cheese contains pasteurized milk, cultures, salt, enzymes and sometimes a colorant, such as annatto,” explains Lyons. “Under the law, the milk and enzymes are expressly exempt, but a processor will need to have additional records to indicate the cultures, salt and colorant are also either GMO free to fall under another exception to avoid labeling. Luckily, in this instance, there are no GM cheese cultures available on the market and salt is GM free because it has no DNA, and the colorant is also likely GM free. The processor would need to have all of this information on file, with supporting documentation from suppliers for each ingredient.”
These are the three types of GMO disclosures available for Vermont food product labels:
1. If a product contains less than 75% food produced with genetic engineering by weight, the product may bear the declaration “partially produced with genetic engineering.”
2. If the manufacturer does not know, after a reasonable inquiry, whether the food contains ingredients produced with genetic engineering, a product may bear the declaration “may be produced with genetic engineering.”
3. All other products made with any type of GM ingredient must bear the declaration “produced with genetic engineering” if they do not qualify for either of the other two declarations.
There are more details to the regulation, including reference to the term natural in labeling and advertising. There are also very hefty fines for non-compliance.
Around the time Vermont passed its GMO law in 2014, Vermont’s Finest, Ben & Jerry’s announced that it had transitioned all plant-based ingredients in all its ice cream flavors sold in pints, quarts, mini-cups and Scoop Shops to non-GMO. Still not free of GMO ingredients is the company’s ice cream bars.
Here’s a recent introduction from the company: Cake My Day. This is vanilla cake batter-flavored ice cream with vanilla cake pieces, buttercream frosting and raspberry swirls.
The ingredient legend reads: CREAM, SKIM MILK, WATER, LIQUID SUGAR (SUGAR, WATER), CORN SYRUP, SOYBEAN OIL, SUGAR, WHEAT FLOUR, DRIED CANE SYRUP, RED RASPBERRY PUREE, COCONUT OIL, EGG YOLKS, NATURAL FLAVORS, VANILLA EXTRACT, RED RASPBERRY JUICE CONCENTRATE, BUTTER (CREAM, SALT), PECTIN, VEGETABLE JUICE (COLOR), XANTHAN GUM, SOY LECITHIN, GUAR GUM, SALT, TURMERIC (COLOR), BAKING POWDER (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE, CORN STARCH, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), EGGS, CARRAGEENAN.
To read more about Ben & Jerry’s non-GMO effort, link HERE.


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Shares of Apple are up slightly in pre-morning trading Monday as the company kicks off a huge week for earnings results in the tech sector. Apple's first quarter earnings report after the bell will give investors a look at the strength of the company's holiday season, which featured new devices such as the iPhone 5s and the iPad mini with a sharper retina display. Last holiday, Apple sold 47.8 million iPhones and 23 million iPads during the first quarter of the 2013 fiscal year, all company records.
|Tech Stocks: Apple Kicks Off Big Earnings Week|
Source:GrabNetworks (c). All Rights Reserved

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ROME— Liliana Ginanneschi rode an electric bicycle to her wedding at City Hall here recently to avoid getting snarled in traffic, and rented out the bikes for her guests, too, so they wouldn't miss her vows.
"When the wedding ceremony ended we jumped on our bikes and headed to the reception," the film director says. "Two guests liked it so much that they later bought electric bikes."
Rome's notorious traffic, the high cost of gasoline, shortage of parking, limited metro system and frequent transportation strikes are prompting Italians to explore different ways of getting around. Electric bikes, with rechargeable battery-powered motors that aid pedaling, are gaining popularity.
No official figures are available, but Diego Porta, deputy head of Rome's municipal police, says electric-bike use is growing in the nation's capital, even among the police force, which has eight of them. "It seems like a natural response to combat higher costs of living, such as gasoline," he says.
Italian gasoline prices rose to more than €2 a liter ($2.60 a liter, or $9.85 a gallon) this summer due to higher oil prices and new Italian gas taxes. Prices today are at about €1.80 a liter.
Sales of electric bikes have climbed across Europe during the economic slowdown, says Kevin Mayne of the European Cyclists' Federation in Brussels. Italian car sales, meanwhile, have dipped. New-car registrations in September fell 26% on the year, falling to 1970s levels. Motorcycle sales have also skidded.
However, sales of electric bikes, which unlike motorcycles and scooters don't require insurance, road taxes or gasoline, are rising. Italy's bicycle and motor association ANCA expects electric bike sales to grow at least 10% next year.
"Interest has been phenomenal, and potential buyers were lining up to check out the bikes," says Franca Camplone, head of renewable energy company Enel Green Power SpA's retail sales, who expects 50,000 electric bicycles to be sold overall in Italy this year, compared with practically none five years ago. The company began selling the bikes in September and has launched a campaign to promote e-bikes as Christmas gifts.
"We are speechless over the number of people who have showed up at our store buying or inquiring about a bike," said Valerio Verrino, owner of Ecovia, an electric bicycle shop near the Colosseum.
Mr. Verrino says the price of an electric bike with gears ranges between €950 and €2,000—about a third less than a small scooter and less than half of a motorcycle's cost.
Despite Italy's top standing in professional cycling, conventional bikes haven't taken off as a mode of transportation in Rome due to its hilly terrain and reckless drivers. A 2011 Eurobarometer report said 4.7% of Italians use bicycles as their main vehicle, below the European Union average of 7.4% and far short of the Netherlands's 31.2%.
Roman authorities hope to change that, in September announcing plans to build 1,650 kilometers (1,025 miles) of cycling lanes in Rome and surrounding areas, from almost none now.
The public transport system is patchy. Rome's metro lines don't reach key destinations because underground ancient ruins limit its scope. The city is often beset by transportation strikes.
Rome is Europe's third most congested city, alongside Brussels and after Warsaw and Marseille, according to the July congestion index put out by navigation company TomTom.
"One evening I was so fed up with not finding a parking space for my car near a club where I had arranged to meet friends that I drove back home in frustration," said Anna Paulis, a 42-year old psychiatrist who bought an electric bike about 18 months ago. "I now ride my bike almost daily everywhere."
Enel Green Power calculates that Italian car drivers spend an average of €3,600 a year for their average daily usage of 14 kilometers. The same commute costs €10 in electricity for electric bike users, the company said.
Electric bike fans also say the two-wheeled contraptions provide a solution to stylish Rome's long-standing cycling dilemma: how to zip around without arriving sweaty and exhausted.
On a conventional bike, "You'd be unpresentable if you cycled to a romantic dinner with your girlfriend," says Tommaso Giacchetti, a 28-year old engineering Ph.D. student at the city's Roma Tre university. "Appearance is important."


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Europe's first-half sales results provided further evidence the region's six-year slump will end in 2014. Led by Jeep, Lexus and Dacia, 14 brands grew more than the market, which was up by 6 percent to 6.85 million.
Another 10 brands, including German premium automakers Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, reported year-on-year increases during the first six months. Just seven brands suffered sales declines in the period. The bottom three included Mini and Smart, each of which is changing over a core model, and Chevrolet, which will stop European sales at the end of 2015.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Jeep was the fastest-growing brand in the first half, with sales up by 44 percent to 16,348 units. With a 63 percent sales increase to 8,000 units, the Grand Cherokee large SUV accounted for about half of Jeep's volume during the period. Jeep said it is also benefiting from strong demand for the Cherokee. "After two months of sales in Europe, it is nearing the top of its segment," the company said.
Lexus gets a boost
The mid-sized IS sedan became Lexus' new best-seller in the first half, surpassing the cheaper and smaller CT200h compact and boosting volume at Toyota’s luxury brand by 35 percent to 14,047 units.
"We plan to strengthen Lexus sales momentum with the introduction of the new NX [compact crossover] in the final quarter of the year, and we are on track to exceed our target of 50,000 units in 2014 in our Europe region" including Russia, Alain Uyttenhoven, Toyota Europe vice president and head of Lexus Europe, said in a statement. He said Lexus expects the NX to account for a third of the brand’s deliveries in Europe and Russia next year.
The refreshed Duster small crossover gave a boost to Dacia in the first half. Renault’s no-frills brand grew by 35 percent to about 195,100 sales in the first six months of the year. Dacia also was helped by strong demand for its best-seller, the Sandero subcompact, which had a first-half volume of about 64,000 units.


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On Monday, T-Mobile added several new music apps to its list of Music Freedom services, including Google Play Music and SoundCloud. The program allows users to stream music from various services without data usage counting against subscribers’ monthly data allotments.
Apple’s latest iOS update finally introduces CarPlay support, fixes a bug that caused devices to crash, and brings along some nice UI tweaks.
The streaming music space is heating up thanks to API services that put incredible amounts of music data in the hands of developers who want to build their own streaming services. Can Pandora’s “less is more” approach survive?
Pandora pushed for a law to equal the playing field when it comes to the rates that different types of radio service must pay to license content, but it came up short. The outcome could hurt the service when its current contracts expire in 2015.
YouTube is reportedly planning to launch its own subscription music streaming service, which would include video, this year. It will enter a very crowded marketplace.
Rdio wants to grow its user base with the launch of free, ad-free streams on mobile devices. The company isn’t just taking on Pandora, but also beating Spotify to the punch.
Later today, Apple will release iOS 7 and with it, iTunes Radio. Although I’m a big user of Google services and devices, iTunes Radio is consistently playing better music to my ear than Google’s competing service.
Apple radio arrives in September – but it will come with fast food ads and playlists of the company’s choosing, much like old FM radio. Users can avoid the ads if they sign up for the company’s cloud music service.
Halfway through this year, digital song sales are actually down 2.3 percent: 682.2 million in 2013, versus 698 million a year ago. Meanwhile, digital streams of music are up 24 percent.
The debate between Pandora and artists over royalty rates continues. And with Apple releasing the royalty terms for its soon-to-launch iTunes Radio, the plot thickens.


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MONTAGUE, PE, Dec. 10 /CNW/ - For the PEI Royal Canadian Legion, the draw for the winner of the Apple Auto Glass® "Cash Your Chips In Event" did more than bring a successful marketing program to a close, it brought the Legion a much needed gift.
An interesting twist to the national-yet-community-focused promotion was that the $10,000 Grand Prize from Apple Auto Glass® would be split between the winner and his or her charity of choice. For Montague resident Bill Power, it was the Royal Canadian Legion.
"It's a great opportunity to pay tribute to a friend of mine who passed on, George Mill, a member of the Legion and my old horseshoe partner," said Mr. Power. "He was always involved helping to raise money with the Poppy campaigns, so it was nice to be able to do this."
The $5,000, like a donation of any amount, is a welcomed gift for the Montague Legion. "It really is terrific," says an appreciative Dianne Kennedy, the 1st Vice President of the PEI Royal Canadian Legion. "It's a great story and we want to both congratulate Mr. Power and thank him for such a wonderful, thoughtful gift."
More than the nation-wide sales lift that the "Cash Your Chips In Event" generated, what resonates most with the Apple Auto Glass® team is the charitable story. "We are all local owners and operators in our communities, so we get to see first hand the effect of initiatives like this," said Wade Bryanton, owner of three Apple Auto Glass® locations in PEI. "We feel that making a difference in our community is good for business. It takes extra effort, and we've certainly seen that from General Manager, Wendall MacMaster and his Assistant Manager, Billy White, who worked very hard at the Montague location which opened in 1988."
About Apple Auto Glass®
Apple Auto Glass® is a Canadian-owned company founded in 1983 with over 121 locally owned and operated stores. With a focus on quality and safety, Apple Auto Glass® is the "local expert", offering customers personalized service backed nationwide by the Apple Auto Glass® Guarantee.
For further information:
Krista Kay, JAN Kelley Marketing, (905) 631-7934


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At The Good Food Institute, we talk a lot about technology that will end our reliance on factory farming for food – a reliance that has caused tremendous damage to our planet and public health (not to mention its effect on farm animals).
Clean meat is one such technology, and it has the potential to completely transform animal agriculture as we know it.
But for this incredibly promising technology to achieve its world-changing impact, it has to scale up to become competitive on the marketplace against products that are highly subsidized. That’s going to require focused collaboration between scientists and entrepreneurs, and amongst governmental, academic, and nonprofit entities.
Good thing there’s a conference on the horizon designed for all of these parties to meet and direct their efforts toward commercializing clean meat as efficiently as possible!
On May 7, The Modern Agriculture Foundation will be hosting “The Path to Commercialization” conference in Haifa, Israel.
Professor Mark Post – GFI advisor and creator of the world’s first clean meat burger – will be giving the keynote lecture on scientific hurdles to producing clean meat at large scale. GFI Senior Scientist Dr. Liz Specht will be presenting on our Technology Readiness Assessments (TRAs), and how this tool can be used to efficiently direct research efforts for maximum progress. GFI Executive Director Bruce Friedrich will be chairing a panel on the other question on everyone’s mind beyond commercialization: Will people eat it once it’s available?
[Initial thoughts on that topic found here]
It’s time to move clean meat from small scale to global norm, before thousands more die from foodborne illnesses and antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and before our planet’s land, water, and atmosphere is polluted beyond the point of recovery.
Don’t want to sit on the sidelines? Then register here and join the conversation (discount for students)!


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Software that listens to and analyzes music is driving a Sun open source project, which aims to build a music recommendation system that surpasses the systems used today by iTunes and Amazon.
After rapid growth in the last few years the LCD (liquid crystal display) market will see more steady expansion now as panel-makers work harder to differentiate their products with new technical features, according to an executive at South Korea's LG...
Mobile printing has never been easier. For a busy office, reliable and easy-to-use tools are essential. Samsung's latest smart printers are equipped for wireless printing from mobile devices. Find out more about what is all about.
As the holiday shopping season approaches, Toshiba is turning up the heat on the Blu-ray Disc camp with the launch of an HD DVD recorder that can record high-definition video to regular DVDs.
AOL, which is trying to grow its online advertising business worldwide, has localised its video search site for eight countries and added two languages for its India portal, the company said this week.
The humble USB drive could soon be using a new type of memory thanks to research from the Arizona State University.
News Corp. and NBC Universal debuted their joint-venture online video service Hulu.com with a private beta, adding a new rival to Apple's iTunes and Google's YouTube services.
Hackers have released a tool that "jailbreaks" up-to-date iPhones and iPod touches, but unlike previous such software, doesn't require a Mac or PC as a middleman.
For the second time in eight days, new critical vulnerabilities that could be used to hijack machines have been fingered in the RealPlayer media player. The patched editions released last week for Windows, however, are not vulnerable to the half-doze...
The WiMAX market has had another boost this week with network equipment provider D-Link announcing it will base a range of products on Beceem's mobile WiMAX chipset.
With just over a month to go until Sony puts the world's first OLED (organic light emitting diode) television on sale, two rival display makers took the wraps off their latest OLED TV panel prototypes at an exhibition in Japan this week.
More than half of U.S. residents want the government to regulate Internet video in some way, according to a poll released this week.
Samsung Electronics announced that it has built a 64Gbit NAND flash memory chip.
A small booth at the back of the show floor is attracting a lot of attention.
Dustin Moskovitz took center stage at the CTIA conference in San Francisco and marveled at how Facebook, which he co-founded only four years ago, has grown to 49 million active online users.
Everybody's seen That Guy on an airplane: He's got an MP3 player for music, a BlackBerry for e-mail, and a slick multimedia laptop for creating spreadsheets or watching movies. And he might even also carry a mobile phone, unless the BlackBerry double...
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OAKVILLE, Ont. — Restaurant Brands International has established a master franchise joint venture with a U.K. investor to bring the Tim Hortons brand to England, Scotland and Wales. The joint-venture company and its CEO, Gurprit Dhaliwal, will be responsible for developing and growing the brand in the new market.
“This deal is part of our growth plan to take the iconic Tim Hortons brand around the world,” says Daniel Schwartz, CEO of Restaurant Brands International. “Great Britain is an attractive QSR market with a strong and growing coffee culture so it is a natural fit for the brand.”
This announcement comes just one month after RBI shared plans to enter the Philippines. The brand currently has an active presence in Canada, the U.S. and the Middle East.
“We are thrilled to introduce the iconic Tim Hortons brand and Canada’s favourite coffee to Great Britain,” Gurprit says. “Our Guests in England, Scotland and Wales are sure to be delighted with our focus on delivering great products and an exceptional guest experience.”


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Population growth, technology, and a universal evolution of value systems. Could this trifecta of change bring a perfect storm to the world of food by 2050?
Could the meat industry experience the lion’s share of transformation? If so, what form could that take? Should there be less conventional meat in the future?
And for good reason? There are serious questions about the sustainability of the meat farming industry. Are plant-placed meat alternatives a viable and attractive replacement?
Let’s jump into a time machine of possibilities in an attempt to envision how an estimated global population of 10 billion people might source their protein 30 years from now while helping to preserve the natural balance of the planet we call home.
UN statistics: The global population by 2050 will reach 10 billion
By 2050, cultivated meat, high-protein insects, seaweed and algae, and allergen-free nuts will be the most sustainable protein sources to support an increasingly growing population.
What’s going to happen by 2050?
Many aspects of our lives -- how we communicate with each other, how we travel, how we power our homes -- continue to evolve.
And as the future unfolds, food will be no exception.
Population growth, global warming, the challenges surrounding food security and equal access to food, and the promise of more sustainable food will lead individuals to eat differently.
Here are some ways the world will change by 2050:
The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that the global population will reach 10 billion by 2050. Also by that same year, the UN projects that a scarcity of water, land and energy will lead to a global food shortage.
With a population of 10 billion people projected by 2050, global food security issues must be addressed now.
Greenhouse gasses and global warming
Rising temperatures of 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit caused by greenhouse gas emissions over the next 100 years will already have a significant negative impact on our food supplies by 2050. Crop yields and availability will go down and food prices will disproportionately go up.
Providing a growing population with enough protein will also be challenging. Current meat supplies will not be sustainable in the decades to come. Just raising cattle requires an enormous amount of land, a reality that results in approximately 6.7 million acres of deforestation each year.
Trees are a critical source of oxygen we need to breathe, and they help keep our air clean.
Ongoing deforestation increases the CO2 in the atmosphere, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
Replacing jungles and forests with pastures and feedlots is not a sustainable option. In fact, it presents an imminent danger of which we are already seeing the effects. The good news is that alternative protein products can provide people the protein they need with a lot less impact on the environment.
Unequal access to food
With an estimated 10 billion people in the world by 2050, sixty percent more food will need to be produced (Source: Food and Agriculture Organization ). A business-as-usual approach to food production won’t get us there. Today, there is enough food in the world. Yet millions of people still go hungry. The problems are access and availability.
Hunger and how alternative proteins can help
Access to food is most commonly disrupted by extreme weather conditions (much of which today is caused by climate change), food waste, one’s gender, and conflict.
Hunger as a result of the effects of climate change mostly affects developing countries, creating a constant state of instability for local food production economies.
On the gender front, women are more likely to suffer from hunger and malnourishment than men. Sixty percent of food-insecure people in the world are women and girls (Source: UN-WFP).
Millions around the globe lack consistent, secure access to nutritious food
Violent regional or international conflict can make it extremely difficult or even impossible for people to access food. Conflict destroys infrastructure, cuts off import supply chains, hikes up inflation, devalues currency, shuts down roads, and causes job loss.
The good news is that if systems are established that can empower local economies, we can mitigate hunger no matter the cause. One potentially effective approach could be to set up localized cultured meat production facilities to help decrease a country’s dependency on international supply chains.
This could also be an opportunity for regions whose climates are not suitable for meat agriculture to create a new and stable source of protein production.
Cultured meat production could also allow manufacturers to increase yield more efficiently and cost effectively based on need.
Unlike animal husbandry, an increase in the supply of cultured meat will not require the time and land resources needed to raise and feed more cattle, not to mention the environmental impact.
This means that we will be able to produce enough meat anywhere in the world efficiently, economically and at costs that are not as easily impacted by changing climate conditions or natural disasters.
The need for sustainable food
The acceleration of global warming has already caused an unprecedented increase in droughts, insect outbreaks, coastal flooding and erosion, wildfires, declining water supplies, and decreased agricultural yields. These environmental consequences along with global population growth amplify the need for sustainable and secure food solutions.
Sustainable food systems will help protect the planet from the continued effects of global warming
By most estimates, based on today’s current systems of food production and distribution, by 2050, billions of people will not have sustainable access to safe, nutritious food. The consequences of such a scenario wouldn’t just be devastating for people in the hardest hit areas.
It would send shockwaves around the globe, potentially sparking violent conflict, an economic downturn, and migration of populations en masse the likes of which the world has never seen.
On the bright side, there are numerous government initiatives, technological advancements, and an overall increase in awareness of the need for improving and securing food systems.
Today, market trends indicate that more and more people understand the importance of sustainable food production to make sure that especially the neediest communities around the world can remain resilient in the face of environmental and climate crises.
What does the future of food look like?
Cultivated meat, high protein insects, seaweeds and algae, and allergen-free nuts might just be some examples of what a more secure future of food could look like.
Let’s discuss these sustainable protein options in more detail.
Cultured meat is real meat made from animal cells rather than slaughtered animals.
Although the industry is still in its infancy, most projections position meat grown from cells as a protein option that people will eventually embrace on a global level.
The reasons are clear. If the final product successfully mimics the meat-eating experience of conventional meat and its nutritional value, people will gravitate toward the idea of real meat that can potentially have a significant positive impact on the sustainability of the planet, e.g., enhanced food and water security, reduction in greenhouse gasses, and a reduction in deforestation.
Compared to conventional meat, cultured meat has a lower carbon footprint and has a real potential to help reduce global warming.
Even with optimistic scenarios of increased renewable energy use in conventional animal agriculture, “cultivated meat produced using renewable energy reduces global warming impacts by 17 percent, 52 percent, and 85 to 92 percent compared to conventional chicken, pork, and beef production, respectively.” (GFI)
Cultured meat could provide up to a 78% reduction in blue water usage, lessening the meat industry’s strain on precious water resources. It could also help with a whole host of other issues associated with the conventional meat industry: antibiotic resistance, foodborne illness, zoonotic disease risk, the destruction of terrestrial and marine habitats, and biodiversity loss.
The largest cultured steak ever printed at 104 grams (December 2021, Steakholder Foods)
A sustainable real-meat alternative to conventional meat
At Steakholder Foods, formerly MeaTech 3D, we are using an animal cell cultivation process and 3D bioprinting technology to develop whole cuts of real meat. It is an approach that, when scaled, could provide a more secure and sustainable source of protein to millions of people in a world where the demand for real meat is only growing.
High protein insects
Insects can provide a valuable source of protein, vitamins, and amino acids for humans, and are much more readily available than cattle. Crickets, mealworms and grasshoppers are high in protein and, compared to cattle and poultry, are a more sustainable option as a global source of protein. Insect farming can also reduce the environmental impact of other animal protein sources and are essential in many parts of the world to providing future food security.
Seaweed and algae
Similar to high protein insects, seaweed and algae contain nutrients that are essential to the human diet. They are rich in dietary fiber, high in protein and can be grown quickly without minimal environmental impact. It is also projected that seaweed and algae production will increase in the future with the expectation that they will be used as a solution for food security.
Allergen-free nuts, such as the tiger nut, are high in fiber, protein and minerals. Tiger nuts, which are not actually nuts, are currently experiencing a popular resurgence in the west, especially among people who suffer from food allergies because they do not contain lactose, gluten or fructose. They’ve actually been a part of the human diet for thousands of years, dating back to the Egyptians. They are now being rediscovered in western food cultures as a rich source of protein and a valuable food staple for the future.
Food in 2050 might look very different
By 2050, with a global population of close to 10 billion, experts project that the problems of food access inequality and the environmental and economic consequences of global warming will only grow more severe.
As these issues evolve, the need for sustainable food and sustainable food systems will become more urgent. Cultured meat, high protein insects, seaweed and algae, and allergen-free nuts will be some of the foods that pave the way for creating a better, more sustainable way of life for humans and animals.
Frequently asked questions
1. What food will we be eating in 2050?
By 2050, individuals will be eating cultured, or cultivated, meat, high-protein insects, seaweed, algae, and allergen-free nuts.
All of this food is rich in essential vitamins and minerals and high in protein. In addition, these foods will be grown sustainably and will benefit the environment by not depleting the planet’s natural resources.
2. Is cultured meat, or cultivated meat, the meat of the future?
Yes. Cultured meat does not require any animals to be slaughtered, requires significantly less water intake than conventional meat, and is more economical as it requires only weeks instead of years to achieve the same product output as conventional meat.
As the Earth’s population continues to grow, it will only become more and more critical that we address economic and sustainability issues, such as food security and carbon footprint, through the transformation of how we source and supply food. Cultured meat is an excellent example of how to address these concerns.
3. How will we continue to feed our growing population?
To feed our growing population, we must reduce global warming and the need to raise and slaughter animals for protein. Understanding the importance of eating sustainably, protecting and restoring precious ecosystems, and increasing food production without expanding agricultural land are all keys to feeding a growing population while ensuring a healthier future for ourselves, animals and the planet.


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TOKYO--Panasonic has developed a catalyst to clean diesel exhaust that uses about 80 percent less platinum than standard catalysts do and it uses less energy.
The key to the technology is using an alkali-metal compound, instead of platinum, to coat the filter that traps and burns particulate matter in the tailpipe.
Doing so allows Panasonic to slash the cost of the component because it requires about 80 percent less platinum, Kiyonori Itou, president of Panasonic Ecology Systems, the subsidiary that developed the technology, said in a June 22 roundtable.
Automakers are looking to cut platinum content in their cars amid rising prices for precious metals. The platinum in a standard catalytic converter can cost $250 to $300, Itou said.
Panasonic uses a compound of four alkali metals. The company wouldn't identify them, but the metal group includes such elements as lithium, sodium, and potassium. Its technology also consumes less energy because it treats exhaust fumes at a temperature 20 percent lower than typical catalysts. According to Panasonic, its device has a lifespan similar to that of current catalysts.
The new catalyst is Panasonic Ecology Systems' first foray into the automotive sector. It has shipped samples to about 10 automakers and suppliers in Japan and Europe. The company aims to bring the product into mass production in 2012 and reach global sales of about $220.6 million in 2018
(Source: Automotive News)


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Microsoft is reportedly aiming to release Windows 10 in June so that it can have the new OS in stores in time for back-to-school sales
If you’re eager to switch to Windows 10, but you’d rather not take the risk of relying on what is still a technical preview, you may not have to wait much longer. Microsoft is aiming for June release of Windows 10 so that it can setup OEM licenses in time for back to school PC sales, reports Brad Sams for Neowin.
Microsoft may be targeting back-to-school sales
Sams doesn’t say where he heard that June is the target (he doesn’t even explicitly claim to have an inside source, though it’s implied), so you should definitely take the June deadline as a rumor for now, but it makes a lot of sense. Microsoft already has a big, open technical preview with fairly regular releases. At some point it will stop calling Windows 10 a preview and start selling it as a finished product, but where you draw the line in the sand is fairly arbitrary.
Gates Capital Management's ECF Value Funds have a fantastic track record. The funds (full-name Excess Cash Flow Value Funds), which invest in an event-driven equity and credit strategy, have produced a 12.6% annualised return over the past 26 years. The funds added 7.7% overall in the second half of 2022, outperforming the 3.4% return for Read More
But the business rationale behind a June release is pretty clear. Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 8 were all released in the late summer and became widely available in the fall because there is a lag before OEM licenses are worked out and a new OS actually makes it into retail channels. Windows Vista was released on a different schedule, but the less said about it the better, and Windows 9 of course was skipped entirely. That meant they were ready for the holidays but just a bit late for back-to-school sales. Releasing in June means that Microsoft should be able to get Windows 10 onto new PCs in before school starts in September. Even if they decide that the new OS isn’t ready for primetime, pushing it back a few months wouldn’t be the end of the world since they’d still be on time for Christmas.
Windows 10 will be a free upgrade when it comes out
Whenever Microsoft officially makes Windows 10 available it will be a free upgrade for Windows 8.1 users (though apparently not for businesses) for a year. And even if some of the new features like the HoloLens, which is supposed to let people control their PC by interacting with holograms, is still a little buggy on release, just getting back all the popular features that Windows 8 killed off (Start menu anyone?) will be an improvement for many users.


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In October we profiled PadPressed, a startup by Jason Baptiste that at the time had released a WordPress plugin that turned your blog into a Flipboard-like magazine layout for iPads. PadPressed has since become OnSwipe, and has raised just over one million dollars in funding.
We like to call that the WPCandy bump.
Aiming to be more than a plugin, OnSwipe describes itself as a platform that makes it easier for publishers of all sizes to make their content/advertising a solid experience through a web browser. OnSwipe is now backed by investment firms Spark Capital, Betaworks and ENIAC Ventures and based out of New York City. Founder Jason Baptiste says they will use their recent funding to expand OnSwipe from WordPress into other content management systems like Moveable Type, and eventually any website will be able to take advantage of their work.
The platform itself has switched the toggle back to beta preview mode, so you’ll have to send them your email to receive updates about their progress. In the meantime, they are looking to hire a front end developer, and you can follow them on Twitter at their fresh new account @onswipe.
Whoever said there wasn’t money in WordPress plugins?


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Middle East’s leading family-owned holding company Gulf Marketing Group (GMG) has acquired one of the largest multi-brand sports retailers in Southeast Asia, Royal Sporting House (RSH) to extend its global presence in the sports retail industry.
The GMG Sports division has grown over the past four decades from a single retail store in Dubai to over 300 stores in 18 cities across six countries, becoming the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region’s largest sports retailer. The GMG Sports portfolio includes homegrown brands such as Sun and Sand Sports. Also, the company acts as the distributor for global brands like Nike, Columbia, Timberland, Vans, and so on.
GMG Sports is growing its presence in the Gulf through the RSH acquisition and entering some of Southeast Asia’s largest markets, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Egypt.
The UAE-based holding company now operates 550 sports retail stores in 57 cities in 12 countries. And, it will have the potential to reach more than 700 million consumers around the globe with this increased presence.
“This acquisition is a significant milestone in the evolution of GMG’s diverse portfolio. As people around the world continue to embrace active and healthy lifestyles, the integration of RSH operations into the GMG network of stores further strengthens our leading position in sports retail across the MENA region and allows us to reach hundreds of millions of potential new consumers across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Egypt. This expansion is a strategic step in taking our business and vision global.”
“Despite the significant disruptions to the global retail industry, the strength and resilience of GMG’s business strategy enabled us to overcome these challenges and double down on our expansion plans. At our core, we are a growth business with long-term global ambitions,” added Mr. Baker.
GMG has an increasing presence in other business verticals, including healthcare, food, education, real estate, and logistics, in addition to the sports division. More than 90 foreign brands have also been introduced to the Middle East by GMG to date.
“As an entrepreneurial business, we always look to where the market and consumers are moving to. We are extremely excited to take our GMG vision and our sports expertise to new geographies, creating economies of scale while delivering additional value to our customers,” concluded Mr. Baker.


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MAG Interactive reveals plans to soft launch new game
MAG announces intent to soft launch new game during the quarter September-November
Stockholm, Sweden - September 11th, 2019 - Mobile game developer MAG Interactive today announces plans to soft launch a new game during the current September-November quarter in the broken fiscal year 2019/2020. The game is planned to be initially soft launched in the Swedish and UK markets.
This title is a new IP, developed alongside the previously announced upcoming sequel of QuizDuel.


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Joining Michael Hayman this week is campaigner for disability inclusion Caroline Casey. Remote working may be the new norm for many, but in this interview Caroline says that this is the way many people living with disabilities and mobility issues have had to live for decades. She questions why it took businesses so long to catch on, and shares an exciting vision for the future where work practices are built by and for disabled people, not to inhibit their potential.
Caroline Casey is an activist with a global call to action, who says if disability is not on your board agenda, then neither is diversity. With The Valuable 500, she put disability inclusion on the main-stage agenda at the World Economic Forum for the first time, and continues to call on 500 global corporations to recognise the social, economic and business value of the one billion people living with a disability.
It was Barry Manilow who sang that music and fashion were always the passion, and he could well have been talking about today’s guest on Change Makers, Wayne Hemingway. This is a conversation that covers Wayne’s life journey – from dancing at discos and punk rock pogoing, to a life in lockdown with nine members of his family (and two dogs!), and lessons about how to conduct business by following his principles and practicing with purpose.
Wayne Hemingway is the fashion founder who shook up an industry with the socially conscious label Red or Dead. Founded with his wife Gerardine, to this day Wayne continues to drive businesses to be more purposeful with Hemingway Design and The Good Business Festival – set to take place in Liverpool this October. With music, fashion and family at the centre of his journey, it’s a story you don’t want to miss.
Check out Wayne’s lockdown list mentioned in his episode right here.


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With customer data security and current economic concerns top-of-mind at Domino’s, the 8,200-store pizza delivery chain expedited the implementation of new thin-client POS operating platforms for its stores. While in the past Domino’s may have rolled out this type of upgrade during the course of 18 months or more, this POS upgrade went out to 550 stores in six weeks.
Motivated by recent credit card security breaches, Domino’s super-charged its previously conservative implementation strategy, with great success. “It really got everyone focused on the same goal for a very short period of time,” says Wayne Pederson, VP of operations technology for Domino’s. “We started with our corporate-owned stores and now this is our template for all implementations.”
Crunching the implementation time did create some temporarily higher help desk costs, and Domino’s needed assistance from Microsoft to script the quicker process, but those minor adjustments were worth the resulting time savings, says Pederson. “We have found that it is much better not to prolong the pain and agony of transition time.”
SAVINGS FOR STORE OWNERS
The new, more secure thin-client POS operating platforms cost Domino’s franchisees $17,000, down from $25,000 for the previous system. Domino’s switched from full PCs at each workstation to an entire new Microsoft architecture that features thin client architecture.
At press time, more than half of Domino’s 8,200 stores have made the switch from Microsoft Server 2000 to Microsoft Server 2003, Pederson says, and more stores continue to make the switch on a daily basis. “The new systems provide increased operating speed, improving the overall performance of the application,” he notes.
Domino’s also is realizing savings in store downtime because each store now has two server configurations. If one goes down it can easily be swapped out with the other. “In the past stores would close down for two or three days until we were able to ship them a new server,” says Pederson. “They can’t function without their computer systems because they simply don’t know how to take manual orders.”
CUSTOMER DATA CUTS
The thin client architecture has allowed Domino’s to reduce the amount of customer information stored at individual workstations, helping the chain achieve compliance with Payment Card Industry (PCI) data security standards. “At one point we were storing credit card information on the individual workstations,” explains Pederson. “Now we are no longer exposed on the store level.”
Pederson urges other companies to secure their customer information as soon as possible. “The worst thing to have happen is a situation where consumers lose confidence in your ability to handle their private information,” he says. “That was our impetus to move as quickly as we did with this implementation.”
Domino’s is using a full suite of Microsoft products to offer the most robust system for its franchisees, says Pederson. Those components include Microsoft Windows Server System, Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007, Microsoft Forefront, the 2007 Microsoft Office system and Windows Servicer Terminal services.


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The two companies recently completed the worldwide implementation of a serialization deployment to aid the production, packaging and supply chain of one of the world’s top 10 pharmaceutical firms.
Initially encompassing the U.S., UK, Ireland and Germany, markets where both companies have a strong presence, the collaboration brings together Italian-based SEA Vision’s serialization software along with Zenith Technologies’ ability to integrate systems and deliver ongoing technical support at a local level.
“The partnership enables pharmaceutical manufacturing and packaging companies to utilize SEA Vision’s products with added on-the-ground assistance from our expert engineers to ensure they can deal with the continuous challenge that serialization brings,” said Jim Lehane, director, Zenith Technologies. “Given what we’ve already achieved to date in this field and the similarities in our customer base, we are ideally placed to work together with SEA Vision to help clients achieve seamless compliance with the new serialization requirements.”
The deal has been unveiled as drug makers begin to seriously turn their attention to the looming legislation changes. The serialization of licensed drug products will be legally required for companies in the EU from 2019 as per the EU Falsified Medicines Directive (EUFMD) Safety Features Delegated Regulation and from November 2017 in accordance with the US Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA).
Marco Baietti, commercial director at SEA Vision, said, “As a business, we are 100% focused in the pharmaceutical space and are committed to helping companies deal with the challenge of serialization. Following the announcement of the timing for the legislation changes, we have experienced a wave of requests from tier two and three pharma companies. This collaboration is therefore designed to give these firms the tools and skills they require to confidently introduce new systems well ahead of the deadlines.
Aside from traditional pharmaceutical companies producing bulk API and finished licensed products, the partnership will also assist contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) that also need to adapt to the regulations.


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Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) has been on a roll this year with its stock up more than 160%. The stock's performance has been tremendously assisted by spectacular growth in the DRAM (dynamic random access memory) and NAND industry. And there are many reasons to believe why Micron’s upward trajectory will continue.
Micron Will Beat The Estimates
Micron acquisition of Elpida and Rexchips should help the company in achieving higher revenue, even better than estimates. Last year, Elpida supplied DRAM for Apple iPhone 5 and currently the company is in talks with many other smartphone players which should ascertain a hike in its revenue stream in the coming quarters.
Analysts are also optimistic about the company's bottom line performance for the current quarter, and the company might even beat the estimates.
The reason for increase in profitability is a two-fold effect: first, due to better pricing, and second, because of reduced cost of production. Both DRAM and NAND business segments saw a strong increase in margins in the last quarter, of 16 percentage points and 5 percentage points, respectively, in the last quarter and the same trend should continue.
- Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with MU. Click here to check it out.
- MU 15-Year Financial Data
- The intrinsic value of MU
- Peter Lynch Chart of MU
Furthermore, DRAM bit costs decreased 5% quarter-to-quarter, mainly because of higher concentration of lower cost products from Inotera. In NAND, bit costs should remain more or less flat compared to the earlier quarters while the shipment volume should increase.
The company, as such, does not come up with an outlook for the future but a positive expectation from the management and a positive turnaround last quarter should strengthen investor's confidence. The company will be benefited from the overall pricing strength of the industry and the overall constrained supply which should further improve profits.
Finally, the takeover of Elpida Memory is closed, which will not only add about $4 billion of DRAM revenue and strengthen company's position in the market but should also land Apple as an important client and other smartphone makers might follow suit. Elpida was one of the suppliers to Apple a couple of years ago and supplied DRAM for the iPhone 5 last year and with upcoming iPhone 5c and 5s production, Micron Technology should be benefited.
Although there is no clarity about the fact that Micron Technology has landed with an order for the latest iPhone shipments, but as the iPhone manufacturer has reduced its reliance on Samsung for components and previously used Elpida, Micron Techonlogy's chances of benefiting from the booming mobile market in the upcoming holiday season looks pretty bright.
According to Bloomberg, the prices of memory chips have increased 19% this month, subsequent to the fire at SK Hynix's factory in China. As SK Hynix accounts for about one third of the global DRAM chip production, a sharp reduction in the supply should further push prices higher and benefit Micron Technology and other players in the industry at large.
Micron Technology is also expecting to deliver solid growth in its top line as solid-state drive (SSDs) sales have been on the rise and the company has been increasing the production of its NAND chips. Going forward, the company should benefit from the growth of SSD sales as a major player in the industry SanDisk (SNDK), has witnessed a 20% hike in its revenue. According to an IHS iSuppli report, global shipments of SSD in PCs are expected to increase by a factor of seven by 2017, and with an expected 53% year-over-year to 18.49 million units in 2014s the first quarter both the companies stand to benefit from it.
Although the supply of Micron Technology's products in PCs has reduced, increased demand in the smart devices industry should strengthen the company. Further, being a part of growing industry with supply short demand, the company is in a position to register some super normal profits in the coming quarters.
It is not hard to believe that the company might beat the estimates for the quarter, but the important fact remains that the outlook too seems to be in Micron Technology's favor.


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May 13, 2021
Good morning, and welcome to Protocol Next Up. This week: why almost every VR hardware maker is betting on the enterprise market, and how NBCUniversal wants to use AR to make TV commercials more immersive.
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This was a huge week for VR, with three different companies introducing a total of five different headsets. But you didn't hear all that much cheering from VR fans. That's because most of the announcements were geared toward the enterprise, which is emerging as the one market segment where companies may still have a chance to compete with Facebook.
HTC made the biggest splash this week, announcing two new headsets at its ViveCon event Tuesday. The Vive Pro 2 is positioned as a prosumer device for both business customers and PC VR enthusiasts looking for better visual fidelity, but the Vive Focus 3 is purely a business device, complete with access to a separate app store optimized for corporate use cases and a dedicated telepresence platform.
But there were plenty of other new products for the enterprise VR market too:
Worth noting: All these companies also do consumer VR. Pico even introduced a consumer version of the Neo 3 in China last month. But when it comes to the U.S. market, there seems to be very little appetite to compete with Facebook and its Oculus Quest head-on.
Facebook, meanwhile, isn't ignoring the enterprise either. While primarily focusing on consumers, the company has started to pitch its headsets to the enterprise: For $799, business customers get a Quest 2 with 256GB of storage (normally priced $399) plus one year of free access to the Oculus for Business platform.
For now, Sag's money is on HTC as a winner in enterprise VR. "HTC has the best chance to be competitive in this market," he said. "They do understand business better than anyone else."
"We've seen a decade of change in the past year." Sonos CEO Patrick Spence, during the company's latest earnings call, talking about movies shifting from theaters to streaming, which benefits the company's home theater speaker business.
"Wow. House prices are insane." Tirias Research principal analyst Kevin Krewell responding to the news that Roku paid $97.8 million in cash for the "This Old House" franchise.
DevOps and the Alternative Cloud provides insight into the capabilities and priorities developers expect from cloud infrastructure providers. In a market where hyperscalers dominate, a small band of alternative cloud providers — which includes DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Linode, and OVHcloud — is having an outsized impact.
Get ready for products you see in TV ads to appear in your living room: NBCUniversal unveiled a new ad product called @Homeshopping on Thursday that allows marketers to use augmented reality to add interactivity to their ads.
The new ad format uses QR codes to combine TV with AR: Consumers are encouraged to scan a code with their phone, which then directs them to a website that loads 3D models of advertised products into a camera view of their living room.
Actually, NBCUniversal is leaning into QR codes. It started using them on TV a couple of months ago to redirect consumers to an ecommerce website without AR elements. NBCUniversal advertising and partnerships CMO Josh Feldman told me that this move was initially met with skepticism: Weren't QR codes complicated and gimmicky?
But NBCUniversal isn't alone in making ads more interactive using AR. Roku debuted an AR ad during March Madness, but required consumers to use Snapchat to access additional content. @Homeshopping instead uses WebXR for a native AR integration that works without any third-party apps.
NBCUniversal execs weren't able to tell me when we may see the first AR ads in the wild, but hinted that a launch may not be too far off.
My colleague Biz Carson sent me a slide from Bird's investor presentation in which the scooter startup compares itself to Netflix because … well, both companies are supposed to be what Bird calls "category creators." Which is a bit like comparing yourself to Oprah because you also enjoy giving people gifts. Anyway, we probably all want to be like Bird: a company that burned through $600 million over the past two years, but projects that its 2022 revenue will be twice as much as all the money the company hasn't made this year yet. And if all fails, Netflix can still make a documentary about it, Fyre Festival-style.
Thanks for reading — see you next week!


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Supply Chain Visibility Is Ranked Top Priority. Again.
For the better part of the last decade, companies and various industry influencers have talked at length about the importance of supply visibility. While lots of hot trends have risen to the top of priority lists and quickly faded, visibility has been a permanent resident at the top of the operational wish list – especially at global companies.
Here are two recent examples:
- 90% of consumer goods companies surveyed witnessed increased demand from customers for timeliness and accuracy.
- Supply chain visibility is a high priority for 63 percent of executives responding to a recent Aberdeen survey. (World Trade 100)
A couple of quick Google searches will reveal similar results dating back several years.
So what’s different now? Is supply chain visibility any different than it was in 2008? Has anyone learned anything?
There is still much confusion around exactly what Supply Chain Visibility is, what it covers, who it touches, how it should perform and what technology approaches to implement. Research firm IDC recently wrote a very good perspective paper on the definition and rationale, titled “The Visibility Imperative in the Massively Multidimensional Supply Chain,” that spells out a number of must-have components and capabilities.
What is beginning to become clear is that network-based cloud platforms that connect entire operational ecosystems to a ‘single version of truth’ information model have seen a number of published success stories from companies like Pfizer, Renault, Levi Strauss and Caterpillar. And Gartner has launched coverage focused solely on Supply Chain Visibility which should add clarity.
The market hasn’t flipped yet. However, with companies operating globally, the need to reduce risk, improve velocity and reduce costs – all at the same time – is pointing at a common solution.
Companies need to ask themselves this question: How can we solve a problem if we can’t really see what’s going on out there in our network, in real time? The answer begins with Supply Chain Visibility. Again.


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VR FPS After The Fall showcases cross-platform multiplayer in new video
VR development studio Vertigo Games has released new After the Fall footage showcasing the upcoming VR shooter’s cross-platform multiplayer gameplay.
“Through multiple platforms, After the Fall is bringing the VR community together in a way that has rarely been done before,” Vertigo said. “Today’s video showcases the game’s signature platform-agnostic co-op gameplay, captured from all platform angles in a cross-platform play session.”
After the Fall is a four-player co-op first-person shooter set in a version of Los Angeles covered in post-apocalyptic ice in the 1980s.
“Starting in a shared space with up to 32 other players, players adventure into the ruins of post-apocalyptic LA, wielding deadly weapons and devastating powers with real-life movements as they Develop your fighting style and join forces with players around the world as they face off against mobs and towering bosses – and each other – in an attempt to leave the city a place for good. than their predecessors. “
After the fall officially opens on December 9NS on Meta Quest 2, PlayStation VR and Steam. Pre-order the game to receive 10% discount%, pre-order bonuses and access to 48 hours starting on PlayStation and Steam. Check out the new gameplay video below for a quick look at what the game has to offer.
Source link VR FPS After The Fall showcases cross-platform multiplayer in new video


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As part of its breast cancer awareness campaign, the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center is offering specially designed breast cancer T-shirts for sale only through the end of October. Your purchase will promote breast cancer awareness while supporting breast cancer research at USC Norris.
Visit any USC Bookstore or hospital gift shop to get yours; you can also purchase one at www.uscbookstore.com/breast-cancer.
Additionally, on Oct. 26, get behind more than just the Trojan football team by celebrating breast cancer awareness at a USC Trojan football game. During halftime, USC Norris physicians, staff members, and former and current breast cancer patients will be recognized on the field as leaders in the fight against breast cancer.


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The Coca-Cola Company Completes Transaction with Aujan Industries
Agreement Expands Company's Juice Portfolio across High-Growth Middle East Region
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Coca-Cola Company (NYS: KO) today announced it has completed the transaction to acquire approximately half of the equity in Aujan Industries' beverage business, one of the largest independent beverage companies in the Middle East. The transaction was initially announced in December 2011.
"Today begins the next era of growth for our system across the Middle East and North Africa," said Ahmet C. Bozer, President, Eurasia and Africa, The Coca-Cola Company. "This transaction creates a platform for further cooperation between the Company, Aujan and existing bottling partners across the region to dramatically change the juice landscape."
This transaction allows The Coca-Cola Company to expand its portfolio in the juice sector and continue to drive long-term value for all shareowners.
With the completion of the transaction, The Coca-Cola Company has acquired 50 percent of the Aujan entity that holds the rights to Aujan-owned brands, and 49 percent of Aujan's bottling and distribution operations, excluding its operations in Iran.
The Coca-Cola system - which currently employs more than 40,000 people across the Arab world - announced in October 2011 that it will invest $5 billion in the Middle East and North Africa region over the next 10 years.
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYS: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 15 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system employees. For more information, please visit www.thecoca-colacompany.com or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo.
About Aujan Industries
Established in 1905, Aujan Industries is one of the largest independent beverage companies in the Middle East. With over 2,500 employees and a turnover of over $850 million, it is one of the leading Fast-Moving Goods Goodscompanies in the region. The company's greatest strength is its well-established owned and licensed brands, including Rani, Vimto and Barbican. For more information, please visit www.aujan.com.
The Coca-Cola Company
Petro Kacur, 404-676-2683
KEYWORDS: United States North America Georgia Middle East
The article The Coca-Cola Company Completes Transaction with Aujan Industries originally appeared on Fool.com.
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Will new operator mean better food at Sprint Center?
With names surfacing of potential companies that could buy entertainment giant AEG, Kansas City foodies should be crossing their french fries that it ends up being the owners of Madison Square Garden.
Charles and James Dolan, whose MSG management company has done wonders with the food at Madison Square Garden, are cited as potential buyers.
I’ve said before that Sprint Center currently offers the worst food options of any Kansas City sports and entertainment venue, lagging far behind the offerings of Kauffman, Arrowhead and Livestrong. The fact that our major downtown attraction lacks great food and drink from quality local vendors and chefs is appaling.
Madison Square Garden on the other hand provided perhaps the best sporting event food feast that this hungry girl has ever tasted. The Knicks games taste far better than any professional sporting event I’ve attended!
I know there’s more for Kansas Citians to consider when it comes to a new operator for the Sprint Center, but if this foodie has a vote – I want someone who knows the sport of great cuisine.


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The top priorities for cyber security innovation are identity management, patch management and configuration management.
“These are basic components of cyber security, but failure to do them well is still responsible for the bulk of cyber attacks that we are seeing.”said the new LORCA CEO Hannigan
Identity is one area where the UK is particularly strong, with some great companies focused on it, he said, particularly in the academic “pre-company” sector, where universities are doing some “really innovative things” around identity management and authentication.
“Identity is key to cyber security, and if we can get a product out there that beats others, the sky is the limit, especially for the export market, and it will be about who gets there first with a viable solution,” he said.
Hannigan believes the internet of things (IoT) and cloud computing are two more areas where cyber security entrepreneurs should be focusing their efforts.
He said cloud computing is “problematic” because it makes it harder for companies to understand what the perimeters of their networks are.
“Even for those companies that have worked out what their cyber security policy is and managed the risks, suddenly to do all their processing and storage in the cloud complicates that,” said Hannigan. “It is not terminal, but it means they need to rethink their risks and mitigations.”
He advised organisations to look at the guidance on security in the cloud from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
IoT is ripe for innovation
The IoT is “ripe for innovation”, said Hannigan, because it is unlikely that regulation or government guidelines will address the immediate risks.
“It is going to be a long time before security by default is achieved, so in the meantime we need to find ways to mitigate potential disasters, with billions of devices connecting to the internet,” he said.
In terms of going to market, Hannigan advises cyber security entrepreneurs to spend some time considering things from the customer’s perspective.
“In the UK, companies are more likely to be conservative in their cyber security investments and stick with well-established suppliers than countries like the US and Israel, so startups need to take that into consideration,” he said.
Hannigan believes Lorca has a role to play here in helping startups to think through how their technology will integrate with existing IT environments, making it as easy as possible with minimal disruption.
Time and skills required by businesses
Although businesses do not necessarily need to spend a fortune on cyber security, it does require some time and sometimes skills that may be lacking in-house, said Hannigan.
“I do have sympathy for small businesses, but many are doing more than they used to in the past and are using things like Cyber Essentials and the small business guide because they are seeing how cyber attacks are affecting companies or because their insurance companies have told them to,” he said.
Hannigan believes there is a need for effective managed security services for small and medium-sized businesses. “A regular complaint I get is that managed security services suppliers are not really appropriate for small businesses and aren’t necessarily that effective, so there is a challenge there to the industry to come up with managed security services that really work and that don’t just dump the problem back onto the client, but actually do something about it,” he said.


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Lowe’s Companies (LOW) Given Daily Coverage Optimism Score of 0.18
News coverage about Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) has trended somewhat positive this week, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. The research group scores the sentiment of news coverage by reviewing more than twenty million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Lowe’s Companies earned a coverage optimism score of 0.18 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news articles about the home improvement retailer an impact score of 47.2228408017037 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the next few days.
These are some of the news articles that may have impacted Accern Sentiment’s scoring:
- Could Lowe’s Companies, Inc. Be a Millionaire-Maker Stock? (fool.com)
- $15.28 Billion in Sales Expected for Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (LOW) This Quarter (americanbankingnews.com)
- Lowe’s Outperformed Home Depot’s Earnings per Share Growth (finance.yahoo.com)
- Corp Administration Executive of Lowes Companies Inc (NYSE:LOW), Peace Nelson B, sells 3,352 shares worth $268,840 (empowerednews.net)
- Nelson B. Peace Sells 3,352 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (LOW) Stock (americanbankingnews.com)
Lowe’s Companies (LOW) traded up $0.86 during trading on Friday, reaching $84.23. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,935,498 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,309,565. Lowe’s Companies has a one year low of $70.49 and a one year high of $86.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.71, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a current ratio of 1.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $69,280.47, a PE ratio of 18.49, a PEG ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.15.
Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.03. Lowe’s Companies had a return on equity of 66.27% and a net margin of 5.16%. The company had revenue of $16.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.59 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.88 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current year.
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 24th will be paid a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.33%.
Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Atlantic Securities lowered Lowe’s Companies from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $92.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Tuesday. Raymond James Financial upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $87.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, November 27th. UBS upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, November 27th. Credit Suisse Group set a $88.00 price objective on Lowe’s Companies and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 24th. Finally, Piper Jaffray Companies reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $82.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Friday, November 24th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $87.40.
In other Lowe’s Companies news, SVP Matthew V. Hollifield sold 7,853 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.30, for a total value of $614,889.90. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 30,750 shares in the company, valued at $2,407,725. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Paul D. Ramsay sold 2,098 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.02, for a total value of $163,685.96. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 8,400 shares in the company, valued at $655,368. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 13,303 shares of company stock worth $1,047,406. 0.11% of the stock is owned by insiders.
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION NOTICE: This report was posted by Daily Political and is the sole property of of Daily Political. If you are viewing this report on another site, it was illegally stolen and republished in violation of U.S. & international copyright laws. The original version of this report can be read at https://www.dailypolitical.com/2017/12/02/lowes-companies-low-given-daily-coverage-optimism-score-of-0-18.html.
Lowe’s Companies Company Profile
Lowe’s Companies, Inc (Lowe’s) is a home improvement company. The Company operates approximately 2,370 home improvement and hardware stores. The Company offers a range of products for maintenance, repair, remodeling and decorating. The Company offers home improvement products in categories, including Lumber and Building Materials; Tools and Hardware; Appliances; Fashion Fixtures; Rough Plumbing and Electrical; Lawn and Garden; Seasonal and Outdoor Living; Paint; Flooring; Millwork, and Kitchens.
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Sunday newspaper share tips
EACH weekend, This Is Money brings you a round-up of shares being recommended in the Sunday City pages. Click here for the Mail on Sunday's Midas column. Below are tips from other newspapers that published tips.
Use the Companies links on the left of this page to view our interactive share graphs and full archive of news and stock market announcements. Click here for our Tips & Tactics section.
The Sunday Telegraph
Confectionery firm Glisten has become sweeter with investors since its flotation in 2002 and last week unwrapped the £6.5 million purchase of wine gums and jelly babies maker Fravigar. Acquisitions are a core part of its strategy to become a niche food producer and the Fravigar deal follows the £1 million purchase of confectionery packaging firm Sunya in October. Analysts expect Glisten's profits to grow more than 30% to £1.8 million this year with its focus on niche products such as chocolate-coated raisins and popcorn helping to protect it from tough market conditions. Buy at 185p.
InTechnology, the data technology company, last week posted an upbeat trading statement with the announcement that strong demand for storage hardware and software had led to a record quarter for its core storage division. Chief executive Charles Cameron said the group is now confident of a 'solid outcome for the full year'. Analysts are predicting an upturn in the data storage market in 2004 and the share price looks good value. Buy at 73p.
High street retailers have had a mixed Christmas and Austin Reed seems to have suffered more than most with the departure of chief executive Roger Jennings on Thursday capping a disappointing festive season. Sales dropped 11.3% on a like-for-like basis during the 22 weeks to January 10 while total sales also fell 5.2%. The share price is overvalued and appears to reflect continued speculation that Austin Reed will be a takeover target this year. But a bid may not be forthcoming as the retail sector suffering a crisis of confidence and investors should sell at 136p.
Independent on Sunday
Discount retailer Matalan has been out of favour with investors since it warned that pre-tax profits for the current financial year would not top £70m. Slow sales, caused in part by the unusually warm November, meant it was forced to cut prices earlier and more deeply than expected over the festive season. Matalan is looking to cut prices on spring and summer fashions to boost like-for-like sales, while slowing its store opening programme.
Speculation in the City remains that the retailer is a potential takeover target. Buy with caution at 165p.
Two upgrades from brokers last week were music to the ears of EMI with the City increasingly confident that the three-year slump in the music industry was finally over. Fourth-quarter sales growth of 4.3% is believed to have been achieved through better releases, litigation against illegal digital downloads, the impact of digital downloading devices iPod and iTunes and an improving economy. The UK market is growing and the recent adoption of an EU copyright directive gives bodies such as the music industry the opportunity to sue illegal downloaders so growth rates may still improve. Buy at 230p.
Music retailer HMV last week buoyed investors with a strong festive performance - marked by a 52% rise in DVD sales. Analysts said the group has the edge in music compared to supermarket rivals and is poised for further growth. Buy at 189 3/4p.
High street fashion retailer French Connection's robust wholesale business and a consumer recovery in the US will ease fears about weaker clothing sales over Christmas. Analysts think FCUK can continue to grow in the UK because of its strong brand and the group has also signed some exciting global licensing deals. Buy at 328p.
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Three containers carrying 32 tons of products were transported from Jiujiang Port in the city of Foshan on Monday and were loaded on a shipping vessel at Shekou Port without going through the second customs check under the combo port service program.
The shipment of 32 tons of nonwoven fabrics and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) films also marked the official operation of the Shekou-Jiujiang Combo Port program.
Jiujiang in Nanhai, Foshan is a town known in Guangdong Province for its manufacturing industry. It is the first town in Guangdong that introduced enterprises engaged in processing imported raw materials, manufacturing products according to imported samples and assembling imported parts. Now, the town is home to dozens of world-famous brands in furniture, textile, garment and metal products.
The combo customs service at Shekou Port and Jiujiang Port is part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Combo Port Project.
The project enables ports along rivers and other coasts under different customs administrations to share shipping codes and be dispatched without delays. Nanhai Beautiful Nonwoven Fabrics Co. Ltd. is the first enterprise to benefit from the combo port program. Its products have been sold in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
“The simplified customs procedures shorten customs clearance time and logistics. It used to take about five to seven days for transshipment, but now its needs only one to two days. Operation costs can be reduced by 30 percent,” Tan Sumei, an employee with Nanhai Beautiful Nonwoven Fabrics Co. Ltd., said.
Due to river navigation and bridge restrictions, oceanic vessels cannot enter the ports along the Pearl River estuary. Previously, the cargos needed to be carried by barges to the Shenzhen western terminals for customs transshipment, whose formalities take time.
The first project under the combo port service program was initiated in Xingang, Shunde in November last year. The products from Shunde, after completing customs procedures, were directly sent to Shekou Port. In March this year, the Shekou-Beijiao Combo Port project was implemented.
Through the combo port service, a total of 17,800 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) have been handled between Shekou and the two ports in Shunde, Foshan. Around 85 percent of the TEUs have been handled through the combined port service.
Shenzhen Customs will expand the Combo Port Program in the Greater Bay Area and apply blockchain, IoT and 5G technologies in its program.


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A study on the digital economy 2018 conducted by Google and Temasek shows that up to 90% of the population of Southeast Asia currently access the internet mainly through smart mobile devices.
Along with that trend, the role of mobile applications in Vietnamese e-commerce has also become increasingly larger, opening up new opportunities for e-commerce enterprises.
In order to provide a better view of the situation of e-commerce in Vietnam, iPrice Insights in collaboration with App Annie published a study ranking top e-commerce applications in Vietnam.
iPrice’s research ranks e-commerce applications based on two criteria measured by App Annie technology: the total number of app downloads and the average monthly number of users (Monthly Active Users – MAU). If the numbers of downloads show which apps are most successful in attracting new users, the MAU numbers help indicate which apps are doing a good job of retaining customers.
Research results show that, in the second quarter of 2019, Shopee’s e-commerce mobile application holds the No. 1 position in the country in both rankings.
Shopee has long pursued a mobile-first strategy, making mobile platforms a priority. Since 2018, they have been focusing on activities that attract customers to the mobile application as well as developing their application to make it more and more convenient. In a report, market research firm Econsultancy analyzed: “Shopee focused on mobile from the outset and built the user interface around that goal. Their orientation drives the buying experience. Mobile shopping with Shopee is fast and intuitive. ”
Also according to the second-quarter iPrice Map of E-commerce, Shopee is leading the country’s e-commerce market in terms of average monthly website visits.
Ranked second after Shopee in the ranking of MAU is Lazada Vietnam. It is worth noting that while the traffic to Lazada’s website has been decreasing for many quarters, they still have high traffic on their mobile application. This demonstrates Lazada’s tendency to focus on mobile in recent years.
The biggest surprise from this research is the ranking of e-commerce platform Sendo. Sendo’s mobile app ranked second nationwide in terms of number of downloads, meaning Sendo is currently very successful in attracting new users.
Similar to Shopee, this success of Sendo is an inevitable result of the company bravely investing in mobile applications.
This strategy is also in line with Sendo’s orientation to focus on the provincial market. A large number of customers in the provinces are currently accessing the internet through mobile devices, having a strong mobile application will help Sendo reach this customer more effectively than competitors, according iPrice Group’s analysis.


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Twilio gets $70 mln in funding to bolster expansion plan
SAN FRANCISCO, June 12
SAN FRANCISCO, June 12 (Reuters) - Twilio Inc, a company that makes cloud-based telephony tools for companies and mobile-application developers, said on Wednesday that it has raised $70 million in new venture capital funding as part of its expansion plan to sell to larger businesses.
Redpoint Ventures and Bessemer Venture Partners led the investment, Twilio's fourth round of equity financing, with additional funding from Draper Fisher Jurvetson.
The company has now raised a total of $110 million.
Founded in 2008, Twilio provides voice-over-IP and texting services over the cloud. Uber, the car hailing app, for instance, uses Twilio to automatically send texts to a customer when a car is approaching his or her pickup location.
For Election Day in 2010, the U.S. Democratic National Committee used Twilio software to create a call center that recorded and documented reports of voter suppression and poll fraud.
Twilio, which has 150 employees based in San Francisco, is seeking to hire a sales force to sign on more national retail customers like Home Depot, which is currently a customer, Chief Executive Jeff Lawson said in an interview earlier this year.
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Japan accelerating auto production offshoring
The strong yen has rendered Japan’s auto industry uncompetitive and manufacturers are now accelerating the move offshore. Auto shipments shrank to 4.4 million last year from 6.5 million in 2007, according to the WSJ:
The era of wait-and-see is over. Japanese manufacturers realize they need to move quickly or risk losing competitiveness
Trade deficits in Japan will be a staple over the next 10 years and the yen will face long term pressure.


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Big cars with wide seats and low gas prices. These two things, while arguably the most prized aspects of our time spent driving a car, also happen to be at odds when it comes to car buyer priorities. After all, big cars mean low miles-per-gallon, while fuel efficient vehicles equate to smaller and lighter vehicles.
So what is it that car buyers want? According to the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), they â€“ we â€“ want fuel savings, and support the governmentâ€™s proposed increase of CAFE standards to 54.5 by 2025. The study claims that consumers favor lifting CAFÃ‰ gradually to 54.5 because it means they will enjoy a total savings of $3,000 over five years. Thatâ€™s the average cash savings at the pump with more efficient cars.
Conversely, the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) says that the new CAFE requirement will result in consumers paying and additional $5,270 for advanced technology, $3,000 of which will not be recovered. CAR claims that buyers will respond by delaying the purchase of new cars.
Now, add to the discussion that June sales showed robust hybrid growth â€“ up 164 percent year-over-year â€“ all while the Ford F-Series and the Chevrolet Silverado continue to top best seller lists.
So, again — what is it exactly that car buyers want?
–More savings at the pump = higher technology costs
–Proposed CAFE standard of 54.5, gradually implemented by 2025
–Hybrid sales up 164 percent: are shopping preferences changing?
Join the Discussion
–What sells better, large gas-guzzlers or small fuel sippers?
Published on DrivingSales.com