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Hilmar Cheese Company, HP Hood LLC and Prairie Farms Dairy received recognition this week for their outstanding efforts in energy and water conservation, repurposing packaging for renewable fuel and providing affordable products to neighbors in need. Hilmar Cheese and HP Hood received U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards from the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, and Prairie Farms earned an Honorable Mention.
The U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards were launched in 2011 to recognize outstanding dairy farms, businesses and partnerships for socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally sound practices. Award recipients are chosen in four categories: outstanding dairy farm sustainability, outstanding dairy processing and manufacturing, outstanding achievement in resource stewardship and outstanding achievement in community partnerships.
There were 12 winners in 2015.
Hilmar Cheese Company, Hilmar, Calif., received the Outstanding Dairy Processing and Manufacturing Sustainability Award for its LEED Platinum® Certification and water conservation. With production numbers nearing two million pounds of cheese each day, Hilmar Cheese incorporates innovative technology to recover almost 100 percent of water from incoming milk, which is treated and later used for crop irrigation and landscaping. The Hilmar Cheese Company headquarters is the first U.S. dairy building to receive LEED Platinum® Certification, a standard established by the U.S. Green Building Council for environmentally sound design and construction. The facility uses solar energy and practices recycling every day. Read "Responsible water use and reclamation showcased by cheesemaker” for more details.
HP Hood LLC, Sacramento, Calif., earned the Outstanding Achievement in Community Partnerships for its work with CleanWorld, a technology company. The companies partnered in repurposing both packaging and product waste in a nearby biodigester to supply renewable fuel for Sacramento truck fleets and nutrient-dense liquid fertilizer for surrounding farms. Their Sacramento neighbors benefit from a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 3,276 metric tons and water use by 1.8 million gallons annually. For more details, read “Partners develop recipe for success.”
Prairie Farms Dairy, Geneva, Ill., received an honorable mention for Outstanding Achievement in Community Partnerships for its work with the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Recognizing the need for milk in food banks and the issues of safe transport and affordability, the companies overcame several obstacles to bring more than 194,000 gallons of milk to families through 34 food pantries in their “Milk 2 My Plate” program. Read “Simple solutions for the greater good” for details.
Other award winners and honorable mentions:
- Dorrich Dairy, Glenwood, Minn. – Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability Award
- Nobis Dairy Farms, St. Johns, Mich. – Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability Award
- Oregon Dairy Farms, Lititz, Pa. – Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability Award
- Alliance Dairies, Trenton, Fla. – Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability, Honorable Mention
- Freund’s Farm, East Canaan, Conn. – Outstanding Achievement in Resource Stewardship Award
- T-Bar Dairy and White Gold Dairy, Porterville, Calif. – Outstanding Achievement in Resource Stewardship, Honorable Mention
More than 20 judges from all areas of the dairy industry, including Connie Tipton, IDFA president and CEO, joined in evaluating this year’s recipients.
Read more about each award winner here.
For more information about sustainability in the dairy industry, contact Emily Lyons, director of regulatory affairs and counsel, at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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The World Economic Forum is Calling for an Equitable “Democratization” of Stock Markets
In a recently published video by the World Economic Forum, the globalist organization declared that “Talent and intellect are equally distributed, opportunity is not.” The main goal outlined in this video is the need for a more “democratized” stock market.
This is just the latest scheme that globalist institutions are pushing in order to establish a thoroughly technocratic economic order. It’s part of a broader push that accompanies the ESG movement that’s engulfing major corporations and western governments worldwide. Instead of focusing on providing high-level goods and services, these companies are constantly promoting anti-racism, LGBT, or other leftist causes much to the annoyance of their consumers and to the detriment of the country’s broader economic health.
The fact is that humans are created unequally. It’s undeniable facet of human life. They have different talents and aptitudes which are generally expressed in the marketplace. This is a good thing. It’s what creates untold amounts of wealth and innovation.
When government intervention steps in to promote equality, it stifles market innovation and consequently makes us poorer. If we want unprecedented economic growth and prosperity, the WEF’s economic advice must be ignored.
Instead, Western countries must embrace free markets by downsizing regulatory states and abolishing central banks.

domain: news


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Pete Doherty and his band are back in the studio now
Babyshambles are back in the studio recording brand new songs.
The tracks are set to be B-sides for forthcoming singles from their second album, ‘Shotter’s Nation’, which will be released on October 1.
Writing on his MySpace blog, Babyshambles drummer Adam Ficek revealed that the new song titles are entitled ‘Jumping Bean’, ‘I Don’t Know That Man’, ‘Fixing Up (To Go)’, ‘Fireman’, ‘Revelations’, ‘Maybeline’ and ‘Velvet Untitled’.
Meanwhile, a new video of Pete Doherty recording a brand new song, ‘Darksome Sea’, has appeared online. You can see the video now on the NME Office Blog.
Meanwhile get this week’s issue of NME which comes with a free vinyl single featuring a special version of forthcoming single ‘Delivery’.
Simply head to your nearest UK newsagent and pick up this week’s NME, which also includes an exclusive Babyshambles interview.


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Business Booming In Restored Belton, Texas Train Depot
(Belton, Texas) - It's sad sometimes, but every town has buildings and spaces that have been neglected over the years and could use some serious TLC. Belton has a beautiful Downtown, and (let's be honest) has done a better job than some other local towns of keeping the area looking beautiful, but there are always those parts of town that could use a serious facelift.
Belton MK&T Depot Revamp Coming Soon
The once former train depot is being turned into a retail area, and of course, the announced businesses will have a certain train flair to them. The Central Texas Reporter showed some the businesses coming to the area.
First can we talk about the following two businesses and their names?
I mean Off The Rails, Railway Express Cafe? Whoever came up with these names isn't getting paid enough in our opinion. But there's businesses coming too!
It's not just train named places coming, other types of food are coming as well. There's even one place that currently doesn't have a logo yet, which here's our submission for it:
Ok, so it's a work in progress, but the building will be named Blackbird Books and Spirits, so we'll find a way to pop some books in there.
And for those who love coffee, yes there is a coffee house coming soon:
But there's one more business coming, and it's grand return should be very exciting:
To the left of the Coffee House, it's the grand return of Warm Cookie Company! Many in Central Texas are certain to be excited after the business left Temple.
So with all this coming soon, what else should be coming to the shopping area? Let us know by sending us a message using the chat feature on our FREE station app!


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Alaska’s direct seafood exports rose 2.1 percent in 2014 over the previous year, to $2.26 billion in sales, according to US Census Bureau data, and may be significantly higher when including products first transferred to other states, and fish meal.
The export numbers released from the Census Bureau do not reflect Alaska resources and products first transported to and warehoused in other US states before export, nor more than $100 million in fish meal exports, said Patricia Eckert, associate director for the state’s Office of International Trade.
What this means in practical terms is that the Census Bureau data underreports significantly our exports to the United Kingdom, the largest canned salmon market in the world, Eckert said March 9.
Alaskan canned salmon may be exported to the UK via Washington State or Canada, and UK numbers alone for seafood should probably be around $100 million, but the Census Bureau captures only $17.7 million credit for Alaska seafood export because of the intermediate stops of Washington or Canada, she said.
In addition, the state compiled figures showing that the export of fish meal for the first time topped $100 million in 2014. The breakdown included exports to China, $53.9 million; South Korea, $33.9 million; Japan, $7.5 million; Taiwan, $4.2 million and other countries $0.7 million, for a total of $100.2 million.
Census Bureau data showed that overseas markets for Alaska seafood exports in 2014 included China, $783.5 million; Japan, $525.6 million; South Korea, $304.1 million; Germany, $253.7 million; Netherlands, $102.3 million; France, $49.0 million; Canada, $48.2 million; Thailand, $41.3 million; Spain, $22.1 million; Lithuania, $17.8 million; United Kingdom, $17.7 million; Ukraine, $17.0 million; Portugal, $15.6 million; Denmark, $13.3 million; Indonesia, $9.2 million; Russia, $8.6 million, and all other countries, $35.9 million.


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IDC expects blockchain spending in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) to more than double this year, totaling $80.8 million for 2018, up 107% on the $38.9 million spent in 2017. Looking further ahead, IDC expects blockchain spending in MEA to reach $307 million in 2021, which represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 77.4% for the 2016-2021 period.
“There is clearly an immense amount of interest around distributed ledger technologies (DLT) in the region,” says Megha Kumar, IDC’s research director for software in the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey. “This is being driven by the pressing need for organizations to improve their efficiency, agility, security, and integrity. In 2018, we expect more organizations across MEA to move beyond the evaluation and proof-of-concept phase to pilots and even deployments.”
While various industries are evaluating the use of blockchain, IDC research suggests the region’s public sector (including government, education, and healthcare) will spend an estimated $120.8 million in this space in 2021, accounting for 39.2% share. It will be followed by the financial services sector at 35.5% and the distribution and services sector at 14.1%.
“In the Middle East, Dubai’s government has identified blockchain as a major technology for helping it become a leader in the Smart Cities arena,” says Kumar. “Alongside the establishment of the Global Blockchain Council, Dubai’s ‘Blockchain Strategy’ aims to promote efficiency around government services and fuel economic development. At the same time, financial services firms across the region are evaluating the use of blockchain for cross-border payments, trade settlements, and anti-money laundering purposes. In Africa, meanwhile, DeBeers intends to launch an industry-wide blockchain platform for tracing and authenticating diamonds, which highlights the integrity benefits of the technology.”
From a technology perspective, IDC’s forecast shows services (IT services and business services) accounting for 52.7% of MEA blockchain spending in 2021. Blockchain software platforms will be the biggest and fastest-growing category in the software space over the coming years, while cloud will be the fastest-growing component in terms of hardware.


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EE launches SIM-only 4G contracts
Posted on 20 Nov 2012 at 12:22, by Tom Morgan
Everything Everywhere has finally launched its SIM-only 4G contracts, almost a month after launching its handset plans. Customers will get unlimited calls and texts no matter which contract they choose, but data caps will vary.
Starting at £21 a month for a meagre 500MB of data, most users will probably want to look to the £26 a month 1GB plan - with EE's 4G download speeds you could easily burn through that limit with some video streaming through BBC iPlayer or Netflix.
More heavy users have the choice between 3GB of data per month for £31, or 5GB for £36. There's currently no 8GB SIM-only option, so anyone needing that much data will have to get a handset contract instead. All four contracts are for twelve months and will save £15 a month over the cost of a bundled handset plan, but will require an LTE-compatible handset from the likes of HTC, Nokia, Samsung, Huawei or Apple.
All EE contracts quality for EE Film, the movie download service that won't eat into your data caps. As EE was formed out of Orange, customers will also get 2-for-1 cinema tickets.
Currently available over the phone or online at Everything Everywhere, customers should be able to pick up a SIM in-store "very shortly" according to EE.
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Legendary Hero Fae: Childlike Dragon Heading To Fire Emblem Heroes October 29
Nintendo has released a new trailer for the next Legendary Hero being added to Fire Emblem Heroes.
This time, the mobile game will be receiving a new summon banner for Fae: Childike Dragon, a special version of the character from Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade. Accompanying her will be other 5-star heroes from past banners, all with a larger 8% appearance rate.
The banner will run from October 29 – November 5 (UTC). Check out her trailer below:
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.


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UnitedHealthcare has announced a new program that it hopes will entice its members to use wearables like Apple Watch to stay active and focus on their health. Through the new UnitedHealthcare Rewards program, “eligible members” can earn up to $1,000 per year in incentives when they complete certain one-time and ongoing activities with their Apple Watch or other devices.
How Apple Watch users can earn $1,000 for staying active
In a press release, UnitedHealthcare explained that members can use a “compatible activity tracker, smartwatch, or smartphone” to meet these activity goals. We’re still waiting on the full list of compatible devices, but UnitedHealthcare says that “options from some of the world’s leading device makers” are included.
Through this program, members can earn incentives by completing certain one-time and ongoing activities, tracked with their Apple Watch or other devices:
- Achieve 5,000 steps or more each day.
- Complete 15 minutes or more of activity per day.
- Track sleep for 14 nights.
- Get a biometric screening.
- Complete a health survey.
- Select paperless billing.
Some of the payout details include:
- $25 for completing a health survey
- $3.50/week for walking 5,000 steps a day
- $10 for tracking 14 days of sleep
- $7/week for 30 active minutes of fitness a day
- $5 for going paperless
Obviously, not all of these tasks require an Apple Watch or other wearable, but UnitedHealthcare says that “additional qualifying activities will be added throughout the year.”
UnitedHealthcare members can earn up to $1,000 per year in rewards. These rewards can be added to a prepaid debit card or deposited directly into a health savings account. The company does note that “some plans” may be capped at $300 per year in rewards per member, though it doesn’t have any additional details on these limitations.
The new UnitedHealthcare Rewards program is available starting today “to select employers with fully insured plans at the start of their new plan year.” It will launch to additional employers with fully insured plans later this year, and the goal is to expand the program to self-funded customers in 2024.
UnitedHealthcare has been a proponent of the Apple Watch for years. The company teamed up with Apple in 2021 to offer its members a free year of Fitness+. In the past, it’s also offered promotions through which members could earn a free Apple Watch.


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High-end kitchen electrics and appliance supplier Smeg has acquired La Pavoni, an Italian-based company known for the production of upscale domestic and commercial espresso machines.
Author Greg Sleter
A Washington State jury recently awarded nearly $6 million to EkoBrew in a case where EkoBrew claimed trademark infringement and unfair competition against Adrian Rivera Maynez Enterprises (ARM) and its owner, Adrian Rivera.
Home is where the heart is, and apparently where the coffee drinking happens as well. A recent survey of 1,000 American consumers found that during an average week 89% get their coffee from home.
Struggling department store chain J.C. Penney may soon be seeking debt relief from its creditors as the retailer prepares for the holiday season, Bloomberg reported.
A year after Centre Lane Partners acquired Capital Brands, the parent company of the Nutribullet and Magic Bullet brands, a new assortment of blenders under the Nutribullet brand is now hitting retail.
Waterpik is teaming with reality star and dentist Dr. Chris Strandburg as part of a new campaign to address oral hygiene issues facing Americans.
The International Housewares Association (IHA) is teaming with Good360 to help residents in the Bahamas and portions of the United States that were impacted by Hurricane Dorian. In addition, the Housewares Charity Foundation has also made a monetary donation to support the relief efforts.
Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports remained strong in August as retailers and product suppliers looked to beat a new wave of tariffs that took effect September 1.


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Congressional Republicans want to impose “net neutrality” rules that allow Internet service providers to charge online services and websites for priority access to consumers. Making the case for paid prioritization Tuesday, US Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said that paying for priority access would be similar to enrolling in TSA Precheck.
“In real life, all sorts of interactions are prioritized every day,” Blackburn said in her opening statement at a subcommittee hearing on paid prioritization. Blackburn continued:
Many of you sitting in this room right now paid a line-sitter to get priority access to this hearing. In fact, it is commonplace for the government itself to offer priority access to services. If you have ever used Priority Mail, you know this to be the case. And what about TSA Precheck? It just might have saved you time as you traveled here today. If you define paid prioritization as simply the act of paying to get your own content in front of the consumer faster, prioritized ads or sponsored content are the basis of many business models online, as many of our members pointed out at the Facebook hearing last week.
Dividing up online services into those that have paid for TSA Precheck-like priority access and those that haven’t wouldn’t necessarily be appealing to consumers. While TSA Precheck lets travelers zoom through security, everyone else is stuck in a long, slow-moving line and met with frequent obstacles. Comparing paid prioritization to TSA Precheck lends credence to the pro-net neutrality argument that allowing paid fast lanes would necessarily push all other online services into “slow lanes.”


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Representation matters, and the new Misty Copeland Barbie is a step forward.
Misty Copeland has been breaking barriers for as long as she's been dancing. Now, she breaks one more.
A little over a year ago, Mattel announced its "Sheroes" line of Barbies. Yesterday, they added one more to the collection.
The original collection featured the likes of country artist Trisha Yearwood, actresses Kristin Chenoweth and Emmy Rossum, director Ava DuVernay, fashion designer Sydney "Mayhem" Keiser, and Lucky Editor-in-Chief Eva Chen. Mattel later added Disney star Zendaya to the mix.
So who's the newest "shero" to join the collection? Ballerina Misty Copeland!
The doll features a likeness of Copeland's "firebird" costume from her historic first American Ballet Theatre principal role.
14 years after first joining the ABT, Copeland made history as the first black woman to land a principal role in one of its productions. This was a huge deal, and it's so cool to see that moment immortalized in the form of a Barbie.
"I always dreamed of becoming an ABT ballerina and through Barbie I was able to play out those dreams early on," Copeland said in a press release. "It's an honor to be able to inspire the next generation of kids with my very own Barbie doll."
Barbie is no longer just the classic one-form-represents-all Barbie: Now, she's so much more.
For a long time, there were (and still are) very valid criticisms leveled at the doll-maker, especially when it came to the lack of diversity in body shape and skin tone. For most of Barbie's history, she was tall, blonde, and had completely impossible proportions.
Recently, however, Mattel has been expanding what Barbie can look like, with its "You Can Be Anything" campaign. Now, Barbie dolls come in three body types (tall, curvy, petite), seven skin tones, 22 eye colors, and 24 hairstyles.
Copeland's Barbie doll has unique proportions that match the dancer's more muscular frame.
Mattel was inspired to create a doll in honor of the ballerina, with Barbie General Manager and Senior Vice President Lisa McKnight noting that Copeland is "at the center of a cultural conversation around how women continue to break boundaries."
"As a brand, we want to honor women, like Misty, who are inspiring the next generation of girls to live out their dreams." McKnight said. "We know role play often leads to real 'play' in life and we're thrilled to celebrate Misty with her very own doll."
Hopefully, the Misty Copeland doll will help inspire future generations of dreamers and future boundary-busting women.
It's important not to underestimate the power of growing up and seeing someone like you — a hero, an inspiration — in the world. To be able to play-act with that inspiration, as girls all over the world will now be able to do with the new Misty Copeland doll, is a powerful thing. Representation matters, and in this case, the team over at Barbie deserves praise for helping make that happen.


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The International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) published a new report and represented a booming year for the music industry.
Published by CISAC who represent 239 authors’ societies across 121 countries their report accumulates music data from all around the world for a comprehensive account of the industry today.
Music publishing collections have grown by 6% in 2017 to €8.336 billion ($9.4 billion) from €7.863 billion ($8.87 billion) in 2016. It’s empowering news that the music industry is booming in the new digital age where streaming music is the go-to platform for listeners, especially younger listeners. While radio is still thriving physical music sales are dwindling but the incredible surge in streaming revenues is ensuring that music isn’t losing its value.
CISAC’s director general, Gadi Oron said,
“This impressive performance proves that authors’ societies are delivering value to the millions of creators they represent around the world. They have responded to rapidly changing technology, licensing digital services in new flexible ways and handling trillions of data transactions. And they are fighting for the best licensing in terms and the highest royalties possible in a world where powerful users are determined to avoid, or minimize, paying a fair return for their work.”
Digital music collections are up 166% in the last 5 years and reached €1.27 billion all in all last year. Royalties from digital music increased by 24% for the year and surpassed $1 billion for the first time in 2017. Whereas digital is growing massively there is still more that needs to be done to balance out the use of digital music and the revenues it produces if it’s going to replace physical sales in the long-term.
CISAC electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre said alongside the report,
“CISAC is at the heart of the battle for the future of over 4 million creators worldwide. I am passionately involved in this struggle. Europe has now recognised that it is time for change: it is not acceptable for the law to shield large tech monopolies and sustain a systemic injustice for creators. There is now a message to get to the rest of the world. It is time for other governments to sit up and follow.”
The US is the leading national market for collections, which increased by 7.0%, particularly thanks to a rapidly expanding music streaming sector. Among sizable markets, Sweden, Mexico, and Korea had the leading digital shares of total collections at 32.8%, 32.3%, and 31.8%, respectively. Digital has become the largest collections source in Sweden. At 62.6%, Australia and New Zealand had the largest digital growth. APRA AMCOS, an Australian music society, saw digital overtake broadcast as the largest collections source.
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Of the top 10 most common New Year’s Resolutions, five deal with either losing weight or quitting bad habits to live a healthier, happier life.
In 2011, people will not only look to be “well-thy,” many are also starting to view good health as a status symbol. For them, maintaining good health is as important to some consumers as having the biggest, newest or most expensive “It” item.
We see this trend growing through the addition of healthier food items at fast food restaurants and the increasing popularity of fitness-focused products such as Sketchers Shape-Ups. Vending machines with healthy options in schools, walking routes laid out in office buildings for employees, and organic grocery stores are just the beginning of people’s desires to lead “well-thier” lives.
Whether it is a New Year’s resolution or an adoption of the changing 2011 consumer environment – losing weight and living a healthier lifestyle will be the “It” thing on many people’s To Do list. A study by The Hartman Group found 73% of US consumers consider being physically fit important to being ‘well.’ The study also cited that 74% of consumers believe that being physically fit is equally important in ‘feeling good about themselves’.
Healthcare service providers can take advantage of this trend by understanding that “healthy” is the new “happy” and that consumers are now viewing good health as ‘status’ and are assigning that extra value to it. So let’s raise our glasses on New Year’s Eve and give three cheers to a “well-thier” us!


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NASSAU, The Bahamas, Friday September 6, 2019 – In the wee hours of yesterday morning, more than 100 crew members from Royal Caribbean’s Empress of the Seas became the first to activate the company’s disaster relief operation to bring relief supplies and 20,000 daily meals to the Freeport, Bahamas community.
Crew members prepared sandwiches, proteins with rice and fruits and snacks for the company’s first distribution at noon yesterday.
Over the next few days additional ships from its fleet —Symphony of the Seas, Celebrity Equinox, Mariner of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas— will repeat the process.
Along with Empress, the company is deploying container ships with much needed supplies including 47,000 bottles of water, 362 generators, 250 tarps, 25,000 square feet of plywood, 55,400 diapers and 7,500 pounds of pet food.
Royal Caribbean is committing US$1 million to Dorian disaster relief and matching every dollar of guest and employee donations. To make sure those donations go where they can do the most good, they are collaborating with the Bahamian government and its non-profit partner, the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), and a network of Bahamian charities and other local organizations, including the Bahamas Feeding Network.
“We can’t make every bad memory of Dorian go away. But we can start making things better—today,” said Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL).
According to Alex De Roeck of Royal Caribbean, the effort is not a one-time affair.
“We will be delivering these meals every day during the duration of this effort to be of service to the Grand Bahamian people,” said De Roeck, who works in hotel operations, RCCL Miami. “We will be diverting our cruise ships to this port every day to ensure that this effort continues.
“What will be happening is, we will provide the items and deliver them, but local Emergency officials will decide where they are to be delivered and distributed.”
While Royal Caribbean has most of its ships ported in Nassau, Alex said that the cruise line will use a different ship each day to make the trip to Grand Bahama to deliver the meals.
He said the company is seeking to set up a feeding kitchen on the island, but that option was not concrete, as they have to work with NEMA to discuss the feasibility and location of such a kitchen.


text: Employees want access to business applications from mobile devices, which is a conundrum for CIOs: Do they adapt legacy software designed to run on desktops and laptops to run on smartphones and tablets or buy a platform that enables such portability with minimal coding? Trucking conglomerate Paccar chose the latter option to help deliver mobile applications across the company\u2019s DAF, Peterbilt, Leyland and Kenworth business units, says CIO Lily Ley.\n Paccar \nPaccar's CIO Lily Ley.\n\n\u201cWe needed the flexibility and mobility to quickly deliver solutions to our users,\u201d Ley tells CIO.com. Working with Rob Branson, Paccar\u2019s director of technology and architecture, Ley chose a platform in the nascent but growing market for rapid mobile application development market (RMAD). Such platforms allow companies to quickly write mobile applications that align with the workflows employees are accustomed to adopting for each business process.\n[ State of the CIO 2017 research report ]\nRMAD solutions address a business requirement triggered by consumerization. Consumers, employees are accustomed to accessing information and conducting transactions from their smartphone and tablets. They now expect the same functionality from their business applications. But most IT departments don't have enough software engineers to port, reconfigure and refactor potentially dozens of corporate apps workers use to do their jobs. RMAD platforms allow nonprogrammers, such as business unit leaders, to automate application development through drag-and-drop tools, code generation and other programming capabilities.\nMeet the citizen developer\nThis so-called " no code" approach appealed to Paccar (getting rid of low code because SkyGiraffe automates the process), whose business units rely on several mainframe and other legacy applications for manufacturing, logistics, financing, leasing and aftermarket sales among other applications, says Ley. Its business analysts, as well as sales and marketing staffers, want to access reports, dashboards and key performance indicators from their iPhone and Android smartphones. But developing mobile versions of the mainframe and other legacy applications would have taken too long, Ley says. Paccar's IT department needed a better option.\n[ Related: CIO Quick Takes: What's your strategic focus? ]\nThat option came from startup SkyGiraffe, whose CEO, Boaz Hecht, Branson met two years ago. Branson says he evaluated a range of RMAD startups and mulled build mobile apps internally but he settled on SkyGiraffe. Branson says he chose the startup for its willingness to help Paccar's IT and business units cultivate mobile applications that have the look and polish of consumer applications while meeting the enterprise security and corporate workflows employees required.\n[ Your guide to top tech conferences 2017 ]\n\u201cThis tool allows us to establish a platform where our business users and their local IT can quickly develop and roll out their apps," Branson says.\nPaccar business analysts and end users used SkyGiraffe to build roughly 25 mobile applications that enable employees to execute tasks as basic as granting approvals for sales discounts to more complex workflows, such as alerting factory workers' if a machine in Paccar's truck engine facilities is generating fault codes. Ley says Paccar expects to extend SkyGiraffe to its dealer network as they require the same flexibility, mobility and speed to market the trucking company is enjoying.\nRMAD market is burgeoning\nDozens of startups, as well as incumbents such as IBM, SAP and Salesforce.com, have built their own flavors of RMAD platforms, Gartner analyst Van Baker told CIO.com in September. \u201cThis is a common need in enterprises across all verticals,\u201d says Baker.\nGartner expects medium to large enterprises to adopt at least three rapid, high productivity development products by 2020, with vendors enjoying on average a 300 percent revenue growth rate in 2017. Such findings underscore CIOs' recognition that they must move faster to help their businesses remain competitive.\nLey and Branson say SkyGiraffe fits Paccar's strategy to adopt more mobile and cloud products, which hastens the velocity of IT service deliver to the business. "Our vehicles obviously don\u2019t stay still and nor do our employees," Branson says. On the cloud adoption front, Ley says she has created a roadmap to migrate to SuccessFactors for human capital management, Microsoft's Office 365 for email and SAP's HANA in-memory database for analytics.\nPaccar is also changing its IT organization as part of its ongoing effort to modernize its business operations in the digital era.\nLey says that her organization has adopted "reverse mentoring," in which millennial generation employees advise employees from older generations about emerging mobile technologies. Paccar has also eliminated some cubicles in favor of open workspaces, which are intended to foster collaboration while attracting and retaining more millennial employees.


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Carbon Trust says standard will help promote environmental merits of nation's export goods
South Korea is to adopt an international standard for carbon labelling by 2011 in a bid to have the green merits of its export goods recognised by a global criterion. The UK government-backed Carbon...
Directors of the arts organisation pledge to respond to climate emergency with actions across Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool, and Tate St. Ives
In what could prove to be a parting gift, Business Secretary Greg Clark announces £80m of funding for electric car and aircraft projects, and unveils a £60m sustainable plastics challenge
HSBC survey of 2,500 businesses finds efficiency, competition, regulation, and potential for growth are proving major drivers of sustainability investment
BNY Mellon becomes latest high profile investment firm to beef up green fund offering


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A new scheme is offering up to £10,000 of funding to SMEs using digital technology to support business growth.
The ‘Digital Enterprise’ scheme works by the company applying for digital growth vouchers which need match-funding from the business in equal value.
The vouchers can be used to buy IT and telecoms hardware, software or upgrades to current digital connectivity. Businesses need to demonstrate the anticipated economic impact of the investment by showing business growth by an increase in jobs or turnover.
The scheme is live from January 2017, and more information is available by contacting the Chamber here.


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Starting March 1, all participants must be registered in the state drug movement monitoring (DMM) system. It is assumed that their information systems are already on alert for interaction with the state information system "DMM". To date, the most prepared link in the entire distribution chain are pharmaceutical manufacturers. But in the industry, there are still representatives of pharmacies and medical institutions who ask: what is labeling? Meanwhile, 116 days are left before the start. July 1, 2020 the law comes into force.
The experiment goes to the finish line. After 4 months, the system should be fully operational, however, unresolved issues remain. The Director General of the Association of Russian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Viсtor Dmitriev notes that it is necessary to ensure legal support of the process at all levels within the framework of by-laws regulation. “In the course of introducing the labeling, we see that there are remaining zones of legal voids. It is not clear how reverse logistics will take place if, for some reason, the drug is rejected? In addition, experience shows that today the system does not keep pace with the novelties in the legislation. So, in our regulatory framework, a manufacturer can transfer goods to a distributor for storage, but these business processes are not registered in DMM. And there is no solution yet,” said the head of the ARPM.
According to the executive director of the “Inpharma” Association, Vadim Kukava, it is premature to talk about the system’s readiness. “Since July 1 of this year, the system should work, the working system is working all the elements, not only manufacturers, distributors, but also a pharmacy somewhere in Vladivostok, it should also work. How this system will work is not clear,” said Kukava.
According to analysts, the reasons for the unpreparedness should be sought in the perception of the situation by the business, which perceives the labeling as a kind of fiscal system, from which there is and will not be any benefit. Unfortunately, the issue of providing free data on the movement of goods throughout the chain has not yet been resolved. This information is extremely important for manufacturers, it will replace expensive marketing research and will allow planning the workload. In addition, constant changes to the rules during the experiment also reduced the degree of trust in the project.
So the industry again raises the question of reducing code length. This will not only significantly reduce the cost of the final product, but also reduce the amount of defects when applying the code to the package. According to experts, from July 1, an average price increase of 2-2.5 rubles per package is expected. “It will not be so noticeable on expensive drugs, but on the low price segment it will be noticeable,” Victor Dmitriev noted.
Will there be another rule change? Will the code fee be reduced? And is it worth waiting for the deadline postponing? “In May, deputies of the State Duma together with Federal Service for Surveillance in Healthcare (Roszdravnadzor) will check the readiness of the system along the entire chain, only after a detailed analysis will it be decided to launch the system,” Victor Dmitriev answered.
In the meantime, manufacturers are the most prepared link in the entire chain. Entire project teams are working on the introduction of labeling. Big questions to the work of pharmacies and hospitals. To date, outlets are being created — stocks for the uninterrupted supply of drugs without labeling for patients.
ARPM Press Service


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It is highly likely that Apple will build the 4.8-inch iPhone 6 and the large-screen iOS 7 smartphone will hit the market as planned, its release date probably to happen in the months within Q1 2014.
Production of the iPhone 6 should go smoothly, according to Jefferies analyst Peter Misek, as component requirements for the device are readily available. In fact, the tech giant may not have to spend too much in the assembly of the next-generation, Mr Misek added, that is if most of the parts will be purchased from Samsung.
The Galaxy maker is expected to offer solid prices for its device component offerings, meaning firms like Apple will have access to cheaper iPhone parts, which should ensure that the iPhone 5S successor will be reality in the early months of 2014 minus the usual delay troubles.
Ironically, Apple fans will have to thank the Galaxy S4 for somehow contributing, unwillingly of course, to Apple's efforts of delivering its first phablet - complete with the planned features and as swift as possible.
In his new note, Mr Misek claimed that the GS4 will likely missed the mark set by Samsung for its Q3 2013 sales performance.
The direct consequence is Samsung would be compelled to keep its current component pricing or press it down a bit in order to assure of maintaining Apple as one of its major clients.
"Galaxy S4 sales missed internal targets leading Samsung to not raise foundry prices for Apple like we expected," Mr Misek was quoted by Business Insider in a report.
Why Samsung would resort to such move? It's all about business, analysts said. The South Korean tech giant has set a revenue target and pleasing a big account like that of Apple would allow it to patch up the lower returns coming from its GS4 push.
So as the GS4 starts to falter the iPhone 6 star shines, all the more cementing the speculations that finally Apple is crashing into the phablet competition, which has become a lucrative segment of the mobile device market.
So profitable is the giant-screen smartphone field that as of the latest accounting, about half of the brand new mobile phones that were snapped up by consumers bear screens that dwarf the 4-inch iPhone 5S, Mr Misek said.
With the strong hints that it is unable to attract some 50 per cent of smartphone shoppers in recent months, Apple is likely to correct the anomaly by giving what consumers want - a stretched iPhone screen, the analyst added.
In doing so, the tech giant is likely to pick 4.8-inch screen as the sweet spot for its own take on the phablet business, Mr Misek said, citing Asian gadget suppliers as his source.
The iPhone 6 is also expected to feature a wraparound screen, a LiquidMetal casing, an A8 64-bit CPU and a quad-core GPU on its 2014 release date.
To contact the editor, e-mail:


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Nissan to launch 3 new EV models in Japan by 2022
Nissan has announced that within the fiscal year 2022/23 will launch in Japan three new electric cars and five new hybrids model as part of the already anticipated electrified offensive of the entire Japanese Group.
The goal for March 31, 2023 is to increase the share of battery-powered cars in the domestic market to 40%, to then reach 50% by 2025.
Currently, Nissan's electric range in the Rising Sun country is articulated on the best-seller Leaf and some offers in the light commercial vehicle sector.
On a general level, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance target is to increase global sales volumes to 14 million units by the year 2022/23.


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Nissan is touting a new record for its LEAF electric car: 1 billion kilometers driven by its customers worldwide through its CarWings telematics system.
The achievement comes almost four years since the LEAF was launched in 2010 as one of the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicles. Nissan says it has sold 147,000 LEAF vehicles to date, 31,000 of which have been sold in Europe.
Thanks to the CarWings telemetry used in the LEAF, Nissan has been able to keep an accurate log of the total distance covered by every LEAF registered with CarWing.
Paul Willcox, chairman for Nissan in Europe, says the company aimed to reach the one-billion-kilometer goal by January 2015.


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We didn’t need Sir Martin Sorrell telling us that the Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) iPad will not be the savior of the beleaguered publishing industry, but for the record, the influential CEO of WPP has laid it out: “[The iPad’s] not regarded as being the thing that’s going to save us, the panacea to the problems of converting to a digital world. It’s going to be more difficult.”
The remarks, made in a video interview with the Financial Times, come days before Apple is due to debut its newest iPad; and two weeks after Apple formally unveiled new in-app payment rules that appear to require publishers to use Apple’s own payment system, in which Apple takes a 30 percent cut. (You can watch the video here.)
Sorrell joins the ranks of content publishers and other media companies that are getting increasingly frustrated by Apple’s “closed” policy on content that runs on products like the iPad and iPhone. On top of question marks over how much revenue they may get to keep out of subscriptions for apps on Apple devices — the FT itself might see $1 million sucked from its coffers as a result of the rules — publishers still have to face the age-old problems that they always have: they have bought into the idea of investing in and developing products for new mediums like the iPad tablet, but they still need a critical mass of users on those platforms to make that investment pay off.
For companies like WPP, that would extend also to marketing and advertising business models on Apple’s platform — although recent moves by Apple show that it might be amenable in the long run to working with large third parties rather than against them: Apple last week confirmed that it would be halving the mandatory ad spend for brands wishing to use its iAd platform: campaigns now formally need to buy in with a minimum of $500,000 spend, rather than the $1 million it required at launch earlier last year.
Ultimately, it’s a rock and a hard place for companies that have been seeing diminishing returns on more traditional platforms such as print media. Apple may be twisting their arms, but products like the iPad present new opportunities, and Apple’s success and winning place in the mindshare stakes with high-value consumers are hard to ignore.
Sorrell doesn’t go all-out an add Apple to his “frenemy” graylist, but he does seem to indicate Apple is inching in that direction. Meanwhile, Sorrell’s most famous addition to the frenemy list, Google (NSDQ: GOOG), has the dubious distinction of getting upgraded:
The search giant has simply become a “plain enemy” to media companies; but to WPP it is now a “friendlier frenemy”, since it is now Google’s biggest search advertising customer, buying some $1 billion of ads from Google annually.
For companies like WPP, there may be more battlegrounds to come in the mobile space.
At a speech at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February, Sorrell described location as the “Holy Grail” for mobile advertising, an indication that it would like to extend more into this area, which will inevitably bring it closer to where companies like Apple (which last week appeared to file mysterious patents for “Places” services in Europe and China) and Google also want to be in control.


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FDA orders all Juul e-cigarettes off the market
The FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products reviewed Juul’s applications for its menthol and tobacco flavor vapes with 3 and 5 percent nicotine pods. Regulators found that the company’s data on the toxicity of its products was lacking and contradictory, preventing the agency from fully assessing the potential risks of the vapes and associated pods. Regulators also noted that to date there is no way of knowing what damage could be caused by using third-party vape juice in Juul pods.
Juul must immediately stop selling its products. If not, it risks FDA enforcement action.
reactions: Cliff Douglas, the director of the University of Michigan’s Tobacco Research Network, estimates that approximately 3 million adults use Juul vapes. “As a public health person…I’m just concerned that millions of people are being affected,” he said. “Bringing the market down in ways that could limit access or appeal…is a concern.”
Proponents of vaping were alarmed by the news. †[This] is the latest sad example of the agency’s regulatory arson targeting the nicotine vaping products that millions of Americans rely on as an alternative to cigarettes,” Amanda Wheeler, president of the American Vapor Manufacturers Association, said in a statement.
However, those most involved in youth vaping saw the regulation as a positive force. “Juul, more than any other product or company, has been responsible for creating and fueling the e-cigarette epidemic among young people,” Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said in a statement. “This would be the most important action the FDA has taken to date to end the youth e-cigarette epidemic and prevent tobacco companies from using these nicotine-containing products to addict a new generation of children.” to make.”
Background: The FDA has awarded marketing orders to a handful of tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes, including some from Vuse, NJOY, and Logic. It has denied millions of other uses of e-cigarettes, many of which had fruity or sweet flavors. It still determines the fate of multiple menthol flavored vapes.
The FDA’s deadline to decide the fate of vapes was initially set for September 2021. The agency recently estimated that it would not finish reviewing all major e-cigarette uses until June 2023.
What’s next: Juul may decide to appeal the FDA’s decision, which could lead to lawsuits. The FDA is already facing lawsuits from dozens of smaller vape companies whose product applications have been rejected.


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" some of the same lawyers who spent years battling tobacco companies
on behalf of sick smokers [ ] are arguing that the fast food industry
is a similar risk to public health."
CNN.com, August 19 2002
Several lawsuits have already been filed against fast-food restaurants, claiming
that they are responsible for the ill health of the obese who have fed for years
on their products. None have so far been successful, and many people regard them as
some kind of joke. But advocates point out that the first people to sue "big
tobacco" were ridiculed. Yet in 1998, the Master
Settlement Agreement saw the major US tobacco companies agree to pay $246bn
over 25 years to settle lawsuits filed by US states.
The success of the tobacco suits has encouraged those who believe that the
junk-food claims are analogous. In both cases, it is claimed that public health
has been damaged by the actions of major corporations who concealed the health
risks of their products. This makes them liable to pay damages to those who
suffered as a result.
From a legal point of view, there are certainly precedents set by the tobacco
suits which those pursuing fast-food manufacturers will want to learn from.
But are the two cases truly analogous?
One legitimate way to draw an analogy in an argument is to identify a common
logical structure. In such a case, it is not the content of the analogy that
matters, but the structure of the inference. So, for example, it can be argued
that the arguments against the tobacco and fast-food industries have a common
1. If a manufacturer covers up the harm its products can cause, it is responsible
for any such harm its products do cause.
2. X has covered up the harm its products can cause.
3. Therefore X is responsible for any such harm its products have caused.
If (1) is true, then X can be substituted for anything which makes (2) true
and the conclusion (3) will follow. In this way, the two arguments are analogous.
In fact, they both share a basic valid form known as affirming the antecedent:
If P then Q
But the tobacco case is not cited purely because the arguments there have the
same logical structure. Rather, it is claimed that the relevant facts are the
same. In other words, the similarity extends to the content of the premises.
This is where the analogy might break down, at least with the specific argument
considered above. First, it is not clear that the Master Settlement Agreement
was premised on the principle that "If a manufacturer covers up the harm
its products can cause, it is responsible for any such harm its products do
cause". But even if it were, the second premise – X has covered up the
harm its products can cause – is almost certainly not equally true of the tobacco
and fast food industries.
It should have been obvious to tobacco companies a long time ago that their
products were intrinsically damaging to health. Warnings such as those now placed
in adverts by the alcohol industry – "use our product responsibly"
– would be incongruous on cigarette packets. But fast-food, like alcohol, can
be enjoyed in moderation without harm to health. And furthermore, the facts
about what constitutes a healthy diet are well enough known for it to be possible
to make the case that consumers should choose for themselves how much fast-food
The complaints that can be made against the tobacco firms and the fast-food
restaurants are thus disanalogous. Cigarette manufacturers are accused of not
making public the at the time little known risks of using their products; fast-food
manufacturers are accused of not doing enough to highlight the well-known risks
of misusing of their products. In one case, it’s about covering up the inevitable
harm, in the other it’s failure to advertise the potential harm caused by misuse.
Hence the second premise of the argument is not the same in both cases and the
analogy breaks down.
When determining whether an analogy is a good one, sometimes the main point
being made is about the logic of the argument and it is just the structural
similarities which count. But in other cases, such as this one, the relevant
similarities must extend to contents of the premises if the argument is to be
However, what is interesting is that the analogy would become much closer if
it could be shown that the fast-food manufacturers were concealing little-known
facts about the dangers of their products. There would still be a difference,
in that a healthy lifestyle can include moderate fast-food consumption, whereas
it cannot include moderate smoking. But if legally the key concern is preventing
information reaching the public domain, the analogy might nevertheless be close
enough for some lawsuits to succeed.


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Founded in 2019, Pilgrim sells personal care products in categories like face and hair care, and bath & body
The brand plans to deploy the incoming funding in R&D initiatives, brand-building and improving its offline presence
The D2C brand claims to have over 5 Mn customers, with 500K customers being added every month
D2C personal care brand Pilgrim has raised $20 Mn (around INR 166 Cr) in a funding round led by Temasek’s VC arm Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India, with participation from existing investors Fireside Ventures and Narotam Sekhsaria Family Office.
Founded in 2019 by Kedia and Gagandeep Makker, Pilgrim sells personal care products in categories like face and hair care, and bath & body. The startup claims its products are FDA-approved and free from parabens, sulphates and mineral oils. The D2C brand claims to have over 5 Mn customers, with 500K customers being added every month.
Pilgrim secured INR 13 Cr funding in its Series A round in June 2021, with INR 1.8 Cr in an angel round before that. In all, the startup is said to have secured around INR 48 Cr in funding, before the current round.
The D2C brand plans to deploy the incoming funding in R&D initiatives, brand-building and improving its offline presence. Pilgrim plans to launch five exclusive outlets by the end of this year, targeting cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and New Delhi.
In May 2023, the startup appointed Vishakh Narendran as its CBO to accelerate its entry into the offline market. Currently, the D2C brand claims to be present in about 300 partner stores selling beauty and personal care products.
In a statement, cofounders Kedia and Makker, said, “Our commitment to sourcing world beauty ingredients and addressing consumer requirements remains unwavering, bolstered by the invaluable support of our esteemed partners, Vertex Ventures, Fireside Ventures, and the Narotam Sekhsaria Family Office. Their faith in our solid business fundamentals fuels our ambition to emerge as frontrunners in India’s expansive beauty and personal care sector.”
The D2C brand has recently introduced a loyalty program, PilgrimTRIBE, for customers who shop regularly. Pilgrim rewards customers in PilgrimMILES on each order placed which can be then redeemed on subsequent purchases.
Pilgrim was amongst the 42 fastest-growing D2c brands shortlisted by Inc42 for FAST42’s inaugural edition in 2022.
The brand competes with the likes of Mamaearth, SUGAR Cosmetics, Juicy Chemistry, Nykaa and dozens of other D2C brands in India’s highly competitive personal care space. Per Inc42’s State Of Indian Ecommerce Report Q3 2023, the beauty and personal care market was a $4 Bn opportunity in 2022, set to rise to $28 Bn in 2030 at a CAGR of 27%.


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More than half of cannabis consumers in states where weed is legal get their stuff at the store, according to newly released survey data.
The survey, which comes via New Frontier Data, found that “52% of current consumers say their primary source is a brick-and-mortar dispensary and only 6% say their primary source is a dealer” in states where adult-use marijuana is legal.
According to the survey, “43% of [all] current consumers say that a brick-and-mortar dispensary is their primary source of cannabis, compared to 34% in 2022,” while 10% “of current consumers say that their primary source is a dealer, down from 13% in 2022.”
“Interestingly, 29% of current consumers in illicit markets say that their primary source is also a brick-and-mortar dispensary compared to 17% who say they use dealers. This means that, even in illicit markets, consumers are travelling (sic) across state lines to obtain cannabis from a regulated source, as 42% of consumers say they have sourced cannabis from out of state,”Dr. Amanda Reiman, the chief knowledge officer at New Frontier Data, wrote in the survey’s analysis said.
Dozens of states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized recreational cannabis for adults, a wave of normalization that has made the weed shopping experience much like a run to the drug store or supermarket.
As Reiman put it: “In many ways and in many places, cannabis has become another errand to take care of on the way home from work.”
“It is not just cannabis sourcing that is beginning to mimic traditional commerce, the reasons that consumers give for choosing a particular source are also meeting the mainstream. The top reasons consumers give for choosing a particular brick-and-mortar dispensary are product quality, product selection, price, knowledgeable staff, and convenient location. These are the top reasons people choose grocery stores (location, price, product selection, product quality, and friendly and knowledgeable staff),” Reiman wrote.
“One remnant of prohibition that comes out in the sourcing data is the reason that consumers give for choosing the same businesses over and over again, which is familiarity. This was cited by 58% of consumers as the reason they keep coming back to the same store. Almost 20 years ago, I conducted a study of medical cannabis patients and asked this question about their go-to medical cannabis dispensary. Familiarity was also the top reason given. During prohibition, acquiring cannabis was a process with rules. What you could say, what you couldn’t, how to properly pay and contact your dealer, all with the risk of arrest. Knowing exactly what the rules were and what was expected of you was a part of the process. In some ways, that anxiety has held on into legalization for many consumers, who, even though they are purchasing in a legal market, may still feel a sense of doing something wrong and needing to adhere to specific protocols. As the legal market matures, I expect that familiarity will become less important and that the other reasons given for loyalty (convenient location, knowledgeable staff, and product selection) will become more important to consumers.”
Reiman added: “The number of consumers sourcing from brick-and-mortar dispensaries will continue to rise as more legal markets come online, and even those in illicit markets will have greater access to legal stores. Like other areas of commerce, location, product selection, and staff will drive dispensary business, and consumers will relax into this new reality of cannabis as a consumer-packaged good.”


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Spinzo, the Saint John-based developer of a crowdsourcing platform, has signed on the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League as its first professional sports client, and is in talks with other teams.
The Coyotes released a statement Tuesday saying the team will use the Spinzo platform, which combines pricing discounts and social media to stimulate ticket sales, for its private and public group sales. The deal is effective immediately.
Launched in 2011, Spinzo developed a platform that could encouraged people to join a buying group by offering a larger and larger discount the more people signed up. After trying to get the product used by bigbox retailers, CEO Emmanuel Elmajian found that service companies (especially those holding events) were the best niche for the platform.
“This is a big step forward for us because this is our first NHL platform,” said Elmajian in a phone interview Wednesday. “Any success we have with the Coyotes will be a path forward to reaching deals with other NHL teams, and NBA teams, and other sports teams.”
He said he pitched the platform to the Coyotes last year, and Executive Vice-President of Ticket Sales and Strategy Jeff Morander instantly loved the idea. But there was a catch: any deal about selling tickets would require a partnership with Ticketmaster, the ticket-sales giant that works with most professional sports teams.
So Elmajian spent about six months negotiating with Ticketmaster, and then spent another six months integrating his platform with that of the larger company. The result is that Spinzo is now a full partner of Ticketmaster, which is helping greatly in the talks with the other teams.
The Coyotes platform will carry the team’s brand name, and will be used in two ways. The first is public promotions, in which the general public is invited to join a buying group. The second is private promotions, in which such groups as schools, community groups or corporations can invite their members to buy tickets.
“The concept is straightforward,” said Morander in the statement. “The final ticket price depends on the overall number of buyers. As ticket buyers tell their friends and colleagues about the promotion, the price drops for everyone. We set all of the pricing parameters to optimize the savings based on group size.”
The Spinzo concept helps move blocks of seats and it gives excellent value to fans.
“An unsold seat is lost revenue that can never be recovered,” said Elmajian. “Our goal has always been to help organizations use the power of social media to become more profitable.”
Spinzo now consists of a four-member team working in Saint John. With the momentum building from the Coyotes deal, Elmajian plans to add about three people, focused in sales and corporate development. He will soon close a funding round from some of the company’s existing investors.


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The cruise ship orderbook has opened the month of September at 123 vessels set for delivery through 2027 and has passed the $70 billion mark.
Those included start with Dream Cruises who have named their first Global Class vessel the Global Dream which is set for debut in China in early 2021 at 208,000 tons with capacity for over 9,000 guests – the estimated building costs is $1.8 billion.
Furthermore, the American Harmony debuted for American Cruise Lines and the company put a name on their new build for 2021, called the American Melody.
Much more excitement is still yet to come when it comes to new ships in the year of 2019, the Greg Mortimer, Magellan Explorer and Hanseatic Inspiration are all set to launch into the cruise world.
In addition, the MSC Grandiosa is back from her weekend trial as well.
The Costa Smeralda is near to completion at Meyer Turku – it’s also the only LNG-fueled ship set to debut this year.


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When BlackBerry said in Septmeber it plans to release an unconventional device each year, is this what it meant? A throwback to its 2010 BlackBerry Torch sales flop?
Thanks to a partnership between medical company Amblyotech and researchers from McGill University in Montreal, Ubisoft's next video game is 'prescription only'
Economists are abandoning predictions of another rate cut after Canada's central bank showed itself to be more of a hawk than expected today
We should all get into the habit of saving. But how exactly should we save? Save 15% of your income? Save coins in jars? Here are three ways to get saving
Only the U.S. has more billionaires than China. Here's how the top rung in the country have made their fortunes


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We found 570 items for the tag: GS
Apr 30, 2012 5:17 am
NVIDIA will soon offer quality presets over the cloud based on your system specs
Apr 27, 2012 5:26 pm
Kingston is back once again with some more great prizes for you to win!
Apr 27, 2012 11:26 am
Today's daily tech deal is 16GB Kingston DataTraveler 109 USB 2.0 Flash Drive for $11.95 with FREE S
Apr 26, 2012 2:18 am
48fps footage from Peter Jackson's 'The Hobbit' was shown at CinemaCon, public reaction was not what
Apr 25, 2012 9:31 pm
Google's Matt Cutts gives a brief explanation of how Google returns results in under half a second
Apr 25, 2012 5:30 am
Apple enjoys meteoric growth everywhere, now has over 125 million iCloud users, has over 28 million
Apr 22, 2012 2:15 pm
One of the greatest MGS games goes portable on the Nintendo 3DS. Check out our full review.
Apr 18, 2012 11:27 pm
eBay posts strong first quarter numbers. Its stock is up 3.5% in after-hours trading.
Apr 17, 2012 1:29 pm
foobar2000 is an advanced freeware audio player for the Windows platform
Apr 16, 2012 1:56 pm
US government claims that Carpathia not just an innocent bystander in MegaUpload proceedings.
Apr 13, 2012 7:33 pm
Intel lowers channel pricing on its upcoming dekstop Ivy Bridge CPUs.
Apr 11, 2012 6:27 am
Apr 11, 2012 4:29 am
Google Play Music now sports HTML5 audio, replaces Flash
Apr 6, 2012 5:03 pm
Kingston next up on the giveaway cycle with no less than six products to win!
Apr 6, 2012 3:53 pm
Kingston invited us exclusively into its Taiwan factory and we see the process of making an SSD from start to finish.
Apr 5, 2012 7:33 pm
YouTube adds an option to convert some 1080p videos to 3D by regular users.
Apr 3, 2012 4:30 pm
Mar 29, 2012 5:24 am
HSPA+ GALAXY Nexus, GSM Nexus S are now receiving Android 4.0.4 updates
Mar 23, 2012 7:31 am
Angry Birds Space launches, 60 new levels, new iPad Retina Display support, and more included
Mar 23, 2012 5:09 am
Mar 13, 2012 12:27 am
Mar 12, 2012 5:24 pm
Angry Birds Space gets some footage, takes note from the Samsung Note
Mar 9, 2012 1:02 am
Mar 8, 2012 8:32 am
SetCPU gets an ICS overhaul, new user interface looks slick


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BlueTriton makes its money by pumping water out of communities suffering from drought and water scarcity, selling the water in plastic bottles that end up in landfills, and then claiming that it is a “planet and people conscious” company.
It is clear that BlueTriton is trying to cover up its harmful business practices with greenwashed propaganda. The company’s own lawyers say that its sustainability claims are “puffery” not to be taken seriously.
But BlueTriton is able to get away with its deception by partnering with people that the public trusts. Master Chef Wolfgang Puck is the latest celebrity that BlueTriton has enlisted to sell its unethically sourced and planet-destroying bottled water.
Sign the petition to demand that Chef Wolfgang Puck cut ties with BlueTriton now.
BlueTriton’s deception goes even further than its bogus sustainability claims. The company is charging people for a product that may not be better or even as good as the water coming out of your tap.
There is currently a lawsuit against BlueTriton claiming that Poland Spring water is actually groundwater, and not 100% spring water as advertised. And at least some of the water in Arrowhead “100% spring water” is actually groundwater according to Colorado state law. So who knows what’s in BlueTriton’s other spring water brands.
Wolfgang Puck has just signed up to be an Ambassador for BlueTriton’s ORIGIN spring water. He’ll be making public appearances and be featured in online campaigns to convince people to buy BlueTriton’s “spring-to-table” water.
But is ORIGIN, formerly known as Poland Spring ORIGIN, all that different from the controversial Poland Spring brand? Is the public paying more for a higher quality water or just a fancier bottle? And just because the bottle is made from recycled plastic, doesn’t mean it still won’t end up in a landfill.
Wolfgang Puck has said that he cares about the environment and sustainability. He also cares about fresh, local, high-quality ingredients. So it makes no sense that he would align himself with a company whose actions show that it likely doesn’t share the same values.
Tell Wolfgang Puck to live his values and cut ties with controversial bottled water giant BlueTriton.


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9Mobile has now gone through the first half of 2020 without growth in data subscription as the month of June showed the telco lost about 1 million subscribers in the first six months of the year. The company’s voice subscribers are also not holding up as it lost over 1 million within the period.
According to the latest data from Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) telco recorded 7,094,421 data subscribers in June from 7,255,348 in May representing a drop of 160,927 subscriptions in the period. While it is not the most it has lost in 2020 – the telco has lost more in previous months – it is certainly an indication that subscribers are yet to be impressed with the services of the company. Between January and June saw the exit of 945,840 subscribers.
The mass exodus from 9Mobile is now in its fourth year. The last time the company saw data subscribers flock to its platform was in April 2016 when it recorded over 17 million subscriptions. Today, about 10 million subscribers have left the telco and went to its competitors. Nigeria’s data subscribers climbed to 143 million in June from 140 million May.
Also, 9Mobile did not improve its share of voice subscribers in June. The company’s subscribers dropped from 12,225678 in May to 12,111,674 in June, a drop of 114,004 subscribers. From January to June, 9Mobile saw the exit of 104,5869 voice subscribers.
The further drop also means 9Mobile’s market share at 6.18 percent has been in the single-digit territory since 2019. The drop is likely to continue as the COVID-10 pandemic continues to impact the operating the costs of operators in the telecommunications sector. BusinessDay had reported that MTN Nigeria recorded a 16 percent decline in profit in the second quarter of 2020 due to a jump in operating cost by 35.6 percent to N80 billion from N59 billion a year ago.
Unlike MTN, 9Mobile does not make its financial report public. But that may soon be a thing of the past as the regulator Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has mandated that the major telecommunication companies operating in Nigeria have to submit their yearly financial reports starting from July 15, 2020.
The new policy is based on the Accounting Separation Framework (ASF) for the industry which provides telcos with a comprehensive set of policies and guidelines for generating detailed regulatory financial statements.
The six licensees expected to release their financial statements include Airtel Nigeria, MTN Nigeria, Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services Limited (9Mobile), Globacom Nigeria, Main One Cable Company Limited, and IHS Nigeria.
“The new ASF will promote an industry environment that fosters open and transparent financial reporting while ensuring that charges for telecom services are cost-based and non-discriminatory,” Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC said.


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Toppan Forms and NXP worked together on an NFC handset based on Toshiba’s TG01 Windows Mobile phone in 2009. More
- WhatsApp Payments to launch in UK, Mexico and Brazil?
- German consumers warm to contactless payments
- Carrefour tests biometric payments at point of sale
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- Shenzhen Metro tests face recognition payments
Feed for devices tagged ‘Toshiba’.


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Gabe Newell, CEO of Valve, took to the stage during Sony's presentation at the Electronic Entertainment Expo to announce that not just Portal 2 but also the Steam Network will come to PlayStation 3.
Newell's company had teased fans and pundits in the weeks leading up to the Expo by first replacing a scheduled press conference with a "surprise", and then cancelling the surprise.
Gabe also enthused about PlayStation 3 users being able to enjoy benefits of the Steam Network that are already available to gamers that use PC and Mac computers.
The sequel to the multi-award winning Portal is currently due to be released in 2011, after the initial late 2010 target was pushed back in order to polish the finished gameplay experience.
It is also being developed for PC, Mac, and Xbox 360.


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A strong start to 2014 has the BMW X3 leading its segment even as it’s challenged more closely in BMW showrooms by the slightly smaller and less expensive X1.
Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn is optimistic for the future of the T-ROC, with the automaker willing to build the crossover if the customers want it.
Ahead of its debut at the 2014 New York Auto Show, BMW has revealed photos and specs of their X4 crossover.
Mazda moved nearly 80,000 CX-5s from the lot to the highway in 2013. If the automaker has its way this year, the C segment crossover may break 100,000 units sold.
Though the F-150 rules over Truck Mountain and North America with an aluminium fist, Ford marketing boss Jim Farley told reporters in a meeting that crossovers are driving his employer’s sales growth all over the globe.
Is the future of motoring in the global marketplace in the good hands of the Golf, Forte and Fiesta? Not if you’re Ford’s vice president of Global Marketing, Jim Farley. In his mind, it’ll be a page from the 1991 Explorer’s successful playbook that will help his employer gain market and mind share the world over.
There are so many automakers chasing the segment, perceived to be red hot, that one is tempted to set up a keyboard macro to type out “compact crossover”. The next step in Ford’s attempt to revive the Lincoln brand is exactly one of those, the 2015 MKC.
Though the Juke is marketed as a fun-to-drive vehicle for members of Generation Why, Nissan knows it could do better to make the crossover a performance monster, too. Enter the Juke NISMO RS.
As Cadillac introduces the all-new 2015 Escalade body-on-frame SUV, the luxury marque is considering extending the Escalade brand to include a large crossover that would slot in between the full size ‘Slade and the midsize SRX CUV. “I think there’s a lot of equity in Escalade,” Bob Ferguson, senior vice president of global Cadillac, told Automotive News at the NYC reveal of the revamped SUV, “I’d like to explore the notion of other vehicles that would carry that brand name.” (Read More…)
No sooner did Bentley confirm that they will indeed be producing a premium priced crossover, then Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes announced that they will join the other British ultra luxury marque in offering a utility vehicle, likely to cost even more than the Bentley, which is expected to start at about $250,000.
The mid-sized mass-market luxury car segment is defined by the BMW 3 Series. Jaguar once tried to enter that segment with the X Type, but the “mini XJ” never caught on, in part because it was derided as a badge engineered Ford Mondeo. According to Automotive News The C-X17 crossover concept revealed in Frankfurt this week is based on a new all-aluminum platform that will underpin a “range of future Jaguars”, the most important of which will be a mid-sized sedan to again take on the BMW 3 and its competitors. Jaguar has a core competency in aluminum construction and having the first all-aluminum car in the C and D segments will be a selling point for the new models. While Jaguar Land Rover’s current sales are the strongest the British car maker has had, JLR’s owners, Tata, are hoping that JLR will reach three quarters of a million units by 2020 and ultimately joining the ranks of automakers selling a million or more cars a year. To do that Jaguar needs a volume product, the most logical being a mid-sizer. With CUVs sales booming, a crossover based on the C-X17 will also help reach that volume. While differentiating between a Jaguar crossover and the Land Rover lineup will be an issue, Jaguar does say that the CUV will have some off-road capabilities. (Read More…)
If you want to know why Jaguar and Lexus are introducing compact crossover concepts at the Frankfurt Auto Show this week, all you have to do is check the sales data. Crossover sales are soaring, particularly compacts. Last month, Toyota’s RAV4 was up 50% year to year, and the CR-V at Honda had its best sales month yet. Car sales in general are good in the United States right now, with overall August sales up 17%, but sales of smaller crossovers have doubled that and then some at 36%. Crossovers have gained market share for 10 straight months and now take just over a quarter of the total market, on a pace to sell about 4 million units this year. Overall crossover sales are up about 2% from last year, with compacts making most of that difference. As recently as 2007, crossovers only made up 15% of U.S. light vehicle sales. Pickup trucks are usually seen as America’s favorite vehicles, but in August crossovers outsold pickups by almost a 2 to 1 margin. (Read More…)


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Retail and convenience store workers who have been underpaid can’t claim back the superannuation they should have received, and regulators are hamstrung in many awards in their ability to enforce full payment, according to a wage watchdog.
Research done by Industry Super Australia suggests that over $5 billion in unpaid super is owed to about two million workers, with about $2025 being owed per worker.
The Fair Work Ombudsman told the recent senate inquiry into the Impact of Non-Payment of the Superannuation Guarantee that the act governing retirement savings did not allow for back payments of super.
And even where underpayments are identified, the FWO does not have jurisdiction to force employers to make good super underpayments.
“It would be us conducting work outside of our jurisdiction to investigate that superannuation entitlement and seek to enforce it. So it is not something we just cut the line on.”
“Also, given the size of the jurisdiction, I cannot imagine that it would be a simple task for us to take on, ” Michael Campbell, the deputy Fair Work Ombudsman, told the the Senate committee.
The FWO submission to the inquiry clarifies a confusing part of employment law that has affected thousands of people who have been deliberately underpaid while working in the hospitality and retail industries, Fairfax reported.
Several other companies covered by the retail award have been caught out paying staff less than half the going rate. In some 7-Eleven stores workers were receiving as little as $5 per hour.
Where underpayments have been made under SG payments have been made
“In the case of an underpayment of wages where an employer has made a superannuation contribution on the reduced wage, the employer has met their obligation under the SGA [Superannuation Guarantee Administration] Act and the requirement under the modern award would be satisfied,” FWO said in response to questions on notice from the inquiry.
Super underpayment is a relatively small area of the FWO’s overall activities.
During the 2015 financial year, the FWO finalised 1242 formal requests for assistance that involved concerns about superannuation, making up 5 per cent of all requests for assistance finalised by the watchdog during the period.
Data exchange between regulators around underpayment of entitlements appears somewhat limited.
“At the moment it is set up so that there are six-monthly data exchanges from us to the ATO covering super guarantee but also covering the cash economy, phoenixing and also sham contracting,” Anthony Fogarty, Fair Work Ombudsman communications chief, told the inquiry.


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"Net red" hot sweeping China: most people have a meager income
cankaoxiaoxi· 2017-12-23 12:21:52
Reference News Network December 23 daily Road West media said, China has more than 750 million Internet users in the network space, is undergoing a massive outbreak of the webcast revolution brought by software. Many enterprises have developed similar to the "periscope" video streaming website or Facebook broadcast service. The anchors are here to carry out a bold, real - time display.
data picture: the webcast anchor live online in its own room (April 28, 2015). Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Dawei
, according to the Spanish "national newspaper" reported in December 19th, at present, China has about 300 live platforms, with nearly 250 million users. About 6 million of the daily life of real-time display on these platforms, homework from the children to the elderly to play mahjong, from military training to "chowhound" to cook and eat everything … &hellip. Not long ago, accidentally falls dead in the extreme sports enthusiast Wu Yongning was broadcast on the platform of the star, with a large number of fans.
reports that Wu Yongning's tragedy has once again triggered a discussion of the "net red" phenomenon. Some local media by Wu Yongning events on the broadcast platform and that if Wu not on these sites so popular, perhaps this tragedy will not happen, these extreme sports enthusiasts "fans" step by step, pushing them to the "hard" broadcast.
, however, what these media did not mention is that with tens of thousands of fans coming, these "net red" are making thousands of euros with their videos. There is no doubt that live broadcast has become a very profitable business. According to the data published by the relevant agencies, the total amount of "net red economy" in China reached 52 billion 800 million yuan in 2016, according to the data published by the relevant agencies. It is predicted by Yi Guan international that this number will reach RMB 100 billion yuan in 2018. Some "net red" income is even higher than some big movie stars.
reports that the work of "net red" doesn't look too hard. Many "net red" in the live broadcast just chat their own life, and then hit the advertising. Their income mainly comes from three channels: the profits of self run commodities, the advertising benefits for other brands, and the "virtual gifts" that can be exchanged for fans and gifts to real gold and silver.
, a "net red" little beauty that did not want to reveal her real name, showed her live life. This was born in Shanxi, currently living in Shanghai girl through live monthly income, Betta YY live beauty shot platform in 25 thousand yuan (about 3300 euros), this is the average monthly wage in Shanghai several times. While Xiao Mei is not satisfied with the number, her goal is to earn 10 thousand euros a month. "I started in the industry 1 and a half years ago, when some of my little sisters had tried it, and they told me that it was fast. In that case, I began to make a live make-up. "Xiaomei told western media.
reported that, however, not all "net red" can be successful. The competition in the industry is fierce. In order to enter the circle, it will cost more and more investment. Another is named "Red Net" Barbara told reporters: "there are a lot of scenes on the line. At the very least, "buy powder", that is, the so-called 'zombie powder'. In addition, if a broker is signed, it is likely to be asked to do plastic surgery to make it more attractive. "It is reported that 10% of" net red "acknowledges that his face has been made" fine tune "so that it can show people on the Internet in a better image. "I know people who spend more than 100 thousand yuan in plastic surgery. Becoming sexier is crucial to attracting fans, especially male fans. "She said. The flourishing of the
"net red" economy has even spawned some companies that specializes in creating cyberspace stars. "In terms of business, some internet stars have even surpassed traditional stars. "The founder of the net red incubator, Tophot, Chen Yujin, said in an interview with the Broadcasting British Corporation. "We are a platform dedicated to helping the common people we think have the potential, especially the young women. We help them create a public image and provide them with courses. Then we will help them to enter the live, promotion and e-commerce industry. "She said. (compiling / Han Chao)


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Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced a Stay of Default for the 2018-19 Advance Payment Program (APP) today, giving farmers an additional six months to repay the advance.
“Our government is working closely with our farmers to meet their needs and is taking many concrete steps to help them deal with the current market turmoil,” she says. “This Stay of Default will give them more flexibility and the room to maneuver so they can better manage their liquidity.”
The stay affects farmers with cash advances on grains, oilseeds, and pulse crops.
“International grain trade issues have impacted marketing plans, and we’ve heard from many farmers asking for additional time to repay their advance,” says Rick White, CEO of the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA). “There are fewer marketing options for selling and prices have declined, which makes it difficult for farmers to sell their crops at a profit.”
According to a CCGA news release, farmers eligible for the stay, will be able to make their repayment without providing proof of sale documentation or facing cash repayment penalties. However, all other terms and conditions remain in effect, including, says the CCGA, “that existing advances must be made every time a farmer sells a commodity that is associated with their advance.” Additionally, “2018 advances that include an interest-bearing portion will continue to accrue interest throughout the extension.”
“During the past 12 months farmers have faced a number of challenges, so we are pleased Minister Bibeau has responded with additional support to help them navigate these issues,” says White. “We look forward to working with the APP team at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to implement these changes immediately.”
The deadline for repayment for 2018-19 eligible advances will now be extended from September 30, 2019 to March 31, 2020, with the interest-free benefit maintained throughout the extension.


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Kitzhaber signs Nike 'single-sales' bill
Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber has signed a bill that will allow Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) and other large companies to receive assurances their tax situations won’t change if they make large capital investments within Oregon.
Kitzhaber signed House Bill 4200 just two days after Oregon lawmakers passed the measure during a special legislative session. The House voted 50-5 to pass the measure while the Senate passed it 22-6.
“I thank the Oregon Legislature for a job well done,” Kitzhaber said in a statement. “Faced with extraordinary opportunity to boost Oregon’s economy, we have acted quickly to secure significant investment and high wage jobs. Even under severe time pressure, the Legislature allowed for an effective public process while deliberating with civility and respect. It’s a big day for Oregon and our commitment to get Oregonians back to work.”
Nike has committed to spending at least $150 million and hiring 500 employees. The company reportedly hasn’t decided whether it will expand in Portland or Washington County.
The legislation passed last week will ensure that Nike continues to be taxed based solely on its sales in Oregon, as opposed to its worldwide sales.
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Disneyland Tickets Just Saw Their Biggest Price Increase Ever
It might be the most magical place on earth, but it’s certainly not the cheapest.
Disneyland in Anaheim, California has just announced what appears to be their biggest ticket price increase yet. The cost of buying a single or multi-day pass to visit the park has spiked by up to 10%.
Previously, a one-day regular season pass cost $117. Now, the same pass will cost $129. The three-day pass with Park Hopper that used to cost $330 per person will now cost $355. The cost of a premier annual pass has also rocketed, climbing from $1,579 to $1,949.
This new pricing may be a response to the impending opening of Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attraction and record crowds at its theme parks. Either way, Disney fans can expect their wallets to be a little lighter in 2019.


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Home > News > World News
Posted on Nov 15, 06:23PM | IBNS
New Zealand has been ranked as the number one country for business, in an annual list released on Thursday by esteemed business publication Forbes.
New Zealand moved up one place from second in last year's Forbes list.
Citing New Zealand's business stability, entrepreneurial flair and dedication to transparency, Forbes ranked New Zealand at the top of four of its eleven ranking criteria - 'investor protection' and 'personal freedom'as well as 'lack of red tape' and 'lack of corruption'.
"It's exciting to see New Zealand attracting such high-profile attention for its business acumen, moving from second last year to topping the international rankings in 2012," says Ziena Jalil, New Zealand's Trade Commissioner to Singapore.
"New Zealand businesses are renowned in Asia for being at the forefront of innovation and sound business practice. From health IT to aviation to food and beverages, Forbes is confirming what our Singaporean customers already know - New Zealand is dedicated to being the best in business."
Denmark, Hong Kong, Singapore and Canada rounded out Forbes' top five best countries for business.
In other accolades, New Zealand was also on Thursday voted 'Favourite Country - Worldwide' in Britain's prestigious Telegraph Travel Awards.


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Few days back, we reported the renderings of the new crossover from Audi named Q1. This new crossover will be based on the company’s MQB Platform.
And now, news of the high performance RS version of the Q1 are doing the rounds all over the internet. RS stands for RennSport which literally means “racing sport”. Along with the RS tag would come a slew of high performance machinery on the Q1.
Although the standard Q1 is expected to be powered by Audi’s TFSI and TDI engines both producing 87 and 152 PS respectively, the RS model will take it a notch or two up. The RS variant is expected to don a 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder engine that churns out 300 PS (220 kW) of power and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque. A diesel engine is also expected to make way which would be a twin-turbo 2.0-liter TDI unit capable of producing 231 PS (170 kW) and 500 Nm (368 lb-ft) of torque.
Once launched, Audi Q1 will face direct competition from BMW’s X1. Mercedes is also expected to launch its GLA in next few years making the segment more competitive. The new Q1 will be part of Audi’s new growth model of achieving two million sales goal by 2020. The RS variant will appeal to performance hungry audience and will compete against BMW’s M-Series and Mercedes’ AMG. The Q1 will enter production by 2016 at Audi’s Ingolstadt plant in Germany and is expected to be priced at around €25,500 (approximately Rs 20,90,730).
The Q1 is one of the most anticipated products in the market. If waiting for the Q1 was not enough, the news of RS variant will give every petrol head sleepless nights for sure. We can only hope that Audi brings both these products to India as soon as possible.


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Is it the silly season yet? A US study asked 2000 men and women if they'd rather go two weeks without sex or the internet.
The Intel-funded research, reported in no lesser organ than The New York Times, found 46% of women and 30% of men would rather swear-off sex for two weeks than give up the net.
The survey also asked how the internet ranked against discretionary items that its 2119 respondents could not live without.
The internet came out on top, ahead of cable television, dining out, shopping for clothes and gym memberships.
Overall, 65% of adults said they couldn't live without the internet.
Worse - from a TV advertiser's standpoint - 61% of women said they would rather lose TV for two weeks than the internet for one.
The Intel study was carried out over old fashioned telephones by professional polling outfit Harris Interactive.
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The province has launched a new website designed to support businesses reopening during stage one of Alberta’s phased relaunch.
The primary focus of “Biz Connect“, according to Minister of Economic Development, Trade, and Tourism Tanya Fir, is to provide resources to keep staff and customers up to date on what is needed for a smooth transition.
“The new business-specific webpage will help businesses learn more about the public health measures they need to have in place before re-opening,” she explains. “These measures will help keep their staff and customers safer while operating during a pandemic.”
With businesses allowed to open during phase one able to do so as soon as Thursday, Fir was asked Monday why the website is only going live 72 hours beforehand. Minister Fir suggests the timing came down to several factors.
“We wanted to make sure we took the time to consult with stakeholders, industry associations, [and] other provinces with respect to their best practices as to what they’re doing.”
“We wanted to find the right balance between releasing the information and the website in a timely fashion, but making sure the information on there was effective and useful,” she adds.
The first of the Government of Alberta’s three-phase economic plan would see retail businesses, such as clothing, furniture, and bookstores, as well as some personal services like hairstyling and barbershops, reopen so long as business operators continue to follow public health guidelines, including personal distancing.


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About 15,000 bicycles have been reported stolen to Denver police since 2011. That’s about seven bikes a day taken by bike thieves.
In a matter of seconds, anyone with a strong set of pliers could cut right through most cable bike locks. Sometimes, thieves are able to walk away with a bike that wasn’t locked at all.
Actually, it happens all the time.
Most of the time, those bikes are not coming back.
9Wants to Know obtained Denver police records that showed 93 percent of bikes are never recovered.
“The biggest barrier right now in recovering bikes is that there isn’t just one place that you can go to sell them,” said Denver detective Ryan Harris. “We are seeing a lot where they are just sold on the street, sold online, in pawn shops, there’s not just one place that they will go.”
But most of the bikes reported stolen from downtown Denver. Specifically, five locations account for 181 thefts alone. That includes two apartment complexes, The Douglas and The Berkshire, Union Station, the Denver Pavilions, and sports equipment store, REI.
Since 2013, police received 42 reports of stolen bikes from REI.
“A lot of it is just the availability of the bikes,” Harris said. In areas with large bike racks and a high volume of bikes, thieves have ample opportunities to take bikes.
Still, police do have some advice for bike owners.
“I think that registering your bike is the biggest thing a consumer can do to have a higher likelihood of getting your bike back,” Harris said.
Of the bikes that were successfully returned to their owners since 2011, more than 75 percent were registered with the police.
The Denver bike registration program allows bikers to enter their bike’s serial number online, which can help police positively identify bicycles and return them.
“And then just getting a good lock – you are going to deter a lot of thieves,” Harris said.
The police recommend using “U-Locks,” which are not as easily breakable, and encourage more people to use their online registry.