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Wimbledon explains how it is ‘future proofing’ its brand with Fortnite and Roblox
The iconic British tennis tournament has gone all in on digital experiences for the 2023 season as it looks to capture new demographics and reach TV’s lost audiences.
Race To Wimbledon on Fortnite / Wimbledon
Chris Clements, the digital products lead at the All England Lawn Tennis Club (the organization that owns Wimbledon) and the person heading up the tennis tournament’s new digital strategy, says media consumption habits have changed: ”People aren’t necessarily going to get exposed to Wimbledon in the same way they would have 20 or 30 years ago.
Those historic Wimbledon moments with everyone gathered around the TV are rarer these days, he says. ”Obviously, we want to be growing our brand, but there is also an element around future-proofing.
“Ultimately, we have the aim of driving deeper fandom and deeper engagement through our main digital platforms, website and mobile apps.”
The Race to Wimbledon experience in Fortnite takes gamers through landmarks such as Big Ben and the London Eye, then past Andy Murray’s golden letterbox where they have to navigate obstacles such as giant strawberries and tennis rackets to make it to Wimbledon’s Centre Court.
Wimbledon will market the Fortnite activation primarily via influencer marketing as well as paid and organic social, then its partner American Express’s fan experience will amplify it during the tournament.
“Our entry into Fortnite is about reaching new audiences and introducing them to elements of the brand like the strawberries and cream,” says Clements. “A lot of what we’re trying to do through these activations is bring up awareness of our heritage in more interactive digital ways.”
Race to Wimbledon will sit alongside a new app called Wimbledon Smash and an extension of the 2022 Roblox experience WimbleWorld. “Gaming has always had an important role to play in building loyalty for sports brands,” he explains.
In terms of expanding its reach beyond the traditional Wimbledon fan, Clements says these games, specifically Fortnite, fit within the 18-30-year-old bracket the tournament would like to capture. Fortnite sits nicely alongside Roblox, he says, because it has a slightly older demographic.
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Lessons from Roblox
This is not Wimbledon’s first time in gaming – in 2022 the tournament entered Roblox. WimbleWorld has had more than 12m visits, with over 80% of its users under 24. The experience on Roblox taught Clements to be “flexible” with the Wimbledon brand when entered new platforms.
“We want to protect our brand, but we are not going to recreate an absolute replica of Centre Court in Roblox because it needs to be authentic to that platform,” he explains. For example, WimbleWorld has a feature where players can prepare the grass courts by mowing and painting lines. “We have heritage elements that we want to protect but we can deliver them in a different way to different audiences.”
Clements also learned that partnering with metaverse specialists like The Gang – especially ones who have built non-branded experiences – is crucial to understanding the audiences that are using the platforms. “We can work with our creative team with our marketing team on how we manage to take our brand elements and speak to them in an authentic way in that environment.”
IBM's cutting-edge AI commentary
IBM is Wimbledon's official tech partner, for the past five years IBM has used AI to create highlights reels that are created by detecting audience response levels and player's hand gestures. IBM has upped its AI game for 2023.
Kevin Farrar, IBM’s UK sports partnership leader tells The Drum: "There has been a lot of buzz in the media, of course about generative AI and large language models as well for the last six months." Responding to the buzz IBM has now rolled out AI-narrated commentary for the highlights reels making those clips more accessible.
It works, Farrar explains, by training the tech in the language of English, then the game of tennis, and then the language of Wimbledon. For example, it's the 'gentleman's' final not the 'men's' final. The AI commentary won't be used on key matches and for center court but it will be rolled out for matches that don't have commentators.
"It's key moments of the match and it's not intended to be radio-style commentary," Farrar says. "It's not in any way intended to replace the human commentators they've got their own charisma, charm, spontaneity, emotion - it's intended to complement or supplement the human element."


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Microsoft’s E3 presentation will focus on games, with “very few” executives on stage, according to Phil Spencer, adding that the presentation will last 90 minutes. While an hour and a half session seems long, Spencer said Microsoft is already having issues trying to fit in everything it wants to show.”We are already over our 90-minute time limit and having to move stuff out of show,” Spencer said. E3 2014 takes place June 10-12 in Los Angeles. Via Gamespot.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the patented product RiduZone as a new dietary supplement. RiduZone is a naturally occurring appetite regulator that supports healthy weight, appetite, body-fat composition, and cholesterol levels in adults.
The FDA found that RiduZone is a metabolite of oleic acid, which is part of a healthy daily diet. After a comprehensive review of all available literature and data the FDA had no concerns regarding RiduZone's safety.
Unlike other weight control supplements, RiduZone gives the body more of what it already makes - Oleoylethanolamide (OEA). OEA is a natural metabolite made in the small intestine that helps regulate hunger. In essence, OEA tells the brain that the body is full and that it's time to stop eating. By taking RiduZone 30 minutes before breakfast and dinner, consumers will feel more full during meals and as a result will likely eat less. "It's amazing that you can treat your taste buds without taxing your body with too many calories," stated Shashi Marulappa, CEO of NutriForward.
NutriForward, the company behind RiduZone, has exclusive rights to bring OEA to market. Their team of scientists and doctors developed RiduZone to deliver OEA more efficiently and effectively through daily capsules.
"When it comes to losing weight, appetite control can be your biggest challenge or greatest asset," said Dr. Jay N. Yepuri, a Board Certified Gastroenterologist. "Finally, there is a natural, effective way to supplement a healthy appetite, weight and cholesterol by going directly to your body's hunger regulator. RiduZone is my recommendation to any patient who is looking for a natural and effective way to look and feel great."
NutriForward will release RiduZone in October 2015, sold exclusively at http://www.riduzone.com/.
About NutriForward: NutriForward is a Limited Liability Company (LLC) headquartered in Irving, Texas. Their mission is to provide science driven supplements for better health. Focused on an "Advanced Approach to Health and Beauty", NutriForward's products empower customers by helping them take control of their health and well-being. NutriForward developed a proprietary dietary supplement, RiduZone™, scheduled for release in October 2015. For more information about NutriForward, please visit http://nutriforward.com.


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April 16, 2002
In a decision with implications for legislative efforts to limit junk email, a federal court declared unconstitutional the fedral law limiting "junk faxes." Ruling on the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. 227, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri rejected arguments that unsolicited fax advertisements cause recipients to incur substantial printing costs and that fax ads prevent businesses and consumers from receiving other faxes. The Court also found that "there is no rationality behind the government's distinction between unsolicited advertisements and other unsolicited faxes," and therefore the ban on fax advertisements does not "directly advance" its goal of saving costs and freeing fax machines. The Court found that there were other less restrictive methods of dealing with these issues than a complete ban on unsolicited fax advertisements, such as requiring that fax advertisements include a toll-free number recipients can call to have their fax numbers deleted from fax lists.


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The BPI announced their latest report on digital music sales and "piracy", entitled Digital Music Nation 2010. As usual, it consists of a careful mix of truth, lies, delicately chosen misleading statistics and precisely spun industry snapshots. TorrentFreak have published some initial analysis. While we go through the report with a fine-toothed comb and a magnifying glass to try and figure out what's reallygoing on, my take on the situation can be found after the cut.
Pirate Party UK welcomes record industry to 21st century
The Pirate Party UK welcomed the BPI's announcement that the UK music industry is finally entering the 21st century. In the BPI "Digital Music Nation 2010" report, issued today, the industry announced with pride that "there are now 67 legal digital music services" and that "many music fans have enthusiastically embraced these services." Geoff Taylor, the BPI Chief Executive, went on to say, "Over the last five years, the legal digital music market has been an online innovation success story."
The Pirate Party would like to congratulate the music industry on finally figuring out what they have been being told for more than ten years. Indeed, it is well documented that Internet-based music sharing has to a great extent owed its meteoric rise in popularity around the turn of the century to the music industry's complete refusal to adapt its business model to the possibilities arising from high-speed global communications and digital copying.
"I find it the height of irony," said Peter Brett, Campaigns Officer of the Pirate Party, "Record labels fought so long and hard to prevent new and innovative businesses from taking proper advantage of the Internet at the turn of the century, but are now attempting to take credit for those few that have succeeded in spite of their determined opposition."
The Party is looking forward to the record industries' realisation that cutting end users off from the Internet will harm digital music sales, and the BPI's support in campaigning for a repeal of the 2010 Digital Economy Act. "Judging by their performance in recent years," Peter Brett went on to say, "We might expect them to join our campaign in early 2020."


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Despite a sudden upward revision of prices of solar equipment supplied to Indian developers, experts say this move by Chinese firms is temporary and there’s no cause to be overly concerned
India’s sunlight sector is coping with not just rising prices of Chinese solar modules but also the challenge of Chinese manufacturers reneging on their contracts and demanding an upward price revision to supply equipment that has been contracted for already. Fears have been expressed that the price increases will adversely affect the internal rate of return of solar projects in the country.
The fears might be overblown, industry experts say. Many solar developers entered into future supply contracts for Chinese solar modules, anticipating a continuous drop in prices, a government official said. “These contracts captured on-going pricing minus a delta (reduction). Now, with a trend reversal, the delta, instead of reducing, is adding up. Hence, it would not be correct to put the entire blame on manufacturers,” he told indiaclimatedialogue.net. “Chinese solar modules are seeing a hardening of prices for the first time in years, with the average selling price going up in India on a quarterly basis since the last 12 months.”
Refuting concerns, clean energy consultant Ritesh Pothan adds, “I think it is basically a very positive thing because that way the focus will shift to local manufacturing. Right now, the focus is only on the cheapest that they can probably buy. For example, every module manufacturer has different workshops for different qualities, so the cheapest gets the worst quality in the name of material.”
Currently, Indians pick up the cheapest material that they can get from the Chinese, Pothan told indiaclimatedialogue.net. In turn, the Chinese never say no, they don’t negotiate and give the worst quality possible, he contends, adding that one cannot hold the Chinese to their warranty and they keep going bankrupt all the time.
Therefore, it is a good wake-up call for the industry, which needs to shift focus from the cheapest equipment and pay attention to quality instead, Pothan said. “You can put the cheapest plant, the lowest tariff, but that will result in safety, quality and reputation issues, whereas the industry needed to take a step back and to understand that cheapest is not equal to the best always,” he said. “Quality is definitely a big concern from China and in India as well.”
“I haven’t heard of anyone who has backed out of the contract for supply of solar cells,” Mudit Jain, senior manager at clean tech consultancy firm Bridge to India told indiaclimatedialogue.net. “It could be the case of module suppliers not honouring the contract for supplying equipment to the developers or the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) players.”
It is not module manufacturers but solar projects under construction that are getting impacted big time, reasons Jain. The fall in solar tariff has multiple elements to it, but the biggest factor is forward pricing assumed for the module. Also, developers have assumed a much lower module price at the time of bidding that what is currently being offered. In the last 3-4 years, module prices fell at a faster rate than what the developers have accounted for.
Ultimately, the projects looked lucrative and both investors and lenders were satisfied. However, this time, things have gone in a different direction and the module prices have already increased by around 20% in the past four months. “Till April end or May, it was as per expectations, but after that things changed,” said Jain.
Since module prices have been increasing, it has become a seller’s market and Chinese manufacturers are backing out from the initial quotes that they had given 4-5 months ago. Presently, if developers are going to enter into an agreement and there is even a slight change in terms of releasing the advance, the chances are that the order would be cancelled and the price could change, Jain said.
It is however true that module prices are increasing and they are on an upward trend. “As a result, the on-going projects could face a troublesome situation with lenders. If the loan has been sanctioned by taking into account earlier quotations and module price agreement has a cost escalation, it would lead to a tricky situation,” Jain told indiaclimatedialogue.net. “If the loan amount is not increased, such an escalation will have to be funded by equity.”
Aggressive bidding in an effort to capture market share with the assumption that component costs will continue to fall no matter what has been a flawed assumption, the official said. Such aggressive bidding has been witnessed in the solar sector to the extent that Indian lenders are finding it difficult to fund these projects at such low tariff. Foreign lenders may see some interest with cheaper borrowings in US dollars or Japanese yen and have an edge over their Indian counterparts, whose cost of borrowing may be higher by 4% to 7%.
Solar bids appear to tread a similar trend like Build Operate Transfer (BOT) in the roads sector, where aggressive bids led to projects getting stalled with commercial unviability coupled with delays, which ultimately led to stoppage of BOT projects in the roads sector. It is feared that with the on-going trend, solar development could also go up the same path unless some sanity prevails and developers are made accountable for the pricing they factor in, the government official cautioned.
Government stays away
Reacting to this development, an official in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) told indiaclimatedialogue.net: “It is not a government to government thing, but an industry to industry thing. So, it can be a case with not just China, but any other country where the industry is located. Suppose they have an absolute contract which provides for revision in the tariffs or revision in the cost, depending upon the market condition over the period, then that always goes as per the tender.”
The government may not be in a position to say anything on this issue and it would not even like to intervene at this point in time. It will be counter-proactive looking at the geo-political situation as of now and nobody will do that till the time it goes into arbitration in any of the cases, the ministry official clarified.
Despite issues that prevail, industry experts believe they will soon pass to pave way for better times ahead. Jain feels that the market is expected to stabilise by October or November. “The main cause for this price escalation is the demand from the US. However, the US couldn’t possibly absorb all the manufacturing from top Chinese suppliers and most of the modules could be stocked based on speculation of potential anti-dumping or safeguard duties.”
Pothan stresses that the focus on cheaper products needs to go away and instead, the need of the hour should be on creating a sustainable value chain that is reliable and consistent. “The focus must be on building better infrastructure.”


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Apple is going through a course action lawsuit alleging that it has been limiting accessibility to its NFC technology and producing billions of pounds in revenue as a result.
The lawsuit was submitted on behalf of money institutions and credit rating unions that difficulty payment playing cards for Apple Fork out, and alleges that Apple denies entry to the know-how that could be used to establish competing cell wallet apps for Apple Fork out on iOS gadgets. This is a violation of federal antitrust law, in accordance to the criticism submitted Monday in the US District Court docket for the Northern District of California.
“[Apple] workout routines its market electrical power in the machine marketplaces by demanding that individuals of its mobile gadgets also acquire its cellular wallet — Apple Pay back — and prevents people from using competing cellular wallets able of providing competing faucet and fork out solutions,” the criticism claims.
By comparison, the lawsuit suggests, Google does not prohibit access to Android NFC technological innovation, enabling many competing wallet applications to exist.
As the maker of the only wallet application readily available for Apple Shell out on iOS products, Apple fees US card issuers 15 basis factors on credit history and .5 cent on debit for all transactions to use its tap-and-pay technology, according to the lawsuit. By these costs, Apple helps make up to $1 billion a 12 months, the lawsuit contends.
Apple did not instantly react to a request for remark.


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Nothing says Holiday Season like the final public Federal Trade Commission meeting of the very long year. The lights are hung, joy is sort of in the air and we turn to our four commissioners for even more holiday cheer. Well actually, this week there were just three – Commissioner Wilson was not in attendance today. We, of course, would never miss joining today’s (or any other month’s) festivities, lest to let down our dear readers who rely on us to report on all the
So the big item on the agenda was the announcement that the FTC will review the “Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims,” affectionately known as the Green Guides. It would be an understatement to say that this review has been eagerly awaited. One of the first questions we get every time we speak is, when are they going to review the Green Guides? We kept saying it would happen this year – and we made it just under the wire.
It is standard practice at the FTC to review every rule or guide at least every ten years, and the Green Guides were last amended in 2012. Since then, green claims have evolved, and there is concern that the Green Guides have become dated, partly because they didn’t address some important issues and claims. Leading the pack of concerns is the question of how the Commission would analyze sustainability claims. Back in 2012, the Commission kicked the proverbial can on that one – stating at that time that with respect to natural and sustainability claims, “the Commission lacks sufficient evidence on which to base general guidance.” (The Commission also did some consumer research suggesting 2012 consumers thought “sustainable” meant “durable”).
Probably the most important principle derived from the Green Guides is to be specific about the green claim that you make. Generalized claims such as “environmentally friendly” and “earth safe” may be broadly interpreted by consumers, and there are few products or companies that can make such broad claims in a nondeceptive manner. Instead, specificity is the key for lawful green claims – what aspects of your product or service are green, and what makes it green. We don’t see this changing with the updates; it is just good guidance.
With all that greenery in the background, let’s turn to the meeting. And if you were hoping to get a lot of insight about what the commissioners are thinking and where this is heading, we are going to disappoint you. They said the bare minimum. The holiday spirit was not in abundance.
Chair Khan talked about the importance of regular reviews, emphasized that people want to know about the environmental impact of the products they buy, and noted that it is impossible for consumers to verify such claims. She flagged a few areas for emphasis – carbon offsets, net zero claims, organic and biodegradability. Commissioner Slaughter supported review with no detailed remarks. Commissioner Bedoya also didn’t have much to say beyond noting the timeliness of the review. And Commissioner Wilson was not there, but her attorney advisor registered an excellent “Yes” vote by proxy.
The draft Federal Register notice announcing the review was also not overly illuminating. The notice is pretty typical and goes through all the standard questions that the agency considers regarding whether to retain guides and how they should be modified to keep up with economic and societal changes. The notice does, however, list a few issues that have “generated increased attention and interest” and seeks comment on types of claims including carbon offsets and climate change, compostable, degradable, ozone safe, recyclable, energy use, organic and sustainable. The comment period will be open for 60 days after it gets published in the Federal Register.
Keep in mind that reviewing guides, particularly the Green Guides, takes a lot of time and often relies heavily upon well-conducted research and analysis. Last go-round, the review took several years, thousands of comments were filed and the FTC held three workshops on how consumers understand green claims. This will take time. When will we actually see proposed revised Green Guides? If we are lucky they will be a holiday gift in 2023.
The second item on the agenda was a presentation on data security, which was given by a representative from the FTC’s Chief Technology Office. For those who are not that familiar with the FTC’s organizational structure, that was a bit of an unexpected choice to present on this topic. For well over a decade, virtually all of the FTC’s primary data security enforcement work has been done by the FTC’s Division of Privacy and Identity Protection (DPIP) (and the Division of Enforcement), and one would have expected a DPIP representative to make such a presentation.
With that said, the presentation was an overview of how the FTC approaches data security issues and, in particular, how the order provisions reflect an approach of addressing risk systemically. The presentation also detailed how technologists work with FTC staff to investigate technology cases. The presenter discussed the importance of multifactor authentication (MFA), phishing-resistant MFA, encryption, zero trust architecture and appropriate data retention practices. The commissioners again didn’t have much to add, with Chair Khan talking about a recent FTC data security case against Drizly that named the CEO as well as the company. Chair Khan noted that this was a way to make sure that inadequate security was not a “cost of doing business.”
And as usual, the meeting kicked off with two-minute updates from members of the public who discussed a range of issues, including green concerns, pharma issues and potential legislative changes to the antitrust laws.


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Thus, perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that Rovio Entertainment's birds have slingshotted into the world of Formula One sponsorship, slathered on the brain bucket of Caterham racer Heikki Kovalainen. The Finn says he's a big fan of the game – and not just because Rovio is from Finland.
Word has it that Angry Birds will get a racing-themed update sometime this summer (as well as even more branded merchandise), so fans of the flying fowl should keep their eyes peeled.
Angry Birds flies into Formula 1 with Heikki Kovalainen Kovalainen and Rovio to collaborate on an innovative and novel merchandise and webgame partnership.
March 15, 2012 -- Espoo, Finland -- Rovio Entertainment announced today their merchandising and webgame partnership with Finnish Formula 1 star Heikki Kovalainen. Kovalainen will also be sporting a brand new co-branded Angry Birds helmet, which will debut at this weekend's inaugural Formula 1 race in Melbourne, Australia.
"This is a great partnership on many levels," said Heikki Kovalainen. "It's the first time that I've partnered with a gaming company, and it fits with my larger focus on partnering with unique brands. As a Finn, I'm also happy to be backing a Finnish company on a global platform. Most importantly, I'm a big Angry Birds fan!"
"We're so excited to be working with Heikki on this, the first partnership of its kind in F1," said Harri Koponen, EVP Consumer Products at Rovio Entertainment. "The helmet looks amazing, and we think people are really going to enjoy the webgame and merchandise."
Martin Anayi of IMG Worldwide worked closely with Mikael Hästbacka of Numea Consulting to bring Heikki and Rovio Entertainment together, based on Heikki's enthusiasm for supporting Finnish companies looking for an international platform. With Angry Birds being a true online phenomenon, having recently flown through 17mn 'likes' on Facebook alone, a collaboration with Heikki and the Finnish company seemed like a natural fit.
The co-branded merchandise line will be released later this spring with the webgame, which will feature fun Angry Birds game levels with a racing theme in addition to other bespoke content, launching later in the summer.
For more information, check www.rovio.com or contact firstname.lastname@example.org andwww.heikkikovalainen.com.
About Rovio Entertainment
Rovio is an industry-changing entertainment media company based in Finland, and the creator of the globally successful Angry Birds franchise. Angry Birds, a casual puzzle game, became an international phenomenon within a year of release, and is now the number one paid app of all time. Following this success in mobile gaming, Angry Birds has expanded rapidly in entertainment, publishing, and licensing to become a beloved international brand. For more information, seewww.rovio.com.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Google: Thanks for the billions in revenue, UK. Here are your taxes, that's ... £11m
But we're spending a mint on our King's Cross sales HQ!
Google paid Britain £11.2m in corporation tax in 2012, the company confirmed today.
That's slightly more than the £7.3m the ad giant coughed up in 2011.
But the latest figure, confirmed by Google to The Register this afternoon, will no doubt enrage the search king's critics - including Labour MP and Parliament's Public Accounts Committee chairwoman Margaret Hodge.
That's because Google's British sales offices channel billions of pounds in revenue to its European headquarters in Ireland to legally skirt around Blighty's taxmen. This allows the global web giant to minimise profits that are subject to UK corporation tax, set at 23 per cent.
According to its latest accounts for 2012 - as reported by the Financial Times - Google pulled in pre-tax profits of £36.8m on turnover of £506m in Blighty. During the same 12-month period the year before, the multinational reported a loss before tax of £20.7m on £395.8m of turnover.
Judging by the FT's numbers, Google paid a third of its pre-tax UK profit into the nation's coffers in 2012.
But over in Ireland, revenue climbed by roughly 25 per cent year on year to €15.5bn (£12.95bn) for 2012. The Pink 'Un noted that the multinational company charged its Euro HQ "admin expenses" to the tune of nearly €11bn - including royalties to tax-haven Bermuda where Google Ireland Holdings is registered. That holdings outfit owns the intellectual property used by Google Ireland, we're told.
These charges virtually wiped out profits in Ireland, leaving the Irish wing paying the Emerald Isle's taxmen just €17m in corporation tax in 2012.
The FT reckons the UK accounts for $4.9bn (£3bn) of Google's revenue. Overall, the company paid $358m (£221m, €265m) in foreign taxes on overseas profits of more than $8bn (£4.95bn, €5.9bn) for the year, which translates to an efficient or greedy - depending on where you stand on such matters - corporation tax rate of less than five per cent.
The company has previously defended its tax arrangements in the UK by claiming that it helps the British economy by hiring staff here, who in turn pay taxes to the government. When payroll taxes and VAT are included, Google has claimed its total contribution to the UK last year stood at £156.1m. It has also added that it is spending $1bn (£620m) over the next few years on its new "groundscraper" in London's King's Cross. ®


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The Los Angeles Times reported that Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan died Jan. 18, at the age of 96.
In a statement from her daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins said, “As you know, she fell and broke her leg in June and had been recuperating at home since then. It was only in the last few weeks that she started declining rapidly. She was such a remarkable woman, and was still very mentally sharp until the very end. As you can imagine, she continued to ask us daily “what good things happened at Frieda’s today” since she couldn’t go to the office any longer.”
Produce Marketing Association (PMA) CEO Cathy Burns said, “Frieda’s contributions to the fresh produce industry and consumer palate are many, such as the introduction and acceptance of a multitude of specialty/exotic fresh fruits and vegetables including the kiwifruit, Asian pear, chili pepper varieties and purple potatoes, to name just a few.”
“As a female business owner in an overwhelmingly male-oriented industry, Frieda provided an example to many aspiring women executives and, in conversations we shared, it was very apparent she always had an open door to those seeking a mentor and guidance. She also delighted in the fact that her daughters and granddaughter were carrying forward the torch she lit when she founded Frieda’s Inc. in 1962,” said Burns.
According to the LA Times, Dr. Rapoport Caplan was born to Russian immigrants in downtown LA and raised in Highland Park.
An LA Times article about Dr. Rapoport Caplan said, “Also a sales success was her introduction of packaged produce, an idea that spawned when customers in Chicago couldn’t tell the difference between the ginger and sunchokes they’d purchased from her. So Caplan found a solution: She labeled their products and added a note telling customers to call Frieda’s for recipes and more information.”
Cathy Burns also said, “Recently, PMA, through our Center for Growing Talent, honored Frieda with our Women’s Catalyst Award. The award recognizes an outstanding individual in the produce and floral industries who cultivates women’s potential by mentoring and fostering a path for leadership, development and participation. As seen during the award presentation at Fresh Summit 2019, countless women who have benefited from sitting under Frieda’s learning tree joined in our celebration of her.”
“Throughout her career, Frieda has been described as a fearless entrepreneur, product innovator, produce pioneer, trailblazer, icon and vanguard,” said Burns.
According to the LA Times, Dr. Rapaport Caplan’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, will continue on with the business.


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NEW YORK — Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren testified today that he hung up on home diva Martha Stewart after she called to inform him back in December 2011 that her company had signed a deal with J.C. Penney to open shops at most of the chain's stores.
“This was such a shock,” Lundgren testified. “I was sick to my stomach. I can't remember hanging up on anyone in my life.”
The testimony comes as Macy's and Penney duke it out in court over the partnership with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. The trial, which began Wednesday, focuses on whether Macy's has the exclusive right to sell Martha Stewart branded cookware, bedding and other products.


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If you can believe it, it is Friday once again! On tap today as we head into the weekend, our pals over at 9to5Toys have a fresh batch of Apple price cuts. Kicking things off is a massive Apple 3-day sale at Best Buy that’s marking down first party accessories. Joining the add-ons are the devices themselves, with an Amazon low on Apple’s all-new 10.9-inch iPad at $50 off. Plus, the first chance to save on the official MagSafe Battery Pack in several months at $79. Hit the jump for all of the best deals and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.
Save $50 on Apple’s all-new 10.9-inch iPad at Amazon low
Amazon and Best Buy are now offering only the third discounts to date on Apple’s latest 10.9-inch iPad. Now starting at $399 shipped for the entry-level Wi-Fi 64GB model, you’re looking at $50 in savings courtesy of both Amazon and Best Buy. Multiple colorways are available, and today’s offer marks the first discount we’ve seen since back in December. It’s right down at the all-time low, as well. Elevated storage capacity offerings are also on sale at $50 off, not to mention the Wi-Fi + Cellular models receiving much of the same price cuts.
Apple’s latest 10.9-inch iPad was just refreshed right before winter with a more colorful design and more mid-range specs that make this quite the compelling alternative to the more Pro side of the lineup. Powered by the A14 Bionic chip, the whole experience is centered around a 10-inch Liquid Retina display backed by True Tone. Then packed within that new form-factor are many of the staples we’ve come to expect like Touch ID in the power button, a 12MP UltraWide camera with Center Stage that now arrives in a design that’s dedicated more towards landscape usage, as well as Wi-Fi and 5G for more flexible connectivity. Get a closer look in our launch coverage.
Best Buy launches 3-day Apple accessory sale
Amongst all of the other price cuts that have gone live this morning in our Apple guide, Best Buy is now launching a 3-day Apple sale. Delivering discounts across everything from the flagship devices and accessories already covered in our guide to accessories and more, Amazon is matching just about everything. These are all at the lowest prices of the year at least, if not landing at the best discounts period.
Amazon is now offering the Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID for $139.99. Marking one of the first chances to save from its usual $149 going rate, this is the second-best price at within $2 of the all-time low. It’s the lowest in over a month, too. The full-sized model is also getting in on the savings, dropping down to $159.99. This is $19 off the going rate and delivering a new all-time low as the first notable discount.
Apple’s latest Magic Keyboard elevates your desktop workstation with a metal build that complements the rest of your devices. With Apple’s latest scissor key switches, this is as notable of an option for using with a Mac as it is for an iPad, and a Lightning port on the front to top off the rechargeable battery rounds out the package. Not to mention, you’ll find a built-in Touch ID module for unlocking your Mac, using Apple Pay, and more.
Apple’s official MagSafe Battery Pack sees first discount in months
Heading into the weekend, Amazon is now discounting Apple’s official MagSafe Battery Pack for the very first time this year. Delivering the first chance to save since back over Black Friday, the usual $99 going rate has now been cut down to $79. Courtesy of the retailer, this is the third-best discount to date at $20 off while coming within $5 of our previous holiday mention.
Designed to pair with all of Apple’s most recent smartphones, including the new iPhone 14, its official MagSafe Battery Pack provides some extra power while on-the-go. Magnetically attaching to your device, a recent firmware update that went live last month that allows it to dish out 7.5W of power from the internal battery. Then when the power bank is plugged into the wall with a USB-C cable it will unlock the full 15W MagSafe charging speed. It has a slick white plastic shell that will work with everything from Apple’s mini handsets all the way up to its Pro Max releases. Dive into our first impressions post for a closer look.
Amazon is now offering a chance to outfit your new iPhone 14 with Apple’s in-house MagSafe charger for less. Right now you can drop the 15W magnetic power pad down to $31 shipped. Down from $39, today’s offer is only marking the second discount of the year. It undercuts our previous mention by an extra $1 and is the best we’ve seen since back in November around the Thanksgiving Week shopping festivities.
Today’s discount also provides a chance to outfit one of Apple’s latest handsets with all of the unique MagSafe charging capabilities for less. As the brand’s official take on wireless charging, this accessory elevates the experience by providing all of the perks of a cable with the convenience of not having to actually plug anything in. It magnetically snaps onto the back of your device in order to provide 15W of power to an iPhone 14, as well as previous-generation 13 or 12 series handset.
Best trade-in deals
9to5Mac also keeps tabs on all the best trade-in deals on iPhone, iPad, MacBook, Apple Watch, and more every month. Be sure to check out this month’s best trade-in deals when you decide it’s time to upgrade your device, or simply head over to our trade-in partner directly if you want to recycle, trade, or sell your used devices for cash and support 9to5Mac along the way!
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ORANGE, CA -- In response to Hurricane Michael, MSI donated more than 1,200 bottles of Gatorade, 1,000 face masks and 300 cans of insect repellant. Members of Team MSI distributed food, bottled water and ice to hundreds of people in need. Employees of MSI's local branches collected essentials such as hygiene items, cleaning products, clothing and pet food.
"The devastation Hurricane Michael inflicted is unfathomable,” said Raj Shah, president of MSI. “Our thoughts go out all those affected as they rebuild and recover."
In collaboration with the Ohana Institute and MSI's local customer, Surfaces PCB of Panama City Beach, FL, MSI volunteers visited some of the most hard-hit areas, providing urgently needed hands-on help. In addition to cutting down trees and moving furniture, volunteers transported hundreds of hot meals to distribution centers.
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November 17, 2005 |
Cosmetic surgery product maker Inamed Corp. said its board of directors had instructed management to evaluate a proposed $3.2-billion cash-and-stock takeover bid from Botox maker Allergan Inc. that could trump a competing offer. Santa Barbara-based Inamed, which makes breast implants and other cosmetic treatment products, had been in talks to be acquired by Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. for $2.8 billion in cash and stock. Inamed shares rose $1.51 to $82.79. Medicis shares rose 9 cents to $26.
August 13, 2002 |
Inamed Corp., the maker of a surgical device to treat obesity, said it's reviewing the way it accounted for debt, taxes and warranties for breast implants and may have costs of as much as $10.5 million. The announcement, made after the markets closed, sent shares of the Santa Barbara-based company down as much as $4.19, or 23%, to $14.22 in after-hours trading. They had closed up 11 cents at $18.41 on Nasdaq.
March 10, 2000 |
Inamed Corp.'s former chairman, Donald McGhan, agreed to pay a $50,000 fine to settle charges that the breast-implant maker inflated earnings in 1996 and 1997. McGhan neither admitted nor denied the Securities and Exchange Commission's civil fraud allegations. The SEC alleged that McGhan, 65, while chairman and chief executive of the Santa Barbara-based company, "either knew or was reckless in not knowing" of the false financial reports. He resigned as chairman in February 1998.
May 23, 2003 |
Inamed Corp.'s 2000 agreement with a Johnson & Johnson unit to resolve a patent and royalties dispute over an obesity treatment was a valid contract, a federal appeals court concluded. The appellate court decided that a federal judge in Los Angeles had erred in concluding that the agreement with Dr. Lubomyr Kuzmak and Ethicon Endo-Surgery was not a binding contract, Inamed Vice President Peter Nicholson said. Ethicon is a Johnson & Johnson unit.
January 8, 2004 |
Inamed Corp. of Santa Barbara, a maker of medical devices seeking to sell the first silicone-gel breast implant in the U.S. in 11 years, said it received a "not approvable" letter from the Food and Drug Administration. The letter outlines what information Inamed must provide to the FDA on silicone-gel breast implants, the company said.
April 24, 2004 |
Inamed Corp. and its partner Genzyme Corp. won Food and Drug Administration approval of the Hylaform gel to treat wrinkles around the eyes and mouth. Inamed, which already sells other wrinkle fillers, will compete with Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp.'s Restylane, which won U.S. approval in December. Shares of Santa Barbara-based Inamed rose $2 to $55.50 on Nasdaq. Genzyme shares fell 64 cents to $46.46, also on Nasdaq.


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We took a visit to Google HQ this week to check out any interesting bits and pieces on show at its Christmas in June show. In the event the thing we were most intrigued by was the Google Android Wear section which featured a couple of new devices, including the brand new Samsung Gear Live watch.
The Samsung Gear Live is the latest in a string of smartwatches released by the Korean giant over the past 9 months, and the first to feature Android Wear (AW). The whole point of AW is to move the Android operating system off your phone onto your wrist, so you don’t have to fiddle around with your handset and can get things done with a quick swipe of the watch screen. You can see the full walkthrough in the video below.
The key thing about the new watches (there’s also an LG Android Wear watch out at roughly the same price) is the fact that they’re primarily voice driven, which is a brave expression of confidence by Google in the state of its voice recognition system. In the event the demo you see in the video above was pretty impressive, but we’d need to play with one for a lot longer than just a 10 minute demo to prove to ourselves that voice recognition was actually good enough for general use all the time.
Anyway, we were also impressed by being able to flash your watch as a boarding pass at the gate, using the barcode feature, but whether that’s worth having yet another device to charge is up to the individual. Since Android Wear is clearly still a work in progress – rather like Google Glass, but without all the controversy – we’ll reserve judgment until we see more evidence of exactly what it can do. Stay tuned.


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Beijing (PingWest)- Baidu, which used to be one of the three most prominent internet companies in China but has since fallen behind younger rivals such as ByteDance , is ramping up efforts to tap into the burgeoning livestreaming and video-based social media sector with the recently announced acquisition of Joyy, which operates YY, a livestreaming and discord-like voice chat platform in China.
Baidu’s search engine business dominates in mainland China and the advertising sales on its search platform is main source of revenue. However, its presence to video-based entertainment business (including livestreaming and short videos) is lacking compared other major internet companies including Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance. As is the tradition with Baidu in terms of businesses it's falling behind in, Robin Li, head of the company, abruptly said that the company is going to catch up, and launched a 3-5 minutes video sharing service named Haokan in November, 2017. The company also launched Quanmin, a Douyin copycat, a year later.
However, both Haokan and Quanmin did not go well as much as Baidu anticipated. As of August 31, Haokan has approximately 30 million daily active users who spend an average 70 minutes per day on the app, both of which are lower than the rivals'. In comparison, ByteDance’s Douyin had over 20 times the active users of Haokan's as of August 31, while Kuaishou had over 300 million users, according to data provider QuestMobile.
After years of unsuccessful attempts to keep up the pace with rivals, Baidu finally decided recently to revamp the two video businesses with an announcement of internal merger of Haokan and Quanmin into a single department, overseen by Haokan's CEO Song Jian. Song, who previously held various senior management positions in ByteDance's video departments, will directly report to Shen Dou, Baidu's executive vice president who has a deep technical background in search and artificial intelligence but is put in charge of the company's content endeavors.
Baidu is facing challenges to maintain advertising revenue on its search engine as rivals ByteDance and Tencent not only develop their own hugely popular apps but also forays into Baidu's backyard of search. Users now spend more time consuming content provided by competitors, and algorithm-based content recommendations rather than search play a larger role in the information they obtain. Driven by strong advertising performance on Douyin and Toutiao, ByteDance’s advertising revenue actually overtook Baidu to become second largest profit earning machine in China’s digital advertising market in the first six months of 2019, after Tencent. Meanwhile, ByteDance launched a search function within its Toutiao news aggregator in August.
In May, Baidu has pledged to invest 500 million RMB into its livestreaming services, aiming to grow its user base and cultivate 1,000 content creators and influencers amid a surge in users of live streaming service during the Covid-19 outbreak. The announcement to acquire Nasdaq-listed JOYY is also seen as Baidu's latest attempt to deepening its participation in the livestreaming business and diversifying its revenue stream. “Baidu’s service offerings and YY Live will reach a lot of synergies after the acquisition. Adding YY Live to our portfolio will allow Baidu to gain immediate operational experience and know-how on building a large live video community, strengthening involvement in live-streaming and diversifying our revenue source, " said Robin Li of Baidu.
The acquisition come at the time when rival ByteDance is reportedly in talks with a group of investors to raise nearly USD2 billion before listing of its businesses in Hong Kong.
“Now it’s right time for Baidu to get into the livestreaming business. The consumer demand for livestreaming has changed from time to time. Previously, consumer used livestreaming mainly to watch other platform and play games. However, the business environment for live-streaming has changed this year, people use livestreaming for many other purposes, such as shopping and learning,” said Ping Xiaoli, general manager of Baidu App.
“The penetration rate for the users watching livestreaming in Baidu's platform is not high as much as it should be. That's why we think we can link quite a lot of users today between Baidu search, short-video users and the livestreaming users, which will greatly lift the scale for the livestreaming,” Baidu executive vice president Shen Dou added.


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MEMBER ALERT: AOPA Pilot Information Center and Member Services will be closed today, Dec. 12, after 2:30 p.m. Eastern, and will reopen Dec. 13 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. Thank you for your understanding.
AOPA’s partner of 17 years, the Holiday Card Center, has designed another great collection of Christmas and general holiday cards for you this year. Choose from over 30 aviation-themed holiday cards and other fun gifts in our 2013 collection today!
AOPA thanks our members for their continued support in protecting the freedom to fly.


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2 area companies receive $4.5 million in state grants
Empire State Development Corp.'s board of directors approved $4.5 million in grants to support two area companies.
Steuben Foods, a private label food manufacturer in Elma, was approved for a $2.5 million grant. It will cover a portion of the cost of machinery and equipment Steuben is purchasing and installing to expand production of low-acid aseptic and extended shelf life food and beverage products. The total project cost is $26.2 million.
Steuben's project will retain 426 jobs and create 150 new jobs, Empire State Development said.
And Buffalo Lafayette LLC, which was formed to renovate the Hotel Lafayette, will receive up to $2 million to cover a portion of construction and renovation costs. The total cost of the project is $19.2 million; it will retain 30 jobs and create 70 new jobs.
The board approved about $7 million in total grants to support six projects; the grants are expected to leverage more than $153 million in investments.
Fed to air interest timeline
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Reserve has specified how it will begin signaling when its benchmark interest rate will rise and what the rate will be at points in the future.
Four times a year starting Wednesday, the Fed will show in a chart the year when Fed officials predict they will begin raising the rate. Another chart will show individual Fed members' predictions for the rate at the end of 2012, 2013 and 2014.
More guidance on rates might help lower long-term yields further -- in effect providing a kind of stimulus. Lower rates could lead consumers and businesses to borrow and spend more. The economy would likely benefit.
Google quarter disappoints
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- What was supposed to be a celebration of the most prosperous quarter in Google's 13-year history instead turned into a major letdown.
The disappointment sunk in Thursday after Google's fourth-quarter earnings report showed the Internet search leader fetched less money per click on its ubiquitous online ads.
That came as an unsettling surprise because investors had assumed a surge in online holiday shopping in the U.S. would enable Google Inc. to charge more for its ads. Instead, the average price decreased by 8 percent from the same time in 2010.
Google executives traced part of the decline to technical changes aimed at delivering more ads that attract people's interest. Those tweaks apparently paid off as the total clicks on Google's ads increased 34 percent from the previous year.
The company earned $2.7 billion, or $8.22 per share, in the fourth quarter. That compared with net income of $2.5 billion, or $7.81 per share, at the same time in 2010.
Revenue totaled $10.6 billion, up from $8.4 billion in the previous year. It's the first time Google's quarterly revenue topped $10 billion, but even that figure fell shy of analyst projections.
After subtracting ad commissions, Google's revenue totaled $8.1 billion.
Kodak given a year
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) -- Eastman Kodak Co. has a little over a year to reshape its money-losing businesses and deliver a get-out-of-bankruptcy plan.
Girded by a $950 million financing deal with Citigroup Inc., the photography pioneer aims to keep operating normally during bankruptcy while it peddles a trove of digital-imaging patents.
After years of mammoth cost-cutting and turnaround efforts, Kodak ran short of cash and sought protection from its creditors Thursday. It is required under its bankruptcy financing terms to produce a reorganization plan by Feb. 15, 2013.
Restaurant to open
Mulberry Italian Ristorante in Lackawanna will open "Della Mostra" restaurant on Wednesday in the former Intermission Lounge next door to Shea's Performing Arts Center's ticket office at 658 Main St.
The restaurant, whose title means "exhibition," will serve patrons attending shows at the main theater and Shea's Smith Theatre, with entrances from Main Street. The bulk of the offerings will be regional Italian dishes with an upscale slant.


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Toyota Launches New Acceleration Suppression SystemJuly 1, 2020
The Japanese automaker plans to gradually introduce the system, called Plus Support, in all new vehicles and already sold cars in Japan to help prevent various accidents caused by improper use of the accelerator pedal.
Toyota Motor (Toyota) announced today that it has developed a new acceleration suppression system, in addition to the existing system, to further prevent serious accidents and reduce the damage caused by erroneously pressing the acceleration pedal. On July 1, Toyota launched the Plus Support system for new cars and added this feature to a modified acceleration control system when the pedal is misused for use in existing cars.
In 2012, Toyota introduced the Intelligent Sensor (ICS) for new vehicles, and since 2018 launched a modified acceleration control system when pedals are improperly used for existing vehicles.
These existing systems help prevent accidents caused by erroneously pressing the accelerator pedal when sensors detect obstacles such as a wall or glass. According to Toyota, ICS helps prevent approximately 70% of all potential accidents that might occur due to driver error. However, new technologies need to be developed to reduce the remaining number of accidents, including accidents in situations where there are no obstacles.
This time, at the development stage, Toyota first studied real accidents in which the erroneous pressing of the “gas” was the cause, especially paying attention to situations when the accelerator pedal was fully depressed. The characteristics of these situations were then compared with big data collected from connected Toyota cars. Japanese brand engineers were able to identify and calculate cases of improper use of the accelerator pedal. In turn, this made it possible to establish a function to reduce the number of accidents caused by improper use of “gas” by controlling acceleration even in the absence of obstacles.
The Prius and Prius PHV models released on July 1 are already equipped with the new system. In the future, it will be implemented on other cars of the brand. Activation of the new system starts automatically when the car doors are opened with a smart key. Even if there are no obstacles in the way of the vehicle, this system detects incorrect use of the accelerator pedal and suppresses acceleration.
In addition to ICS, which detects obstacles, suppresses acceleration and applies brakes, Plus Support aims to further prevent serious accidents and helps reduce damage caused by improper use of the accelerator pedal.
- Volvo and Geely refuse to organize a joint venture
- New Genesis eGV70 spotted in tests
- Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 price published
- New Hyundai Tucson crossover launched into production
- Nokian Tires completes construction of a test track in Spain


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First it was the sudden acceleration incidents in Prius and other Toyota models; then internal memos revealed that Toyota had known about problems in the Prius much earlier on in the process and argued against recalls; and now, internal memos once again have Toyota in trouble, this time over transmission problems in the Lexus ES line. The L.A. Times reported that five months before the new 2002 Lexus ES was to go on sale in the U.S., Toyota engineers sounded the alarm about concerns with the car’s transmission. The sedan shifted gears so roughly that it was “not acceptable for production.” Did Toyota executives consider delaying the roll out of the ES or making repairs to already manufactured models? No-- "The objective will be to limit the number of vehicles to be serviced to those owners who complain, and to limit the per-vehicle cost," a Toyota staff attorney wrote in an Aug. 15, 2005, memo explaining the automaker's legal defense strategy. In light of yet another damaging revelation, is Toyota a trustworthy company?
Ralph Vartabedian, national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times


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This free service has the power to sort out problems between consumers and financial businesses, and recent date shows a significant rise in the number of PPI complaints, and a large jump in general helpline enquiries from the Borders
Local Borders MP Michael Moore said: “These recently published figures show a large increase on last year of people contacting the Financial Services Ombudsman when they find themselves in financial difficulty”.
“It is good to know that people in the Borders increasingly know where to turn if faced with a financial problem and have a greater consumer awareness of their financial rights.
“However, from my experience, it’s those people who do not know about this service who often need it the most. Therefore, I urge people across the region to seek help from services, such as the Financial Ombudsman Service, when they are confronted with financially distressing circumstances.
The Scottish Government is also keen to ensure that people struggling with debt know who to turn to and have launched their Helping Hand with Debt campaign.
Enterprise Minister Fergus Ewing said:“Credit unions can offer sensible, ethical help as well as loans at competitive rates with affordable repayments at fairer and more attractive terms.
“There is other help available and I would urge anyone to contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau for free, expert advice.”


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Intel has revealed that it’s going to delay the opening of its completed chip facility in Chandler, Arizona. Called simply Fab 42, the facility lacks the robots and infrastructure to actually produce processors.
Instead of investing in Fab 42 right now, Intel spokesperson Chuck Mulloy has shared the company’s plans to upgrade three of is other factories. The reason behind the decision is that Intel will be able to use the existing equipment that is already present.
Mulloy says the delay will not have any effect on Intel’s chip output. It seems the rise of the smartphones and tablets market, which was at the expense of PCs and laptops, has made Intel rethink its factory strategy. We are yet to see whether the slowdown in PC production will have noticeable mark on Intel’s financial results for Q1 of this year.
Source | Via


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Sodic sells out Vye villas in two days
Sodic sells out of Vye villas in two days: Sodic sold all its first batch of detached, solar-powered villas in its Vye compound within 48 hours of going on sale, in what was the developer’s first launch since the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic. The sales brought in EGP 250 mn, the company said in a statement (pdf) yesterday. The real estate developer hopes to sell EGP 43 bn worth of units in Vye, having already recorded EGP 1 bn in sales in just two days in December. The Vye project is the first of three compounds to be included in a 500-feddan development in New Zayed City.


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Internet of Things (IoT) startup Astrocast recently secured US$ 9.2 million (€8.3 million) in a Series A round of funding. The Swiss startup said the new proceeds will help it accelerate the production of IoT modules and the deployment of its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) IoT Network. The company is developing an IoT Nanosatellite Network that provides bidirectional and highly secure connections to any IoT device on Earth.
Astrocast was founded in 2014 by security veterans Bertil Chapuis, Fabien Jordan, Federico Belloni, Jean-Michel Jordan, Julian Harris, and Nicholas Petrig. It is partnering with the European Space Agency, Thuraya, and Airbus for the development of an advanced Nanosatellite network for IoT devices.
Speaking on the new investment, Fabien Jordan, the CEO of Astrocast, said, “We are excited to see the continued confidence of our investors and partners in the new space race and our company, as we make our mission of building the world’s first IoT network for the planet a reality. As we move toward our commercial launch in Q1 of 2020, we are further confirming our leadership as a fully integrated nanosatellite operator and our unique ability to deliver efficient IoT satellite coverage globally. Next steps with investors will be to secure an accelerated deployment of our global fleet of satellites.”
“It has been an amazing year for Astrocast. With the launch of two satellites and a growing number of pilot customers, the company has demonstrated its ability to bring IoT access to the world,” Jordan added.
In a similar funding news, IoT security startup VDOO secured US$32 million in a Series B financing round led by WRV and GGV Capital along with the participation from NTT DoCoMo. The Tel Aviv, Israel-based startup stated the new funds will be used to accelerate the development of its automated analysis capabilities and also expand the company’s partner and distribution network.
VDOO helps embedded device vendors increase the security level of their products by analyzing the security gaps of each device using the cloud or a closed local environment. The company claims that it uses advanced machine learning to build actionable security requirements. The startup helps vendors to take instant actions towards device runtime protection using a single platform.


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While Enjin’s roots stretch all the way back to 2009, us in the cryptoeconomy recognize it as the gaming platform that raised a ~$19 million initial coin offering (ICO) in 2017 and has been delivering blockchain-based gaming experiences ever since.
The project’s north star? To help anyone easily build games and other digital assets around non-fungible token (NFT) technology. And that’s exactly what Enjin’s been doing lately, as a slew of new games have recently entered the project’s ecosystem.
Canadian game studio Skymarch Entertainment announced today, November 5th, that the startup was integrating NFTs via the Enjin platform into three of its games: Crystals of Fate, The Galaxy of Lemuria, and Zeal.
“We see blockchain technology at the forefront of what is to become mainstream in the future,” Skymarch Entertainment CEO Jonathon McKay said on the news, adding:
“Enjin’s direction toward creating a more scalable, user-friendly blockchain ecosystem solidified our company’s decision to join forces and empower our players with true ownership over their assets.”
The first of these franchises, Crystals of Fate, is a battle-focused digital collectible card game (CCG) that will play familiar to fans of mainstream titles like Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering. Then there’s The Galaxy of Lemuria, a “unique intergalactic MMO Survival RPG with a trading card-based system and a huge procedurally-generated galaxy.” Last up is Zeal, which is a player-vs-player (PVP) role-playing game inspired by World of Warcraft’s popular PvP arenas.
As such, Skymarch Entertainment is now looking to make a name for itself as an NFT pioneer on Enjin, while in kind Enjin will enjoy an acute influx of mainstream-styled games and more contributions from Skymarch’s developers going forward.
Barehand Brings Cede to Enjin
Barehand, which held a Kickstarter campaign for the strategic action RPG game Cede earlier this year, is another recent oncomer in the Enjin ecosystem.
Indeed, this fall Barehand announced it was also bringing Cede to the Enjin platform and integrating NFT tech into the game accordingly. The franchise’s creators are looking to add PvP elements to the title in the months ahead, but out of the gate the game will start on PC and be focused on campaign mode gameplay. The Enjin embrace will see Cede eventually allow players to “grow unique assets that can be stored in wallets that support ERC-1155 tokens and sold through various marketplaces.”
Another upstart Enjin-linked title to watch is Wavelings, a sci-fi massive multiplayer online (MMO) game developed by the builders at Axana Games.
The link-up will see the Wavelings game, which is slated for a 2021 launch, embracing blockchain-based land underpinned by Enjin’s NFT infrastructure. This dynamic will let plays own, collect, and up their own virtual farms and communities on their own terms. Notably, the game will employ an AI companion to guide players through the process of using an Ethereum wallet, Enjin, and more.
Leah Munro, CEO of Axana Games, said of the decision:
“After researching the tech and establishing the top priorities for our model and clients, Enjin became the easy choice. The Enjin ecosystem is at the forefront of modern blockchain technology and provides a suite of tools that remove potential barriers to adoption. This is invaluable and will allow us to remain focused on the business of gaming.”
Rising gaming projects are increasingly looking to Enjin as a premier platform for experimenting with new gaming-centric, digital asset economies.
Going forward, then, the question will be: can Enjin continue to attract talented development teams to the NFT space? If the project’s recent performance is any indication, then the team does in fact have a good chance to do just that.


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Stock indexes are on track to close out a winning week, with the S&P 500 and Dow both in new record territory.
Investors get an update on December inflation today with the PCE Prices Index expected to show a slight increase in headline inflation to +2.7% from +2.6% in November, while bulls are hoping to see the "core rate" pull back to +3.0% from +3.2% previously.
Stock bulls yesterday were cheering Q4 GDP (gross domestic product) results that were about as "Goldilocks" as you can get. The report showed the economy grew at an annualized rate of +3.3%, higher than the +2% forecast by many economists, while "core" inflation (which strips out food and energy) held steady at +2% during the quarter.
For bulls, this indicates that US growth can continue at a healthy pace without fanning inflation. That's a critical reassurance as a major concern on Wall Street has been that "disinflation" would come at the expense of economic growth, and in turn corporate earnings. It's also viewed as good news for Federal Reserve policy as economists and central bank officials alike have worried that strong economic data in Q4 would translate to a return of inflation.
The Federal Reserve holds its first policy meeting of 2024 on Tuesday-Wednesday (January 30-31) next week. The updated policy decision on Wednesday is expected to leave the Fed's benchmark interest rate unchanged at 5.25% - 5.50%. My guess is we ultimately see the Fed pull the benchmark rate back into the 3.0% to 3.5% range. The big question on Wall Street is when?
Traders and Investors are anxious for the Fed to start giving more clues as to when they might begin cutting rates, but most Wall Street insiders doubt there will be any firm timeline laid out next week. Many bulls are still targeting the March meeting for the start of rate cuts.
The key reports include the SA&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index, Consumer Confidence, and the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey on Tuesday; the ADP Employment Change on Wednesday; ISM Manufacturing on Thursday; and the critical January Employment Situation on Friday.
Turning to earnings, today brings results from American Express, ColgatePalmolive, and Norfolk Southern. It's worth noting that Intel after the market close yesterday beat analyst expectations for Q4 2023 but issued extremely disappointing forward guidance for Q1 2024.
That could make investors a little jumpy about the tech sector with the bulk of big tech earnings coming up next week. Microsoft, Google-parent Alphabet, and Advanced Micro Devices report on Tuesday, followed by Apple, Amazon, and Facebook-Parent Meta on Thursday. Semiconductor giant Nvidia doesn't report until February 21.
I should mention that even though Intel is a major chip maker, it is playing catch-up on the AI front and therefore does not have the same lofty expectations that Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices faces. And because of that, most tech bulls also don't believe Intel's results offer much insight into what the tech giants might report next week.
There are also a slew of earnings beyond big tech on the calendar next week, including Nucor and Ryanair on Monday; Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Chubb, Danaher, Electronic Arts, General Motors, Johnson controls, Marathon Petroleum, Pfizer, Starbucks, Stryker, and UPS on Tuesday; ADP, Aflac, Boeing, Boston Scientific, Corteva, Mastercard, MetLife, Nasdaq, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Old Dominion, Phillips 66, Qualcomm, and Roper on Wednesday; Altria, Clorox, Deckers Outdoor, Hartford Financial, Honeywell, Merck, Royal Caribbean, Sanofi, Shell, SnapOn, and Tractor Supply on Thursday; and AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cigna, Chevron, Exxon, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and Southern Copper on Friday.
GM, Honda Begin US Hydrogen Fuel Cell Production in Step Toward Replacing Diesel: Many in the automotive industry view hydrogen fuel cells as the next step toward replacement for diesel fuel in things such as generators, heavy-duty trucks, semitrucks, and construction equipment, among others. Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and equipment operate much like battery-electric ones but are powered by electricity generated from hydrogen and oxygen instead of pure batteries, with water vapor as the only byproduct. They’re filled up with a nozzle almost as quickly as traditional gas and diesel vehicles. Fuel cell vehicles face the same challenges as battery-electric models, including consumer acceptance, fueling infrastructure and cost. Those hurdles are why many expect fuel cells to first enter commercial applications such as trucking with its set routes and destinations. Executives for both automakers and the Fuel Cell System Manufacturing LLC joint venture, as it’s called, said the start of commercial production marked a historical moment for the technology, which has been under development for decades. Source CNBC
Walmart Paying Store Managers More Money: Walmart said the average store manager’s salary will rise to $128,000. In addition to the +9% raise, the company said it’s “redesigning” its bonus program for managers. Store profits will play a bigger role in calculating annual bonuses, Walmart said on its website. Bonuses could now be up to 200% of managers’ base pay if all targets are met, according to the post by Cedric Clark, Walmart’s executive vice president for US store operations. Keep in mind, that about 75% of store managers started at Walmart as hourly employees, according to the company. Source CBS
Affordability and Baby Boomers Blamed for EV Slowdown: A new Bank of America Institute report didn’t just lower projections for electric vehicle sales through 2030, it used internal auto-loan originations data to tell us why. Writing that EVs represent one area of the auto market that “still appears relatively soft,” BofA found three main reasons why shoppers are shying away from the next generation of driving: “a lack of affordability, limited choice, and ‘range anxiety,’” or the worry that people will be stranded. But it also identified a generational shift in consumption—and baby boomers and “traditionalists” are leading the exodus away from EVs. The data plainly shows that older Americans led the EV flight: demand from Americans born before 1965, which was already lower than for younger consumers, began to decrease last fall—and the trend doesn’t show signs of reversing anytime soon. The report also pointed to that affordability problem as a key obstacle for would-be American buyers: Only 20 EV models sold in the U.S. start at less than $45,000, and domestic automakers have missed out on sales by focusing on producing high-end cars at the expense of more accessible mass-market EVs. Source Fortune
US Extends Lead Over China As World’s Biggest Economy: The US has pulled further ahead of China in the race for world’s biggest economy, thanks in part to a vibrant American consumer. US gross domestic product rose +6.3% in nominal terms — that is, unadjusted for inflation — last year, outpacing China’s +4.6% gain. While some of the outperformance reflected America’s elevated price increases, the 2023 outturn underscores a broader point: The US economy is emerging from the pandemic period in a better place than China’s. The economic outperformance is reflected in the respective countries’ stock markets. US shares have hit all-time highs this week, while Chinese equities are mired in a $6 trillion-plus bear-market rout. China is struggling under the weight of a years-long real estate bust and its worst streak of deflation in some 25 years. Exports — once a critical pillar of growth — declined in 2023, joblessness among young people has soared and local governments are saddled with too much debt.Peterson Institute for International Economics President Adam Posen argues that Chinese President Xi Jinping has greatly compounded the country’s underlying economic weaknesses by his arbitrary and authoritarian exercise of power throughout the economy and society, particularly during the pandemic. The US, meanwhile, has surprised economists with the resiliency of its economy coming out the pandemic. Some like Posen even suspect the country may be on the cusp of a pickup in productivity growth that will allow the economy to grow faster without generating inflation. Source Bloomberg
McCormick Warns of Sales Decline as Consumers Choose Cheaper: US sauces and spices heavyweight McCormick & Co. has issued a “cautious” outlook for its new financial year as cash-strapped consumers seek lower-cost alternatives. The trend impacted its volumes in Q4 but sales revenue was aided by pricing. The company expects 2024 sales to range between -2% to 0%, compared to 2023. Q4 sales benefited from a 5% increase from pricing actions but that was partially offset by a 3% volume decline. McCormick posted sales of $1.75bn in Q4, a+ 3% increase year-on-year, while annual sales were up +5% at $6.66bn. Source Just Food
FTC Launches Probe of Big Tech AI Deals: The Federal Trade Commission voted unanimously Thursday to open an investigation into the deals forged by tech giants and swiftly growing generative AI companies, including Microsoft, OpenAI, Amazon, Alphabet and Anthropic PBC. The regulatory agency announced that it had sent compulsory orders to the five companies, seeking more information about the $10 billion deal between Microsoft and OpenAI and the investments from Amazon and Alphabet into Anthropic, worth $4 billion and $2 billion respectively. The investigation will look into whether the tech giants are “distorting innovation and undermining fair competition” in the generative AI market, FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement. Thursday’s announcement comes after a year of massive investments into AI companies by big tech firms. Microsoft announced their partnership and $10 billion investment in OpenAI one year ago. Anthropic, an AI startup founded by former OpenAI employees in 2021, also announced massive partnerships with two of the largest tech firms in the country: Amazon and Alphabet, the owner of Google Source Forbes
Insurance Customer Pain is Investor Gain: The pain for home- and auto-insurance customers is quickly becoming investors’ gain. Insurance giants’ shares and profits are hitting records, thanks in part to steep rate hikes. , a bellwether for the property and casualty sector, closed at an all-time high earlier this week, up 35% from their lows last fall. The jump came after the company reported a record profit for its fourth quarter, boosted by double-digit rate increases in its business and personal insurance units. Progressive said Wednesday that its quarterly profit more than doubled from a year earlier. Its stock rose, pushing the company’s market capitalization past $100 billion for the first time. After suffering some of the worst years in their history, insurers say they now see a path to profitability for home and auto policies. Big rate increases are driving up revenue, while the inflationary pressures that pushed up repair and replacement costs appear to be easing. Losses from extreme weather tied to climate change remain a wild card, but the short-term outlook for insurers appears more favorable Source WSJ
US Housing Prices Moving Higher: According to Redfin, the median U.S. home-sale price rose +5.1% during the four weeks ending January 21, the biggest increase since October 2022. Asking prices rose +6.5%, also the biggest increase in more than a year. Prices are rising for a few reasons. One, inventory is still quite low. The total number of homes for sale is down -4% year over year. And while new listings are up +2%, that’s the smallest annual increase in about three months. Additionally, sellers can command higher prices because buyers have more purchasing power; mortgage rates are holding steady in the mid-to-high 6% range, down from 8% in October. This week’s sales data shows sluggish activity as severe winter weather kept buyers and sellers on the sidelines in much of the country: Pending home sales are down 8% year over year, the biggest decline in four months. The big annual drop in pending sales can also be explained in part by the fact that they were improving at this time last year as mortgage rates fell. While Redfin agents in places that are facing harsh weather report that would-be buyers are staying home (for now), mortgage-purchase applications are rising, and agents in warmer places say demand is picking up. Source Redfin
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WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER
BLACK WOMEN IN BUSINESS
WE ARE BETTER
3-Day Conference that unites African and American businesses.
Wondering what happens in the Locker Room? Here’s a sneak peek at how we’re changing the game.
NEW for 2018: business workshops have been scheduled.Checkout the article for details.
Search our business directory for black women owned businesses
7 productivity tips from Caroline Ghosn, CEO of Levo, on how to reach your goals.
BWIB partnering with the City & the Red Cross to provide resources to hurricane evacuees.


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A former Apple employee
of Chinese origin was accused of stealing trade secrets and has pleaded guilty in a US court. He allegedly stole secrets from the tech giant's automotive car division.
The former employee, Xiaolang Zhang
was accused of downloading internal Apple
files about an automotive car that was going to be unveiled in 2024. He currently faces up to 10 years in prison and was fined $250,000. His sentencing is scheduled to take place in November. Zhang
was accused of downloading internal files, including the "engineering schematics of a circuit board for an autonomous vehicle". According to a report, he was also accused of taking manuals and PDFs on Apple's prototypes and prototype requirements.
In an internal investigation, Apple discovered that he had transferred around 24GB of sensitive data to his wife's laptop via the file sharing app, AirDrop
. He had also reportedly taken circuit boards and a server from the company's autonomous vehicle lab.
In 21018, hang was arrested at the San Jose
airport while trying to fly out to China.
He, however is not the employee who faces charges for stealing sensitive information from the organisation. Another former employee, Jizhong Chen
, also faces charges over allegedly stealing trade secrets from Apple's electric car division.
In recent years, Apple has been working on a self-driving car and has filed several new patents in software and hardware in relation to the new tech. It has also been working on a vehicle to everything (V2X) technology, which allows cars to communicate with each other as well as to connect to the Internet of Things (IoT).
In January last year, Hyundai Motor
was said to be in talks with Apple for self-driving technology. But the South Korean automaker later denied this, while Apple remains tight-lipped about its self-driving car technology.


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‘Perfect Angel Girl’ Chloe Cherry Just Dropped Merch
‘euphoria’ breakout star Chloe Cherry has released what she calls “the hottest shirt from the hottest girl in hollywood”.
Chloe Cherry has made a splash this year, from playing Faye in HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ to walking in Blumarine’s AW22 show. If you don’t know Chloe Cherry, where have you been?
Fresh from turning heads at Coachella in her ‘sex with you sucks’ T-shirt Chloe has just dropped merch for her constantly growing number of fans. The T-shirt comes in black and white with Chloe’s image emblazoned across the front surrounded by colorful cats, rainbow stars and the words ‘PERFECT ANGEL GIRL’, Chloe’s Instagram handle.
The Y2K-esque graphics on the t-shirt were designed by @collegedrop_out. The official website claims that the pieces are “hyper-limited edition” and are “made in Los Angeles right in Chloe’s backyard”. The conscious queen Chloe is the t-shirts are also said to be “fair trade and crafted with labor ethics in mind”. Currently, the T-shirts are only available in the USA “for now”.
T-shirts available to buy now on chloecherry.com


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The Ipsos Issues Monitor is Australia’s longest running ongoing survey of community concerns.
Almost two-thirds say cost of groceries has increased even as economies face deflationary pressures.
Ipsos is proud to announce that we have retained the rank of #1 Most Innovative Market Research Company by Greenbook’s GRIT report for the second year running.
Groceries and household supplies, and utility bills top list of higher cost items globally
Four in five Australians say universities are key to tackling global problems – but challenges remain for the sector – Ipsos and Kings College study to mark 2020 Fulbright Legacy Lecture
See how people feel about drugs, animals, food, technology and weather when it comes to the virus.
A majority in 13 countries say racism, other forms of intolerance is present in their country.
A new Ipsos global study conducted to mark World Refugee Day 2020
Consumer expectations are picking up.