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Meal-kit delivery service Blue Apron (NYSE: APRN) went public in June. Now, less than six months later, the company is laying off 6% of its workforce. A few days after the IPO, I warned that Blue Apron was a bad business that investors should avoid. In August, I said the growth story was dead. These layoffs are yet more evidence Blue Apron's growth story never rang true.
An early restructuring
In a letter to employees, Blue Apron CEO Matt Salzberg announced the layoffs on Thursday. "A companywide realignment, like the one we announced, is always painful, and especially so for a close-knit team like ours," said Salzberg. "Our leadership and Board did not take this decision lightly, and I want to assure you that we believe it was necessary as we focus the company on future growth and achieving profitability."
Blue Apron talked up its growth strategy in its S-1 filing prior to its IPO. It's incredible how quickly those plans were derailed. Blue Apron's first quarterly report as a public company in August, a little more than a month after the IPO, exposed some major issues. The number of customers and orders tumbled compared to the previous quarter, with Blue Apron's strategy of spending excessively on marketing hitting a wall. Blue Apron spent $34.5 million on marketing during the second quarter, nearly 15% of revenue, and still lost customers.
The layoffs will reportedly mostly hit salaried office workers, rather than hourly workers in the fulfillment centers. Blue Apron will take a $3.5 million charge, largely related to severance payments. This move was telegraphed back in August when Blue Apron fired more than a dozen members of its recruiting team and implemented a temporary hiring freeze of salaried workers.
These layoffs will help reduce costs at a time when growth has ground to a halt. Blue Apron posted a net loss of $83.8 million during the first six months of 2017 on $483 million of revenue. Losing money would be acceptable to investors if Blue Apron was putting up impressive growth numbers. But with the company hitting a on wall that front, it needs to make a push toward profitability.
The business model still doesn't make any sense
That push toward profitability is complicated, to put it lightly, by Blue Apron's flawed business model. The company sells meal-kit subscriptions, charging between $9 and $10 per serving. A couple can spend $60 each week for a box containing ingredients for 3 two-serving meals, while a family of four can spend about $108 each week for a box containing ingredients for 3 four-serving meals.
If that seems expensive, it's because it is. Blue Apron's biggest problem is that its product is significantly overpriced compared to buying ingredients at a grocery store for similar meals. If a family of four paid Blue Apron prices for three meals a day, they'd spend almost $40,000 annually on groceries.
The grocery business is brutally low-margin. Meal-kits aren't going to change that. Blue Apron is going to need to get a whole lot more efficient to survive in the long run. Otherwise, it will be overrun by direct competitors and existing grocery chains.
Blue Apron is supposed to be a growth company. Laying off employees six months after going public is not what growth companies do. If you were fooled by Blue Apron's pitch and bought into the IPO, it should be very clear at this point that there is no growth story. Take Warren Buffett's advice: "Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks."
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Spencer, Massachusetts-based FLEXcon, a manufacturer of pressure-sensitive film products, announces several promotions, including expanding the leadership team with two new vice presidents and a new director.
Tom Kubacki has been named vice president of manufacturing. Kubacki has been at FLEXcon for 28 years and most recently served as director of coating technology and production control, a position he held since 2005. The company says he played a vital role in introducing the principles of lean manufacturing to FLEXcon. In his new role, Kubacki will focus on best practices and facilitating communications across the company’s North American manufacturing facilities.
Nathan Bailey will lead FLEXcon’s strategic initiatives as vice president of general counsel and corporate secretary. In this new position, Bailey will be responsible for leading strategic and tactical legal initiatives and ensuring that FLEXcon conducts its business in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. He has served as FLEXcon’s chief of legal counsel since joining the company in 2015, and has helped create new strategic partnerships, supported customer relationships, and managed FLEXcon’s corporate structure. Throughout his time at the company, he has also supported several FLEXcon subsidiaries, including Arlon Graphics, FLEXcon Industrial and Blueshift International.
Howard Letendre is assuming the role of director of manufacturing for FLEXcon’s Spencer facility. Letendre has been FLEXcon’s director of finishing technology since 2005, and has a strong record of accomplishments throughout his career, the company says. He has implemented new finishing equipment to increase its finishing capabilities, and he has improved throughput with the institution of safer, more efficient processes, all of which enable FLEXcon to finish, package and ship orders more quickly. His expanded role will include planning and directing all coating functions for FLEXcon’s Spencer facilities, in addition to directing all finishing production functions including scheduling and shipping, as well as planning and coordinating the application of finishing technology.
“We are happy to announce the promotion of these three team members to new executive roles and give them an opportunity to lead FLEXcon in 2017,” said Neil McDonough, CEO of FLEXcon. “Collectively, they bring decades of manufacturing and customer service experience and embody qualities that directly reflect FLEXcon’s customer-first mentality, and commitment to improving the overall manufacturing process while delivering high-quality products. We are confident that they will excel in their new roles and help take FLEXcon to the next level of its growth.”
Several other FLEXcon employees were also promoted to new roles in 2017, including:
- Brian Ayers, who is becoming market development specialist: petro/chemical, outdoor power equipment, power tool and automotive market segments. Ayers has had an 18-year career at FLEXcon.
- Bekie Berg is now market development specialist for the company’s in-store, out-of-home and shelf-edge labeling markets
- Ronald Ducharme is now market development specialist, appliance, consumer electronics, and warehouse management
- Jodi Sawyer is now market development manager, retail

domain: news


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Growth doesn’t disqualify a business from this program, but time is running out
Manufacturers are increasingly upbeat about the emerging business environment as they look past the worst of Covid-19’s impact on sales. According to the Manufacturer’s Outlook Survey for Q3 2021, 87.5% of respondents are somewhat positive or very positive about their company’s outlook. At the same time, the labor market remains tight, with respondents predicting employment and wage growth to rise at the fastest rates in Outlook Survey history, which dates to Q4 1997. Respondents anticipate capital spending to increase by the most since Q2 2018. As such, manufacturers are continuing to invest in their companies—both in workers and in the capital—at paces that would indicate an extremely positive outlook in their businesses moving into next year.
While optimism is strong, respondents said that workforce shortages are holding them back from reaching their growth potential.
Fortunately, recent legislative changes have made it easier for manufacturers to fund this reinvestment, and to do so quickly. Congress is now providing the capital necessary to help business owners in this industry bounce back by way of the Employee Retention Credit (ERC).
Understanding Pandemic Relief Incentives
The government is keen to help the manufacturing industry come back stronger than it was before the pandemic, and the reason is clear: It’s a big sector. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, our industry makes up 11.39% of the total output for the U.S. economy and employs 8.51% of the workforce.
The ERC was designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on the payroll. When the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act came into effect in 2020, companies used Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to fund their operations. But since the PPP and the ERC were mutually exclusive incentives, these businesses remained ineligible for the ERC until the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 last December.
Act Now to Claim the ERC
Employers who received PPP loans, even if those loans have been forgiven, are now eligible to claim the ERC on wages not paid by PPP loans. But even with the change in ERC rules, many eligible businesses are still not claiming this credit. The business owners are either simply unaware of this credit or assume they are ineligible for it, and they’re missing out on credits (up to thousands of dollars per employee) that they can use to:
- Eliminate payroll tax.
- Invest in capital.
- Hire more talent.
To be eligible for this tax credit, you must satisfy at least one of two conditions:
—Your business operations were fully or partially interrupted or suspended
—Your business experienced a decline in revenue (20% in gross receipts when compared with the same quarter of 2019).
That said, even if you do not have any tax liability, you still can receive a cash refund. In fact, the key to qualifying is not just revenue or tax liability. If your daily operations were altered in any way because of the pandemic, you are in an excellent position to claim the credit.
Some companies faced many difficulties from the outbreak itself; many of these and others were affected by business restrictions put in place by state and local governments. Regardless of how or why a company was affected, these programs are Congress’s way to help businesses retain their current workers and hire some of the six million who were sidelined by the downturn in the economy.
A key point is that even if your business grew during the pandemic, you may still qualify for the ERC. If you can show how the pandemic impacted your business and its operations, this incentive will surely provide a much-needed boost.
Finally, manufacturers should not only claim this credit but also maximize its benefit by combining it with other government incentives like the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). This reward incentivizes employers to hire workers from targeted groups who have historically faced significant barriers to employment while helping to spur strong growth for the manufacturing industry. Navigating through these programs can be daunting, but enlisting the help of a company that specializes in this work can maximize a company’s claims.
About the Author
Rick Lazio is a former U.S. Representative from New York serving in Congress from 1993-2001. While there, he became a strong advocate for small businesses by sponsoring the successful Small Business Tax Fairness Act. After Congress, Rick moved to the private sector working for JP Morgan Chase as a Managing Director and then Executive Vice President. Rick is committed to his continued interest and support of small to mid-sized businesses by brokering his insight and experience in the public and private sectors to provide strong incentives for job growth. This interest has extended into his civic and philanthropic work in New York with the Committee for Economic Development and the Association for a Better New York.


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From carbon-neutral flying to boosting your brain power, here are some of the latest developments in high-end business travel.
What’s the secret of Fortnum & Mason’s commercial success? We talk to Ewan Venters, CEO of the store which has supplied goods to royalty for over 300 years.
Luminaries were lauded at the Belgravia Awards 2020 which celebrated the people and businesses which make this area special.
The Community Awards of Mayfair & St James’s 2020 were presented by Alexander Armstrong, from the BBC’s Pointless, at a glamorous ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel.
There is no end to the range of one-of-a-kind experiences you can get on a private jet, from cultural trips for children to globe-trotting wine tours.
A new app designed to keep businesses and workers around Westminster and Victoria safe and informed during an emergency has been installed by local BIDs.
Meet Helen Brocklebank, CEO of Walpole which promotes British luxury retail at home and abroad, helping to keep the footfall high in Mayfair & St James’s.
Mayfair-based law firm Burlingtons go the extra mile for clients. Alongside the usual legal services, they now offer a complete wraparound service.
Victoria BID has more plans to improve the local area. But they need the support of local businesses and residents to proceed.
A home from home for the exiled Scot, the historic Caledonian Club in Belgravia has had a raft of famous members. Now it is changing with the times.
Winners of the inaugural Chelsea Awards were announced this week. These individuals and businesses exemplify all that is unique and special about Chelsea.
Mount Street Printers search out old printing machines to combine with the latest computer techniques to create unique and high quality stationery.


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“Asda has signed up former Department of Health comms chief Sian Jarvis to oversee its PR and lobbying” reports PR Week this morning. The former GMTV political hack spent twelve years spinning.
“Jarvis will already be familiar with the Asda comms team, as the supermarket has been a key funding partner in the DH’s Change4Life anti-obesity drive, which is promoted by Freud Communications. Coincidentally, Asda also uses Freuds for corporate PR advice. “
How convenient! No spell in the cooler?


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Video-conferencing technology has made some significant advancement over the last couple of years. According to Ovum, such advancements in line with the aftermath of the global recession, may well push the notion of business travel into the dark ages.
According to the telecom analyst's latest forecasts released last week, spending on web conferencing technology is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of more than 18 per cent in the next five years. Overall, businesses are expected to spend $2.7 billion on web conferencing worldwide by 2015, up from the $1.2 billion spent in 2010.
Ovum senior analyst Richard Thurston says such findings indicate that web conferencing is becoming increasingly popular across companies of all sizes, allowing them to reduce costs, hit carbon reduction targets, increase productivity and decrease time to market. "This means a radical scaling back of face-to-face meetings and therefore corporate travel," he says. "We are seeing a revolution in workplace communications, and at the heart of this is video-based web conferencing. The technology is maturing and can now offer a quantifiable and much stronger return on investment."


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Consumer confidence ticked up a few notches in February, suggesting that the economic strength of U.S. households will continue to support growth in the coming months.
The Conference Board’s index of consumer confidence rose to 130.7, up from 130.4 in January.
The gain was driven by a rise in the Conference Board’s gauge of expectations for income, business, and labor market conditions. The present situation metric declined from January.
“Consumer confidence improved slightly in February, following an increase in January,” said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators. “Despite the decline in the Present Situation Index, consumers continue to view current conditions quite favorably. Consumers’ short-term expectations improved, and when coupled with solid employment growth, should be enough to continue to support spending and economic growth in the near term.”
At 130.7, confidence is still below the 18-year high hit in 2018. But it is high by historic measures and remains at levels unseen in this century prior to the election of Donald Trump.
The measure does not yet seem to show much of an impact from the coronavirus outbreak. But the results reflect surveys of consumers taken in the first half of February, prior to the recent sell-off in the stock market and at a time when concerns over the contagion might not have been front of mind for many Americans.


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Australian Securities Regulator (ASIC) Terminates Binance Derivatives License
The recent update issued by The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) confirmed the termination of the license awarded to Oztures Trading Pty Ltd. The cancellation halts the firm’s trading activities executed as Binance Australia Derivatives.
ASIC Terminates Binance Derivatives Australian Financial Services (AFS) License
The ASIC pronouncement issued on Thursday, April 6 morning is unsurprising given earlier indication that the securities watchdog was probing Binance operations in Australia. The action aligns with the confession by Binance Australia Derivatives that it would suddenly terminate certain positions and accounts, alleging the need to comply with the investor classification.
ASIC had served Binance with a notice of hearing on March 29, 2023, as stipulated under the Corporations Act 2001 s915C. The notice indicated that ASIC was considering temporarily suspending or canceling the AFS license held by Oztures Trading Pty Ltd since January 2022.
ASIC Issues Mid-April Deadline to Halt New Positions
The official announcement by ASIC indicated that Binance Australia Derivatives would cease increasing the derivatives positions. Also, the cancellation makes the firm incapable of initiating new positions within the platform after April 14.
ASIC statement directs Binance Australia Derivatives to inform the clients to expedite the closure of the existing positions before the April 21 lapses. The directive obliges to immediately terminate the positions that would emerge open after the Friday, April 21 deadline.
The statement restated that canceling the operating license would not invalidate Binance’s membership to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority until April 8, 2024.
Binance Pays Price of Incorrect Classification of Retail Clients
The securities regulator revealed that it had, for an extended period, identified Binance as a review target, particularly on the nature of the financial services offered. In particular, ASIC focused on probing the classification accorded by Binance towards wholesale and retail clients.
ASIC current chair Joe Longo confirmed the review involved ascertaining whether the classification accorded by Binance to the wholesale and retail customers complied with the laid-out security regulations.
Longo observed that retail clients involved in crypto derivatives trading have the privilege of consumer protection rights as stipulated by the Australian financial service laws. Remarkably, the securities regulator executive indicated that retail clients could resolve their disputes externally through the provisions provided by the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.
Scrutiny of Binance Conduct Exceeds Beyond Australia
The statement released by ASIC to the media cited the multiple lawsuits that global Binance is battling alongside the allegations levied against its chief executive Changpeng Zhao. Longo referred to the recent suit filed by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), alleging Binance violated federal laws in offering unregulated commodities and derivatives to US residents.
Longo laments that other entities affiliated with the Changpeng-led Binance group are globally battling regulatory warnings and enforcement action. The regulator noted that several warnings traced back to violations perpetrated by Binance in 2021.
Longo’s sentiments echo the previous warnings issued by ASIC that crypto involved risky and complex undertakings. Typically, crypto derivatives pose inherent risks to consumers as they harbor designs that operate via leverage.
ASIC Prioritizes Protecting Australian Consumers and Market Integrity
Binance’s conduct and engagement with ASIC necessitated pursuing a focused resolution in Australia. Longo indicated that shutting down Binance Australia Derivatives was inevitable. The ASIC chair indicated that Australian residents would still utilize Binance spot trading.
A subsequent statement conveyed by Binance restated the continued running of the spot exchange product and its availability to Australians. The representative admitted that clients still utilizing the Binance Australia Derivatives approximated 100. The executive indicated that affirmed Binance had duly notified the users of shutting down as stipulated by the ASIC statement released earlier on April 6.
Executives behind the Binance Australia Derivatives portrayed readiness for ASIC decision to cancel the license through notifications suddenly dispatched in late February. Binance had warned the users of its decision to terminate several derivatives positions and users’ accounts.
The notification served by Binance to its customers warned that several users would face restrictions for failure to meet the requirements desired to become wholesale investors. The notice prompted Australian regulators to launch the targeted probe of its local derivatives operations.
The expulsion of Oztures Trading Pty Ltd from AFS licensees affirms that ASIC would not hesitate to evoke the legal provisions, particularly for operators of crypto derivatives wrongly offering high-risk products to incorrectly classified clients.
The AFS license cancellation affirms ASIC’s devotion to previously issued warnings that it would enforce the regulatory framework with a priority towards protecting consumers and Australian market integrity.
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Upcoming release Illusoria shows off a new teaser trailer featuring a few of the creative ways the protagonist may perish throughout the game. Illusoria releases May 30.
Posted 7 hours ago by Roland Chansen, 3 comments
Thanks to an announcement from Frozenbyte that Nine Parchments will be gracing the Nintendo Switch, everyone gets to see more footage and screens from the game.
Posted 7 hours ago by Kelly Packard, 2 comments
There are some promising titles starting to emerge from Xbox's Game Preview program. Subnautica hasn't released yet, but it looks promising so far and is continuing to receive huge updates. The latest is "Silent Running."
Posted 8 hours ago by Kelly Packard, 0 comments
After the devastating attack that took place in Manchester on Monday night, The Farm 51 and Bandai Namco have understandably delayed their upcoming first-person shooter Get Even.
Posted 11 hours ago by Ashley Woodcock, 25 comments
The global server launch times for the "Morrowind" expansion in The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited have been announced along with another guide from the legendary Morag Tong assassin Naryu Virian.
Posted 11 hours ago by Ashley Woodcock, 0 comments
You move into a new house in a lovely suburb, only to find your neighbor is hiding a dark secret. It's your job to discover what the secret is. Hello Neighbor is expected to come over from PC in August.
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Last week, Bungie had its long-awaited gameplay trailer, that showed not only what the game plays like, but also what's new on the new iteration of the sci-fi shooter.
Posted 12 hours ago by Claudio Barata, 8 comments
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Injustice: Gods Among Us gave us a brand new way to experience the DC universe, and it was executed extremely well. Does the sequel manage to bring back the magic and have NetherRealm fans foaming at the mouth for more?
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Yet another mysterious short story has been released for upcoming psychological thriller Get Even. With the game's release later this week, could this be the final video before players uncover the mystery themselves?
Posted yesterday by Andy Mills, 2 comments
Yesterday afternoon, Rich and Jack streamed the first hour of the recently released ID@Xbox game from Honor Code, Narcosis.
Posted yesterday by Dave Horobin, 0 comments
When we previewed Torment: Tides of Numenera's upcoming content update last week, it didn't sound like it'd be arriving so quickly. The update, which brings a new companion and more, is now live for Xbox One and PS4.
Posted yesterday by Kelly Packard, 0 comments
Elliot Quest is an adventure/RPG that is clearly inspired by old school games of the genre. It's time to platform and fight your way across an island to find a cure for a rare curse. Let me show you what I thought about it.
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Dead or Alive 5 Last Round is famous for its dozens of DLC packs. All Attack on Titan and Fairy Tale content will be delisted as of this summer. It's all cosmetic, so don't worry if you're only here for the achievements.
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The Division welcomes patch 1.6.1 to players, which brings a plethora of fixes and changes that were requested and needed. The Quality Update patch is now live for all on all formats.
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With Injustice 2 releasing last week, it only makes sense that we invite the community to help us join the fight. Why not join the official TrueAchievements guild? Click through to get our Guild ID and join us in battle.
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As promised, Ubisoft has just released four teaser trailers for the upcoming Far Cry 5. As expected, the teasers are short, but they do show us the location of the new game: Hope County, Montana.
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Sadly, Rockstar Games decided to delay their western sandbox Red Dead Redemption 2 to Spring 2018. However, they have provided us with some new screenshots for our leisure.
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It took only three months of TA Playlist before we got our first runaway poll winner. June's game leaves little room for doubt that democracy's voice has been heard. Click through to see what we'll all be playing throughout June.
Posted 2 days ago by Mark Delaney, 40 comments
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MIAMI, FL – Carnival Corporation & plc officially opened an all-new, highly anticipated expansion of its operations in Cozumel, Mexico, adding a third berth to the company’s pier at Puerta Maya, the most popular cruise destination in the Caribbean.
With an investment of more than $20 million, the all-new “arm” was added to the company’s existing pier to allow three ships to be moored at the terminal at the same time. To mark the occasion, three of the company’s ships – Carnival Breeze, Carnival Freedom and Carnival Triumph – arrived today and became the first trio of ships to use the new three-berth pier. The pier will accommodate any ship across Carnival Corporation’s 10 brands, including its next-generation ships.
With 3.3 million cruise guests annually, Cozumel is the busiest cruise destination in the Caribbean, the world’s largest global cruise market. Carnival Corporation’s extra capacity with the expanded pier will allow more ships to call on Cozumel, increasing the number of guests who can visit the destination while also providing a significant economic boost to the local economy.


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BeeTV has introduced a new iPad app designed to create more engaging, interactive experiences around TV. Like other social TV apps, BeeTV hopes to tap into the large group of potential users that connect with each other on the second screen while watching TV — whether that second screen be a mobile phone or a tablet device. Also like some other TV apps, BeeTV mixes a combination of checkins and social conversations online. But what sets BeeTV apart is its approach to recommendations.
Once a user has logged in with Facebook and chosen his TV provider, BeeTV makes recommendations based on his or her favorites, also providing a list of live and upcoming shows that a user might be interested in. Users can set alerts and invite friends to watch shows with them, as well as strike up conversations with each other around episodes that they’re watching. Each program has its own individual show page with tons of information about the cast and crew. From that page, users can rate or comment, with updates being fed into the app itself, as well as to social networks that the user has chosen to share with.
BeeTV was founded in 2007 and got its start as a social recommendation engine that was being pitched to service providers as a way to connect their subscribers to new content. The company raised $8 million to pursue that goal, but found that the operator sales cycle was much too long, and ultimately hampered innovation. As a result, co-founder and CTO Yaniv Solnik decided to spin out the technology and start a consumer-facing app business instead.
Now Solnik is the CEO and has raised $1.5 million from Italian VC firm Innogest to fund the newest iteration of BeeTV’s business. The company currently has about 10 employees, with its R&D operations in Israel and an eye toward starting an office in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Currently, the app relies on affiliate merchandising revenue from digital stores like iTunes (s AAPL) and Amazon (s AMZN) for revenue, but BeeTV plans to monetize the app through advertising and other sources. Solnick sees an opportunity for a link between ads that appear on the TV and calls to action on the second screen. Given BeeTV’s ability to recommend new shows, Solnick also believes that the app could offer up sponsored show recommendations to users.
For now, though, the name of the game is just getting users. The BeeTV iPad app is available on the Apple App Store now, with plans to create apps for handsets like the iPhone and Android (s GOOG) mobile devices soon.


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Nestlé International Travel Retail (NITR) will be highlighting its continued commitment to leading innovation in the Travel Retail confectionery category by presenting new products and engaging experiences across strategic brands KitKat, Smarties, and Nestlé Swiss at the Summit of the Americas.
Launching into the Americas for the first time, the new products focus on NITR’s SOUL (Stories, Occasion, Unique, Local) strategic framework; a response to the ever-changing travel retail industry, particularly amongst millennials, who represent 50% of all spend (Nielsen 2017).
“Our clear focus at NITR is to deliver insight-based innovation. We come to Orlando with a compelling range of consumer focused innovations that show how committed NITR is to the confectionery channel and travel retail. We are excited to unveil our products and recent successes to the Americas market, and are confident that our added-value propositions deliver more than just enjoyable taste; they provide the vital factor of creating engaging experiences with relatable storytelling, especially among our millennial consumers,” says Stewart Dryburgh, General Manager, Nestlé International Travel Retail.
Dryburgh says the company has enjoyed an overall positive year in North America while Latin America has been – as for so many in the industry – a year of two halves: “We saw a very positive first half with strong growth, building the success of 2017, while the second six months were hit by the negative impact of currency crises in the region.”
Last year NITR launched Kitkat Senses. This year it becomes a range with Mini Moments, Collection and new addition: Kitkat Mini Desserts, a premium selection featuring new dessert flavors Tiramisu, Crème Brulée, Strawberry Cheesecake and Cherry Brownie.
Smarties, with an ambition to be kids’ friend and parents’ ally, is launching The Smarties Music Creator, which acknowledges the importance of active and imaginative play in children’s development by offering them the opportunity to learn creatively through a quality recorder and music sheet as well as a 38g hexatube of Smarties.
After relaunching its Nestle Swiss range last year, this year NITR is launching New Nestle Swiss 195g Tablet Flavors: Milk with Cranberries Almonds Hazelnut, Milk with Grapes Almonds Hazelnut, and Dark with Orange Zest & Cacao Nibs.


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Credit cards, despite tighter security, have become the top source of ID theft complaints, according to a 2017 Federal Trade Commission report.
Credit cards were the top source of identity theft complaints to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in 2017, rising 23 percent to surpass ID theft via employment fraud and tax fraud.The FTC’s Consumer Sentinel report said there were 105,209 reports of new credit card account fraud, up 3 percent from 2016. Fraud on existing accounts generated 34,260 reports, up 20 percent.
“Reports of misuse of credit card information increased substantially,” Tom Pahl, acting director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection said in a call with reporters to talk about the report’s findings.
Fraud, ID theft using credit cards on the rise
- There were 105,209 reports of fraud involving new credit card accounts, up 3 percent from 2016.
- Fraud on existing credit card accounts generated 34,260 reports, up 20 percent.
- Credit cards were used as a payment tool in 43,436 fraud reports, for $74 million; second only to wire transfers, which collected $333 million from 112,229 victims.
Reasons behind fraud increase are unknown
The agency does not know what is causing the increase, Pahl said. It could be that consumers are reporting credit card fraud more because of heightened awareness, or the underlying incidence of card fraud is up.
The report totals include people who report attempted fraud as well as those who have suffered monetary losses.
The higher complaint totals come as card issuers tighten security. More cards have EMV chip protection and merchants are increasingly making use of the anti-fraud technology, according to new data from Visa.
Fewer complaints, but consumers losing more money
The annual FTC report provides a look at trends in consumer complaints about fraud, ID theft and other problems in the marketplace.
- In 2017 the FTC recorded 2.68 million complaints – down slightly from 2.98 million in 2016.
- The top three problems reported were debt collection, identity theft and impostor scams.
- People reported losing $905 million to fraud in 2017, with a median loss of $429 – that is $63 million more than in 2016.
- Reports of ID theft from tax fraud plummeted 46 percent in 2017 compared to 2016, dropping to the No. 2 type of ID theft. That coincided with the launch of higher tax return security measures by the IRS.
- Impostor scams were the most costly type of fraud, causing $328 million in reported losses. These scams involve someone posing as a loved one, government official, tech support representative or other person to trick consumers into giving them money.
“While we received fewer overall complaints in 2017, consumers reported losing more money to fraud than they did the year before,” Pahl said.
Younger and older Americans when it comes to fraud
For the first time, the FTC broke out the effect of scams on age groups.
- People age 20-29 were most susceptible to scams, with 40 percent of complaints from that group reporting they lost money to fraud. However, the amount of loss per victim increased in older age groups.
- Only 18 percent of people 80 and older reported a fraud loss, but their median hit, at $1,092, was far and away the greatest loss for any age group.
“Older Americans are doing a great job of recognizing and reporting fraud to us,” Pahl said. “But when they do lose money to fraud, they lose a lot more than younger consumers.”
Debt collectors top list of complaints
In the overall ranking of report categories, problems with debt collectors topped the list in 2017.
- With 608,535 reports, issues with debt collectors stood as a perennial friction point for consumers. Most of the problems involved hired debt collectors, Pahl said, not original creditors.
- The No. 2 problem was identity theft, with 371,061 complaints, followed by impostor scams at 347,829.
- Problems having to do with credit cards ranked number 11 overall, with 45,428 complaints.
Tools consumers can use to fight ID theft
- Reviewing all bank and credit statements on a regular basis, as well as your credit report, are just two of many ways to prevent identity theft.
- Making sure your information on social media is only visible to friends and shopping only on secure websites are two of a dozen ways to cut your fraud risk.
- The FTC also provides tools for consumers to report and recover from ID theft at its Recovering from Identity Theft website.
Identity theft reports by type
# of reports
% Difference from previous year
|Credit card fraud||New accounts|
|Employment or tax-related fraud||Tax fraud|
|Employment or wage-related fraud|
|Phone or utilities fraud||Mobile telephone – new accounts|
|Utilities – new accounts|
|Landline telephone – new accounts|
|Mobile telephone – existing accounts|
|Landline telephone – existing accounts|
|Utilities – existing accounts|
|Bank fraud||Debit cards, electronic funds transfer, or ACH|
|Loan or lease fraud||Business\personal loan|
|Real estate loan|
|Apartment or house rented|
|Government documents or benefits fraud||Government benefits applied for\received|
|Other government documents issued\forged|
|Driver’s license issued\forged|
|Other identity theft||Other|
|Online shopping or payment account|
|Email or social media|
|Evading the law|


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A new survey of marketers conducted by the Association of National Advertisers has discovered something interesting, but not terribly surprising about the new media rage. According to the survey, more national companies are dedicating larger portions of their ad budgets to new media. But it also finds more companies questioning the effectiveness of their new media investments.
78% of companies surveyed said that they planned to spend more on new media like online ads, social networks, search engine marketing, mobile and viral video in 2012 than they did this year. On average, this represents 14% of their total media spending – up from 10% in 2011.
So, with more spending come better results, right? Not necessarily. Compared to a similar study in 2009, marketers in general, are complaining that bigger investments in new media are not always producing the desired results.
“While marketers have substantially increased their use of new media platforms over the past few years, they are beginning to question the effectiveness of some of these vehicles,” Bob Liodice, president and CEO of the ANA said. “The ANA survey indicates a strong willingness by marketers to integrate innovative new approaches into their marketing mix; however, this enthusiasm is tempered by concerns regarding the ROI of these emerging options.”
Or in other words, anyone who thought that new media was going to quickly transcend old media (i.e. television) was perhaps blinded by all the glitter.


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Microsoft pulls problematic patch - again
Here we go again. The problematic patch that Microsoft pulled this week was part of a set of non-security fixes for Office 2013. The particular patch that’s causing trouble is KB2889866 and the issue that caused the recall has to do with Microsoft OneDrive for Business. Microsoft issued a revised advisory saying they were removing this update from availability “for now” while they investigate the issue.


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Even with its issues, Modern Combat 5: Blackout is still the best first-person shooter on smartphones and tablets.
A new deal returns a pair of Fox News channels to the satellite TV provider's customers after a three-week absence.
Dish Network customers can watch CBS stations again after an overnight outage -- but they'll have to say goodbye to Dish's AutoHop ad-skipping feature for new episodes of the broadcaster's shows.
With crisp graphics and exciting gameplay, the latest sequel to the hit series is the best yet.
The Powerwall for homes and Powerpack for businesses can store energy from solar panels and help you save on energy bills.
An invitation for an event this week touts a new product line from Tesla Motors -- widely believed to be a home battery backup system.
His latest statement, in a Washington Post op-ed, warns of a wave of legislation pending across the US that could discriminate against the LGBT community.
During a talk at the South by Southwest festival, the former US vice president likens the cause to the campaign for Net neutrality.
Which apps and services are the worst offenders when it comes to chewing through your data plan?
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is at the center of a historic debate over how we'll all use the Internet. Fans applaud a consumer-friendly approach. Critics say he'll strangle innovation. Both sides agree he's not afraid to do what he thinks is right.


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May 10, Rancher Labs wins B $20 million financing, founder and CEO Liang Sheng announced Nino joint CTO, Cloud Network and Rancher Labs Strategic Alliance formally formed. (Note: There are PTZ for the Cloud Shu network brand, professional for customers to build container cloud and provide related services. ）
As early as 2015, Shenzhen Network Technology Co., Ltd. (PTZ) and rancher labs in Shenzhen signed the "Hyper-converged & container Cloud Platform Strategic Cooperation Agreement", has PTZ as rancher Labs global strategic partner, will assist rancher in the implementation of landing services in China. Today, rancher Labs CEO Liang Sheng is the co-CTO of the Cloud, a sign of the formal formation of strategic alliances between the two sides, which brings the gospel to the landing of Docker containers in Chinese enterprises.
With PTZ as the industry leader in building container clouds and providing container services for businesses, the application is packaged with advanced container technology, allowing applications to seamlessly migrate between various infrastructures while providing a variety of infrastructure. Its in Shenzhen, the United States Silicon Valley has two major research and development centers, under the Silicon Valley, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu and other major operating agencies.
PTZ CEO Liu Xiaoning said: "We focus on helping enterprise-level users to easily deal with the problems and challenges of container technology, providing consulting, planning, program, deployment, implementation, training and other integrated services, all-round support Docker in the enterprise landing.
Rancher, a Docker technology leader, received $10 million in a round of financing last year, with a second round of $20 million and a short one-year total financing of $30 million, as evidenced by its potential. Rancher Labs provides the world with all the necessary technology to run containers in a production environment, while providing a minimalist version of the operating system Rancheros, while its Rancher platform can orchestrate Dockers into any infrastructure environment. It is learnt that in the choice of container orchestration and scheduling manufacturers, Rancher is the only container management platform that can support Swarm and Kubernetes at the same time on the market today.
The first cooperation between the two sides has reached an agreement with PTZ as the rancher global strategic partner. It is reported that the cloud has the domestic leading Docker container technology delivery team and innovative ideas, this is the basis for cooperation between the two sides. At present, the company team members from Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, Citrix, Huawei, Tencent and other major hardware and software and internet companies, in the container and applications, high-performance computing, networking, storage and other fields have a wealth of independent research and development and solution implementation experience. In the enterprise delivery they are known as the current rancher China's strongest service implementation team, now rancher Labs CEO Liang Sheng as the joint CTO of Cloud capacity, jointly launched in line with the actual production environment of Chinese enterprises have cloud products and solutions, Deploy China's Docker container cloud market together. This cooperation for both sides to create a win situation, but also for the follow-up of more in-depth cooperation laid the foundation.
Rancher Labs co-founder and joint CTO Liang Sheng
Dr. Liang Sheng, founder and co-CTO of Rancher Labs, a Silicon Valley-based company known as Technology Dreamer, said: Docker technology is not just about orchestration or development issues, it is the problem of landing in actual production. Over the past 3 years, Docker container technology has been adopted by many developers and DevOps teams, and container technology is being used extensively in production environments, but this is only the beginning. The direction of our research is how to bring high-quality, low-cost, easy-to-maintain integrated interactive solutions to the production environment. (Note: Cloud.com, who was acquired by Citrix for $230 million, is being created by Dr. Leung, who is the chief technology officer of Citrix until rancher Labs was founded.) ）
Although container technology is young, almost everyone who has used it believes that it will lead to the development of it in the future. Containers are the next generation of virtualization technologies, but more lightweight and more cloud-friendly than today's virtualization. "I believe a lot of people will voluntarily want to use it after they see Docker," says Dr Leung. "The data show that 2/3 of companies have finally used it after trying out docker." For companies that want to significantly increase productivity by deploying Docker in production, it is more about how to safely and efficiently use containers and how to solve a range of problems encountered during implementation. And all this, believe that after choosing rancher and having cloud, you will find the answer.


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NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Logicworks today announced the launch of its specialized professional services portfolio of products for Amazon Web Services.
Orion Health is a global, independently owned eHealth software company with proven experience in delivering interoperable, connected solutions for healthcare facilities, organizations and regions. Orion.
In 2015, one of the largest security software corporations in the world required rapid migration to AWS in order to accommodate a recent M&A of.
As most enterprise IT leaders know, transitioning IT staff to a cloud-based service delivery model is often more challenging than transitioning the infrastructure itself. A.


text: We got another major update from Nintendo last week about the upcoming hotness for Switch. And they did not disappoint, as usual. Updates that included everything from Super Nintendo Games finally making an appearance to an Animal Crossing update to Overwatch coming to the Switch has us hyped. Aaaaand wondering how we’re going to buy All The Things. We’ll figure it out. Right? Anyways, that’s what we want to talk about this week on the FreePlay Podcast.


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Most Recent Articles In Fashion Features
Latest Fashion Features Articles
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The Copenhagen native and former Burberry executive is tapping into the Danish brand's heritage and broadening its product offering. He wants Jensen to be known not just for its sculptural, minimalist jewelry, but also for its objects for the home and its heritage pieces.
"Our strategy is to pull back and work more with our roots — especially in silver," said Garde Due. "We have 104 years of history, and the beauty of the brand is its timelessness. We have pieces designed in the Forties and Fifties that look just as modern today."
Although jewelry still represents 50 percent of sales — and there are no plans to change that — Garde Due said his overall aim is to shift from a jewelry and watch universe to one featuring the Scandinavian lifestyle.
He also wants to pump up the brand's presence in the U.S., and has hired former Burberry executive James Crespo as president of operations there.
Garde Due is no stranger to the power of brand heritage. Before joining Jensen last November he was senior vice president, international sales at Burberry. He worked with former Burberry chief Rose Marie Bravo since 1998, and helped to resurrect that brand.
Previously, he worked for Celine in Paris, Tokyo and New York.
Among the vintage designs Garde Due plans to relaunch for fall is a silver pitcher by Henning Koppel, a Danish designer who worked with company founder Georg Jensen. Koppel is known for his curving, organic shapes and spare aesthetic.
He will also reintroduce the Daisy design for jewelry, which previously came in silver or gold and enamel. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark received the original black-and-white Daisy from her mother when she was born in 1940, and wore it as a brooch on her wedding dress in 1967.
Garde Due plans to manufacture the Daisy in the fashion colors of each season and sprinkle them with diamonds for pendants, brooches, earrings and bracelets. He unveiled the latest incarnations of the Daisy at the Baselworld watch and jewelry fair last week.


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Who We Are
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Intellectual Property News
The latest updates and breaking news on Intellectual Property from around the world
List by category
BrewDog's Bark Is Worse Than Its Bite
Mar 29, 2017
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Deadmau5 Trapped In Intellectual Property Battle
Mar 27, 2017
It seems progressive house DJ, Deadmau5, is becoming accustomed to lawsuits regarding his intellectual property rights. In 2015, deadmau5 also known as Joel Zimmerman, found himsel...
Slimming World Serve ASDA A Lean Diet In Trade Mark Dispute
Mar 23, 2017
Slimming World, the organisation behind the lifestyle and weight loss management programmes, has become disgruntled over ASDA's attempts to use its trade marks on a new range of re...
Something's Got To Give In Marilyn Monroe Trade Mark Dispute
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In the United States it is commonplace for celebrities to trade mark their names and reap the economic benefits in doing so. Examples of celebrities who are utilizing their intelle...
Trump's Trade Mark Tribulations Take Two
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Free intellectual property seminar at the Northern Design Centre - 24 May 2017
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Jim McEwan, a well-known multi award winning whisky distiller from the Isle of Islay has found himself in a legal battle with Charles Wells, the company behind McEwans lager, after...
Former NFL Star Seeks To Mimic Trump Slogan
Feb 24, 2017
Former NFL quarterback Vince Young has submitted an application for a trade mark to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Whilst this may seem mundane, the subject matter of the tr...
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Fashion house Lacoste has lost a trade mark fight in the Supreme Court of New Zealand to Crocodile International, a Singapore based fashion label. This is not the first time that ...
Dirty Dancing put in the corner by trade mark refusal
Feb 22, 2017
Despite the huge success of the theatre show DIRTY DANCING, the EUIPO has refused to register a trade mark application for the mark DIRTY DANCING on the grounds that the mark is de...
26 / 43


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If you’ve never heard of Dale Dougherty, you’re almost certainly familiar with his work. Dougherty is the founder and chairman of Maker Media, the corporation behind Make: Magazine and Maker Faire. He could be considered the father of the maker movement, so he’s automatically a guest of honor at any maker convention or tech conference. Recently, he attended Turkey Innovation Week, which took place in Istanbul from December 3-5.
Turkey Innovation Week was developed by the Turkish Exporters Assembly as part of an effort to do what most countries are trying to do right now, which is to increase the development of advanced technologies and stay abreast of other nations in terms of innovation and design. Turkey has set a goal of exporting $500 billion in goods by 2023, an ambitious goal that the nation hopes will be given a boost through events like Innovation Week, which support companies who are working to develop new business models and new technology. Like many other countries, Turkey is seeing a shift favoring small companies and individual entrepreneurs, who are beginning to have more influence in the economy.
It was those startups and entrepreneurs that Dougherty addressed in his speech at Turkey Innovation Week, as he briefed attendees on the current status and future of the maker movement. The movement has really caught on in Turkey over the past year, with the founding of organizations like Makers Türkiye and the development of several new maker spaces. Turkey Innovation Week focused heavily on the makers driving the spread of the movement in the country, with a Maker Demonstration taking place among the other exhibitions.
One of the businesses participating in the exhibitions was 3Durak, an online retailer for numerous 3D printing and scanning companies in Turkey. The company also develops their own technology, which includes some accessories for the Structure Sensor 3D scanner. 3Durak displayed their mobile revolving platform and and hand-held lighting system, which essentially work as a portable Shapify booth, at the exhibition. When Dougherty stopped by 3Durak’s booth, he took advantage of the company’s invention to have his own 3D printed figurine created. After a quick scan, 3Durak printed the figure using a Projet 660 PRO printer from 3D Systems.
3Durak’s mobile platform can be purchased from their website for $490, along with the Structure Sensor scanner for $340, if you’d like to have your own personal Shapify booth in your own home. For the founder of the maker movement, being immortalized in 3D by a small startup company was a fitting tribute to his influence over the 3D printing industry, among so many other creative and technology sectors. Let’s hear your thoughts on this story in the 3D Printed Dale Dougherty forum on 3DPB.com. You can see the full color scan below:
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Small businesses everywhere are struggling to make sense of the current world. With rapidly changing laws, federal aid, and employment options, they are trying to figure out what is best for their business, their employees, and the world at large.
To understand how these businesses are doing, we are launching a series of Commercial Currents interviews. These are pre-recorded, short conversations designed to check in with our local businesses, understand their concerns, and also hear what is working well and where the bright spots are in this confusing world.
The first interview is with Melissa Raftery and Megan Wood of 44 North Coffee in Deer Isle-Stonington. They have figured out a phone order, curbside pick-up system to help them continue to operate, and they are leveraging their social media following to help increase online sales. They also feel very lucky to be able to employ a group of hard-working, fast-thinking women year-round.


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May 15 marks the 70th anniversary of the approval of the Hill Country Telephone Cooperative’s charter by the Texas Secretary of State. Thanks to our members, customers and dedicated staff members, what began as a small group of people in Fredericksburg working to establish a rural telephone cooperative is now a thriving network of telecommunications products and services, including high-speed Internet, data storage, networking/IT solutions and more, across 15 counties in the Texas Hill Country spanning almost 3,000 square miles. Here’s to many more years of service!
For more fun facts about HCTC’s history, follow us on Facebook.
To celebrate 70 years, we will have a drawing for 70 customers to win $70 off their bill. Register online by May 15, 2021 at www.hctc.net/70th-birthday-2021/.


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It’s no secret that Dodge’s current lineup is pretty much outdated. In an effort to bring its models more in line with the competition, the automaker is due to bring major changes. One of the most anticipated models currently is the next-generation Challenger that was supposed to arrive for 2019. However, the most recent reports coming from respectable sources reveal that its debut is going to be delayed until 2020. That basically means the aging Charger and Challenger sedans will soldier on for a few more years. Instead of a complete overhaul, expect the 2019 Dodge Challenger to receive only cosmetic changes. Some sources suggest that it could go on sale in the second half of 2018.
2019 Challenger Features
The current iteration of the Challenger sedan has been around since 2008. That very fact makes it a dinosaur in comparison with the Camaro and Mustang. For instance, the ongoing Challenger rides on a platform borrowed from the previous-generation Mercedes E-Class. Now, the redesigned Challenger should benefit from the Alfa Romeo Giorgio platform that is much stiffer. The new underpinnings will also make this car considerably lighter than before. As for the 2019 Dodge Challenger, expect it to feature a refreshed exterior and interior. While it’s bound to retain its old architecture, a number of visual tweaks will make it more contemporary than its predecessor. Inside the cabin, expect the refreshed Challenger to offer new colors and materials. We also predict that it should receive updates in terms of the infotainment system and safety features.
2019 Dodge Challenger Specs
There will be no dramatic changes when it comes to the 2019 Dodge Challenger’s engine range. The base SXT models will get the 3.6-liter V6 that makes 305 horsepower. The Challenger R/T will use the 5.7-liter Hemi V8, delivering 375 horsepower. Next up is the 6.4-liter Hemi V8, producing 485 ponies in the 392 Hemi Scat Pack and Challenger SRT 392. Finally, the SRT Hellcat version will be powered by the stunning 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8 that puts out 707 hp. All V8 engines will be available with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission.
For all the fans of the current Challenger, the company’s decision to postpone its successor will be good news. However, the Giorgio-based Challenger together with the next-generation Charger is due to bring those much needed changes. With the aforementioned set of updates, the 2019 Dodge Challenger Hellcat should be able to stay competitive until the 2020 Challenger redesign.


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Frank Gibeau, president of EA games has been speaking about the rise of the PC, and EA's determination to stick with the PC market. Gibeau cites the rise of digital distribution, the success of free-to-play games and the PC's massive user base as important reasons for EA to focus more on PC gaming, saying "it's totally conceivable it will become our biggest platform.
Gibeau was speaking in an interview with Gamasutra about EA's future focus, saying "we're moving from a fire-and-forget packaged goods model to an online services model,” adding that "PC retail may be a big problem, but PC downloads are awesome. … The margins are much better and we don't have any rules in terms of first party approvals."
EA seem keen to expand their PC presence with digital downloads and free-to-play games with microtransaction models. Industry Gamers have notes from a recent management meeting in which EA say that digital revenues account for 40% of the games market worldwide.
In January, EA CEO John Riccitello told Industry Gamers that "at the end of , the digital business is bigger than the packaged goods business, full stop," saying "we'll find ways to even sell our packaged goods content in chunks and in pieces and subscriptions and micro-transactions."
Frank Gibeau echoes Riccitello's comments, saying "I think that free to play model is coming to the west in a big way." It's a trend that has proved successful for EA's free-to-play shooter, Battlefield Heroes, which recently hit seven million users.
"The user base is gigantic," says Gibeau, "from our perspective, it's an extremely healthy platform. … It's totally conceivable it will become our biggest platform."
EA have just released Dragon Age 2 , and Battlefield 3, Battlefield Play4Free and Star Wars: The Old Republic are currently in the works.


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The Sandwich Shop in Brooklyn — a popular eatery in the Williamsburg community — served Mayor Bill de Blasio and two City Council members Thursday as they sought input from them as to how to help mom and pop stores thrive.
Not only did they get a stomach full of eclectic sandwiches that they purchased at the counter, but owners Ricardo Picon, an immigrant of Venezuela and his wife Clarisa Penzini, from Corsica, Italy, also gave them a gingerly earful.
Picon and his wife said they have a successful 7-year-old business, but not without some hardships. A new bike lane that runs the full length of Grand Street where they are located, eliminated parking on the south side of the street and plastic barriers separate that lane from the roadway – making it extremely difficult to get deliveries. Trucks sometimes park on the bike lane because there is no other place to make deliveries – making a sliver of space for bikes to pass through.
“I think it’s great they have the bike lanes, but they should make even special times when we can get deliveries, that would be right for us,” Picon said. “Right now, there is no place for drop-offs and deliveries and while we are a small shop, we have a lot of customers and our deliveries are sometimes a van load, so there should at least be some times of the day for that.”
The complaints from Picon and other merchants include surprise inspections that yield summonses for obscure infractions with no ability for the merchant to correct the problem before having to pay large fines. Other merchants complained of Sanitation officers issuing fines for trash on the sidewalk or in the street – merchant required to sweep 18-inches from the curb.
The mayor and city council members listened intently, but already had a good idea as to what to do. With that in mind, they followed up their meal with a press conference at a local school gymnasium that includes “educating versus fining.”
Mayor de Blasio said the plan has two parts: the first is to slash fines for health and cleanliness violations for small business and instead, educate business owners of the laws on the books that business needs to abide. Second, update the laws on the books and “eliminate outdated and ridiculous rules that no longer apply.”
“When I was the Public Advocate, I was told there was no way to change the fines and that it was an excuse to raise revenues,” said de Blasio to a room packed with Williamsburg merchants. “If we can cut fines by 40 percent, we could give $100 million back to small business. The mission is to correct the problems, not take their money – the city is on your side.”
De Blasio indicated there were 12,000 vacant storefront in New York City because of rising rents, difficult business rules, archaic requirements that sometimes involve multiple agencies to sign off on changes and improvements – some of which have already been changed.
Councilman Antonio Reynoso who represents Williamsburg, recognized that the city already put pressure on small business by requiring paid sick time, paid leave and benefits.
“We’ve got to talk about how we can help business, so we have to look at the laws and see how an unintentional mishap gets merchants fines that are difficult to pay,” Reynoso said.
Councilman Andy Cohen of the Bronx joined Reynoso and the mayor for lunch at the Sandwich Shop. He is also the chairman of the Consumer Protection Committee.
“I think we are on to something here and we want to deliver good news and find a way to help our small businesses,” he said.
Councilman Stephen Levin recognized that commercial rent were rising three to four times and forcing out small mom and pop stores and then being replaced by “multi national companies.”
“When I talk to small businesses, the first thing they talk about is the fines – we have to do something as people invest their life savings and it means the difference between failing and succeeding,” Levin said.
Greg Bishop, commissioner of Small Business Services, said some of the rules still on the books don’t even apply.
One of those rules came to a head over the summer in which many stores were being hit with $10,000 fines for signage on their establishments that may have been there for decades – one hardware store in Bay Ridge passed down from generations was hit with this fine. Council members called for a moratorium on fines for store signage and those businesses should be “refunded.”
Another archaic rule can get an establishment a fine for serving food, even if they are not in fact serving any. Another rule put unreasonable requirements on gyms that dates back to the days of bath houses.
“This is part of the Blueprint to Save Our City because if we don’t protect our small businesses, we will be losing our identity as New Yorker’s and that is a real concern,” de Blasio declared.


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EOS: Nokia Lumia 1020 Official Images and Videos LeakJuly 11, 2013 2 Comments
We are about two hours away from Nokia’s huge Lumia 1020 reveal in NYC today. This morning however, the press shot above and below were leaked by TheVerge and a few AT&T videos were posted online for everyone to see..
The AT&T video’s didn’t last long being available as they were removed pretty quickly. Two images were revealed as well from @vizileaks revealing the 1020′s Pro Camera application.
Stay tuned in today as Nokia announces their newest creation, the Lumia 1020 with a 41MP camera.


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BEDFORD, Mass., Jan. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT), a leader in consumer robots, today announced that the company plans to participate in the Needham & Company Virtual Growth Conference. Pertinent details include:
About iRobot Corporation
iRobot®, the leading global consumer robot company, designs and builds robots that empower people to do more both inside and outside of the home. iRobot created the home robot cleaning category with the introduction of its Roomba® Robot Vacuum in 2002. Today, iRobot is a global enterprise that has sold more than 30 million robots worldwide. iRobot's product line, including the Roomba and the Braava® family of mopping robots, feature proprietary technologies and advanced concepts in cleaning, mapping and navigation. iRobot engineers are building an ecosystem of robots and technologies to enable the smart home. For more information about iRobot, please visit www.irobot.com.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/irobot-announces-participation-in-upcoming-investor-conference-301455673.html
SOURCE iRobot Corporation


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Lufthansa Cargo Welcomes Lenovo on CO2 Neutral Flights as New SAF Customer
Lenovo, another global player, has joined DB Schenker as a new SAF customer with Lufthansa Cargo. Lenovo uses regular cargo flights between Shanghai and Frankfurt, and will now reduce greenhouse gases by 78 tons in the transport of IT hardware with SAF.
On Tuesday (January 11, 2022), Lufthansa Cargo announced that Lenovo has joined DB Schenker as a new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) customer with Lufthansa Cargo. Lenovo uses regular weekly cargo flights between Shanghai and Frankfurt, and will now reduce greenhouse gases by 78 tons weekly as they transport IT hardware on flights powered by SAF. The global hardware technology provider has decided to fly 20 tons of chargeable weight per week from Shanghai (PVG) to Frankfurt (FRA) with Lufthansa Cargo, on the only regular full charter connection worldwide that is 100 percent covered by SAF. Lenovo’s environmentally friendly shipments will include laptops, notebooks, and PCs for both private and corporate clients.
In Tuesday’s announcement, DB Schenker’s Global Board Member for Air & Ocean Freight, Thorsten Meincke, said,
“Our unique SAF full charter flights help corporates to make their shipments more sustainable. Lenovo is a major customer for this game-changing initiative and an example how shippers are keen for real change towards greener transports. We look forward to seeing further companies who would like to prioritize decarbonizing their supply chains together with us.”
Also commenting on the company’s commitment to CO2 neutral flights, Lenovo’s Head of Global Logistics, Gareth Davies, said,
“Sustainability is critical to our business and mission of delivering smarter technology for all. We are proud that we are further enhancing our solutions through this collaboration with DB Schenker and Lufthansa Cargo. For all businesses and individuals, adopting programs that improve sustainability is incredibly important and we are delighted about this new partnership.”
Lufthansa Cargo’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ashwin Bhat, added,
“Our joint effort with DB Schenker to avoid CO2 emissions is continuously growing stronger. An increasing number of customers realizes that we need to work together across industries to achieve our shared goal. Only together, we can make a real difference. With our SAF-covered flights, we are doing pioneer’s work.”
DB Schenker and Lufthansa Cargo launched the world’s first SAF-covered full charter flights between Shanghai and Frankfurt and Shanghai in April 2021, and extended the joint mission throughout the entire winter flights schedule. By choosing SAF full charter flights offered by DB Schenker in cooperation with Lufthansa Cargo, Lenovo will save around 20 tons of conventional kerosene weekly, thereby reducing 62 tons of greenhouse gases weekly. Additionally, around 16 tons of CO2e from the production and transport of SAF are offset by compensatory measures, resulting in full carbon neutrality.
With revenue of €2.8 billion and 6.5 billion revenue ton-kilometers in 2020, Lufthansa Cargo is one of the world’s leading air freight companies, employing approximately 4,400 team members worldwide. The cargo carrier serves around 300 destinations in over 100 countries with a dedicated fleet of freighters, as well as belly-hold cargo capacity of passenger aircraft operated by Lufthansa German Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings Discover and SunExpress. Lufthansa Cargo also operates an extensive road feeder service network. Lufthansa Cargo is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and is the Group’s logistics specialist.
Source: Lufthansa Cargo/Mynewsdesk


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The Company will continue research on cloud phone.
Akaya(Chinese: 阿卡亚), an intelligent short video operation service provider, announced that it has raised millions of dollars in seed round financing. This round of financing will be used to continue to invest in product development, team building, operations and promotion, as well as to increase the construction of its resource pool.
"Founded in December 2022, the founder and CEO Ding Erhua is a former ZTE strategy director who worked at ZTE for nearly 10 years, and after leaving the company, he has been involved in many ventures, such as Internet outdoor travel platform Donkey River Lake, Internet e-commerce and cross-border e-commerce.The CTO Huang Weifeng is a former senior technical expert at ZTE, and the first expert in China to start researching virtual mobile phones. As an emerging data intelligence company, Akaya focuses on helping domestic enterprise customers improve the efficiency of Jitterbug and TikTok short video operations. Its core team graduated from renowned universities such as HIT, SAF, TENU, and NUIST, and has many years of work experience in IT majors such as ZTE, Huawei, and Ali.
"CEO Ding Erhua said in this round of financing, Akaya will study the AIGC data intelligence algorithm and combine it with mobile RPA technology to realize AI big data automatic generation and operation promotion of short videos, and improve the operation efficiency of enterprise customers in Jitterbug and TikTok platform, the system will combine the hot data and operation data of multiple platforms to continuously optimize video content generation and The system will combine the hot data and operation data from multiple platforms to optimize the video content generation and intelligent operation algorithm, continuously improve the video play volume and create explosive videos.
Huang Weifeng, CTO of Akaya, said, "Our technical team has been deeply involved in the field of cloud phone technology for many years, and our core backbone has experienced the evolution of technology development from the first generation of X86 server virtual phone in 2015 to the current ARM server container cloud phone. We have deep deposits in core technologies such as Android virtualization, GPU virtualization, peripheral virtualization, model emulation, video codec and so on. The company's cloud phone products are comparable to the real machine in terms of fluency, APP compatibility and stability. It has achieved multi-platform, multi-architecture convergence in the underlying hardware architecture, supporting Kunpeng, Anshengpei and other ARM servers, Qualcomm 845 board array servers, and X86 servers. In terms of performance optimization, server cloud phone instance density improvement, the technical team do almost crazy research, a single server can support thousands of cloud phone instances".
Akaya currently provides cloud phone cross-border dedicated line, intelligent operation SaaS and cross-border live pass products to solve the needs of overseas TikTok operation in China, providing global operations such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand, and using cloud phone and intelligent operation SaaS to provide domestic Jitterbug users with intelligent operation of short videos. The company accelerates the docking of ChatGPT and Wenxin Yiyin's API interface, and then combines its own data intelligence algorithm to provide users with short video intelligence generation tools. As the team's business develops, it will combine cloud phone and digital human technology to provide live intelligence services for Jitterbug and TikTok operation customers, solving the pain points such as anchors jumping frequently, face value not taking charge, and not being able to live broadcast 24 hours a day.
The Company will continue research on cloud phone (involving Linux kernel, AOSP deep customization, GPU virtualization and other technologies), mobile RPA, AIGC and other technologies, and use cloud phone as the product base to provide users with intelligent operation services for short video and live broadcast through the three SaaS systems of Smart Cut, Smart Camp and Smart Broadcast, and subsequently expand support for more short video platforms.


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Just like it can’t write decent clock software.
Apple’s software skills continue to sink to new lows – now it can’t summon up enough of a skills base to write a calculator programmer which can actually add up.
Buy one get another free
US tech giants are spending a small fortune on "lobbying" politicians and the situation is getting worse.
SLA for that day down to 71.6
It’s all very well these arrogant tech firms telling us that our data is safe and always accessible in the cloud - but that’s clearly not so.
Begun the “animoji” wars have
A Japanese software company claimed that the fruity cargo cult Apple nicked its trademarked term "animoji" for one of the few new features of the iPhone X.
It is just resting
Beleaguered Apple CEO Tim Cook, who is watching his cash cow iPhone die of mad cows’ disease, has rushed to reassure fanboys that the Mac Mini is also not dead.
No one is buying Apple's turkey
Apple shares took a tumble after the outfit slashed orders for its iPhone 8 because of poor sales.
Furious workers picket
Hundreds of workers blocked the entrance to an Apple iPhone supplier's factory in eastern China to protest against unpaid bonuses and factory reassignments.
Supply-chain inventory constraints
TSMC claimed that supply-chain inventory constraints hurt its net profit in the third quarter, although not as badly as many analysts had predicted.
The iPhone 7 is just as good
The fruity cargo cult Apple is facing its first serious religious schism as fanboys reject the religion’s central premise that you must upgrade your expensive phone every year.


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CHS agronomist Ron Beneda is expecting canola acres to increase dramatically next season. Beneda thinks North Dakota canola acres could top 2 million. “We’ll see an increase in canola acres when we have good prices. Even at average yields, we can do well with those higher prices.” A few varieties may not be available, but canola seed availability is not expected to be a major issue. “The more popular, newer varieties that can be direct combined are likely sold out. The more popular varieties are sold out, but there should be enough to go around. They’re good varieties, but you may not be able to direct combine them.”
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If the Japanese Government supports a Robin Hood Tax, it’s a lot more likely to happen
You might be forgiven for assuming that Gordon Brown had isolated himself last November when he argued for a financial transactions tax at the G20 Finance Ministers meeting. That is, after all, what many journalists reported and have trotted out since. In fact, he was joining the leaders of France and Germany. And now, Bloomberg and the Financial Times report that the Minister responsible for tax policy has indicated that the Japanese government may also be leaning in that direction.
That would make four out of the seven richest economies on the planet (the G7 whose Finance Ministers still meet separately, years after the G8 was born, now itself to be supplanted by the G20) supporting what the UK calls the Robin Hood Tax. Four out of seven. Er, that’s a majority isn’t it? Of course, the US administration is yet to be convinced, but we are getting closer to the tipping point.
For those who don’t like decisions being made by the richest countries in the world, the G7 does actually have traction on this issue, because most financial transactions do take place in those richest countries. Over 70% of the value of global transactions are in just three: Britain, Germany and the USA. And there isn’t actually a mechanism to introduce a global tax, so in reality what a global tax means is the co-ordinated introduction of taxes by the countries where the financial transactions take place.
The TUC believes, in any case, that currency and share transactions can be introduced unilaterally (indeed, we already have such a tax on share dealings in UK-based companies). So the more rich nations that agree with the idea, the more feasible a global deal is, and the easier it is to implement unilaterally.


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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) launched a new feature on its website that enables software developers to access data on recalls and public health alerts through an application programming interface (API). This is FSIS’ first public API and the organization says it will transform the way the public can benefit from this critical and timely public health information.
FSIS issues recall communications to alert consumers of potential food safety issues related to FSIS-regulated products. The API will act as a bridge, allowing software developers to leverage FSIS recall data to create new value-driven products for consumers or incorporate them into existing digital services and mobile apps. The agency’s recall and public health alert information continues to be publicly available through the FSIS website, X (previously Twitter), FoodSafety.gov, an RSS feed and annual recall data summaries.
“Transparency, innovation and collaboration are essential to public health,” says USDA under secretary for food safety Dr. Emilio Esteban. “By opening critical data through public APIs, third-party software developers will be able to expand the reach of our information among American consumers far beyond what FSIS could do on its own.”
According to FSIS, its data play an important role in supporting food safety research, surveillance and regulatory efforts to protect public health. The agency prioritizes transparency and data sharing, with several sets of data publicly available on its website that it regularly collects, analyzes and uses in its decision-making process.
Since January 2020, FSIS says it has successfully migrated several mission-critical applications from on-premises legacy software to cloud systems, including the FSIS public website in 2021. The cloud-based infrastructure for the website laid the foundation to build out a rich and robust API. These advances align FSIS more closely with the U.S. open government initiative that aims to ensure open access to federal data, research and information to empower citizen participation in the work of federal government.
The recall API is an example of how USDA leverages human-centered design, data, technology and digital services to provide customers with easy-to-navigate online tools for critical programs and services. In addition to recall data, FSIS is working on APIs for other critical datasets. When available, FSIS will announce them in its weekly Constituent Update newsletter.
More information about FSIS’ recall API and developer resources are available on the agency’s API webpage.


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Every year, Consumer Reports conducts an analysis to to figure out which car company makes the best cars. This year, BMW has placed third on that list, behind only the second place Porsche and first place Audi.
Admittedly, it’s a weird world when Audi is ranking higher than BMW in customer satisfaction and reliability. Modern Audis are very good but it wasn’t too long ago they had a reputation of catching fire. But both Porsche and BMW have jumped up in these rankings, ahead of more popularly reliable brands, like Toyota and Lexus.
There are several factors that go into testing each brand. According to CR, each brand is tested on “road tests, predicted reliability, owner satisfaction, and safety” across their entire lineups. This helps car companies with small model portfolios, like Tesla, which only has two cars. This only makes BMW’s top spot even more impressive, as the Bavarian brand’s lineup is quite large.
All of those aforementioned tests go on to create each brand’s Overall Score. BMW’s was 77, third best. But Overall Score isn’t the only means of testing. Predicted reliability and customer satisfaction also come into play. BMW’s predicted reliability was actually painfully mediocre, as it’s not known for being the most reliable brand. However, the customer satisfaction rating was quite good. So that, combined with its third best Overall Score, put it in third place. For comparison’s sake, Audi’s Overall Score was 81, which was the best of the group.
It’s impressive that the Bavarian brand placed this high, considering it’s an expensive luxury brand with very complex and complicated electronics and advanced powertrains. So BMW owners should feel pretty happy right about now.
[Source: Consumer Reports]


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As opposed to opening a recipe book? Im not so sure. Unfortunately the ipad in here the Uk will cost way more than what US citizens pay.
Heres a quote from Skynews:
“Britons will pay upwards of £429 for the tablet computer when it becomes available on May 28, Apple has confirmed.
Prices for the top-of-the-range model of the slim, lightweight, touch-screen iPad – which can browse the web, play videos, send emails and read e-books – will reach £699.
Apple has already sold more than one million iPads in the US, where prices are significantly lower.
The basic version sells for $499 (£337) and the top-of-the-range model is priced at $829 (£561).”
So I wont be getting one :(


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Reolink smart home cameras now work with Google Assistant
Reolink today announces its Argus 2, Argus Pro and E1 Pro work with Google Assistant, enabling customers to use their voice to control the 3 Reolink smart home cameras to get live streaming with Google Nest Hub or Chromecast-enabled TVs.
Customers now can use simple commands to control the cameras, by saying "Hey Google, show [name of room where the camera is placed] on [name of Chromecast device]", to get live streaming directly without any complicated configuration.
Reolink's Google Assistant integration
Verbal order is the easiest and smartest way to control smart home devices, and Reolink aims to provide the most seamless experience for customers. The power of Google Assistant to hear and interpret voice demands makes smart home control simpler and more intuitive.
"Voice control has been the top technology trend since the blossom of smart home devices, like smart security cameras, smart speakers, etc. Consumers are always seeking an easier and smarter way to control their smart devices,” said Colin Lau, Reolink's CEO, “That's why we keep innovating to make our security cameras integrate with third-party devices. And the compatibility of Google Assistant is one of our milestones to reach our goal to make our products more connected, simple and convenient!"
The integration between Reolink cameras and Google assistant is available in US, Canada, Australia, & New Zealand.


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Automated Sampling Slated
onal sampling company Super Marketing here is planning to market an interactive sampling machine. The company said it will announce its plans at the Promotion Marketing Association of America's annual conference March 13-14 in Chicago.
Company president Dave Schwartz said 11 prototype machines have already been built. They have been in pilot tests with stores, including Sam's Wholesale Club, for several months.
After absorbing the operations of a company known as Automated Sampling, Minneapolis, Super Marketing invented an automated process for delivering samples, according to Schwartz. The patent for the system is pending. "We took the best of what they had and we quantum leaped where they were to what really is going to be a very hot product in the marketplace," he said.
He said a full industry presentation will be made at the Food Marketing Institute's annual convention May 7-10 in Chicago.
Drug Store Shopping Study Due
NORTHBROOK, Ill. -- Brand marketers will soon have access to a detailed analysis of the shopping habits of consumers who visit drug stores.
Nielsen North America is undertaking this comprehensive study, called "The Thrift Drug Super Study," with help from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and Thrift Drug, Pittsburgh.
In addition, Marketing Resources Corp., Scottsdale, Ariz., a firm that took part in creating "The Marsh Super Study" -- the supermarket version of this work -- will assist Nielsen in collecting and analyzing the data for this project.
The "Thrift" study aims to interpret consumers' shopping habits by examining scanner data, consumer intercepts, focal groups and "market basket" studies.
The project also will examine all facets of store operations, including assortment, replenishment and category management practices, as well as private-label positioning. The study even takes into consideration weather conditions and their effect on sales.
Pringles, Orlando Magic Teaming
CINCINNATI -- Pringles brand potato chips from Procter & Gamble here was part of an account-specific promotion in Gooding's Super Markets, Altamonte Springs, Fla., that gave away an official basketball autographed by the Orlando Magic team. Advertisements in circulars in Gooding's last month directed consumers to register to win the ball at an in-store display for Pringles, priced at 99 cents. Gooding's operates 17 supermarkets and combination stores in Florida.


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Ford recently released a new, mysterious image to build anticipation for their new F-series Super Duty truck. Ford included, in the very brief release, they would be showing off the mystery truck on March 9th.
There were no details included on the release but that hasn’t stopped people from speculating what the new model will be. One thing seems to be clear, this won’t be a new version of the existing F-series Super Duty. The truck will be a completely new model, but what that means has yet to be determined.
Due to the rash of electric cars and the success of the EcoBoost engine many are speculating that the new, mystery truck will be a Ford F050 that will be a plug-in extended range hybrid with a 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder engine (Car and Driver is the biggest speculator of this theory).
I guess we will just have to wait until next Friday to see what lies under the covers.