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According to automotive market research firm just-auto online intelligent service QUBE automotive analysts said the traditional automotive halogen headlamps will continue to dominate the global QE accessories market.
It is understood that the accessories in 2015 more than 80%, the total number of automotive headlights up to 73 million. Analysts claim that halogen lamps are still the industry's leading headlight technology solutions.
However, just-auto analysts argue that the number of headlights will grow by nearly 35% to 99 million due to the growth in the industry (TIV), although the share rate will fall to around 75% by 2030.
Despite the loss of part of the market share, the performance of the halogen lamp 2015 to 2030 compound annual growth rate will be reduced to 2%, slightly lower than the industry total 2.6% compound annual growth rate.
According to just-auto research shows that LED will become a new growth point of automotive headlamp technology. LED headlamps will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 16.2%, and by 2025 will lead to the success of the technology beyond the market of bi-xenon headlamps.
Just-auto analysts believe that the future will be more and more use of LED headlamps of the main driving factors to a large extent depends on the cost of xenon lamp. In contrast, the cost of LED lights is low, better performance and high reliability. It is estimated that LED global penetration will increase from 2.5% in 2015 to about 17% in 2030.
In terms of the region, as in the case of xenon lamps, Europe and Japan are expected to take the lead in applying LED lights to automotive lighting. Just-auto expects European LED penetration to increase from about 6% in 2015 to one-third of 2030, while Japan's LED penetration will be 7% and 40%, respectively.
In addition, just-auto analysts believe that laser lighting is expected to be the next major technological leap. According to BMW, compared to LED, laser lighting technology can provide 5 times the light intensity, and power consumption is only half of the LED. At present, only the BMW i8 and the new 7 series car front lights using laser lighting technology, and Audi in the limited edition R8 LMX car used in this technology is provided by the OSRAM. Market watchers believe that the use of laser lighting technology, a limiting factor is the US regulatory authorities have not approved the technology. Once the technology is approved, even if LED is the fastest growing technology, it is expected that the car headlamps will also be dominated by halogen lamps.
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PAINTED POST, N.Y. (WETM) — Valentine’s Day is less than a week away for people to buy a gift for their loved one’s. Chocolate puts people in a good mood due to the endorphins it causes the body to release in the brain when tasting it.
“Well, I think it’s one of those things that you put a good piece of chocolate in your mouth and just let it savor,” said Cynthia Dickerman, co-owner of Finger Lakes Chocolates. “It brings a smile to your face, so therefore it’s going to bring a smile to your Valentine’s face.”
Among the chocolates, dark chocolate is considered to be healthier than milk and white chocolate.
“Dark chocolate is made with less sugar and the higher the cocoa content, the better they say doctors and researchers say that it is for you overall,” said Laura Kram, co-owner of Finger Lakes Chocolates.
According to Kram, all chocolate should be avoided when given to pets since it contains cocoa, which is harmful to animals.

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Bharti Airtel, a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 19 countries across Asia and Africa, today announced that it has crossed the 5 million customers mark in Bangladesh – becoming the fastest growing mobile services operator in the country.
With this, Airtel Bangladesh will continue to strengthen its network reach in the country and stay committed towards contributing to the growth of telecom in Bangladesh through affordable services. In January 2010, Bharti had acquired 70 percent stake in Warid Telecom and subsequently launched brand Airtel in Bangladesh in December 2010.
Airtel Bangladesh also announced that it has added 160 new towns to its network spread, which now penetrates to a total of 2100 plus towns across the country. With 2220 BTS sites currently present in Bangladesh, Airtel plans on extending its coverage to reach 72% of the country’s population by December 2011. With a target of setting up 600 additional service centres in Bangladesh by March 2012 timeframe, Airtel plans to further strengthen the presence of its support services for customers.
With a focus towards offering life enriching services for customers, Airtel Bangladesh recently launched ‘Airtel Live’ WAP portal that offers rich multimedia content like games, videos and pictures. In addition to 20,000 plus applications that are currently available on Airtel App Central for customers in Bangladesh, Airtel currently also offers several other exciting VAS offerings including ‘Gaan Bolo, Gaan Pao’, cricket caller tunes and classified services.


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It was a full house at the Ottawa Gatineau International Auto Show, and not just in terms of attendance for the longstanding regional show. Automakers showed up in strong numbers, too.
The four-day event, which closed last week, also had a near-complete slate of brands showcasing their latest models, an exception from a trend for some manufacturers to sit out car shows in favour of social media campaigns and other ways of reaching the public.
Only longstanding holdout Kia and some small-numbers brands like Rolls-Royce were absent from the March 21-24 show on four levels at the downtown Shaw Centre.
Attendance reached 66,566, up 3.5 per cent over 2018.
“We’re sort of bursting at the seams,” said event producer Peter Ginsberg.
Most displays were mounted by manufacturers, with the rest supplied by local dealers with help from their parent brands. That meant visitors to the Porsche exhibit, for example, could see current offerings plus new models like the revamped 2019 Macan crossover and the eighth-generation 911 sports car.
Mark Motors Porsche General Manager Paul Renaud said being at the show gives the “aspirational brand” exposure to thousands who wouldn’t normally venture into a Porsche showroom.
“There is a business case in it for us,” Renaud said.
At the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles display highlighting the new Jeep Gladiator pickup and Ram 3500 Heavy Duty truck, spokesman Daniel Labre said shows such as Ottawa and Quebec City are effective in reaching potential buyers.
“The percentage of the population that comes out is pretty high,” Labre said.


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Published on October 6th, 2021 | by The GC Team0
“4-star” experience: Amazon opens UK non-food store
“Lauded as a potential stunt and an opportunity to drive uptake in Prime, it’s more likely that Amazon is doing what it does best and tends to win out on challenging the status quo”
Amazon has opened its first Amazon 4-star store outside of the US in the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Dartford, Kent.
The outlet features 3,500 square feet front-of-house space and offers a curated range of products rated 4 stars and above plus those that are top sellers or trending on the retailer’s website – a direct reflection of what customers are “buying and loving” on Amazon.co.uk.
The store carries items from the top categories including consumer electronics, toys, games, books, kitchen, home items and more, and also has the full range of Amazon devices available to demonstrate. These include Kindle e-Readers, Fire Tablets and Echo Dots.
Customers can purchase from the millions of items available at Amazon.co.uk online and collect orders at the store the next day. The retailer is also offering parcel-free, label-free returns for items purchased both in-store and online.
Amazon said its account holders will pay the same low price as they would on Amazon.co.uk, and Prime members will receive exclusive perks and deals throughout the store.
When asked about plans for further stores in the UK, the retailer said: “We’re excited to open our first Amazon 4-star in Bluewater and look forward to hearing what customers think, stay tuned!”
Hugh Fletcher, Global Head of Consultancy and Innovation at Wunderman Thompson Commerce, said Amazon is not messing around when it comes to bricks-and-mortar.
“Lauded as a potential stunt and an opportunity to drive uptake in Prime, it’s more likely that Amazon is doing what it does best and tends to win out on challenging the status quo. And these stores in particular are deliberately inclusive to all, where Prime membership and even an Amazon account are not pre-requisites to shop there.
“With a quarter of spend in the UK already through Amazon and nearly two thirds of consumers excited by the prospect of buying everything through one retailer, Amazon is tapping into a consumer mindset that is increasingly loyal to service, rather than brand.
“So as long as the Amazon 4-stars offer the same level of price, service and efficiency as it does online, it’s hard to look past these stores as another feather in an already crowded cap.”
Andy Jones, director, Amazon 4-star UK, commented: “The Amazon 4-star store is a great place for customers to discover hot new releases, guaranteed page-turners, top-selling electronics, and more.
“Every part of the store is designed with our customers in mind and we think they will be delighted by the curated selection of the most-loved products at great prices, opportunity to test-drive Amazon’s latest devices, and the convenience of pickup and returns.”


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European stocks retreated sharply from two-week highs on Tuesday, breaking a three-day winning streak as investors flocked to bonds on worries over risks to rebounding global economic growth.
All major European bourses lost almost 1 per cent, with France’s CAC 40 down 0.9 per cent and the oil heavy FTSE 100 posting its worst session in two weeks, as government bond yields across the euro area fell to their lowest levels in at least three weeks.
German investor morale fell by much more than expected in July, but remained at a very high level, a survey showed on Tuesday, while separate data showed orders for German-made goods posted their sharpest slump in May since the first lockdown in 2020, hurt by weaker demand from countries outside the euro zone.
Euro zone monthly retail sales, meanwhile, rose more than expected in May after a drop in April. However, shares in the region took a sharp turn lower after a survey revealed US service sector activity cooled in June.
The State's two main banks Bank of Ireland and AIB fell 4-5 per cent respectively amid worse-than-expected economic data and outlook for the euro zone and on foot of news that Deutsche Bank is planning to eliminate 440 roles in Dublin, equating to almost three-quarters of its employees and contractors in Ireland. Bank of Ireland dropped by 4.9 per cent to close at €4.46, while AIB fell 4.5 per cent to €2.10.
Permanent TSB was also down 4.5 per cent at €1.25.
Building materials giant CRH was another to track downwards on doubt over global growth. The company traded down 2 per cent at €41.95.
Despite the ongoing restrictions on hospitality, hotel group Dalata rose 4 per cent to €4.02.
Food giant Kerry, which recently offloaded its consumer foods division, rose 1.2 per cent to €120.95, while insulation maker Kingspan was up 1.1 per cent at €83.66
London’s FTSE 100 marked its worst session in nearly three weeks on Tuesday, dragged down by commodity-linked and bank stocks, while a stronger pound weighed on export-oriented companies.
The blue-chip index dropped 0.9 per cent, pulled down by miners, energy and major banking stocks.
Dollar-earnings consumer staples companies Unilever, Diageo, and British American Tobacco were among the biggest drags on the export-heavy index as sterling hit over a week's high against the dollar.
Britain's £2 trillion debt mountain is becoming more exposed to inflation and interest rate shocks which are themselves becoming more frequent, said Richard Hughes, chairman of the country's budget watchdog.
British online grocer and technology group Ocado slipped 4.2 per cent despite the company saying the demand for its grocery business and technology remained strong after it announced a 20 per cent rise in first-half retail revenue.
Miners including Rio Tinto, Glencore, Anglo American and BHP fell between 2.2 per cent and 2.8 per cent and were the biggest drags. While oil majors BP and Royal Dutch Shell fell 4.1 per cent and 2.1 per cent , respectively, tracking weaker crude.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index fell 0.5 per cent, with the automobiles and parts index sliding the most, down 2.9 per cent.
Worries about supply chain bottlenecks have weighed on the index since it hit 2015 highs in early June.
A strong rebound in euro zone business activity and optimism about a full reopening of Britain’s economy later this month have helped markets stay afloat so far in July despite rising cases of the Delta variant of the coronavirus.
French train- maker Alstom slumped 8.4 per cent to the bottom of the Stoxx 600 after it forecast negative free cash flow for its fiscal year.
The Nasdaq hit a record high on Tuesday as growth-focused sectors gained, while Beijing’s regulatory crackdown hammered shares of several US-listed Chinese firms.
The benchmark S&P 500, however, eased into negative territory shortly after opening at an all-time high on gains in mega-cap technology companies such as Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and Alphabet .
Nine of the 11 major S&P 500 sectors were trading lower, while technology, communication services and consumer discretionary were up.
Investors, meanwhile, waited for clues from the US Federal Reserve’s policy minutes on when quantitative easing might be tapered. It will be released on Wednesday.
Didi Global shares slumped 22.8 per cent after Chinese regulators ordered over the weekend the company's app be taken down days after its $4.4 billion (€3.6 billion) listing on the New York Stock Exchange. – Additional reporting by Reuters


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Just as the Vancouver Canucks began navigating the start of NHL free agency last week, another West Coast enterprise focused on hockey was stick handling its own business affairs in anticipation of a commercial launch this fall season.
“When you think about sports tech, particularly in Canada, it’s not really that big, considering some of the other markets … particularly the U.S.,” said Adam Nathwani, chief operating officer of Coquitlam-based Drive Hockey Analytics Inc.
The B.C. startup is looking to break into the big leagues of business with its AI-powered puck- and player-tracking technology. And this past June it began tapping expertise from the Future of Sports Lab (FSL), an incubator program based at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). The virtual program is aimed at connecting early stage companies with mentors and industry contacts as well as offering insights on business practices.
“Our market is … 10 times smaller than south of us, and so for success metrics and growth, all our companies eventually have a touch point in the states,” said Cheri Bradish, FSL’s founder and managing director.
Drive Hockey is now among the increasing number of West Coast tech firms capitalizing on new forms of revenue coming from the global sports economy.
Form Athletica Inc. raised $12 million from investors at the outset of the pandemic. Best known for developing high-tech swim goggles that display swimmers’ real-time metrics, such as stroke rate, the company has been using that capital to expand into new global markets.
“When you’re just selling hardware as a company, you’re focused on generating more revenue. And in order to generate more revenue, you have to get new customers,” CEO Dan Eisenhardt told BIV last October.
The company, which manufacturers its goggles in Taiwan, has been changing its business model and moving into software-as-a-service offerings that give goggle-wearers access to a library of swimming exercises.
“It’s a more honest relationship between you and the customer because you’re getting recurring revenues from that customer,” Eisenhardt said. “They’re paying for the service that they’re consuming, so you’re reinvesting in that service.”
West Coast tech companies have also been tapping revenue potential on the entertainment side of the business.
Dapper Labs Inc. reached a reported US$7.6 billion valuation last September after announcing it had raised US$250 million from investors looking to capitalize on its non-fungible token (NFT) offerings.
Backed by blockchain, NFTs offer certification of ownership for digital assets. Dapper Labs has been facilitating millions of NFT transactions through its NBA Top Shot marketplace that sells the digital ownership of NBA video clips featuring players showcasing their athletic wizardry on the court.
And if an American were to place a bet on any of those NBA games, it’s likely another Vancouver company is helping make that happen.
Prior to a 2018 U.S. court ruling, GeoComply Solutions Inc. was best known for cybersecurity services that detect if online users are trying to mask their locations using virtual private networks. Streaming TV services, for example, would use such technology to ensure that licensing agreements were upheld within any given country.
But after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, GeoComply emerged as a billion-dollar unicorn last year as it began providing its services to American states after the door opened to legalized sports betting. Demand for its geolocation filters spiked as states had to ensure users weren’t placing bets across state lines.
And media companies such as Victoria’s STN Video Inc. – best known for delivering video sports highlights to the websites of news publications – and Vancouver’s Akshon Media Inc. have also been driving revenue primarily from American partners.
“It’s definitely a growing scene [in Vancouver],” said Akshon CEO Roger Chan, whose company provides the post-game match highlights and video content for e-sports leagues such as the Overwatch League. Last month it re-signed its deal with gaming giant Activision Blizzard Inc. and is now providing its services for the Call of Duty League.
Akshon got its start in 2016 when Chan noticed a sizable gap in the market for e-sports news and began developing more video content aimed at fans who love watching gamers compete against each other for money.
Since then, the Aquilini Group expanded its ownership beyond the Canucks and into e-sports with the launch of the Vancouver Titans in 2019 – a team of gamers in the Overwatch League.
Meanwhile, Drive Hockey looks to be using a similar playbook as Akshon’s by working to fill gaps in the marketplace.
The startup specializes in player-tracking technology using sensors, wearables and artificial intelligence to provide teams with data on players’ on-ice performances. More than 3,000 data points of information per second are collected through wearables as well as sensors installed at the facilities teams play in. The company is also working on stick sensors and hockey pucks embedded with sensors.
Players’ speed, acceleration and stopping power are among the data tracked, as well as the basics like shots on goal and turnovers.
It’s the same kind of tech deployed by professional teams, but Drive Hockey is focusing on amateur and youth hockey to fill “a pretty big gap in the marketplace” for those lacking NHL budgets, according to COO Nathwani.
“Ultimately what we’re trying to do is bring new capabilities, more tools, more resources, and put them in the hands of those who frankly didn’t have access to them before.”
Nathwani added that costs are reduced by tracking data less frequently than what’s needed at pro levels and by developing all the tech in-house.
Bradish, FSL’s managing director, said one of the reasons her incubator is eager to work with Drive Hockey is because of the latter’s focus on that underserved market.
“It creates opportunities for us to consider how we can help them grow, not only in that identified marketplace, but really sit back and think, ‘Are there other opportunities for growth?’” she said. “Ultimately, if you’re going to grow, [startups will need to] go south of the border and take advantage of the North American sport marketplace.”


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BATAVIA — Brenda Richardson’s love of the city goes back a ways.
The 1985 Oakfield-Alabama graduate did not grow up here but her late father Dan Stack was quite involved in the community. He worked for the city school district and did everything from deliver goods to maintain the football field, she said.
It’s a path Richardson, store manager at Coffee Culture, now follows.
“I have always considered Batavia my hometown,” she said. “I like to see things grow and prosper. My dad was a big part of Batavia.”
Her dedication and that of Regional Director Rob Robinson has earned them and their coffee shop the Business Improvement District “Spirit of Downtown Business Award” as a new business downtown.
That and other “Spirit” awards will be presented during a BID lunch noon Friday at City Church Generation Center on Center Street.
Coffee Culture’s site at 6 Court St. began with a search by company Vice President of Real Estate and Franchise Development Jim Geiger for an ideal locale. That was in the spring of 2009, when he contacted BID Executive Director Don Burkel to scope out suitable properties.
By December 2009 the former optical store at the corner of Court and Ellicott streets was completely renovated at a cost of over $225,000, Burkel said. Robinson and Richardson have participated in several downtown BID programs such as Jackson Square, Summer in the City, Taste of the Holidays and the Wine Walk.
This year Richardson also plans to have a booth at Cinema in the Square and the Downtown Public Market, plus continue to have a presence at Picnic in the Park and weekly concerts in Centennial Park. The business has also signed on as a sponsor of Batavia’s Peace Garden and has been chosen as “restaurant of choice” for bus tours visiting the historic West Main Street site.
“We’re getting more involved,” she said.
Described as an “ardent supporter” of downtown efforts the last 11 years, it would seem as if Sue Blanchard was ripe for the “Spirit of Downtown Business & BID Volunteer Award.”
The chief executive officer at Tonawanda Valley Credit Union has served on the BID board for more than a decade and as treasurer and “financial watchdog” for nine of those years.
She was chosen for her dedication of “endless hours” for the good of downtown Batavia. Nancy Harding, a member center manager at the Credit Union, spoke on behalf of Blanchard, who was out of the office this week.
“As a member of the board she believes in downtown Batavia and feels that our presence is important,” Harding said. “That Batavia is prosperous and well received to local and visiting people in the community.”
The Credit Union, which is also getting a nod “as a huge supporter of BID activities and programs,” helped pay for advertising for Christmas and Summer in the City events, to name a few of its endeavors.
Now that Blanchard is resigning from the BID board, she will leave behind a sorely missed vacancy, Harding said.
“She will be missed,” Harding said. “They are going to be very hard-pressed to find anybody as dedicated as she is.”
Blanchard was one of the initial founders of BID in a team of nearly a dozen other business people. She “truly exemplifies what the word volunteer means in our downtown and community,” Burkel said.
Dorian Ely is not one to take credit but to give or at least share it equally with the many volunteers who have given service for downtown events. As aging specialist at Genesee County’s Office for the Aging, Ely has been chosen to represent them all with a “Spirit of Downtown Community Volunteer Award.”
Thanks to her recruitment of senior volunteers, the BID has had volunteers to help out at Christmas in the City and at the Downtown Public Market the last five years, Burkel said.
“We are thankful to know her, both professionally and personally, because she makes working together a truly enjoyable experience,” he said.
Likewise, Ely has been happy to have the kind of job that connects her to “talented volunteers” for downtown efforts, she said, especially the market.
“Don Burkel and Tony Condello are always great to work with and I am grateful that they have given me the opportunity to be part of something which contributes in a positive fashion to the health of our community,” she said. “To me, the Spirit of Downtown means having a recognition of the importance of shopping locally and supporting the efforts which draw people to the very center of our community. It has been a joy to see the look of our streetscape become more appealing with time and wonderful to have quality goods and services available so close to home.”


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Ok Apple fans, take a deep breath. Now take another one. Apple’s huge WWDC 2015 keynote is over and done with, and you can finally take a moment to gather yourself and collect your thoughts. There were plenty of rumors heading into this year’s event and as always, they nailed just about everything Apple announced on stage during its presentation. The real fun is in the details though, and we can take some time to digest them all now that everything has been flushed out.
In this post, you’ll find links to our coverage containing everything you need to know about all the announcements Apple made during its big WWDC 2015 keynote.
DON’T MISS: The 5 best new features in iOS 9
First up, everything you need to know about the next version of OS X, dubbed OS X El Capitan.
Then Apple unveiled the future of the iPhone when it debuted iOS 9 — here are all the details.
After that, Apple showed us exciting new features in Apple Pay, before unveiling awesome new multitasking support for the iPad.
Then, of course, we saw watchOS 2, which will dramatically improve the Apple Watch experience.
And finally, Apple’s bid to regain all the ground it lost in the music streaming space was unveiled: Apple Music.
For some bonus coverage, here’s a thorough list of the 5 best new features in iOS 9.
For the rest of the news from Apple’s WWDC 2015 keynote, visit our WWDC 2015 hub!


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A security researcher gained access to a database holding information on millions of users of the often-criticized MacKeeper Mac OS X utility program, after a simple Internet search highlighted the developer’s misconfigured MongoDB server, developer Kromtech acknowledged on Dec. 14.
Researcher Chris Vickery notified the firm after he used the Shodan port-scanning service to find MongoDB servers with unsecured ports. Kromtech’s database was among the identified insecure servers. The database stores customers’ names, purchased products, license information and user credentials, including hashed passwords, Kromtech stated in a blog post on its MacKeeper site.
Kromtech thanked Vickery for privately disclosing the issue, and locked down the port
“We fixed this error within hours of the discovery,” the company said in the alert about the issue. “Analysis of our data storage system shows only one individual gained access … [an act] performed by the security researcher himself.”
Vickery searched for the default port used by MondoDB using the Shodan service and then identified the owners of the IP addresses. Shodan regularly scans the Internet for open ports, signs that a program is waiting to communicate with the outside world. Unsophisticated users, or misconfigured servers, can often expose insecure ports to the Internet.
The dead-simple breach highlights the danger posed by databases directly connected to the Internet, among them tens of thousands of MongoDB databases. Anyone knowing the databases’ Internet addresses can gain access to more than 680 terabytes of data on 35,000 servers, according to an analysis by Shodan founder John Matherly. Digital Ocean and Amazon host the large numbers of vulnerable MongoDB servers according to the analysis.
Previously, “it looked like the misconfiguration problem might solve itself due to the new defaults that MongoDB started shipping with,” he wrote. “That doesn’t appear to be the case based on the new information. It could be that users are upgrading their instances but using their existing, insecure configuration files.”
Matherly stressed that the misconfiguration issue does not just affect MongoDB servers but also many other types of databases.
Security firm Rapid7, which has found a plethora of insecure devices by scanning the Internet, agreed that database servers should be cordoned off from the Internet. At the very least, administrators should block the communications port used by MongoDB from being accessed from the Internet, Tod Beardsley, security research manager at Rapid7, told eWEEK.
“The lesson is don’t expose your databases to the Internet,” he said. “There is not a whole lot of utility for it, and I cannot think of any legitimate reason to do it.”
Kromtech assured customers that the data exposed by the misconfigured database did not include financial details.
“All customer credit card and payment information is processed by a third party merchant and was never at risk,” the company stated. “Billing information is not transmitted or stored on any of our servers.”
MacKeeper is a system cleaning and maintenance application that has garnered a great deal of criticism over the years for causing instability and for the developer’s marketing tactics. In a previous interview, however, Jeremiah Fowler, a spokesperson for Kromtech, has argued that the product has been the target of smear campaigns.


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How Reddit’s aviator wallet can make you smarter about saving your money
Reddit is the internet’s gold standard for online financial planning.
The platform has a vast array of financial tools, which are often hard to find.
But a few months ago, Reddit rolled out a new wallet that allowed users to track their savings, manage their finances and even invest in new products.
“If you want to save for the future and save for retirement, Reddit is probably your best bet,” said one Reddit user.
The Redditor who posted the video said he wanted to show off the new wallet because he was “lucky to be able to save up for a new laptop” and wanted to use the money to buy the best PC.
“It’s so easy, I’m not even sure I need to use it,” he said.
“But I want to show people how easy it is to save money and how easy investing can be.”
Reddit’s Aviator wallet has the ability to track your savings and manage your finances.
(Reddit)The Reddit user also shared the wallet on Reddit to let other people know how easy and quick the wallet was to use.
The Reddit thread has been shared more than 4,500 times and received more than 2,000 comments.
Reddit user @chuckm_c wrote that “the Reddit Aviator Wallet has been a godsend for me, saving my money, and my life”.
He also shared his Reddit wallet details.
The wallet is a good choice for those looking to save and invest in a new PC and a laptop, Reddit user @gawkerpaul wrote.
“I have no plans to spend any money on a new computer and I’ve already invested a little bit into a few things,” he wrote.
“I’ll be saving about $600 and getting a little over $2,000 back in my savings in a few years.”
Reddit users are also excited to learn that Reddit offers a discount on the new Reddit Avios wallet.


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On Saturday, Disney's Marvel Studios announced its upcoming slate of superhero films during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con.Entertainmentread more
If there's one indicator India's e-commerce sector is on fire – here it is.
Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, the co-founders of India's largest e-commerce firm Flipkart debuted on Forbes billionaire list on Wednesday, each boasting a personal fortune of $1.3 billion.
Taking the 86th spot, the Bansal duo are the first billionaires to be minted in India's e-commerce boom, according to Forbes.
While they share the same last name, Sachin and Binny are not brothers. The business partners met while studying at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and later became colleagues at Amazon before launching their e-commerce venture in 2007.
Flipkart, which is reportedly preparing for an initial public offering (IPO), is valued at $15.2 billion, according to Business Standard.
"This year's list reflects the churn in the global economy and the growing clout of emerging sectors like e-commerce in India," said Sourav Majumdar, editor at Forbes India.
The Bansals were two of 12 new faces on Forbes' India Rich List this year. Dubai-based Sunil Vaswani of the Stallion Group – a conglomerate with business presence in the West Africa – was the wealthiest newcomer, entering the ranking in the 48th spot with a net worth of $2 billion.
Another notable debutant was airline veteran and co-founder of IndiGo Rakesh Gangwal, in 70th place with $1.6 billion.
"While the overall wealth of India's wealthiest has remained by and large constant, the democratization of wealth within the list continues," Majumdar said. "Overall, the list reflects the changes in India's economy, and the resilience of Indian enterprise despite continuing uncertainties in some sectors," he said.
There were few changes at the very top of the rich list. Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani retained his crown as India's richest person for the ninth consecutive year despite a drop of $4.7 billion in his net worth driven in part by a fall in the company's share price.
Shares of Reliance Industries have declined almost 5 percent so far this year as lower crude prices weigh on the oil and petrochemicals giant. Nevertheless, Ambani's personal fortune totaled $18.9 billion.
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Dilip Shanghvi and IT services firm Wipro chairman Azim Premji remained in the second and third spot, respectively.
Cyrus Poonawalla, who recently set a new property record in Mumbai with his purchase of a $110 million heritage mansion in the city, was the biggest gainer on the list. He placed in the 9th spot with a net worth of $7.9 billion.


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PODCAST: Time for a Toddcast - Todd Thurman of SwineTex Consulting
This week on Market Digest we are joined by founder and consultant Todd Thurman of SwineTex Consulting. Laura and Todd speak about African swine fever in China, the state of...
ANALYSIS: Update on German Pork Exports in Wake of ASF Outbreak
African Swine Fever case counts in Germany have exceeded 200, according to some sources. Since finding the first case of ASF on...
National Pork Board Study Outlines Opportunities to Diversify Pork Exports
As U.S. pork exports continue to break records in 2020, new reports from the National Pork Board demonstrate opportunities that may diversify U.S. pork exports in Vietnam and the Philippines. The reports also show how African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks in Asia have impacted both countries’ pork industries and related supply chains.
The two new pork market assessments were prepared by Gira, a global research firm, with funding from the Pork Checkoff and the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Emerging Markets Program. They share critical insights on...
APHIS Announces $14.4 Million in Farm Bill Funding to Protect Animal Health
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is awarding $14.4 million to 76 projects with states, universities, and other partners to strengthen our programs to protect animal health.
This critical funding supports projects focused on increasing practical livestock biosecurity measures or advancing rapid depopulation and disposal abilities to be used during...
Changed Beef Consumption Habits Following COVID-19 Create Opportunities
The global Covid-19 pandemic and African swine fever (ASF) have changed beef consumption patterns through 2020. While total beef consumption has not seen too much change, we have seen distribution channels change, benefiting some at the expense of others. As the impacts of ASF are overcome and disruptions from Covid-19 subside, old distribution channels will recover.
“It is likely that many consumers will revert to their previous habits, but we do see opportunities for...
Rabobank Global Animal Protein Outlook 2021: Emerging From a World of Uncertainty
After a year full of uncertainties, global animal protein is expected to rise again, as it looks for opportunities.
In 2021, Rabobank anticipates production growth in most regions, with the biggest change taking place in Asia, where the impacts of African swine fever (ASF) are fading. Pork is expected to lead that growth – with a gradual recovery process, as ASF is still active. Poultry and aquaculture are also forecast to grow, followed by beef. Wild-catch seafood, however, is expected to decline.
Global animal protein trade continues to create areas of opportunity and risk, with China...
National Pork Board Launches AgView, A Tool to Help Protect from Foreign Animal Disease Fallout
The National Pork Board announced the launch of AgView, a technology solution to help the U.S. pork industry respond faster than ever before possible in the event of a foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak. The web-based tool will allow participating producers to easily share their farm’s FAD status updates and pig movement data with state animal health officials. The opt-in, no-fee technology – funded by the Pork Checkoff – will allow for contact-tracing of infected animals to help rapidly contain or regionalize a potential FAD outbreak.
While any FAD outbreak on even a single farm would be devastating, the potential collective losses are staggering. According to a recent study from Iowa State University, an outbreak of...
FAO and OIE Kickstart Global Initiative to Stop Spread of Deadly Pig Disease
As African swine fever (ASF) marches swiftly across countries affecting food security and livelihoods of some of the world's most vulnerable populations, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) are calling on all nations and partners to join forces to keep this deadly pig disease at bay under a new initiative.
The Global Control of ASF Initiative, recently launched under the GF-TADs umbrella, supports actors at every level to coordinate and strengthen control measures to minimise the impact of this complex and challenging disease.
Bringing together governments, industry and specialists, FAO and OIE will present...
Rabobank: Pork Quarterly Q4 2020: Export Concentration a Potential Long-Term Risk
Global pork demand rebounded following Covid-19 disruption in most geographies, yet supply remains constrained in many Asian markets. This imbalance continues to support strong export demand from the rest of the world, resulting in sharply higher pork values.
Globally, processors’ ability to respond also remains constrained by labor availability, which limits packer capacity and efficiency. In Europe, new African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks add further limitations. “Hog producers face a challenging outlook, given rising feed costs, weaker economic trends, and slower export growth as China...
China and Japan Suspend Pork Imports from Germany Following African Swine Fever Case
According to the German Food and Agriculture Ministry, China and Japan have suspended imports of pork and live pigs from Germany after a case of African swine fever was confirmed in a wild boar near the Polish border in the eastern state of Brandenburg, Germany. This comes as South Korea banned imports of German pork last week.
Pork imports of 40,230 tons from Germany last year accounted for about 3.3% of Japan's total imports of pork, the ministry reported. Japan did not import any live pigs last year, down from six in 2018. China's ban on imports comes as the country deals with its own spread of the disease. German pork exports to China total about...
WH Group Announces 2020 Interim Results
WH Group Limited announced the unaudited consolidated interim results of the Company and its subsidiaries for the six months ended June 30, 2020.
• Revenue increased by 12.2% to US$12,481 million• Operating profit increased by 20.9% to US$925 million• Profit attributable to owners of the Company, before biological fair valueadjustments, increased by...
PODCAST: Calling All Pork People - ASF, Retail Demand, Exports, and More
In this week's segment Russell Barton discusses retail demand, slaughter, exports, African Swine Fever, and COVID-19...
ANALYSIS: Pork 2020 Comparison
The first half of 2020 was highly volatile in the pork market due to a myriad of factors. While cases of ASF continued to be reported across several...
Charoen Pokphand Foods Maintains Strict Preventive Measures Against ASF and COVID-19
Charoen Pokphand Foods PLC (CPF) will keep in place its strict preventive measures against African Swine Flu (ASF) in pigs and novel coronavirus (COVID-19) despite a low level of domestic transmission. Having been organized is employee training on New Normal farming that will concurrently protect both pigs and human and sustainably assure food safety for consumers.
Dr. Damnoen Chaturavittawong (D.V.M), Senior Vice President of Swine Veterinary Service Department at CPF, said that strict animal and human disease control measures have been continually practiced at the Company for both livestock and aquaculture businesses, as required by international standards. In the outbreak of ASF epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic, additional stringent measures and guidelines have been...
COVID-19 Overshadows African Swine Fever, but ASF’s Influence Prevails
African swine fever remains the dominant issue in global animal protein – as it has been since 2018. But COVID-19 further distorts the outlook, constraining production, consumption, and trade.
ASF is still the major influence on global pork markets, and it continues to impact pig herds and restrict pork production in China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and parts of eastern Europe. As Rabobank does not anticipate an effective vaccine against ASF to be commercially available in 2020, biosecurity measures remain the most effective defense.
Herd recovery is underway in China, and has been proceeding faster than expected, but a further significant drop in...
Cargill Survey: At-Home Learning is Changing Parents Buying Habits as School Meals Off the Table
Current Restaurant Restrictions and Capacity By State
Urner Barry Releases January Soy and Wheat Protein Report
Meat and Poultry Worker COVID-19 Case Rates Five Times Lower in December than May
Urner Barry Expands Lamb Price Coverage with New Imported Market Report
URNER BARRY INDICES


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David Tutera, wedding planner extraordinaire and host of WE TV's "My Fair Wedding," says the current economy has caused an upswing in "do-it-yourself brides."
"Couples are finding a way to get the wedding of their dreams without spending big bucks," Tutera said in an email interview with the Times Free Press.
How to create a fabulous, personalized wedding on a budget will be Tutera's topic Sunday when the TV personality makes a guest appearance at Formal Affair.
The annual bridal expo sponsored by the Times Free Press offers engaged couples one-stop shopping to create their dream wedding. Brides-to-be can visit with 160 wedding-industry vendors in one convenient location at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
Each vendor will be registering guests for giveaways in addition to five grand prizes that will be awarded at 5:15 p.m. Registrants must be present to win, said Lyndsi Sebastian, Times Free Press marketing manager.
The grand prizes include a Cancun honeymoon, courtesy of Choo Choo Travel; $500 gift certificate from Flowers by Gil & Curt; weekend getaway in a 2012 Jaguar from Jaguar of Chattanooga; one-day venue rental at The Renaissance Center; and a gift certificate for a man's tungsten carbide wedding band from Kennedy Jewelry.
Piece-a-Cake Bakery, Sisted Bakery and Bi-Lo will vie for the title of Chattanooga Cake Ace. This year's contestants will compete to have the best groom's cake. Formal Affair visitors will be able to sample their work at the bakeries' expo booths. Sebastian said a new feature of the cake competition will allow visitors to vote for their favorite cake for a People's Choice Award.
Following Tutera's program at 3:30 p.m., a fashion show of coming trends in bridal formalwear will be presented by participating expo vendors at 4:30.
Tickets bought online at timesfreepress.com before Sunday receive a $2 discount. Tickets at the door are $10.


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Halfords is pushing its leisure range of ‘staycation’ holiday essentials with the launch of a a nostalgic summer TV ad campaign tonight, May 16.
Halfords’ ad depict a family holidaying in the UK at present – a trend in the continuing economic downturn - and makes comparisons with a family in the 1970s who have also gone back to basics by taking their vacation at home.
The ad uses the strapline ‘The best trips last a lifetime’ and centres on Halfords’ camping and cycling summer holiday essentials, including bikes, tents, roof boxes and cycle carriers.
Halfords chief executive David Wild said: “The ad is designed to evoke our customers’ happiest childhood memories and portray Halfords as the gateway to enjoying the great outdoors with their family and friends.
“Our products and services are designed to ensure our customers have everything they need for their great getaways.So we want to remind people of the part Halfords has played in their holidays and how we can help again this summer.”


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Amanda Seyfried spot for Jaeger-LeCoultre‘s Ad commercial on TV 2022. Jaeger-LeCoultre is celebrating the launch of its newest Rendez-Vous Dazzling with Amanda Seyfried’s campaign. see the images below.
The campaign is titled “In Pursuit of Chance” campaign, a poetic journey through the stars with Seyfried.
“I see a parallel in my own life,” Ms. Seyfried said in a statement. “To me, shooting stars can symbolize change and give us hope.
The Rendez-Vous collection price ranges from $7,850-$97,500.


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A retail food store in the eastern part of the city is closing. The C’ville Market on Carlton Road will shut down May 31st. The store’s wholesale partner, Cavalier Produce, will move into the space. .
Virginia's middle linebacker earns weekly ACC honor.
The federal appeals court in New York will hear the NFL's appeal of the lifting of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's four-game suspension in the "Deflategate" controversy.
Entries at daily fantasy sports site FanDuel's NFL contests have fallen sharply since New York's attorney general declared the games to be illegal gambling in the state and the company stopped taking money from New Yorkers.


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Stitch Fix’s fiscal third-quarter success may explain the uptick in millennial guys who’ve branched out from wearing blue shirts and red shorts exclusively.
In an upbeat Wednesday earnings report, the online personal styling service posted $184 million in quarterly profit on $409 million in revenue (which climbed 29.1% annually). Active clients also increased 17% to 3.1 million.
Stitch Fix’s stock has been on a tear ever since the report, closing up nearly 15% Thursday. Thank CEO Katrina Lake’s overall genius and the company’s latest hit:
It’s raining men
In its letter to shareholders, Stitch Fix attributed explosive growth in part to the “increasing scale” of its men’s offerings. In the past year, the company…
- Increased its men’s assortment in customer-requested areas like activewear and suiting.
- Upped its “Exclusive Brands” portfolio to offer 10 in-house collections.
- Stocked the men’s assortment in a third U.S. warehouse, “improving shipping costs and benefiting gross margins.”
Looking ahead…Stitch Fix’s slogan may as well read “always be scaling.” It’s already working on amplifying its new kids and U.K. divisions with the same strategies it used for men’s.


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Generics improve access to care, combat rising costs
Few factors have played as significant a role in helping curb healthcare costs over the past decade as generic drugs, a report released by the Generic Pharmaceutical Association showed.
(To view the full Category Review, click here.)
The report, prepared for GPhA for the seventh straight year by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, shows that since 2005 generics have saved patients $1.68 trillion. In 2014 alone, the report noted, generic drugs trimmed more than $254 billion from healthcare spending. Slightly more than one-third of those savings were from generics taken by people ages 65 years and older.
“This new report reinforces that generic drugs are a critical part of any solution to rising costs for patients, payers and for the entire healthcare system,” GPhA president and CEO Chip Davis said. “Safe, effective and more affordable generic medicines mean increased access for the millions who rely on these life-saving therapies.”
According to the IMS report, 88% of all prescriptions in the United States are filled with generics. However, these lower-cost alternatives to branded drugs account for only 28% of pharmaceutical spending.
Davis said these savings are particularly relevant given lawmakers’ efforts to lower the costs of federal and state health programs.
“As policy-makers look for solutions to rising healthcare costs, we look forward to working with Congress, the FDA, the patient and provider communities, and stakeholders from all corners of the supply chain to embrace policies that support generic manufacturers’ ability to provide this remarkable level of savings,” he said.
The savings that generics can provide federal and state programs are already apparent, the report found, noting that Medicare saved $76.1 billion in 2014 by using generics. That figure, Davis said, translates into an average of $1,923 for every person enrolled in the program. For the joint state and federal Medicaid program, the 2014 savings amounted to $33.5 billion, or $479 per enrollee.
The IMS report also noted that generics provided significant savings across a wide range of therapeutic classes. For example, it said patients saved $38 billion by using generics to treat mental health conditions, while $27.9 billion were saved with generic hypertension drugs and $26.8 billion were trimmed from spending on medications to manage or lower cholesterol levels.
“It is evident that annual spending on many medication classes would soar in the absence of generic competition,” said IMS Institute executive director Murray Aiken. “This underscores the need to sustain the generic drug industry and actively pursue policies that support or grow, rather than undermine, patient and health system savings from generic drugs.”
This year’s report marked the first time that IMS has included state-by-state savings from generics in its GPhA report. Generics had the greatest impact on per capita Medicaid spending in Kentucky, West Virginia, Maine, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
CMS pilot extended to Part D MTM in 2017
A new, long-term pilot program from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, set to launch in 11 states in January 2017, will gauge the effectiveness of an Enhanced Medication Therapy Management model.
(To view the full Category Review, click here.)
The program will include sweetened payments and other incentives to the Part D plans that “offer innovative MTM programs, aimed at improving the quality of care while also reducing costs,” according to CMS. The agency called the five-year effort to boost MTM services and evaluate their impact on patient outcomes and costs part of its “better care, smarter spending, healthier people approach to improving health delivery.”
Five Part D regions will participate in the pilot, encompassing 11 states, including Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming.
The long-term goal, according to CMS, is “to test whether providing Part D sponsors with additional payment incentives and regulatory flexibilities will engender enhancements in the MTM program, leading to improved therapeutic outcomes, while reducing net Medicare expenditures.”
CMS called the program “an opportunity for stand-alone basic Part D plans to right-size their investments in MTM services, identify and implement innovative strategies to optimize medication use, improve care coordination and strengthen system linkages.”
In a statement aimed at Medicare beneficiaries, CMS urged seniors to take advantage of MTM services if they’re offered by their Part D drug plan. Among the benefits “a pharmacist or other health professional” can provide through MTM, the agency tells beneficiaries, and “a comprehensive review of all your medications,” as well as counseling on:
- How to get the most benefit from the drugs you take
- Any concerns you have, like medication costs and drug reactions
- How best to take your medications
- Any questions or problems you have about your prescription and over-the-counter medication.
MTM also includes “a written summary of this discussion, including an action plan that recommends what you can do to make the best use of your medications,” CMS reports, as well as “a personal medication list that will include all the medications you’re taking and why you take them.”
Investing in pharmacy services
One factor behind CMS’ more aggressive push to promote a more hands-on, direct style of care for Medicare patients is the relatively sluggish adoption of the MTM concept by Part D prescription drug plans, according to Larry Kocot, former VP government affairs for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, and currently head of KPMG’s new Center for Healthcare Regulatory Insight within its Healthcare and Life Sciences Practice.
“For a variety of reasons, MTM has not realized its potential in Medicare Part D,” Kocot told DSN. “Most Part D sponsors do not view MTM activities as central to their patient care strategies because incentives are not aligned sufficiently to drive them to look beyond MTM as a program requirement.”
“Indeed, MTM in Part D is currently included as an ‘administrative cost’ within Part D bids,” Kocot added. “As a result, plans actually have an incentive to economize on MTM to control costs, rather than invest in MTM to optimize therapy. By realigning the incentives and paying plans for MTM outside of the bid, CMS is trying to unleash the potential for advances in MTM to more directly benefit beneficiaries and the Medicare program.”
To spur innovation, improve long-term patient outcomes and encourage adoption of MTM, said Kocot, “the first step is to realign the incentives.” CMS’ new pilot program, he said “will test whether the incentives are sufficient to achieve the goals of the program.”
“The exciting part of this demonstration model is that CMS will be developing direct and useful evidence to apply to continually improve the program,” he noted. “With incentives realigned and plan sponsors leveraging the important role of pharmacists within the program, MTM may actually become a cornerstone of the Medicare Part D benefit.”
Pharmacy groups quickly embraced CMS’ plan. “NACDS and our allies know that MTM can go a long way toward helping patients get and stay healthy, and toward addressing the $290 billion in annual costs that are associated with not taking medications as prescribed,” said Steve Anderson, president and CEO of NACDS. “That is why NACDS is advocating for the Medication Therapy Management Act [S. 776], and … for MTM programs in the Affordable Care Act.”
“We want to identify exactly how this fits into a comprehensive vision to help patients benefit from MTM — particularly those patients who have the most to gain from improved medication use,” Anderson added.
The renewed impetus for pharmacist-provided MTM services comes amid growing support in Congress for a higher level of pharmacy-based patient care, according to the Patient Access to Pharmacists’ Care Coalition, an advocacy group whose members include NACDS, the National Community Pharmacists Association, the American Pharmacists Association and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations. That support is seen in the steady rise in the number of lawmakers who have added their names to the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act (S. 314/H.R. 592), a piece of legislation that would expand Medicare beneficiary access to pharmacist-provided patient care services in medically underserved communities.
“Cosponsorship in the House of Representatives recently eclipsed 230, confirming that a majority of House members recognize the value that pharmacists can play in providing healthcare services to underserved communities throughout the nation,” PAPCC reported in early November. “The Senate’s support is also strong, with cosponsorship now equaling 33 [senators].”
Prescription home delivery service options increase
The advent of online shopping and the proliferation of mobile apps across a wide range of businesses has led consumers across the country to expect companies that provide them with goods and services to deliver products to their door.
(To view the full Category Review, click here.)
While Amazon has set the standard for this new way of shopping — offering same-day delivery of thousands of items in some markets for Amazon Prime members — a handful of smaller companies are beginning to explore ways to deliver prescriptions.
Major pharmacy chains like Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS/pharmacy and a host of others have offered home delivery in some markets for several years, and independents across the country tout such services as one of the factors that set them apart from their competitors. However, the most recent entries in the prescription delivery business have upped the ante, promising patients quicker service that fits their schedule.
In New York City, for example, Zipdrug, a startup that debuted in July, is offering on-demand prescription delivery from any pharmacy in Manhattan and expects to widen its reach in the New York area by the end of the year, as well as start exploring other markets in 2016. The company uses HIPAA-trained, background-checked and drug-screened messengers to ensure patients’ privacy and safety.
Zipdrug founder Stuart Libby told Drug Store News earlier this year that his service takes the guess work out of prescription delivery, bolstering retailers’ reputations and driving patient adherence.
“Instead of sending out a messenger where you don’t know what time the medications will arrive — if they did arrive — and there’s a paper confirmation from the patient, we digitize all of that and make it really easy, accountable and transparent, which ultimately will lower costs and help increase adherence for pharmacies,” he said. “Waiting for your prescription medication shouldn’t be like waiting for your cable installation. It should have a precise time that you know it comes.”
Meanwhile, in San Francisco, two companies — ScriptDash and TinyRx — offer slightly different forms of prescription delivery.
ScriptDash bills itself as an actual pharmacy that provides free on-demand delivery to a home or office within two hours of receiving the patient’s prescription. TinyRx is more of a traditional delivery service, partnering with independent pharmacies to bring medications to patients’ doors. The company said it uses a prescription coupon index to ensure that patients pay the lowest price for their medicines.
“Even with insurance, we often save customers hundreds of dollars per year,” TinyRx said on its website.
As the demand for home delivery increases, systems and software suppliers have begun exploring ways to help community pharmacies incorporate these services into their everyday offerings.
Earlier this year, for example, QS/1 released QS/1 Delivery-Rx, an Apple iPad application for prescription medication delivery that does not require an Internet connection or cellular signal.
Market analyst Justin Buckland said the app — designed to work with the company’s NRx Pharmacy Management System and Point-of-Sale software — lets pharmacies download transactions, capture signatures, accept payments and allow deliveries from multiple stores.
“Customer service is the backbone of independent pharmacies,” he said when the app was rolled out in October. “This new app allows pharmacies to show their commitment to top-notch customer service and place themselves ahead of the competition.”
While it was originally developed for retail pharmacies, Buckland said QS/1 is looking at modifying QS/1 DeliveryRx so it can be used in long-term care pharmacies, as well.
Solutions like this, he said, are the first steps in what many see as the next wave of innovation in pharmacy technology, as retailers look to keep up with customer demands for new options and a more comprehensive pharmacy offering.
“I expect it to be a huge resource for local pharmacies as it makes it much easier to manage the delivery process,” Buckland said. “I expect some pharmacies to take advantage of it as part of their customer service.”


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HORROR VIDEO GAME SERIES RESIDENT EVIL COMPLETES INTENSELY TERRIFYING LINEUP FOR
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO’S HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS 23
Nation’s Best Halloween Event to Feature Eight All-New Haunted Houses,
Outrageous Shows and Horrifying, New Street Experience
This fall, Universal Orlando Resort will transform reality into a surreal fight for survival as the critically-acclaimed survival horror video game series Resident Evil becomes a haunted house at Halloween Horror Nights 23.
This completes this year’s lineup for Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 23, which will feature some of the most outrageously terrifying, highly-recognizable names in entertainment and pop culture. In addition to Resident Evil, the event will also include haunted houses based on AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” Mexican urban legend La Llorona and critically acclaimed horror films “Evil Dead,” “An American Werewolf in London” and “The Cabin in the Woods.” Universal Orlando is also dedicating its entire Halloween Horror Nights street experience to “The Walking Dead” – making this the first time ever that all of the scare zones throughout the park will be themed after a hit television series.
For Resident Evil, Universal’s Entertainment team collaborated with the video game creators at Capcom to create a horrifyingly authentic haunted house based on some of the popular video games from the Resident Evil series. Guests will become desperate survivors inside the viral catastrophe, Raccoon City. As they journey through the city, they’ll encounter vicious characters from the games such as Lickers, bloodthirsty zombies, packs of Cerberuses and even Nemesis himself. Fans will be completely transported inside the video game realm – to the extent that one room in the haunted house will appear as if an action-packed fight scene is paused, as if the gamer has taken a quick break before returning to the horror of Raccoon City.
The Resident Evil franchise is now firmly established as a mainstay of contemporary culture with blockbuster live action movies, CG anime, manga, novels and numerous merchandising lines being produced alongside the videogame series. To date, the Resident Evil series of videogames has achieved global sales of more than 57 million units.
“It’s such a great delight to work with Universal on a haunted house based on the Resident Evil games,” said Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, Producer of Resident Evil 6. “The games have become synonymous with survival horror and we look forward to delivering a new way for consumers to experience the Resident Evil world we have created in the haunted house at Halloween Horror Nights.”
“Resident Evil is a perfect final addition to Halloween Horror Nights 23,” said Michael Aiello, Creative Director for Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights. “We were able to create incredibly elaborate sets that plant you right in the midst of Raccoon City’s apocalyptic nightmare, along with terrifying adversaries that will send them running.”
For a detailed listing of each experience featured at this year’s event, see below.
Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 23 will take place select nights from Sept. 20 to Nov. 2. Tickets and vacation packages are on sale now and can be purchased at Halloweenhorrornights.com/orlando. For details on special Florida resident offers, please see below. Due to the event’s popularity, tickets for weekend nights are expected to sell out and should be purchased well in advance.Follow us for more updates:


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Early Times Report
JAMMU, June 5: In order to curb GST evasion and check its compliance, a team of State Taxes Department (STD) Jammu today inspected several markets in Jammu city here. The team was headed by Rifat Kohli, Additional Commissioner, State Taxes (Administration & Enforcement) and it comprised State Taxes Officers, Inspectors, Sub-Inspectors and other officials.
The team inspected shops at Chowk Chabutra, Pacca Danga, Shalamar Road, City Chowk, Residency Road, Jewel Chowk, and other areas. The drive was conducted after complaints that many traders are not issuing invoices to customers and are evading GST. During the drive, on spot directions were issued to the traders to maintain their purchase & sales bills properly. Record of some shopkeepers were seized for scrutiny and further course of action under norms was initiated. The Additional Commissioner stated that such drive would help in raising the compliance and also help in expanding the GST base particularly to bring under the ambit of GST those dealers who are suppressing their sales and are deliberately avoiding to come under GST.


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Jerusalem: The Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated on Tuesday that Israeli businesses operating in the occupied West Bank drive human rights violations by helping to fund, serve and build illegal settlements, Anadolu Agency reported.
In a 162-page report, HRW called on Israeli businesses to stop engaging with settlements “in order to comply with their human rights responsibilities”.
Israeli businesses benefit from a “two-tier” system that applies military law to Palestinians in the West Bank, but not to Israelis.
“Settlement businesses unavoidably contribute to Israeli policies that dispossess and harshly discriminate against Palestinians, while profiting from Israel’s theft of Palestinian land and other resources”, Arvind Ganesan, HRW's director of the business and human rights division, said in a statement.
The report said that Israeli businesses have a larger impact on the West Bank than the actual settlements by operating in around 20 industrial zones that heavily use natural resources like land, water and minerals, which diverts the resources from Palestinians in the West Bank.
“The bottom line is no settlement business should be operating and profiting from land and resources illegally taken from the Palestinian people”, said Ganesan.
The HRW report also cited the World Bank's estimation that the Palestinian economy loses $3.4 billion annually due to Israeli restrictions on Palestinian businesses in parts of the West Bank, under Israeli control as part of the 1993 Oslo accords.
A 2011 report by the Palestinian economy ministry estimated that the Palestinian economy loses a total of $7 billion through restrictions on businesses, workers and trade because of the occupation of the West Bank and the blockade of Gaza.
Last year, Israel reacted angrily to EU guidelines on specifically labeling goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, claiming it would bar the EU from participating in any peace talks between Israel and Palestine.
The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, taking almost a third of all Israeli exports in 2014 according to EU figures, but Israel claimed that the decision to label settlement products was motivated by campaigns to boycott Israeli businesses.


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Amid the crackdown against channels and independent content creators dubbed by YouTube to be promoting extreme views and ideas, and the subsequent uproar it caused by many who fear that the global tech giant’s (YouTube is owned by Google) decision might result in censoring legitimate conservative and right-wing voices, Jordan Peterson, a high profile Canadian professor of clinical psychology and staunch advocate of free speech, announced he will be launching a social media website alongside Dave Rubin and other key figures. Peterson says the site will have strong free speech policies, and the announcement is quite timely in light of the new Pinterest censorship scandal.
The project is in a beta stage, with more details expected soon. As it explains on its sigh up page: “thinkspot is a collaborative community where individuals can explore and exchange ideas in a thoughtful and respectful manner. The platform is an intellectual playground for censorship-free discourse”
Peterson made the announcement Monday morning on Twitter, stating, “Per the Joe Rogan podcast this week, I’m backing a new platform called thinkspot, currently in Beta. Get on the waitlist here, exciting announcements coming very soon. Thinkspot.com”
Peterson and other thinkers within the “intellectual dark web” have played with this idea for a while. The intellectual dark web includes an interesting variety of thinkers, ranging from atheist Sam Harris to Ben Shapiro, an Orthodox Jew. It also includes right-of-center figures such as PayPal founder Peter Thiel and left-of-center figures such as professors Bret and Eric Weinstein.
According to Peterson, who has over two million subscribers on his YouTube channel and saw his self-help book titled “12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos” become a global best-seller, the platform won’t voluntarily ban any users.
“Once you’re on our platform we won’t take you down unless we’re ordered to by a U.S. court of law,” he said. Thinkspot will also differ from standard social media platforms by requiring comments at least 50 words long in an attempt to elevate the level of public discourse. “You’re gonna have to put a little thought into it,” Peterson said.
The relevance of Peterson’s announcement is highlighted by this week’s Pinterest controversy, as Pinterest banned the pro-life organisation Live Action after falsely accusing the group of “spreading misinformation” and classifying their content as porn, according to leaked documents.
more at washingtonexaminer.com


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The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, on Monday, raised the alarm that their findings showed that the price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, had risen to as high as N650/litre in some locations.
It said this was due to the prolonged scarcity of the commodity, which grew worse in Abuja and many parts of the country on Monday, as it called on the Federal Government to start revoking the licenses of oil marketers involved in the hoarding of PMS.
This came as our correspondent gathered that the 14-man steering committee on petroleum products supply and distribution management that was recently approved and constituted by the Federal Government to halt the prolonged scarcity of petrol, had not been inaugurated.
The committee, which has its Chairman as the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), was announced last week Tuesday by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva.
“The committee has not been inaugurated and it cannot start its work without proper inauguration. This is because its chairman has been travelling around lately,” an impeccable source at the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, who pleaded not to be named due to lack of authorisation, stated.
On the scarcity of petrol nationwide, PENGASSAN stated that it had been following up with it members at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited who were responsible for assigning the products to marketers.
It said it was also following up with its members from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority in various depots and terminals, responsible for issuing cargo clearance, monitoring compliance, routing inspection, metering calibration/maintenance, accurate delivery to trucks, record keeping, etc, on the need to carry out their functions expeditiously.
“While we understand that the parameters imputed into the old PPPRA and now NMDPRA template has since changed because of some economic vagaries such as exchange rate fluctuation, vessel hiring cost and cost of diesel, among others, there is no sufficient justification for petrol to be selling for such highly inflated price, thereby subjecting the masses to further difficulties,” the association stated in a statement jointly signed by its President, Festus Osifo, and Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa.
It added, “Even though we have some good marketers who tend to play by the rules, others who are overbearing have deployed methods of creating artificial scarcities in other to hike the price of the product uncontrollably, as the prices of the product now sells between N185 to N650 depending on your location and outlet.”
The union stated that from data available to PENGASSAN from its members, there was over 30 days PMS sufficiency across the country, hence there was no basis for the current scarcity and hardship that Nigerians were being subjected to.
“We hereby call on the management of NMDPRA to compel all marketers and retailers to make the products available at approved price.
“They should immediately mobilise all their staff in various locations across the country to monitor compliance and anyone found wanting, should have their licence revoked to serve as deterrent,” the association stated.
It continued, “Should this collusion go on unchecked, we will not hesitate to partner with other stakeholders in ensuring that Nigerians are not further exploited. A stitch in time saves nine.”
Meanwhile, PENGASAN empathised with Nigerians on the hardship currently faced with the scarcity and drastic hike in the price of PMS.


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Bates 141 has won the OOH business for Virgin Mobile. The agency has created a new OOH division, named ‘Atlas’, under its umbrella for the account. The agency also handles the creative mandate for the company. The incumbent agency for the outdoor business of Virgin Mobile is Poster Publicity, a unit of GroupM’s Kinetic Worldwide.
Sandeep Pathak, CEO, Bates 141, spoke of his delight at the win, “We are delighted to have been able to bring in the OOH business of Virgin Mobile, along with the other duties. It allows us to explore OOH as a strategic fit in the communication plan in an innovative way. The OOH business of Virgin Mobile would be in the range of Rs 30-40 crore.”
Prasad Narasimhan, CMO, Virgin Mobile, confirmed the development, saying, “We have moved our OOH business from Poster Publicity to Bates 141 as it handles our entire creative work.”
Atlas has already started working on the new OOH campaigns for Virgin Mobile with a 22-member team in Mumbai.
Praveen Vadhera, Country Head, 141 Wall Street, commented on the creation of a separate arm for the account, “As a strategic alignment, they have decided to integrate the OOH business of Virgin Mobile with a separate division altogether. It is the second OOH agency under Bates 141 umbrella.”
Source: Bombay Adclub


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By Kate Yuan
(JW Insights) Apr 26 -- Chinese automakers are viewing intelligence as the key to winning the market, but some have become more rational after taking into considerations the cost, technology limits, and practicability, according to a JW Insights report on April 19.
Huawei recently released a number of key technologies for car intelligence. Other players like BYD, NIO, Xpeng, AITO, Avatr, and IM are also focusing on auto intelligence and exhibiting new models at the ongoing Shanghai Auto Show (April 17-27).
Intelligent technologies cover many aspects from the cockpit to driving. In cockpit development, it adopts the mature software and hardware from smartphone technologies, making it the earliest to happen.
Huawei's HarmonyOS 3 has brought many new features to the smart cockpit, including intelligent car search and driver privacy protection. The HarmonyOS 4 will come with more features in the fall, such as multi-person, multi-screen and multi-audio zone, and privacy protection for back-seat passengers.
Intelligent technologies have also covered the driving control system. Leading players have demonstrated their latest solutions at the Shanghai Auto Show. They include Huawei, Baidu, Aptiv, ZF, Bosch, Continental, and ThunderSoft.
In the case of Huawei, its advanced driving system ADS 2.0 expands application scenes from closed expressways to complex urban streets.
Yu Chengdong, Huawei's CEO of Consumer BG and the Intelligent Automotive Solution BU, said, “ADS 2.0 can tell urban road conditions using Huawei's first GOD network technology, which integrates multiple sensors including LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, and cameras, without relying on high-precision maps.
“Creating high-precision maps is usually time-consuming and laborious with limited update speed, making it almost impossible to popularize intelligent driving in urban areas based on this method,” he added.
However, the imperfect technologies and heavy costs have forced many automakers to re-examine the pursuit of automobile intelligence, especially for autonomous driving, even though the industry has recognized its importance.
Yu Kai, the founder and CEO of Horizon Robotics, believes that Level 3 will not be truly realized even in ten years. “Survey shows that most users just need to feel relaxed during driving and alleviate tension and fatigue, and fully driverless driving is actually not necessary. L2+ advanced assisted driving is already creating value for users,” he said.
Shen Shaojie, a senior executive in charge of DJI's auto business, also holds the same view. Wang Chuanfu, chairman of BYD, even said "Autonomous driving is ultimately an advanced assisted driving."
But for Chinese EV startups, intelligence is still customers’ essential demand. He Xiaopeng, founder of Xpeng Motors, claimed to reduce human intervention to less than one time per 1,000 kilometers in high-speed scenarios by 2023 and one time per 100 kilometers on urban roads by 2025.
Industry insiders pointed out that the high cost of autonomous driving comes from the software and hardware systems, including multiple LiDAR, ultra high definition cameras, computing chips, and software algorithms,
Shen Shaojie noted that the cost of L2+ intelligent driving system in the entire vehicle should be limited to 3% and 5%. BYD has also set its own assisted driving system at thousands of RMB.
How to balance investment and cost and technology advancement and safety require car companies to truly consider the needs of consumers.
Although car intelligence currently creates limited value for automakers, no one goes against the trend. Although BYD's founder Wang Chuanfu has criticized the hype around self-driving, BYD is giving all its efforts at car intelligence from hardware to software.
As Yu Chengdong predicted that, “The year 2025 will be a watershed. A company may disappear in the future if it can't seize the opportunity of connected electric cars, no matter how powerful it is."
BYD plans to establish a sodium-ion battery plant in eastern China’s Xuzhou with an investment of RMB10 billion ($1.4 billion)11-20 17:51
European Commission President von der Leyen will visit China in wake of the EU’s ongoing probe into China’s subsidies on EV industries11-20 16:59
Chinese auto giant Changan Automobile plans to launch eight self-developed battery cells in the future11-20 16:26
No Data Yet～


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Sonus Slumps on Slower Growth Outlook
Announcing slightly better-than-expected second-quarter results, with revenues at $87.9 million, recently appointed Sonus CEO Richard Nottenburg said the 20 percent growth in full-year revenues anticipated for 2008, much of which was to come in the second half of the year, would now be 10.5 percent at best. (See Ex-Moto CTO Tabbed to Run Sonus.)
Revenues grew by 10.5 percent during the first half of the year to $161.9 million, compared with $146.6 million in 2007, but now the expected second-half growth surge "is not expected to exceed the 10.5 percent growth we experienced in the first half," noted Nottenburg.
"Like others, we're sensitive to the postponement of capex by our customers, and we see downward pressure from our prior outlook on revenue for the third quarter and for the full year," stated the CEO, according to a transcript of the company's earnings conference call by Seeking Alpha.
A 10.5 percent year-on-year growth would put second-half revenues at $192 million, up from $173.7 million in 2007, but a very long way short of the near $220 million that analysts had anticipated (based on the growth rate announced earlier this year).
The news, issued after the markets closed Monday, hit the vendor's share price in early Tuesday trading, wiping $0.90 off the share price in the first hour of trading, a 21.5 percent slump that took the stock to $3.29.
Analysts are concerned that the slower-than-expected growth might be down to cutbacks at AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), which is Sonus's biggest customer, but Nottenburg noted that the new outlook wasn't down to any one customer, and was linked to general industry trends. (See Report: AT&T Slowing on U-verse.)
Not everyone's convinced, though. In a research note issued Tuesday, Jefferies & Company Inc. analyst George Notter stated of the revised growth outlook: "This could simply be an example of a new CEO setting conservative expectations in a soft macroeconomic environment. However, a more negative reading would be that the company's Class 4 tandem switch replacement project at AT&T is finally slowing down."
Any reduced spending at AT&T will hit Sonus hard, as the U.S. carrier giant is responsible for such a major chunk of the VOIP vendor's sales. AT&T generated 40 percent, or $35.2 million, of Sonus revenues in the second quarter. It was one of two 10 percent customers, along (in the second quarter) with Japan's KDDI Corp. , so together those two carriers were responsible for at least half of Sonus's revenues.
That shows how reliant Sonus still is on just a few customers. Despite announcing that it derived revenue from 82 customers in its second quarter (up from 70 a year earlier), 69 percent of its second quarter revenues came from just five customers, up from 65 percent a year earlier.
The vendor's sales are also geographically concentrated: 80 percent of its second-quarter revenues came from U.S. customers, and that'll be a worry as North American carriers tighten up their capex plans.
Nottenburg told analysts on the late Monday earnings conference call that one of his priorities is to "expand the number of Tier 1 anchor tenants in our customer base" to broaden the company's revenue sources, though that is surely the aim of every vendor in the industry.
The company does have one Tier 1 on the books that's not yet contributing to the top and bottom lines in the form of BT Group plc (NYSE: BT; London: BTA), though that business, won late in 2007, is due to start appearing in the earnings reports in the coming quarters. (See Sonus Fills BT's IMS Hole and Sonus Gets BT 21CN Win.)
The CEO noted that BT is just one of a number of carriers in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region that "drove a substantial increase in first-half bookings year-on-year," with Colt Technology Services Group Ltd and Spanish cable operator PTV Telecom among other new customers. (See Colt Unveils NGN Vendors.)
So is there any chance that Sonus might look to expand its customer base through acquisitions? Nottenburg said his current focus is on operational issues, and that any M&A activity would be "very opportunistic."
Sonus has already made one small acquisition this year, buying OSS vendor Atreus Systems Inc. for around $5 million. (See Sonus Buys OSS Firm.)
Nottenburg has other things on his mind, though, as Sonus is under pressure from one of its main investors, Legatum Capital, which believes poor management has stunted the vendor's share price growth potential. (See Investor Letter Takes Swipe at Sonus and Prepare for Sonus Scrap.)
On the conference call Nottenburg would say only that "constructive" talks were underway with Legatum, which, along with other Sonus investors, will be concerned about today's share price slump.
— Ray Le Maistre, International News Editor, Light Reading


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Phil Spencer, Executive Vice President of Gaming at Microsoft, revealed new updates about Fable on a recent on Dropped Frames podcast.
Last year in 2020, Microsoft announced a new Fable game and informed that it is being developed. We were expecting to see news from it this year in E3 but sadly there wasn’t anything. However Phil Spencer from Xbox updated curious fans about game’s current development state. As VGC reports, Phil Spencer talked on Dropped Frames broadcast and said that fans should “take confidence” from Playgrounds’ experience with the Forza franchise.
“The only thing I can really say about Fable is, seeing the pedigree of the team and Playground, and where they set the bar for themselves in building a game—I think that showed with the Forza Horizon 5 preview that they had—I think people should just take confidence in Gavin that (Gavin Raeburn is the Studio Director of Playground Games) and the team there have that same level of focus on doing something amazing with an IP that we know is really important to a lot of Xbox fans, so we can’t wait to get to show more, but the team is just amazing.”
As VGC suggests, plenty of video game veterans are currently working on this Fable project. There was no name drop but it is said that team is including developers from Rocksteady, Ninja Theory, Gearbox and BioWare.
It has been a long time since the game has been announced back in 2020. I believe the game should have reached a vertical slice point and we can expect to hear and see more from Fable soon.


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The 55-to-64-year-old age group, the oldest of the boomers, has become the cohort most likely to buy a new car, according to a new study by the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute. Boomers have replaced the 35-to-44 year old age group, who were most likely to buy four years ago.
The report suggest that the wall of money the auto industry spends to try to capture the elusive Generation Y would generate a higher return on investment if targeted at older drivers.
As I have mentioned before young people don’t seem that interested in driving. Just 79% of people between 20 and 24 had a driver’s license in 2011, compared with 92 percent in 1983, according to the Michigan study - this is data for the US. I have no reason to believe that it is not that much different in Europe. Somehow I cannot imagine the 50%+ unemployed youth in much of Southern Europe dashing out and buying a new car.
This article contains lots of very quotable material about the state of the auto industry.
Another report was released this week about the generational likes and dislikes of car buyers.
No where near as much detail as the Michigan study, this one seemed to focus on how much time passengers spent eating in the car and the importance they placed on features (e.g. infotainment)
Still worth a look.
I think it is pretty clear that the car industry should really start to take seriously the older consumer and their priorities. Dick Stroud


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By David Bennett, Senior Editor
Alta Convenience c-store chain, based in Denver, has undergone big changes in the last few years.
The latest transition alteration occurred in October 2016 when Alta Convenience parent Western Alta Holdings LP acquired the retail division and operating company of Pester Marketing Co. from World Fuel Services Corp.
It was only eight months prior that World Fuel Services had completed the purchase of Pester Marketing Co. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Alta Fuels LLC and Alta Transportation LLC.
The newly-formed company will continue to operate as Pester Marketing. Moreover, the c-stores will operate under the Alta Convenience brand name.
Today, led by Phil Zaccaria, general partner of the investment group Western Alta and now the CEO of Pester Marketing, the retailer is making plans to streamline its company mission, embracing the operating principles that first launched Pester as a fledgling retail brand in the 1950s.
Long-time Pester executive Rich Spresser, president of Pester Marketing, said now that dust from the acquisition has settled, work on bolstering the company’s retail business has begun in earnest.
“With the new ownership structure, which is led by Phil Zaccaria, Pester Marketing is back to its original roots as strictly a direct store operation with the entire focus being on the day-to -day store operations,” said Spresser. Also, with Mr. Zaccaria’s penchant to raise private equity, it puts Pester Marketing in a great position for future growth.”
The executive group’s growth strategy is already taking shape, as the company is wasting little time identifying opportunities to enhance its geographic footprint.
“We have already purchased a small chain of six stores this year and have two other acquisition possibilities in the very near future,” said Spresser, who has been with Pester 23 years. “At this point there’s a great emphasis on expanding our store count and the Alta Convenience name, both within our current operational area, but also outside our current areas.”
The company is also currently looking at a few locations suitable for new store building projects.
The retailer that Pester Marketing acquired was LOCO Inc., based in Grand Junction, Colo. With the addition of the six-store locations, which are currently being rebranded, Pester Marketing currently counts 61 Alta Convenience c-stores in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and New Mexico.
According to Spresser, Pester Marketing is developing plans for newly-built convenience store sites, which will complement overall organic growth pattern, including new offerings at Alta Convenience locations as well as enhancing overall sales.
“Most of our so called renovations have come through a complete revamping of our in-store merchandise and our overall merchandising program,” said Spresser. “We have looked at deleting numerous slow moving items while enhancing other areas of the store including our offerings of general merchandise, bagged candy and our snack sections.”
Another objective the company hopes to achieve is creating a central in-store image that resonates more with Alta Convenience’s core customer base.
“With Pester primarily growing through acquisitions we have numerous foot prints and numerous sizes of stores, what we don’t have today is a consistent interior image,” said Spresser. “This will be one of our initiatives over the next 12 months.”
The roots of Pester Marketing Co. can be traced back to one modest Skelly Oil gas station in Jefferson, Iowa. Cloyd and Esther Pester pioneered a business model in the form of a start-up 1930s-style station.
Cloyd died in 1955 at age 44 after a short but robust and keenly-focused life. Esther assumed leadership of the fledgling company with Jack joining the company after graduation from Drake University. The company soon expanded to 17 locations.
Jack Pester, the hard-driving entrepreneur and son of Cloyd and Esther, the southern Iowa co-founders, built Pester Marketing, taking the family business of 17 gasoline & convenience stores and growing it substantially. At its peak in the 1980s, the business had 278 stores, plus a Kansas-based refinery.
“PESTER – IT’S A GAS!” became a trade-mark tagline for the convenience chain operating in 11 states.
After 1987 reorganization, Pester leased all its marketing properties to the Coastal Corp., and Jack Pester assumed leadership of Coastal’s world-wide refining and marketing programs.
Under Jack’s direction after his retirement from Coastal and following the final sale of its remaining properties to Coastal, Pester Marketing Co. started over with seven Denver-based c-stores. In the following years, the company began to grow its portfolio of stores once again, up until the recent changes in ownership.
Spresser joined the company in 1994 and during the last 23 years has focused on the day-to-day store operations.
Pester Marketing is exploring its foodservice option, which now includes both co-branded foodservice partners and proprietary food items. Two quick-service restaurants that can be found at Alta Convenience locations are Subway and Quiznos.
On a another scale, Alta Convenience intends to continue to roll out its own foodservice offerings.
“We currently have an in-house breakfast burrito program “Alta Premium Burritos” that is being produced out of a commissary that we own and operate,” said Spresser. “This program has grown over the years and is quite successful. We currently service about 25% of our stores with our challenge being: how do we deliver a fresh, consistent product to the other 75% of our stores? Unfortunately the commissary is not situated centrally within our store geography, but actually in the southern part of Colorado.”
Fresh food items will play even a bigger part of the c-store line-up, going forward.
“Obviously fresh is the new buzz in our industry, we are moving in the direction—sometimes painfully slow,” Spresser said. “We recently partnered with Java City to revamp our coffee program with a completely new cup and image and of course, a new blend of coffee.”
Not only has its coffee program gotten a facelift, Presser Marketing is integrating new technology into its stores in an effort to boost operational efficiency.
“Probably the biggest, and it was driven by the EMV (Europay, Mastercard and Visa) requirements, was the change in our point-of-sale equipment,” said Spresser. “This past fall we installed new state-of-the-art Gilbarco Passports in all of our stores. This was big for us both from an operational standpoint but also has greatly increased our reporting capabilities.”


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Samsung Billboards and Teaser Film Hint at the Shape of Things to ComeShare open/close
In just a few weeks, Samsung will unveil its latest devices at Galaxy Unpacked 2020 and the excitement is palpable. Amidst the anticipation, the company released a teaser film on January 28, hinting at what it has planned for the launch. Continuing the themes of the billboards Samsung installed around Place de la Concorde in Paris earlier this month, the film proclaims that the company will “change the shape of the future”, providing a glimpse of Samsung’s long-term vision for mobile technology.
On the day the teaser film was released, Samsung also brought its iconic billboards to major landmarks around the world – Callao Square in Madrid, Duomo di Milano in Milan, Hydroproject Building in Moscow, Times Square in New York, and Central Railway Station and Marriott Hotel in Warsaw. From January 30 onwards, Galaxy fans in London and Seoul will also have the opportunity to see the stunning displays in person at Piccadilly Circus and COEX respectively.
How will Samsung change the shape of mobile technology’s future? You’ll just have to wait until Galaxy Unpacked 2020 to find out. In the meantime, scroll down to see if you can glean any more clues from the film and photos below.
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