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“By eliminating photons that aren’t included in PAR, you’re able to reduce power and heat and still exceed the performance of high-pressure sodium lamps,” Yorio says.
Wells points out that by reducing heat, LEDs also reduce the need for air conditioning, further saving energy. And they far outlast alternatives. So despite a higher initial cost, he says, they save money in the long run.
LED-based grow lights cost about $1,000 less over five years than comparable high-pressure sodium lamps, which have to be replaced around every six months, Yorio estimates.
He notes that LEDs are also much safer than all other electric lighting alternatives.
As its first products became available in early 2015, BIOS found that the biggest agricultural market was in the cannabis farming industry that is gradually becoming legalized. An emerging movement to put food production closer to end consumers is also contributing to the demand for grow lights, Yorio says. “There’s a very strong movement for indoor farming.”
In human lighting, Soler says, the lighting industry has focused on deep blue frequencies to induce alertness. More recent research, however, he says, shows that light on the edge of blue and green is most effective at inducing both melatonin suppression and pupil constriction, and traditional LEDs have relatively low output in that range. Further research is showing that the deep blue frequencies commonly used in the industry may cause oxidative stress in the eye.
BIOS’s SkyBlue lighting technology shifts peak outputs accordingly while producing true colors in a spectrum that closely imitates daylight, Soler says. “What BIOS does is use LEDs to pinpoint peak sensitivity and infuse that into the traditional white-light LED.”
In a world where most people spend most of the day indoors with little exposure to melatonin-suppressing sunlight, the disoriented circadian rhythm is a common problem, which BIOS aims to address, Soler says.
The company isn’t making its own human lighting products but is currently partnering with two other companies to put its technology in their products: Ledra Lighting specializes in small-scale decorative and recessed lighting for the home, while Pinnacle Architectural Lighting targets environments like offices, retail spaces, and hotel lobbies.
The technology has already made its way into the Pittsburgh Pirates’ clubhouse and bullpen.
“There’s a lot of interest in doing exactly what we’re doing, but we’re the first ones doing it,” Soler says.
BIOS has released two of its own agricultural lighting models. One is a high-output fixture designed for vertical agriculture, where plants grow on stacked shelves. It surpasses the photosynthetically active output of a 1,000-watt high-pressure sodium lamp using just 40 to 50 percent of the energy, and it spreads light uniformly across a specific area so it can hang close to the plants. The other model is designed to supplement sunlight in a greenhouse.
Both are informed by Yorio’s long experience with indoor farming at Kennedy during the time when NASA was making the switch to LED lighting. “Neil was there when all this was happening, but I think his real experience is in understanding plant lighting and horticulture, and really understanding plants as a whole and how to grow them,” says Ray Wheeler, who headed—and still heads—Advanced Life Support.
Soler’s work for NASA, meanwhile, provided him with a test bed for his technology and also stretched its limitations. The project required the LEDs to give off exactly the same colors of light from one module to the next and regardless of the angle from which they were viewed. Some of the techniques he developed to meet those specifications have helped him keep BIOS’s lighting uniform, “so you can’t tell one light from another, which is surprisingly hard to do,” he says.
As the company’s first products hit the market, the LED modules Soler helped design to support astronauts’ sleep cycles finally began making their way to the ISS, where they are gradually replacing the original fluorescent lighting. He says he’s interested to see the performance results.
“There’s a lot of stuff we’ll learn through what’s going on at NASA,” Soler says. “Those findings will definitely inform the next-generation LED lights. NASA is still going to be a conduit for a lot of that science.”


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3D printing has been touted as the most amazing thing to happen to manufacturing since the assembly line. But the problem is that right now most 3D printers can only print the equivalent of plastic toys—plus a few guns, pizzas, and body parts here and there. But mechanical engineers of Princeton University have created such a 3D printer that can create fully 3D printed LED lights.
This 3D printer works in a similar fashion like other 3D printers that rely on plastic, but on a much smaller scale. It lays down a single layer of the LED, then moves up to add the next one composed of a different material. McAlpine and his colleagues mixed and matched five different materials into the first fully 3-D printed LED lights. When the five-layer stack was complete, it became a functional quantum dot LED.
At the bottom of five layers, a metal ring made of silver nanoparticles acts as a metal contact to an electrical circuit. On top of that are two polymer layers (both with really long chemical names) which together supply and shuttle electrical current to the next layer. That contains the quantum dots. The quantum dots are made of cadmium selenide nanoparticles wrapped in a zinc sulfide shell. As the electrons bump into these quantum dots, they emit orange or green light. The light is topped of with a cathode layer made of eutectic gallium indium, through which the electrons flow out of the LED.
For your kind information, quantum dot LEDs are in some ways quite similar to the LEDs used in current smartphones and lightbulbs, but again, smaller. A quantum dot LED can display a wide range of colors without the degradation or vulnerability to humidity and oxidation of LEDs and AMOLEDs. However, to make the LEDs from scratch, the researchers had to build a custom 3-D printer. They spent about six months and between $10,000 and $20,000 assembling the printer.
However, the printed LEDs performed on par with the kinds of LEDs that are used in iPhone screens, though they didn’t come close to beating the really fancy LEDs that are out there. But by controlling thickness and uniformity of the quantum dots, and by experimenting with different ink formulations, the performance of the printed LEDs could get better. Perhaps one day, if 3D printers get cheaper, people could incorporate something like this into homemade TVs and iPhones.

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60% of plastic bags are unqualified. Toxic recycled plastic bags are banned in 100 vegetable markets
toxic recycled plastic bags will be banned in 100 standardized vegetable markets from now on. This project is planned to be gradually promoted to the whole city of Shanghai. According to the municipal CPPCC, the proposal of "several suggestions on strengthening the supervision of food packaging bag manufacturers, especially those with recyclable thermoplastic composites", put forward by member Chen Qi, has been clearly replied by the Economic Commission. It is reported that the Municipal Bureau of quality and technical supervision has written the terms of "forbidding the use of black or dark toxic thick plastic bags and non environmental friendly plastic bags in the vegetable market, and advocating the use of biodegradable and non-toxic environmental friendly packaging materials" into the upcoming "norms for the setup and management of vegetable markets"
according to the survey, 67% of the plastic bags in the market are unqualified at present. These toxic and harmful plastic bags are mainly concentrated in the market, and the unqualified plastic bags in supermarkets account for 20%. The Economic Commission said that enterprises should clearly mark food grade and non food grade when producing plastic bags, so that the vegetable market 3. According to the use of electronic universal testing machine and the service life of oil, managers and traders can choose plastic bags that meet the requirements of food hygiene
according to Chen Qi, recycled plastic bags are mixed with sundries, bacteria, viruses, toxins and other substances in the processing process. These toxic substances are easy to be extracted by oil or water in food in use, and eating them with food is harmful to health. The environmental testing industry in the agricultural and vegetable market should not only maintain a steady momentum, but also use black or dark, thick plastic bags, most of which are made of recycled plastic
at present, the practice of resisting the use of recycled plastic bags has been implemented in some vegetable markets. For example, 17 vegetable markets under Yangpu vegetable market company no longer use recycled plastic bags, and actively promote customized non-toxic polyethylene plastic bags. When Minhang Guji farmers' market was opened, it presented customers with non-toxic woven bags and vegetable baskets, and also used the method of point cards. Consumers can exchange old vegetables for new ones when they buy vegetables for more than 20 yuan. Chen Qi hopes that this practice can be persevered and promoted in more vegetable markets
at present, the Municipal Economic Commission and other departments have considered gradually implementing this plan through three measures of "reduction", "change" and "test", that is, requiring the vegetable market to increase the internal size and cross-section of the welded chain link: management, strengthen daily inspection, and standardize access conditions. The municipal and district food and drug supervision departments should strengthen the supervision of the use of recycled plastic bags in the vegetable market, and immediately investigate and deal with problems found. However, at present, some vendors use toxic recycled plastic bags despite repeated prohibitions. According to industry insiders, the main reason is that they are cheap. It is estimated that the cost price of a large environmental friendly plastic bag is 8 cents, and the cost of a large toxic and harmful plastic bag is only 4 cents
Copyright © 2011 JIN SHI


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By Al Barbarino
Zar Properties has purchased a 35,000 s/f retail condo building in SoHo at 105-113 Wooster Street in an off-market deal for nearly $39 million.
The big box space features 100 feet of frontage and is sprawled across four full floors.
“This asset features prime frontage and visibility as well as long-term potential,ˮ said Dario Zar, principal and managing member at Zar Properties. “SoHo continues to attract national and international brands seeking flagship opportunities.ˮ
Current retail tenant Room & Board has roughly seven years remaining on its lease, Zar said. The transaction also includes three upper floor residential loft apartments also sold by the New Mexico-based sponsor.
A majority of SoHo buildings with ground floor space are zoned for manufacturing use, making some high-end retailers hesitant to enter the market, but Apple, Bloomingdales and Topshop are comparable retail spaces in prime SoHo, according to brokers familiar with the area.
The property also lies across the street from Tiffany’s new flagship, which sold for over $260 psf in rent, sources said.
Zar Properties also owns the former JPMorgan Chase building at 349 Fifth Avenue, on the corner of 34th street, and the company recently acquired 64-68 Wooster Street, just a block south of their latest acquisition.


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FRANKFURT, (Pakistan Point News - APP -24th Augst,2016) : Strong foreign trade and buoyant consumption drove Germany's economy, Europe's largest, to better-than-expected growth in the second quarter, Federal statistics office Destatis said on Wednesday. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.4 percent between April and June, adjusted for seasonal, Calendar and price effects -- twice as fast as analysts surveyed by Factset predicted. However, the final figure, which confirmed a preliminary Destatis reading earlier in August, represented a slow-down from the unexpectedly strong 0.
7-percent expansion in the first quarter. "Compared with the previous quarter, the positive impulses above all came from foreign trade," Destatis said in a statement. According to preliminary estimates, exports of goods and services increased by 1.2 percent between April and June, while imports fell by 0.1 percent. Overall, the data showed "mixed signals" in the German economy. Households increased spending by 0.2 percent and the state by 0.6 percent compared with the previous quarter. But business investment in capital goods fell by 2.4 percent and in construction by 1.6 percent.


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June 3 (Bloomberg) -- Sugar may rise next week as port congestion hampers supply from Brazil, the world’s top producer.
Six of 12 traders, analysts and brokers surveyed by Bloomberg News said that raw sugar prices in New York and refined sweetener in London will likely advance. One forecast little change, and five respondents said they would decline.
Before today, raw sugar for July delivery gained 2.3 percent this week to 23.52 cents a pound on ICE Futures U.S., while refined-sugar futures climbed 3.9 percent on London’s NYSE Liffe.
Refined sugar’s premium over raw sweetener probably will widen next week, according to four of 12 respondents. Three said the spread will narrow, and five forecast little change.
--Editors: Millie Munshi, Daniel Enoch
To contact the reporters on this story: Debarati Roy in New York at email@example.com; Isis Almeida in London at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Steve Stroth at email@example.com


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At the end of last year, many NoGoD fans were disappointed with the news that the band had to unfortunately cancel their European tour.
If you were disappointed that you weren’t able to see them then, your luck just may have changed! NoGoD has announced that they will be heading to this year’s Japan Expo in France! According to the band’s schedule, they will be performing on July 5th and July 6th.
The annual expo, which is running from July 2nd to July 6th in Paris, France, has hosted a variety of visual artists over the years. Returning this year to the expo will be visual veteran Yoshiki, who is scheduled to participate in a showcase, a conference, and a photo shoot.
For more information about the expo, or to purchase tickets, visit the Japan Expo OHP.
Are you heading to the expo? Let us know in the comments!


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The new Mazda MX-5 Miata may get some competition from Honda. Edmunds.com reports Honda is considering bringing one of its smallest cars to the United States, the S660. It is a two seat convertible that is smaller than the Fit. Edmunds quotes a top Honda official as saying the company wants to add some “spice” to its lineup here. While the car uses a 63 horsepower turbo three in Japan, where it was recently introduced, the engine of choice here in the U.S. would be a 1.0-liter three cylinder with 125 horsepower mounted amid ship. First, Honda has to figure out what the tiny sports car would bring to its lineup, and if it would be commercially viable. Let’s keep our smallest toes crossed.
BMW will has revealed the high performance M4 GTS concept at the Pebble Beach Concours in California that it claims is at home on both road and track. While performance and power data will be released later, we do know a couple things about the concept. It uses a water injection system that cools the combustion chamber and allows a higher boost pressure and earlier injection timing for increased torque and output. I could give you a more detailed technical explanation, but you may not have had your second cup of coffee this morning, and therefore might nod off. The bottom line is enhanced “stability and durability” of the turbocharged six cylinder engine. And the taillights use OLED, or Organic Light-emitting Diodes, a new type of light source that provides “full-surface and homogenous illumination.” The concept in the picture is painted in a “Frozen Dark Grey” metallic with “Acid Orange” accent on the front splitter and 9.5 J x 19 inch wheels up front with 10.5 J x 20 to the rear also in “Acid Orange” accent. That, in a nutshell, is about all we know at this point, with BMW promising more info down the road. The final product will be sold here in the states.
About 86 percent of workers commute to work by car and three out of four drove alone in recent years, according to a report from the Census Bureau. There was a four percent decline in the number of urban workers in the 25-29 age group who commuted by car between 2006 and 2013. That group also showed the highest increase in public transportation commuting. The rate of carpooling has declined during each decade since 1980.
If you own a 2010 Chevy Cobalt it might be one of the 59,474 that are being recalled to fix an air bag problem. Officials said a driver’s side air bag may not activate in a crash because of a wiring defect. If your car is included, look for a notice from GM in the mail.


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Here'sHere's a big idea that comes with a unique set of problems: replacing meat in the food supply with something that is more sustainable and climate-friendly, yet looks and tastes like the real deal. But that's what Beyond Meat does — it takes plant protein and turns it into convincing substitutes for chicken, beef, and pork. And on today's episode, I'm talking with founder and CEO Ethan Brown about how he's tackling this.
I last interviewed Ethan on the Vergecast, before the company IPO'd in 2019 — it's been quite a ride since then, as the pandemic sharply impacted the stock, restaurants closed, and the entire food world generally turned upside down. But the company has come out of that with a rising stock price, some big deals to supply quick-service restaurants like Pizza Hut and Dunkin, and a growing business selling to consumers in grocery stores.
I talked to Ethan about how Beyond Meat is structured, how he thinks about growing, and how the pandemic has changed the trajectory of the company. One thing that jumped out to me: Ethan's really focused on capturing market share quickly — he's one of the few CEOs I've ever talked to who admitted to making decisions based on how fast they would increase market share. It was refreshing, honestly.
We also talk about growing competition in the plant-based meat market — you'll hear me call Ethan out for taking two subtle shots at Impossible Foods. Specifically, Ethan said Beyond Meat doesn't use GMO ingredients and says there was some "controversy" around genetically produced heme-iron, which is a key ingredient in Impossible's product. We went back and double checked with Verge science reporters Justine Calma and Nicole Wetsman, who said that use of heme-iron and other GMOs aren't big red flags. But you'll hear Ethan talk about it, and talk about competing with Impossible, so it's important to have that context in mind.


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The Hemp Road Trip is creating a feature length documentary focusing on industrial cannabis. While the plant is federally legal, the DEA, State and local law enforcement remain confused and arbitrarily interfere in domestic commerce, while citizens nationwide continue to dispel propagandist fear about this plant.
“Education and awareness are key to ending prohibition and my hope is this new documentary will do just that,” said Rick Trojan, Founder of The Hemp Road Trip.
The road trip launched an indiegogo campaign to coincide with the movie trailer debut. You can check out the trailer and donate by clicking here.
“I can’t wait for you to see the trailer, I’m very proud of what our team has accomplished so far and this is only the beginning,” Trojan said, “With your help we’re going to reach a nationwide and even global audience, and help end prohibition of this plant!”
Rick Trojan is committed to ending federal prohibition of hemp. A few years ago, he became involved with a legal hemp farm in Colorado. The farm grew for CBD, a dietary supplement found in the cannabis plant. However, he quickly learned that hemp and CBD are still buried in outdated…


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When you need food fast, the drive-thru is your best friend. But, what chains in the U.S. have the shortest drive-thru wait times? A new study has that answer.
Burger King can now lay claim to being the “speed demons” at the drive-thru. A QSR Magazine study says that it took only three minutes and 13 seconds from the point of placing your B.K. order to the moment of the handoff of food.
Burger King rose up to the top spot from its fourth place finish in 2017, after hitting third place in 2016. Wendy’s is the fastest ever, in 2003, at a minute and 56 seconds.
Here are 2018’s top rankings:
1. Burger King (Average wait time: 193.31 seconds)
2. Dunkin’ (200.74 seconds)
3. KFC (218.95 seconds)
4. Wendy’s (226.07 seconds)
5. Taco Bell (236.50 seconds)
6. Arby’s (237.93 seconds)
7. Carl’s Jr. (252.91 seconds)
8. Hardee’s (255.83 seconds)
9. Chick-fil-A (260.85 seconds)
10. McDonald’s (273.29 seconds)
The study notes that overall speed in fast food drive-thru performance is down but order accuracy has improved, and that technology like tablets and wireless communication is helping improve the order experience.


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A clear U-curve was visible in the volume of property transactions last year. COVID-19 slowed down the spring and summer but trading was active in the first and final quarter. Last year, the total value of property transactions completed in Finland was EUR 6.0 billion.
Investors are particularly interested in defensive investments such as apartments and logistics properties, with user and investor demand increasing at the same rate due to and the strong growth of online shopping.
Another clear trend is retail and logistics premises becoming intertwined. Retail locations are no longer seen as just shops where people come to make purchases. Instead, they are increasingly becoming part of a logistics network serving online shopping and restaurant take-away pickups.
A new rising star is public properties – last year, its proportion of all property transactions climbed up to 24%. Long leases, the stability of the sector and the attractive yield levels, almost a percentage point higher compared to e.g. Sweden, have driven demand in the sector to record-high levels.
In our renewed Finnish Property Outlook we analyse Finnish property market by asset classes. In addition to the traditional asset classes: offices, logistics, retail and residential, we offer a wide information package on public properties.
Download the full report and utilise Newsec's accurate market data.


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The take up of electric vehicles (EVs) is increasing. In 2010, around 100 EVs were sold in the USA, compared to 2017 when over 200,000 were sold.
In total, there are estimated to be more than a million electric vehicles currently on the road in the USA alone.
By 2030 research suggests that there will 500 million electric vehicles worldwide and that may turn out to be an underestimation.
However, there are some underlying issues surrounding the infrastructure that are slowing down the widespread adoption of EVs.
The biggest issue currently facing the electric vehicles market is availability of charge points. This is a shared pain point for all drivers who question how far they can drive before they risk getting stranded.
Given the speed at which the electric vehicles’ market is evolving and the issues for mass-adoption, what is the future for EV charge points?
Rapid increase in charge points for electric vehicles
EVs are still rather limited in terms of range, maxing out at around 240 miles on a single charge – enough to drive from London to Lincoln and back, but not enough for a family holiday to France. As such, we need to see an increase in commercial charge points for those driving long distances.
Fortunately, governments and private businesses are on the case. The European Union is pushing for charge point facilities to be available in new residential and commercial buildings and governments, such as the UK, are providing consumer subsidies for charge points.
Going even further than this the UK government recently unveiled plans to become a world-leader in low-emission tech at the world’s first Zero Emissions Vehicle Summit.
Clearly this focus helps. Nissan estimate that the number of charge points will overtake petrol stations by August 2020, owing to both the decline in petrol stations and the increase in charging points. And, over the next two years, you’d be hard-pushed to find any car manufacturer that isn’t unveiling their hybrid or electric vehicles.
The variety of charge points is also increasing. EV customers and businesses now have a choice, albeit limited, between a range of functional, utilitarian charge points and more aesthetically-pleasing options.
For example, Andersen EV’s charge point was nominated for a Design Week Award, demonstrating the mainstream attention charge points are receiving. For luxury hotels, golf clubs and other venues, aesthetics are important, so the availability of design-led charge points should help to increase adoption.
Speedier charging & improved batteries
Huge leaps and bounds have already been made in terms of the speed of charging. A few years ago, it would take several hours to fully charge an EV. That’s clearly far too long for drivers to spend in a service station.
Now, with Three-Phase chargers, most modern EVs can charge to 80% in just 30 minutes. While this is a significant improvement, it doesn’t compare to the five minutes it takes to fill a tank of petrol.
Yet, with improvements to both battery and charge point design, this will drop rapidly over the coming years to be on a par with petrol cars. Manufacturers are looking at solid-state batteries which use graphene as a potential solution and, meantime, we expect a graphene/lithium-ion hybrid to increase the range and charging speed of EV batteries.
Efficiency in battery design will be matched by improvements to charging points, allowing far more voltage to be run from the charge point. This is likely to double every few years, leading to rapid charging of much higher capacity batteries, which in turn will minimise range anxiety.
Diversification of power sources
Along with improvements in battery and charge point design, there will be a significant shift towards diversifying the sources of power for EVs. I don’t expect any of these alternatives to provide all of the power needed to charge an EV, but if each one contributes a little to the charge of the vehicle, it will keep them going longer between stops at charge points.
Solar panels, otherwise known as photovoltaics (PV), have already become much more efficient at capturing the sun’s energy. They can already be seen on commercial and residential buildings, but increasingly they will be seen on the roofs of EVs, helping boost the car’s energy as you drive.
Another source of energy will likely lie under our roads, charging EVs as we drive. As early as 2015, the UK government was testing charge-and-drive solutions for buses, providing a small amount of charge at each stop to keep EV buses operating their entire route without having to plug in. The same approach could be installed at traffic lights or even along stretches of motorways to give EVs a welcome energy boost.
Contactless charging for electric vehicles
Some suggest that the rise of autonomous vehicles will signal the end of car ownership. Instead, they suggest that cars will be booked and drive passengers autonomously to the destination.
While this seems inevitable with the amount of money Uber and Google are ploughing into the technology, I still think there will be a place for personal vehicles and family cars. Longer trips, for example, will require the vehicle for long periods and anyone who’s tried to organise their kids for a holiday will know how long it takes to pack the car!
I think personal autonomous vehicles will make use of wireless charge points, which will become the new standard for EV charging. Wireless charge points use induction to charge the vehicle from underneath, eliminating the need for a human operator to plug them in.
The future of the EV charge point market is very positive. Technology is moving at such a rapid pace that the predictions may arrive much earlier than anticipated contributing to a greener and healthier future.
Jérôme Faissat, co-founder, Andersen


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Amazon inks TV streaming deal with NBCUniversal
- Staff Washington Business Journal
Amazon.com Inc. said it has signed an expanded distribution deal with NBCUniversal Cable & New Media Distribution that will allow subscribers to its Prime Instant Video to see TV shows such as "Parks and Recreation" and "Friday Night Lights," the Puget Sound Business Journal reported.
"We continue to invest heavily in our content selection for Prime members, and have now reached over 22,000 movies and TV episodes available instantly with unlimited streaming," said Brad Beale, director of digital video content acquisition for Amazon, in a statement.
Staff Accountant U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission | Washington, DC
AT&T Bilingual/Non-Bilingual Retail Sales Consultants AT&T | Washington, DC
Director, Business Development Prince George's County Economic Development Corporation | Upper Marlboro, MD
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Back in January, Jaguar Land Rover committed to Britain’s workers when it expanded recruitment efforts at its Solihull plant and announced 1,300 new jobs to capture British flair .
Jaguar Land Rovers CEO, Dr. Ralf Speth, spoke of a commitment to the UK and the advancement of a high-tech, high skilled, manufacturing-led economy and added the firm wants to improve the quality of life for our customers and for our own employees.
Fast-forward several months and Japan-headquartered Nissan has now followed suit a move that has been backed by chancellor George Osborne. It will see the car firm support 34,000 jobs in the UK overall by investing 100m to develop the new Nissan Juke at its Sunderland plant.
Its fantastic news that Nissan will be building their new car here in Sunderland and securing valuable jobs for thousands working people in the area,” said Osborne during a visit the site.
Our ambitious plans to build the Northern Powerhouse means building on the areas strengths including manufacturing – and this announcement is an important sign of Britain being chosen as a global leader in car production.
Earlier in the year, the government provided the firm 1.4m worth of funding that was matched by Nissan to train 1,700 employees at the Sunderland site. Indeed, the north east of England boasts 6,700 direct Nissan employees while a further 20,000 supply chain workers will also benefit from the investment.
Read more on the car industry:
- More than half of bosses hire flash cars to impress clients
- The Simply Clever approach Skoda has to hijack customers from Ford and Vauxhall
- What UK SMEs can learn from Jaguar Land Rover’s business strategy
Elsewhere, the company also has instrumental design and engineering teams stationed in London’s Paddington and Cranfield in Bedfordshire.
Breaking down the employee numbers, Nissan has 8,000 in design, engineering and manufacturing across the UK, with 27,000 supported in supply chain and 3,900 in dealerships.
Jukes unique design is one of the reasons Nissan is now the undisputed crossover leader, underpinning five consecutive years of sales growth in Europe,” said Nissan Europe’s chairman Paul Willcox.
“With the next generation Juke now confirmed for future production, customers can be assured that Nissan is going to remain the benchmark in the crossover segment for many years to come.
This announcement also gives security to our Sunderland plant beyond 2020, which the team has earned through many years of hard work and their ability to continually raise the bar on quality.


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We just received the above image of what appears to be the first and only leaked image of the BlackBerry 10 N-Series (BlackBerry X10) device hot off the tip line! Our source sent us this image along with the text “greetings from the near future”. We know that the full QWERTY BlackBerry 10 N-Series will […]
Exclusive: BlackBerry Z10 Appears in Carphone Warehouse Inventory System!! Confirms Both Black and White Devices!
We have been seeing and hearing a lot about the BlackBerry 10 L-Series device lately and recently we have been hearing about the new name for the L-Series it is now the BlackBerry Z10. A very good buddy of mine sent me the image in this article showing of the BlackBerry Z10 in a Geek […]
m-Health Solutions (mHS) Uses BlackBerry Solution in Diagnostic System for Detecting Cardiac Arrhythmia
A Canadian company, m-Health Solutions, has developed a new way to utilize BlackBerry’s in the medical industry. They have developed a new method for medical professionals that will efficiently diagnose the possibility of cardiac arrhythmia. I am no medical expert, so I will not attempt to explain this in detail, rather hit the break to check […]
RIM has held several events to help developers bring their apps over to BlackBerry 10. They have now announced that they will be holding a virtual Android Port-A-Thon to help developers of Android applications to bring their apps over to BlackBerry 10.
Mobile Link You’re invited to take an exclusive peek at one of the most star-studded events of the year! See the glitz and glam of the Esquire Ball at the Makati Shangri-La through the eyes of our lucky BlackBerry couple. And mingle with the country’s hottest celebrities and personalities as they celebrate the way we […]
Just yesterday we saw some leaked marketing materials for the BlackBerry Z10, now we have some rumored specifications of the device. After going over these rumored specs this device is going to be a monster! The Z10 may have a Dual Core 1.5GHz TI OMAP 4470 Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8960 for the US and Canada versions.
Just yesterday Research In Motion held their Q3 2013 Earnings Call, If you happened to miss the call you can now read the transcripts below. Operator Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Research In Motion Third Quarter Fiscal 2013 Results Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this conference is […]
Espoo, Finland – Nokia has entered into a new patent license agreement with Research In Motion. The agreement will result in settlement of all existing patent litigation between the companies and withdrawal of pending actions in the US, UK and Canada related to a recent arbitration tribunal decision. The financial structure of the agreement includes […]
A new version of the luxury smartphone by Porsche Design Stuttgart. The luxury brand Porsche Design (Porsche Lizenz- und Handelsgesel-lschaft mbH & Co. KG) is unveiling the new-look P‘9981 smartphone. The new version features a striking, completely black, design, further emphasising the iconic essence of the brand. The Porsche Design P‘9981 smartphone from BlackBerry® is […]
Bellshare has released BeBuzz for Blackberry version 6.0.28, this update is available in BlackBerry World as a free update. Take full control of your BlackBerry® front notification LED! Green for calls from your boss, pink for e-mails from your girlfriend, blue for BBM messages from your kids and “fast disco” for all your Twitter messages. […]
RIM just launched the BlackBerry Technical Preview Program, and this video shows the law firms Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (Skadden Arps). They have tested out the Blackberry 10 devices as part of the program, and this video shows their experience with the upcoming platform. Hit the break for the video!
Research In Motion’s Chief Information Officer Robin Bienfait has announced her announced retirement following Research In Motion’s Q3 2013 earnings call Bienfait has been with RIM for over six years and during this time she focus are included the company’s service infrastructure growth, which saw a significant jump in date from 47 petabytes of data per year to 33 petabytes of data per […]
BlackBerry Handheld Software v220.127.116.112 (Multilanguage) Package Version: 18.104.22.1682 Consisting of: Applications: 22.214.171.1246 Software Platform: 126.96.36.199 File name: 9320M_PBr7.1.0_rel2102_PL188.8.131.52_A184.108.40.2066_Telesur.exe File size: 249.03MB
Mobile Link Jim Ing, RIM Enterprise Mobility Architect, and Pete Graham, Director of Finance Solutions & Mobility for SAP, walk through the experience of moving a desktop web app to a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, as well as BlackBerry smartphones, using BlackBerry WebWorks technology with HTML5.
RIM has not kept it secret that they are working hard at getting developers to bring their apps to BlackBerry 10. One of the most popular cross-platform messaging clients out there is WhatsApp, and RIM is working hard to get it on BlackBerry 10 by launch.
We have seen numerous leaks of the BlackBerry 10 L-Series so far, and yet there has not been much mentioned as to what the official name will be. According to UnWiredView the L-Series will go by the model name “Z10″. the above picture is allegedly some leaked RIM marketing materials that they received some a trusted […]
RIM has released their earnings report for Q3 2013 today. The earnings report doesn’t really include any surprises, as we all knew what to expect at this time. RIM has been concentrating on the launch of BlackBerry 10, and therefore we weren’t expecting to see any huge numbers from them on current in market devices. […]
I’ve tried to get people to see BlackBerry with new eyes. What frustrated me since May was having to send them 4 or 5 different links to videos for them to get the gist of what’s actually coming with BlackBerry 10. And while we’re expecting some nice little featurettes late December or early January this video mashup […]
The BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour has been full of awesome events. The Inside BlackBerry Business Blog has posted up a video showing all the overwhelming success and hype that these events created. These events gave IT Admins and Business partners an in-depth look at BlackBerry 10 and all it can offer. Hit the break […]


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November 17, 2022
NEW YORK (AP) An unexpected and potentially ominous pullback in customer spending ahead of the holiday shopping season pushed third quarter profits at Target down 52% after it was forced to slash prices for Americans who are feeling the squeeze of inflation.
CEO Brian Cornell says sales weakened significantly in the weeks leading up to Oct. 29, the end of the most recent quarter, with more customers refusing to pay full price and waiting for sales.
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Republic of Gamers (ROG) is proud to announce “For Those Who Dare”, an ambitious new film featuring ROG ambassadors and their pursuit of excellence. Filmed in London, the video was shot with no stunt doubles, despite including a real ring of fire and high-flying skateboard tricks. ROG will also release a closer behind-the-scenes look at the filming of “For Those Who Dare” in the near future....[Read More]
ASUS has unveiled its official online store in the UAE, offering the brand’s most celebrated laptops for customers. The ASUS eShop will make it easier for customers to get their hands on the company’s latest products across ROG (Republic of Gamers) and Consumer PC.
ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced a new Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker special edition laptop as a collaboration with the legendary artist, DJ and music producer. With unique styling and a custom ROG Remix sampler, this machine is ready for any creative endeavor.
ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the launch of its new ROG Zephyrus G15 GA503 gaming notebook that brings unprecedented power to an ultraslim 15-inch form factor, is available exclusively through Amazon in the UAE.
ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the Zephyrus Duo 15 SE, a special edition of its dual-screen gaming laptop. The Zephyrus Duo 15 SE combines an upgraded 15.6-inch main display with the critically acclaimed ROG ScreenPad Plus,
ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the new Zephyrus G14 gaming notebook that delivers powerful hardware in an ultraslim 14-inch body with up to an 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS CPU and dedicated GeForce RTX 3060 GPU. It comes with a 16:10 WQHD display with richer detail and comparatively lightweight, which is only 1.7 kg.
ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has officially announced the Strix SCAR 15 G533 and Strix SCAR 17 G733, premium gaming laptops for the UAE, engineered from the ground up to give esports players an uncompromising experience in competitive tournaments.
Leading PC gaming brand ASUS ROG in collaboration with IKEA has announced a new range of ROG-inspired gaming furniture. With an ever-increasing number of gamers worldwide and a rapidly growing market, getting into gaming was a natural step for IKEA.
ASUS Middle East Republic of Gamers (ROG) announced the Strix GeForce RTX 2080 Ti White Edition gaming graphics card.
ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the availability of their latest model in the ROG Zephyrus series, Zephyrus S (GX531) in the UAE. At a mere 14.95~15.75mm thin, Zephyrus S is a ultrathin gaming laptop


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Over the past few weeks, we have seen the Coronavirus spread outside of China to the rest of the world. This has caused a disruption in industries all over the globe. It even has started to affect the video game industry. We have seen the Nintendo Switch port of the Outer Worlds be delayed indefinitely. Sony and Oculus both pulled their presence from PAX East and GDC this past week. It comes as no surprise as Kojima Productions the studio responsible for Death Stranding will not be attending GDC 2020. In a post from the official Kojima Productions Twitter account. They cited that their priority is putting their team’s safety above all else. This will directly affect Hideo Kojima’s presentation that was scheduled for March 19th at the conference. With Kojima Productions being located in Japan where cases have spiked this past week this announcement comes as no surprise. While Kojima Productions will be missed at GDC, extra precautions in times like these can be crucial. This will certainly not be the last company to pull out of upcoming events.
Kojima Productions has made the difficult decision to cancel our participation at the 2020 Game Developers Conference due to increasing concerns related to coronavirus. (1/2)https://t.co/K6FJtq5Tpx
— Kojima Productions (@KojiPro2015_EN) February 24, 2020
What do you think of Kojima Productions pulling out of GDC? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to check back for the latest gaming news and information.


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American Express and McDonald’s announced that Membership Rewards program members will have the ability to use their points to purchase food and beverages at the chain’s restaurants. The new offering is expected to be rolled out in 14,000 participating McDonald’s locations nationwide by December 2014.
The American Express Membership Rewards program enables Card Members to earn one point for virtually every dollar charged on eligible, enrolled American Express Cards. With the McDonald’s partnership, American Express also will donate $1 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) every time an American Express card member uses points for their McDonald’s orders. To use points at participating restaurants, members must:
- Pay with an eligible American Express card at the counter;
- Click the option to use points on the payment screen; and
- Press the green “Yes” button to use points for the order.
Card Members can use points at a McDonald’s drive-thru using the American Express Mobile app after paying with an eligible American Express Card.
“We’re constantly looking for ways to make life easier for our customers, including multiple payment options,” said Kevin Newell, EVP and Chief Brand and Strategy Officer at McDonald’s USA. “American Express has been on the cutting edge of commerce innovation, complementing our mission to add more value to our customers’ overall restaurant experience. In addition, American Express’ commitment to donate to RMHC makes using Membership Rewards points at McDonald’s even more rewarding.”


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NOTE: GrowthBeat is less than 2 weeks out! VentureBeat is gathering the best and brightest in modern digital marketing to help declutter the landscape, simplify the functions, clarify the goals, and point the way to success. Get the full scoop here, and buy your tickets while they last.
Two major movie studios are finally opening up their business models so that people can “buy a ticket” at home when new movies are still in theaters.
Both Sony and Disney are among the first studios testing this new service, which makes its debut in South Korea, reports the Wall Street Journal. The move is being done to help curb piracy overseas by allowing people to rent movies a few weeks after they’re released in theaters. For example, Django Unchained was released just three weeks after its debut in theaters across the country. Disney’s Wreck-it Ralph and Brave are also part of this new trial service.
So why is South Korea getting this new service before other, more prominent markets? Some of it has to do with how high online piracy is in that country. (And since the current model isn’t working, why not try something new?) But South Korea is also the either largest market for movie sales.
There’s another big thing preventing studios from testing out a service like this in the U.S., too. The number of theater owners would likely protest pretty hard, considering they have the most to lose from a “watch at home” model for newer films. Still, if consumers demand it, they might have no choice.
We're studying digital marketing compensation: how much companies pay CMOs, CDOs, VPs of marketing, and more
, with ChiefDigitalOfficer. Help us out by filling out the survey
, and we'll share the results with you.


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OmniActive Health Technologies, which offers a wide range of premium, scientifically validated ingredients for customers in the dietary supplement and functional food and beverage space, announces the addition of Brett DuBose to its Global Sales Organisation
Brett will serve as Divisional Vice President and Regional Sales Manager, North America. Brett has more than 20 years of sales experience, most recently with Florida Supplement as Senior Director, Business Development.
Prior to that, Brett spent 8 years at Lonza Consumer Health & Nutrition where he was Associate Director of Sales for the Eastern US and Canada.
He was also with Pfizer for 14 years in the company's Capsugel Division, his last role being Sales Manager, Generic and Dietary Supplement.
Brett is an alumnus of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, which he says taught him the importance of teamwork, execution and attention to detail, all of which he will bring to his new position at OmniActive.
"Quality, innovation, value and customer-centricity drive everything we do at OmniActive and I feel very much aligned with those values," Brett said. "I look forward to growing the OmniActive business alongside our talented sales team."
"As an industry veteran with deep experience in sales and leadership, Brett will play a key role in developing OmniActive's team to their full potential and accelerating market penetration in North America," said Jim Hamilton, CEO, OmniActive.


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Dealers increasingly worry that rising interest rates and limited inventory could hurt vehicle sales and store profitability.
That's a key conclusion from the latest Cox Automotive Dealer Sentiment Index, a quarterly survey of auto dealers.
Though the retailers remained upbeat about the retail market, optimism in the second quarter slid from the previous quarter.
"The challenges are growing in number," Jonathan Smoke, Cox Automotive's chief economist, told Automotive News. "And they almost become self-fulfilling prophecies of weaker sales in the future."


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Young adults are more familiar with emojis than the tire pressure warning lights in their cars. A survey by Goodyear Auto Service and Just Tires found that only 51% of millennials and Generation Z were able to identify the warning light telling them one of their tires is under inflated.
That sounds good until you consider that it’s compared to 88% who able to identify the eye roll emoji. The study found that 39% of all drivers couldn't recognize the tire warning symbol. It may be time to read that owner’s manual. That light on your car doesn't mean there's a genie in a lamp....it means you need oil.....now!!
Source: Detroit Free Press


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Little Chef has been saved from closure after being bought by a Kuwaiti company for £15 million.
The roadside restaurant firm's famous Fat Charlie mascot has been a familiar sight for UK motorists for more than 50 years but its future looked uncertain when it was put up for sale earlier this year.
Fast food and coffee chains including McDonald's, KFC and Costa were interested but wanted to pick up the restaurant's sites and ditch the name.
But new owner Kout Food Group, which already operates a number of restaurant franchises in the Middle East, is expected to retain the Little Chef title. It is buying 81 of the 83 sites.
It has paid somewhat less than the £20 million first mooted when the chain was put up for sale by turnaround firm RCapital - which is retaining two of the restaurants.
RCapital had acquired Little Chef for a nominal fee in 2007 after it collapsed into administration before an overhaul including a menu revamp by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal. It said it had brought the business back into profitability.
However, RCapital's chief executive Jamie Constable said the new owners would "take the brand to the next stage". They will hope to capitalise on a breakfast and travel dining market estimated at £3 billion in the UK.
Fadwa Al Homaizi, chairman of Kout Food Group Restaurants UK, said: "KGFR-UK has exciting plans to revitalise the Little Chef brand.
"Little Chef will benefit from a process of brand renewal in keeping with current trends, supported by traditional British values."
Kout already operates franchises in Kuwait for Burger King, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell as well as a number of Middle Eastern brands. In the UK it owns Maison Blanc restaurants as well as more than 40 Burger King and KFC units.
Little Chef employs 1100 staff at 83 sites and serves more than six million customers a year. It had 234 outlets with 4,000 staff at the time of its 2007 collapse.
Famous for its large "Olympic" breakfasts, it began life as an 11-seat restaurant in Reading, Berkshire in 1958.


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Nio Inc warned there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern on Wednesday, prompting the cash-strapped electric vehicle maker's shares to slump.
The EV startup, which is backed by Chinese internet giant Tencent and had been seen as a rival to Tesla Inc., has been hit by dwindling demand and reduced government subsidies in China, the world's largest light-vehicle market.
Auto sales in China tumbled 42 percent in the first two months of the year compared to a year earlier, while sales of NEV, which include battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, sank 60 percent.
Nio's shares fell sharply on Wednesday, closing down 49 cents, or 17 percent, at $2.41 in New York trading, as Wall Street's main indexes slumped in the wake of the spreading coronavirus epidemic.
The deadly viral outbreak has exacerbated Nio's troubles, disrupting production and delivery of vehicles.
Nio delivered 2,305 vehicles in January and February, which was lower than its target, Nio Founder and CEO William Bin Li said.
The majority of cars delivered in the first quarter will be the ES6 crossover, which is more affordable than Nio's ES8 crossover, Li added.
As the coronavirus hits its supply chain, Nio expects aggregate deliveries for the first quarter of 2020 to be around 3,400 to 3,600, and is still confident of achieving its sales target for 2020, Li said on an analyst call.
However, Nio's cash balance of $151.7 million as of the end of December is not adequate to provide the required working capital and liquidity for continuous operation in the next 12 months, the company said in a statement.
The company's current liquidity does not include, however, framework agreements with Hefei city government to raise more than 10 billion yuan and set up new manufacturing facilities.
"The parties are working on the legally binding definitive documents to be signed," Li said. The agreement is set to be finalized by the end of April.
The company also said it had made several private placements of convertible notes in February and March for an aggregate principal amount of $435 million to support its operations and business development.


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If you haven’t checked today’s health news yet, you may want to take a look at this article from the Washington Post on red meat consumption. We’ve heard about the dangers of regularly eating red meat many times before, but this very latest study goes into great detail and may just cause Americans and the rest of the meat-eating world to give pause before stopping into a McDonald’s on their lunch break.
For more information on the effects of animal proteins on health, you may want to take a look at one of my favorite health books: The China Study. You’ll get an in-depth look at how what we eat affects our health. I also recommend any book by Dr. Joel Fuhrman for learning about healthy eating on a very practical level.
In the meantime, check out the Washington Post article. I’m sure we’ll be hearing more on this red meat consumption study in the days to come.


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During last year’s Super Bowl between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers, the power at the Superdome in New Orleans went out for 34-minutes.
Seizing the moment, Oreo published a tweet that stole the thunder from all the other advertisers:
The tweet was a combination of a savvy brand that had enthusiastically embraced social media, excellent creativity and terrific timing. It thrust Oreo into the spotlight, stealing the thunder away from brands that had spent millions of dollars on TV spots.
The big challenge facing Oreo was how to not only seize the moment but leverage it as more than just a one-time thing. With a golden opportunity to keep the momentum going, Oreo had to create a plan to keep the ball rolling.
At meshmarketing on Nov. 7 at the Toronto Reference Library, one of the sessions will be a case study on how the “Dunk the Dark” tweet was nurtured and propelled into a multi-faceted campaign.
Join Pam Clarkson from Mondelez Canada, and Laurie Dillon-Schalk and Helen Androlia from Draftfcb on how the Oreo Canada team handled the expectations and challenges of “Dunk in the Dark”.
Tickets for meshmarketing are $199 until Oct. 30 (a sweet deal for a great day of digital marketing insight). Here’s the complete schedule, and a “magazine” (see below) with more details about the speakers and meshmarketing.


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That should be easy, compared to the company’s recent completion of a 16-month approval process with Apple for its hardware and software, which included Apple reviewing everything from the packaging for the company's device to the look of its software to its marketing plan.
Luckily for Exo Labs, the company’s school-friendly business aligns with Apple’s history of building systems for education institutions.
Exo Labs makes the Focus Microscope Camera, a small camera that connects to microscopes and allows teachers and students to film and display what they see on the slides via an iPad app. The hardware is manufactured in a facility in Vancouver, Wash., and the software is built here in Seattle.
The idea for the microscope camera came to co-founder Mike Baum while he was walking on the beach with his young son.
“To see him being curious about the world around him, looking at seaweed, bugs and rocks, I thought, ‘Every kid is a natural scientist. It would be great to capture that experience and learning, and connect it with microscopes and other learning tools,’” Baum said.
Baum said the initial product is aimed at middle- and high-schoolers and educators who could use it in science classrooms, and he is hoping that the campaign on Kickstarter – a crowdfunding website used by business, nonprofits and others – will get the devices into the hands of a wide variety of classrooms so Exo Labs can get real-world feedback on the system.
But it’s not just classrooms that are interested in the devices.
Baum said many of the funders of the Kickstarter campaign are engineers and photographers looking to use the camera with other lenses like telescopes and for other purposes like time-lapse photography.
“It was always our intent to make this product useful for more than just microscope applications,” Baum said.
The camera, which retails for $599, comes with a microscope adaptor and a cable to connect to an iPad and a power supply that charges both the iPad and the camera. Baum said the company plans to offer different lenses depending on what customers want to use the cameras for.
But the $599 price tag is hefty for schools already struggling with budget cuts. Baum said that was one of the main reasons the company decided to do the Kickstarter campaign, which offers the cameras to schools for a reduced rate.
After raising $640,000 in an oversubscribed early investment round, Baum said Exo Labs is about to complete its series A round of financing next week. So the Kickstarter campaign isn’t really about the money. It's about marketing and getting the Focus Microscope Camera into the hands of the target market.
“We’re giving back to the schools that can’t afford our products,” he said. “And for us, it’s a direct-to-the-customer campaign that lets us broadcast to a broad range of users.”


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Annual Award Luncheon
Center for Communication honored Matt Blank in 2013 at the Center's Annual Award Luncheon.
Actor, David Duchovny, Catherine Williams, Executive Director, Center for Communication, Matt Blank, Chairman and CEO of Showtime Networks Inc.
Media News - www.iwantmedia.com
Disney execs said consumers who listen to ESPN radio and interact with the sports channel's websites spend triple the amount of time with the company as those who just watch the TV network. "It's exploded the misconception that digital media would cannibalize TV."
The best way to hook someone into an existing series of stories is to make sure they can start from the beginning. The same is also true of TV shows, and Comcast has the data to back it up. Time-shifted content "is beneficial to the industry-standard TV ratings for new episode premieres."
A report by consumer data firm Experian has shown a direct link between the availability of the likes of Netflix and Hulu and an increase in consumers cutting the cable cord. More cord-cutting is expected "as devices like Roku, Apple TV and Google Chromecast become more common."


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Most Recent Articles by Illena Armstrong
For this year's annual Reboot edition, we took the opportunity to look back not just on the last 12 months, but the last 25 years SC has been entrenched in the information security space.
Some experts contend that a reason for the seeming decline in IT security spend is that it is now becoming a pervasive part of everyday corporate operations.
A slide of a card at a POS system sure is convenient, but given last year's Target data theft and recent headlines about the Home Depot breach, some are questioning the safety of transactions.
The interruption of the cyberattack kill chain through the use of intelligence-driven security has been touted as the better way forward.
Debates about the dearth of women in IT security and, well, a lack of diversity in the field overall, seem to be edging our space closer and closer to some sort of tipping point.
More Articles by Illena Armstrong
Most Recent Blog Posts
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SC Magazine Articles
- WikiLeaks requests information on staffers search warrant data requests
- 'Sexy Girls' wallpaper app in Google Play store accessed account info
- Albany health system notifies more than 5,000 patients of data breach
- Could the Sony breach have been prevented?
- Proposed CFAA revisions agitate IT security community


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A new platform launching this month from Art Fraud Insights seeks to clean up the unregulated online art marketplace by hunting down fakes, forgeries and copyright infringement. The Art and Artistic Legacy Protection (AALP) service will work with artists and artist-endowed foundations to scour the darkest corners of the internet for bogus sale listings and unauthorised copies.
“There is a vast network of highly organised internet sellers that are doing an enormous amount of volume online,” says Colette Loll, the founder of the Washington, DC-based research and forensics firm. Hired by eBay in 2015 to survey art fraud, she estimated that more than 30% of listings on online art marketplaces and e-commerce sites are problematic—and for certain artists, that figure can be as high as 80%.
Loll teamed up with Singapore-based Strategic IP Information, which specialises in policing online intellectual property violations in the luxury, pharmaceutical and entertainment industries. Over the past six months, they have developed proprietary screening software that trawls the web to identify problematic listings on e-commerce sites, mobile apps and social media. When one is found, AALP will alert the client, send cease-and-desist letters to infringers and collaborate with lawyers to seek payment from them.
AALP aims to capitalise on two trends: the growth in online art sales and the expanding influence of artists’ estates and foundations. The online art market—one of the least regulated sectors of the industry—is expected to grow 24% annually, according to a report published last year by insurer Hiscox. At the same time, artists’ foundations are becoming an increasingly significant market force, with aggregate assets of $3.48bn and growing, according to a 2010 study by the Aspen Institute.
While several companies already exist to police artists’ copyright, few have the technical firepower to search the dark web for works that are potentially stolen or forged. Bharat Kapoor, the chief operating officer of Strategic IP Information, says: “Criminals hide in the back room—but we can get into that area.”
There are limits to the approach. Loll acknowledges that squashing infringements can be like a game of “whack-a-mole”—just as one problematic listing is taken down, another pops up. Furthermore, some foundations are focused on expanding access; last year, the Rauschenberg Foundation enacted a fair-use policy that encourages artists, scholars and others to freely reproduce images of the artist’s work (although it still charges for commercial use).
But, says Loll, for foundations that “generate a significant part of their annual revenue from licensing”, the problem can only get worse, because online fraud “is not going away”.
How to spot the warning signs
Colette Loll, the founder of Art Fraud Insights, has surveyed tens of thousands of listings and developed a keen eye for red flags.
Some sellers are flagrant. “We kept seeing the same woman showing up—she was Photoshopped holding 500 different pictures,” Loll says. Other warning signs are more difficult to detect, such as doctored certificates of authenticity.
Sellers based in certain regions—including the Balkans, southern Spain, Costa Rica and eastern Europe—should raise alarm bells. The most vulnerable segments of the market, Loll has found, are drawings between $500 and $25,000; paintings between $1,000 and $5,000; and prints between $5,000 and $15,000. And if you are looking to buy a work online by Marc Chagall, Salvador Dalí, Keith Haring, Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Claude Monet, Joan Miró, Jackson Pollock, Pierre-Auguste Renoir or Pablo Picasso, you might want to do a little extra homework first, as they are common targets for scammers.


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, an Ahmedabad-based cloud kitchen startup
, has raised INR 100 crore in a funding round from IAN, along with NB Ventures
, Go-Ventures, Lets Venture, Grip Invest, Anicut Capital, and joined by celebrity investor Mouni Roy
— who would also be associated in brand incubation and endorsements.
Creedcap Asia advised Bigspoon on the funding round.
The company will use the fund to expand to more than 250 kitchens in 75 cities across the country, add brands in top categories, hire for significant leadership positions, invest in technology for clients, and backward integration for effective production and supply chain.
With 80 kitchens spread throughout 16 states and 35+ cities, Bigspoon caters to 150,000+ diners every month. It houses 9 brands, including Mehfil Biryani by Zakir Khan
, Makhni Brothers, Thali Central, and Meals101 spanning various cuisines and menu options.
Founded in 2019 by Kapil Mathrani
and Poojan Thakkar
, Bigspoon is a multi-brand, omnichannel cloud kitchen company focusing on Tier-2 cities. The startup seeks to democratise the food delivery options in Tier-2 & 3 cities, as the cloud kitchen markets are underserved and underpenetrated. The company has also introduced innovation in food manufacturing, menu selection, and packaging, using fresh food as ingredients rather than frozen ones to minimise the delta between fine-dine and delivered food experience.
Commenting on the new funding, Kapil Mathrani, CEO and co-founder, Bigspoon, said, “Our journey has been phenomenal, and till now, we have served over 3 million customers. With the current infusion of funds, we would look at investing across various verticals, expanding our footprint and adding brands in leading categories. Our incoming and existing investors have faith in our strategy to scale.”
Sanjiv Bajaj, IAN lead investor, said, “The concept of cloud kitchen in India is still nascent and Bigspoon, with its expertise, possesses the right knowledge to revolutionize the sector. It will be filling the gap in the underpenetrated Tier-2 & 3 markets which are still underserved. The funds will serve as a catalyst to boost Bigspoon’s aim to expand its network across India. We are pleased to be a part of this innovative journey. The company has shown explosive growth since inception and we feel these funds will help them achieve next level.”


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Cull-Cow and Beef-Calf Revenue Turns Corner
Dairy cull-cow values have finally started to recover following a steep 20-month decline. Cull-cow values peaked in November 2014, before tumbling week after week for a total loss of nearly 25%. Lean beef and bull-calf prices also plunged over the same period, but now the entire beef market appears, once again, appears to be either on the upswing or poised for a rebound.
“Seasonal trends and market fundamentals suggest that the bulls could finally triumph,” says Sarina Sharp, agricultural economist with the Daily Dairy Report. “This recovery is welcome news for dairy producers who—on top of depressed milk revenues—have suffered the sting of lower cull-cow and bull-calf values.”
According to USDA, lean beef prices as of July 29 were $216.26 per hundredweight, down 24% from a year ago and 28.7% lower than the all-time record set in late January 2015. “Lean beef prices have been sticky; they have yet to turn upward, but they seem poised to recover soon,” says Sharp.
For the week of July 25, quality Holstein bull calves sold for an average of $144.5 per hundredweight at auction in New Holland, Pa. For the comparable week in July 2015, quality bull calves were bringing more than $484 per hundredweight on average‑–more than three times as much as last week.
“While the fundamentals of the bull-calf market vary regionally, it is reasonable to assume that Holstein bull-calf values are down $300 to $400 per head from last year across the nation,” notes Sharp.
Revenue from the sale of cull cows is currently about $400 per cow lower than in mid-July 2015, based on USDA’s weekly lean beef price. Compared to the 2015 average, Sharp notes that year-to-date cull-cow revenues are down $334 per head, and bull calves sold in 2016 have brought $229 per head less than the average sale last year.
“The year-over-year differences detract meaningfully from dairy producers’ bottom lines,” Sharp notes. “If the year-to-date averages for cull and beef values hold through the end of the year, a dairy milking 1,000 Holsteins with a 35% cull rate would take in nearly $260,000 less than last year just on the sale of these animals.”
Sharp’s example assumes that 15% of bull calves die before they can be sold or are otherwise unmarketable. She also notes that if the cows on this hypothetical dairy farm produce an average of 75 lbs. of milk per day, the lost revenue from the sale of cull cows and bull calves at this year's prices vs. last year's would equate to 94 cents per hundredweight of milk.
“In a tough year like this one, these lost sources of revenue could represent the difference between red and black ink for dairy producers,” Sharp says.


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Zhongguancun Online News: On February 14, Redmi officially announced that it has become the exclusive cell phone partner of Mercedes-AMG F1 team, and the Redmi K50 gaming version will be the first cell phone co-branded by Mercedes-AMG F1 team.
The Redmi K50 will be the first phone to be co-branded with the Mercedes-AMG F1 team, as previously revealed by @Digital Gossip Station. The next flagship refers to the Xiaomi 12 Ultra, and the co-branded brand is suspected to be Lycra, according to previous reports and renders from foreign media.
The domestic OPPO, Vivo and Huawei have co-branded in imaging, Xiaomi and camera brands have not yet cooperated, Xiaomi digital Ultra series focus on imaging, this time and Lycra cooperation is likely to be true. Xiaomi 12 Ultra will use a circular rear lens layout with a combination of three cameras, respectively a 50-megapixel main camera and ultra-wide angle and periscopic telephoto lens.
Are you looking forward to the Xiaomi 12 Ultra?
Redmi K50 Gaming Edition
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“Crime’s gone digital. New technology has enabled old crimes to be committed in new and more subtle ways”.
Earlier this year Detica, in partnership with the UK’s Government Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance, conducted a report into the cost of cyber crime. The report concluded that the estimated cost of cyber crime to the UK per annum was £27 billion. And whilst a significant amount of this had an impact on the government and individuals, the majority, a huge £21 billion, was accounted for by UK businesses.
The report also acknowledged that the full economic impact of cyber crime went beyond the estimate in their study. This is seemingly because so many cyber attacks are not reported. Businesses are wary of the brand damage that can be done by a cyber attack, and often will try and keep it out of the media.
The estimated £21 billion cost to UK business in 2010 is broken down as follows:
- £9.2 billion per annum on IP theft
- £7.6 billion per annum from industrial espionage
- £2.2 billion per annum from extortion
- £1.3 billion from online theft
- £1 billion from the loss or theft of customer data
These amounts do not take into account the potential brand damage that cyber crime can have on a business. Indeed the report comments that:
“The results of this study suggest that businesses need to look again at their defences to determine whether their information is indeed well protected. Encouraging companies in all sectors to make investments in improved cyber security, based on improved risk assessments, is likely to considerably reduce the economic impact of cyber crime on the UK.”
Since the release of this report we have seen high profile attacks on major brands, government agencies, stock markets and social media sites. The simple fact is that the longer you wait to address your cyber security, the greater the risk you expose your business to. Cyber crime is becoming more frequent, and presents one of the greatest dangers to businesses in this modern, data driven economy.
IT Governance is a specialist in IT Governance and information security and recommends business align themselves with ISO 27001, the internationally recognised information security standard. Until the end of August they have a fabulous offer on their No 3 ISO 27001 toolkit, which will help your business create an ISO 27001 compliant information security management system.


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On this week’s information, we noticed a report that the Justice Division is conducting a civil probe into whether or not some FinTechs distributing Payroll Safety Program (PPP) reduction botched mortgage sizes. And new insights have emerged on cryptocurrency funds along with digital ordering. The Weekender is right here to catch you up.
Report: Kabbage, FinTechs Below Justice Division Scrutiny For PPP Mortgage Distribution
The Justice Division is holding a civil probe into whether or not some financial technology companies distributing federal PPP reduction botched mortgage sizes, in response to a printed report that cited a number of unnamed sources. Atlanta-based Kabbage is reportedly among the many companies that the federal government is wanting into, in response to a wire service.
Walmart Acquires MeMD; Amazon Care Expands As Race For Client Healthcare Spend Intensifies
Walmart has revealed its latest huge play within the race to form the way forward for American healthcare, with the acquisition of MeMD as a part of its roadmap to develop telehealth choices to sufferers all through the nation. The information comes as Amazon’s digital major care enterprise, Amazon Care, revealed that it has landed Precor as its first employer buyer.
Leaked Walmart Memo Exhibits Grocery Lead Slipping
As customers have moved their meals spending within the path of grocery over the past 14 months, main trade gamers have taken the chance to spend money on their grocery choices, and the sector has turn out to be an increasing number of aggressive. A leaked memo from Walmart reveals that whereas the agency stays forward of the pack, executives are beginning to fear.
Bitcoin Plummets After Elon Musk Stops Taking Crypto Funds For Tesla
Bitcoin fell roughly 15 % on the information that Elon Musk will now not settle for the digital forex for Tesla payments out of considerations for the surroundings.
AT&T 5G Isn’t About Considering Exterior The Field — It’s About Breaking And Rebuilding The Field
AT&T Director of 5G Middle of Excellence Jason Inskeep instructed PYMNTS in a earlier interview that 5G received’t solely enable customers to maneuver easily between verticals on their more and more omnichannel journeys a lot as it’s going to really change how they reside in these verticals.
GPay Groups With Western Union, Smart To Take P2P International
Trackers And Experiences
NEW DATA: 46 Million Customers Plan To Use Cryptocurrency To Pay Retailers
Customers’ curiosity in buying digital currencies and spending these tokens is on the uptick, and customers need to harness these currencies to make funds for retail purchases.
NEW DATA: Pandemic-Associated Well being Issues Form Customers’ Meals Ordering Habits
Whereas mass vaccination rollouts are nicely underway domestically, the pandemic retains raging on — and so do peoples’ considerations in regard to the way it would possibly have an effect on their wellness. The chance of contagion has led hundreds of thousands to buy, work and order food digitally from the security of their residences.
Report: Debit, Digital Wallets Assist Banks Hold Gen Z Clients
The pandemic is showcasing the distinctive and evolving cost preferences of assorted generations, with millennials and Gen Z members on the lookout for frictionless debit-based mobile experiences.
These youthful customers have excessive expectations. A current ballot found that three-quarters of millennials say they might even be prepared to vary suppliers to entry higher cellular journeys.
Enjoyable, Cool And In any other case Attention-grabbing
Flywire’s SEC Submitting Highlights $11.7T Funds Modernization Alternative
Flywire filed earlier in Might to go public in an association that might increase as a lot as a reported $300 million. The corporate’s S-1 listing with the U.S. Securities and Alternate Fee gives a glimpse into how the agency appears to be like at its markets — and why massive sectors like healthcare are prepared for disruption.
The Rise Of Ransomware As A Service
In accordance with a Massachusetts-based safety agency, DarkSide hackers construct and market ransomware hacking applied sciences, and promote them to different criminals who then conduct assaults harnessing them. DarkSide, it appears, is among the many trailblazers in a totally new enterprise alternative on the darkish internet — ransomware as a service (RaaS).
Laws May Be In The Works For Stablecoins
Because the digital forex surroundings is prone to be modified, at the very least a bit, by guidelines and new debates as as to if bitcoin and its options are tokens or securities, the identical regulatory gaze may very well be tightening round stablecoins.
Ripple Results For Banks, Visa And Mastercard As Customers Minimize Card Balances
U.S. customers are nonetheless borrowing — however not with their playing cards, which appear to have been left of their proverbial wallets. There’s a reluctance to spend with playing cards, which may have ripple effects for monetary establishments and cost networks.


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Gosh, could we maybe go for just a day or two without another menu addition from the burger chains? Burger King announced its new Big King and BBQ Rib sandwiches earlier, but there's more. There's always more.
McDonald's menu continues to expand as the new Dollar Menu & More adds five more beef and chicken burgers. At the same time, as previously reported, McRib has returned. This time around it is being touted as "The Ultimate Pork Sandwich."


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The Wall Street Journal and other news outlets are reporting that Toyota will announce a major restructuring tomorrow that affects the big Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. complex in Torrance. The only question seems to be how many of the 5,000 jobs will move to Texas. City officials in Torrance say they have been told only to expect big news. The Dallas Morning News says tonight that Toyota plans to "move a big chunk of its U.S. headquarters from California to West Plano," outside of Dallas. Toyota is said to be negotiating purchase of an office site for more than 4,000 workers. The LA Times story tonight says the news will essentially shift Toyota's U.S. headquarters to Texas, after a half-century.
From the WSJ:
Toyota's U.S. sales operations have been based in southern California since 1957. Toyota has expanded its operations in the area to include product planning, vehicle design, consumer finance and logistics. The auto maker also has a small manufacturing operation in Long Beach, Calif.
Details of the scope of the reorganization, and whether Toyota plans to move a significant number of jobs out of California to other states, weren't clear Sunday. Two people familiar with the company's plans said some operations could move to Texas. The company declined to comment on what it called rumors.
The company confirmed that it was restructuring its marketing organization. It said employees "whose positions are significantly different in the new organization have been provided with several options, including applying for opportunities within the new marketing organization or in other departments at TMS or Toyota Financial Services."
From the Dallas paper:
The automotive manufacturer has been in talks for months with real estate owners and developers in Plano, real estate brokers familiar with the project say.
Toyota plans to seek incentives from the City of Plano and the State of Texas for the move, which is scheduled to be announced on Monday.
Bloomberg News reported Sunday that the move will involve “substantial parts” of Toyota’s U.S. headquarters located in Torrance, near Los Angeles. The operations there have thousands of workers who handle sales, finance, marketing, engineering and product planning for the automaker.
Toyota is moving the jobs out of California to seek lower operating costs, Bloomberg quoted sources.
The Los Angeles Times lede:
Toyota Motor Corp. plans to move large numbers of jobs from its sales and marketing headquarters in Torrance to suburban Dallas, according to a person familiar with the automaker's plans.
The move, creating a new North American headquarters, would put management of Toyota's U.S. business close to where it builds most cars for this market.
North American Chief Executive Jim Lentz is expected to brief employees Monday, said the person, who was not authorized to speak publicly. Toyota declined to detail its plans. About 5,300 people work at Toyota's Torrance complex. It is unclear how many workers will be asked to move to Texas. The move is expected to take several years.
Toyota has long been a Southern California fixture. Its first U.S. office opened in a closed Rambler dealership in Hollywood in 1957. The site is now a Toyota dealership....The U.S. branch picked Los Angeles for its first headquarters because of proximity to the port complex — where it imported cars — and easy airline access to Tokyo.
But today most Toyota cars sold in the U.S. are manufactured in the U.S.


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Viagra was intended to treat hypertension. Cellophane was meant to be a waterproof tablecloth. Play-Doh was originally wallpaper cleaner. Another product that apparently came about by accident: Chanel No. 5.
According to the BBC, which published a story this weekend on the French entrepreneur Coco Chanel, the perfume is rumored to be a result of a laboratory mistake.
In the 1920s, Chanel worked to create a fresh fragrance with help from Ernest Beaux, a sophisticated perfumer. As the tale goes, Beaux’s assistant was mixing up several samples, and added too much aldehyde — a chemical that creates an artificial fragrance – to Sample No. 5. At that time, aldehydes were so powerful that perfumers were hesitant to use them, according to the BBC article.
The mistake was a fortuitous one, it turns out. Chanel chose No. 5, which remains one of the most iconic scents today. For more on the birth of inventions, read our story, “The Genius of the Tinkerer.”


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What a frill! Jessica Mauboy wears eye-popping optical illusion frock to join the front row set
It takes a lot to get noticed amid the stars and models at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia and Jessica Mauboy is really pulling out all the stops
The 25-year-old Pop A Bottle singer was spotted at Carriageworks in Sydney on Monday and certainly made a popping statement in a fitted grey and black dress with a bizarre frilled finish on the front.
Accentuating her curves in all the right places, Jessica’s frock finished just below her knees and had a high neckline and short fitted sleeves.
Scroll down for video
Striking ensemble: Jessica Mauboy rocked a black and white By Johnny dress to the fashion label's show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Sydney on Monday
Is that padding? Jessica's dress had a frilled peplum style finish on the front that highlighted her chest
The grey dress featured a series of black stripes and charcoal shading at the bottom.
And from the side, the main frill’s geometric structure highlighted the singer’s chest.
Whilst the striking ensemble raised a few eyebrows, Jessica’s front row style was fitting for the By Johnny show, being a creation of the label itself.
In true diva style, Jessica teamed the dress with a pair of gold studded heels and left her darks locks out in a stylish wave.
Statement style: The singer's grey dress featured black printed strips and charcoal shading at the bottom
She sported a smoky eye and a slick of light pink lipstick and was all smiles as she mingled with fellow guests.
Ahead of the show, Jessica was clearly looking forward to taking a break from being on stage and sitting front row at the high profile style event.
The sassy songstress took to Instagram with a car selfie as she headed to the show.
All smiles: The songstress enjoyed mingling with the fashion crowd at the runway event
‘On the way to @by_johnny in @by_johnny #Mbf14,’ she captioned the candid close-up.
The ARIA award winning musician was also at the Alex Perry show earlier that day.
She wore a black ensemble that featured a sheer panel that mimicked a split on one leg.
Jessica has a big few weeks ahead of her, jetting to Denmark in May to represent Australia in music contest Eurovision.
Earlier on: Jessica attended the Alex Perry runway show earlier that day and wore a plunging black dress complete with a sheer panel on the side
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Shares of financial services company American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) got a boost from investors on Friday, a day after the company reported that first quarter profit rose 21 percent, beating Wall Street expectations.
The New York-based firm's stock rose $2.05, or 3.48 percent, to close at $61.00 on the New York Stock Exchange.
American Express, the third-largest U.S. credit card company reported first quarter net income of $1.06 billion, or 87 cents per share, compared with $873 million, or 69 cents per share a year ago. Revenue, excluding interest expense, grew 10 percent to $6.67 billion, up from $6.05 in the same quarter last year.
Analysts polled by Thomson Financial had expected, on average, earnings of 80 cents per share and $7.17 billion in revenue.
The company reported that credit card spending rose 15 percent and loan volumes were up 29 percent.
Our strong revenue growth reflects the benefit of multi-year investments in our payments business that are generating across-the-board spending growth from consumer, small business and corporate cardmembers, Kenneth I. Chenault, chief executive of American Express, said.
Results included a $50 million after-tax gain in connection with a new accounting standard and a $39 million after-tax gain related to U.S. pension plan changes.


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The European Union has banned the import and sale of new cosmetics with ingredients tested on animals.
Since 2004, EU regulators have generally banned animal testing of finished cosmetic products, but on Monday closed remaining loopholes in the testing, effective immediately. The EU commissioner for health and consumer policy, Tonio Borg, said the total ban would give "an important signal" about the extent to which Europe values the welfare of animals.
Animal rights groups applauded the restriction. But Cosmetics Europe, a trade group for the $93 billion industry on the continent, said the change would stop innovation of new products. Cosmetic companies have used rabbits, mice and guinea pigs in the testing.
European cosmetics customers may not notice any immediate change in stores, because products that had already been tested on animals can remain on shelves.
There currently is no such ban on animal testing on cosmetics sold in the U.S. or Asian markets.


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Price continues to be an important factor when European salty snack consumers plan a purchase. More than two in five French, German, and Spanish salty snack consumers mention price as a factor when choosing chips, as do 37% of Italians who buy these products, according to research by Mintel. Concern about the price of salty snacks has diminished over the past five years, with the biggest drop seen in France, where there has been a 15% decline of snackers who consider price to be a factor when choosing snacks, between 2012 and 2016. The Mintel report shows that declines in Germany (-11 points), Italy and Spain (-12 points) are not as steep, but still suggest that snack fans are not as concerned about price as they were five years earlier.
Salty snackers in France, Germany and Spain have demonstrated a growing interest in premium chips, Mintel shows: there has been a 13 point increase in the percentage of consumers looking for premium products in France and Spain. In 2016, more than two in five people in those markets seek out premium products, making this attribute as important as “favorite flavor.”
Flavor plays an important role in salty snack choice, a category which includes potato chips. “More than two in five European salty snack consumers look to their favorite flavor when choosing salty snacks, a percentage that has remained relatively steady since 2014. At the same time, about a quarter of them look for salty snacks with strong or bold flavors,” explains Marcia Mogelonsky, director of Insight, Mintel Food and Drink. “Most likely to seek out adventuresome flavors such as these are German consumers, whose interest in strong- and bold flavored snacks has grown by 5% over the three-year period to 2016. Italians are also more likely to move towards strong or bold flavors with a 7% increase,” adds Mogelonsky.The difference in consumer behavior between Europe and the US, relating to chips and potato product innovation, is obvious especially pertaining to price. A recent IRI study found that for Americans, convenience stores represent one of the most frequented retail formats when purchasing potato chips. Moreover, the US consumers are heavily influenced by variety and potato chips range expansion.


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Premium toy company, Hankey’s Toys, signed on as a Platinum Plus sponsor of the 2020 TEAs. This is the company’s first year sponsoring the event.
“At Hankey’s Toys we pride ourselves on celebrating and supporting our diverse communities,” said President of Hankey’s Toys, Michael Mickey. “As a leader in the adult novelty industry, we find it important to demonstrate our commitment and support for the transgender community. We couldn’t be more excited about sponsoring the Transgender Erotic Awards this year.”
“We’re thrilled to have Hankey’s Toys as a sponsor of the TEAs,” said TEA Executive Producer, Kristel Penn. “The growth of the show is attributed to, in no small way, our sponsors and their generosity. In recent years, we’ve seen an increase in sponsorships from non-trans specific companies and, of course, this helps with elevating our show.
Hankey’s Toys was established in 2015 and are the winners of the 2018 Urban X Awards, 2018 AltPorn Awards and nominated for XBIZ 2020 Sex Toy of The Year. Learn more about Hankey’s Toys by visiting mrhankeystoys.com.


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Few things terrify most businesses as the possibility that they might have to treat their employees with even the tiniest degree of respect. They wage a never-ending battle to deny workers a decent wage, overtime, a safe workplace and any rights that a human being should expect. A recent decision regarding McDonald’s employees put a scare into franchise businesses everywhere when the parent company, McDonald’s was held to be a joint employer along with the franchisees that own and operate the individual locations. The holding opened up the possibility that these workers could more easily form unions and work together to push for decent treatment. A follow up ruling has given franchising businesses more wiggle room to protect these businesses from responsibility for unfair labor practices.
The question revolves around who actually employs a worker at a franchise business. Most fast food restaurants are operated as franchises. The franchising company requires individual stores to be operated with certain standards, but does not control every aspect of how the business is run. The National Labor Relations Board has now taken the position that the degree of control exercised by the franchising company may determine whether the employees are jointly employed or employed solely by the franchisee.
Fast food restaurants are notorious for violating wage and hour laws. They routinely deny workers minimum wage or proper overtime pay. They may refuse to pay for “break time” despite not actually allowing workers to take a break. They may refuse to pay for time spent cleaning up and closing down the restaurant after it closes. The tricks are numerous and common. Holding the franchisor responsible for these routine violations would go a long way toward putting a stop to the violations of state and federal laws.
Source: The Business Journals, “Is the NLRB’s war on franchising not as bad as feared?,” by Kent Hoover, 13 May 2015


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Cost’ tag.
For the sixth year in a row, pennies and nickels cost more to produce in 2011 than they were worth. While the depreciation of the cent and the increased cost of producing coins is an old story, the U.S. Mint did reach a new milestone last year: For the first time in history, both the five-cent and one-cent denominations cost double their value to produce.
It’s been estimated that movie theaters make an 85% profit at the concessions stand on overpriced soda, candy, nachos, hot dogs and, of course, popcorn. Movie-theater popcorn has been called one of America’s biggest rip-offs, with a retail price of nine times what it costs to make.
Everyone loves a good deal, but going cheap at the expense of your health, home or sanity is just plain stupid. To get you on track, here are rounded up 12 of the most penny smart and pound foolish moves you can ever make with your money.


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- THE MAGAZINE
IBM does business in over 160 countries and is a "huge advocate" of the WCO standards, says a supply chain executive with the company, who added that customs standards will "promote certainty and predictability in the supply chain." IBM's global supply chain is both large and complex. The company ships the equivalent of five fully loaded 747s each day.
Two-thirds of the WCO's 166 members have already agreed to implement the security framework, agreed upon during the annual meeting on June 23 in Brussels. The framework calls for modernizing customs administrations and equipment to improve the security of global supply chains.


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Update, March 11: Aspiro’s minority shareholders have dropped their objections and accepted Jay Z’s bid.
“We have together with the major shareholders decided that it is best to accept the bid,” the leaders of the minority shareholders said in a statement, reported by Norwegian entertainment newspaper E24 on March 10. This change of heart means that Project Panther Bidco, the investment group led by Jay Z, should be able to buy Aspiro within the next few weeks. [via Music Business Worldwide]
Update, March 13: The move is now official.
The company’s minority shareholders are looking for better terms.
Last month it was reported that Jay Z had put in a $56 million bid to buy Aspiro, a Swedish company that owns both the WiMP streaming service and its audiophile offering Tidal. Unfortunately it looks like the rapper might have to wait a bit longer until he can own a brand to rival Apple’s Beats Electronics.
Swedish newspaper Dagens Industri reports that Jay Z’s bid is being blocked by the company’s minority shareholders, who own 10 per cent of the company. It comes as a blow for both rapper and Aspiro’s board of directors, who previously recommended the deal unanimously.
Despite this setback, it’s not completely over for Jay Z’s bid. The acceptance period for Jay Z’s offer ends on March 11, and the shareholders are trying to start talks to secure better terms – they were unhappy with the original valuation and questioned how much money the rapper would be able to bring to help finance the company’s expansion into untapped international markets. [via The Next Web]