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India’s leadership to strengthen IRSG
India has been elected Chairman of the International Rubber Study Group(IRSG) at a time when two of its prominent members —the US and Thailand — have left the organisation effective from July 1, 2011. India’s leadership role in the IRSG at this juncture is expected to strengthen the organisation which is the only common platform for NR and SR producers and consumers, as also the only comprehensive source of rubber statistics in the world. The IRSG members who unanimously elected India to head the organisation at a meeting in Singapore opined that India, being both a producer and a consumer of rubber, would be in a good position to protect the interests of both in the IRSG.
Sheela Thomas, Chairman of the Indian Rubber Board, will officiate as the Chairman of IRSG for the next two years. Incidentally, she is also the Chairman of ANRPC. The ANRPC Assembly held in Kochi in October 2010 elected India to head the organisation for the next two years. The fact that India now leads two major international rubber bodies is a tribute to the country’s growing clout in the global rubber industry.
World Rubber Summit to be a mega event: Meanwhile, a revised constitution for IRSG adopted at a recent meeting of the Heads of Delegations (HOD) of International Rubber Study Group(IRSG) seeks to change the structure of the organisation, its work pattern etc to make it more useful to the rubber industry stakeholders. The HOD decided to organise the World Rubber Summit as a mega event in Singapore during the next three years on an annual basis.
3 countries plan price stabilisation funds
The three major rubber producing countries — Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia -- are planning to set up national funds for price stabilisation in each country drawing on the allocation earmarked for rubber development, media reports say. A feasibility study is under way on organising the fund. The Ministerial Committee of the International Tripartite Rubber Council is expected to consider the study report in December 2011.
Evonik completes sale of carbon black unit
German chemical company Evonik Industries successfully completed the divestment of its carbon black activities on July 29, 2011. The sale of the business to the US-based Rhône Capital and Triton Partners is valued at over 900 million euros, the company says.
The European Commission had earlier cleared the proposed acquisition of Evonik’s carbon black business.
ARDL introduces new latex allergy tests
Akron Rubber Development Laboratory, Inc. (ARDL) has announced the expansion of its accredited tests for natural latex allergy product evaluation with the addition of the ASTM D 5712 and ASTM D 6499 standards.
The ASTM D 5712 is a chemically-based method for the determination of the total extractable protein content from rubber products. The ASTM D 6499 is an immunologically-based test method that specifically quantifies the level of Hevea proteins.
LANXESS joins global CSR initiative
Speciality chemicals company LANXESS has joined the world’s biggest and most rapidly growing initiative for corporate social responsibility (CSR) — the United Nations Global Compact. Axel C. Heitmann, Chairman of the Board of Management of LANXESS AG, said the company has already achieved its climate target for Germany by achieving substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, one of the established principles of the CSR initiative.
LANXESS aims to deliver a 10 % reduction in specific CO2 emissions and specific energy consumption for each business segment by 2015. Moreover, emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are also to be cut by 30 % worldwide by 2015, he said.
ACS invites nominations for awards
The Rubber Division, American Chemical Society(ACS), is accepting nominations for the following six Science and Technology Awards for 2012: The Charles Goodyear Medal (sponsored by the Rubber Division), the Sparks-Thomas Award (sponsored by ExxonMobil Chemical Company), the Melvin Mooney Distinguished Technology Award (sponsored by Lion Copolymer), the George Stafford Whitby Award for Distinguished Teaching and Research (sponsored by Cabot Corporation), the Fernley H. Banbury Award (sponsored by the Farrel Company) and the Chemistry of Thermoplastic Elastomers Award (sponsored by the Ralph S. Graff Foundation).
The deadline for award nominations to be received at the Rubber Division is July 15, 2011. These prestigious awards recognize specific distinguished achievements of rubber scientists, engineers, chemists and technologists worldwide. For more details, contact the Rubber Division’s website, www.rubber.org.
Yokohama launches tree planting drive
Yokohama Rubber has started planting trees as part of the company’s ‘Forever Forest’ project aimed at creating a greener environment at the company’s facilities in the years leading up to its centenary in 2017. Some 60,000 seedlings indigenous to the local region are being raised at Yokohama’s Shinshiro plant. So far around 183,000 of the planned half a million trees have been planted at
its Japanese and international sites. In addition to planting trees, the company is supplying seedlings to other organisations and companies.
Glove manufacturers in Malaysia face crisis
The rubber glove manufacturing industry in Malaysia is bogged down by shortage of labour and disruption in power supply. In a dialogue with the International Trade and Industry Ministry, the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association said uncertainty in the supply of workers in the last two years had delayed shipments and put expansion plans on hold. The disruption in supply of natural gas was another issue raised by the association. The RM30 billion export earnings target by 2020 cannot be met if these issues are not settled, the association told the Ministry.
Birla’s Columbian Chemicals acquisition cleared
The European Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition of the US-based Columbian Chemicals by Indigold Carbon, which is controlled by India’s Aditya Birla Group, both worldwide producers of carbon black. The merger will bring together two of the world’s four largest producers of carbon black and create one of the three largest companies in the carbon black sector.
Although both companies involved in the deal are domiciled outside of the European Union, the acquisition was submitted to the European Commission for clearance on May 5, 2011 as the companies conduct significant business in Europe.
Cabot to raise carbon black output
Cabot plans to invest more than $180 million to expand manufacturing capacity in some of the fastest growing regions of the world. It will expand capacity in plants in China, Indonesia, Brazil and Argentina by the end of 2013. It will also add capacity at three facilities in Europe. The expansions will increase Cabot’s annual global carbon black output by about 15% or more than 300,000 tonnes.
Apollo institutes Fleet of the Year Awards
To recognise and reward the fleet operators who have been fuelling the growth of Indian economy, Apollo Tyres has announced the Apollo Fleet of the Year Awards, the first ever recognition exclusively for commercial vehicle fleets operating in India.
There are 4 Award categories which directly address business and operations on an overall level. These are: Fleet of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Leadership in Passenger Operations and the Small Fleet Operator Award. A special recognition has been kept in each category for the small fleet owner.
To add to this, 4 unique Award categories have also been created: Leadership in Safety, Leadership in Operations, Leadership in Customer Service and Leadership in Technology & Sustainability. After 4 regional rounds, the National Award ceremony will take place in September 2011.
Michelin completes 10 years in Romania
Michelin has completed ten years of its operations in Romania. To date, Michelin Romania SA has invested 265 million euros in Romania. The French manufacturer entered the country in 2001 with the purchase of the Victoria Floresti and Zalau factories operated by the Tofan Group.
Michelin erected a greenfield steel cord plant in 2003. In total, Michelin has produced more than 450,000 tonnes of tyres and 150,000 tonnes of cord in Romania during the past decade, says a company spokesman.
IISRP opposes move to list styrene as carcinogen
The synthetic rubber industry has taken exception to the plans by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to list styrene as a human carcinogen. The International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers (IISRP) has urged the HHS not to list styrene as a carcinogen.
Jim McGraw, Managing Director and CEO of IISRP, said he does not believe there is a scientific basis for listing styrene as a carcinogen. While it is not clear how such a listing would affect SBR production, all facilities that use styrene would be required to provide much more information about styrene both to employees and to communities near the plants, he said.
Poor awareness on tyre safety in US: Survey
A survey conducted by the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) in connection with the National Tire Safety Week in the US reveals that only 15% of US motorists know how to correctly check tyre pressure.
The survey found that 62% of drivers do not know where to find the correct inflation pressure for their vehicle, 53% believe the pertinent information is found on the tyre’s sidewall while 14% do not know anything at all. In total, only 20% of male motorists and 9% of female motorists were found to properly check tyre pressure.
Evonik sells carbon black unit to Rhone Capital
Evonik Industries has signed an agreement with affiliates of Rhône Capital to sell its carbon black business, which achieved sales revenues of some €1.2bn in 2010. The
transaction is valued in excess of €900m including the assumption of certain obligations, the company said in a statement. The carbon black business was previously known as Degussa. The carbon black business is being acquired intact as a whole, with its 1,650 employees, some 500 of whom are based in Germany.
GEO buys BASF’s Bisomer monomer business
GEO Specialty Chemicals has entered into an agreement with BASF to acquire the Bisomer monomer business (hydroxy methacrylates, multifunctional methacrylates (MFM) and speciality adducts) and conventional contact lens business of Cognis U.K.
The transaction includes a manufacturing facility in Hythe, England, that produces hydroxy methacrylates, multifunctional methacrylates (MFM) and speciality adducts, polyalkylene glycols (PAG) and PAG-based lubricants.
Patent for Pioneer’s Tyre Spraying System
US Patent and Trade Office has awarded US Patent number 7,943,201 to Pioneer Industrial Systems, LLC. This patent covers the company’s Robotic Handling and Servo Controlled Fluid Delivery system that offers several advantages over the traditional spray machines on the market.
The advantages include uniform spray coverage, controlled gun position, large material savings, less overspray, automatic adjustment to tyre sizes, less maintenance, quick change spray guns, no manual setup or adjustments and the latest technology, the company says.


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In recent weeks I’ve been seeing more and more stats about the consumption of what I’ll politely call ‘old’ media. This is things like TV or radio or outdoor ads – things that have been around for decades. It’s not necessarily old media, but it’s not the new and shiny thing talk of the town like mobile or VR or similar.
There is perhaps a rather narrow minded thought that this type of media is on the way out. The kids are all addicted to Instagram and Snapchat aren’t they? They don’t watch TV anymore. ‘Silver surfers’ are now flocking to their ipads instead of reading newspapers or magazines according to some gurus…
Is this reality or not?
Let’s look at TV. Some recent stats produced from both BARB (no, not that one) and Nielsen, two of the biggest collectors of behaviour insight have both shown that TV consumption is still as high as ever. Even with the kids. Clearly, when we want downtime in the evenings, or when schools finish, there has been little change in our behaviour despite the huge growth in digital consumption over the last decade.
As you can see, radio here still remains second behind TV in terms of minutes per week. But how has this changed in the last decade? Research from RAJAR (see below) released last year shows that longer terms have shown a decline in radio listening per month by something like 25% for younger audiences.
This should come as no surprise given the popularity of mobile with younger audiences. However, radio still clocks in at a healthy ten hours per month of consumption for younger audiences and it’s pretty steady for other age groups.
If traditional media is steady, what about digital?
We all know that the growth of smart phones and prevalence of Wi-Fi & 4G since the start of the decade has fundamentally shifted how and when we consume media. If you think that media consumption is a zero sum game then it’s not. By having a fast and powerful computer available in our pocket, we’ve just started to use it in addition to traditional media, not instead of. Yet.
There are limited stats produced on the consumption of digital in its truest sense (as it can get grouped among many things) but this chart below from the US shows what we probably already know – tablet and mobile are the dominant platforms for media consumption.
In the UK this is reflected in a similar way and the trend is clear to see. Digital is the growth channel while others remain flat.
If we consume more, then how do we squeeze it all in? I have often showed the graph below in presentations that I’ve put together in the last 6 months as it highlights the attention problem in a stark way. Research carried out in the US suggests that we undertake 31 hours of activity in 24 hours.
If we take out the fact that 7 hours of our day are spent sleeping, that means in terms of media, we consume 24 hours of activity in 17 hours. Putting it another way, for each hour we are doing something, there is roughly another 50% of ‘stuff’ going on.
What the hell does this all mean?
Sometimes I’m as guilty as others when it comes to hyperbole. ‘We’re all addicted to digital!’ ‘We are stupid as fish’ etc
Whilst you can look at statistics and reports in many ways, you only have to take a look around you to know that mobile screens are our go to place for nearly all media consumption these days. From dual screening at home, to checking email on the toilet to watching football on a 4 inch screen in the pub, it’s ever present in our lives.
Does that mean we can just turn off everything else then? For now, most certainly not. Certainly digital is growing but other media is not dead.
One of my favourite marketing rules is that it takes at least seven times for your message to be understood or paid attention to. Seven times. You can’t just expect someone to see your brand even a handful of times and give it proper attention. There is too much competition within your industry but also the world around people.
Whilst repetition is definitely necessary and one reason why we can’t just care solely about end conversation, it is not the only way to win. If your budget allows you to work across multiple media then great, you have a greater chance of winning.
But if, like a lot of businesses, budgets are analysed and scrutinised more and more, you need to adapt to the changes in not only technology, but also our attention spans.
You need to market like it is 2016. We are all busy. We live fragmented lives. And we can all be contacted at any point whether we want it or not. It is becoming increasingly rare for people to pay attention in the way they used to. Creative needs to either be shorter and more impactful or it needs to go the other way and be all encompassing and engaging.
People now want to get bite sized content though a quick game on their phone or flick through their feed on Facebook or they want to binge on boxsets for hours on end.
To win, you must change your tactics to these modern times, whether it is TV, radio or digital. That’s the only way to get real attention.

domain: news


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- The Consumer Brands Association launched a Contactless Delivery Task Force on Monday made up of 23 consumer packaged goods companies to study the impact of, and develop uniform standards for, implementing contactless deliveries at scale throughout their supply chains.
- The group's initial focus will be on electronic bills of lading (eBOL). There are benefits to digitizing this paper-based process from an efficiency standpoint (thereby improving visibility and data accuracy) and a health and safety one as well, reducing the need for physical contact between warehouse workers, according to a CBA press release.
- "As shippers continue to build more efficient and resilient supply chains, the eBOL fills in a gap that many clients have been asking for. The touchless BOL will result in entry error reduction, increased visibility to OS&Ds, drive lower transportation costs and benefit their green footprint," Henry Blum, a senior manager in Accenture's supply chain and operations practice, said in a statement.
EBOLs represent another step forward into the digital age for the freight industry, across modes. Moving away from paper in favor of online dashboards, data analytics, booking and instant quotes is becoming more prevalent as shippers voice need for real-time information to optimize complex global operations. CMA CGM made the switch to eBOL last year, and carriers in the trucking industry have been adopting the technology as well.
However, now that more supply chain personnel are working remotely due to the pandemic, the need for information to be available quickly and electronically has increased. Making the switch to eBOL presents an opportunity to give shippers better insight into warehouse operations and logistics in real time and without being on site. And for those whose jobs can't be done remotely, such as warehouse workers and truck drivers, an eBOL can make social distancing easier by cutting out the need to transfer paper documents from person to person.
"As CPG companies identify ways to increase supply chain efficiencies and ensure employee safety, electronic delivery verification through a contactless pick-up and delivery process is a natural solution," Tom Madrecki, Consumer Brands Association VP of supply chain and logistics, said in a statement.
Accenture, Coyote Logistics and Vector, a transportation digitization solutions provider, will also be working alongside CBA's task force to develop and ultimately scale end-to-end contactless delivery standards.
As states reopen and coronavirus infection rates begin to spike, "Wildly different state-by-state approaches have created challenges in providing essential products to consumers," CBA CEO Geoff Freeman wrote in a blog post June 8. "The drive for federal clarity may be the one constant from our January survey of CPG executives, when complying with a patchwork of state regulations was the top issue impacting their business."
Scaling up eBOL is a first step toward establishing some consistency and clarity for CPG shippers, according to the release.
"Health, safety and efficiency have always been our priorities, but now we’re forced to look for new and innovative ways of incorporating technology even further," Yone Dewberry, SVP and chief supply chain officer at Land O’Lakes, a task force member company, said in a statement. While the COVID-19 outbreak has been a major disruptor for his and many other CPG companies, he said it is also an opportunity to develop new processes to improve operations for the future.


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Cork GAA has confirmed they reached a sponsorship agreement with British retail company Sports Direct in December.
Chairman Marc Sheehan said a deal had been concluded in early December 2020 with a formal launch set to take place at a later date.
It had been widely reported that Cork had agreed terms with the company to replace Chill Insurance as the inter-county teams' main sponsor in a partnership worth €400,000 a year up to 2025. There are also bonuses on offer if the Rebels enjoy All-Ireland success in hurling or football.
Sports Direct's CEO Mike Ashley is the owner of Premier League club Newcastle United.
Cork held their first county committee meeting of the year on Tuesday. In a meeting report published on Wednesday they said it was "a matter of regret to the Board that information had come into the public domain prior to the intended launch of this arrangement".
At the FAI's AGM just after Christmas, it was confirmed the soccer association will be repaying Sports Direct €100,000 a month until the autumn of 2025 after the company triggered a callback option on the €6.5m they gave to the FAI in 2016. Their sponsorship had not been due to begin until 2020.


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The precarious prospects of South Africa’s retail sector were confirmed by recent sales updates from major retailers, which suggested that hard-pressed consumers continue to limit their spending.
“It’s quite clear that consumers are already feeling the pinch of a recession,” said Wayne McCurrie, senior portfolio manager at Ashburton Investments.
Consumer confidence has sunk to its worst level since 1982, according to the FNB/Bureau for Economic Research. Woolworths, Massmart and Shoprite could probably attest to this, as downward sales are now the new normal.
Grocery behemoth Shoprite appears to be riding out the perennial slump better than its peers. In the year to June, turnover grew by 10.4% to about R140.7 billion, with the help of the decent performance of its South African supermarkets. On a like-for-like basis, turnover grew by 5.8%.
Shoprite has had relative success outside South Africa over the last ten years, which has created shareholder expectations of sustained higher profits. The retailer is now reeling from its rest of Africa operations, which have been impacted by lower commodity prices and currency devaluations.
Like-for-like sales grew by 6.9% in its South African operations versus 1% in the rest of Africa.
Senior equity analyst at Sasfin Securities Alec Abraham, said the retailer is taking market share from Pick n Pay, Spar, Massmart and Woolworths (see the comparison of sales growth below).
“The fact that Shoprite is the only food retailer showing positive like-for-like growth in sales means that it’s taking market share from competitors in a tough retail environment,” Abraham told Moneyweb.
Emerging more bruised is Massmart, the operator of Game, Builders Warehouse, Dion Wired and others, whose sales for the 26 weeks to June 25 fell by 2.7% when excluding inflation of 3.2%. Food sales grew by 3% and non-food declined by 2.9%.
“Massmart’s business model is based on high volumes and low inflation. However, economic fundamentals in South Africa have been [the] opposite to its business model. In a low volumes market it’s difficult to grow volumes,” said Abraham.
Also under the cosh is upmarket Woolworths; its group sales rose by a meagre 3% for the year to June 25. The theory that food is more resilient than clothing during tough times proved true as sales in Woolworths’ South Africa clothing and general merchandise division grew by 1.4% and growth in the food division increasing 8.6%.
Market watchers are uneasy about the slow pace at which Woolworths’ Australian business David Jones is moving. When the business was acquired nearly three years ago, it was tipped to transform Woolworths into a substantial retailer in the southern hemisphere, giving it a neat rand hedge. However, David Jones’s sales increased by 1% in Australian dollar terms while comparable store sales declined by 0.7%.
Australia’s retail malaise, which has been worsened by slower economic growth due to lower commodity prices and muted consumer confidence, continues to create a difficult environment for Woolworths.
Investors in retail shares are already pricing the downbeat sales. Woolworths’ share price has sunk by 17% so far this year.
Anthony Rocchi, portfolio manager at Rexsolom Invest, said the derating in Woolworths’ share price is justified as its “Australian turnaround is lagging investor expectations at a time when South Africa is facing headwinds”. McCurrie supported Rocchi’s view, saying that at a price:earnings ratio of 13, the stock is cheap considering its recent peak of 29.
Massmart’s stock also joins Woolworths, falling by 14% so far this year. Shoprite is the antithesis of the sector decline, with its stock up 20%, giving a p:e ratio of 21, which analysts rate as expensive. “Shoprite has not priced in the poor trading conditions. My reasoning for Shoprite trading at a premium is due to it not being exposed to more cyclical apparel and its established presence in Africa which is an ‘easy sell’ to foreign investors,” said Rocchi.
Arguably, the next six to 12 months will be testing for the resilience of retailer’s corporate strategies. Consumer price inflation, which fell from 5.4% year-on-year in May to 5.1% in June, is expected to decrease in 2017 (especially food inflation).
Damon Buss, the equity analyst at Electus Fund Managers, said declining food inflation is generally not good for food retailers as it lowers sales and the quantum of rebates they get from food and consumer goods producers. The rebates are calculated on a percentage of total sales.
“This slower top line growth will require strong cost control just to hold margins flat and hence we think there is a risk to the downside for consensus headline earnings per share growth expectations,” he said.
Brought to you by Moneyweb.


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Airtel Tanzania has launched eSIM technology, allowing customers to activate a mobile plan without needing a physical SIM card. The technology is an embedded SIM that enables users to activate multiple mobile plans on a single device, making it easier to switch between different plans or providers. The company has partnered with device manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung, and Google to support eSIM technology.
To activate an eSIM-enabled device, customers can download the Airtel app and select the eSIM activation option. The app will generate a QR code that the customer can then scan with their device’s camera to activate the mobile plan. The eSIM technology is expected to provide convenience to customers, as it eliminates the need for a physical SIM card and the hassle of switching between SIMs when traveling internationally.
Airtel’s eSIM technology is also expected to boost the adoption of 5G technology in Tanzania. With eSIM, users can activate their mobile plan without needing to change their SIM card, which could encourage more people to upgrade to 5G-enabled devices. This could lead to increased investment in 5G infrastructure and the development of new 5G-enabled services in the country.
The launch of eSIM technology by Airtel Tanzania is part of a broader trend in the telecommunications industry towards digitization and virtualization. eSIM technology has been around for several years, but its adoption has been slow due to a lack of support from device manufacturers and mobile operators. However, with more companies embracing the technology, eSIM is expected to become increasingly popular in the coming years.
In conclusion, Airtel Tanzania’s launch of eSIM technology is a significant development in the country’s telecommunications industry. The technology is expected to provide convenience to customers, boost the adoption of 5G technology, and contribute to the overall digitization of the industry. As more companies adopt eSIM, it is likely to become a standard feature on many devices, making physical SIM cards a thing of the past.


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Craft spirits maker distributes across state
A craft spirits maker in the region is distributing its products two years after getting started.
The owners of Coppercraft Distillery in Holland — Walter Catton and Mark Fellwock — will be seeing their lines of clear spirits across the Michigan market in April.
The products include gin, rum, vodka and citrus-flavored vodka.
The spirits will also be available in Chicago and Colorado in the coming weeks.
Other products — including bourbon, whiskies, brandies and applejack — will be released later this year.
The company opened its distillery and tasting room in November, with more than $750,000 invested in equipment and building improvements.
“We are very excited for our grain-to-glass spirits to arrive in the Michigan market after having spent the past year creating and improving our products,” Catton said.
The distillery plans to make another investment of $250,000 this year, including a larger 750-gallon still.
Craft spirits market
“In terms of market opportunity, we believe the craft distilling industry is roughly 15 to 20 years behind the growth that has been seen in the craft beer industry,” Catton said.
“The industry as a whole is experiencing explosive (double-digit) growth, and it is an exciting time to be presenting our product to our community. We believe Michigan is a great place to introduce our locally crafted spirits.”
Coppercraft Distillery has been named the first-ever spirit sponsor of Tulip Time.
Cocktails featuring the company’s spirits will be available at 18 restaurants during the festival, which runs May 3-10.


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] Korea’s top conglomerate Samsung Group expects sales of Samsung Electronics and three other units in Vietnam to spike more than 30 percent on-year in 2017, sources said on May 17.Samsung Electronics
, Samsung Display, Samsung Electro-Mechanics
and Samsung SDI
are targeting to post combined sales of US$60 billion in the Southeast Asian country this year, up 33 percent from the previous year.
The four group subsidiaries are also aiming to register US$50 billion in total exports, 25 percent more than a year earlier.
Samsung Vietnam General Director Han Myoung-sup unveiled the goals during a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on May 17, according to the sources.
By Alex Lee and newswires (firstname.lastname@example.org


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Frequent Top Gear guest Sabine Schmitz will be racing a prototype Bowler EXR against a Rage Buggy, in a series of super-charged, high octane challenges on the indoor track, when Top Gear Live returns to UK arenas this November.
Schmitz will be displaying the unique driving skills that have won her legions of fans from across the globe in a battle of the off-road racing cars where the 500 bhp Bowler EXR will put it through its paces against the nippy Rage Buggy.
The powerful Bowler EXR is the first of three cars the German racing driver will send around the track during an all-new 80-minute spectacular, taking place in addition to the live theatre show hosted by the Top Gear presenting trio.
The EXR being raced at Top Gear Live is a prototype of Bowler’s fourth-generation model and is set to continue the British brand’s reputation as one of the world’s most formidable rally raid participants. Based on Land Rover technology and with up to 500 bhp, the EXR will sprint from 0-60 mph in just 4.2 seconds, and with noise and drama on-tap Sabine is sure to enjoy getting behind the wheel of this great addition to the Top Gear Live show.
The legendary racing driver became a friend of the Top Gear TV show having challenged Jeremy Clarkson to a series of races around the infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife. Her most famous exploits came when she took a Ford Transit around the track in 10 mins 8 seconds, a record for an un-modified van.
Top Gear Live takes place this November at Birmingham’s NEC (11-13) and ExCeL London (24-27).


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The Nova SBE x TOMRA Container Deposit Scheme
Nova School of Business &Economics (Nova SBE) received the Minister of Environment and Energy Transition for the launch of the 1st Compulsory Deposit Pilot Project for beverage packaging in Portugal. This is in partnership with TOMRA, a well-known Norwegian multinational specialized in recycling solutions and is located both in the Cascais Town Hall and on the Carcavelos campus.
Following the European Plastics Strategy, Nova SBE and the Cascais City Council joined TOMRA to carry out the first pilot project for a beverage packaging deposit system in Portugal. The equipment installed on campus will allow the consumer to deposit the packaging waste and receive a value for the deposit left there, thus reducing its environmental impact and promoting recycling.
The Minister of Environment and Energy Transition, João Pedro Matos Fernandes, was present at Nova SBE to mark this launch, along with João Ataíde, Secretary of State for the Environment, Carlos Carreiras, Mayor of Cascais and Daniel Traça, Dean of New SBE. This system, which is already in place in several European countries (Germany, Finland, Denmark, Slovakia, Norway, Holland and Sweden), finally arrives at Nova SBE and the Cascais Town Hall. Until the end of August, for each beverage package deposited in the equipment, € 0.15 will be donated to the Community Center of the Parish of Carcavelos. From the beginning of September, all beverage packages purchased will pay a deposit, which will be returned to the consumer when he places the packaging on TOMRA machines.
With this pilot, Nova SBE intends to contribute to the acquisition of knowledge and testing of alternative solutions that will help implement the mandatory deposit system (which will start in Portugal on January 1, 2022).
Through this initiative, Nova SBE makes the commitment it made when it signed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economic Global Commitment and continues to have a sustainable community on and off-campus.


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Intel looks to be adding hyper-threading across its 10th Gen desktop CPU range, but is it enough to deal with AMD?
Say no to sag, the bit-tech way.
Rick gets his hands dirty with Skydance's VR zombie game.
Could back-port JPEG 2000's DRM.
Google has launched a new VP8 implementation, this time aimed at still images.
Microsoft has announced its intention to turn its HD Photo format into a standard. Could we see the end of the JPEG?
Fed up with JPEG? No? Well, Microsoft is going after it anyway. Prepare for Windows Media Photo.
February 17 2020 | 09:00
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A recent UK report shows that many name brands still use sweatshop labor to produce their clothing and accessories.
We talk a lot about the benefits of buying handmade and why eco-friendly fabrics are better for the environment, but a fashion issue that I think deserves some extra attention is not the why or what, but the who. Who is making all of those clothes that we buy, and under what conditions?
According to a recent report from the International Textile Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF), many common brands still use sweatshop labor to produce their clothes. Brands like GAP, DKNY, Converse, and Abercrombie & Fitch are among the brands that use sweatshops to save on clothing production costs.
What is a Sweatshop?
Sweatshop has become a blanket term for clothing factories, usually in third world countries, were workers have few rights and work under unsafe conditions. Garment workers make far less than a living wage with no holiday or sick time. They work unpaid overtime and often suffer mental and even physical abuse if they don’t meet strict quotas. A Guardian report on this issue explains:
…in one factory, 40 workers were locked in an unventilated room without access to toilet facilities, water and food for over three hours as a punishment.
In Sri Lanka, workers were forced to work up to 130 hours per month in overtime, and anyone asking to leave would be verbally harassed. In the Philippines, 24% of workers said that they did not receive additional pay for their overtime. Typical hours can be 6am to 8pm.
While some of these conditions are illegal in the countries where they’re occurring, the problem isn’t alsways with the laws but with enforcement and with companies and consumers who turn a blind eye toward inhumane production practices.
How to Avoid Sweatshop Clothing
The best way to tell companies that you won’t buy sweatshop-produced clothing is to vote with your wallet. Look for fair labor or sweat free clothing or companies that are transparent about where and how they produce their clothing. Buying handmade is another way to ensure that your clothing wasn’t made in sweatshop conditions. When you purchase from a crafter who made the product herself, you know that you’re getting an ethically-produced garment.
Want to make an even bigger impact? Take a look at the screenshot to the left from page 15 of the ITGLWF report (pdf alert!) to see if your favorite brands are included. If they are, find the company’s contact page on their website and send them an email letting them know that you’re a loyal customer who unfortunately won’t be able to shop at their store or purchase their products until they stop supporting sweatshop labor.
For more information on sweatshops, check out War on Want’s anti-sweatshop campaign.
[via : The Guardian]
Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by marissaorton


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This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The word "innovation" has become so common that we tend to forget what remarkable leaps have been made in convenience and opportunity by the technology sector. Shopping, travel and daily communications can be handled anywhere using a smartphone.
Many significant advances come to market from big companies in the tech sector. Unfortunately, since the financial crisis, there has been a prevailing thought in America that "big" is bad. This sentiment started with financial institutes, but in Washington, some are starting to question whether the theory holds for other industries as well.
Antitrust laws are essential to prevent genuine monopolistic conduct. In fact, to date, enforcement of the antitrust laws in the technology sector has simultaneously allowed businesses to innovate and grow and prevented harmful conduct. Now some are proposing upsetting this delicate balance by applying century-old laws, drafted for railroads and oil monopolies, to the technology industry in new and heavy-handed ways.
These proposals threaten innovation, the economy and the convenience and benefits we as consumers reap from these advances.
A continuous cycle of startups and acquisitions has contributed directly to both these new innovations and economic growth and new jobs. The Progressive Policy Institute reported they found a clear association between periods of heavy technology acquisition and economic growth and employment gains in the tech sector, with employment tracking acquisitions.
Utahns see the benefits of the tech jobs and economic growth more than most areas of the country. Earlier this summer, the Kauffman Index of Growth Entrepreneurship ranked Utah No. 1 small state for entrepreneurial activity. The components measures used include rate of startup growth, share of scaleups and high growth company density.
The dream of many smaller startups is to be acquired by larger firms, which have the expertise to bring the startups' technologies to market and helping develop more complex products and services. Because investors know that acquisitions mean they will receive a return on their investment, they are more likely to invest in new startups creating a "virtuous circle" that maximizes innovation. In addition, the tech sector's constant innovation creates new markets, leading to more competition. For instance, Google's purchase of data company Keyhole led to Google Earth, and its acquisition of Android led to the smartphone operating system of the same name – products that were then integrated into the Google Maps app we all rely on.
The economic impact of tech's acquisition pattern is considerable: according to the Martin Prosperity Institute, in the last five years, Provo has topped the nation's cities in job growth boasting 26.8 percent increase and also ranked first in mid-wage job growth – much of which can be attributed to tech startups and investment in the area.
Implementing out of date antitrust laws on this industry could have dire consequences, which could force regulators to put a full stop on innovation by preventing these acquisitions and ignoring their positive economic and social effects. By interfering with acquisitions, antitrust regulators could harm the development of innovative new technologies and services that have the potential to tremendously benefit consumers and businesses.
This interference also risks harming the lively startup culture that has proved so critical in sparking American innovation. Utah's startups could be starved of investment at the same time that raising money through more traditional means is more difficult because of turmoil in the IPO market. Finally, by limiting the growth of the technology sector, regulators would ultimately endanger economic growth and job creation.
For the sake of consumers, Utah jobs and our economy, we must ensure our antitrust laws continue to be enforced in ways that promote American technological innovation.
Rep. Keith Grover represents Orem and Provo in the Utah State House. Sen. Margaret Dayton represents portions of Utah County.


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We are literally swimming in waves of communication signals, and this app proves it.
Apple can be a mysterious beast -- but we have some idea as to what tricks are up its sleeve for Thursday.
Apple has also announced launch dates for Apple Pay, iOS 8.1 and OS X Yosemite. We're live at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, with the latest.
The photos purport to show the iPad's logic board and processing chip, plus its Touch ID sensor, Apple's fingerprint scanner.
The iPod touch is a weird fit in Apple's lineup. Thanks to the iPhone 6 Plus, the iPad mini could soon face that same sense of obsolescence.
Apple has pushed back plans to mass produce a 12.9-inch iPad in order to meet the huge demand for new iPhones, according to The Wall Street Journal.


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Biamp Systems are a leading provider of networked media systems, and today announced that effective Feb. 19, Jands will be the company’s distributor in Australia and New Zealand.
This completes the project undertaken by Jands to re-position away from Harman group products, a seismic shift that has led to CMI Audio taking on Harman brands like JBL, Crown, Soundcraft, BSS and dbx.
In the previous half year, Jands have taken on Robe (after relinquishing Vari*Lite), Gibson Pro (KRK, Stanton, Cerwin Vega); L-Acoustics; and QSC Pro: (MI and production products).
Now they have Biamp, distributing the Tesira, Devio, Audia, Nexia and Vocia product lines. Midwich, Biamp’s current distributor in the region, will remain so through April 18.
“We’re excited for the opportunities this new partnership brings,” said Jim Seretis, consultant liaison and business development manager for Australia and New Zealand at Biamp Systems. “Not only will this benefit our current customers, but it will enable Biamp to add to the AV growth throughout the region.”
Jim previously headed Biamp when it was distributed by Audio Products Group, where the brand saw considerable growth. That relationship withered when Hills made a bad call buying APG, and meshing together a basket of well performing brands and causing conflicts with many of them. Seretis headed to Biamp. Midwich took on the line, and now it sits at Jands.
The addition of NZ into the Biamp distribution poses some challenges, since the Jands entity in NZ is not connected to the Australian Jands. Jands NZ retains some of the Harman lines that Jands Au have quit. Some kind of marketplace delineation will no doubt happen soon, since Jands Au are determined to sell Robe, L-Acoustics and possibly other things into NZ under their own flag.
“We are immensely proud to have been chosen to represent Biamp in Australia and New Zealand,” said Paul Mulholland, managing director for Jands. “Having competed against Biamp for many years I am all too familiar with the company’s superior AV performance, their commitment to innovation, and their industry recognition. With Biamp, we have strengthened our commitment to representing companies that are leaders in their field.”
“I have always respected the technical innovations and capabilities of Biamp Systems. Personally, having been involved with Creative Audio products in the early days, this feels somewhat like a home coming to me,” said Jeff MacKenzie, technical resource group manager for Jands. “The entire training and technology team at Jands is happy to be part of the Biamp family, and we’re eager to start training Jands customers on Biamp solutions.”
Founded in 1976, Biamp is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, USA, with additional engineering operations in Brisbane, Australia and Rochester, New York.
Published monthly since 1991, our famous AV industry magazine is free for download or pay for print. Subscribers also receive CX News, our free weekly email with the latest industry news and jobs.


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Comments on: iBiz Announces SDIO FM Radio and Card Readers
iBIZ Technology Corp. has announced the PDA industry's first Secure Digital Expansion Card (SD), FM radio for PDAs. The Pocket Radio enables a standard PDA with an SD expansion slot to tune into FM radio stations. iBiz has also debuted new memory cards readers for handhelds and a new SD VGA camera.
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As Sammy Baker said of Horizon: Zero Dawn, “you can practically feel money pouring out of the screen.” I could not have said it better myself. The game looks amazing and for some, is reason enough to invest in the PS4 Pro and a brand new TV. More so, Sony hasn’t blushed when stating that Horizon: Zero Dawn is one of the highest budget project to date. Thankfully, it turns that Sony isn’t going to try and get it’s money back on the fly with micro transactions.
As confirmed by a fan asking Guerrilla Games “do [you] know if there will be micro transactions in the game? Is it just hunting scavenging 4 parts and upgrades?” The developer responded that “there will be no micro transactions in Horizon: Zero Dawn.”
This doesn’t mean DLCs won’t be coming, as we already know various costumes and gear will be available for the main character Aloy. So if not story DLCs, definitely a few content packs. In addition to whatever the Season Pass might hold, as it will likely be more than just fancy equipment.
What kind of DLCs do you think the game will have? Let us know in the comments below!


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Welch’s Transport saw profit fall in a year with an “uncomfortably high” turnover in operational staff, according to the firm’s latest annual results. The Cambridgeshire haulier’s newly published accounts for the year to 31 December 2016 reveal that whilst turnover rose by 6.3% to £13.4m (2015: £12.6m), pre-tax profit was 4.5% lower at £158,527 (2015: £166,078) The results show that road haulage and warehousing delivered the lion’s share of the turnover, with the firm’s garage operation, crane hire and furniture […]
Container haulier Pentalver Cannock said a rise in turnover and pre-tax profit during 2017 was essentially down to the continuing improvement in trading conditions since the economic downturn.
Consolidated results for the Woodside Haulage group of companies show that the County Antrim operator saw pre-tax profit soar 42% last year.
Small and medium sized hauliers hit by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic can apply for a government-guaranteed loan of up to £50,000 from next week.


text: Dina McKnight-Dargis, CEO and owner of Zip Xpress Inc. for the past 15 years, is recognized as a significant leader and innovator in Michigan’s supply chain business. She has been honored by numerous national organizations as an influential businesswoman in the marketplace, particularly in the freight-hauling industry. Her passion on the job involves load optimization and its resulting higher sustainability for the future of trucking. As she describes it to anyone who will listen, a truly full, professionally optimized truckload saves customers money, the road wear and tear, and the environment some carbon emissions. Plain and simple, she says, it’s the right thing to do.


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|By Marketwired .||
|September 6, 2012 09:00 AM EDT||
SUNNYVALE, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 09/06/12 -- Zetta.net, a provider of 3-in-1 online server backup solutions, today announced that Merced College has selected Zetta.net for critical server backup and disaster recovery. The community college has deployed Zetta.net DataProtect to speed data recovery when required while reducing the cost of campus-wide data protection.
California's Merced College serves more than 17,000 students with 500 faculty and adjunct professors, and another 200 staff members. The college's data center had rapidly grown to the point where its traditional tape-based system was no longer a viable option. With 65 virtual servers, another 30 physical servers and 24TB in SAN storage, a more reliable and economical backup and disaster recovery solution was needed.
"We were dealing with the highly manual and time consuming process of storing tapes and tapes that were aging out," said Don Peterson, director of information technology, Merced College. "The system wasn't meeting our needs, and traditional disk-to-disk systems required a large, outright investment that was simply beyond our budget. We soon began to evaluate our options for online backup."
Peterson's IT staff initiated its evaluations with the goal of finding a secure, reliable and economical solution that would eliminate performance bottlenecks of working with tape. They also wanted the ability to go back at any point in time to recover files or restore machines that might go down.
Today, Merced College is using Zetta.net to achieve complete backup and disaster recovery for 80 percent of its live server data, including virtual machines, SQL and files. The college has eliminated having to purchase costly backup hardware and software, while eliminating the need to manage backup tapes. When restores are required, the college has confidence in knowing files can be recovered with ease.
"We're saving an enormous amount of time compared to our old system which required many hours to manage, and restoring data could take days," said Arlis Brotner, network manager, Merced College. "With Zetta.net, there's very little to maintain and not only can we recover at any point in time, we have almost immediate access to files when needed. We're definitely getting a lot more value for much less cost."
"Our customers have found that integrated 3-in-1 backup that includes online backup, disaster recovery and archiving is ideal for replacing tape-based systems or the heavy investment of disk-to-disk," said Gary Sevounts, vice president of marketing, Zetta.net. "With Zetta.net they get the full functionality of backup, disaster recovery and archiving, all in one solution -- an unparalleled value in today's market."
To learn more, see the case study video: http://bit.ly/O9tQLO
Zetta.net is an award-winning provider of enterprise-grade online backup and disaster recovery solutions for small and mid-size enterprises. Zetta enables companies to simplify and automate backups and instantly recover data using just a Web browser. Advanced security, high redundancy and a high-performance architecture deliver true enterprise-grade data protection that scales to meet customers' business requirements.
With headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif., Zetta was established in 2008 by successful serial entrepreneurs and technology executives from companies such as Netscape, VeriSign, Symantec, EMC, and Shutterfly. For more information, visit www.zetta.net or www.facebook.com/zettastorage. Follow Zetta on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zettanet.
Tweet this: @mercedcollege selects @zetta.net #onlineserverbackup for integrated backup, #disasterrecovery and #archiving
Tags: online backup, cloud backup, disaster recovery, offsite backup, remote backup, server backup, data protection
As more intelligent IoT applications shift into gear, they’re merging into the ever-increasing traffic flow of the Internet. It won’t be long before we experience bottlenecks, as IoT traffic peaks during rush hours. Organizations that are unprepared will find themselves by the side of the road unable to cross back into the fast lane. As billions of new devices begin to communicate and exchange data – will your infrastructure be scalable enough to handle this new interconnected world?
Aug. 28, 2015 10:00 AM EDT
While many app developers are comfortable building apps for the smartphone, there is a whole new world out there. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Narayan Sainaney, Co-founder and CTO of Mojio, will discuss how the business case for connected car apps is growing and, with open platform companies having already done the heavy lifting, there really is no barrier to entry.
Aug. 28, 2015 09:38 AM EDT
As more and more data is generated from a variety of connected devices, the need to get insights from this data and predict future behavior and trends is increasingly essential for businesses. Real-time stream processing is needed in a variety of different industries such as Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Automobile, Finance, Online Retail, Smart Grids, and Healthcare. Azure Stream Analytics is a fully managed distributed stream computation service that provides low latency, scalable processing of streaming data in the cloud with an enterprise grade SLA. It features built-in integration with Azur...
Aug. 28, 2015 07:45 AM EDT
WebRTC has had a real tough three or four years, and so have those working with it. Only a few short years ago, the development world were excited about WebRTC and proclaiming how awesome it was. You might have played with the technology a couple of years ago, only to find the extra infrastructure requirements were painful to implement and poorly documented. This probably left a bitter taste in your mouth, especially when things went wrong.
Aug. 28, 2015 07:45 AM EDT Reads: 386
Through WebRTC, audio and video communications are being embedded more easily than ever into applications, helping carriers, enterprises and independent software vendors deliver greater functionality to their end users. With today’s business world increasingly focused on outcomes, users’ growing calls for ease of use, and businesses craving smarter, tighter integration, what’s the next step in delivering a richer, more immersive experience? That richer, more fully integrated experience comes about through a Communications Platform as a Service which allows for messaging, screen sharing, video...
Aug. 28, 2015 07:30 AM EDT Reads: 535
SYS-CON Events announced today that IceWarp will exhibit at the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. IceWarp, the leader of cloud and on-premise messaging, delivers secured email, chat, documents, conferencing and collaboration to today's mobile workforce, all in one unified interface
Aug. 28, 2015 03:00 AM EDT Reads: 338
The Internet of Things (IoT) is about the digitization of physical assets including sensors, devices, machines, gateways, and the network. It creates possibilities for significant value creation and new revenue generating business models via data democratization and ubiquitous analytics across IoT networks. The explosion of data in all forms in IoT requires a more robust and broader lens in order to enable smarter timely actions and better outcomes. Business operations become the key driver of IoT applications and projects. Business operations, IT, and data scientists need advanced analytics t...
Aug. 28, 2015 12:30 AM EDT Reads: 334
With the proliferation of connected devices underpinning new Internet of Things systems, Brandon Schulz, Director of Luxoft IoT – Retail, will be looking at the transformation of the retail customer experience in brick and mortar stores in his session at @ThingsExpo. Questions he will address include: Will beacons drop to the wayside like QR codes, or be a proximity-based profit driver? How will the customer experience change in stores of all types when everything can be instrumented and analyzed? As an area of investment, how might a retail company move towards an innovation methodolo...
Aug. 27, 2015 06:15 PM EDT Reads: 387
Too often with compelling new technologies market participants become overly enamored with that attractiveness of the technology and neglect underlying business drivers. This tendency, what some call the “newest shiny object syndrome,” is understandable given that virtually all of us are heavily engaged in technology. But it is also mistaken. Without concrete business cases driving its deployment, IoT, like many other technologies before it, will fade into obscurity.
Aug. 27, 2015 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 289
Consumer IoT applications provide data about the user that just doesn’t exist in traditional PC or mobile web applications. This rich data, or “context,” enables the highly personalized consumer experiences that characterize many consumer IoT apps. This same data is also providing brands with unprecedented insight into how their connected products are being used, while, at the same time, powering highly targeted engagement and marketing opportunities. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Nathan Treloar, President and COO of Bebaio, will explore examples of brands transforming their businesses by t...
Aug. 27, 2015 11:30 AM EDT Reads: 153
SYS-CON Events announced today that Micron Technology, Inc., a global leader in advanced semiconductor systems, will exhibit at the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Micron’s broad portfolio of high-performance memory technologies – including DRAM, NAND and NOR Flash – is the basis for solid state drives, modules, multichip packages and other system solutions. Backed by more than 35 years of technology leadership, Micron's memory solutions enable the world's most innovative computing, consumer,...
Aug. 27, 2015 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 125
SYS-CON Events announced today that Pythian, a global IT services company specializing in helping companies leverage disruptive technologies to optimize revenue-generating systems, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 17th Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Founded in 1997, Pythian is a global IT services company that helps companies compete by adopting disruptive technologies such as cloud, Big Data, advanced analytics, and DevOps to advance innovation and increase agility. Specializing in designing, imple...
Aug. 26, 2015 08:00 AM EDT Reads: 163
Akana has announced the availability of the new Akana Healthcare Solution. The API-driven solution helps healthcare organizations accelerate their transition to being secure, digitally interoperable businesses. It leverages the Health Level Seven International Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (HL7 FHIR) standard to enable broader business use of medical data. Akana developed the Healthcare Solution in response to healthcare businesses that want to increase electronic, multi-device access to health records while reducing operating costs and complying with government regulations.
Aug. 26, 2015 07:00 AM EDT
SYS-CON Events announced today that HPM Networks will exhibit at the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. For 20 years, HPM Networks has been integrating technology solutions that solve complex business challenges. HPM Networks has designed solutions for both SMB and enterprise customers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Aug. 3, 2015 06:45 PM EDT Reads: 781
For IoT to grow as quickly as analyst firms’ project, a lot is going to fall on developers to quickly bring applications to market. But the lack of a standard development platform threatens to slow growth and make application development more time consuming and costly, much like we’ve seen in the mobile space. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Mike Weiner, Product Manager of the Omega DevCloud with KORE Telematics Inc., discussed the evolving requirements for developers as IoT matures and conducted a live demonstration of how quickly application development can happen when the need to comply wit...
Aug. 2, 2015 11:15 AM EDT Reads: 539
The Internet of Everything (IoE) brings together people, process, data and things to make networked connections more relevant and valuable than ever before – transforming information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom. IoE creates new capabilities, richer experiences, and unprecedented opportunities to improve business and government operations, decision making and mission support capabilities.
Aug. 1, 2015 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 469
Explosive growth in connected devices. Enormous amounts of data for collection and analysis. Critical use of data for split-second decision making and actionable information. All three are factors in making the Internet of Things a reality. Yet, any one factor would have an IT organization pondering its infrastructure strategy. How should your organization enhance its IT framework to enable an Internet of Things implementation? In his session at @ThingsExpo, James Kirkland, Red Hat's Chief Architect for the Internet of Things and Intelligent Systems, described how to revolutionize your archit...
Jul. 30, 2015 07:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,557
MuleSoft has announced the findings of its 2015 Connectivity Benchmark Report on the adoption and business impact of APIs. The findings suggest traditional businesses are quickly evolving into "composable enterprises" built out of hundreds of connected software services, applications and devices. Most are embracing the Internet of Things (IoT) and microservices technologies like Docker. A majority are integrating wearables, like smart watches, and more than half plan to generate revenue with APIs within the next year.
Jul. 30, 2015 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 269
Growth hacking is common for startups to make unheard-of progress in building their business. Career Hacks can help Geek Girls and those who support them (yes, that's you too, Dad!) to excel in this typically male-dominated world. Get ready to learn the facts: Is there a bias against women in the tech / developer communities? Why are women 50% of the workforce, but hold only 24% of the STEM or IT positions? Some beginnings of what to do about it! In her Opening Keynote at 16th Cloud Expo, Sandy Carter, IBM General Manager Cloud Ecosystem and Developers, and a Social Business Evangelist, d...
Jul. 30, 2015 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,217
In his keynote at 16th Cloud Expo, Rodney Rogers, CEO of Virtustream, discussed the evolution of the company from inception to its recent acquisition by EMC – including personal insights, lessons learned (and some WTF moments) along the way. Learn how Virtustream’s unique approach of combining the economics and elasticity of the consumer cloud model with proper performance, application automation and security into a platform became a breakout success with enterprise customers and a natural fit for the EMC Federation.
Jul. 30, 2015 09:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,309


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Fintech sector spreading its wings in India, attracting talents from across industries
There is a new industry that is rising with the motive of making banking easier for customers, and to top it all, it’s still away from regulators. The financial technology sector, or
It was last week that Flipkart hired for two high-profile jobs in the fintech business, following Paytm, which had roped in PwC's Shinjini Kumar to be the CEO of its payments bank that is yet to be launched. Not only this, Krishna Hegde, Barclays’ top executive, and Vipin Surelia, former DGM at RBI, were also hired.
Fintech, the umbrella term, covers technology-based companies operating in insurance, payment, and asset management, etc. It is already transforming banking business, challenging mammoth banks, which is why headhunters are observing talents moving towards it.
"Finance technology is a booming segment in India with the opening of numerous mobile wallet companies, non-banking financing companies and now payments banks - all running on robust digital platforms," said AG Rao, group managing director of ManpowerGroup India. Being relatively new, the segment is already generating a lot of new jobs, with most of them clustered around mobile, user experience and financial analysis.
More than 117 million Indians use smartphones and over 160 million of us are connected to the Internet, which is why a large number of companies are coming up with products that can assist their customers. Financial sector is not far behind in this, as technology is developing at a rate alarming for traditional banking.
These low-cost, high-tech technology models deal with low-value, high-volume financial customers, which is why companies like
"Considering this is a newly evolved industry, it will see at least a 20% increase in hiring due to new e-wallets and payments banks. It will be due to large scale of business (ecommerce) and financials going online," Ajay Shah, assistant vice president at Teamlease Services, told ET.
Talking about the future of fintech in India, it is as of now synonymous with just payment technology; however, globally speaking, there are 11 lending fintech unicorns. Nonetheless, the sector is expected to spread its wings in India, covering hitherto untapped areas such as lending and personal finance.
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Principality of Monaco and smart sign an agreement for the development of zero-emission mobility.
Ten smart electric drive will go on duty for monacan public services and public service partner companies from spring next year.
A few weeks after the production of the smart fortwo electric drive started at the plant in Hambach, smart signed an agreement with the Principality of Monaco, in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Albert II. From next spring, the first electric smarts will be run on the roads of Monaco.
The ten smart fortwo electric drive will be exclusively used by state services (such as postal and telecommunications services) or monacan public service partner companies, which are already very engaged in the field of zero-emission mobility.
“We are very proud that the Principality of Monaco as one pioneer in sustainability projects decided to count on/partner with the pioneer of zero emission mobility – the smart fortwo electric drive,” stated Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars. “We need engaged partners like this in order to make emission free driving become reality.”
The partnership between smart and the Principality of Monaco will be part of the worldwide roll-out of the smart fortwo electric drive. The 1,000 vehicles will be on the road for everyday use in major cities of Europe, the United States and Canada.
Mercedes-Benz France Chairman Reinhard Lyhs: “Through this partnership, the smart fortwo electric drive is confirming its pioneering role in electric mobility. For us, the interest shown by the Principality of Monaco - itself a pioneer in zero-emission mobility - in the electric smart, is a powerful argument in favour of the concept and technologies of our electric model.”
Major stages in 2007 and 2008
smart has been fulfilling the role of pioneer in terms of zero-emission mobility since 2007. Since 2007, 100 first generation smart fortwo electric drive cars have been tested in London. The feedback of the customers was very positive and confirmed the concept’s high level of maturity.
In 2009, Daimler AG Group introduced the second generation smart fortwo electric drive equipped with a lithium-ion battery. Compared with other types of battery, lithium-ion technology has several crucial advantages, including higher power, shorter charging times, a longer lifetime and extreme reliability. The smart fortwo electric drive can be recharged using a standard domestic power socket.
From 2012, the smart fortwo electric drive will be produced as an additional model within the smart range at Hambach and will be sold through the smart dealer network.
A tale of success: the smart factory in Hambach
smart’s Hambach production facility opened in 1997. Since 1998, it has been producing the smart fortwo, which has been in its second generation since. In 2008, more than 800 employees within the factory and around 800 other staff from seven suppliers assembled almost 140, 000 smart fortwo vehicles. In September 2008, the company celebrated its tenth birthday at the same time as the millionth smart fortwo left the production line at Hambach.
Respect for the environment and modern functionality have been in the genes of the smart fortwo since it was launched over ten years ago. Since then, its innovative concept has become widespread, combining new technology, compatibility with eco-thinking and personal mobility. Scarcely more than two and a half meters long, this extremely compact and highly economical car carries its passengers in great comfort and complete safety. Its original design has made it an “icon” among lifestyle vehicles, proving that mobility, environmental responsibility and joie de vivre can be combined in perfect harmony. The smart fortwo has genuinely succeeded in creating a class apart.
Smart is currently distributed in 41 countries worldwide, having just launched in China and Brazil. Smart’s first markets were Germany, Italy and the US.


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In a letter of intent released on Tuesday morning, Commerce Planet [CPNE.OB] announced its intention to acquire Iventa, an online web builder that is based in the United States, which also has a 30-person web services staff in India. The announcement was long on strategy, and short on details. The company said:
The acquisition of Iventa’s Dashboard System [TM] platform will rapidly accelerate Commerce Planet’s expansion into the B2B business sector by leveraging Iventa’s existing customer base which consists of leading companies, and brands in many industries including entertainment, publishing and media. In addition, Commerce Planet will be able to immediately offer Iventa’s software to its customers that are currently using its top producing consumer direct product, Online Supplier. Unfortunately, the terms of the deal were not disclosed, and it is critical that the company did not say the deal will be accretive (which means it probably won’t be).
Global Aircraft [GACF.OB] announced that its CEO would remain at the company and would assign his interest in Global Aircraft Leasing Partners to the company, eliminating a serious conflict of interest. Also, Global Aircraft is almost done untangling the mess from its dealings with BCI. It received the sixth aircraft pursuant to its settlement agreement, and will receive $1.6 million in funds recovered from the Delta (NYSE:DAL) bankruptcy.
Gold has made a major move in the past few days, reversing a false breakdown from a multi-month coil.
Now, judging by the December futures, gold is approaching the top of the coil with a head of steam. The declining trendline could prove to be resistance again, but I suspect we may be near a major breakout.
I remain heavily long junior gold miners like Goldenstar Resources (NYSEMKT:GSS), and Western Goldfields [WGDFF.OB].
DISCLOSURE: The author has no position in GACF.OB, but is long CPNE.OB, GSS, WGDFF.OB.


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25 May 2018
2017/18: A transformational year and the most lucrative year yet for VGI Group
The past fiscal year was one of the most lucrative years for VGI. We achieved a record revenue ofTHB 3,936 million – a significant growth of 29%, and the highest in the company’s history. Our EBITDAexpanded by 25% to THB 1,691 million, while our adjusted net profit rose considerably by 28% to THB964 million.
All of our business segments have contributed to this success. The diversification of our product mix;the extended digital portfolio of Master Ad Plc (MACO) – our main outdoor media service provider –and the synergies between VGI and Rabbit Group – our lifestyle solutions company – are among thekey factors.
“Our strategy is clear, VGI branched out beyond being an Out-of-Home (“OOH”) media provider tothe online world, where we have successfully integrated our world-class offline and online platformsto create an Offline-to-Online (“O2O”) advertising service, thereby solidifying our role as the marketleader in the country. In fact, this strategy has proven to be a major factor driving our strongperformance, helping to generate additional income of THB 336 million. This year, we alsocommenced our collaboration with AIS, the leading telecommunications operator; hence we canexpect to see more positive results in the year to come,” said Nelson Leung, Deputy CEO of VGI.
On 16 May 2018, VGI’s Board of Directors approved an intention to sell VGI Malaysia to Master AdPlc, VGI’s subsidiary. VGI Malaysia is our overseas platform with a diversified OOH business portfoliocovering transit media in Malaysia and Indonesia, airports, cinemas, buses as well as modern trade.“We want to place a stronger focus on building the most robust Offline-to-Online ecosystem inThailand and have seized this great opportunity to sell our international business to MACO, who willbe our arm’s-length for regional expansion,” said Leung.
The Board has also approved an intention to acquire Kerry Express Co., Ltd (“Kerry”), Thailand’sleading parcel delivery company. Kerry Express expanded its business alongside the e-commerce andsocial media booms in recent years. Today, Kerry Express delivers more than 750,000 parcels perday via its 600 distribution centres, 12,000 vehicles and 2,000 service points. Kerry Express is also anactive partner of Rabbit LinePay, it pioneered LinePay-on-delivery (“LOD”) service since July 2017.Now Kerry Express is one of Rabbit LinePay’s largest merchants. In the 2017 financial year, it made atotal revenue of over THB 6,578 million obtaining a net profit of THB 733 million, an increase by 105%and 138% from 2016, respectively
“With the acceleration of Internet access and the increasing popularity of smartphones, theadvertising landscape is rapidly changing. Digital and online marketing is now the “go–to” choice foradvertisers. Therefore, advertising is no longer just about creating awareness, but engagingconsumers with brands. The logistics capabilities enhanced through our partnership with KerryExpress will enable us to effectively deliver our services to respond to this fast-growing trend. Weare confident this new business approach will contribute to our future success, as reflected in ournew vision “Pioneering Solutions for Tomorrow” to be unveiled on May 23,” said Leung.


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On The Webnbsp;
Disruptive Competition Project - "The European Banking Authority (EBA)’s new security standards for online payments are now being reviewed by the European Commission. They are soon to be finalised. Having listened to feedback, the proposals are now much better than they were. But the potential for some surreal outcomes remains. The current proposals mean that when paying for something online (flight ticket, groceries, new dress) whether or not you need to follow extensive security procedures would not be based on your behaviour, or the track record of the shop you are buying from in detecting fraud. The fraud record of the purchaser’s bank is what would count."
“Boxed out of mainstream crowdfunding sites, hate groups have taken a new tack: They’re building their own financing platforms. Big-name internet companies moved quickly to boot neo-Nazis after violent clashes between white nationalists and protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia left three dead in August. Crowdfunding platforms, like Patreon and GoFundMe, shuttered fundraisers for far-right causes, while Apple Pay and PayPal cut off […]
On The Wiresnbsp;
"Discover announced today the launch of messaging, a customer service option that allows customers to communicate with Discover’s customer service agents without having to stop and restart numerous interactions. The new feature, which will be rolled out in phases, enables customers to message Discover’s customer service representatives via the Discover mobile app."


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RPG Maker MV announced for Nintendo Switch and PS4
5 July 2018 – by Jack Taylor
RPG Maker MV, the latest entry in the RPG Maker series, will launch for Nintendo Switch and PS4 in 2019.
Published by NIS America and developed by Kadokawa Games, RPG Maker MV will bring the popular RPG Maker series to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 - as well as Xbox One - when it launches next year.
RPG Maker MV will feature hundreds of character designs, monsters, landscapes, and textures in order for players to create their own unique stories and gameplay.
Launching alongside the game will be a free app called RPG Maker MV Player, which will allow players to play others' creations, regardless of whether or not they own the full game.
RPG Maker MV launches in 2019.


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The multi-platinum selling, Grammy-nominated band Fall Out Boy is bringing their Mania tour to Tampa's Amalie Arena on November 5.
Tickets go on sale Friday May 5 at 10 a.m. Ticket prices start at $30.50.
To buy tickets go to http://www.livenation.com/ or purchase over the phone at 800-745-3000.
For more information click here.


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Jon Goldstone, the Premier Foods group marketing director, who took on the role in January this year, was responsible for the appointment.
101 will act as brand partners with Premier Foods for Mr Kipling and will work with the company on all aspects of the brand including strategy, positioning, new product development and communications.
Goldstone said: "We were really attracted to the 101 model. Their ethos of ‘free range creativity’ and powerful organising ideas for brands is exactly what we need as we take our brands to the next level."
The brand’s most recent TV campaign, by McCann Erickson, showed "Mrs Kipling" complaining about her broken TV aerial and sending Mr Kipling to fix it. While he is on the roof, she secretly eats his cakes.
The Mr. Kipling range includes cakes, pies and tarts. The brand has recently been promoting the fact that the products are made with free-range eggs.


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Indore-based WAGmob raises $325k from US-based investors, will launch Guideme.io
Headquartered in Indore, WAGmob was started in 2010 by ex-Microsoft employees who worked in Seattle, USA. Founded by husband-wife duo Kalpit and Kavita Jain, the company was initially building consumer facing apps in the field of education. It created more than 400 apps with a team in Indore and managed to get more than a million downloads (paid apps). From their experience, sales training seemed to be an area that was very promising and the duo focussed their energies on building it out and managed to get the likes of Google on board.
It was more than three years into the journey and the company was looking for its big boost. Last year, in 2014, WAGmob applied for TechSparks and was chosen amongst the top 30 startups at the YourStory event (TechSparks 2015 is around the corner and if you're a tech startup, here's your chance to apply for Tech30). The visibility turned out to be great for the company and Microsoft Ventures took interest and mentored the startup over a course of time. “Everything started with YourStory and we are truly grateful to your team,” says Kalpit over email. WAGmob had earlier raised a round and has now been successful in raising its next seed round of USD 3,25,000 from US-based investors. The new investors have three top sales trainers/sales gurus- Skip Miller, Dave Stein and Jeff.Building on the sales training competency, WAGmob managed to strike a deal with Snapdeal. The company has managed to train almost 1,00,000 sellers for them. “Training is via web and mobile app integrated with Snapdeal seller portal. Our end goal is to make training invisible and embed in the day- to-day workflow of sellers,” says Kalpit. WAGmob’s core business right now is onboarding and ensuring customer success for SaaS and mobile apps with its step-by-step guided paths and in-app training.
WAGmob is also launching GuideMe.io in the middle of October which will be its third pivot. In hindsight, it looks logical to move from education, to find niche in sales training and move towards a hidden larger market within sales training. “We have integrated two of our core products GoSalesTrain and GoStepByStep into one simple identity: GuideMe.IO,” says Kalpit. With sales training, the company realised that training users in-app on tools like Salesforce is an even bigger opportunity than sales training. The plan is to push GuideMe.io for Salesforce, GuideMe.io for Microsoft Azure, GuideMe.io for Google for Work and so on. “Any bank like ICICI or HDFC, any SaaS app like Salesforce or any mobile app can use GuideMe to create and launch step-by-step on screen tours,” says Kalpit.
The end goal for WAGmob is to search for a model that can show maximum traction. It is leveraging the previous code base with each pivot and also generates enough cash flows for the next wave of growth. For more focus, the company has thinned down to a team of 20 in Bengaluru and Indore (they were 60-member strong last year). “In US, we have two sales representatives. I am in Bay Area and we have Nick in Seattle. Currently, we are hiring for sales and marketing in BLR via Microsoft Venture help,” says Kalpit.


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Thousands of pounds of pork skin products packaged in South Carolina, as well as powdered milk, have been recalled due to possible salmonella contamination.
Pork Rinds & Snacks, LLC, a Spartanburg company, has recalled about 7,629 pounds of food sold throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Georgia.
The recalled products include:
• Nearly 400 pounds of 9/16 oz. plastic packages of Country Time Old Fashioned Fried Pork Skins Chicharrones Salsa & Sour Cream Flavor,
• More than 4,000 pounds of 9/16 oz packages of Wallace’s Old Fashioned Fried Pork Skins Flavored with Salsa & Sour Cream Seasoning Chicharrones, and
• More than 3,200 pounds of 1.5 oz plastic packages of Wallace’s Old Fashioned Fried Pork Skins Flavored with Salsa & Sour Cream Seasoning Chicharrones.
All of the recalled products have “best by” dates ranging from Jan. 5, 2017 to March 23, 2017. They will also have the establishment number EST. M00888 inside the USDA inspection mark.
“The problem was discovered when the company’s seasoning supplier notified the company that the seasoning mix contained milk powder recalled by Valley Milk Procucts,” the recall release from the FDA said. “Valley Milk Products recalled nonfat high heat milk powder and sweet cream buttermilk powder products on Dec. 9, 2016 due to potential salmonella contamination.”
The FDA has classified the situation as having a high health risk. No injuries had been reported as of Dec. 22.
Salmonella can cause diarrhea, cramping and fever within 12 to 72 hours of eating contaminated food, according to the FDA. Victims are typically sick for four to seven days, though in rare cases, it has been linked to arterial infections, arthritis and more.
“Most people recover without treatment,” the FDA said. “In some persons, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Older adults, infants and persons with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a severe illness. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact their health care provider.”
Any pork skin products that match the recall notice should be disposed of or returned to the store where they were purchased.
The FDA said that the Valley Milk powdered milk is in 50-pound bags not sold to customers, but is used in various other food products.
“None of the recalled finished product tested positive for salmonella but environmental sampling performed by the FDA was positive for salmonella,” the FDA said. “Valley Milk is currently investigating the cause for the positive environmental samples.”
For more information about the recall, contact plant manager Terry Morey at 864-573-5678.


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EZYield.com To Present Industry Leading Hotel Channel Management Solution at 2008 World Travel Market
WINTER SPRINGS, FLA. -- EZYield.com, the originator of automated online channel management solutions for the worldwide hospitality industry, today announced that they will be demonstrating their leading revenue technology to global travel industry professionals at the 2008 World Travel Market (WTM). Over 50,000 participants from over 200 countries are expected to attend this year’s four-day event, which is being held at the ExCel London, from 10-13 November 2008.
“The World Travel Market presents an ideal opportunity to showcase our leading-edge technology to the world,” stated Henry Danish, CEO of EZYield.com. “While we are experiencing solid growth in the Unites States and Pacific region, we’re excited about the opportunity to demonstrate how our technology can increase the profitability of companies in the burgeoning EMEA markets and beyond. The feedback from our current clients continues to be outstanding. Their success reaffirms the significance of our product on their bottom lines.”
EZYield.com will be conducting continuous demonstrations of their channel management solution at Stand # TT4077 throughout World Travel Market 2008.
For more information, please contact EZYield.com sales team at +1 407.629.0900 (press 1), email firstname.lastname@example.org or visit .
About EZ Yield.com, Inc.
Since revolutionising hotel marketing in 2002 with the introduction of the world’s first automated channel management solution, EZYield.com has remained the undisputed leader in online distribution technology. Today, over 2,000 hotel properties in 59 countries around the globe utilize EZYield.com’s technologically advanced channel management software to simplify and streamline the distribution of rates and inventory. EZYield.com’s dynamic web-based platform allows hoteliers to manage all contracted websites through one easy to use interface, offering multiple languages and currencies to more than 350 websites worldwide. With headquarters in Winter Springs, Fla., EZYield.com maintains offices in the U.S., Australia, Germany, France, Spain and Italy. For more information, please visit or call +1 407.629.0900.