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Australian startups say it's critical policymakers balance security and innovation as the government progresses with its "consumer data right" legislation.
The laws, which will pave the way for small businesses and consumers to share their data more freely between financial institutions in hopes of promoting competition, will also create a new set of privacy requirements for companies that gain access to this information.
Discussing the bill in the House of Representatives this week, treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the policy was "another major step in Australia's data revolution".
Companies including fintechs and small businesses will have to apply to become "accredited data recipients", and receive what the government describes as a "data safety licence" before they can receive new customer data from other organisations. They must also abide by strict privacy requirements for the use and transmission of that information.
These privacy requirements have been the subject of lengthy consultation by the government, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, with the regulators set to oversee the scheme and data security.
Peak body FinTech Australia said strong progress was being made on the policy's rollout but flagged that the "barriers to entry" are high for smaller businesses wanting to be involved.
"Some of the guidelines don’t necessarily allow the smaller fintechs to engage," general manager of FinTech Australia, Rebecca Schot-Guppy, said.
Ms Schot-Guppy said while the willingness to consult with the startup sector was a positive, startups are still in the dark about the exact requirements for gaining access to customer data.
"Until we really know what the privacy impact statement will look like, we can’t make recommendations to prepare," she said.
The opposition has previously raised privacy concerns in relation to the consumer data right policy and opposition shadow assistant treasurer Stephen Jones said Labor was reviewing the bill closely to ensure it does enough to prevent improper sharing of information.
"Done properly this could make swapping between banks as easy as swapping SIM cards in a mobile phone," he said.
"Done badly it can create a litany of risks and problems for banks and the consumers alike."
Extension of Privacy Act
The new regime will also mean all smaller fintechs involved in the policy will automatically be covered by the Privacy Act, whereas the act has previously only applied to companies with turnover of $3 million or more.
Open banking and privacy experts at Deloitte said organisations needed to start reviewing their information security standards now ahead of the final privacy blueprint.
Deloitte financial services partner Paul Wiebusch said some businesses may have to rethink their approaches to privacy and data security.
"Organisations that are looking to become accredited data recipients should be starting early and starting now," he said.
Because the policy will be rolled out gradually across different sectors in the Australian economy, the initial blueprint is important, he said.
"If there is confidence damaged in the first sector it’s applied where this is applied, it will have adverse impacts on the future sectors."


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The MSO promises to start distributing IP-based gateways and set-tops beginning later this year.
Suddenlink Communications posted revenue of $513.3 million in the recently completed second quarter, which was a 6.5 percent increase from a year ago.
Digital transport adapter vendor Evolution Digital is working in tandem with Rovi on adding the latter’s electronic programming guide into its SD and HD DTAs.
Google and Rovi have signed a patent license agreement spanning several years for use in Google's long-awaited fiber pay-TV service.
DirecTV is losing subscribers for the first time, as the company reined in promotions and consumer appetite for pay-TV services appears to have plateaued.
The business services specialist will start actually managing the satellite provider’s billing systems.
Backed by Technicolor, Magic Ruby will leverage Technicolor technology to create stronger ties between the TV and handheld devices used as companion devices.
AT&T announced it is acquiring NextWave Wireless to expand capacity for its LTE deployments using the company’s WCS and AWS spectrum.
The drying up of SMS and voice revenues is hastening the need for carriers to radically reinvent their businesses.
Sony's red ink worsened in the April-June quarter and it lowered its full-year earnings forecast as it battles a strong yen and declining sales of liquid-crystal display TVs and video game machines.
For the seventh consecutive quarter, Comcast has reduced the rate of its basic video subscribers losses, while overall second-quarter net profit increased 32 percent, thanks in part to new broadband subscribers.
BlackArrow has fleshed out its advanced advertising arsenal with the addition of its Subscriber Information Service product.
More than half a dozen CE manufacturers and retailers have signed on to provide products that will work with Roku’s forthcoming plug-in.
Cable Bahamas has tabbed UXP Systems’ Multiscreen Interaction (MINT) Platform for an upcoming market trial on personalized, multi-screen video, voice and messaging services.
Verizon Wireless is paying $1.25 million to settle a complaint that it violated FCC regulations by blocking tethering applications for some of its smartphone users

domain: news


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Few things are more degrading than being an intern – you don’t get paid, you essentially spend all day making cups of tea, and you have to grovel and beg for this ‘job’ and then be infinitely thankful when they boot you out after 6 months.
However Sunday Style, an Australian magazine owned by Rupert Murdoch, just added another level of filth to the hole process by posting an advert for internships that featured an image of a woman in her underwear posing on a bed.
The image was posted to the News Corp-owned magazine’s Instagram account, before being quickly deleted (but not before a lot of people took screen grabs of it).
The advert and accompanying image was instantly branded as ‘sexist’, leading to the Sunday Style posting an apology shortly afterwards, however the damage was done.
Others called the ad ‘demeaning’ and also used it as an opportunity to take issue with unpaid internships.
By way of an apology Sunday Style said they take their internship scheme ‘very seriously’ and added that they ‘apologise for any offence caused’.


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Co-op recognizes warehouse teams with appreciation pay
March 26, 2020
While grocery store employees are emerging as unsung heroes on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic, Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) wants to also recognize the unseen efforts of our warehouse distribution centre teams.
FCL is implementing an Appreciation Pay Program that increases hourly wages by $2 per hour for employees in roles delivering essential goods. This includes employees at warehouse distribution centres in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Calgary. Each day they supply food, pharmacy, home and building supplies and general merchandise to more than 600 Western Canadian communities where co-ops serve.
“Our distribution centres and our team members are critical to supplying co-ops and all the Western Canadian communities they serve,” said Tom Kishchuk, FCL’s Vice-President of Operational Support. “We’re incredibly proud of their efforts—they’ve come through for our local co-ops and communities in their hour of need.”
The events of recent weeks have drastically increased demand on these distribution centres, sometimes more than 2.5 times the normal volume for this time of year. Amidst these demands, they’ve adjusted protocols and prioritized ordering to ensure supplies get to where they’re most needed.
FCL’s Appreciation Pay Program is retroactive to March 8. A similar program is being developed to recognize employees performing critical duties at other FCL sites as Co-op supports the response to COVID-19.
Many local co-ops are also offering appreciation pay for their own frontline workers, such as grocery store employees, pharmacists and others who are providing essential supplies to customers.
Every year, FCL’s distribution centres deliver more than 500,000 tons of products from suppliers and manufacturers to members and customers. The Co-operative Retailing System – the network of FCL and more than 160 local co-ops – serves more than 1.9 million Co-op members in more than 600 communities through its locations, which include more than 300 food stores and 380 gas bar/convenience store locations.


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A $125 million round that was led by bain capital ventures and the Franklin Templeton investments was closed by Rent the Runway. The round valued the company with a profit of $1 billion and in total Rent, the Runway has managed to raise $337 million in venture fundraising. Jennifer Hyman, the CEO of the company Rent the Runway stated that Rent the Runway is happy to take the lead in the market and make innovations in their subscription process and services. The CEO further states that they have shared successful and dynamic ownership in the company and has stepped up over the last few years. With the stature of the company’s fifth brick and mortar space, Rent the Runway opened another location in San Francisco at the end of last year.
The company, Rent the Runway was launched ten years ago. It has extended its services from the one-time rental offering to three new offerings of which the two of them include subscription offerings. With the fund raised through the ventures, Rent the Runway has decided to expand their subscription offerings. Not only that but expand their offers on clothing and home decors. It has also planned to open additional fulfillment facilities. Since the foundation of Rent the Runway, many other fashion companies have been closed. In the year of 2017, stitch Fix was cropped up and went public. In the late of September, Maureen Sullivan, the COO of Rent the Runway stated that the basic difference between Rent the Runway and Stitch Fix is that they compel the customers to buy the products that are already available in the closet.


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The release date and other details have been listed for the Batman Arkham Knight HC comic book collection.
Dang, I'm so hyped for this game. Might just have to pick this up. Batman's the man to beat this year.
This article is supposedly posted on March 28th. The writer might want to check his launch date for the game since he has it wrong.
Either way the firs 6 issues have been good. They haven't completely tossed Arkham City End Game comic story, just altered it to fit better.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Sustainability has become more important to many consumers, with the majority of all consumers across generations saying they expect retailers and brands to become more sustainable. This is according to a survey [download page] by First Insight of more than 1,000 US consumers.
Although sustainability is important to consumers, what it means to individuals varies somewhat by age group. For the largest portion of Millennials (46%), Gen X (48%) and Baby Boomers (44%), sustainability means products made from recycled, sustainable and naturally harvested fibers and materials, while the largest portion of Gen Z (48%) believe that sustainability means sustainable manufacturing.
Despite these differences in interpretation of the term, sustainability is particularly important to Gen Z consumers when deciding on what products they purchase. Three-quarters of Gen Z rate sustainability important during this process, compared to about half (49%) who consider the brand name of the product important.
Nevertheless, it appears that the preference to purchase sustainable brands has decreased among Gen Z over the past couple of years. In 2019, some 62% of Gen Z said they preferred to buy from sustainable brands, but by 2021, that percentage dropped to 55%. The opposite can be said about Gen X, with about two-thirds (67%) of consumers in this age group now preferring to buy from sustainable brands compared to 54% who said the same in 2019.
Quality ranks high among younger age groups as the reason why they choose to shop for sustainable brands, while the largest share of Baby Boomers cite environmental concerns as the reason why they shop for sustainable brands. On the other hand, pricing is one of the least cited reasons for shopping for sustainable brands across all age groups. However, a growing share of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products, with 68% of all respondents saying they are willing to do so in 2021, compared to 58% who said the same in 2019.
Beyond the products themselves, respondents also show a growing desire for sustainable packaging. In 2021, there was a significant increase in the percentage of Gen Z (+35%), Millennials (+30%), Gen X (+44%) and Baby Boomers (+34%) who feel that sustainable packaging is important compared to 2019.
The full report can be found here.
About the Data: Findings for 2021 are based on a July survey of more than 1,000 US respondents.


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Vodacom’s revenue and profit rise despite rate cuts
By Robert Laing - May 15th, 09:11
Mobile phone network Vodacom managed to grow revenue and profit slightly in the year to end-March despite cutting rates.
The company also announced that it was acquiring 35% of Kenya’s Safaricom from its UK parent Vodafone in a deal valued at R34.6bn.
Revenue in the year to end-March grew 1.5% to R81bn and after tax profit 1.7% to R13bn.
The group declared a final dividend of R4.35, taking its total for the year to R8.30, a 4.4% raise on the previous year’s R7.95.
"In the past year, voice and data prices fell by 14.3% and 16% respectively in SA where significantly more customers benefited from using bundles," Vodacom CEO Shameel Joosub said in its results statement.
"This brings the cumulative reduction in voice and data prices to 42.2% and 44.3% over the past three years."
In SA, Vodacom said it grew its subscriber numbers by 8.6% to 37.1-million, of which 32-million were prepaid customers.
It attributed its growth in prepaid customers to its "Just 4 You" bundle offer and its "NXT LVL" youth marketing campaign.
Vodacom added 218,000 contract customers during the year with improved loyalty leading to reduced contract churn of 4.2%,
"We have secured SA’s national and provincial government department’s mobile voice and data communications contract for a period of four years," Joosub said.
Outside of SA, Vodacom grew subscribers 9.3% to 29.7-million, recovering from drop caused by African countries enforcing subscriber identification rules
Service revenue outside of SA declined 5.6% to R16.8bn, mainly due to registration requirements in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
Vodacom said it was buying all but 5% of Vodafone’s 40% of Safaricom in exchange for 226.8-million new shares and R51m cash.
Safaricom’s remaining shareholders are the Kenyan government, with 35%; public investors, with 25%; and Safaricom employees, with 0.07%.
"Kenya has a mobile penetration of 88%, which is well below SA’s mobile penetration of 146%," Vodacom said.
"Safaricom’s leading mobile money platform, M-Pesa, is an important driver of Kenyan economic growth, providing essential financial services to over 19-million 30-day active customers."© BusinessLIVE MMXVII
Trade and business services lost the most jobs in the first quarter
27/06/2017 - 14:43
Employment levels fell in the first quarter of 2017, though mining and construction both showed increased.
Google launches purchases on Google program
05/06/2017 - 15:23
Google has launched its Purchases on Google program, allowing merchants that sell on Google to have a call to action in the search engine results page. At the moment it’s a mobile-only feature of product listing ads (PLAs) that allows shoppers to buy on Google from participating merchants.
40% of online grocery purchases in UK made on mobile
23/05/2017 - 09:47
About 40 percent of all online grocery purchases made in the United Kingdom are done using a mobile phone. Online grocery shopping in the UK is also quite popular, as 7 percent of all grocery shopping is done online. That’s more than Spain, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic combined.
wiGroup mcommerce innovation helps drives on-demand retail trend in SA
15/05/2017 - 13:45
New mcommerce platform enables mobile order and pay in retail stores by leveraging existing infrastructure.
4 Tips to meet shoppers’ expectations via mobile
11/05/2017 - 10:58
Mobile shopping continues to be on the rise. So it comes as no surprise that brands and retailers continue to invest more and more into this shopping channel.


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Robotic innovation promoted from Barcelona. Despite the hectic global context, with turbulence in the technology sector and the problems that still persist in the industry’s supply chains, the Swedish-Swiss multinational ABB has succeeded in deploying the center of robotic innovation for clients that it inaugurated in 2020 at its facilities in Sant Quirze del Vallés.
As detailed by the company, which in 2022 increased its turnover in Spain 13%, this space “allows us to unlock the potential of digital manufacturing and industrial robotics in Spain, helping to speed up the digital transformation of industry in our country”. “With 1,200 m2, the center has an area of coworking aimed at the development of applications, concept tests, use cases, agile prototyping and experimentation in the areas of robotics, 3D vision and metrology, additive manufacturing, collaborative robots, augmented reality, service robotics, among others”, indicate from the signature.
The center is equipped with meeting rooms and an auditorium with a geodome, a futuristic dome with a 360-degree surround vision system, so engineers and designers can fully immerse themselves in augmented reality versions of the technologies they are working on. The Customer Innovation Center also offers ABB knowledge to develop robotic solutions to address today’s business challenges.
According to the multinational, all of this makes it possible to generate real, tangible business opportunities for companies in a wide range of industries and of all sizes, in sectors such as the automotive industry, logistics or food and beverages. These facilities in Sant Quirze del Vallès also house the production center and organization of robotic systems of ABB in Spain, which generates employment for around 500 people, and where the ABB business areas of Electrification, Motion and Process Automation provide services and supplies with their respective technological offers.
AI and 3D
In Sant Quirze there is also a showroom and the world center 3DVM of the company’s 3D metrology applications. It is a scanning technology for 3D white light sensors, using digital scanners, to optimize inspection and quality assurance in manufacturing, since it can detect defects in components manufactured with a very high level of precision.
The fourth global center is the Digital Acceleration for autonomous mobile robotics (AMR) with artificial intelligence (AI) and 3D vision mapping technology, which started six years ago; a task for which a team of the most internationalized of the company in Sant Quirze is assigned, with engineers of multiple nationalities and specializations. One of the global solutions centers in the complex is dedicated to producing 3D scanners for automotive and aeronautics.
In recent years, the company has also focused on attracting and developing female talent. “We have been discussing for many years why there is a lack of women in the sector and I am of the opinion that time should not be wasted on why, but that we must ‘go to'”, he points out. Antonio Freijeresponsible for the corporation in Spain, who stresses that the international profile of the company helps to attract young people and women.
“All the companies in our sector are the same, there is a lack of women,” says Freije. The company also carries out “salary audits to detect possible cases” of the gender gap and “solve them, if any.” “We have two main objectives: to increase the number of women and for women to form part of management teams, because the moment a woman is a manager in the company, she will attract more women.


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As world attention shifts to the Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy, local organizers are hoping that the international media exposure will help the region's economy. It is one of the reasons why cities around the world compete so intensely to host the games.
In theory, increased economic investment and tourism will more than cover the billions of dollars required to put on this international sporting event. But as VOA's Brian Padden reports from Salt Lake City, the site of the last Olympic Winter Games in 2002, the Olympics long-term economic impact has been limited.
The 2002 Olympic Winter Games are just a memory now here in Salt Lake City, Utah in the western United States. The games were considered a great financial success. Private revenue, mostly from advertising and television broadcast rights, not only paid for the games but gave back to the community over $100 million.
Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce President Lane Beattie says the city is now on course to generate over $2.5 billion of economic growth -- all because of the Olympics. "The world shrunk for Utah. That's the experience that the Olympics bring. It's like being involved in something much greater."
The ski industry is considered one of the great beneficiaries of worldwide Olympic exposure.
Krista Parry, spokesperson for nearby Park City Mountain Resort, says because of the Olympics the ski industry here has experienced over 12 percent growth since 2002. "Park city was featured on every single media outlet that there is out there and I think that's huge. You cannot get that sort of exposure anywhere."
Some visitors to Park City, like Mike Hamlin, say they came here because of the Olympics. "We originally looked at Park City and were thinking of coming for the Olympics but at the time things were a little expensive to take a family out here. So when the opportunity came up to come afterwards, yeah, that was in the back of our mind."
Others, such as Katherine Rollin, say the Olympics had no impact on their decision to visit Utah. "No, we've been here before and we just enjoy the skiing here. It's family friendly."
While the ski industry certainly has benefited from the Olympics, the impact on the rest of the economy is less clear. The Gateway shopping mall, which opened in conjunction with the Olympics, continues to thrive but the traditional shopping district on Main Street has suffered.
Much of the $100 million given to the community by Olympic organizers is being used to maintain facilities such as the speed skating rink and ski jump platforms. These venues were built for the Olympics and do not at present have broad commercial appeal. And some significant Olympic costs provided by the federal government, such as security during the games and improving the roads to the venues, are not included in the rosy assessments provided by Olympic boosters.
Kenneth Bullock ,director of the Utah League of Cities and Towns, says despite the stated Olympic principals of fairness and sportsmanship, the International Olympic Committee, or IOC, and its sponsors are there to make money for themselves and not for the community at large.
"What really happens is it's a business and the IOC and the television rights and the sponsors are there to promote their products. For us to think that people are not going to benefit this monetarily is a little naïve on our part."
Over the long-term the Olympic economic legacy may be minimal. At the University of Utah, economist James Wood contrasts the economic impact of the Olympics with having a major company, like Intel, relocate to the region.
"If Intel comes here, it was 6,000 employees is what they were planning, that changes a growth pattern. They're here permanently. They bring other companies in. The Olympics is a short burst. You get some infrastructure, which is great but there is no long-term impact and for the typical family it doesn't mean much."
Mr. Wood says despite all the plans and promises an event even as prestigious as the Olympics, lasts only 17 days, and then fades into memory.


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WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington High School Class of 1969 is holding its 50th Reunion on Saturday, September 14, 2019, from 7pm to 11pm, at the Wilmington Knights of Columbus Hall (126 Middlesex Avenue).
The cost is $20 per person, which includes pizza, salad, dessert, a cash bar, and more.
There will be casual dress and lots of good conversation!
Visit the Wilmington High School Class of ’69 Facebook page for more information.
Have a question? Email the class email account at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Like Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Follow Wilmington Apple on Instagram. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip? Email email@example.com.


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When Nokia decided to partner with Microsoft and use Windows Phone as the platform for its cell phones, many questioned what would happen to Nokia's existing products, Symbian, Meego and Qt. Nokia has confirmed that Symbian will last be used in smartphones in 2012.
When Nokia decided to partner with Microsoft and use Windows Phone as the platform for its cell phones, many questioned what would happen to Nokia's existing products, Symbian, Meego and Qt. Nokia has confirmed that Symbian will last be used in smartphones in 2012.A developer has posted a letter that Nokia Vice President Prunima Kochikar sent out. Nokia plans to release new phones between now and the Windows Phone 7 rollout. "We will have a strong portfolio of new products during our transition period - i.e. 2011 and 2012." Once 2012 is here though, Symbian based devices will be phased out. 2013 will be Windows Phone only according to the current plan.
That's fine for carriers interested in selling devices, but what about developers? You have a choice of developing for iOS, Android, webOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry and Symbian in the smartphone space. How many will choose to develop for a platform that has at most an 18-24 month life?
Interestingly, Nokia is still improving on Symbian. A number of changes are promised for this year.
"The first major update will arrive in summer, delivering a new home screen, new flexible widgets, new icons, a faster browser, new Navbar and a fresh look and feel to Ovi Store and Ovi Maps, including integration of social media services in Ovi Maps."
Again, the carriers will like this. Fresh hardware and software always makes it easire to sell a phone. Just ask any carrier that was trying to sell Windows Mobile 6.x devices.
The letter doesn't touch on the future of Meego. They plan to launch a Meego device or two this year, but the future of that platform in Nokia's portfolio looks bleak.
You can read the full letter here. Are any of you developers this letter is targeted at still planning on doing significant development for Symbian or are you just going to maintain apps enough to satisfy existing customers and then move on?
How Enterprises Are Attacking the IT Security EnterpriseTo learn more about what organizations are doing to tackle attacks and threats we surveyed a group of 300 IT and infosec professionals to find out what their biggest IT security challenges are and what they're doing to defend against today's threats. Download the report to see what they're saying.
2017 State of IT ReportIn today's technology-driven world, "innovation" has become a basic expectation. IT leaders are tasked with making technical magic, improving customer experience, and boosting the bottom line -- yet often without any increase to the IT budget. How are organizations striking the balance between new initiatives and cost control? Download our report to learn about the biggest challenges and how savvy IT executives are overcoming them.


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Here’s Disney’s New Expansion Strategy
Children who love the Disney cast generally begin to competently demand prince or princess swag somewhere after the age of 3. Before then, it’s up to mom and dad to clothe their infants, and IBISWorld estimates they spend about $10 billion a year doing it. That $10 billion is why Disney (NYSE:DIS) is opening a Disney Baby retail store in Glendale, California, and creating baby sections in its over 200 U.S. stores.
“This gives Disney the opportunity to reach out to moms when magical moments begin,” says Disney President of Consumer Products Bob Chapek. Disney Baby will be offering apparel, feeding and bedding products, and even travel and vacation planning.
With 1.6 million new moms each year, babies are a big market. However, Steven Keith Platt, director at the Platt Retail Institute, warns that “if the price point is too high, it won’t sell at Walmart,” which would be a major outlet for the products. But Platt adds, “no one else has the brand name and magic that Disney has. It should do well.”
IBISWorld expects the industry to grow steadily for the next five years, with consumers focused on brand names. Although this is great news for Disney, these companies will surely feel the competition: The Children’s Place (NASDAQ:PLCE), Baby Gap (NYSE:GPS), Carter’s (NYSE:CRI), and even Target (NYSE:TGT).
Investing Insights: Here’s How to Bet on a Baby Boom.


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Read the article on Yahoo Finance
Estimated reading time: 0 minutes, 16 seconds
Supply Chains are in Crisis
Supply chains are in crisis mode many of them are hoping to just survive the current pandemic, reports Yahoo Finance.
When the timeline of the pandemic of 2020 is complete, March 24 will stand out as a day to remember for everyone from sports fans to anthropologists to cola drinkers.


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Yahoo Inc. will keep innovating in search and try to outsmart both Microsoft Corp. and Google Inc. even as the slumping Internet company prepares to lean on rival Microsoft's search technology.
That message emerged Monday as Yahoo previewed a series of search engine upgrades that it plans to introduce before the end of the year, just a few months before Microsoft is supposed to take over responsibility for powering most of Yahoo's search results.
(Msnbc.com is a Microsoft-NBC Universal joint venture.)
With Microsoft handling the heavy lifting, Yahoo will focus more on designing special touches aimed at making its search results more useful than its rivals, said Prabhakar Raghavan, Yahoo's senior vice president of labs and search strategy.
"We are not going to be a version of Bing," Raghavan said, referring to the brand of Microsoft's search engine. "We are going to have our own Yahoo search experience."
Toward that end, Yahoo plans to devote the left column of its search results to other popular Web services like Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and even Google's YouTube. Click on any one of the icons there, and information from that service matching the search keywords will appear instead of the regular search results at the center of the page.
Going after ‘Google's domain’
The feature will enable users to look at Facebook's personal profiles, Twitter's message updates, Yelp's restaurant reviews and YouTube's video clips without having to leave Yahoo.
By drilling deeper into destinations filled with personal information and images, Yahoo is betting its search engine will gain a reputation as the best place to research and discover things about people.
"Searching for people has been Google's domain," said Larry Cornett, Yahoo's vice president of search products and design. "We are going to take that away from them."
Yahoo will be pursuing its lofty ambitions in search with a smaller budgets and fewer engineers.
If it's approved by antitrust regulators, the Microsoft partnership is supposed to reduce Yahoo's spending on search by more than $500 million annually. Part of those savings will be achieved by transferring 400 of its 13,000 employees to Microsoft's payroll. Yahoo also expects to lay off an unspecified number of workers.
The cutbacks has convinced some analysts that Yahoo eventually will phase out of search entirely — a notion that Cornett tried to dispel. "Yahoo will continue to innovate in search," he said.
As it stands now, Google commands a nearly 65 percent share of the U.S. search market, with Yahoo at about 19 percent and Microsoft at nearly 9 percent, according to comScore Inc.
Yahoo's plans to bring more of a social touch to its search page mirrors what the Sunnyvale-based company has been doing in other parts of its Web site.
Late last month, Yahoo front page underwent a makeover that embraced more applications and information from Web sites. And now its widely used e-mail service is ushering in more outside applications as part of long-awaited changes unveiled Monday.
Yahoo believes it can become the main place where people spend their time online by making it easier for its more than 500 million users to import information from elsewhere.
In the process, Yahoo hopes to recapture some of the buzz that it lost to rising stars like Facebook and Twitter while also luring back more advertisers. Yahoo's ad revenue dropped 13 percent in the April-June period, the worst erosion since the dot-com bust at the start of the decade.
The question now whether it has taken Yahoo too long to become a more social animal. For instance, some of the improvements that are finally being blended into its e-mail service were first publicly discussed at a major electronics trade show in January 2008.


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- Sony has revealed the 2010 Time Trial Demo for Gran Turismo 5 on PS3 has reached 1 million downloads since it's release on 17th December
I'm sure you will agree, these are great numbers! Below is the official press release.
Press Release: GT Academy 2010 Time Trial Reaches One Million Players
Nissan and PlayStation® hail early success of virtual-to-real-racer experiment
The GT Academy 2010 Time Trial...


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[Marxism] Supermarket imperialism
lnp3 at panix.com
Tue Dec 28 08:04:27 MST 2004
NY Times, December 28, 2004
THE FOOD CHAIN | SURVIVAL OF THE BIGGEST
Supermarket Giants Crush Central American Farmers
By CELIA W. DUGGER
PALENCIA, Guatemala - Mario Chinchilla, his face shaded by a battered straw
hat, worriedly surveyed his field of sickly tomatoes. His hands and jeans
were caked with dirt, but no amount of labor would ever turn his puny crop
into the plump, unblemished produce the country's main supermarket chain
displays in its big stores.
For a time, the farmer's cooperative he heads managed to sell vegetables to
the chain, part owned by the giant Dutch multinational, Ahold, which counts
Stop & Shop among its assets. But the co-op's members lacked the expertise,
as well as the money to invest in the modern greenhouses, drip irrigation
and pest control that would have helped them meet supermarket specifications.
Squatting next to his field, Mr. Chinchilla's rugged face was a portrait of
defeat. "They wanted consistent supply without ups and downs," he said,
scratching the soil with a stick. "We didn't have the capacity to do it."
Across Latin America, supermarket chains partly or wholly owned by global
corporate goliaths like Ahold, Wal-Mart and Carrefour have revolutionized
food distribution in the short span of a decade and have now begun to
transform food growing, too.
The megastores are popular with customers for their lower prices, choice
and convenience. But their sudden appearance has brought unanticipated and
daunting challenges to millions of struggling, small farmers.
The stark danger is that increasing numbers of them will go bust and join
streams of desperate migrants to America and the urban slums of their own
countries. Their declining fortunes, economists and agronomists fear, could
worsen inequality in a region where the gap between rich and poor already
yawns cavernously and the concentration of land in the hands of an elite
has historically fueled cycles of rebellion and violent repression.
"It's like being on a train with a glass on a table and it's about to fall
off and break," said Prof. Thomas Reardon, an agricultural economist at
Michigan State University. "Everyone sees the glass on the table - but do
they see it shaking? Do they see the edge? The edge is the structural
changes in the market."
In the 1990's supermarkets went from controlling 10 to 20 percent of the
market in the region to dominating it, a transition that took 50 years in
the United States, according to researchers at Michigan State and the Latin
American Center for Rural Development in Santiago, Chile.
Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica and Mexico are furthest along. While
the changes have happened more slowly in poorer, more rural Central
American countries, they have begun to quicken here, too. In Guatemala, the
number of supermarkets has more than doubled in the past decade, as the
share of food they retail has reached 35 percent.
The hope that small farmers would benefit by banding together in
business-minded associations has not been borne out. Some like Aj Ticonel,
in the city of Chimaltenango, have succeeded. But the evidence suggests
that the failure of Mr. Chinchilla's co-op is the more common fate.
Its feeble attempts to sell to major supermarkets illustrate how the odds
are stacked against small farmers, as well as the uneven effects of
globalization itself. Many small farmers in the region are getting left
behind, while medium-sized and larger growers, with more money and
marketing savvy, are far more likely to benefit.
Most fruits and vegetables in the region are still sold in small shops and
open-air markets, but the value of supermarket purchases from farmers has
soared and now surpasses that of produce exports by two and half times,
The bottom line: supermarkets and their privately set standards already
loom larger for many farmers than the rules of the World Trade Organization.
Marxism list: www.marxmail.org
More information about the Marxism


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INDIA: M&M to invest US$900m in Mahindra-Ssangyong
M&M's automotive president Pawan Goenka, who is also the chairman of Ssangyong, told Reuters that this investment would be separate from Mahindra's plans to spend INR50bn ($908m) on its own products during the three years ending 2014.
M&M acquired a majority stake in SUV manufacturer Ssangyong for $460m in 2011.
Hyundai Motor June sales rose 8.2% year on year in June thanks to solid sales in overseas markets....
TechNavio's analysts forecast the Commercial Vehicle market in India to grow at a CAGR of 15.02 percent over the period 2012-2016. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the incr...
Mahindra Group and CIE Automotive have signed an agreement between the Indian company's component businesses - held under its Systech Sector - and the Spanish operation also involving its subsidiary A...
TechNavio's analysts forecast the Automotive Engineering Service market in India to grow at a CAGR of 18.22 percent over the period 2012-2016. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth...
SUV maker Mahindra and Mahindra has made its first push into India's small car market to compensate for increasing competition in the 4x4 market....
Hyundai has reported a 10% year on year jump in global car sales for May 2013....
Mahindra & Mahindra has introduced its XUV500 SUV in Chile....
Toyota Kirloskar Motor has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services to extend auto retail finance to its prospective customers....
- THE WEEK THAT WAS: All eyes on Vienna
- ANALYSIS: Opel-Vauxhall and Buick's shared future
- VEHICLE ANALYSIS: Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TSI
- INTERVIEW: Alain Uyttenhoven, Head of Lexus Europe
- INTERVIEW: Faurecia deputy GM China Jingcheng Li
- 2014 GUANGZHOU SHOW: World premieres list
- BMW tests Google Glass eyewear for quality checks
- Opel/Vauxhall to produce new SUV at Rüsselsheim
- 2014 LA SHOW: World debuts list [final version]
- JLR announces new connectivity platform/app


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Beginning today, music artists and indie labels have access to a new stream of funding. Stem distribution and payment platform – invested in by the likes of Mark Cuban and Scooter Braun (with clients Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Usher) – is providing more than $100 million in advances each year via Scale, its newly-launched financing product supported by a capital partnership with CoVenture.
Scale is led by Stem CEO and 2018 Forbes 30 Under 30 Music alumna Milana Rabkin, who co-founded Los Angeles-based Stem in February of 2015 to help artists establish sustainable businesses. Stem provides creators with tools to streamline music and video distribution, royalty splits and data tracking. Scale promotes further independence among creators by providing an alternative to traditional means of funding and empowering them to own their own music.
“Scale felt like the natural next step for Stem,” says Rabkin. “We had figured out how to simplify splits and handle royalties, but wanted to help independent artists leap to the next stage of their business – since day one our focus has been on empowerment and clarity.”
Early payments from Scale are made in the form of a revolving credit line with the ultimate draw limit and fee based on net share of income. Unlike most other industry advances, Scale offers artists more flexibility with repayment, meaning that they choose what percentage of their earnings are contributed to paying down the advance each month. The product also offers all content shareholders access to capital.
Creators using Scale are not required to report how advances are spent. The company also does not perform personal credit checks or collect interest, minimum monthly payments or finance charges. Before launching Scale, Rabkin started Stem Check, a service that helps artists evaluate the financial viability of a prospective deal with a label or distributor.
Music producer and artist Billy Lemos is among the first artists to use Scale to finance future projects and says, “Scale has allowed me to fund my ideas without signing to a label. I have full control and freedom with my music and don’t need to worry about any deadlines.”
While labels can provide benefits for some artists, standard record deals tend to favor the company and place operating, marketing and distribution costs on creators. As an increasing number of music performers today choose to work independently, Rabkin hopes that Scale will drive financial literacy and empower them to think more like entrepreneurs with an understanding of the value they are bringing to the table. She also thinks that it will raise the bar for the industry to be truly transparent.
“Success in the music industry I think will come when we can dispel the notion of the starving artist,” says Rabkin. “All of the new emerging platforms are really important – they are so heavily dependent on music as the media that drives engagement – yet, the people creating music have no way to understand the value of what they’re creating.”
With more than 40,000 new songs released a day on Spotify alone, Scale enters the market at an opportune time. According to Rabkin, independent artists are the fastest-growing segment of the music business, and growth within the music freelance economy is expected to continue as the industry expands. Artists have aired their grievances about the increasing pressure they feel to sell their rights for a paycheck, and Rabkin says Stem is a viable alternative to lease, not sell.
“I personally believe that as more services and labor work is automated, more humans will be driven to creative work,” says Rabkin. “Days of doctor, lawyer or accountant versus creator are going away, and I hope it’s tools like Stem that allow creators to create sustainable careers and businesses recognized by society – I never want a parent to tell a child that they cannot be a creator.”


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SWITZERLAND– Swiss equipment leader Bühler has created a new consumer foods segment to add to its current two segments and appointed Germar Wacker, who has been the CEO of its Haas business unit, to lead the new segment.
The consumer foods segment will combine Bühler’s current chocolate, nuts, bakery and coffee business with the recently acquired Haas business, in what the company says will ‘support customers even better in global markets through simplified interfaces, integrated solutions, innovation, and services.’
Bühler acquired The Haas Group, an Austrian-based maker of wafer, biscuits and confectioneryequipment in early 2018.
Meanwhile, Wacker will also join the Executive Board of Bühler, with the changes expected to come into effect on January 1, 2019.
“With this move, we can create significant value for our customers and position ourselves as clear leader in the growing consumer foods market,” said Bühler CEO Stefan Scheiber.
Bühler says that the creation of a new business segment is a milestone in its over 150-year history, as the company has operated two businesses, Advanced Materials and Grains & Food in the recent past.
The creation of the consumer foods segment was triggered by the acquisition of Haas Group in 2017, with Bühler aligning its setup to focus on consumer foods and confectionery sectors, with integrated solutions to produce wafers, biscuits, baked goods, chocolate, pralines, filled products, nuts, coffee, and more, according to Bühler.
The new segment will combine all of Bühler and Haas’ consumer foods related technologies and solutions in one segment, thereby serving customers from one single point, says Bühler.
“With this new, strong business pillar in the field of processing technologies in consumer foods, we can offer specialized knowledge as well as research and development to the needs of our customers in that sector,” said Wacker.
Haas has operated as a separate Bühler business since the close of the acquisition in January 2018.
Bühler says that the Haas integration has showed remarkable results in a very short time and that both companies already serve many key customers together, work jointly on customer projects, and are in discussion with numerous interested partners.


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SYDNEY — Billabong International Ltd. has granted due diligence to a consortium led by its executive director and president of the Americas operations, Paul Naudé — and the market is divided as to its prospects.
Shortly after the Gold Coast, Queensland-based surfwear manufacturer announced that Naudé, private-equity group Sycamore Partners Management and Bank of America Merrill Lynch had made a 1.10 Australian dollar a share offer, or $1.14 a share offer, or $1.14 a share at current exchange, valuing the company at just less than 527 million Australian dollars, or $546 million — Billabong stated that it had reviewed the proposal in detail and that due diligence is expected to take up to six weeks.
“The board of Billabong reiterates that there is no guarantee that, following a period of due diligence by the consortium, an acceptable, binding proposal will be forthcoming,” said the statement to the Australian Securities Exchange. Unlike other ASX statements regarding the year’s previous Billabong offers, however, no mention was made of the 1.10 Australian dollar proposal undervaluing the company in a change-of-control context, a point that numerous analysts believe could be significant.
The Naudé-Sycamore proposal is the fifth takeover offer received by Billabong in 2012, after TPG Capital’s earlier bids of 3.00, 3.30 and 1.45 Australian dollars (or $3.12, $3.43 and $1.51), with the latter matched in September by Bain Capital. Both TPG Capital and Bain Capital later withdrew their offers after commencing due diligence, citing undisclosed “issues” with the company’s books.
As 2012 ended, Billabong’s stock was trading at 86 Australian cents, or 89 cents — well below the 1.10 offer.
In a Dec. 19 ASX statement covering the Naudé-Sycamore bid, Billabong announced its third profit downgrade in twelve months, prompting both Citibank and UBS to downgrade Billabong’s stock to neutral from buy and J.P. Morgan to cut the stock to underweight from neutral.
“It’s not encouraging at all,” said IG Markets analyst Stan Shamu. “Investors lose confidence quite quickly in this environment. Management knocked back a few takeover bids at higher prices, now they’re scrambling for 1.10. If this takeover doesn’t get through, I think it could get materially worse, just looking at some of the recent comments by brokers following the profit warning. It seems the stock would be trading at a much lower price if it wasn’t for the takeover offer underpinning the price.”
Deutsche Bank has predicted a 45 percent probability that a 1.10 deal will be successful. One Sydney broker, who declined to be named, put the odds at 50-50.
“Given the share price, the market is not proposing a huge probability of it going ahead,” said the broker. “But if Naudé and his syndicate actually come up with a firm bid, I personally think that the board will have to accept it, even though they knocked bids back from two private-equity companies before, and if you said no at 1.40 [$1.45], they’re going to look like absolute clowns. I think they’ve almost been put in a corner here. They haven’t said straight out it’s undervalued, and given that Naudé is heading up the bid, when you talk about due diligence, it’s hard to imagine he’s going to find something he doesn’t know. Having Naudé there is, I think, encouraging, because nobody knows the company like he does. He’s been there long enough. It’s going to take a long time to turn this business around. But I think the guys taking it over will make a lot of money.”
“What he has done at Vuitton is really exceptional,” said @gameofthrones’ actress Gwendoline Christie on @mrkimjones’ final show for @louisvuitton. “He has rebooted luxury in terms of making it commercial, viable and contemporary. And most importantly artistic. He has never compromised his artistic vision for the sake of commodity.” (📷: @zefashioninsider)
After seeing a demand for men’s wear from its customers, British contemporary women’s wear label @ariesarise has added a men’s wear component and will launch a unisex collection with @mrporterlive. The 20-piece collection includes jackets, denim, logo T-shirts and more with deconstructed ‘90s vibes. Set to launch on January 18, you can shop the pieces on Aries’ website and on mrporter.com. #wwdfashion
“And so spending so much time with a character who thinks like that, inevitability you try and analyze yourself and go back and think about your own demons and dark chapters that you had in your life,” says @thedanielbruhl of his role in TNT’s “The Alienist.” The show, set in the Gilded Age of New York, also stars Dakota Fanning and Luke Evans. Head to WWD.com to read about how 39-year-old Brühl prepared for the role and why he thinks the show is so relevant to today #wwdeye ( 📷: @Eriktanner)
Now that Celine Dion’s collection has topped $10 million in sales, the pop superstar, fashion icon and newly-minted industry player is eyeing growth in Asia. Read the full report by @tiffanyap, link in bio. #wwdnews #celinedion
“My personal philosophy to beauty is paying attention to oneself. I love to be outdoors, lots of fresh air, trying to take care of yourself as best you can. I always notice that comes through,” says Felicity Jones, the global face of @shiseido-owned @cledepeaubeauteus, which launches today. Head to WWD.com to read more about the actress’ love for beauty and how she prepared for her new role in “The Basis of Sex,” playing the young Ruth Bader Ginsburg. #wwdbeauty (📷: @dandoperalski)
Among the familiar faces at @off____white’s show was a surprise figure: Japanese artist @takashipom, pictured here on Wednesday morning. Other show-goers included @jerrylorenzo, who spoke about his upcoming project: a @nike collaboration for back to school, with designs inspired by his childhood on the West Coast. Sitting in the front row were Future, Don Crawley, @miguel and more. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdeye (📷: Stephane Feugere)
According to @laurentsai, former “Terrace House: Aloha State” cast member, she didn’t know she was auditioning for the Japanese version of “Real World.” “I was telling a couple of my friends and someone’s like, ‘That sounds a lot like Terrace House.’ I was like, ’No it can’t be.’” Turns out, it was. But Tsai isn’t just a reality star — she’s an illustrator who has worked with Starbucks Japan and most recently, she’s dipping her toes into the fashion world. Head to WWD.com to read about her time on the show, modeling and her art. #wwdeye (📷: @danieldorsa)
More changes are coming to New York Fashion Week: Beginning with the spring 2019 collection, @alexanderwangny will move his New York show to June from September, adopting a biannual schedule with collections shown in June and December. Additionally, the @cfda is planning for an official summer/winter fashion season taking place as soon as June and December 2018. Read more about the upcoming changes on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @slovekinpics)


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Johannesburg - Despite the onset of Covid-19 and the halt to many developments, construction of Jewel City in the celebrated Maboneng precinct in the Joburg CBD has resumed.
The major R1.8 billion inner-city redevelopment, which cover six city blocks, is a massive new extension of Maboneng and will have affordable rental accommodation, retail space, offices, markets, schools, medical and recreational facilities and public art – all within a highly-secured area.
The new area, formerly mainly occupied by the precious metals gold and diamond industry, now connects to the landmark Arts on Main. It was lying derelict for years, attracting crime and grime to the east of the CBD.
At the same time, Divercity Urban Property Fund, which is undertaking the development, has redeveloped the iconic Absa Towers Main which is included in the new precinct.
The mixed-use Jewel City includes 2 700 flats, which are enjoying exceptionally high levels of take-up, as well as 20 000m² of commercial space.
Its retail space is already fully let, and its offices are increasingly attracting businesses to the area which benefits from immediate access to all the amenities that employees value most.
Tebogo Mogashoa, chairperson of Divercity, says: “The reaction to Jewel City has been phenomenal. People naturally gravitate to spaces that are safe, beautiful and fundamentally good places to be.
“This is a great place that benefits from infrastructure and community, and we are thrilled that we were able to see its potential and redevelop this gem to make it a safe and wholesome for families, and full of amenities and job opportunities.”
Carel Kleynhans, chief executive of Divercity, adds: “Seeing it now, it is difficult to believe that the biggest challenge we faced in its development was getting others to invest in our vision to build quality precincts in the city, and take a leap of faith with us.”
The official launch took place on Heritage Day.


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Saturday, April 09, 2011
Starbucks Coffee - the world’s largest coffee chain - Why
Shop for All Starbucks Coffees at StarbucksStore.com
Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee chain has already purchased all of the coffee beans it will need for 2011. The company is trying to control any more price increases in an effort to retain market share. Last week, Starbucks announced the new coffee price increases for retailers on the Seattle’s Best Coffee brand and Starbucks brand coffee.
Simply put, Starbucks is a savvy marketer with great products and closely pays attention to their customers.
=====> Starbucks Coffee


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Online gaming on Tinian was, on Friday, Sept 22, 2017, officially approved by the Tinian and Aguiguan Legislative Delegation as a local measure amending the 1989 Casino Gaming Control Act of Tinian, local news outlet Marianas Variety reports. The House Local Bill 20-30, which introduced the change, will also be amending the taxation rates and casino licensing fees in the jurisdiction.
According to the news report, the Friday measure was unanimously passed by the attending four members and witnessed by Tinian Mayor Joey Patrick San Nicolas and Joe Kiyoshi, the gaming control commissioner on Tinian, among other representatives from the municipal council.
Per the measure, a new paragraph was added to Section 15 of the revised 1989 ACT under (g) which legalizes online gaming with licensed operators, provided they implement geolocation software to limit the online gaming activities within the “intra-island borders of the Second Senatorial District” and among the jurisdictions where online gambling is legalized. And as part of the changes to the licensing and taxation fees, online operators will now be legally obliged to pay a supplemental yearly licensing fee of $300,000 to operate online gaming while also paying a 5% gross online revenue tax each month.
Prospective online operators would also be required to have a hotel-casino complex with at least 300 rooms to be allowed to operate online gaming activities. For now, the only casinos that could meet the outlined criteria have yet to be built, with the soft launch of Alter City’s Plumeria Golf Resort estimated to happen in 2019 and the Tinian Ocean View Resort still waiting for its petition for community backing of the resort to reach the target goal.


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It’s time to save with your holiday shopping again! The Seven Mountains Media Half Off Sale is back! We will again be selling gift cards from lots of local businesses at 50% off! And to make it easier for everyone to get in on the deals, this sale will start at 10 AM on Saturday, […]
Starting Monday, October 14th, 4 winners will walk away with tickets to the opening night Elmira Enforcers hockey game on October 25th! Listen for the cue to call all day long for your chance to qualify and win! The Elmira Enforcers return to action on the ice on October 25th at the First Arena! Get […]
Join WOGA, The Mansfield Chamber of Commerce, and Mansfield University for LUMA in the Streets! The first night football game was played in the small town of Mansfield, PA on September 28, 1892, between the Mansfield Normal School and Wyoming Seminary. This year, the Mansfield community will come together to commemorate this historic event with […]
Catch the Penn State Coaches Show on Thursday Nights at 6:05 PM and all the Penn State Football games this season.. on WOGA! 92 – 93 – and 1490!
Ryan in the Afternoon will have Conspiracy Coffee Gift Cards to give away with the Conspiracy of the Day, starting (Today) Tuesday, August 13th. Ryan will post a conspiracy related picture of the day on WOGA’s Facebook starting on Tuesday at 8 AM. Then, at 4 PM Tuesday-Friday, Ryan will ask the Conspiracy Trivia question of the day. Just call with […]


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BMW M5 – OFFICIAL SAFETY CAR OF MOTOGP™ 2018.
Cars & Technology06 Dec 2017
After its debut at the final race of the 2017 season, BMW M is excited to announce the BMW M5 as the 2018 MotoGP™ Safety Car. The model’s inclusion as the safety car marks the first time that BMW M xDrive will be used on a course car.
Modifying the car for the 2018 season was an exciting task for BMW engineers. Taking priority was the TwinPower Turbo, 600hp engine, which received an overhaul allowing the car to speed from 0-63mph in just 3.4 seconds. A range of tailor-made components were developed too, including unique indicators, roof-mounted flat line lights, a new rear diffuser, rear spoiler, side sills, and an enhanced front kidney grille.
The new Safety Car's completely bespoke front end
Frank Van Meel, President of BMW M said “A MotoGP Safety Car faces enormous challenges. It is vital to lead a field of unique, high-performance race prototypes safely through all sorts of conditions.” Adding “The new BMW M5 forms the perfect basis for a safety car, as its technical features ensure perfect handling, even at the limits of driving dynamics - on the road and on the racetrack.”
A new BMW M suspension and brake system completes the look
During production, designers turned to the BMW M5’s racing counterparts for inspiration. This led them to use the bucket seats from the current BMW M4 GTS for improved safety. The exterior design of the car took inspiration from the recently released BMW M8 GTE. The result is a sportier and more athletic exterior than the production version. To complete the design, a Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic Roof was installed, an optional extra on the current BMW M5.
BWM M is proud to partner with race organisers Dorna Sports and looks forward to another 20 years of exceptional racing.
Discover the BMW M5.
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Damon Motorcycles unveiled “the future of motorcycling” at CES 2020 – the world’s largest motorcycle event – with an entirely new kind of electric, 5G connected superbike called the Damon Hypersport. The model is unique because it addresses long-standing problems in motorcycling that have been largely ignored – comfort, and most importantly, rider safety.
Motorcycling is the way 48% of the world gets around every day. Therefore, two-wheel mobility issues are important to address. The most important of these issues, which hasn’t been treated well, is safety. Motorcyclist fatalities happen nearly 27 times more often than passenger car occupant fatalities in traffic accidents, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Taking into consideration that collision warning technologies have the potential to prevent 40% of all vehicle crashes and nearly 30% of traffic deaths (according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety), Damon designed a motorcycle with such onboard safety measures. The manufacturer has dedicated itself to technology that proactively reduces the risk of accidents.
Dom Kwong, Chief Technical Officer of Damon Motorcycles, said in a press release:
Exhaustive studies have shown that in almost half of motorcycle accidents, riders were found to have taken no evasive action before the impact occurred. So we know that riders need more warning time. Damon’s flagship motorcycle the Hypersport Pro with CoPilot™ expands the reach of your senses in 360º, giving you that one extra second you need to react to keep you safe on the road.
The Hypersport Pro is equipped with CoPilot technology, which means it’s a bike that reads the roads via the same collection of sensors, cameras, and radar found in cars with active safety technology. The system can track the speed, direction, and velocity of up to 64 moving objects around the bike, 360 degrees.
If someone has stopped in front of you while you’re checking your blind spots, the forward collision detection system sends vibrations through the handlebars to warn you. The blind spots are also monitored with the system sending warnings via lights on the bike’s aero screen. Meanwhile, the rear is relayed onto an LCD screen upfront. Altogether it’s 360-degree traffic monitoring.
The second issue – that of comfort – is addressed through Damon’s next-generation motorcycle feature Shift – which is adjustable ergonomics. By simply pushing a button, the bike transitions from a high-speed supersport position to a comfortable sport-touring position to a full upright commuter position for dense city traffic. The Hypersport Pro is a 2-in-1 motorcycle thanks to Shift.
You’ll see the safer, smarter, zero-emission Hypersport advanced prototypes on the roads by mid-2020.
To read more about the Damon Hypersport click here.


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On December 24, 2009, FSIS issued a notice about a recall of 248,000 pounds of beef products from National Steak and Poultry that “may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.” The recall was issued after FSIS determined there was an association between non-intact steaks (blade-tenderized prior to further processing) and illnesses in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, South Dakota and Washington. The CDC has said that at least “some” of the illnesses appear to be associated with products subject to the FSIS recall. Rumor has it that a state (Minnesota, perhaps?) has ill people who ate hamburger, not blade-tenderized steaks.
The Outbreak linked (apparently, in part) to blade-tenderized steaks from National Steak and Poultry has sickened 21 people from 16 states. Most victims became ill between mid-October and late November 2009. They ranged in age from 14 to 87 years. There have been 9 reported hospitalizations and 1 case of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
That begs the question, why the silence of the steaks? Where did the National Steak and Poultry get the steaks? Where did the Minnesota hamburger (or trim) come from? Rumors are that it is from a Colorado facility (JBS Swift, perhaps?) that has seen its share of E. coli O157:H7 problems in the past. So, again why the silence of the steaks?


text: Samvat 2079 started with considerable uncertainty. The Nifty has eased by a nominal 2 percent since last Diwali. The rupee has fallen nearly 9 percent against the dollar and has risen against the pound, euro and yen. On the positive side, most companies are now declaring revenues that exceed their respective 2019-20 pre-Covid levels, in addition to higher profits supported by cost-cutting measures taken during the pandemic. Higher business sales gel with strong traffic movements on railways and ports, healthy tax collection on goods and services and record power consumption. All this indicates that the domestic economy is pulling out of the trough caused by the lockdowns of 2020. There has also been a lot of winding down and balance sheets are now stronger.


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The implications of driverless cars are considerable. Through a combination of embedded software, advanced sensors, cameras and monitoring solutions, cars can be driven, safely, without an operator. A recent KDLG Public Radio report explained that Google driverless cars have already logged 300,000 miles without an accident. At the same time, the trend is beginning to impact a variety of sectors.
In an interview with the news source, Joshua Jacobs, co-founder of the Conservative Future Project, explained that safety issues are not the only thing that has to be considered with driverless vehicles. Thinking about the other implications of the technology is key because solutions are already having a major impact on the trucking sector.
"Sure. It's a trend we're already starting to see today," Jacobs told KDLG when asked if trucking companies will be early adopters for driverless vehicles. "If you look at mining companies, ... Rio Tinto, Anglo American - some of the big mining companies have already either purchased driverless trucks for their mines."
As driverless cars gain prominence, the value of embedded software testing could skyrocket. Driverless vehicles depend heavily on software to make safe driving decisions, creating an environment in which testing is integral to passenger protection.


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Hurstwood secures consent for £40m Lancaster industrial
The Manchester-based developer is to build a 200,000 sq ft speculative scheme at Lune Business Park following approval from the city council.
Hurstwood Holdings, which acquired the 23-acre Lune Business Park 15 years ago for £5m, also wants to build a café, pharmacy, convenience store and nursery as part of the park’s £40m redevelopment.
The new scheme will offer floorplates from 1,000 sq ft up to 100,000 sq ft with design and build opportunities also available, the company said.
As part of the plans, Hurstwood will also provide to a new bus service, connecting the business park to Lancaster city centre and surrounding areas.
Sam Ashworth, project director at Hurstwood Holdings, said: “This planning permission has been a long time coming and we are pleased to have finally secured this important milestone.
“Hurstwood owns two large industrial estates in Lancaster and we are fully committed to maximising the potential of these estates, which will bring significant economic benefits to area and further job creation.”
Hurstwood plans to be on site at the start of 2022, Ashworth added.
The new scheme is to be developed in phases over the next four years and Hurstwood will appoint a contractor in the coming weeks.
The masterplan for the site was drawn up by Baldwin Design Consultancy. Broadgrove Planning advised on the submission of the masterplan.


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This is the web version of Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the top tech news. To get it delivered daily to your in-box, sign up here.
I wrote a while ago that no matter what happens elsewhere in the tech world, Silicon Valley will remain dominant—if persistently obnoxious in the process.
I still believe that. Still, dominant doesn’t mean massive successes can’t happen elsewhere. Just look at the North Carolina videogame company Epic Games, maker of super hit Fortnite and also a successful plodder for years before becoming a red-hot sensation. The company revealed last week it has raised $1.25 billion from investors KKR, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Partners and others. They’re all eager to take advantage of the popularity of the addictive Fortnite, which for their sake better not turn out to be a fad.
Fortnite is so successful it singlehandedly is lifting the games business of Microsoft, another non-Silicon Valley success story. The game is also a feather in the cap of Chinese gaming goliath Tencent, which bought a 40% stake in Epic several years ago. Tencent has been hoping to bring the “battle royale” game to China.
Speaking of China, check out Eamon Barrett’s interesting piece about how facial recognition technology, enhanced by artificial intelligence, is being applied for surveillance purposes there. He writes that “the government is both benefactor to and beneficiary of” the companies pursuing facial-recognition applications. It’s a different world.
It’s so different, in fact, that Fortune returns to China next month for the Fortune Global Tech Forum, to be held in the Pearl River Delta megacity of Guangzhou, November 29-30. My colleagues and I will host the two-day event that will focus on A.I. and other tech topics, including the ramifications of trade tensions between China and the U.S. Some of the participants will include Sequoia Capital’s Neil Shen; Hillhouse Capital head Zhang Lei, Dang Wenshuan, the chief technology officer of Huawei; China-focused retail analyst Deborah Weinswig; the chairman of Toyota Motor’s business in China, Kazuhiro Kobayashi; Cindy Mi, CEO of education upstart VIPKid; travel site Ctrip CEO Jane Sun; A.I. expert Richard Socher, chief scientist of Salesforce; Kim-Thu Posnett, global head of Internet investment banking for Goldman Sachs; and insurance giant Ping An’s chief technology officer, Jessica Tan.
The Guangzhou event is by invitation only, and there are a few remaining slots. Inquire here for an invitation or shoot me a note directly if you’d like to attend.
Swinging for the fences. Seeking faster growth, IBM is acquiring open-source software provider Red Hat for $34 billion, or $190 per share. It’s a play to help IBM customers move to cloud applications more quickly, CEO Ginni Rometty tells Fortune. “This is a huge day,” she says. “It absolutely resets the cloud landscape.” Shares of Red Hat, which closed at under $117 on Friday, jumped 50% to $175.50 in premarket trading on Monday. IBM shares, previously down 16% this year, slumped another 5%.
Whiffed. Internet service companies are cutting off Gab, the social network popular with the extreme right and used by Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect Robert Bowers. Payment processing platforms Stripe and PayPal, web host GoDaddy, and cloud hosting company Joyent suspended the network, which had already been barred from distributing its app by Apple and Google. In not unrelated news, Facebook and Twitter suspended accounts linked to alleged mail bomber Cesar Sayoc. Twitter also issued an apology, saying it should have taken down one of the accounts for threatening remarks as soon as the company received a complaint weeks ago from Democratic commentator Rochelle Ritchie.
In the on-deck circle. More leaks for the gadget happy. Samsung is working on new phones that will be able to run on Verizon’s super-fast 5G network and may have foldable screens and a fingerprint sensor under the screen, Bloomberg reports. And Apple‘s big unveil on Tuesday in New York is rumored to feature updated iPads and Mac computers, including a replacement for the positively ancient Mac mini (last refreshed in 2014).
No hitter. Countries around the world are looking at how the European Union has begun to tax tech giants like Google and Facebook that have been taking advantage of global tax loopholes to minimize their payments. South Korea, India, Mexico, and Chile are among those considering imposing new levies, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Stealing signals. There is more than a little controversy about the use of artificial intelligence and automated devices on the battlefield. But a new military exercise by NATO that began last week in Norway, called Trident Juncture 18, will test how some autonomous weapon systems perform under simulated battlefield conditions.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Today’s iteration of “food for thought” is pretty foody. Ride hailing giant Uber has its hands in a couple of different transportation markets, but Kate Krader at Bloomberg uncovered a less obvious business the mega-startup has stimulated with data: virtual restaurants. It seems the neighborhood-level info from Uber’s prepared food delivery service Uber Eats can be used to uncover gaps in the offerings of local establishments:
When the virtual restaurant team notices supply gaps in any given neighborhood—if, say, the data show that the number of brunch places is lower than could be served based on searches—they’ll begin contacting businesses in the area. “We’d say, ‘If you served brunch, that would be good for your delivery business,’ ” Droege says. For restaurateurs, it can be a chance to spread their fixed costs over a higher volume of orders.
The arrangement often results in restaurants with culinary ambitions serving basics for people at home. The menu at Rahi, an inventive Indian spot in New York’s Greenwich Village, contains more experimental dishes such as coconut-mango curry cod with crab butter. But the Uber Eats menu has classic dishes including butter chicken and vegetable samosas. “That’s what people want when they order Indian food,” says owner Roni Mazumdar. He also delivers via Caviar and Grubhub.
Even Michelin-starred cooks have gotten into it. At Pasta on Demand, the virtual restaurant from Marea chef Michael White, you can order his classic rigatoni from the comfort of your phone.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Bitcoin Exchange Bitstamp Acquired in Latest Cryptocurrency Deal By Jen Wieczner
BEFORE YOU GO
As we waited for what turned out to be a great World Series game on Sunday night, my family and I flitted around on YouTube on our big screen TV and stumbled across this cool video from Architectural Digest about the key features of New York City’s Fifth Avenue main library building, which opened in 1911. And this morning, in a similar vein, I happened across some thoughts about how libraries need to evolve for the future from Tony Ageh, the chief digital officer of the New York’s library service. In the 100 years plus since the main branch opened, the library has become about a whole lot more than books.


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Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that he has served the social networking site Tagged.com (“Tagged”) with formal notice that his office intends to sue the company for deceptive email marketing practices and invasion of privacy. According to Cuomo’s notice of intent, Tagged devised an illegal plan to lure new members and artificially inflate traffic on its site. Consumers who visited Tagged were tricked into providing the company with access to their personal email contacts, which the company then used to send millions of promotional emails. Tagged disguised these solicitations to make them appear as if they were coming from a personal contact, when they were actually spam.
Between April and June this year, Tagged sent tens of millions of misleading emails to unsuspecting recipients stating that Tagged members had posted private photos online for their friends to view. In reality, no such photos existed and the email was not from their friends. When recipients of these fraudulent emails tried to access the photos, they were forced to become a new member of Tagged. The company would then illegally gain access to their personal email contacts to send more fraudulent invitations.
“This company stole the address books and identities of millions of people,” said Attorney General Cuomo. “Consumers had their privacy invaded and were forced into the embarrassing position of having to apologize to all their email contacts for Tagged’s unethical – and illegal – behavior. This very virulent form of spam is the online equivalent of breaking into a home, stealing address books, and sending phony mail to all of an individual’s personal contacts. We would never accept this behavior in the real world, and we cannot accept it online.”
Tagged made their invitational emails appear to have been sent directly from members’ personal email accounts, instead of from Tagged.com. The emails falsely stated that “[name] sent you photos on Tagged.” If a member had added a personal image to the website, Tagged also included that picture in these fraudulent email solicitations. Many consumers were unaware that Tagged accessed their email contact lists.
The Attorney General’s lawsuit would seek to stop Tagged from engaging in these fraudulent practices and would seek fines from the company. Tagged temporarily suspended its email marketing campaign in June, in response to user complaints and criticism, but had already sent over 60 million of the deceptive emails to consumers worldwide.
The case is being handled by Chief of the Internet Bureau Justin Brookman, Assistant Attorney General Clark Russell, and Investigator Vanessa Ip, under the supervision of Deputy Attorney General for Economic Justice Michael Berlin
The AG’s letter to Tagged.com’s lawyers is here. (pdf)
Source: Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo


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- Front Page
- Biz Tools
Billy Baxter’s ex-franchisees Ross and Sue Pollard were awarded $1.2M on appeal after the Court found earnings figures proved were misleading. As the franchisor failed to make payment it now faces a winding up application.
Billy Baxter’s is part of the Paradise Retail Holdings group, which also operates Pets Paradise, Global Pet Products and Warner Bros’ Australian retail operations. StartUpSmart
The Federal Court can order a company be wound up if failure to make payment is proven and the creditor has followed the required demand process.
But there is nothing new here;
However, Ross Pollard told StartUpSmart he and his wife have lost “hundreds of thousands of dollars” as a result of the legal battle, which he claims has been going since 2006.
“From the time it started – because of Billy Baxter’s unwillingness to cooperate – it’s taken six years to get to this point,” he says.
Just another franchisor using drag-em-out tactics in an effort to drain franchisees but here we have one of those rarities where the franchisees managed to stay the distance.


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Pittsburgh works on bid to land 2nd Amazon HQ
Pittsburgh will bid for Amazon’s second headquarters.
Mayor Bill Peduto tweeted that he is “On it,” hours after the Seattle-based giant announced it was looking for a second home.
— bill peduto (@billpeduto) September 7, 2017
Kevin Acklin, Peduto’s chief of staff and chief operating officer, said the city would absolutely apply.
“We have been working all morning on plans,” he said.
The Mayor’s Office later said it has strategy sessions planned for Friday and early next week. The city has been working with Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, the county Economic Development Department and the city’s corporate, university and foundation communities on a plan.
“With an unmatched portfolio of technological talent and intriguing development parcels, Pittsburgh is uniquely positioned to submit a winning bid for Amazon’s facility. This is a transformational opportunity unlike any that we’ve ever seen,” Peduto said in a statement.
Fitzgerald said local leaders started talking and meeting about luring Amazon to Pittsburgh soon after the news broke.
“This is right in our sweet spot,” Fitzgerald said.
Amazon announced Thursday it plans to invest $5 billion in the construction and operation of Amazon HQ2. The second headquarters could bring as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs and tens of thousands of additional jobs and tens of billions in additional invest in the surrounding community.
GeekWire, a website devoted to covering technology and business in Seattle, put Pittsburgh on its shortlist of cities Amazon should consider . The site noted Carnegie Mellon University and the presence of Apple, Facebook and Uber in Pittsburgh. Also on GeekWire’s list are Boston, Austin, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Atlanta. GeekWire notes that Pittsburgh would have to “work hard” to land Amazon.
“Perhaps dangling massive incentives and attractive real estate options in front of the company,” GeekWire wrote.
Fitzgerald said he’s already heard from the Gov. Tom Wolf’s office regarding potential incentives. With 50,000 jobs and billions in investment at stake, Fitzgerald said the city, county and state is “certainly willing to put economic development incentives together.”
“It could be land or workforce training,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s not just straight out cash or monetary incentives.”
Amazon was quite clear in its announcement and request for proposals that it is looking for incentives, listing them as one of eight ” Key Preferences and Decision Drivers ” in its RFP. The company also describes ideal sites, transportation needs and quality of life considerations to attract talent.
Fitzgerald said Pittsburgh has many things that put it in a good position to win the headquarters. Pittsburgh is affordable, offers a good quality, is progressive and welcoming, Fitzgerald said. His sense is that Amazon is looking for a base of operations on the eastern side of the country to complement its Seattle home. Pittsburgh is a tech-savvy city with expertise in artificial intelligence and robotics that has already drawn Amazon here. The company opened an office on the South Side in January and recruited experts in machine translation from Carnegie Mellon University to run it. Amazon has also partnered with Findlay-based Seegrid for self-driving vehicles inside its distribution centers.
“Should Amazon pick Pittsburgh as its second home, our city would be further established as one of the greatest tech hubs in America, continuing to drive innovation and attract top talent to our city,” said Seegrid CEO Jim Rock.
And space is abundant. Amazon could locate in the city at sites like the Almono development in Hazelwood, the 28-acres of the former Civic Arena or in spaces in the Strip District or Lawrenceville. As Amazon expands, it can take space near Pittsburgh International Airport, near the Turnpike north of city or along I-79 south of city.
“Do they want to be near rail, a river, an interstate, a university, an airport?” Fitzgerald said. “Our job is to give them what they want to be able to succeed.”
The Mayor’s Office said that no land, incentives or other details of Pittsburgh’s bid had been identified.
Philadelphia is also working on a bid, with Mayor Jim Kenney tweeting the city would be a prime location for Amazon. Fitzgerald said he expects every major city in the country to show interest.
Senator Bob Casey chimed in on Pittsburgh’s behalf. In a letter to the company, Casey said “Not only does Pennsylvania have incredible academic institutions and a world-renowned workforce, it is home to key interstate commerce thoroughfares, critical supply chain infrastructure, a stable business-friendly environment, and most importantly an existing relationship and significant Amazon presence.”
Bopaya Bidanda, the Ernest Roth Professor & Department Chair in University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Industrial Engineering, said Pittsburgh would be a great fit for Amazon. He said Pittsburgh’s infrastructure makes it easy to move goods and people in and out of the city and its location puts half the country’s population within 500 miles.
“That’s all within a day’s drive,” Bidanda said.
Pittsburgh cheap housing is also a plus, Bidanda said. He said Pittsburgh real estate prices are still a fourth or fifth of Bay Area and Silicon Valley prices and the city could probably welcome four or five major companies before it would reach those levels.
Bidanda acknowledge Pittsburgh does face some challenges. He wishes the city’s labor force was viewed as more progressive and the airport lacks flights. That could be a chicken or the egg problem, Bidanda said. Bring in Amazon and the progressive workforce follows. Bring Amazon to Pittsburgh and a direct flight to Seattle follows.
Twitter piled on the love for Pittsburgh as a perfect fit for Amazon’s new home.
Might I recommend #Pittsburgh , PA? Good airports, good highways (after construction season), and a good workforce. We would welcome you.
— Darin Janeczko (@DarinJaneczko) September 7, 2017
— Big McLargeHuge (@Joystik_thePony) September 7, 2017
Based on nothing I bet Amazon's new HQ will be in Pittsburgh
— Laser Dolphin Cobra (@SilentOatmeal) September 7, 2017
Amazon expects to make a decision next year and start construction in 2019.
Staff writer Bob Bauder contributed. Aaron Aupperlee is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at [email protected], 412-336-8448 or via Twitter @tinynotebook.


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It shouldn’t come as a surprise that everyone from Google to Apple are tracking you, with mobile apps in particular being a large contributor to tracking activity currently taking place. Some people don’t like that, as Google parent company Alphabet has found after being hit with its second lawsuit concerning smartphone tracking.
The lawsuit, filed in the States on behalf of a small collection of individuals by law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, claims that Google’s apps continue tracking users, even when said users have taken the steps Google says will prevent tracking.
Specifically, the complaint says, “Even when consumers follow Google’s own instructions and turn off ‘Web & App Activity’ tracking on their ‘Privacy Controls,’ Google nevertheless continues to intercept consumers’ app usage and app browsing communications and personal information.”
The suit claims that Google’s Firebase, an analytics, advertising and crash-reporting offering for app developers, is the claim culprit when it comes to unpermitted tracking.
The law firm concerned, Boies Schiller Flexner, filed another suit against Google last month, claiming that the Chrome browser continues to tracker user activity even when users have enabled Incognito mode. Google has stated that it will fight the June lawsuit but has yet to comment on this month’s effort.


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Huawei’s latest budget smartphone in the Kenyan market, the Huawei Y7 Prime 2019, has been around for a while now. Well, at least if we are considering its official launch.
It is half a month since the device was officially launched, on January 31st. However, as fate would have it, its market availability, then scheduled for February 8th, would be pushed back by 5 more days to see it debut in the market on February 14th, Valentines Day.
That development was important because Huawei has positioned the Coral Red colour variant as the ultimate lover’s phone.
On the same day, the Huawei Y7 Prime 2019 also became available in Safaricom’s retail stores across the country, adding to the over 30 other independent retail outlets where interested buyers can purchase the device.
What many will be quick to note, however, is the increase in price. The Huawei Y7 Prime 2019 is going for Kshs 1,000 more at Safaricom outlets (Kshs 18,999) than one can find it elsewhere (at the recommended retail price of Kshs 17,999).
This is also bearing in mind that the variant being sold by Safaricom is likely to be a single-SIM model given the network operator’s strict stance on dual-SIM devices. We cannot verify that that is the case at this time, though.
This is not the first time that we are seeing such a case. Things played out pretty much the same way last month when Tecno’s Camon 11 started selling in Safaricom shops.
Remember that the recommended retail price of the Y7 Prime 2019 is already Kshs 1,000 more than the starting price of the device’s predecessor, the Y7 Prime 2018. In this case, though, the added features and improved specifications may justify the minor increment.
What justifies the higher markup at Safaricom shops?
Safaricom is also throwing in a 2GB free data offer to anyone who buys the device through its retail store network.
In addition to physical stores, the Huawei Y7 Prime 2019 can also be bought online through Jumia and Kilimall.


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Switching hits a new record in 2018
Following the publication of the latest electricity switching figures from Energy UK, Energy Switch Guarantee issued the statement below.
Pamela Taylor, Independent Chair of the Energy Switch Guarantee, said:
““It is encouraging that over half a million energy customers moved to a new supplier last month potentially saving themselves hundreds of pounds on their bills. It only takes a few minutes to find out if you’re on the best energy deal for you.
“I’d encourage all consumers to call their supplier or have a look online to make sure they don’t miss out on the deals offered by over 70 suppliers. And with the Energy Switch Guarantee in place consumers can feel even more confident that switching will be simple, speedy and safe.”
Note to editors:


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Each year GCR invites industry leaders to share their hopes, fears and expectations for the year ahead, in what is expected to be one of rejuvenation and unity for the global coffee market.
Looking back, one understands how difficult it is to predict the future. If someone three years ago would have described a near future with a pandemic, heavily increased commodity prices and a chaotic shipping situation, we probably wouldn’t have believed them. But it happened and it affected the whole world, us in the coffee industry as well.
Although the last few years have been challenging, I’m confident that a lot of what has happened has made many in the value chain stronger and that we will see results of this in the coming years.
The development and what we have in front of us has strengthened my faith in Löfbergs’ purpose to contribute to a world where people and coffee can grow. I would even say it’s more important than ever. Our perspective has always been to build for coming generations. It means we have a clear focus to meet global challenges, not least in the sustainability field, in producing countries, as well as on our home field.
Here, the power of doing things together cannot be underestimated. One example is International Coffee Partners, where we, together with some other family-owned coffee companies, strengthen small-scale coffee farmers and their development possibilities. Another example is connecting to Era of We, a digital end-to-end platform which aims to shift the value of coffee brands back to coffee farmers and consumers.
During the pandemic, consumption patterns have changed somewhat, but we still drink coffee to the same extent. So even in times of uncertainties, we can be sure of one thing, we have a product that will be in demand in the future as well.
Perhaps it’s like someone said, ‘the only thing we know about the future is that it will be different’. Together with others, we at Löfbergs will do our very best to make different mean better. And I believe the chances for this are good.
This article was first published in the January/February 2023 edition of Global Coffee Report. To read the research paper, click HERE.