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Luxury conglomerate Richemont have reportedly reached an agreement with Chinese jewelry company Chow Tai Fook to distribute Baume & Mercier watches throughout China. China Retail News reports that Richemont, which owns haute horlogerie brands like Jaeger-LeCoultre, Cartier, Roger Dubuis, Montblanc and Vacheron Constantin, will expand their market share of luxury watch sales.
China Retail News cites a Richemont insider as saying that each party will hold a 50% stake in the deal. The Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook Jewellery, which went public in 2011, have over 1,000 retail locations throughout mainland China. The company already works with other Richemont group companies, including Cartier, Piaget, and Jaeger-LeCoultre.


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Communicating face to face is fast being replaced with virtual communication, with many turning to the latest range of apps and video calling services to get in touch with their nearest and dearest.
Now one tour operator is joining the mobile communication revolution, enabling travellers to get in touch with their holiday reps in a number of non-traditional ways. Cosmos has announced that it is enhancing its Cosmos Concierge service, following customer research, to enable customers to contact their overseas team 24 hours a day using whichever method is best for their needs..
As well as being able to contact the team via email and phone, customers can also connect with Cosmos Concierge team members via FaceTime, Skype, Tango or social media. The service, which has been made possible through the use of latest tablet technology, is available to holidaymakers from the time of booking until they return home from their break abroad.
Commenting on the service, Phil Boggon, Cosmos' managing director, said: "More than 20% of customers have been using the existing Cosmos Concierge service since it was launched in summer 2013 and we expect that figure to rise sharply this summer with the introduction of our enhanced customer offering." The firm has also announced that it is re-introducing airport reps at a number of resort airports to help smooth the transition for holidaymakers in arrivals.
Travellers increasingly heading online to book and research holidays Successive studies have shown that holidaymakers are increasingly heading online to book and research holidays, and even to relay details of their travels.
Research from ABTA showed that just under half (49%) of UK consumers buy a holiday abroad online, while a study conducted by Facebook revealed that 42% of stories on users’ timelines related to their intrepid adventures around the world. If you are heading off abroad on holiday this summer, it is important to organise travel insurance in advance.
Date Created: 06/06/2014

domain: news


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In a recent interview with OXM, CD Projekt’s Konrad Tomaszkiewicz and Jakub Stylinski explained why their critically acclaimed game, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings will be making its way from PC to the Xbox 360, but not the PS3…
“It’s our first experience with consoles – we’ve only worked on the PC until now, and we wanted to make a really good adaptation of our game,” Tomaszkiewicz began. “We’ve used the same team who worked on the PC version to make a really good adaptation.”
“We’ve used the same team who worked on the PC version to make the transition to Xbox, mainly because when we tried to outsource the first Witcher, it ended up being a bad experience. We could have tried to bring it to other consoles, but we just wanted to focus on the one platform.”
“Our team isn’t that large – we can’t focus on three platforms at once,” Stylinski said. “What we’re doing now is making the same additional content for PC and Xbox, and if we were working on PS3 too we just wouldn’t be able to get it all done.”
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings will be available on the Xbox 360, April 17th. CD Projekt RED has stated this will be the “most polished and definitive version of the game”.


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Sitharaman said, it might be important for the government to now see and meet up with a lot of industry leaders and invite them to India.
Washington: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said she will prepare a blueprint for international companies that are looking beyond China to make India as their preferred investment destination.
She said industry leaders who are contemplating getting their businesses out of China are "definitely considering India as the pitch". Therefore, she said, it might be important for the government to now see and meet up with a lot of industry leaders and invite them to India.
"I'd certainly be doing that...I go back and design in some way whereby I will identify those multinational corporations, all American businesses or any other country European or a British origin who are moving out of China or who probably are even contemplating," Nirmala Sitharaman said.
"I will make a blueprint with which I will approach them and put forward to them as to why India is a far more preferable destination," Sitharaman told a group of Indian reporters on Saturday at the conclusion of her interactions at the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
That could also be in specific areas in which India has a common capacity ecosystem building, whether it''s electronics, lithium ion battery or any other semiconductors, she added.
However, Nirmala Sitharaman said the government's decision is not just going to be purely on the basis of what is happening presently between the United States and China.
"That could either aggravate the situation or probably just influence at some level. But the fact remains that there are companies which are looking at relocating for various other reasons also," she said.
"That is why I gave that little fine line that I''m drawing about companies which would want to locate elsewhere outside of China. Even as I said that, I said that not every company wants to lock, stock and barrel get out of China, there are companies which will remain there to service the Chinese market.
"After all little China as a very big domestic market and the their purchasing power, consumption style may be very different from what it is in India, but I'm making that margin already that companies will probably be there to service the Chinese market tension or not tension," the Union minister said.
She said India wants to create an ecosystem to invite the companies to tap the country's market.
"I'm allowing that margin already. Over in about that for those companies, even if they continue to be in China but still would want to produce from elsewhere either to export or to capture a new hub, domestic market like India," Sitharaman said.
"There was one thing very clear that India is still for them (companies), one of the biggest options to consider," she added.
The minister said it is perceived that the opportunities in Vietnam are not that much attractive.
Sitharaman gave a clarion call for "concerted action" in the face of global slowdown.
She also highlighted that the emerging market economies, in particular, face the challenge of achieving economic growth and inclusive development while pursuing sustainable financing.
In this context, she emphasized the importance of countries pursuing structural reform measures to counter the growth slowdown.
She re-emphasized the need for G20 to ensure collective action so as to enable global growth to regain pace.
She led the Indian delegation to the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting on October 18 in which, the deliberations centered on international taxation and Stable coins.


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Jamie Oliver has launched his latest campaign for healthy living and is this time on the toes of the worlds biggest brands.
Ahead of the summer Olympics in Rio, Jamie wants companies to raise their nutritional and ethical standards.
He admits that this is his ‘most audacious thing I’ve dreamt up.”
While he has had a lot of impact around the world with his campaigns to get kids eating healthier he admits that he might not ”have what it takes to pull this one off.”
Dad-of-four Jamie insists an outright ban on McDonalds and Coca-Cola is not what he wants but it made him ”depressed” that the only food avaliable inside the Olympic Park in London four years ago was McDonald’s food and Coca Cola products, with snacks coming from Cadbury.
The cook said that ‘nobody can be proud of the London Olympics from that perspective.’
The Rio 2016 Olympics kick off on August 5 and will be broadcast on Channel 7.


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At the end of February, a two-year-long class action lawsuit wrapped up, concerning Apple iPhones and the complaints that software updates caused function slow-down. Owners of older iPhones, such as the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, 7, and 7 Plus, were the victims of this system speed change. Despite the public assuming Apple’s motive was to entice iPhone users to upgrade to newer models, Apple insists that the software was meant to alleviate issues with older lithium-ion batteries. Regardless of the intent, Apple has agreed to settle the class action for a minimum amount of $310 million and a maximum amount of $500 million. Continue reading
In college I recall a time when a friend pranked another friend by secretly signing his cell phone up for one of those “joke a day” text message spam services. We got a laugh as he received these texts from an unknown number with terrible jokes, and he canceled the service as soon as possible after an understandable period of confusion followed by rage. Not before he was billed a $10 “subscription fee” from the third party company, though. Today I learned that this practice is called “cramming” and that, unfortunately, this type of thing happens to people all across the nation, sometimes by accident and sometimes billed monthly for years undetected, incurring unnecessary high costs. Some bad news, then, for the bad joke aficionado: today, a class action lawsuit against the fraudulent billing has been settled with Verizon. The company has agreed to refund 100% of all unauthorized third-party charges from April, 2005 through February, 2012. Considering the time period and number of people affected, the total cost of this settlement could be in the millions. Also, billing practices will be drastically changed to prevent this kind of charge from showing up automatically and unexpectedly in the future. Read the full press release here. To find out if you’re eligible for a refund and how to claim it, visit the settlement’s website here starting March 9th.
I long for the day when unsolicited text message services are no longer active at all. Sometimes late at night or during low-advertisement-cost programs, you can find ads for the companies selling cheesy ring tones or backgrounds or a “love calculator” that uses an arbitrary algorithm to add up two names and spit out a percentage (with a charge-per-use business model — real classy). They tread the border between the merely tasteless and the scam — hopefully this settlement will encourage the other telecom companies to follow suit and sound the death knell for these services. If I never hear the “Crazy Frog” again, I’ll be a happy man.
In 2010, Apple release its much-hyped iPhone 4, the latest in the succession of popular smart phones. Early users soon found that the phone suffered poor reception when held normally due to the ill-chosen placement of the phone’s internal antenna. When notified of the flaw, Apple offered the stale solution of “holding the phone in a different way”. Users scoffed at the lame response, as reception was only lost when holding the phone in the usual manner, which has been the norm of cell phone usage for decades. Incensed users brought the company to a class action lawsuit, alleging consumer fraud in that the company misrepresented the device’s ability to function in order to increase sales.
The terms of this settlement apply to any purchaser of the iPhone 4, which early numbers indicate may be 25 million people. If you are eligible to benefit from this refund, Apple is obligated to contact you via email by April 30th, 2012. After that, purchasers have 120 days to claim their refund. If you have not been contacted by April 30th and think you are still eligible, contact Apple’s customer service.


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Steve Jobs' claim that iPhone 4's display has a pixel density higher than what the human eye can resolve has triggered a huge debate. Industry experts have now been mulling over whether or not the iPhone 4 screen deserves to be called "retina display".
Dr. Raymond Soneira, the founder of DisplayMate Technologies has called Jobs' claims overly exaggerated. However, in a recent article on the Discover Magazine, Phil Plait, an astronomer who calibrates the cameras of Hubble Space telescope, has defended Steve Jobs noting that the argument holds true for a large majority of people who do not have a perfect vision.
The argument over the iPhone's retina display has overshadowed one of the most significant improvements incorporated on a smartphone. Apple engineers have packed close to four times more pixels in the new iPhone 4 display compared to iPhone 3GS. Samsung has also conceded that the retina display on iPhone 4 is marginally better than the Super AMOLED screen on Samsung Galaxy S.
Now, new high resolution pictures of iPhone 4 published by prominent Silicon Valley blogger, Robert Scoble seem to confirm these claims. Scoble has said that the close-up shots of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS display screens were taken using his Canon 5D MK II. These high resolution pictures clearly show how sharp the iPhone 4's screen is compared to iPhone 3GS without needing to go into the technical details.
Scoble points out that the high resolution on the new iPhone 4 makes it possible for users to read text without actually having to actually zoom in. You can compare the full resolution pictures of iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS by clicking on these following links:
Also checkout the video of the new iPhone 4 display and let us know what you think.
According to Robert Scoble, iPhone 4's display is the best smartphone display “by far”. We think it's gorgeous and can't wait to get our hands on it.


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British engineering group Mayflower Corporation has unveiled a new engine which it says could increase fuel efficiency by 40%, while cutting emissions by 50%.
The engine could not only be used in cars, but in a wide range of products, from buses to lawnmowers. It could be in production in five years.
"The Mayflower e3 Variable Motion Engine has been successfully proven in tests and represents a quantum leap in the design and development of the internal combustion engine," said the company.
The technology works by allowing the engine to change its capacity, becoming larger when more power is needed and smaller and more economical when its not.
"The great advantage for major manufacturers - apart from introducing a new generation of engines and vehicles - is that this technology does not require huge investment in new plant and facilities," said John Simpson, chief executive of Mayflower. (October 1, 2001)


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Malta, Valletta, January 15, 2013 – iTechnoGaming (www.iTechnoGaming.com), the market leader in providing value added, innovative and reliable gaming platform solutions, is pleased to announce that they will be exhibiting at this year’s ICE show in London. ICE, the International Casino Exhibition, is the largest online casino conference in the world, and is held at ExCel Exhibition and Convention Centre in February 2013.
Massimilliano Isoppo, Sales Director of iTechnoGaming, talked about the conference in London. “This is our first year exhibiting at ICE and we are very excited to make our mark in the B2B iGaming Market.”
“Our team in London will include our PR and Marketing Manager, Michelle Grech, as well as our Affiliate Program Director, Anna Babola.” stated Massimilliano. “The three of us are looking forward to showcasing all of the exciting changes at iTechnoGaming and to meeting our old and new customers, business partners and friends.”
iTechnoGaming will be releasing important news for the operators and highlighting an expanded portfolio of successful online games such as slots from NetEnt, Sheriff and Microgaming and Live Casino from Evolution and Portomaso Gaming.
To book an appointment at ICE, or the subsequent London Affiliate Conference, please contact Michelle Grech by email at: m.g@iTechnoGaming.com
Visit iTechnoGaming at ICE totally gaming, London 5th to 7th February 2013, ExCel Exhibition and Conference Centre, Stand S2-141.
For additional information please contact;
Ms. Michelle Grech
PR and Marketing
Phone +356 2133 0660
A limited company incorporated in Malta, Europe, in 2012, iTechnoGaming is engaged as a market leader in providing value added, innovative and reliable gaming platform solutions across online, land – based and mobile platforms. iTechnoGaming has become a fully integrated, complete, cross – platform offering. iTechnoGaming strives to be the acknowledged global leader and preferred partner in helping our clients succeed in the world’s rapidly evolving gaming markets.
PR and Marketing
Apartment 21 Charles Court Suite 57
St. Luke’s Road Pieta’ PTA 1027
+356 2133 0660


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By allowing 100% FDI in the marketplace model, this government has addressed just one pain point in the retail industry. Arvind Singhal of retail consultancy Technopak points out that contrary to the euphoria among brick and mortar retailers over the government’s latest move, there is no level playing field being created by merely allowing 100% FDI in marketplace model of e-commerce. “The brick and mortar stores are still not permitted to get foreign investment. Besides, I would say the inventory lead model should be encouraged since it helps the government’s own Make-in-India drive. This model allows etailers to take inventory risks and source private labels from small manufacturers. Typically, the inventory lead e-commerce model is a faster road to profitability”.
Anyway, what the government has done through the press note last evening is merely reiterating a long-held view, it is unlikely to open floodgates of FDI for etailers in India. The big boys are already funded through FDI – in some cases by more than 50% – so there seems to be no dearth of foreign investors, pension funds or the likes who are investing in Indian e-commerce without a care about which model it actually follows. This move may, at best, stem the rising instance of e-commerce companies shifting their base overseas for easier access to funding.
Retail trade in India is categorised variously into heads such as single or multi brand, marketplace or inventory models, wholesale cash and carry or front end. Restrictions have been placed on FDI in most cases with only 51% being allowed in single brand retail and 100% FDI allowed now allowed in B2B e-commerce and marketplace B2C. It must be noted that foreign investors seem unconcerned with the model an Indian e-commerce company is following since several estimates put the amount of FDI the big guys have attracted in the last two years through their marketplace models at $5 billion.
An official at a large e-commerce company had said earlier that though the marketplace model probably does not exist in any other country in the world, it is beneficial in India since it helps small sellers expand their geographical reach and therefore nullifies fears of kirana owners getting impacted adversely by the arrival of foreign investment in the sector. His argument: FDI should in fact not be allowed in the inventory lead model of e-commerce (where the e-commerce company owns the inventory) since then large global retail brands can distort markets through pricing power.
The move to allow 100% FDI in the marketplace model comes just when the Delhi High Court is examining a PIL which alleges FEMA violations by e-commerce sites. A probe against 21 companies is already on, on a petition filed by the All India Footwear Manufacturers and Retailers Association which alleges violation of FD rule by e-commerce companies.
Instead of getting into the marketplace versus inventory lead models, the government should just open up retail trade to FDI. Period. Besides, stipulations in the press note like capping sales on an e-commerce platform by any one vendor or its group companies is also another pain point for the industry. Specifically, this will impact Flipkart and Amazon where in-house companies WS Retail Services and Cloudtail India may be generating more than 25% of each company’s sales respectively.
Another pain point is the stipulation that warranty is to be offered by the manufacturer, not the etailing platform. Of one buys a small kitchen appliance online but wants to return it or get it serviced under warranty, one now has to contact a small shop in the country’s hinterland to get this done instead of asking a Flipkart or an Amazon for help. Obviously, the press note issued yesterday is not designed to make life any easier, either for consumers or for small sellers.
In a Press Note in March, the Government announced the following:
- 100% FDI under automatic route permitted in the “Marketplace Model of E-commerce”
- Marketplace E-commerce entity may enter into transactions with its registered sellers on B2B basis
- Marketplace E-commerce entity may provide Logistic, Warehousing , Order Fulfilment, Call centre, Payment collection and other services
- More than 25% of the total sales should not be done by one vendor or its Group Companies
- The Name, Address and Contact details of Seller should be clearly mentioned
- The Seller shall be responsible for Post Sales, Warranty and Guarantee of goods sold by it
- Marketplace E-commerce entity should not influence the Pricing of Goods sold on its Platform.


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A public service announcement for tire dealers in Florida: To avoid the following, hire smart employees. After a rash of counterfeit bucks were accepted in its stores, a discount chain in the Sunshine State began training employees to spot various denominations of phony currency. Even after all that, National Public Radio reported a clerk still took in a three-dollar bill.
``It looked so real,'' she told her superior, ``and no one said anything about taking three-dollar bills.''
The funny money reportedly had a real nice looking portrait of President Bill Clinton and bore the signature of a popular entertainer.
Hazardous road to profits
To help boost your road hazard warranty business, here's a tip from Arizona Tire Trax, the Arizona Tire Dealers & Retreaders Association newsletter:
Anytime you fix a flat, save whatever you take out of the tire. Put all those nails, screws, tacks, tools etc., into a clear container. Set it on your sales counter with a sign reading, ``ROAD HAZARDS-Things we have taken out of tires. About six months worth! Ask about our road hazard warranties.''
Baby it's cold
For some, being in the tire business is excitement enough. But skydiver Rick Wittrig-who works in Bridgestone/Firestone Inc.'s Warren County, Tenn., tire plant-is a real thrill seeker.
The Murfreesboro, Tenn., resident recently returned from an international expedition to the North Pole. He and more than 100 other skydivers dropped from a Russian cargo plane at 10,000 feet to reach the Pole, where the temperature was a ``mild'' 30 degrees below zero. Helicopters were used to extricate the group from Santa's playground.
Sick of work
Got a problem with employee absenteeism? It could be worse.
The German media reports more than 900,000 perfectly healthy German workers call in sick to their factories or offices daily. They're aided by complacent physicians who cover up for them, noted an item in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Bernhard Lutzinger is a management consultant who has studied German work practices for 20 years. His explanation? ``A lot of Germans work as little as possible; they're lazy.''
And the U.S. has a health care crisis?
Some may have feared that when former Chrysler Corp. chairman Lee Iacocca retired, pithy quotes du jour would evaporate. Fear not. His successor has stepped in to fill the void.
Robert Eaton says it's ``almost fun being the chairman of Chrysler today.'' As reported in the June Motor Service magazine, he said things were so tough for auto executives in the '70s and '80s that ``Rodney Dangerfield got more respect than we did-and, frankly, he may have deserved it....''
But things are a little brighter now. Car quality has gone up, he said, productivity has increased, Japanese market share is slipping and U.S. automakers are no longer taking customers for granted.
``Truth is, we weren't as bad as our image was a few years ago,'' Mr. Eaton added, ``and we're probably not as good today as some people seem to think.''
A mystery no more
Following the American Retreaders' Association's convention in Louisville, Ky., we wondered about who owned a Jeep Grand Cherokee we spied there with the license plate, ``RECAP.''
Thanks to Ed Miller, president of M.E. Miller Tire Co. in Wauseon, Ohio, we found it belongs to Rick Slabaugh, vice president of retreading for Bryan, Ohio-based Isaac Tire Inc., which has a retread/wholesale/retail operation there and a retread plant in Ft. Wayne, Ind.
Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. photo


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Consumers who participate in customer rewards programs believe that such programs may be rigged, according to a new survey by COLLOQUY
, a publishing, education, and market research firm specializing in loyalty marketing. Published last week, the survey found that more than two out of five (41 percent) U.S. consumers believe points, miles, and cash back programs are rigged.
Just as significant, however: The other three-fifths of Americans (59 percent) believe they are fair and honest, and three-quarters of Americans (76 percent) plan to make no changes in their level of participation in rewards programs in 2017. An equal number (12 percent) say they plan to increase or decrease their level of participation.
Also significant is what COLLOQUY found when it asked consumers whom they think benefits most from customer reward programs: Savvy shoppers (34.5 percent) topped the list, ahead of credit card companies (27 percent), brands (26.5 percent), and wealthy people (12 percent).
Finally, the survey revealed some interesting demographic gaps: Younger Millennials, aged 18 to 24 (53 percent), are more likely than older Millennials, aged 25 to 34 (37 percent), to think reward programs are rigged. Republicans (48 percent) are more likely to think so than Democrats (30 percent). And women (43 percent) are slightly more likely to think so than men (40 percent).
"In an atmosphere where venerable institutions are being questioned, it should be reassuring to marketers that nearly 60 percent of consumers believe in their programs, and that consumers identified smart shoppers as the chief beneficiaries," said COLLOQUY editor-in-chief Jeff Berry. "At the same time, the survey should remind brands that rewards must be relevant, easy to earn and redeem, and that they must uphold the value exchange."


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Microsoft is determined to boost the adoption just-unveiled Windows 10 OS as much as possible. In addition to offering a free copy of Windows 10 for the first year of availability to anyone with a Windows 8.1, Windows 8 and Windows 7 license, the company is set to bring the OS to as many current mobile devices as possible.
In a blog post by Microsoft's own Chris Weber the low-end Lumia 435 is quoted specifically to receive the OS update. The article also confirms that the midrange Lumia 735 and the top-tier Lumia 930 will join the Lumia 1520, which we all witnessed at the press conference to be the pioneer Windows 10 smartphone.
The stated model numbers are more of a representation of Microsoft's plans for Windows 10 to span the majority of the lineup, rather than an exclusive list of devices that will get it. Meaning that your precious Lumia 830 is very likely to be on that list, for example.
And also implicating that older phones may be left out. It's unclear which devices might be out of luck, but we are hoping Microsoft will shed more information about it soon.Source


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Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com information round-up… Want it by email? Sign up right here.
Out Of The Blocs
The European Parliament has voted decisively to indicator two parts of landmark legislation into regulation. The Digital Solutions Act (DSA) and the Digital Marketplaces Act (DMA) both of those control online system companies substantially more aggressively.
The DMA targets gatekeeper platforms (namely Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta), even though the DSA broadly applies to digital companies, social media and on the internet marketplaces. For example, tech corporations with suggestion solutions must disclose to users why selected written content exhibits up in their feed and also crack open the black box on how their algorithms function.
The DMA applies to corporations with an once-a-year turnover of 7.5 billion euros and/or that have a market cap of 75 billion euros – indicating very much every single big platform you know. And the fines are a doozie. The DMA phone calls for a maximum good of up to 10% of world wide system earnings. GDPR elevated eyebrows with a 4% cap.
Andreas Schwab, a European Parliament member from Germany and backer of the laws, hinted to reporters that Google or Meta will probably be the DMA’s initial targets, TechCrunch experiences. “But the crucial problem – or the much more difficult dilemma will be – what core system support will they select initially from one of these businesses?” Schwab states. “That’s, I believe, a really open query.”
Drop Until You Store
TikTok’s parent firm ByteDance is a large on-line searching hub in China, where by the application is referred to as Douyin. It tried using to convey a identical approach to the Uk and Europe very last calendar year, with ideas to develop stateside.
But the Money Times (FT) stories that TikTok has deserted its prepare for TikTok Shop, the dwell-procuring experience exactly where customers sell items and acquire a fee. The plan petered out mainly because creators dropped out. Small adoption is not a good glance. “The sector just is not there nevertheless,” one TikTok worker tells FT. “General purchaser recognition and adoption are nonetheless minimal and nascent.”
But possibly platforms ought to consider this as a sign. It’s possible that social commerce may prove to be yet one more fruitless on the internet grail quest. Although social media platforms and programmatic sellers are banking on social media-primarily based purchasing, the dilemma is: Do customers treatment?
Google has under no circumstances gotten a foothold in buying. Fb incentivizes its new Shops product or service with generous advert subsidies. Yawn. Twitter? Snapchat? Pinterest? Largely crickets. Amazon’s tried using and also cannot look to make social-design and style live-online video procuring acquire off.
TikTok was intended to exemplify the social commerce pattern, and possibly it is … as in, it is not gonna take place.
All That is Googled Is Not Gold
Rarely a 7 days just after the Supreme Courtroom overturned Roe v. Wade, Google up to date its health and fitness info privacy plan in gentle of the new standing quo.
In the coming weeks, Google will now also delete locale facts related with visits to sensitive health care appointments, which includes abortion suppliers, “soon after” they come about.
“Some clinical facilities men and women pay a visit to – like addiction treatment method services and abortion clinics – can be specifically own,” Jen Fitzpatrick, Google’s SVP of core devices and experiences, writes in a website article.
Google’s commercial site monitoring environment is now turned off by default, but the additional layer of defense will also implement to people who have opted into monitoring. In other words, the new policy are unable to be toggled off.
Locale is not the only situation, nevertheless. Privateness advocates be concerned about the stability or potential liability of details that may reveal, not verify, that somebody is seeking out abortion-connected expert services, these types of as period of time-monitoring apps. This issue is probable guiding the the latest press by quite a few Democratic lawmakers asking the FTC to regulate Apple and Google’s cell data processing far more intently, CNET reports.
Although Google doesn’t admit this go as a policy affect, it does emphasize its record of “pushing back” on legislation enforcement’s knowledge collection demands.
But Hold out, There is A lot more!
Marne Levine, Meta’s top ad profits exec, faces an uphill struggle in the write-up-Sandberg era. [The Information]
How mercenary hackers sway litigation battles. [Reuters]
Mike Shields: TV’s currency debate significantly feels like a distraction. [blog]
Time to retain the services of a chief media officer. Advertisers are insufficiently properly trained, according to ID Comms. [MediaPost]
How small-kind movie creators like TikTok stars are playing the revenue diversification extended match. [Digiday]
Havas Media Team taps Matthew Bogusz to lead development. [Campaign US]
Previous Dentsu exec Menno Kluin joins WPP’s Ogilvy as main imaginative officer in New York. [Ad Age]


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Amazon Debuts Electronics Products
Fresh off the success of the Kindle book-reading device, Amazon has introduced a new line of branded consumer electronics products. Under the title Amazon Basics, the line includes HDMI, A/V and USB cables, Ethernet cords and blank media.
The site's special section also includes help guides for various CE and home theater products.
An Amazon executive told the New York Times that he expects the offerings to expand in the future, although he doubted HDTVs or other big-ticket items would become part of the site any time soon.


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As India inc. echoes the sentiments of new business models, ecommerce industry is set to expand at a monumental scale. India’s e-commerce industry is primed to become the next big revolution with the dramatic change in the shopping trends witnessed in the recent times. Being the 11th largest economy, India has already marked its presence on the eBusiness Organization of key international markets. With 124.7 million online users currently, Indian Ecommerce market has turned out well with estimated revenues of around USD 10 billion. Flipkart, Snapdeal, Myntra etc. speak volumes about it. But the big question remains whether it‘s just a fad or is it the curtain raiser to the humongous growth awaiting in business circles.
According to the Zenov report, India’s ecommerce industry is poised to become a $125- $260 billion industry. Currently, shoppers in metropolitan India are the key drivers of the ecommerce model. The ecommerce websites cater to its consumers by selling everything from books to apparel, from electronics to grocery items. For the growing consumer base, there are numerous options popping up to choose from the various ecommerce websites. But behind the backdrop, there are ongoing battles for customer acquisition and price wars evident from the competition intensive facet of this growing segment.
Catering to Indian Consumers: Taking up a major gauntlet
Fulfilling the specific requirements of the Indian consumers has predominantly remained a task in itself for any business model. In the ecommerce context, retailers must be aware that consumers demand the return process to be seamless and convenient. The cost involved in the service is high but the retailers consider it necessary for ensuring customer trust and confidence. While such at-home pickup for returns is typical in other emerging markets, the markets tend to shift from this labor-intensive, often inconvenient process to prepaid return labels as the ecommerce ecosystem develops in the future.
Another service provided is the free door-to-door shipping which is commonplace in such markets. Online retailers have little choice but to offer the same convenience, services and low costs that their local counterparts are offering. Thus companies investing in such spaces are often skeptical of the future sustainability of such offering.
It is always presumed that the ebusinesses must offer a variety of payment options. In India, online payments present multiple hurdles. Like most emerging markets, cash on delivery, most commonly referred to as COD, is a popular option — with 23% of online shoppers in metropolitan India choosing to pay for online purchases with cash. COD becomes indispensable to target the first-time shoppers who try to conceal their information over the Internet and shoppers who don’t use widely accepted cards and banks. Myntra.com, for example, sees 60% of its transactions paid for with COD. While COD can be a great way to acquire new customers, return rates on these orders can be colossal. In India, venture capitalists report COD return rates of up to 25% in some categories. Indeed, COD return rates tend to be much higher than when a consumer pays online. Even those companies that offer a variety of localized payment methods are struck in a predicament with infrastructure crunch. Payment gateways, for example, are notorious for being inconsistent, with failure rates as high as 35% in India. However, retailers can take a series of steps to ensure that they are offering the payment types that most appeal to consumers today. By doing so, these businesses position themselves to capitalize on growing online spending as infrastructure issues are addressed.
Influencing Future growth of ecommerce in India:
- Venture Capitalist are bullish on Ecommerce growth in Indian Market
In 2011, Venture capitalists invested a whopping USD 177 million in the Indian ecommerce market to stir the future growth. The investors believe that the Indian urban consumers have surpassed the initial stages of online shopping and now find it convenient to shop online for any product which isn’t readily available in the local market. Women lingerie shopping, for example, is expected to grow in the near future where women can buy anonymously.
- Online Grocery Stores
Grocery, traditionally in India is perceived to be procured from the local kirana stores. However, an e-model that can service to such demands is no more a distant dream. It is a category that has started to venture online and is doing reasonably good in its nascent stages. Certainly, the concept is poised to grow in future. MyGrahak.com, for example, expects to have a turnover of USD 179.1 million by 2015. Although the website currently has 22,000 registered users, the sign-up rates are increasing by 25% and the firm is consistently aiming at doubling its warehouse and logistics capacity.
- Social Media- Growth in nonmetropolitan India
Ecommerce retailers are investing heavily in infrastructure to support the nonmetropolitan cities and capture the market in such cities. Online retailer Myntra.com is raking in moolah as 50% of its sales are outside India’s 10 biggest cities. To cash in the new segment these retailers are trying building warehouses outside central locations, testing various shipping options to semi-urban and rural consumers and providing options like COD.
Ecommerce is in its nascent stage and developing fast. In order to offer the best to the customers and reflect their services, the players in this industry must be aware of the following considerations:
- Ebusinesses must be willing to work with different partners
Ebusinesses will need to manage every step in business operations- from site design to fulfillment solutions to employee training. Ebusinesses trying to enter the Indian market must be aware of the need to work with a variety of partners and work through integrating multiple solutions.
- Mobile will be a part of ecommerce mix
Ecommerce businesses can take advantage of this growing trend and start offering mobile website- ensuring that it is accessible on both feature phones and smartphones
- Multibrand retailers must be ready to launch as soon as FDI norms are lifted
Like Croma (single brand), one of the largest electronics stores that moved online to sell its entire range of products, multibrand retailers who have an eye on the Indian market, can map out their potential offerings so that they can move quickly when FDI norms are relaxed.
- Move beyond English to differentiate in the long run
Ecommerce leaders should consider multilingual websites as a potential long term option for differentiating their offerings and appealing to consumers who would prefer a local language.
As Hil Davis (co-founder of the online men’s retailer J. Hilburn), rightly says
“With more and more people seeking alternatives to bricks-and-mortar retail now is the time for development of new technologies to enhance the online experience.”
With ecommerce bridging the online/offline gap, India’s potential for e-commerce is immense. Overcoming its challenges will be incredibly rewarding.
But will it really get that big?
Only time will tell.
Till then Happy e-shopping!!
(This article has been written by Leena Kalani, a first year management student at SIMSREE)


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The local government of Marikina has tapped digital financial services leader PayMaya to roll out contactless payments for real property and other business taxes within the city.
Under this partnership, residents and companies can now pay their city government fees online from the comfort of their own homes, thanks to PayMaya’s payment portal.
How to do it?
Simply log in to Marikina’s online portal, which is operated by PayMaya Checkout, and pay with any credit, debit, or prepaid card, as well as their PayMaya wallet. This project is being carried out in partnership with the Philippine Development Bank (DBP).
“Through this cashless initiative with PayMaya and DBP, we are empowering our constituents with a safer way to pay for taxes and other fees online so that they don’t have to physically go to the city hall, especially at this time. This will contribute towards safer and more efficient government transactions during this pandemic. At the same time, this will allow us to continue delivering critical services to the public,” said Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro.
“We thank Marikina City for being our partner in enabling the public sector with safer cashless payment solutions. Digital payments is a key component of the transformation of our local governments and we are excited to bring this forward with other digital financial services ecosystem initiatives,” added PayMaya Founder and CEO Orlando Vea.
Marikina City is the most recent of more than 60 national agencies and local units to adopt PayMaya’s cashless solutions, which include cashless payment acceptance and disbursement solutions.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the Social Security System (SSS), the Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the Bureau of Customs (BoC), and the Bureau of Customs (BoC) are among the national government agencies and local government units that have embraced cashless technologies driven by PayMaya’s platforms.
PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the Philippines with platforms and services that cut across consumers, merchants, communities, and government. Through its enterprise business, it is the largest digital payments processor for key industries in the country including “everyday” merchants such as the largest retail, food, gas, and eCommerce merchants as well as government agencies and units.
Through its app and wallet, PayMaya provides over 28 million Filipinos with access to financial services. Customers can conveniently pay, add money, cash out or remit through its over 200,000 digital touchpoints nationwide.


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Real estate developer DoubleDragon Properties Corp. is offering up to Php9.7 billion worth of 7-year fixed-rate retail bonds that pay an annual coupon rate of 6.0952 percent.
Proceeds from the offer will be used to finance DoubleDragon’s core real estate projects for 2017 and 2018. Among these projects include the construction of 10-13 CityMalls, its chain of community shopping centers, as well as the acquisition of 15-20 sites for future CityMall developments. The company will also use the funds for the construction of DD Meridian Park near the SM Mall of Asia and Jollibee Tower at the Ortigas central business district.
The retail bonds’ coupon rate is higher than that of the latest-issued 7-year Treasury bond, which stood at 4.5 percent according to data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. It is also much higher than interest rates of time deposits lasting over two years, which average at 2.9 percent.
However, investments in corporate retail bonds are riskier compared to bank deposits, which are insured by the government. Interested investors are encouraged to seek professional financial advice before purchasing retail bonds.
DoubleDragon is headed by Edgar “Injap” Sia II, the founder of fast-food chain Mang Inasal and the youngest Filipino dollar billionaire according to US-based publication Forbes. As of end-May, the company has opened 15 CityMalls and has acquired 41 more sites for future mall developments. It is aiming to have a network of 30 operational CityMalls by the end of the year and to expand its leasable portfolio to one million square meters by 2020.
The company’s revenues hit Php1.3 billion as of end-2016, a 66.9-percent increase from the year before. DoubleDragon was also recognized last February for its stock price rising by 2,500 percent from its listing in April 2014. According to US-based media firm Bloomberg, its rapid ascent bested 460 other Asian property companies valued at least $500 million.
Related story: Injap Sia’s DoubleDragon is Asia’s Hottest Property Stock
However, the stock fell 21.5 percent as of end-June 2017 from a year ago, one of the worst performing among listed companies owned by Philippine billionaires in the Forbes list.
Related story: How Are PH Billionaires Faring Under Duterte?
Interested investors can purchase the retail bonds for a minimum of Php50,000. Additional placements can be made in increments of Php10,000. The offer period began on July 7 and will last until July 13. The retail bonds will be issued on July 21.
This bond offering serves as the second tranche of DoubleDragon’s Php15-billion bond shelf registration. The company issued the first tranche last December, where the company sold Php5.3-billion worth of 10-year retail bonds. The first tranche of 10-year bonds paid a coupon rate of only 5.97 percent p.a. Just like the first tranche, this offering received a credit rating of PRS Aa from the Philippine Rating Services Corp., which means the company has a “strong capacity to meet its financial commitments.” Those interested are advised to read the offer supplement for more details.
BDO Capital & Investment Corp., RCBC Capital Corp. and Maybank ATR Kim Eng serve as the offer’s joint issue managers. They also serve as its joint lead underwriters and joint bookrunners together with BPI Capital Corp.
Lorenzo Kyle Subido is a staff writer of Entrepreneur PH


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Nespresso makes big sustainability commitment
In a bold claim from one of the largest names in the coffee industry, Nespresso has announced that every cup of its coffee will be carbon neutral by the year 2022.
Nespresso has pledged that every cup of its coffee, both for at-home and professional customers, will be carbon neutral in two years time.
Having already achieved carbon neutrality in its business operations since 2017, the company’s new commitment will tackle emissions that occur in its supply chain and product lifecycle.
Globally, Nespresso aims to achieve carbon neutrality through the following initiatives: the reduction of carbon emissions; the planting of trees in and around those coffee farms where Nespresso sources its coffee (known as insetting); and through investment in high-quality offsetting projects.
“Climate change is happening now, which means that we must all take responsibility and action, quickly,” said George Clooney, actor, Nespresso Global Brand Ambassador and member of the Nespresso Sustainability Advisory Board. “It’s clear that Nespresso understands this urgency and is putting our planet and people front and centre of the choices it makes.”
A multi-pronged approach to decarbonise
Decarbonising its value chain is a priority for the coffee giant, with immediate initiatives including using 100 percent renewable energy in Nespresso boutiques and more biogas in its manufacturing processes; and increasing its use of recycled plastic in Nespresso machines, as well as recycled and low-carbon virgin aluminium in capsules.
Insetting, in the form of tree planting, effectively captures carbon from the atmosphere and the resulting shade provides the best environment for growing high-yield quality coffee. The company is working alongside agroforestry partner Pur Projet to triple tree-planting capacity in Columbia, Guatemala, Ethiopia and Costa Rica.
“We’ve been proud to support Nespresso in doing this, planting millions of trees across the globe within coffee regions in Colombia, Guatemala and Ethiopia to take carbon dioxide out of the air since 2014.” said Tristan Lecomte, Founder of Pur Projet and member of the Nespresso sustainability advisory board. “We will continue working together and triple the capacity of the carbon insetting programme and regenerating the ecosystems we all depend upon.”
Finally, by investing in projects to support forest conservation and restoration, and implementing clean energy solutions in farming communities, these offsetting projects are projected to secure their ultimate goal of carbon neutrality.
“Climate change is a reality and our future depends on going further and faster on our sustainability commitments. That is why we are accelerating our commitments to offer our consumers a way to drink a carbon-neutral cup of coffee by 2022. A coffee, made from the finest and rarest beans, sustainably sourced. I truly believe that both our business and the coffee industry can be a force for good in the world by tackling this pressing issue,” said Guillaume Le Cunff, CEO of Nespresso.
Reducing carbon in the UK
Nespresso is analysing its carbon emissions across the whole of the UK & ROI business, the results of which will guide its current and future investment in green solutions.
Today, Nespresso’s offices in Gatwick and York are powered by 100% renewable energy, as well as all boutiques where the energy supply is managed by Nespresso. The company has also introduced paperless boutiques and installed meters to better monitor, manage and reduce energy usage.
The company has also been at the forefront of capsule recycling, recently celebrating the 10th anniversary of its dedicated recycling scheme in the UK.


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OLDSMAR — Within a few months, city residents should be able to recycle more items more conveniently.
At last week's City Council meeting, Oldsmar leaders approved changes to an agreement with the company that collects trash for the city, allowing it to take over recycling pickups by January.
Currently, the city handles recycling. Each household organizes a limited selection of recyclable items into an 18-gallon bin. They're asked to put paper products on the bottom, cans on one side and plastic bottles on the other. A city worker sorts and collects items at the curb on collection day.
In a few months, the new system, called "single-stream" recycling, will kick in and Republic Services of Florida will be in charge. Residents will be able toss a larger variety of recyclable items into a 64-gallon wheeled cart. And they won't have to worry about what goes where.
Instead of a person emptying the bin, a robotic arm will hoist the recycling carts and dump the contents into a Republic truck, which will transport items to Republic's facility in Polk County, where items will be sorted.
The new arrangement will make it easier on residents and the city, said assistant public works director Bob Cyr.
"We're really looking forward to it," Cyr said. "With the new system, I'm sure we're going to have greater participation, which is certainly going to help the environment by getting those materials out of the landfill."
Now between 35 and 40 percent of households participate.
"I'm hoping we're going to get over the 50 percent mark," Cyr said.
Republic will keep the proceeds from recyclables, but the city may save money because costs will likely go down, Cyr said.
"Every ton we remove from the waste stream we save $37.50," he said.
At last week's city meeting, council member Linda Norris, an avid recycler, excitedly rattled off the items that residents would be able to recycle — basically, everything the city now allows, plus corrugated cardboard and glass. They'll also be able to recycle more types of plastic, and certain plastic foams, according to Randy Canal, business unit manager for Republic Services of Florida.
The city and Republic are planning a campaign to educate residents about all of the specifics.
Within a year, the city also expects to transition to a similar automated trash pickup system, with wheeled carts. Now, residents bring their own plastic bags and trash containers to the curb on collection days.
The city's previous contract with Republic was extended through September 2017. Residential rates for recycling, which are $2.10 a month, will stay the same. And trash collection charges will remain the same through October 2015.
Lorri Helfand can be reached at [email protected] or (727) 445-4155.


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Netflix says it has fixed the problem that caused a major outage - dofaq.co
CNBC - 12 Jun 2018 Netflix says it has fixed the problem that caused a major outage
Netflix went down for users across the world late on Monday but the streaming giant said that it has now resolved the issue. The U.S. company said in a tweet that it was aware of subscribers having issues streaming content across a number of devices ...
Vulture - 19 Jun 2019 David Harbour to Star in a Spooky Mockumentary Netflix Special
David Harbour will star in a mockumentary comedy special for Netflix called “Frankenstein's Monster's Monster, Frankenstein,” which is written by John ...
Showbiz Cheat Sheet - 19 Jun 2019 Netflix's 'Tales of the City' Review: A Walk Down Barbary Lane
A review of the Netflix limited series 'Tales of the City' starring Ellen Page, Laura Linney, and Olympia Dukakis.
Polygon - 19 Jun 2019 Every movie and show coming to Netflix in July
What's new on Netflix in July? A full slate of Netflix Original series and films, most notably Stranger Things 3 and the fourth season of Queer Eye. The platform ...
GoodHousekeeping.com - 19 Jun 2019 20 Best Netflix Horror Movies - Horror Movies on Netflix to Stream
You can prepare for blood, guts, gore, and lots and lots of screaming in the best Netflix horror movies.
Tom's Guide - 19 Jun 2019 Netflix’s 2019 TV Recommendations Are In, and LG Is Missing
Samsung and Sony big-screens reign supreme, but was LG snubbed?
Variety - 19 Jun 2019 Janet Mock Signs Landmark Overall Netflix Deal (EXCLUSIVE)
Janet Mock is making history. The “Pose” director, producer and writer has signed a sweeping deal at Netflix, making her the first out transgender woman ...
Thrillist - 19 Jun 2019 Netflix's 'Leila' Never Becomes the Sharp Political Dystopian Series It Wants to Be
Netflix's Hindu-language series 'Leila' doesn't go far enough with its real-world analog.
BGR - 19 Jun 2019 Netflix in July 2019: Everything new coming next month, and everything leaving
As impressive as Netflix's June release schedule was, many of us have still been counting down the hours until the next installment of Stranger Things finally hits ...
HuffPost - 19 Jun 2019 The 10 Weirdest Things Hiding On Netflix
Netflix has all sorts of oddities that you can find if you know where to look. Many of these essentially “secret” Netflix shows don't show up on its internal search.
Variety - 12 Jun 2019 Netflix Shareholders Say No to Executive Salaries, Stock Options
Netflix shareholders aren't okay with the amount of money the company is spending on its senior executives: A slim majority of shareholders voted down the ...
SYFY WIRE - 18 Jun 2019 Jessica Jones showrunner breaks down original S3 ending before show was axed
According to showrunner Melissa Rosenberg, Jessica Jones' original Season 3 ending had to be tweaked after the show's cancellation by Netflix.
What's on Netflix - 19 Jun 2019 What's New on Netflix: June 19th, 2019
Welcome back to your daily recap of what's new on Netflix and today, we're taking a look at every that came to Netflix today and what's left Netflix today too.
Vulture - 17 Jun 2019 Marvel on Netflix: What Went Wrong?
There was a brief, shining moment when it seemed like this whole Marvel–Netflix thing was gonna work out just fine. I can tell you exactly when that moment ...
BGR - 19 Jun 2019 How to delete your Netflix viewing history so you can hide your guilty pleasures
You and your date finish eating a wonderful meal together, and you share the cleanup so that you can get done quicker. As he or she works on rinsing off the last ...
Decider - 19 Jun 2019 Is 'Toy Story' on Netflix?
Hey millennials, it's almost time to relive our childhoods… again! The fourth Toy Story film releases nationwide on June 21, meaning that everyone's favorite ...
The A.V. Club - 19 Jun 2019 Looks like Christmas came early because Netflix just renewed I Think You Should Leave
Doff a Stanzo brand fedora in the direction of Tim Robinson because Netflix just renewed his incredible sketch comedy show I Think You Should Leave for a ...
7NEWS - 22 May 2019 Optus outage continues: Netflix down, telco admits 'overseas services' affected
The telco insists the network was fixed on Wednesday night but customers say they are still without *service*.
What's on Netflix - 19 Jun 2019 Trinkets Season 2: Netflix Renewal Status & Release Date
After a suspenseful end to the first season of Trinkets, it's easy to why fans are demanding a second season. The teen-drama has already earned a whole host of ...
HuffPost - 18 Jun 2019 'Queer Eye' Renewed For Seasons 4 And 5 On Netflix
The Fab Five of “Queer Eye” might be basking in the glow of music video stardom thanks to an assist from Taylor Swift, but they aren't giving up their day jobs ...


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With data and its use across science a growing topic, the ACS Fall 2023: Harnessing the Power of Data meeting, held in San Francisco, US this week, used its plenary session to look at the opportunities and challenges around AI and machine learning in the field of chemistry.
These techniques mean that many conventional experiments or computational chemistry calculations that would have taken weeks can now be achieved in hours or seconds. However, as Heather Kulik, Associate Professor Chemical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology explained; challenges remain, from how we trust the underlying theory/experiment on which a model is trained, to where the experts fall in the process to ensure that AI models can act synergistically. These questions, and more, will be addressed at SCI's forthcoming event, Data Digitalisation and AI - what can digital do for me?
3D printed vegan calamari is on the menu
Chemistry and its use in developing innovative products were evident across the event, not least in work presented by researchers from National University of Singapore, who proposed 3D printed vegan seafood that ‘tastes good while maintaining the health benefits of real fish’.
Looking at the problem of limited seafood resources, along with heavy metal and microplastic contamination, efforts to develop plant-derived seafoods have been pursued for some time. However these products, the researchers say, do not have the nutritional content or indeed the flavours associated with seafood.
The researchers used legume protein to develop improved seafood alternatives and then replicated the flakiness associated with real fish by 3D printing a protein-based ink with a food-grade 3D printer. Depositing the edible ink layer-by-layer created different textures, some fatty and smooth, and others chewy and fibrous, in a single product.
‘We printed salmon fillets with protein from red lentils because of the protein’s colour, and we’ve printed shrimp,’ said Professor Dejian Huang, lead researcher on the project. ‘Now we want to print something else interesting with the potential for commercialisation – calamari rings.’
The team has extracted microalgae and legume proteins in the lab and combined them with plant-based oils containing omega-3 fatty acids. The nutritional profile of the high-protein vegan paste was similar to that of calamari rings. The team is optimising their product before consumer testing.
Ain’t no flies on this plastic bag
Looking for alternative feedstock to create biodegradable plastics, a team led by Karen Wooley, Distinguished Professor Texas A&M University is using the carcases of black soldier flies, farmed for their high protein larvae, as a starting point for new material.
Black soldier flies are a good source of chemicals to make bioplastics. Credit: Cassidy Tibbetts
Using a range of techniques the researchers have extracted and purified the natural polymer that gives strength to the exoskeletons of insects – chitin – from the flies. The powder derived from the flies also has the possibility of avoiding concerns linked with allergies related to chitin derived from sea food sources, the researchers added.
Further research has led to the development of a hydrogel, derived from chitin, which can absorb 47 times its weight in water in just one minute. This could have application in cropland soils to capture flood water then slowly release moisture during subsequent droughts.
‘Ultimately we’d like the insects to eat the waste plastics as their food source, and then we would harvest them again and collect their components to make new plastics,’ said Professor Wooley.
The team is now looking at breaking down the chitin into monomeric glucosamines, which will be used to make bioplastics such as polycarbonates or polyurethanes. Black soldier flies also contain other useful compounds that the researchers plan to use as feedstock including DNA and fatty acids.
In the forthcoming issue of C&I, we’ll be looking in depth at more of the key developments presented at the landmark meeting, including an exclusive article from keynote speaker Jeremy Frey, who will be speaking at SCI's forthcoming event, Data Digitalisation and AI - what can digital do for me?
SCI members get full access to our magazine, alongside a raft of other benefits.


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Who knew it costs $31 a year to run your electric stove?
Deep frying turkeys is becoming a time-honored Texas tradition, especially when firefighters are called to the scene when the cookers catch on fire. But that's not how most consumers cook their Thanksgiving meal, according to the government.
Most folks use electricity to roast their turkeys, cook their green bean casseroles and bake their pies, along with the other meals they serve the rest of the year, according to the Energy Department. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. households use electricity in a stove, cook-top or oven. One-third use natural gas.
While the cooking methods vary, the cost is similar. Consumers pay about $31 each year to cook with electricity, compared with $34 to cook with gas, according to the Energy Department.
And to store all those leftovers? It costs an average of $81 to run a refrigerator for a year. A second refrigerator costs $61 to operate because they're typically smaller than a family's primary refrigerator and are often unplugged when they're not needed.
How about heating up all those leftovers? It costs $17 to operate the average microwave oven each year. Ninety-six percent of households own microwave ovens and nearly everyone uses them at least once a week.


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New tech platform directly links coffee producers and roasters
Ayane Yamada, one of Typica's founders
Global venture Typica, founded by Ayane Yamada and Masashi Goto, strives for transparency in the distribution of green coffees. Typica’s online platform will allow coffee producers and coffee roasters in the UK to directly trade coffee from a single jute bag (60kg).
Within a year of the launch of Typica, it has grown into a network of more than 2,000 producers and roasters from 12 countries. In Japan, with an earlier launch in April 2021, it has already seen more than 800 roasters who are registered and using the platform. Through Typica, we deliver in-season coffee directly from the producers to the roasters.
Previously, green coffee trading was only possible from a container shipment (18t). Typica makes direct trading of green coffee possible from a single jute bag (60kg). By adding an option to trade in smaller quantities, the company was able to create a community of producers and roasters and it is through this community that the company says it will transform the coffee industry into an industry where “100% direct trade” is possible for anyone.
The goal for 2025 is for Typica to grow the coffee community into more than 5,000 producers across 70 countries worldwide and within the first year we plan to exceed 3,000 producers and roasters in 59 countries. This October sees the global expansion of the distribution to 38 countries in total such as the Netherlands, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Norway, South Korea and Taiwan.
Typica’s objective is to empower the individuals in the coffee industry, to increase sustainability of high-quality coffee production, and to drastically improve the experience of coffee lovers by rejuvenating the worldwide coffee community of producers and roasters.
For producers, Typica created a system where small-scale coffee producers, especially family-run businesses, are able to participate in direct trade. As a result, these producers can set their own prices without being affected by the volatile fluctuations of the international market.
For roasters, Typica aims to provide “100% direct trade” coffee. Conventional direct trade, which uses 18t as a unit of trading, makes it extremely difficult to trade directly, even for large-scale roasters. For small and medium-sized roasters, direct trading was a challenge because of trading quantity and high financial costs. In many cases, there were no alternative options, but to depend on trading companies for all aspects of trading – from inventory checks to purchases.
In addition to changing the unit of trading from 18t to 60kg, Typica provides supply chain and price breakdowns for all distributed lots to ensure and emphasise transparency. Typica also supports producers and roasters to create a “face-to-face relationship” to foster mutual understanding and to improve communication.
Typica founder, Ayane Yamada, commented: “I feel that many people in the coffee industry share the desire to build stronger relationships with coffee producers and to improve sustainability for delicious coffee. Typica removes these barriers and makes direct trade possible for all roasters and producers. This platform embodies what I yearned for in sourcing green coffee during my years as a roaster. I feel incredibly happy that many roasters have chosen to join our community through our global launch and I look forward to building the future of coffee together.”
Furthermore, Typica believes that if we, as a whole community, actively share the knowledge and experiences of improving high-quality coffee production, we can greatly increase the quality of coffee distributed worldwide.
Typica founder, Masashi Goto, added: “Two billion cups of coffee are consumed every day around the world, which makes coffee the second most traded international goods after oil. I decided to establish TYPICA because I felt that two billion cups of consumer behavior shows the potential that coffee has in bringing happiness to people worldwide.
“Typica provides roasters around the world an opportunity to use coffee that is “100% direct trade.” In a world where more than 3.5 billion people are connected on the internet, there is an increasing opportunity for coffee producers to distribute as direct trade. Providing the infrastructure to more than 20 million coffee producers (around 100 million including their families), can change their lifestyle and their lives.
“I believe that by increasing directly traded green coffee, we can simultaneously improve the quality of life for producers, roasters and consumers as well as increase sustainability of our world. It is for the pursuit of this belief that I will continue to develop a platform where participation for all coffee lovers is possible.”
For more information about the launch of Typica, visit: global.typica.jp/event2021.


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IBM, Compuware Extend $400M settlement
IBM has already paid Compuware $20 million, and under the new agreement will pay annual installments of $30 million until 2010, giving IBM an extra year to pay the total sum. The original agreement stipulated a four-year payment plan.
Compuware will also have...
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Retail sales volumes are down about 5% for the year through June, according to survey data from the latest Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Distributive Trades Survey released Thursday (June 23) – and it looks like more bad news is coming for July.
June marks the third straight month during which volumes have stalled, the CBI said in a press release, and retailers expect the results a month from now to show flat sales volumes through July. For the month, sales were down 19% after being flat in May, and they are expected to be well below normal in July, with a projection for a 25% sales volume drop from typical levels in the survey results.
Retailers had stock levels that were “too high” in June at 12%, up slightly from 11% in May but below the long-term average of 17%, according to the release. There’s no end in sight to the excess stock levels, with projections for July in the 12% range.
Year-over-year retailers’ orders with their suppliers fell 8% in June, compared to a 2% increase last year, the release stated. This marks the fourth straight month of flat or falling order levels, and the expectation is July will make it five consecutive months with projections for a 10% dip. Wholesale growth went from 30% last June to 4% this June.
“Retail volumes are struggling as high inflation eats away at consumers’ budgets,” said CBI Lead Economist Ben Jones in the release. “The squeeze on household incomes appears to have offset any boost to activity from the extended Platinum Jubilee bank holiday earlier this month.
“There are also clearer signs that a downturn in consumer spending is beginning to ripple out across the wider distribution sector, with wholesalers seeing a 14-month period of robust sales growth come to a grinding halt this month,” he added in the release.
Jones called on the government to help save the British economy.
“Creating a permanent investment incentive and tackling skills shortages by introducing immediate flexibility to the apprenticeship levy would be strong first steps for boosting confidence,” he said in the release.
In the US, meanwhile, there’s a high likelihood that the “unacceptably high” prices of recent months won’t recede in 2022, according to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
Read more: Yellen Expects Inflation Through 2022, Economic Slowdown


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- Alphabet stock surged as much as 9% since it made several AI announcements at its I/O conference on Wednesday.
- The company unveiled “AI Snapshot” for Google Search and said it’s incorporating generative AI capabilities across its product suite.
- “With generative AI we are taking the next step… we are reimagining all our core products, including search,” CEO Sundar Pichai said.
Alphabet stock surged 4% on Wednesday and another 5% on Thursday after the company made several artificial intelligence announcements at its I/O developer conference.
The two-day rally has added $131 billion to Alphabet’s market value and helped reignite excitement for the company’s foray into AI. The stock is now trading at its highest level since August 2022.
The positive reaction this week was the opposite of what happened to Alphabet stock after its initial AI announcement a few months ago when it unveiled “Bard,” a competitor to ChatGPT. The stock fell 9% in a single day after one of Bard’s responses during a demo was inaccurate.
“With generative AI we are taking the next step. With a bold and responsible approach, we are reimagining all our core products, including search,” Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said at Wednesday’s conference.
The company announced “AI Snapshot,” which integrates generative AI results directly on top of Google’s search results. Microsoft’s Bing Search has taken a similar approach, in which search query results show both an AI section as well as traditional search results on the same page.
Alphabet also announced a new large language model, called PaLM 2, which is powering 25 new products and features that the company is rolling out. The new model can write code and currently supports more than 100 languages.
Other product announcements from Alphabet included an image search feature to identify AI-generated images, AI-related updates to Google Maps, a foldable Pixel phone, and a new smart watch operating system, among other products.


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In May, Mark Dwight, founder and chief executive officer of Rickshaw Bagworks, a messenger and laptop bag, sack and sleeve manufacturer on 22nd Street, launched the Dogpatch Business Association (DBA), a nonprofit collection of enterprises located in Dogpatch and Pier 70. DBA will serve as a networking platform for companies, promote neighborhood businesses, and represent the collective interests of the commercial sector in interactions with City government, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and other neighborhood business and merchant associations.
Dwight is recruiting businesses within the boundaries of Mariposa Street to the north, Cesar Chavez Street to the south, Pennsylvania Street to the west, and Pier 70 to the east. Dogpatch companies have historically been able to join the Potrero Dogpatch Merchants Association (PDMA), an alliance of establishments located in Dogpatch and Potrero Hill.
According to Dwight, Dogpatch has gained enough businesses with unique concerns to merit a separate organization. “Dogpatch has been sort of underrepresented in PDMA. I saw an opportunity that we had achieved critical mass. I really feel the time is right to have our own business association down in the flats,” he said.
Keith Goldstein, PDMA president, said he thought the split was a natural progression for Dogpatch. “There’s so many businesses opening up there. For years, PDMA was just the Potrero Hill Merchants Association. About eight or nine years ago, we changed our name to include Dogpatch. Now they have their own designation and rightfully so,” said Goldstein.
Dwight serves on the San Francisco Chamber’s board of directors. He’s president of the San Francisco Small Business Commission, which consists of seven people, four appointed by the Mayor and three by the Board of Supervisors, which oversees the City’s Office of Small Business (OSB), an information and referral source for companies. Dwight said Dogpatch isn’t a standard neighborhood to represent, lacking a main retail corridor or substantial street parking to accommodate customers.
DBA membership is open to all businesses, not only retailers, including firms that don’t have a storefront, such as biotech companies. “Traditionally, small businesses are locally-owned and independent,” said Dwight. “They are deeply rooted in the community in which they exist. Companies like biotech firms are often less deeply rooted and need to be flexible and nimble. We have totally different modes of operation and very different interests. To the extent that a venture-backed company wants to be part of the community for as long as they’re here, that’s great. We want to make membership easy.”
Dwight said whether or not a fee will be charged to join the association hasn’t been decided, but is likely. DBA is currently establishing a board of directors.
Michelle Pusateri, owner and manager of Nana Joes Granola, located on Third Street, said she feels DBA is needed because Dogpatch has grown a great deal. “I want to volunteer and be a part of this association,” said Pusateri. She wants DBA to address parking and public transportation concerns. “Dogpatch is a hard neighborhood to get to via public transportation. I have an employee who comes in from Daly City and it takes her one and a half hours, as much time as it takes another one of my employees from Vacaville,” she said.
Carl Sutton, founder of Sutton Cellars, located on 22nd Street, also wants to join DBA. “The validity of this neighborhood association is we’ll all be people trying to promote each other,” he said. “We have a lot of people that make stuff but don’t have a retail face. With places like the biotech incubator, it brings 100 people to the neighborhood, and maybe 100 more will visit. Right now it’s word of mouth. I’d like to see a map of businesses and an app that keeps up with changes and businesses’ hours,” said Sutton. One of his concerns is that mixed use spaces on the ground floors of residential buildings will be leased or purchased by chain stores. “These are businesses that will change the feel of the neighborhood. One of the things that’s unique about Dogpatch is the amount of owner-operated businesses. It adds to the flavor and appeal of the neighborhood,” he said.
Eddie Gobbo, cofounder and brewmaster of Harmonic Brewing, located on 26th Street, is also interested in joining DBA. “We, along with a lot of other neighbors, want to maintain the feel of this neighborhood, which is industrial. I think everyone wants to see this neighborhood develop. The effort regarding Dogpatch comes out of a lot of thought and concern,” said Gobbo.
According to Dwight, interested parties can register for membership at dbasf.com. He intends to invite retailers to join the association by going door to door and introducing himself, particularly in large buildings, such as the American Industrial Center on Third Street. “At this point, it’s all volunteer. Many of the people that will probably be in the DBA will be in the Dogpatch Neighborhood Association as well. We’re all in the neighborhood and we all know each other,” he said.


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Unique International Graphic Design Contest Offers Job, Flight tickets and Cash!
The goal of this unique international design contest, Rising Star, is launching the career of the most talented young graphic designers with a chance to win a 6 months internship at a top 10 Agency.
Graphic Designers and students are invited to create and submit any fictional brand and corporate identity on the www.openbrand.com/risingstar microsite and gallery. The 20 designers with the most public "likes" will win certificates and a host of prizes like design software, Adobe plugins from MadebySource.com, life-time OpenBrand Pro accounts, and more.
This year, the winner will have a job at Leo Burnett in Prague for six months, along with approx. $4,500 in total “pocket money” and return air tickets to Prague. Leo Burnett continues to be ranked as one of the world’s top five creatively awarded networks worldwide.
“There are lots of hugely talented students who'd love to get some recognition, especially in the advertising world”, says Martin Klco, Managing Director of Leo Burnett Prague, the agency hosting this year’s competition. “It's time to shed some light on them and maybe even fast-track their careers,” he adds.
OpenBrand.com , a cloud-based, design and marketing platform, created the contest to help highlight the works of young graphic designers and they've made it easy for competitors to enter and submit designs.
“For the contestants, and we have invited the world's top 25 Design schools to participate, we have these cool tools that require no school, like a mock-up building engine to turn their logo into a t-shirt, business card or decal on an airplane in seconds”, says Tim Addison, Marketing Director of OpenBrand. “They’ll be able to focus on the creative and just use us to show off their work quickly and with minimal effort,” he adds.
Deadline for 1st round submissions is May 12th, 2014. The final winner will be decided and announced June 2nd by both the public and an expert jury - Martin Klco, Managing Director of Leo Burnett Prague, Martin Pasecky, Creative Director, Tim Addison of OpenBrand and others.
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Leo Burnett has won more advertising awards for campaign effectiveness than any other agency in the last six years in the U.S. Continues to be ranked as one of the world’s top five creatively awarded networks worldwide. Founded in Chicago in 1935, Leo Burnett Worldwide is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paris-based Publicis Groupe S.A. with 95 offices in 84 countries and more than 8,500 employees.
OpenBrand is a brand-box: a home for your logos, designs, and other creative stuff. It was just announced to be now free up to 1 gig.
A client/designer collaborative space that saves time and prevents mistakes. A fresh new platform helping designers, agencies and their clients work together. With cool tools like mock-up building rendering engine that will help show off work with minimal effort. www.OpenBrand.com
The Canadian Association of Registered Graphic Designers
The University of the Arts London
Design Council UK
Marketing Director OpenBrand
+420 724 333 191


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Bahrain WTC, Gulf Media in key deal
Manama, January 24, 2010
The Bahrain World Trade Center (BWTC) said it has signed a partnership agreement with Gulf Media International (GMI) to manage all advertising and promotional opportunities within the BWTC and Moda Mall premises.
The joint venture partnership deal was signed by BWTC management and Fathi Faraj Al Mohamed, managing director of GMI at recent ceremony held in Manama.
This joint venture allows BWTC to bring the very best in glitz and glamour to the island as they invite the most prestigious brand names in the fashion world, housed within Moda Mall, to advertise their brands inside and outside BWTC and the exclusive shopping centre, Al Mohamed said.
'GMI is delighted to be working hand in hand with Bahrain’s most iconic building to provide a collection of the most exclusive advertising and promotional opportunities on the island,' he noted.
'Everyone in Bahrain drives past the BWTC regularly, and it’s a unique venue for Bahrain’s organisations to advertise! Our joint experience of high-end retailing and strategic communications will be a winning combination and we look forward to a long and successful partnership,' Al Mohamed added.
GMI is a Bahrain-based organisation and has been operating since 1977 with operations spread all over the Gulf region and beyond.
Their knowledge and experience of the local market is extensive and will provide advertisers with the very best consultation when it comes to communicating with their customers.
Now based in Moda Mall, GMI will be available to provide the best possible advice to all advertisers on the leasing of promotional areas and the selling of advertising, said Al Mohamed.-TradeArabia News Service


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CARACAS, Venezuela — Pity the bolívar, Venezuela’s currency, named after its independence hero, Simón Bolívar. Even some thieves do not want it anymore.
When robbers carjacked Pedro Venero, an engineer, earlier this year, he expected they would drive him to his bank to cash his check for a hefty sum in bolívars — the sort of thing that crime-weary Venezuelans have long since gotten used to. But the robbers, armed with rifles and a grenade, and sure that he would have a stash of dollars at home, wanted nothing to do with the bolívars in his bank account.
“They told me straight up, ‘Don’t worry about that,’ ” Mr. Venero said. “Forget about it.”
The eagerness to dump bolívars or avoid them completely shows the extent to which Venezuelans have lost faith in their economy and in the ability of their government to find a way out of the mess.
A year ago, $1 bought about 100 bolívars on the black market. These days, it often fetches more than 700 bolívars, a sign of how thoroughly domestic confidence in the economy has crashed.
The International Monetary Fund has predicted that inflation in Venezuela will hit 159 percent this year (though President Nicolás Maduro has said it will be half that), and that the economy will shrink 10 percent, the worst projected performance in the world (though there was no estimate for war-torn Syria).
That would be a disastrous drive off the cliff for a country that sits on the world’s largest estimated oil reserves and has long considered itself rich in contrast to many of its neighbors.
Yet the real story goes beyond numbers, revealed in the absurdities of life in a country where the government has refused for months to release basic economic data like the inflation rate or the gross domestic product.
Even as the country’s income has shrunk with the collapsing price of oil — Venezuela’s only significant export — and the black market for dollars has soared, the government has insisted on keeping the country’s principal exchange rate frozen at 6.3 bolívars to the dollar.
That astonishing disparity makes for a sticker-shock economy in which it can be hard to be sure what anything is really worth, and in which the black-market dollar increasingly dictates prices.
A movie ticket costs about 380 bolívars. Calculated at the government rate, that is $60. At the black-market rate, it is just 54 cents. Want a large popcorn and soda with that? Depending on how you calculate it, that is either $1.15 or $128.
The minimum wage is 7,421 bolívars a month. That is either a decent $1,178 a month or a miserable $10.60.
Either way, it does not go far enough. According to the Center for Documentation and Social Analysis of the Venezuelan Federation of Teachers, a month’s worth of food for a family of five cost 50,625 bolívars in August, more than six times the minimum monthly wage and more than three times what it cost in the same month a year earlier.
Dinner for two at one of this city’s better restaurants can cost 30,000 bolívars. That is $42.85 at the black-market rate or $4,762 at the official exchange rate.
Inflation has gotten so bad that auto insurance companies have threatened to issue policies that expire after six months, to minimize the risk from the soaring cost of car parts.
A gallon of white paint cost almost 6,000 bolívars on a recent Tuesday. At the same store on the following Friday, it cost more than 12,000 bolívars.
With crucial legislative elections scheduled in December, the government has begun to make refrigerators, air-conditioners and household appliances available to government workers and the party faithful at rock-bottom prices. One government worker said he had bought a Chinese-made 48-inch plasma television for 11,000 bolívars, or just $15.71 at the black-market exchange rate.
Mr. Maduro blames an “economic war” waged by his enemies, foreign and domestic, for the problems. But most economists say the problems are caused by the fall in oil prices and the government’s policies, including strict controls on prices and foreign exchange for imports.
As the crisis has unfolded, Mr. Maduro has hesitated to make changes even top officials say are needed, like raising the price of gasoline, which is so heavily subsidized that it is virtually free — perhaps because he is fearful of a backlash before the elections.
Things get stranger by the day.
Need a new car battery? Bring a pillow, because you will have to sleep overnight in your car outside the shop. On a recent night, more than 80 cars were lined up.
Want a new career? Plenty of Venezuelans have quit their jobs to sell basic goods like disposable diapers or corn flour on the black market, tripling or quadrupling their salary in the process.
Need cash? O.K., but not too much. Some A.T.M.s limit withdrawals to the black-market equivalent of about 50 cents.
Given the chronic shortages of basic goods, supermarkets and pharmacies fill long rows of shelves with a single product. One store recently had both sides of an aisle lined with packages of salt. Another did the same thing with vinegar. A pharmacy had row after row of cotton swabs.
But among all the shortages here, one of the most notable is a shortage of paper money, especially the coffee-colored 100-bolívar notes that are the largest in general circulation (black-market value, about 14 cents) and feature a portrait of Simón Bolívar.
“You want to understand why there’s a lot of money and there’s no money?” Ruth de Krivoy, a former Central Bank president, asked with a rueful laugh. She said the main problem was that the government had failed to respond to rapidly rising prices by issuing larger-denomination bills, like a 1,000- or 10,000-bolívar note. So people need many more bills to buy the same goods they bought a year ago.
Also, as people resort to the black market to buy more goods that cannot be found in stores, transactions that could once be made with debit or credit cards are now conducted with cash. That creates logistical problems, as banks must move around huge amounts of paper money and A.T.M.s empty out more quickly.
Mr. Maduro is certainly aware of the symbolic impact of issuing larger bills with more zeros — and the inevitable comparison it would strike with his predecessor and mentor, Hugo Chávez. In 2008, Mr. Chávez issued new bills and knocked off three zeros from a currency that had long suffered from devaluation and inflation, renaming it the strong bolívar.
Today, the bolívar is anything but strong.
The other day, Jaime Bello, an airline mechanic, visited his bank, the government-run Banco del Tesoro, only to find that its three cash machines were out of money. He recalled an earlier visit when he went to withdraw 2,000 bolívars and stood listening to the whirring sound as the machine spit out a great stack of 5-bolívar notes, each worth less than an American penny. He pulled out the stack of 200 bills and then waited while the machine counted out 200 more.
“It’s crazy,” he said. “We’re living a nightmare. There’s nothing to buy, and the money isn’t worth anything.”
The crisis has also meant opportunity for those willing to stand in long lines to buy cheap government-regulated goods that they can resell at a profit.
“I said to myself, ‘I can make more doing this,’ and I quit my job at the hair salon,” said Geraldine Cassiani, who left her job as a manicurist in February for a career on the black market. She said she now earned four to five times what she had before.
On a recent trip to the supermarket, she used contacts at the store to skip the line outside and bought four packages of disposable diapers, even though shoppers were limited to two each. Ms. Cassiani already had a “client” lined up to buy the diapers for almost three times what she paid: a nurse who could not take time off to stand in line.
Mr. Maduro regularly goes on television to denounce black marketeers and to blame them for shortages and high prices.
“Partly, I think that what I’m doing is bad,” Ms. Cassiani said, adding that she raised prices less than some black marketeers. A single mother, she said she had to provide for her child.
“Necessity has a dog’s face,” she said.


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Bid farewell to those bell bottom jeans with op shop week
A spring clean can be therapeutic, refreshing and eye-opening. With September 1st fast approaching, this week's National Op Shop week is the perfect time for a hoarding-of-unused-items intervention.
"I think we're attached to the jeans that we used to fit into," Jon Dee, Founder of National Op Shop Week says.
"That's certainly my problem."
He says this week it's time to get rid of clothes we simply don't wear anymore.
Apparently, the case of neglected clothing is quite a common one.
According to Jon Dee, 52% of women have clothes that they have never worn (tag still on); while 83% have clothes they had only worn once or twice.
"We are very much hoping that the billions of dollars of clothing lying there unworn in our wardrobes will this week...[be] getting down to their local op shops," he says.
Finding a local op shop shouldn't be too hard with the abundance of stores across the country.
There are nearly 3000 charity op shops run by 70, 000 volunteers.
Preloved (or pre-unloved) items donated this week will be adding to the 300, 000 tonnes of household goods and clothing already in stores.
Despite that large figure, Jon says many op shops are running short of good quality clothing.
"Unfortunately, charity op shops are spending millions of dollars a year paying landfill fees for the rubbish that's been dumped around their bins.
"Please only give good quality material to op shops.
"It's really important that we give the best quality we can because that's the easiest to sell."
Jon is urging people to remember how donating your goods and buying from charity op shops can give back to the community.
"[Charities] are helping people who are doing it really tough and a lot of those funds are coming from charity op shops.
"When you have that spring clean in your wardrobe, please get it down to your local op shop because you will make a difference."


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Single use plastic is still too often an unavoidable part of our everyday lives, despite huge public concern over the impact of plastic on our wildlife, and moves to ditch items such as straws, bags and coffee cups.
The #DrasticOnPlastic Timer Challenge, which is organised by Friends of the Earth, will give people the chance to see how long they can go without encountering unwanted plastic – and shine a spotlight on just how much of our lives comes coated in plastic.
Taking part is simple. Start the timer on your phone and leave it running until you use your first bit of single use plastic – such as plastic wrapped food, plastic drinks container or bag. Then hit the stop button.
Register on the #DrasticOnPlastic web page: foe.uk/0702-timer-challenge (or via the Friends of the Earth website) – and you will be sent information on the plastic item that ended your challenge. This will help Friends of the Earth to build a picture of where action on alternatives is still needed.
Friends of the Earth is calling on the public to back its campaign for new legislation to require tougher government action on single use plastic and other sources of plastic pollution.
Friends of the Earth’s plastic free campaigner Julian Kirby said: ‘Lots of companies have made proud claims about reducing plastic – but just how easy is it to avoid plastic bags, cups, bottles and packaging in our everyday lives?
‘Take the plastic challenge and find out how long you can go before you have to use an item of throwaway plastic.
‘And by letting us know which bit of unwanted plastic ended your challenge, it will help us put pressure on retailers and manufacturers to reduce the waves of pointless plastic pollution that blights our environment and harms our wildlife.
‘It is time for the government to get drastic on plastic – and that is why we need a new law to ensure tougher action to end the plastic pollution crisis.’


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WAKEFIELD, Mass.—Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. is consolidating its various off-highway tire assets under a new identity, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires, which will supplant Alliance Tire Group as the face of that business unit.
Yokohama OHT will continue to make and market a range of OTR tires under the Alliance, Galaxy and Primex brands, YRC said, but the ATG trademark will no longer be used.
The company has launched a website, yokohama-oht.com, that takes the place of atg.com, and Yokohama OTR and ATG apps are being rebranded, with the updated versions available on the Google and Apple app stores. The new identity will be reflected on all digital and print communications platforms through 2021.
Yokohama OHT Director Nitin Mantri said the new identity will "result in closer integration of the brand equity and technological expertise of Yokohama with the strengths of companies grouped under ATG; namely strong sales network, diverse product line up and superior cost competitiveness."
Yokohama acquired Alliance Tire and its associated brands in 2016, spending $1.18 billion for the farm and OTR tire maker with factories in India and Israel. It has operated the business as a separate business unit since.
In fiscal 2019, the ATG off-highway tire segment reported sales of $660 million. For the six months ended June 30, sales revenue declined 19.3 percent in the ATG segment to $278.5 million, reflecting the adverse effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on demand worldwide.
"Our customers will continue to enjoy the strong relationships they have built over years of selling Yokohama OTR, Alliance, Galaxy and Primex tires, and will benefit from the expanded opportunities in product line, logistics, manufacturing capabilities and market expertise that YOHTA brings," said Dhaval Nanavati, president of Yokohama Off-Highway Tires Americas Inc.
Combining the brands under Yokohama OHTA, Nanavati said, brings together a portfolio of products comprising nearly 4,000 tires and sizes, ranging from Yokohama's giant radial OTR tires to the Galaxy lineup of skidsteer and forklift tires, and everything in between.
Yokohama OHT will have a global footprint, with offices in Tokyo, Amsterdam, Mumbai, India, and Wakefield, Mass.
ATG operates three tire plants—in Hadera, Israel, and in Tirunelveli and Dahej, India—and YRC recently disclosed plans to build a third OTR tire plant in India, budgeting $165 million for a factory in India's Andhra Pradesh Province.
In 2017, YRC acquired Aichi Tire Industry Co. Ltd., a Komaki, Japan-based producer of solid industrial tires that generates about $65 million in annual sales and operates two plants in Japan.