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Parcelforce Worldwide has released the details of its contract with Palletways, revealed by Motortransport.co.uk in January. Speaking to Motortransport.co.uk at the start of the year about the deal, James Wilson, chief executive at Palletways, said that many of the national postal companies across Europe struggle to deliver express freight, especially the sorts of heavy, irregular items typically moved through pallet hubs. With the pallet network now providing collection and distribution services across 20 countries in Europe it has become “rapidly […]
Palletforce is boosting its coverage of the south east of England with the addition of former Palletline member Tomsetts Distribution.
Deloitte has been confirmed as the administrator of Grangemouth-based Duncan Adams.
Royal Mail is considering applying a fuel surcharge to some of its contract parcels and mail services, while rival carrier UK Mail has reduced parcel prices for SMEs.


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Fishkill, NY (July 14, 2022) – Lead Marvels announced today the launch of new online resource libraries with multiple association partners, including the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) and the Nebraska State Bar Association (NSBA). NAEA is Lead Marvels' 30th association partner in its ever-widening network in the tax and accounting industry while the partnership with NSBA represents the company's 18th partner in the legal industry.
"We couldn't be more excited about the traction we're getting in our core verticals," remarked Jeff Schottland, co-founder and CEO of Lead Marvels, who noted that the pace of new partnerships has accelerated over the past 12 months.
"Professional associations are turning to Lead Marvels now more than ever as the need for non-dues revenue and member engagement continues to increase. Associations are also seeking new ways to provide business development opportunities to their sponsors and advertisers. Our resource library platform can satisfy all of these needs, without the association incurring any costs or needing to invest in new technology," Schottland explained.
Associations have historically relied on live events as a major revenue source, but many have been forced to cancel or postpone their events since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic due to travel restrictions. While there has been an uptick in travel this year, Deloitte reports that corporate travel remains less than 50% of pre-pandemic levels and is unlikely to make a significant comeback within the next few years. Although there has been a general trend among associations to pursue new sources of revenue over the past decade, the need is particularly acute now.
"It's also gratifying to establish a footprint in new professional services industries," said Schottland, referring to the company's new partnerships with the Rhode Island Association of REALTORS® and the New Jersey Staffing Alliance (NJSA) in the staffing industry. "The growth of our networks reinforces to us that we're providing a lot of value to our association partners, which is a central part of Lead Marvels' mission. And, as each network expands, so do the business development opportunities for companies looking to align their brands with professional associations."
For more information about Lead Marvels’ solutions or to request a demo, visit www.LeadMarvels.com.

domain: news


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Posted August 07, 2018 09:29:30 The Deer, Skiing, and Mountain Lodge in Western Canada is undergoing an $8.5 million renovation.
It was originally built in 1924 and closed in 2012.
Located at the base of the mountainside in British Colombia, the lodge was once a popular ski resort.
Today, the park operates as a visitor attraction and is home to many wildlife species.
A total of 1,400 people visit the park every day, with the majority of visitors arriving at the ski lift and resort entrance.
The lodge was closed in the early years of the ski season due to a number of health issues and the building of a new visitor centre.
In 2018, the facility reopened and has been receiving visitors ever since.
Here’s what’s new, and what’s been added in the past year.
A new visitor center, ski lift, and ski lift cabins have been added to the Lodge.
These facilities are accessible to visitors and staff with disabilities.
They offer a complete range of ski equipment, including snowboards, board rentals, sleds, ice machines, and more.
The ski lift is currently open to guests and staff.
There is also a new lift that lifts guests from the resort, ski resort cabins, and lift buildings.
The new visitor area at the top of the mountain is currently under construction.
The area is expected to open in early 2019.
In November 2019, the ski and snowboard lift cabin area will be opened to visitors.
The lift will be accessible to guests with disabilities, but only those who are at least 18 years old and have a medical exemption.
The Lodge will open its first snowboard snow park and snow board area in 2019.
This area will offer snowboard rental and instruction for those with disabilities and will be the only snowboard park in British Columbia that allows snowboarding.
The Skamaniak Ski and Snowboard Lodge has been added as a destination for snowboarders with special needs.
In June 2019, an addition of 2,500 square metres of new retail space was added to The Lodge.
The Deer Lodge was opened to the public in February 2020.
The Mount Air, Skanai, and Skiing Lodge was reopened in November 2020 and is now operated as a ski resort and lodge.
The Ski Resort and Lodge was re-opened in December 2020.
In October 2020, a new guest accommodation opened at the Deer and Skamia Lodge.
The newly renovated guest accommodation features new, modern facilities.
The facility has the capacity to accommodate up to 400 guests.
The guest accommodation will be located on the second floor of the Deer Lodge.
The Pukawichin Ski and Skanakins Ski Lodge is currently undergoing an upgrade.
The upgrade includes new snow equipment, equipment rental, and a new snow park.
The upgraded Pukawaichin Lodge will be open to the general public in 2019 and will also be the new location for the Deer Ski and Ski Area.
The park’s winter recreation centre has been expanded to accommodate a total of 25,000 guests.
The resort is now a multi-use park that will include a new outdoor rink, a multi of sport arena, and an expanded outdoor recreation centre.
In July 2019, a second ski lift was opened at The Lodge, bringing a total capacity of 20,000 skiers and snowboards to the park.
This lift will offer the ski area a new, more challenging level of accessibility.
The additional lift, however, will be reserved for those who require an assistance vehicle.
The addition of a second lift is expected in early 2020.
In April 2020, the Skamana Ski and Pukamans Ski Area was reclassified from a ski lift to a snow park, a designation that is currently used for the Skamiak, Pukalas, and Skamias ski areas in B.C. 16.
In March 2020, an additional 3,000 square metres were added to Skamanda, Pakam, and Pukeko Ski Areas.
Skamamana is currently being renovated to provide the highest quality, snow equipment and instruction.
In May 2020, additional snow equipment was added at the Ski Lodge.
This equipment is for those on a disability or who are in a special needs setting.
Skamina, Pekam, Puke, and Sakeki Ski Areas are currently being updated.
In September 2020, all snow equipment at the Skammans, Pikamans, and Snowmaks ski areas were upgraded.
The upgrades included snowboards and snow gear rentals for snow-skiers with special conditions.
Skamin and Pikama Ski Areas currently only allow snowboarding and snow


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Google Website Optimizer & Urchin 6 Come Out To Play
It sometimes seems like beta tags hang around Google’s products forever. That’s no longer the case, though, at least as far as Google Website Optimizer and Urchin 6 are concerned.
Let’s start with the development that seems more surprising. Urchin software was considered almost dead in 2007; Google acquired the company, then let most of its work rot. But a beta was released towards the beginning of this year, and now, for $2,995, the new Urchin license is available.
Users of Urchin 5 will be happy to know that they can apply that purchase price towards the current version. Also, free 30-day trials are available in case anyone else wants to try the Google Analytics-like software.
On to Google Website Optimizer, then. Google’s Jon Stona writes, "Formerly a feature within Google AdWords only, this free website-testing tool is now accessible to anyone worldwide through its own website. You can now use your Google Analytics login to access Website Optimizer and test which designs, headlines, and graphics lead to the highest conversion rates on your site."
Furthermore, on the Official Google Analytics Blog, Stona adds, "The Website Optimizer team has also launched a product blog where you can get the latest product news, industry insights, and testing recipes straight from team members."
The act of leaving beta appears to have done these tools a lot of good.


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Paying with your phone. It’s not a foreign concept in Canada anymore. With retailers launching their own apps, many shoppers are already accustomed to flashing their smartphone to purchase everyday items like coffee and sandwiches.
But Canada’s big banks are slow adopters of what is becoming a mainstream method to pay. And, with smartphone payments apps on Apple, Samsung and Android devices now available in parts of the world, the mobile payment wars are heating up. So, what's the holdup for home-grown lenders?
Contention over fees could prove to be the biggest roadblock for Canadians wanting to use the service.
Current mobile offerings from Canadian banks
Currently, there is no bank in Canada where you can use your phone as your wallet in a point-of-sale situation.
CenturyLink's report, Banks: Customers Expect That You're Always On and Available, Are You Ready?, reveals that nearly half (46%) of Canadian banking executives surveyed don’t think they have the IT infrastructure, systems and processes in place to meet present and future customer expectations for mobile payments. However, several Canadians banks have mobile apps that can perform functions like paying bills online, transferring money, and depositing cheques.
Finding a compromise on fees
One of the biggest concerns is interchange fees. These are the fees merchants pay to the card-issuing banks, both for debit and credit payments. Merchants may also pay for processing fees, as well as assessments and association fees, generally paid to credit card company.
In Canada there’s currently no interchange fees system for mobile apps, meaning until a system is set up, mobile payment apps may not work here. It's also unclear how third-party payment systems, such as Apple and Android Pay, would impact the current interchange fee system. Currently, Apple Pay charges 15 cents per $100 on transactions made through the app -- a rate that Canadian banks may not stand for, as interchange fees were capped to an average of 1.5%t here in April.
However, there's no word yet as to when they'll have to work it out; Apple Pay is operating the U.S. and the U.K, but there’s still no launch date for Canada (though it was once rumoured to be this fall). Samsung Pay and Android Pay will also be available soon in the U.S.
Slow progress in innovation
By their own admission, Canadian banks are still sideshow participants at what could be the biggest shift in how we pay for things around the world, though they're taking some strides. Many banks have adopted mobile deposit. I exclusively use the PC Financial mobile app to deposit any cheque I receive. You can also pay bills and transfer money. The experience is seamless. But no bank is offering a full service application that will let you make point of sale purchases, like you would with your debit card.
Bank are worried for good reason
On-the-go mobile payments are the future of how customer and retailers will exchange funds. This is already clear with some highly successful store apps.
Take for example the Starbucks payment app, which is described as the quickest, most convenient way to pay for your coffee — no wallet necessary. Personally speaking, I have been using this app for several months, and you don’t need your purse. You flash your app and go.
Having that same kind of convenience for all purchases would be a huge boost to my shopping experience.


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The $2.2bn acquisition of network vendor 3Com by private investment firm Bain Capital could help foster more competition in the switch market, according to experts. As part of the deal, Chinese network...
The cloud worker is replacing the knowledge worker in the enterprise space
Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple Macs on Apple chips are coming in 2020, with Apple's self-driving electric car coming by 2025
ARM aims at everything from IoT devices to the data centre
BBFC publishes guidance and draft regulations six months late


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Condé Nast Independent Magazines from South Africa, which publishes GQ, Glamour and House & Garden, partners with Magzter to increase its digital reader base across the globe.
Magzter already has the US, Indian, German, Mexican, Russian and Chinese editions of Condé Nast magazines in its catalogue.
"Condé Nast Independent Magazines is excited to partner with Magzter in growing the digital distribution of our publications. Magzter is one of the fastest growing digital platforms and we are confident that the association will help us grow our audience," said Bertina Ellis, subscriptions sales manager, Condé Nast Independent Magazines, South Africa
"We're delighted to be sharing a great rapport with the Condé Nast brand over the years, and it gives us immense pleasure to welcome its South African arm to Magzter. For over two decades, Condé Nast Independent Magazines has been engaging millions of South African readers with its compelling titles, and they are now all set to reach Magzter's 35 million readers across the globe," added Girish Ramdas, CEO, Magzter.
"Condé Nast Independent Magazines brings world-renowned lifestyle magazine brands like GQ and Glamour to fashionistas in South Africa. With South Africa being one of the important hubs in the global fashion arena, we're happy to provide digital wings to these magazines, which in turn will propagate the latest South African fashion trends to global audience," said Vijay Radhakrishnan, president, Magzter.
Condé Nast and Magzter are members of FIPP.
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Vogue Business today announced the launch of The Tech Edit podcast, a weekly podcast series which will explore how technologies and innovations are shaping the future of fashion, luxury and retail. The Tech Edit is hosted by Vogue Business’ Innovation Editor, Maghan McDowell, who is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.19th May 2020 Launches
Future has announced the launch of Metal Hammer Japan on 23 March. The heavy metal music brand will now be available for the first time in the Japanese Language.9th Mar 2020 Launches
The River Group has announced the launch of its new podcast, Content Talks. The podcast will launch with an eight-episode series covering the world of content.4th Mar 2020 Launches
Dennis has announced the launch of a third magazine in its cycling portfolio – Cycling Electric. On sale in the UK from 29 April 2020.2nd Mar 2020 Launches
As the Covid-19 outbreak continues to change people’s lives, it’s also altering what they want to read. For publishers, assessing what your readers now need - and striking the right balance between informing and entertaining - is a crucial part of forging a way forward.7th Jul 2020 Features
As publishers look to successfully negotiate the new economic landscape created by Covid-19, commercial partnerships that drive growth back to the core brand will become increasingly important.7th Jul 2020 Features
Each year FIPP – in partnership with UPM – recognise the future stars of the media industry through the Rising Stars Awards. These are talented individuals who have produced outstanding work, delivered above and beyond expectations and who are the likely leaders of tomorrow. So what trends do these future leaders think we will see across print and digital in the coming years?7th Jul 2020 Rising Stars
As not only a print, but also a street-sold publication, The Big Issue faced serious challenges when the global coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown hit the UK. Here, Managing Director, Russell Blackman, talks us through how the publication responded.6th Jul 2020 Insight News
FIPP President and CEO James Hewes spent 11 years at the BBC before joining FIPP in 2017. Here, he talks about the thrill of launching magazines, managing in a time of corona, and how working in the media really is the best job in the world.12th Jul 2020 Features
Visit our Youtube channelFIND OUT MORE
FIPP newsletters allow you to keep up with industry trends, research, training and events across the worldFIND OUT MORE
What’s happening now, what’s coming next


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Friday, October 24, 2014
Sleep Safe with Organic, Non-Toxic Bedroom Furniture in Sacramento, CA
While the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) has deemed the risk of fire-retardant chemicals insignificant, concerned groups are worried about the long-term effects of exposure. For those looking for bedroom furniture in Sacramento, CA, going organic might be the way to go in order to remove risk, however minimal, especially for children whose developing bodies are especially vulnerable to chemicals. Those in the market for beds in Sacramento have the option of getting non-toxic, certified organic mattresses from reputable establishments, such as The Healthy Bed Store. After all, with sleep being highly integral to one’s quality of life, it is important that the hours spent in beds are not only comfortable and relaxing, but that they are also kept healthy even in their sleep.


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A startup with US military backing will begin beta-testing a security appliance this month, which it argues could change the face of network security by automating and refining the generation of malware signatures.
Mobile phones running low on battery power could be a thing of the past if new chip technology co-developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Texas Instruments lives up to its promise.
Google has unveiled a new API that it hopes will make data created by users of social networks portable.
Microsoft Monday wrapped up work on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista SP1 and said both the server and client software will be generally available within the next month.
Intel will offer a first look at technical details of its low-power Silverthorne processor during a presentation at the International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) this week, setting the stage for a concerted push into the market for ultrap...
Antivirus software companies and software testers created a new organization Monday with the goal of providing consistent information about the effectiveness of antivirus products.
Microsoft has finalised the code for the first service pack for Windows Vista, but won't release the code via its update services to customers until mid-March, the company said this week. Moreover, some devices may not work with the initial version ...
Anonymity systems designed to allow users to carry out actions on the Internet without identifying themselves can often be cracked with a bit of unorthodox thinking, according to a Cambridge researcher.
Videoconferencing device maker Tandberg in New York announced Friday that its products will interoperate with the Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, bringing users greater flexibility in setting up sessions.
Google has made its first official comments on Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Yahoo saying that the deal raises "troubling questions" and that the underlying principles of the Internet stand to be tested by the proposed deal.
Internode has begun connecting customers to its high speed national network, becoming the first Australian broadband company to deliver a regional, wireless broadband service using WiMax.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) today announced three initiatives to promote increased consultation, transparency and accountability in its radiofrequency spectrum planning and management.
A groundbreaking study ranking governments worldwide on their use of communications technology and infrastructure is being used as proof that there is still a lot of work to do before even well connected countries realize the full economic benefits o...
A startup says it can give subway riders wireless Internet access that's faster than most home broadband in the US.
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Amsterdam-based denim brand Kings of Indigo was recently given a four out of five overall rating by Good On You, a consumer-facing platform that assesses brands on their impact on people, planet and animals. While it awarded Kings of Indigo a high rating, there were two areas in which it showed the brand could improve: people and animals.
“This Good On You score feels like a crowning achievement for Kings Of Indigo, not least because it means we’re now part of their Best In Class section on the app, but being a truly planet-friendly brand means not just keeping up with every single development in sustainable fashion to make our product better, but means leading the charge too,” the brand wrote on its website.
Good On You has assessed more than 2,000 fashion brands till now. Kings of Indigo is putting steps in place to better address both the problem areas.
By 2021, the company said it will have adjusted its workers’ wages to account for cost of education and savings. It also declared in its 2020 sustainability report that it would continue research on living wages, request detailed open costing from suppliers, and participate in the Fair Wear living wage incubator 2.0 in order to reach those goals.
As for the animal category, Kings of Indigo uses sheep’s wool in some of its collections, and despite it being 100 per cent recycled, it is still unable to be classified as a vegan company as a result


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Dec 23, 2019MapMyApple offers orchard organization, problem diagnosis
Commercial orchards are often a patchwork quilt – blocks with different cultivars, planted in different years. Varieties have different schedules with various bloom times and harvest times. A disorganized grower risks getting lost in all of those details.
MapMyApple, a smartphone application that’s new in the North American market this winter, promises to help growers stay on top of what’s happening in their own orchards.
Available through Google Play – and, developers say, soon the iPhone App Store – MapMyApple is free for a 30-day trial period. Users pay a monthly subscription fee for continued access. So far, the app has roughly 1,500 downloads.
Although the app was developed in Europe, Fresh Agriculture Technologies is a startup company incorporated in San Francisco, and MapMyApple is also being marketed to growers in South Africa.
Marketing Manager Jovanna Dordic said the app makes suggestions based on growers’ input. Growers manually enter data about tree thickness, year of planting, apple variety, soil composition and location. Algorithms and machine-learning technology develop daily suggestions that are reviewed by the staff before being sent on to growers, she said.
Currently, the application is specific to apples and doesn’t translate to other tree fruit such as pears or peaches, she said.
The application makes daily recommendations on irrigation, fertigation and plant protection.
“When it comes to production, we have image recognition technology for pests and disease,” Dordic said. Growers upload photos of disease or pest damage, and receive a diagnosis and treatment recommendation.
“This is the most interesting feature for our users, for now,” she said. “That is the biggest problem, I think for every apple grower in agriculture.”
Another favorite feature is satellite imagery of a farm that refreshes every seven days.
“Our users really like it, because they can see their orchard in color,” Dordic said.
CEO David Blazevski said he developed the app in part due to his experiences on a small family farm in Serbia. His family, who grew apples as a side business, would often use a variety of sources – social media, friends and neighbors – to plan harvests, sprays or other time-sensitive orchard work.
Those decisions were important, he remembers, and professional opinions were expensive. It would cost 90-100 Euros ($99 to $110) to pay for a field visit from a professional agronomist.
“If you don’t know what to do, you can make big trouble,” Blazevski said.
The app is marketed at small-to-medium growers who are looking to boost their yield-per-acre figure closer to that of the larger growers who have more staff and professional advice.
“Our goal is to make them champions of apple growing,” she said.
Large and respected professional growers in Europe are helping to improve the app.
Stefan Manja is a tree fruit specialist and representative of Delta Agrar – the largest apple grower in Serbia, with roughly 1,2000 acres of apples in addition to other crops such as sweet cherries and plums.
Manja is helping to test the app and give feedback on the automatic diagnosis. He said he’d found “only some slight nuances,” or subtle differences, in the advice to treat pests.
Having grown apples in addition to working with Delta Agrar, Manja said a daily plan for tending to crop production comes in handy.
“I found it interesting as a reminder not to forget any task,” he said. “Where the app had an advantage over humans in the company was that – with people it can happen from time to time – with so many orchard blocks, with so many years of planting, so many different varieties, it’s easy to miss the right moment to make a decision, being overwhelmed with data.”
Manja said the app can recognize damage from a variety of pests and diseases, including Alternaria leaf spot, various leaf aphids including wooly aphids, codling moths, fire blight symptoms, brown marmorated stink bugs, Monilia, apple canker, powdery mildew, spider mites and blossom weevil.
“That’s what’s been implemented so far, and it’s been tested, and we’re continuously improving the recognition system … making it more precise,” he said. They continue to talk to growers about what their concerns and priorities are. “It’s fun to sit together and see what we can improve even further.”
— Stephen Kloosterman, associate editor


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SOUTHPORT Community Radio will be manning an open top bus in the town centre this weekend, as they appeal for local people to support this year’s toy appeal.
The team will be outside the Tourist Information Centre 10am-4pm this Saturday and Sunday, with a bus kindly provided by Arriva Southport.
They are collecting both toys and adult gifts for the SCR Christmas ‘09 Appeal.
SCR chairman Jon Jessop said: “The generosity of Southport people never ceases to surprise us, especially with many calls on their goodwill at this time. We in the media have a great privilege to work together supporting less fortunate members in our community.”
While the SCR ‘09 Toy & Gift appeal is welcoming traditional new unwrapped toys, the first adult gift being presented to the team this Saturday is a brand new mobility scooter from Southport resident Christian Matthews who is the owner of Pathways Scooters based in Bolton.
This generous gift, suitable for outdoor use, suits a driver in their late 20s through to their 90s is brand new, dismantles for ease of car transport and comes with 12 month warranty, free delivery, 12 months Insurance and breakdown/recovery support.
Meanwhile the SCR Children’s Christmas Party takes place on Saturday, December 20, at the Grandstand Suite of Southport Football Club at Haig Avenue, all welcome from 1pm lots of prizes and food.
SCR prize bingo takes place at the club every Sunday night with their Christmas Special on December 20.


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'Scalebound' Possibly Back In Development As Microsoft Renews Trademark
Earlier this year, fans were taken by surprise when Microsoft Studios made the announcement that Scalebound was canceled. The action-heavy adventure title was a collaboration between Microsoft and Platinum Games and was supposedly helmed by Hideki Kamiya. Surprisingly, reports have confirmed that the developer has processed the renewal for the game's trademark. This has led to several speculations as to what plans the company has for the title.
Reports indicate that the trademark renewal for Scalebound was originally discovered by a Twitter user called y2konya. The details of the reported IP renewal can be found on the Justia Trademarks website. Sources have confirmed that there were no activities from when it was canceled last October until earlier this month. It seems that Microsoft has filed a second trademark extension for the brand. What was also interesting is that the trademark was not in any danger of being unregistered.
Based on their records, the Scalebound trademark is solely owned by Microsoft Studios, which had gamers wondering why they proceeded with a renewal. Speculations have also started to claim that they are working with a new developer this time around. Another rumor claims that the company is planning to revisit the game under a new title later in the future. Moreover, it is also possible that they want to prevent other companies from using the same name, says IGN.
As previously reported,Scalebound encountered several development delays related to its game engine. Microsoft apparently stopped its development last January and began to scrub any mention of the game from its social media platforms. News of its cancellation prompted several backlashes from fans and other games industry publications. The game's director Hideki Kamiya even issued a public apology for the game's cancellation.
However, there are rumors that Microsoft might have plans to surprise fans during their E3 2017 press conference. The highlight will most likely be the official unveiling of their new flagship console, the Project Scorpio. Fans are definitely hoping the Scalebound will also be announced and confirmed to be back in development.
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It's a down day for stocks across the globe amid fears of an escalating trade dispute between the U.S. and China. "The increase in the possible tariff rate (to 25% on $200B of Chinese goods) is intended to provide the administration with additional options to encourage China to change its harmful policies and behavior and adopt policies that will lead to fairer markets and prosperity for all of our citizens," U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement.
Markets suggest a 91% chance of the Bank of England returning interest rates today to levels unseen since the aftermath of the financial crisis. The Monetary Policy Committee is expected to raise the figure from 0.50% to 0.75%, despite a weakening outlook for the U.K. economy and growing risks from Brexit. The BOE's remarks will also be critical to sterling's next shift.
Stepping up pressure on Ankara to resolve a dispute that has created fissures between the two nations, the U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions against two top Turkish officials. Any property of the ministers of justice and interior within U.S. jurisdiction will be frozen due to "serious human rights abuses" for their roles in detaining Pastor Andrew Brunson.
Fresh off announcing a $113M infrastructure fund as part of the White House's Indo-Pacific blueprint, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is beginning a five-day visit across Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. U.S. engagement with Southeast Asia is typically framed as a counter to Chinese dominance in the region, and some are worried that the current trade war could force nations to choose openly between Beijing and Washington.
Calling the wildfire situation in California "the new normal," Governor Jerry Brown said the state has sufficient funds to pay for firefighting costs from the more than dozen large blazes. However, he also cautioned on fiscal stress, stating a downturn in the Californian economy is inevitable at some point and could require borrowing for such emergencies.
Canada's government is scaling back elements of its planned carbon tax regime to address worries from the business community about global competition, WSJ reports. Under the changes, industrial companies would now have fewer of their emissions - 20% versus the original 30% - subject to the levy. The carbon tax takes effect next year, and starts at 10 Canadian dollars (US$7.68) a metric ton and rises gradually to C$50 by 2022.
Wall Street was expecting worse... Tesla (TSLA) soared more than 9% in AH trading on Wednesday despite reporting the biggest loss in its history at $717.5M. The company reassured investors it would achieve a profit later this year, as a rush of Model 3 sales in Q2 helped it burn much less cash than expected. CEO Elon Musk also apologized multiple times on a post-earnings call for his past behavior and reaffirmed production targets.
Reports that Google may return to the Chinese market are not true, according to state-owned China Securities Daily, which cited information from "relevant departments." The Intercept reported yesterday that Google (GOOG, GOOGL) was planning a local censored version of its search engine that would block some websites and certain search terms, sending shares of Baidu (BIDU) plunging 8%.
Starbucks has officially confirmed its partnership with Alibaba (BABA). The deal "opens up 500M or more active users of those apps (Alipay or Taobao or Tmall or Hema) that will have access to Starbucks (SBUX)," CEO Kevin Johnson declared, adding that the company will partner with Ele.me on food delivery from more than 2,000 Chinese stores by the end of 2018.
The Canadian unit of Molson Coors (TAP) has entered a deal that will allow it to develop cannabis-infused beverages in the Great White North. It's teaming up with Canadian cannabis producer Hydropothecary (HYYDF) to "participate in this exciting and rapidly expanding consumer segment." Marijuana use in Canada will become legal later this year.
Suggesting IPO sentiment is still weak in the tech sector, Sonos has cut the price of its listing to $15 a share, below the expected range of $17 to $19. In selling 13.9M shares, the maker of smart speakers for the home would raise $208.5M and be valued at just under $1.5B. Sonos is scheduled to start trading this morning on the Nasdaq under ticker symbol "SONO."
DraftKings has become the first company to roll out mobile sports betting in New Jersey as legal sports wagers slowly spread through the U.S. The new regulations, passed in June, require mobile providers to operate through casinos and racetracks in the state that already have land-based sports book operations. For DraftKings (DRAFT), their partner is Atlantic City's Resorts Casino Hotel.
Bank news roundup: Barclays (BCS) -0.8% premarket despite tripling profits in its best quarter in more than three years, boosted by a pickup in trading revenue and lower bad-loan losses. JPMorgan (JPM) is being investigated by the SEC for its handling of so-called "pre-released" ADRs between 2011 and 2015, while Wells Fargo (WFC) has agreed to pay a $2B penalty over decade-old mortgage loans.
Already moving several hundred million dollars of assets to support the new hub, Credit Suisse (CS) has chosen Frankfurt as a key post-Brexit center for its investment banking and capital markets business. The Swiss group is also moving 50 traders to Madrid and recently confirmed it had been granted a new brokerage license in Paris.
Spanish taxi drivers have ended a six-day strike that blocked the country's major roadways after the government said it will limit licenses for online ride-hailing companies such as UBER. Separately, Southeast Asian rival GRAB has secured new investment of $1B from a clutch of financial firms, including OppenheimerFunds and China's Ping An Capital.
Investigators have retrieved the black boxes from the Aeromexico E190 passenger jet that crashed in northern Mexico shortly after takeoff on Tuesday. While the 103 passengers and crew survived by evacuating the plane before it caught fire, nearly everyone on the flight suffered minor injuries. Representatives of Embraer (ERJ) and the maker of the plane's engines, General Electric (GE), are assisting in the probe.
Four people have tested positive for Ebola in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo just a week after another outbreak that killed 33 people in the northwest was declared over. Twenty people have already died from hemorrhagic fevers in and around Mangina. The area also has strong trade with neighboring Rwanda and Uganda, raising the risk of the virus moving internationally. Related tickers: MRK, JNJ
Silicon Valley's Zest Labs has accused Walmart (WMT) of stealing its "Eden" technology to prolong the shelf life of produce and reduce spoilage. In its $2B complaint, Zest said it was "stunned" in March when Walmart claimed to have developed Eden internally over six months through a "hackathon" among its own engineers. The two had worked together for years before the retailer lost interest last November.
While steering clear of potential quarrels, Amazon (AMZN) and other retail companies have formed a new group called the Package Coalition. It will lobby to keep the U.S. Postal Service's services "reliable and affordable" and take the company’s case to the public as the government weighs changes affecting USPS. A task force set up by President Trump is due to recommend postal reforms to the White House in the coming days.
Chesapeake Energy (CHK) -5.7% on lower natural gas prices.
Enterprise Products (EPD) +1.4% expanding pipeline capacity.
Ferrari (RACE) -11% reeling back Marchionne targets.
Square (SQ) -1.1% AH amid a weak earnings outlook.
T-Mobile (TMUS) +1.1% AH beating wireless sub estimates.
Tesla (TSLA) +9.4% AH reaffirming profit, output targets.
Wynn Resorts (WYNN) -3% AH missing both lines of its Q2 report.
In Asia, Japan -1%. Hong Kong -2.2%. China -2%. India -1%.
In Europe, at midday, London -1.3%. Paris -0.8%. Frankfurt -1.8%.
Futures at 6:20, Dow -0.7%. S&P -0.6%. Nasdaq -0.7%. Crude -0.8% to $67.09. Gold -0.2% to $1224.90. Bitcoin -0.2% to $7586.
Ten-year Treasury Yield -2 bps to 2.98%
Companies reporting earnings today »
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Mobile Phones: mate 10
Laptops: mate 10
iPad & Tablets: mate 10
News & Reviews: mate 10
Sep 13, 2021
About two weeks back, we got our first glimpse of the GoPro Hero 10. The new model hasn't gotten any significant changes in design but is expected to deliver better performance. Now, sources have even revealed its estimated launch date and price.
Jun 10, 2021
Besides the Huawei MatePad Pro that was announced this afternoon, Huawei Malaysia also announced the Huawei MateBook D15 i3 for the Malaysian market at the price of RM2599. The pre-order for the latest laptop is now live and it comes with freebies with up to RM498.
Jun 10, 2021
Today, Huawei Malaysia has announced the arrival of the Huawei MatePad Pro in the Malaysian market. First released in China just last week, the local MatePad Pro set costs RM3999 and will be available from 18 June onwards in Matte Grey, WiFi version.
Huawei MatePad Pro release: Kirin 9000E chipset, 10050mAh battery, up to 12.6-inch display from ~RM3230Jun 02, 2021
Other than the Huawei Watch 3 series, Huawei also unveiled the Huawei MatePad Pro starting from the price of RMB4999 (~RM3230) while the 5G capable variant is priced at RMB7999 (~RM5169). Not only that, but Huawei also mentioned that they have revealed a new and improved M-Pencil priced at RMB599 (~RM387) that is a lot more rounded, and the nib is coated in platinum which provides better performance and durability.
Jun 01, 2021
A few days ago, Huawei has been teasing some tech features online and it will be unveiled on 2 June (tomorrow!). Here, we found some Huawei MatePad Pro 10.8 (the upcoming MatePad Pro might be named after the sizes instead of MatePad Pro 2) tech specs leaks before it is launched.
Apr 27, 2021
Another year and another Huawei device with no GMS, this time in the form of the Huawei MatePad 10.4 2020. While it may not have the ability to install Google apps straight from the Huawei AppGallery, nearly everything Google-based works just fine on the pre-installed Huawei browser. This has somehow made it into a midrange Chromebook-like tablet with no GMS and no Chrome browser, but is it the right tablet for you? Find out in our full review of the Huawei MatePad 10.4 2020.
Mar 15, 2021
Besides the upcoming Huawei MateStation S PC, Huawei Malaysia also just announced the MatePad 10.4 for just RM1499. Coming in Midnight Grey, the tablet will be available soon from 16 March 2021 at midnight tonight according to the website.
Huawei MateBook D 14 2020 Malaysia release: 10th Gen Intel processor, MX250 GPU, 13 hour battery at RM3399Feb 22, 2021
Huawei Malaysia has officially announced that the Huawei MateBook D 14 2020 is officially available for purchase from 26 February 2021 at the price of RM3399. In addition to that, you can get a free gift worth up to RM249 when you purchase the laptop from either Huawei’s official website or Shopee.
HUAWEI MateBook D14/15 2021 Edition release: 11th Gen Intel CPUs, anti-glare display, starts from ~RM3,108Dec 24, 2020
Besides new smartphones, HUAWEI has also introduced the 2021 edition of their laptop series MateBook D. This time, the MateBook D14 and D15 have been refreshed with the 11th gen Intel processors for improved performance. Let's find out what else the laptop lineup has for the market!
Huawei Freebuds Pro, Watch GT 2 Pro & Mate T10s Malaysia release: starting from RM699 with a RM100 Discount CodeOct 05, 2020
Just yesterday, we posted about Huawei Malaysia releasing three new devices soon which are the Freebuds Pro, Watch GT 2 Pro and Mate T10s. Officially launched today, the price tag for each has also been revealed - RM699, RM1199 and RM999 respectively.
Daily Top 10 Hits
|1.||Xiaomi 11T Pro||RM 2099|
|2.||Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G||RM 6699|
|3.||Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3||RM 3999|
|4.||Xiaomi 11T||RM 1699|
|5.||Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE||RM 1199|
|6.||Samsung Galaxy S21 5G||RM 3078|
|7.||Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max||RM 5299|
|8.||Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G||RM 1699|
|9.||realme GT Master||RM 1279|
|10.||Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro||RM 899|


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Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes are slightly lower as health care companies and banks slip. Household goods makers, including companies that sell snacks and drinks, are bouncing back from losses a day ago. The Dow Jones industrial average remains near record highs, but short of the 20,000-point milestone.
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — President Barack Obama's administration is expected to push through long-delayed safety measures for the nation's sprawling network of oil pipelines in its final days in power. The proposal calls for more stringent inspections in rural areas and immediate repairs when pipe defects are found. But the timing has raised concerns that incoming president Donald Trump or a Republican-controlled Congress could scuttle them.
NEW YORK (AP) — Federal authorities are accusing a former official at the pension fund for New York state public employees of taking bribes that included prostitutes, strippers, cocaine and a $17,000 wristwatch. The indictment accuses Navnoor Kang of accepting bribes totaling about $100,000 in exchange for steering millions of dollars in business to two brokerage firms. The pension fund serves more than 1 million retirees and other beneficiaries.
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — FedEx is trying to determine how many packages are missing from a delivery truck that was stolen yesterday in Arizona. Police in suburban Phoenix say two men took the truck from its driver at gunpoint. They're still at large. The truck was found hours later, with its engine running and doors open.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The 170-year-old company that makes Cross pens now has a flagship retail store at its new Providence headquarters. It opened today. CEO Robert Baird says the company's recent move from suburban Lincoln, Rhode Island, to the Foundry complex near downtown Providence is part of a broader strategy to boost talent and reinvigorate the luxury pen brand. Rhode Island has offered the company $1.9 million in incentives based in part on plans to add 35 new jobs in coming years.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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The salad chain Sweetgreen has raised $200 million in Series H funding from Fidelity and others that values the company at more than $1 billion, officially Unicorn territory in Silicon Valley parlance. The latest funding brings the company to $365 million in total capital raised to date.
According to co-founder and co-CEO Jonathan Neman in an interview with Forbes, the company wants "to go beyond a food company and become a platform. We want to take all the things we’ve built for ourselves—our best-in-class supply chain, operating model, our ordering channel, etc.—and use that to expand out into other food categories and expand the platform closer to customers’ homes.”
Sweetgreen has historically been on the cutting edge of financial technology, having gone cashless in 2017. As part of the technology platform expansion, Sweetgreen is exploring the use of blockchain technology in order to "improve supply chain visibility and traceability." (Source: Forbes)


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On Monday, Google officially introduced the new Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system flavor, which brings along a nice range of enhancements over the previous platform releases, including new security features.
Google hasn’t detailed these security enhancements to the full, but info on what they would deliver to users did emerge online.
Apparently, the new platform release comes with a real-time app scanning service, one that should make the Android ecosystem more secure than before.
Google already had in place a variety of security measures when it came to applications, in an attempt to make sure that no malware or other similar apps were admitted to the Google Play Store, but the new feature should take the idea to a new level.
Google’s Bouncer system, introduced back in February, was designed for the testing of apps in the storefront, to ensure that they were clean.
The system was designed to work with the phone and to instantly scan all applications that have been installed from third-party sources.
Basically, when a new application is being installed from a source other than the Google Play Store, the system will pop up a notification asking users whether they would like to have the software checked for "harmful behavior."
Should the user choose to have the app tested, the phone will send info on the software to Google, which will compare it to known apps. The installation will continue if the app is rendered safe.
Google says that the system was created so as to work seamlessly. No delay in the installation of the sideloaded app will be noticed, should the system find it safe to install. Only a signature of the APK is being sent to Google’s server, which makes it easily identifiable.


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Decrypt’s Art, Fashion, and Entertainment Hub.
It’s a question crypto philosophers have pondered since the dawn of Bitcoin: how do we get the masses to actually use the damn thing?
IOST, a new public blockchain network based in Singapore, wants to solve that riddle once and for all.
Quickly climbing up the usage ranks among public chains, even overtaking Ethereum in daily transactions last week, IOST is now poised to unleash its most ambitious project to date: a way for ordinary Internet users to earn and use crypto—without the madness of private keys, cold storage, or any other technical mumbo jumbo.
On Sunday, Team Oasis—a node on the IOST network—will release OnBlock, a web-based platform that will allow anyone to interact with decentralized applications on IOST's network, just by using an email address or mobile phone number to log in.
OnBlock will be accessible through any web browser beginning on April 28, a Team Oasis spokesperson tells Decrypt. The developer team then plans to introduce a seperate mobile OnBlock app, for both iOS and Android, down the road, the spokesperson says.
For those curious about how all this works on a technical level, Team Oasis explains that OnBlock will function in much the same way as a crypto exchange: IOST tokens will be stored on OnBlock platform accounts, which users can register for and access with a mobile number or email address that acts as a private key. Once logged in, users can then access IOST dapps, starting with its most popular offering and top-three blockchain gaming dapp globally, Endless Game.
"Through its hassle-free registration process and the removal of resource-management requirements, such as [Ethereum’s] Gas and [EOS’s] RAM, OnBlock will reinforce IOST’s role in enabling the widespread acceptance and adoption of blockchain technology," IOST CEO Jimmy Zhong tells Decrypt.
Did you know?
OASIS (the original name of OnBlock) is the name of the virtual gaming metaverse in the 2011 science fiction novel (and film) Ready Player One.
Since launching its mainnet two months ago, IOST has focused heavily on blockchain gaming as a way to lure users onto its chain—and so far, the strategy has paid off big time.
In less than 8 weeks time, IOST has registered more than 250,000 wallets (that is, users), processed over 35 million transactions, and become a legitimate challenger to incumbent blockchain networks such as Ethereum, EOS and TRON.
And Zhong says OnBlock could be just the thing that takes IOST over the top.
"Within our first two months of mainnet launch, the growth of the IOST ecosystem has been substantially higher than our peers in their respective corresponding periods, post-mainnet. Multiple dapps continue to be launched online every week on IOST, with new users and accounts growing rapidly," he says. "With the rollout of OnBlock, IOST can look forward to attracting a wider base of users, further growth in transactions, and a strengthened position among the leading public blockchains today."
Tearing down the technical walls that divide crypto diehards from the masses is critical for the industry to grow as a whole, says Zhong. "In its current state, access to the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry is largely limited. Users can only own cryptocurrencies by mining or purchasing their cryptocurrency of choice on an exchange— activities that require a fair amount of technical and background knowledge, ranging from knowledge of computer science to complex KYC and trading processes."
All of that needs to change, says IOST's leading man—and pronto: "Unless the industry opens up a better dialogue with the users it is trying to target, and introduces more convenient ways of interacting with dapps, adoption rates will stagnate."


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A campaign to change attitudes to music piracy was launched today, backed by the music site Spotify and retailers Amazon, HMV and Tesco.
The Music Matters campaign revolves around an educational website featuring advice on legitimate ways to buy music. The site boasts content such as a series of animated short films telling the stories behind artists such as Kate Bush, Nick Cave, the Jam and the Fron Choir.
The initiative is being pioneered by Niamh Byrne of Universal Music, who previously worked for CMO Management, which looks after Damon Albarn's bands, Blur and Gorillaz.
Byrne said there were parallels between Music Matters and the gradual changes brought about by anti-drink driving campaigns: "It's not going to happen overnight but I think the whole point is basically creating awareness and to chip, chip away. The key thing is that this is a starting point."
Chris Morrison, of CMO Management, believes the problem is generational but said: "You can educate that out of people ... It may take five, 10 years, but you need to start in schools."
Referring to Radiohead's decision in 2007 to let fans decide how much to pay for downloading the album In Rainbows, he stated: "Music must have a perceived value if it's to have a future."
The issue of piracy has erupted in recent years, with the government attempting to tackle the problem in its digital economy bill.
Under proposals that have drawn widespread controversy, persistent copyright infringers would risk being temporarily cut off from the internet.


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The owner of Celiac Supplies, a specialty food store in Brisbane, Australia, has decided to introduce a $5 AUD ‘just looking’ charge for visitors to the store in an attempt to prevent ‘showrooming’.
‘Showrooming’ is a fairly new term used to describe shoppers that go into a store, examine the products and then go online in a bid to purchase the same items for a cheaper price.
A Redditor posted a picture of the sign to the social media platform and it soon gained notoriety. After seeing the attention the Reddit post got, the Australian Associated Press tracked down the store owner to see what she had to say about it.
The owner of Celiac Supplies, which is self-described as the only gluten-free and wheat-free store in Brisbane, said she had no alternative but to put up such a sign, stating that she spent “hours each week” dishing out advice to people only to witness them walk out and purchase a similar product elsewhere. She said; “I’m not here to dispense a charity service for [large supermarkets] to make more money.”
When customers make a purchase, they are refunded their $5 ‘just looking’ fee.
As far as we are aware, no U.S. or UK stores have introduced a ‘showrooming tax’ on store visitors, though some have thought of other ways to ensure that their customers buy rather than just look. Best Buy introduced an internet-price-matching offer and free delivery on out of stock items during the holiday season. They recently announced that the offer would remain in place and said that it heralded “the end of showrooming”.
I can understand why the owner of Celiac Supplies might be a little pissy with the way her store visitors have been behaving recently, but I doubt her $5 ‘just looking’ tax will end up being a good financial move. People resent paying a door charge (even if it’s miniscule) to enter a type of establishment that is usually free and this is, in effect what she is doing.
What do you think? Will the ‘just looking’ tax end up backfiring on Celiac Supplies? Leave a comment and let us know.


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Residents in two neighborhoods to get larger recycling bins
- Staff Business First
Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government plans to give about 7,500 residences 95-gallon recycling carts, which have more than five times the capacity of the 18-gallon orange bins now in use.
Business First reports that the new containers are part of a six-month study to see whether giving citizens larger bins will increase the number of households that recycle.
Only two recycling routes will be part of the pilot program, but all residents of the Urban Services District can buy the bigger bins for $50 apiece, starting on Monday, Oct. 29. The containers may be purchased by calling MetroCall 311 or by printing out a form available by clicking here.
The expanded recycling program is one of five Innovation Delivery Team projects announced in May as part of a $5 million Bloomberg Philanthropies grant that Louisville received last year.
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It is the fall harvest here in this fertile stretch of oaks and hills that produces some of the country’s best wine. This season, though, workers also are plucking the sticky, fragrant flowers of a new crop.
Marijuana is emerging among the vineyards, not as a rival to the valley’s grapes but as a high-value commodity that could help reinvigorate a fading agricultural tradition along the state’s Central Coast. Brushed by ocean breeze, cannabis has taken root, offering promise and prompting the age-old question of whether there can be too much of a good thing.
Cannabis has been fully legal in California for less than a year, and no place is generating more interest in it than the stretch of coast from Monterey to here in Santa Barbara County, where farmers now hold more marijuana cultivation licenses than in any other county.
The shift in legal cultivation patterns is coming at the expense of the remote Emerald Triangle, the trio of far-northern California counties where an illegal marijuana industry has thrived for decades. The Central Coast is not growing more marijuana than the Emerald Triangle, but it could be on track to grow more legally, if trends hold.
“We’re nearly right in between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the two big consumer hubs,” said John De Friel, whose 17-acre Raw Garden Farm and seed lab sits among cabbage patches and wineries. “We really didn’t foresee how advantageous that would turn out to be.”


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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has instructed producers of pesticide products containing the active ingredient glyphosate to ignore a California determination that the substance is carcinogenic.
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) has proposed tightening use of the pesticide carbaryl.
A group of California counties and cities have reached a $305 million settlement with three paint companies they alleged were liable for damages stemming from lead paint contamination in homes.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected a requested injunction against an ordinance adopted by the City of Berkeley requiring cell phones retailers to post signs informing purchasers that carrying a cell phone may expose a user to radio-frequency radiation that exceeds Federal Communication Commission (FCC) guidelines.
California Attorney General Xavier Beccera and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Headley are leading a coalition of eleven state Attorneys General in filing a lawsuit accusing U.S. EPA of failing to collect adequate data on the presence of asbestos in the United States.
A Federal District Court Judge in Los Angeles has granted a motion by a attorneys for several plaintiffs to voluntarily dismiss their Proposition 65 lawsuit against the giant consumer company Johnson & Johnson (J&J).
The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has announced its intent to list six chemicals as Proposition 65 carcinogens. Each of the six proposed listings are based on findings by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has adopted revised regulations governing Proposition 65 warnings for exposures from rental vehicles. The regulations will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2019.
U.S. EPA has released draft risk evaluations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 1,4-dioxane and cyclic aliphatic bromide cluster (HBCD). The drafts conclude that neither chemical poses an "unreasonable risk" for exposed individuals or the environment.
On June 21 U.S. EPA issued a proposed rule that would reduce exposures to five chemicals that are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT). The proposed rule complies with a mandate imposed on the agency under the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control. Act, known as the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act.
Last October the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) proposed to modify two of its regulations to change the way that concentrations of Prop. 65-listed reproductive toxicants are calculated for determining exposure levels for foods. The agency has now proposed modifications to its October proposal based on comments it received.
OEHHA has listed p-chloro-a,a,a-trifluorotoluene (para-Chlorobenzotrifluoride, PCBTF) as a carcinogen under Proposition 65. The listing was effective as of June 28.
The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) will hold a scientific symposium in September to discuss the potential neurobehavioral effects on children of exposure to synthetic food dyes.
A regulation that will shield purveyors of brewed coffee from Proposition 65 liability will become effective on October 1 of this year. However, the validity of the regulation remains the subject of ongoing litigation, which has yet to be resolved nearly ten years after its commencement.
The Council for Education and Research on Toxics (CERT) has been in the news recently over the court case in CERT v. Starbucks and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessments' final rule on acrylamide in coffee.
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) has released its latest annual pesticide use report.
The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)—unlike several other mainstream environmental groups—supported the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
As part of its Safer Consumer Products program (SCP) the Department of Toxic Substances Control is looking at possible actions to limit the production of 1,4-Dioxane during the manufacture of personal care and cleaning products.
The Safer Consumer Products regulations permit interested parties to submit petitions to DTSC asking the agency to add a particular product-chemical combination as a Priority Product.
U.S. EPA has named four researchers as winners of its 2019 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards for creating new technologies that will enable businesses to reduce costs and open up new markets for cleaner and safer products.


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Mark Duffy has written the Copyranter blog for 10 years and is a freelancing copywriter with 20-plus years of experience. His hockey wrist shot is better than yours.
The Internet has killed the agency star.
There have been plenty of recent posts declaring that “traditional” advertising is dying or dead. But most of them were wishful-thinking pieces written by digital businesspeople benefiting financially from its demise.
This guy (warning: buzzwords out the wazoo) says it’s dead because “digital” has lowered the barrier “to create quality content and clients (are) amenable to hearing ideas from anyone.”
This guy (again, warning: buzzword barrage) says, “… the reason is simple: Consumers want, and expect, to be heard.”
Ahead of the curve, Wired in 1994 asked, “Is Advertising Dead?” In the article, the writer predicted that during the 2015 Super Bowl, you would be given a choice as to what commercials you wanted to watch, and then computers aided by satellites would instantly create a customized spot set right in your neighborhood: a bit over-ambitious, but not that far from the truth, a truth that is just a few years away.
Dan Wieden, the de facto spokesperson for traditional advertising says that the digital revolution “will transform us or render us inert.”
At this point, “inert” is winning.
Big-agency profits are dropping. This will continue and accelerate in the next five years. Digital “content” spending continues to rise sharply. At the same time, ad blocking is also rising exponentially. It’s the end of the advertising world as we know it: how do we feel?
Oh, the big agencies are half-assedly trying to stay relevant by haphazardly hiring “digital native” creatives. And these young writers and designers are subsequently walking right back out the revolving doors when they discover that these agencies headed by old white men are completely clueless. The good ones are then eagerly gobbled up by digital shops and in-house creative studios.
And these digital shops and studios keep telling us that millennials don’t want to be “sold” product benefits; they want brands to be less “brandy.” Brands need to create “human” “engaging” content without worrying about whether it increases revenue (WHAT?) because Gen Y is too savvy to be pitched to.
Therefore, more and more, what’s being created is — not “ads” — but films, docuseries, events, journalism-vertising, crowdsourced stories, etc. “Authentic storytelling” is the new image advertising. Here we are now: entertain us (without selling us). And the digital agencies are very eager to produce this content — because it’s easy to create ads that don’t sell.
Many brands are all-in on this non-selling “authentic” movement, because they are getting millions of views (fraudulent views, shhh).
Authentic storytelling is not a new thing. This classic DDB VW commercial from 1964 was authentic, entertaining and — look at that — sold the Hell out of the car.
But producing content that’s authentic, entertaining, informative and sells is difficult, and it takes time. And this generation greatly dislikes things that are hard and time-consuming.
What’s an old-school creative to do then? Well, you still have the mystical “Big Idea” phenomenon in your quiver — but good luck finding clients willing to wait for it, pay for it and, most importantly, believe in it.
Creative directors? You’re as good as dead, too. You better get yourself a back-up plan, quickly. Maybe create a Big Idea app?
More in Marketing
TikTok has officially launched its new e-commerce platform, TikTok Shop, earlier this month on August 1. Using the new e-commerce platform, brands and creators can sell products directly on the platform, potentially creating new revenue streams, and tap into the short-form video platform’s growing popularity.
‘The influencer industry can be really vile’: Confessions of an influencer marketer on the industry’s unfair hiring practices
While the influencer industry might sound exciting and like it’s full of opportunities, one marketer can vouch for the horrific scenarios that still take place behind the scenes.
After a tumultuous 12 months, marketers are getting a clear picture of how they really did during a time of true uncertainty. And, as it turns out, it wasn’t all that bad.
Ad position: web_bfu


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A new 80 Mb/s broadband service from GVTC, an independent telco in south central Texas, is one of the fastest speed services available from any U.S. service provider. Yet, according to Josh Pettiette, GVTC vice president of product management, the upgrade was a simple one to make.
The GPON network that GVTC deployed in 2004 was already capable of supporting the new service, which provides 80 Mb/s downstream and 20 Mb/s upstream. Essentially all that was required to support the upgrade was to create a new service profile, said Pettiette in an interview. A few customers also may require new optical network terminals if they order 80 Mb/s service, but most GVTC customers have ONTs that already can support service at that speed.
The ability of the aggregation network to support 80 Mb/s service also was not a concern. “Two years ago we did a major IP network upgrade,” said Pettiette.
At $199 a month when purchased in a bundle with other services, the high-speed offering won’t be attractive to everyone. But Pettiette noted that the company has a growing base of customers already paying $99 a month for 40 Mb/s service, some of whom he believes will upgrade to 80 Mb/s.
“As market demands grow, high-speed tiers are becoming more important,” Pettiette said. GVTC was motivated to offer the 80 Mb/s service in as a means of differentiating itself from competitors, including the local cable company, said Pettiette.
GVTC is using social media to market the new high-speed service. The first 25 eligible customers who sign up through the company’s Facebook page can qualify to use an 80 Mb/s connection for 30 days at no additional charge. At the end of the trial period, GVTC plans to award the high-speed service to one of the 25 customers for an additional five months.
GVTC uses a Calix GPON platform for the 80 Mb/s service offering.


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CNN.com recently published an article (Store closings are the hottest trend in retail) about the rash of retail store closings in recent months. As the article points out, stores are being shuttered across many different sub-segments of retail, and the trend looks to continue. In this week's commentary, we want to take a closer look at the reasons behind so many store closures. More specifically, we want to ask the question, are widespread store closures an indicator of an inherently weak consumer?
In short, our answer is no. But before we get into the reasons why, let's take a step back and look at some high level data. Consumer spending accounts for over two-thirds of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the US, making it the most important component of our economy by a wide margin. As the consumer goes, so goes the economy. In 2015, the economy grew at a relatively lackluster pace of 2.4%, after adjusting for inflation. Based on this figure, you wouldn't think the consumer was out hitting the malls in force. But that wasn't really the case. After adjusting for inflation, consumer spending grew by 3.1% in 2015 - the fastest rate of growth since 2005. The growth in spending in 2015 was supported by plummeting gas prices, which the Economist estimates saved the average household $650 in 2015, as well as continued low interest rates. Historically low interest rates have reduced debt-servicing costs for consumers, freeing up disposable income to spend on other items.
Given the recent relative strength in consumer spending and the magnitude of the benefits from lower gas and interest rates, you would be forgiven for wondering why retail stores have been struggling to attract customers and grow sales. We think there several reasons why:
- Pressured by Wall Street expectations, many retailers expanded their store bases well beyond sustainable levels in recent years. As a result, there is a significant amount of overcapacity in many segments of retail, especially given the many other pressures we list below.
- The rise of alternative retail concepts, such as off-price chains, outlets and pure-play online merchants, is pressuring the traditional retailers. The most notably competitive force included here is Amazon. Simply said, Amazon is eating many a retailer's lunch. And given that the company is not held to the same profitability standards as a traditional retailer, competitors are finding it very hard to compete with this behemoth.
- Consumers, particularly millennials, are increasingly valuing experiences over physical things. Therefore, spending on services has been outpacing spending on physical goods, which doesn't bode well for most retailers.
- There has been a steady increase in subscription-based services (examples are Dollar Shave Club, Netflix, Spotify), which means a greater proportion of weekly disposable income is already committed before a brick and mortar retailer has an opportunity to entice a consumer to spend in their store.
- Many traditional retailers were slow to invest in omnichannel retailing. A recent study by Deloitte Consulting quantified the importance of building out your store, e-commerce and mobile platforms as multi-channel customers shop more frequently while spending 3-5x more.
- Inequality has increased. The majority of the US working population has not seen their inflation-adjusted incomes increase, which has hampered consumer spending. These same individuals have seen the cost of non-discretionary expenditures (such as health care, housing, child care, and education) rise. As a result of these pressures on the middle class, the lion's share of the earning and spending since the recession's end has been done by the relatively well-to-do. At the same time, many consumers have lingering anxieties from the financial crisis and, by and large, are ill-prepared for retirement. The result? Consumers are saving more. The savings rate rose from 4.8% in each of 2013 and 2014 to 5.1% in 2015.
- Compared to the years prior to the financial crisis, credit availability is much reduced for all but the most creditworthy borrowers. The days of high-LTV mortgages, teaser rates, and cash-out refinancings are gone for many borrowers, and so these types of loans are no longer a source of spending money for many.
So, we are left with a paradox. Consumer spending is increasing at the fastest rate in 10 years and consumers are benefitting mightily from low gas prices and low interest rates. At the same time, though, retailers are closing stores at historic rates.
This paradox, and the explanatory factors cited above, create an increasingly tricky environment for investors in consumer stocks. There are indeed pockets of growth for traditional retailers like home improvement retailers and auto part retailers, who are gaining wallet share due to both pent-up demand and deferred maintenance spending. But in today's environment, the astute investor has many more factors to evaluate before committing money to the retail space. The maintenance of relatively strong consumer spending is no longer the major factor in the performance of "retail" companies.


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Sales of drug-coated stents, Boston Scientific's most profitable products, came in at the low end of the company's guidance in the fourth quarter. Stents are the fragile little wire mesh cylinders that act like scaffolding to prop open clogged arteries.
And on the medical device maker's conference call this morning, BSX said that first quarter drug-coated stent sales will be sequentially--from the fourth quarter to the first quarter--up as much as $20 million to down as much as $40 million. That's likely due to the fresh competition it'll be facing from Medtronic's newly-approved drug-coated stent.
And don't forget that Abbott is waiting for Food and Drug Administration approval of its drug-coated stent, which under the strange terms of the Guidant deal Boston Scientific will get to sell under a different brand name.
BSX CEO Jim Tobin says his sales force is ready for battle. He told analysts and investors on the call that MDT's stent called "Endeavor" has "weaker efficacy and an absence of any safety advantage." During the q. and a. period on the call, another exec said a little cockily, "We have more drug-eluting stent data than any other company on earth."
Check out the video, and what Medtronic CEO Bill Hawkins has to say about that in this "First on CNBC" interview on "Squawk Box" Monday morning.


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Kansas City Flooring Contractor, K&K Floor Covering, announces new website for commercial & residential floor installation services including carpet, tile, vinyl, epoxy flooring and stained concrete.
Online PR News – 21-February-2011 – – Kansas City Flooring Contractor, K&K Floor Covering, has announced the launch of its new corporate website. K&K Flooring is a well known commercial flooring installation contractor for carpet, vinyl and epoxy floor coatings. The company now has new residential service lines that include custom kitchen, bathroom and floor tiling, as well as the increasingly popular stained concrete and designer epoxy floors.
Owner Kelly Kaeckell states: “We never realized the full impact of an online website strategy until we witnessed results first hand. Another one of my fellow small business owner acquaintances hired Kansas-City-Website-Design.com and within less than a year, his business changed. While the rest of us were struggling maintain our businesses, his was growing. In a relatively short period of time, his business went from virtually no retail sales, to becoming a main source of revenues.”
“We have been installing commercial flooring systems for years. While carpet and vinyl used to be the most common commercial flooring systems, epoxy coating systems and stained concrete are now very popular. We have also seen the demand pick for homeowners that desire epoxy flooring in garages, and especially for stained concrete and designer epoxy floor coatings in finished basements. We needed to find a way to reach Kansas City consumers directly, and we feel that our new website, search engine optimization and Internet marketing are the best ways to get the word out – because we know that this method works very well.”
The new website will feature a gallery of Kansas City floors to be completed in 2011. The newly launched version of the website includes K&K service descriptions for:
• Carpet Installation
• Tile Flooring Installation
• Vinyl Floors
• Tile Floors & Custom Tile work
• Epoxy Flooring
• Stained Concrete
For more information on K&K Floor Covering, visit: www.kansas-city-flooring.com


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Global Alcohol Consumption To Hit 28 Billion Cases By 2022: IWSR
Global alcohol consumption is predicted to grow in value by $79 billion (€68 billion) over the next four years, according to the latest International Wine and Spirits Record (IWSR) 2018-2022 forecast.
The report also predicts that alcohol consumption will grow by 147 million nine-litre cases to reach 28 billion cases by 2022.
Bright Future For Wine And Spirits
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A trial subscription gives unrestricted access to all premium site content, app content, weekly email content and European Supermarket Magazine digital edition for a full 30 days. Try it now!


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Posted: Apr 25, 2013 7:19 PM
Updated: Apr 25, 2013 9:17 PM
High School Baseball
Boone County man wakes up in time to escape apartment fire
Apple's new release ups competition to the smartphone market
Retail jobs steadily increasing across mid-Missouri over last year
Authorities ID body found floating in Lake of the Ozarks
© 2014 KOMU-TV8 and the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Some information courtesy Associated Press.
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Sennheiser launches exclusive streamed concerts
GTC sponsor Sennheiser has initiated a series of exclusive streaming concerts on Instagram.
Many artists have recently cancelled or postponed their live tours. In many countries around the globe, public life as we know it is not taking place – and yet, now more than ever, the music must not stop!
Therefore, Sennheiser has launched a series of exclusive streaming concerts on the company’s Instagram account, which will be broadcast via IGTV (Instagram TV). The well-known DJ and producer Mousse T kicked off the series on Thursday and dates will be announced on: www.sennheiser.com/anniversary
Up today (Saturday 21 March) at 10.30 and 8.00pm (German time) is Madoc. See latest on the Sennheiser Instagram feed.
See more about Sennheiser products: www.sennheiser.com


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Oates associates, a firm based in Collinsville, IL, has seen an increase in friendly competition amongst staff.
“The fitness challenges have brought about friendly competition amongst staff - encouraging everyone to be more active and push themselves a bit more than what they have in the past. We see have seen employees walking over lunch to reach 10,000 steps, participating in YouTube yoga sessions and stretching in the conference room. We are looking forward to the next challenge!”
Want to feature your story in our success stories? Enter your story for a chance to earn $100 in wellness incentives!


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Content and intelligence drive results in social media marketing according to SOCi founder and CEO Afif Khoury. He presented findings during a segment on social media at BIA/Kelsey NATIONAL (video below). This takes form in an actionable six-step process.
Social media continues to come in proximity with localized marketing, shown most recently by Facebook’s announcement that 40 million SMBs now have active Pages. And BIA/Kelsey’s own survey data indicate that social is the most prevalent marketing channel.
But the opportunity is greater among national advertisers that are increasingly localizing campaigns. National entities are generally more adoptive than SMBs when it comes to emerging media like social. And their size makes branding (conducive to social media) critical.
The why has largely been made evident, per the above and lots of evidence in the marketplace for social’s collision with local. The remaining question is how, and that’s where we’re seeing lots of experimentation and standards development from companies like SOCi.
“Most national brands seem to think they can capture a national audience with a single page,” said Khoury. “What they’re leaving behind is the hundreds of local pages that are getting reviews, getting comments, getting activity, but there’s nobody there.”
The session clip is embedded below and stay tuned for much more conference video and highlights.


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Millions have data leaked, stolen worldwide
The number of people who had personal information hacked, leaked or lost jumped by 40 per cent to 160 million this year, according to KPMG.
The consulting firm calculated the tally by adding up those affected by 835 known major data breaches.
Those included the loss of 6.5 million user passwords in June by social networking site LinkedIn, the loss of 1.5 million people's credit card details by financial services firm Global Payments and the loss by clothing retailer Zappos in January of the personal details - including physical and email addresses - of its 24 million customers.
Just over two-thirds of the personal information was compromised as a result of hacking attacks, KPMG said. Credit cards details and passwords used to access online service were often what was being sought.
Just over half of the data breaches occurred at commercial businesses but there had been no improvement in the security of information held by governmental and healthcare organisations, KPMG said.
Director Philip Whitmore said it had observed a shift from the accidental loss of data to deliberate theft "either to steal or re-sell the data, or sometimes simply for fun or to make a great headline".
"Several of the world's largest companies have been targeted over recent months by hackers who have grown in sophistication. It is now not just a lone hacker sitting in their bedroom but, in many cases, serious organisations backed by nation states who are leading this new phenomenon," he said.
Most data breaches went unpublicised, KPMG believed.
New Zealand's Privacy Commissioner, Marie Shroff, labelled 2012 the "year of the data breach" last month in the wake of high-profile scares at ACC and Work & Income.
A report by her office said 71 Kiwi organisations had fessed up to losing people's information this year, triple the number last year. It believed many organisations were choosing to own up because of publicity surrounding the ACC and Work & Income cases.
The Law Commission last year recommended making it mandatory for organisations to report "serious" data breaches, taking into account their size and sensitivity, and how, by whom and why lost information might be used.
However, it acknowledged there was no evidence internationally that such a regime would make data breaches less common. KPMG has backed such a law change but Business New Zealand boss Phil O'Reilly said last year that criminal sanctions would be heavy-handed and unjustified.


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Victoria's Secret model Candice Swanepoel shows off her amazing figure during a bikini photo shoot in Miami on September 12, 2012.
She is really too stunning for her own good!
Research and development has never looked this sexy.
Fashion and pop culture collided last evening to recognize sartorial excellence at the 2015 CFDA Fashion Awards.
Age is just a number for Kylie Jenner.


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Under Armour Inc. executives on Thursday continued to lay out a strategy for Wall Street analysts on growing its footwear business and generating more international revenue. I documented some of that strategy in an earlier story you can read here.
Following the conference call with analysts, I chatted with Brad Dickerson, Under Armour’s chief financial officer, who talked a bit more about Under Armour’s game plan. He also provided an update on the company’s Tide Point expansion and on the performance of the Under Armour Brand House in Harbor East.
On the future of footwear:
“When you look at footwear it’s right in line with where we want it to be,” Dickerson said. Shoe revenue in the second quarter rose 21 percent to $81.7 million, led by stronger sales of cleats and the UA Spine sneaker. “We’re setting ourselves up for a bigger footwear story in 2014,” he said, noting the company’s new Speedform shoe manufactured in a Chinese bra factory.
I asked Dickerson if the company plans to replace Gene McCarthy, the former Nike and Reebook executive who led Under Armour’s footwear business for 3 1/2 years before departing in February. Kip Fulks, the company’s chief operating officer, continues to oversee footwear and Dickerson said there are “strong designers” under him. He added that the company is “always looking for the right leadership talent” and noted that Under Armour recently hired Kevin Ross, a former vice president at rival Adidas, as VP of footwear of sales.
On entering fast-growing Brazil in 2014:
“Brazil is about the long-term opportunity,” Dickerson said. A lot of eyes will be on Brazil starting next year when the country will host the World Cup followed by the Summer Olympics in 2016. Dickerson said Under Armour won’t have a large presence at the World Cup and there will be more of an opportunity to “make noise” around the Olympics.
On the performance of the Harbor East Brand House that opened in February:
The store is meeting Under Armour’s goal of having equal men’s and women’s sales, Dickerson said. In addition, he said, footwear is taking up 20 percent of the showroom space at the store — another goal. By comparison, shoes take up about 12 percent of Under Armour displays at retail stores like Dick’s and Sports Authority.
Baltimore-themed products, such as a Federal Hill T-shirt, have also been a success, he said.
On the expansion of Under Armour’s Tide Point campus:
Don’t expect any major changes to Under Armour-owned Locust Point office complex just yet, Dickerson said. But the company continues to take space at Tide Point as it becomes available.
“Our first priority is to make sure we have space for employees,” Dickerson said. “Campus expansion is about the environment for our employees.”
An Under Armour visitor’s center is under construction and is expected to be complete in the fall. Additionally, the company plans to enhance an on-campus gym by the end of the year.
“Beyond filling out more space, that takes us through the major [growth plans] over the next few years, he said. The long-term plans include adding 400,000 square feet of additional space.
Under Armour has also hired Neil Jurgens, previously of the Walt Disney Co. and Whiting-Turner Contracting, as vice president of global corporate real estate and campus.
“He’s executing through 2013 and 2014 and will craft a comprehensive vision,” Dickerson said.


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NEW DELHI: Robust regulatory frameworks are needed to protect customers from misuse and fraud resulting from rapid digitalisation in financial services and proliferation of fintech platforms, RBI deputy governor Swaminathan J said while speaking at an event in Paris.
Addressing the Global Money Week 2024 earlier this week, the deputy governor said the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digitalisation in financial services, prompting a swift transition to online mode by service providers and customers, according to an RBI statement.
Accompanying this surge in digitalisation was also the proliferation of fintech platforms, he said.
Often operating outside the regulatory envelope and unconstrained by legacy systems that typically encumber traditional banks, fintech companies exhibit remarkable agility and adaptability in offering customised financial products, Swaminathan added.
“These developments are indeed welcome. However, while they offer immense benefits such as accessibility and hyper-personalization, they also heighten the risk of misuse and fraud. They can expose consumers to risk of cyberattacks, data breaches, and often times, some financial harm,” he said.
The senior RBI official emphasised that consumers may struggle to resolve disputes or obtain compensation due to lack of transparency on the part of such players.
“These new risks must be addressed through robust regulatory frameworks, enhanced cybersecurity measures, and increased consumer awareness initiatives,” he said.
The deputy governor also shared some of the approaches adopted in India through regulation, supervision and enhanced consumer awareness.
He elaborated on Indian regulations and supervision, including the requirement of multi-factor authentication for most of payments through electronic modes and fund transfers, guidelines on digital lending, and national cyber crime reporting portal.
“Despite all these measures, instances of unauthorised transactions due to compromised credentials from phishing attacks or customer negligence are not uncommon,” Swaminathan said.
The RBI therefore, makes concerted efforts to foster a culture of financial prudence and resilience through customer awareness and education campaigns, he said in his speech on topic ‘Safe banking practices – protecting the young’.
“As we focus on safeguarding the young, let us not forget the vulnerability of our senior citizens to financial frauds and cybercrime. It is incumbent upon us to extend our efforts to ensure their financial security and well-being as well,” the RBI official said.
He stressed that it is imperative to remain vigilant and proactive in addressing the emerging risks and challenges.
With inputs from PTI