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Love’s Travel Stops has reached a milestone in their ongoing expansion.
On Oct. 20, the Oklahoma City, Okla.-based company opened its 600th location. The newest location –in Perry, Okla. off Interstate 35 – offers travelers a host of amenities at an over 12,000-square-foot facility. According to Love’s, the new travel stop will add 60 truck parking spaces and 70 jobs to Noble County.
“As Love’s opens its 600th location in the U.S., and 81st in its home state of Oklahoma, the company remains committed to being the best and most comprehensive travel stop on the highway and adding new amenities and services to get customers back on the road quickly and safely,” Love’s president Shane Warton said in a statement. “When you walk into a Love’s, you’ll see the same clean places, friendly faces that you’ve seen for the past 58 years, and that’s Love’s promise to customers.”
In honor of the grand opening, Love’s donated $15,000 to the Oklahoma Lions Service Foundation to make Lions Park in Perry more accessible to children of all abilities.
The new location is open 24/7, and offers drivers a number of services. Among them:
- Six diesel bays.
- Five showers.
- Laundry facilities.
- CAT scale.
- Six RV hookups.
- RV dump station.
- Bean-to-cup gourmet coffee.
- Brand-name snacks.
- Fresh Kitchen concept.
- Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, headsets and smartphone accessories.
- Dog park.
The RV hookups at the new site are a recent addition for Love’s. Currently, the company offers water, electric, sewer hookups and Wi-Fi at 21 locations across the country. The company recently opened its first RV park in Cordele, Ga., offering full hookups, fire pits, pickle ball courts, a splash pad, laundry and more.
In another new endeavor for the truck stop giant, Love’s has joined Amazon’s package pickup network, with access to Amazon Lockers at over 50 locations nationwide. Customers purchasing items on Amazon will have the option to have their package delivered to a Love’s location near them.
“These alternate pickup locations offer customers convenience, flexibility and the security of knowing when and where their package will be waiting for them,” Love’s said in a statement. LL


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What is the best way for businesses to reach prospective customers? Make it personal, of course.
Contextual advertising — ads that are targeted to consumers based on what they are searching for — actually makes people view brands in a more positive light compared to ads that are targeted to specific channels or audiences, according to a new study from media marketing company IPG Mediabrands and ZEFR, a video identification technology company.
The survey polled more than 8,600 consumers about their reactions to seeing the same advertisement on YouTube for products from companies such as MillerCoors, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, BMW and Sony Pictures.
With contextual ads, the intent to purchase increased by 63 percent compared to channel- or audience-targeted ads, and the viewers also said they would pay more for the brand in question. And instead of feeling the inclination to ignore or skip the ad, 73 percent of consumers reported that the contextually relevant ads actually “complemented the overall video experience.”
Emotions also play a role. For example, the most successful ads share a tone with the content that follows them — a happy ad should precede a happy video. When that was the case, 83 percent said they were more likely to buy the product being advertised and were 300 percent more likely to recommend the product to their family and friends.
Dave Rosner, executive vice president of strategic marketing at ZEFR, explained in a press release the rationale for exploring the impact of this kind of advertising: “In a world where ad blocking and privacy is an issue and demographic targeting can miss the mark, we set out to determine how effective ads served against relevant content and personal interests really are. What we saw was that contextual ads are preferred by consumers — and the right pairing increases purchase consideration in a massive way. Reaching consumers in the right mindset makes ads resonate better.”

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Chase grows with plant-based restaurant
TORONTO —Chase Hospitality Group (CHG) announces their latest restaurant endeavor on June 19, Planta,set to open early September in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood.
ChefDavid Lee (owner of Nota Bene) has partnered with CHG and will be planta’s executive chef, designing a entirely plant-based menu with CHG’s culinary leaders, Michael Steh and Tyler Shedden.
“We’ve wanted to introduce this type of restaurant and dining experience to Toronto for quite some time now, and are excited to offer innovative plant-based meals inspired by all parts of the world,” Steven Salm, President of Chase Hospitality Group, said in a release. “The Yorkville neighbourhood could not be a better fit for our vision.”
The 100 per cent plant-based is crafted with flavourful profile cooking techniques that highlight the ingredients. Keeping in line with CHG’s commitment to sustainability, the wine list will be fully biodynamic and organic, while the beverage list will feature fresh-pressed juice cocktails.
As of June 1, CHG all of their restaurants (The Chase, The Chase Fish & Oyster, Colette Grand Café, Kasa Moto and Little Fin) offered 25 per cent plant-based menus in and effort to reduce the restaurant group’s impact on oceans and the broader ecosystem. CHG's newly launched 90% Project is an internal program based on reports that 90 per cent of the food waste in restaurants could be used, reused or composted. To decrease waste, CHG has identified a number of farms that compost or reuse items such as oyster shells and has reworked their menus to incorporate ingredients that were formerly discarded.
“It's our duty as restaurateurs to acknowledge the impacts that agriculture and food production have on our environment and initiate a change from within,” said Salm.
Planta seats 165, including a 32 -seat private dining room. The bright and open space, combined with touches of wood detail, bronze accents, will play off the natural Bay Street light shining through the street-facing windows.
Planta will be opening its doors in early September at 1221 Bay St., the former home of Pangaea Restaurant, which closed earlier this year after nearly two decades.


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Ferrari’s first V6 since the Dino and the first V6 hybrid supercar is taking shape right now. New spy images of the car have now surfaced online, showing what its final shape could be.
The new V6 hybrid Supercar code-named F171 is expected to be honking with the lock McLaren Artura. It might pack a few horses more than its rival, however. It is expected to be powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with 598 hp. The combustion engine is supplemented by an electric motor. The combined power could be around 710 hp. However, recent rumors suggest that the peak power is around 750 hp. In contrast to the V8 hybrid SF90 Stradale, the F171 will have rear-wheel drive.
The styling of the F171 appears to be based on Ferrari’s new design language, first introduced for the SF90 street. The car has a low hood and a flat nose. It has vents on both sides, just like the SF90. The tailgate appears to be lower than the roofline. This could be due to the smaller motor, which is likely to be mounted as low as possible.
It is not yet clear whether the new V6 hybrid model will replace the F8 Tribute in Ferrari’s lineup.


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Uber said Monday it was buying delivery startup Postmates for $2.65 billion in stock, in a move shaking up the sector which has seen surging growth during the coronavirus pandemic.
The acquisition steps up the effort by Uber to diversify its business to meet growing delivery demands after failing to win a battle for US meal delivery giant GrubHub
“Uber and Postmates have long shared a belief that platforms like ours can power much more than just food delivery - they can be a hugely important part of local commerce and communities, all the more important during crises like COVID-19,” Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement.
Postmates, a startup specializing in delivery of food, groceries and other goods, will be integrated into Uber Eats, which has seen its business double during the global health crisis.
Analyst Daniel Ives of Wedbush Securities said the deal for Postmates, the number four delivery operator in the US, is “both a defensive and offensive acquisition in the food delivery space for Uber at a time with its core ridesharing business seeing massive headwinds in this COVID-19 pandemic.”
For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.
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- As China Slows Down, the Philippines Moves to Grab Foreign Investment
- 15 Cheap Cities Where You Don't Need a High Salary to Buy a House
- MannKind's Afrezza Earns Lackluster Review from Independent Drug Arbiter
- 20 Worst Cars of All Time
- Mass Demonstration To Declare: Netanyahu Doesn't Speak On Behalf Of World Jewry
Don't expect tight money from Janet Yellen's Fed until 2015 at the earliest.
Alternative measures of corporate profits and profit growth paint a sombre picture, unlike the findings of a recent Societe General report.
Higher household net worth and debt are up, but the impact on the economy is ambiguous.
The Fed's Thursday release of fourth-quarter 2013 Flow of Funds data delivers some reassuring news.
Yeah, higher minimum wages kill some businesses and their jobs. But better firms replace them.


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The Fruit Union Suisse, Switzerland’s oldest and largest fruit farmer’s organization, is facing a peculiar challenge. Apple Inc., the technology behemoth, is attempting to secure intellectual property rights over images of apples. This move has left the Swiss fruit growers, who have used a red apple with a white cross as their symbol for over a century, in a state of confusion and concern.
Jimmy Mariéthoz, the director of Fruit Union Suisse, expressed his bewilderment at Apple’s objective to own the rights to an actual apple, a universal symbol that he believes should be accessible to all. This case is not an isolated incident. Records from the World Intellectual Property Organization reveal that Apple has made similar requests to intellectual property authorities worldwide, with Japan, Turkey, Israel, and Armenia already conceding.
Apple’s pursuit of the intellectual property rights of a fruit as generic as an apple is indicative of the aggressive competition in the global IP rights industry. The tech giant’s efforts to secure the trademark in Switzerland started in 2017, when it requested the IP rights for a realistic, black-and-white depiction of a Granny Smith apple from the Swiss Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI). The request was partially granted last fall, and Apple has since launched an appeal.
The Fruit Union is worried about the ambiguity surrounding the uses of the apple shape that Apple will attempt to protect. They fear that any visual representation of an apple could potentially be impacted, which would significantly restrict their operations. Apple has a history of pursuing what it perceives as infringements on its trademarks aggressively, targeting a variety of entities, including a meal-prepping app, a singer-songwriter, a German cycling route, stationery makers, and a school district.
However, Apple’s attempts to secure trademarks have not always been successful. In 2012, Swiss Federal Railways won a $21 million settlement after proving that Apple had copied the design of the Swiss railway clock. In 2015, an existing “apple” trademark in Switzerland, obtained by a watchmaker in the 1980s, forced Apple to delay the launch of its popular Apple Watch in the country.
The outcome of the current case in Switzerland will not be known for months, possibly years. For the Swiss apple growers, the stakes are high, with potential rebranding costs amounting to “millions”. Mariéthoz emphasized that they are not looking to compete with Apple and expressed frustration that Apple is trying to claim a symbol that predates the company by thousands of years.


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The Russian Agriculture Ministry prepares draft Government decree to extend food embargo until the end of 2017. At the same time, the ministry does not propose to expand the list of the products prohibited for import to Russia, Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev told journalists on Friday.
"The Russian Agriculture Ministry has already started to prepare the draft decree providing extension of the response measures until the end of 2017. The list of food products is not planned for expansion, we are talking only about extending the duration," he said, adding that extension of food embargo is "good news for domestic agricultural producers."
Earlier on Friday, Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev directed to draft proposals on extension of the food embargo until 2017 year-end.
"I asked to draft proposals on extension of response measures until 2017 year-end and not for a year. An address to the President and the government decree framing the required decision will be prepared. Therefore, those dealing with the food business will have a longer planning horizon for investments, as local companies repeatedly requested," the Prime Minister said.
Domestic agricultural producers repeatedly supported continuation of the food embargo on goods from countries that imposed sanctions against Russia or joined them later, Medvedev added.
The sanctions were imposed in August 2014 in retaliation for Western sanctions resulting from the crisis in Ukraine. The restrictions cover a range of products, including meat, fish, dairy products and fruit and vegetables, causing problems for these markets in many countries. Other products were subsequently added to the list, such as lactose-free milk and salmon and trout hatchlings. However, some EU reports indicate that food producers are compensating for the loss of the Russian market by exporting more to other third countries.


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Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit has got a legal notice for endorsing Maggi noodles. Recent Maggi samples collected by Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration were found to be containing huge amount of MSG and lead.
Madhuri Dixit has to respond in 15 days to the notice sent by the Food and Drug Administration in Uttarakhand. An explanation has been asked about her ad which talks about the nutritional value of Maggi noodles.
Talking about the legal notice, Food Secrutiy officer, Mahimanand Joshi told NDTV, "If she fails to respond to the notice within the stipulated time frame, a case could be registered against her."
It is really surprising to see our Bollywood celebrities endorsing a brand without doing any background research. In a country like ours, stars are treated like Gods. So it gets even more important for our celebs to endorse a brand which they truly believe in.


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With this acquisition, Kyowa will rank sixth amongst generic companies in Japan
Lupin’s Japanese subsidiary Kyowa Pharmaceutical Industry has entered into a strategic asset purchase agreement with Shionogi & Co to acquire 21 long-listed products from the Japanese pharma company, effective December 1, 2016, subject to certain closing conditions and regulatory approvals including the transfer of marketing authorisation of the products to Kyowa.
As a part of this deal, Shionogi would transfer 21 long-listed products to Kyowa, the Japanese subsidiary of Lupin. Kyowa is amongst the top 10 generic companies in Japan and a market leader in Central Nervous System (CNS) space well known for its ‘AMEL’ brand, in addition to other generic pharma products in its portfolio. With this acquisition, Kyowa will rank sixth amongst generic companies in Japan.
The 21 products cover therapy areas such as CNS, oncology, cardiovascular and anti-infectives. Reportedly, these 21 products had sales of ¥9, 400 million ($90 million) collectively on NHI price basis.
Commenting on the acquisition, Nilesh Gupta, Managing Director of Lupin said, “This acquisition marks Lupin’s foray into the Japanese Branded market in-line with our aspirations to build and strengthen our specialty business globally. The new Branded product portfolio has a strong fit with Lupin’s Kyowa business, as it adds depth and reach to its current CNS portfolio and other therapy areas.”
Dr Fabrice Egros, President – Asia Pacific & Japan, Lupin commented, “Japan is a very important market for us. The acquisition strongly supports our future growth plans and the brands have robust synergies with Kyowa’s existing portfolio which will enable Lupin to build a wide customer base across the key therapies.”
Dr Isao Teshirogi, President & CEO of Shionogi said, “In the Japanese domestic prescription pharmaceutical market, the core mission of drug discovery-based pharmaceutical companies, such as Shionogi, is to create high-quality new drugs and to make them available to patients. Therefore, I’m very pleased that this agreement with Kyowa could make both aspects of our mission a reality, allowing us to pursue innovative drug discovery with an even more intense focus, while ensuring that our high quality long-listed drugs continue to be delivered to patients to meet their unmet needs.”
Under the terms of this agreement, Kyowa will book the sales of the 21 products after December 1, 2016, and Shionogi will receive ¥15.4 billion from Kyowa.


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Red Rock Deli launches new popcorn range
Red Rock Deli has announced a new popcorn range, branching outside of chips and dips.
Red Rock Deli products are owned by PepsiCo Australia & New Zealand.
The new products include sweet and savoury popcorn options, such as Red Chill Salt, Maple Butter & Sea Salt and Manuka Honey & Cinnamon Butter.
“We’re excited to inject some excitement into popcorn and bring our flavour expertise to this category,” Red Rock Deli Brand Manager Lauren Mather said.
The range will launch Australia wide in October 2017 in Coles Supermarkets and independent stores.
It will be available in 30g and 120g packs.
- New Red Rock Deli and Smith’s chip varieties hit supermarket shelves
- Kettle now selling popcorn and sweet potato chips
RED meat is an excellent source of protein and essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamin B12 a...
MORE than half the dollars spent on packaged alcohol go through the Woolworths Group.
Lindt is expanding its Australian presence, opening a new retail store in Canberra.
Mars Australia has signed a 20-year power-purchase agreements (PPA) with Total Eren (a global renewa...
Coca-Cola South Pacific has launched a new limited-edition Powerade variety containing coconut water...
British beverage giant, Diageo, has acquired George Clooney’s tequila range, Casamigos.
Juremont, a leading supplier of ingredients to the Australian manufacturing industry, is pleased to ...
Woolworths is set to cut a number of in-store butcher positions as the supermarket moves away from p...


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On Tuesday 22 March 2022, history was made in Nigeria when President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the new $2.5bn Dangote Fertilizer Plant located in Lekki, Lagos State.
With capacity of 3 million metric tonnes, it is the largest Granulated Urea Fertilizer complex in Africa and 2nd largest in the world.
The plant occupies 500 hectares of land in Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos, Nigeria.
The company says the capacity of the plant will be expanded to produce multi grade fertilizers in order to meet soil, crop, and climate-specific requirements for the African continent.
Dangote Fertilizer’s production capacity is twice the current level of fertilizer consumption in Nigeria, which is 1.5m metric tonnes per annum. Fertilizer exported from the Dangote factory has now reached various African countries as well as Brazil, India, and Mexico.
Before the commissioning of the Dangote plant, Indorama Eleme Fertilizer & Chemicals Limited (IFL) in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, was the largest producer of granular urea in Sub-Saharan Africa and it was commissioned in 2016.
During construction, the Dangote Fertilizer complex provided approximately 5,000 direct and indirect jobs in all categories plus an additional 5,000 jobs within the host community. It has also created 500 permanent jobs.
The complex consists of a Captive Power plant comprising 3 Steam turbine Generators each of 40 MW capacity totaling 120 MW, and 3 Auxiliary boilers for 40 ATA steam generation of 200 TE capacity each.
The new factory will help Nigeria to save at least $125m per annum via import substitution plus $625 million via Fertilizer exports from the plant.


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Despite being totally in first person, Cyberpunk 2077 is looking to have quite the character creation toolset. We reported yesterday that CD Projekt RED hopes to have the most inclusive creator ever, with options that go behind the binary gender choices and are based more around body types. How did they get there? Well, it seems they took a lot of the feedback from their E3 showings to heart.
Senior Concept Artist Marthe Jonkers has been making the rounds talking about the game, and she told VGC that after E3 2018, the company expanded the character creation due to the feedback they got from the showing and the behind closed doors demo that was presented. A lot of the inclusion they added came as a direct response to that.
“I can probably compare it more with last year’s E3 , after which we massively expanded the character creation options and added a lot more stuff, which was a response to that,” she said. “We just listened to what people wanted, how they thought we could improve… we really expanded that, which I think is really exciting.
“We really appreciate the feedback that we get from these demos and we are constantly looking to see what we can improve.”
Considering part of the ideals of the cyberpunk genre is rooted in being able to create your body as you see fit, it makes sense for something like Cyberpunk 2077 to have a lot of options in that regard. The game will release April 16th, 2020 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia. On August 30th, we’ll get a special look at the Gamescom 2019 demo that was shown behind closed doors.
Share Your Thoughts Below (Always follow our comments policy!)


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Best in show! Ryan Reynolds had a very different approach while participating in the 2020 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show as he chose to enter his gin into the competition.
The Deadpool star, 43, posted a video to Twitter on Friday, February 7, of himself gearing up for the main event. Though Reynolds was seemingly prepared to take his pup out on the floor, it was soon revealed that he was aiming to win big with a leashed bottle of Aviation Gin.
The hilarious moment is part of a partnership Reynold’s brand, Aviation Gin, forged with the Westminster Dog Show. In teaming up with the annual competition, Reynold’s gin brand created a specialty cocktail called “The Sensation.” The drink combines Aviation Gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and muddled blackberries, which is topped off with a lemon peel garnish.
Aviation Gin first hit the market in 2005, but the Canadian actor wouldn’t buy the company from the previous owner Davos Brands, LLC until February 2018. Months after acquiring the business, he opened up about his reason for the purchase.
“We’re at the beginning of what feels like a modern-day gin craze,” he told reporters in August 2018, per Fortune. “Millennials are drinking it. Young people are drinking it. Not toddlers, but young people.”
Reynolds first discovered the drink while visiting his hometown of Vancouver, Canada, adding: “I kept ordering this same Negroni again and again, and I didn’t know why it was so good. It was because of the gin, Aviation Gin. I realized I didn’t need the Negroni. I just needed the gin.”
The Green Lantern star revealed that he has continued to have “an active role in the day-to-day” operations of his company. He also “oversees creative direction as part of his mission to introduce the world to the great taste of Aviation.”
Reynolds’ brand’s partnership with the Westminster Dog Show comes just in time for this year’s event. The two-night competition is set to kickoff at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Monday, February 10. The Best in Show will be announced on Tuesday, February 11.
Not all events occurring during the 144th annual affair will air on TV, but fans can tune into a live telecast airing on FS1 beginning Monday at 8:30 a.m. ET.


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Touch2Pay acquires Thumbzup Australia, strengthening its terminal aggregation strategy
Touch2Pay has announced the acquisition and merger of Thumbzup Australia. This landmark deal signifies Touch2pay’s ongoing commitment to strengthening its terminal aggregation strategy and underscores its determination to release the latest Android payment terminals with smart tech payment processing capabilities in the Australian market.
Touch2Pay provides both payments-as-a-service for PSPs, as well as direct merchant acquiring solutions, offering an extensive array of Payment Terminals, including SoftPOS technology through its card-present payment switch infrastructure.
Touch2Pay Founder and CEO Stanley Hancock (pictured), stated, “The acquisition of Thumbzup reflects Touch2pay’s continuing focus in delivering innovative smart payment solutions and expanding its Payments-as-a-Service strategy for partner PSP’s and most importantly its commitment to a better merchant & consumer payment experience.”


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PHOENIX — Spring is just around the corner and that means a big thing in the Valley.
Two words: Water parks.
Arizona biggest water parks are scheduled to open in the spring, with the state's largest one opening even sooner than that.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
The formerly named Wet ‘n’ Wild Phoenix and Arizona’s largest water park opens Saturday, March 16. The park will be open for spring break from March 16 to 24.
Following spring break, the park will be open for weekends in March, April and May before opening for seven days a week starting on May 18.
According to a release from the park, guests can earn $10 off main gate admission during opening week by donating at least two packages of needed school supplies.
The items include: package of ballpoint pens, package of colored pencils, package of glue sticks, package of markers, package of No. 2 pencils, pencil sharpener, pencil top erasers, ruler, two-pocket folders, blunt scissors, 24-pack of crayons, look filler paper (both college and wide ruled), spiral notebooks (both college and wide ruled), calculators, highlighters, index cards, mechanical pencils, tabbed notebook dividers, three-ring binder, pencil boxes, backpacks.
2019 memberships and season passes are currently on sale.
Big Surf Arizona
2019 marks the 50th Anniversary season for Big Surf which, according to its Instagram page, has been "making waves since 1969."
The park opens May 4, and season passes are on sale now.
This Arizona water park is already open... sort of.
The Golfland part with the arcade, miniature golf, laser tag, bumper cars and pizza kitchen are up and running and open at 11 a.m. on most days. Sometimes they open even earlier at 10 a.m.
The race cars and bumper boats usually open at a later time.
The castle water slides are also open and start at noon on most days.
The full park opens on May 18 and season passes are on sale.


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Foreign exchange rates varied against the Moroccan dirham, the beginning of bank transactions today, Tuesday, June 29, 2021
The exchange rate of the euro against the Moroccan dirham reached 10.33 dirhams for purchase, and 12 dirhams for sale, according to the official website of the Moroccan Central Bank.
The average price of the pound sterling was 12.05 dirhams for purchase, and 14 dirhams for sale.
The price of the dollar settled at 8.65 dirhams for purchase, and 10.05 dirhams for sale.
The riyal, the dirham, and the dinar
The purchase price of the Saudi riyal against the Moroccan dirham was 2.30 dirhams, while the selling price was 2.68 dirhams.
The price of the UAE dirham at the Moroccan Central Bank was about 2.35 dirhams for purchase, and 2.73 Moroccan dirhams for sale.
The price of the Kuwaiti dinar against the Moroccan dirham came at 28.73 dirhams for purchase, and 33.39 dirhams for sale.
The Central Bank of Morocco expects the Kingdom’s economy to grow this year, despite the repercussions of Corona, with inflation remaining at moderate levels, stressing the stabilization of the interest rate.
The Central Bank of Morocco said that it kept the key interest rate unchanged at 1.5%, considering that the outlook for the economy is still surrounded by a high level of uncertainty.
The Central Bank confirmed that inflation averaged 1.7% in the months of April and May, compared to 0.7% in 2020, and 0.1% in the first three months of 2021.


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German luxury automobile maker Mercedes-Benz is moving its U.S. headquarters from New Jersey to Atlanta, moving about 1,000 jobs and dealing a blow to state officials who have lobbied for weeks to keep the company.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had a series of meetings with Mercedes-USA President and CEO Stephen Cannon to try to keep the company in New Jersey, said Michael Drewniak, a spokesman for the governor.
“In each conversation Mercedes USA made one thing very clear about its decision to leave: The cost of doing business and the tax environment is just too high here to be competitive with a state like Georgia,” he said.
That reinforces Christie’s “repeated calls to lower taxes and change the business climate,” Drewniak said.


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Long before Prince William and Kate Middleton made a name for themselves as the most famous English couple, David and Victoria Beckham held the title—and they did so in style. The former Spice Girl turned fashion designer and the world renowned soccer star shelled out $4 million back in 1999 for Rowneybury House, a classic country estate in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire. The estate, dubbed Beckingham Palace by the press, is now on the market quietly at $15 million.
Prior to their purchasing it, the 1930s Georgian style house was a children’s home owned by the government. It’s no surprise that it wasn’t initially a private residence, as it’s relatively massive and is spread over 22 perfectly manicured acres of land. The couple added a slew of unique customizations, like a state-of-the-art gym, floodlit tennis courts, and a snooker room (basically a Billiard room).
Reportedly, the couple aren’t necessarily looking for a quick sale—especially because that heightens the risk of someone buying the property to cash in on its celebrity cache. A source told The Daily Mail that, “They know there aren’t lots of individuals looking for houses of this size, and developers would jump at the chance to turn it into smaller flats, which would have added value because of the Beckham connection.”
In addition to this tony property, the Beckhams also own a house in Beverly Hills that they purchased for $18.2 million when David was transferred to the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team. The sale of Beckingham Palace isn’t entirely shocking, as the family have recently been seen around London, where they are renting a house. Additionally, David has been playing soccer in Paris, living in a $21,000 a night hotel suite.
What do you think of their famous property, and would you pay $15 million?


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The Generation Z columnist on why she’s going to the pub
Plus her hit list: the Screen Time app, the YouTube adpocalypse and some brilliant beauty podcasts
An announcement last month after the annual Pub Conference (yes, it’s a thing; please take a moment to appreciate this fact) revealed that pub owners are facing an unprecedented crisis over how to attract 18- to 24-year-olds into their beer-soaked, fish-and-chip-smelling establishments. Generation Z (those born from 1995 onwards) reportedly drink less than previous generations, and a recent study also shows that fewer of us have smoked cigarettes. We are the most anxious, least gender-binary and most connected generation of all time. Drug use is down by 29% among 11- to 15-year-olds, and studies show that those under 21 prefer to Netflix and chill than go out on the town.
The advice given to pub owners was to use this sober generation’s love of social


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THE overall cost of retail crime soared by 31% to £1.4 billion as the sector is increasingly targeted by serious, organised criminals.
The British Retail Consortium’s (BRC’s) Retail Crime Survey 2011 revealed fewer incidents for many types of crime but each incident on average has been more costly and so total losses have increased sharply compared with the previous year. Expenditure on crime prevention by retailers taking part in the survey rose by 1.4% to £214 million, a median spend of £700,000 per company. This has substantially reduced incidents of opportunistic crime against stores but combating the rise in violent crime retailers and their staff are exposed to requires the support of law makers and enforcers.
BRC Director General, Stephen Robertson said: “Retailers have made significant investment to protect their staff, stock and premises from opportunistic crime. The falling number is testament to the sector’s own efforts.
“What is left is a core of more serious and organised criminals who are making off with goods in larger quantities and of higher value.”


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Explore the Next Generation of Contract Fabrics with Sunbrella Contract and CF Stinson
Interior Design Managing Director Helene Oberman discusses the next generation of bleach cleanable performance fabric with Lori Roop, director of design at CF Stinson, and Allen Hawks, contract market manager for Sunbrella Contract. The partnership between the two brands began in 2010 and has evolved in response to market needs over the years, heralding the launch of Sunbrella Assure, an environmentally-conscious technology created with healthcare settings in mind.
“First, over the last 12-to-18 months we’ve had a lot of customers coming to us on the Sunbrella product side looking for products that would make healthier hospitals,” says Hawks. Simply put: “Assure is a technology that we apply to our fabrics that enhances the performance of our fabrics.” Roop notes that CF Stinson was on the same path as Sunbrella in terms of the importance of developing products that comply with the Healthier Hospitals Initiative. Sunbrella Assure, which resists UV light, does just that as a bleach cleanable, flourine-free, water repellent, Healthier Hospitals Initiative compliant, GREENGUARD Gold Certified, OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Certified, and Facts Silver Certified product. “Coming from that wellness perspective kind of drove the look of the collection aesthetically, we’ve pulled in a lot of biophilic principles,” she adds.
Video by James Eades, Steven Wilsey, and Stephanie Couture.


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ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Joel Spira revolutionized the home-lighting industry more than 50 years ago by inventing a light switch that made a dramatic feature once limited mostly to theaters -- dimming -- accessible to every home.
Created in the spare bedroom of his Brooklyn apartment, it was also the product that launched Lutron Electronics. The Upper Saucon Township company is now a vast, global enterprise with thousands of products that can control lights and temperatures in homes and buildings of all sizes.
Lutron products help illuminate prominent landmarks around the world, including the Statue of Liberty in New York, Windsor Castle in the United Kingdom and the Bank of China headquarters in Beijing.
And the company still makes low-cost dimmer switches that a do-it-yourselfer can easily install at home.
Mr. Spira, 85, is low-key about his success, which close friends and associates say befits his humble nature and helps explain the company's understated image. Mr. Spira's technological innovations are on display in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in the company of inventions by Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell.
Most people, however, have probably dimmed dining rooms without realizing where the switch was made or knowing about the personality behind the product. Even in the Lehigh Valley, where the company is one of the biggest, oldest and most stable employers, Lutron and its founder maintain a low profile.
The private company does not disclose revenue figures. It won't even release the number of people it employs. The Morning Call estimates the company has about 1,100 employees locally, based on outside sources. It also has operations in Europe and Asia.
In a rare interview, the reserved businessman discussed his life, his company and his legacy.
"Someday I'll be gone," said Mr. Spira, who continues to head the company. "But dimmers will be with us forever."
The company's early sales materials featured two photos of the same woman. In one, she's dressed casually, standing beneath bright lights holding a cup of coffee. In the other, she is dressed elegantly with make-up and earrings, a cigarette holder in hand, standing in a dimly lit room.
Behind her in each photo is the signature round knob of Lutron's Capri dimmer switch. The slogan above the photos reads: "Lighting to live by." Mood lighting was the pitch, and people started buying.
Mr. Spira realized that what worked in dining rooms could be applied to entire buildings, banquet halls and monuments. Lighting makes up a bigger share of energy costs in commercial buildings than in homes, so he developed products to dim fluorescent lights.
Despite the energy savings offered by light controls, most buildings don't have them. Only 14 percent of residential and 30 percent of commercial buildings have dimmers, motion sensors or other technology to reduce electric costs associated with lighting, according to a January report by the U.S. Department of Energy.
That means there's still a huge market for companies like Lutron even if construction of buildings is slow.
Lutron has not been immune to the downturn. Due to the construction slowdown and the Great Recession, the company postponed a significant expansion that would have added 500 jobs and doubled the building space at its headquarters, along with adding a parking deck.
Mr. Spira could have sold the company years ago and lived quite comfortably off the proceeds. But he has no plans to sell. Instead, Lutron is planning for transition.
While the Spira family works on a transition plan, Lutron continues marketing products that make homes and commercial buildings more efficient. Its systems can detect the amount of daylight entering a room and even the position of the sun to adjust shades and lights accordingly. The systems are wireless to ease installation, with low energy consumption so batteries that power them last years.
Homes will continue to get smarter and more efficient, Mr. Spira said.
"We started out making a dimmer for someone's dining room," he said. "Now we can control whole houses and whole office buildings. We are only limited by our imaginations."businessnews - yourbiz


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|Bid||0.00 x 0|
|Ask||0.00 x 0|
|Day's range||530.60 - 539.30|
|52-week range||278.70 - 544.00|
|Beta (5Y monthly)||0.90|
|PE ratio (TTM)||57.17|
|Earnings date||26 Jan 2021|
|Forward dividend & yield||6.00 (1.11%)|
|Ex-dividend date||20 Apr 2021|
|1y target est||319.92|
The rapper said Moët Hennessy was a 'natural partner' that would take Armand de Brignac, which he acquired in 2014, to 'the next level of taste and distribution.'
(Bloomberg) -- LVMH’s Moet Hennessy has bought a 50% stake in Armand de Brignac, a Champagne producer owned by rapper Jay-Z, another sign of a close relationship between the luxury industry and hip-hop culture.No financial terms were disclosed for Monday’s transaction. Armand de Brignac sold more than half a million bottles in 2019, prices of which run $300 and up.The rap star has been an investor in the brand since 2006, when he touted the brand, known for its Ace of Spades logo on a metallic silver bottle, in a video for “Show Me What You Got.” Jay-Z bought out Sovereign Brands’s stake in the company in 2014.“Armand de Brignac breaks barriers and reflects contemporary luxury, while preserving the tradition of the Champagne terroirs,” Philippe Schaus, chief executive officer of LVMH’s Moet Hennessy drinks unit, said in a statement.The brand is set to gain from the luxury-marketing expertise and distribution network of LVMH just as the Champagne industry reels from the pandemic. The market shrank by a fifth last year amid delays and cancellations to weddings and other celebrations. LVMH, whose brands include Moet & Chandon Champagne and Hennessy Cognac, outperformed, with wine and spirit sales dropping 14%.The deal is the fruit of connections between Jay-Z and Alexandre Arnault, the 28-year old son of LVMH’s billionaire founder, Bernard Arnault. Alexandre has been taking a bigger role at the conglomerate, recently being named to help run Tiffany & Co., which became part of LVMH last month. He previously ran Rimowa after persuading LVMH to acquire the German suitcase brand.The rapper threw an Oscars party last year where guests like Kanye West and Jack Dorsey could sip his Armand de Brignac Champagne.LVMH’s bet on global celebrities hasn’t always paid off. The luxury conglomerate announced earlier this month it was suspending its collaboration with Rihanna for the Fenty fashion brand, less than two years into that venture.The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times previously reported Monday’s dealFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Louis Vuitton owner LVMH and music star Rihanna have agreed to suspend her fashion line Fenty less than two years after its launch, the French luxury goods giant said on Wednesday. LVMH said in a statement that Fenty's ready to wear activity, based in Paris, would be "put on hold" pending better conditions - a rare setback for the luxury group, which has weathered the coronavirus crisis better than most rivals. The R&B singer and LVMH launched the Fenty fashion brand in May 2019, only the second time the French group had set a label up from scratch as it looked to tap soaring demand for luxury celebrity collaborations.


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Apple is offering to recycle its products for free worldwide, and has included even third-party products like mobile phones and PCs in the program in some countries.
The company said on its redesigned environmental responsibility page that Apple retail stores will take back Apple products for “free, responsible recycling.”
A spokesman for Apple confirmed Monday that the program would be available worldwide.
The announcement ahead of Earth Day on Tuesday offers store gift cards, if the old product is found to be reusable, for use against new purchases at Apple online and physical stores. If the product cannot be reused, Apple will recycle it at no cost to the user.
There are variations by country, but at the bare minimum every Apple retail store will take back Apple products for free and responsible recycling
Under the new program, the company is offering, depending on the country, to also recycle Apple batteries besides mobile phones and even computers and displays from other vendors at no cost to the users.
Rare earth metals are absolutely critical to modern life. Fiber optic communications require erbium. Neodymium is a critical component in modern permanent magnets. Without a steady supply of rare earth metals, we would find ourselves in some difficulty, and things may get even more critical in the future—quantum memory may lie in the hands of praseodymium.
Despite this need for rare earth metals, pretty much the entire supply comes from one country: China. In 2010, politicians finally noticed this, as China started restricting its export. In response, a team of researchers from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have been investigating our ability to recycle rare earth metals.
Rare such as yttrium, neodymium, niobium, and dysprosium are required for powerful magnets. These small but extremely strong magnets are required for common appliances including refrigerators, cell phones, and engines of all types. However, because they are only present in trace amounts (less than 1%) in these products, it is extremely difficult to recycle these appliances with the intention of recovering REEs


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Interested in learning what's next for the gaming industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry this October at GamesBeat Summit Next. Register today.
As impressed as we were by Nokia’s new Lumia 920 and 820 Windows Phone 8 smartphones, it’s a shame that the company didn’t having pricing or release details to share earlier this week.
While no solid Windows Phone 8 release date is available yet, we’re expecting the updated OS to launch at the end of October. If so, the early November timing makes sense for Nokia, especially since it’s the flagship handset maker for Windows Phone. Still, if the phones were coming so soon, it’s surprising that Nokia couldn’t reveal the release date at its launch event this past Wednesday.
Join today’s leading executives at the Low-Code/No-Code Summit virtually on November 9. Register for your free pass today.
Pricing details, unfortunately, are still up in the air. But I’d be shocked if Nokia priced the Lumia 920 above $200 (on contract). And given that both Nokia and Microsoft will be contending with the iPhone 5’s release, which we’re hearing could be around September 21, the company could entice consumers to the Lumia 920 by pricing it around $150. As for the Lumia 820, I expect that to cost around $100 on contract.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.


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The news comes after the company recently launched a new service aiming to help consumers stay safe when shopping online by providing email aliases. Firefox Relay (formerly known as Firefox Private Relay) hides your real email address, giving users five email aliases they can use whenever signing up for an online account. Anyone wanting more email can sign up for Firefox Relay Premium, which provides users with one subdomain from which they can create unlimited email aliases, alongside other features such as a summary dashboard of a user’s email aliases, the option to use their email aliases to reply to emails directly and customer support though a convenient contact form.
The company notes that users can continue to access your saved passwords and your password management in the Firefox desktop and mobile browsers after the end-of-life date. Users can sync information across multiple devices by navigating to the Settings menu and selecting Sync. The final versions of Lockwise are iOS version 1.8.1 and Android version 4.0.3, with users of the former told to await further instructions on how to sync their saved passwords outside of Firefox if they want to keep using the mobile browser as a system-wide password manager.
We’ve also featured the best password generators and best password recovery software around. Mike Moore is News & Features Editor across both TechRadar Pro and ITProPortal. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK’s leading national newspapers, and when he’s not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.


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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month announced it would exercise enforcement discretion over two qualified health claims characterizing the relationship between the reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and the consumption of oleic acid in edible oils (containing at least 70 percent of oleic acid per serving) when consumed in place of saturated fats (SFA). Oleic acid is the most common monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and can be found naturally in numerous food sources, including edible oils, meat, cheese, nuts, seeds, eggs, pasta, milk, olives, and avocados. Oleic acid has been used as food or as components of food, such as olive oil, by man for many years, and has been approved as a direct additive to foods.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued two guidance documents – one final and one draft – related to the new nutrition labeling requirements. The final guidance is an update to the previous draft guidance addressing the compliance date, added sugars definition, and quantitative declarations of vitamins and minerals.1 The draft guidance is focused on the serving size, Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed (RACCs), and determining the appropriate Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP) format, including dual-column labeling.
This post summarizes the major highlights of the guidance documents, particularly where FDA has offered interpretations not found directly in the final rules. All food companies should consult FDA’s new guidance documents as they continue to implement the new nutrition labeling requirements before the January 1, 2020 compliance date.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a request for information seeking data and other information on the prevalence and severity of sesame allergies in the U.S. and the prevalence of sesame-containing foods in the marketplace that are not currently required to disclose the presence of sesame. FDA is collecting this data to inform potential rulemaking that could require food labels to disclose the presence of sesame as an allergen in order to protect and promote public health. In addition, FDA will use this data to respond to a Citizen Petition submitted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) requesting that FDA issue a regulation to require sesame to be labeled as an allergen in the same manner as the eight major food allergens under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA).
On October 9, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final rule revoking authorization for seven synthetic flavorings and adjuvants as food additives. Notably, FDA’s rigorous scientific analysis determined that these additives do not pose a risk to public health under the conditions of their intended use. The agency acknowledges that these flavorings and adjuvants are used in very small amounts and their use results in very low levels of exposures and low risk. Nonetheless, in light of the animal data showing carcinogenicity, the agency concluded it had to withdraw their authorization as food additives as a matter of law under the Delaney clause. FDA intends to enforce the Rule’s requirements only on products manufactured after October 9, 2020, containing one or more of the six synthetic flavoring substances.
Last week, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), the lead agency that implements California’s Proposition 65, proposed an amendment to the existing regulation requiring: (1) the average concentration of a listed chemical as causing reproductive toxicity (e.g., lead) be based on products from the same manufacturing facility; and (2) the dietary exposure to a listed chemical as causing reproductive toxicity be calculated using the arithmetic mean. If adopted, the proposed changes would overrule the court decision in Environmental Law Foundation v Beechnut Nutrition Corp on how to determine the daily intake of listed chemicals as causing reproductive toxicity. The change could impose additional testing requirements on the industry and could create a more rigid standard for falling within a safe harbor. We encourage food companies to evaluate whether the proposed changes would adversely impact their current Proposition 65 compliance positions.
Comments to the proposed regulation are due by November 19, 2018. In addition, a public hearing on the proposed amendment would be scheduled on request. To request a hearing, OEHHA needs to be notified no later than November 5, 2018.
The Food and Drug Administration recently issued a request for information on the use of the names of dairy foods in the labeling of plant-based products. This action arose from the agency’s Nutrition Innovation Strategy, one tenet of which is a focus on modernizing food standards. During Commissioner Gottlieb’s remarks at the Nutrition Innovation Strategy public meeting, he stated that requests for the agency to take a closer look at the dairy standards of identity is one of many reasons why FDA is interested in modernizing the food standards, and that this would be the first area in which FDA is going to have an active public process for reviewing the standards and how consumers understand the use of terms like “milk” on both animal-derived and plant-based products.
This RFI aims to gather information on how consumers use plant-based products and how consumers understand the use of dairy terms, such as “milk,” or “yogurt” when they appear on the labels of plant-based products, as well as the nutritional attributes of these products and how these products can help consumers meet the recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
In the final batch of technical notices, the UK Government has provided guidance on what impact traders can expect on food labelling and packaging in the event that the UK exits the EU without a Withdrawal Agreement on 29 March 2019.
Currently, EU rules, such as EU Regulation 1169/2011 or “FIC”, govern food labelling and minimum compositional standards (with some exceptions) for foods in the UK. As explained in a previous blog, from 29 March 2019, these EU-based rules will be absorbed into English law as part of the Withdrawal Act and adapted where necessary by way of statutory instruments to ensure they apply as intended. There will however be a number of additional changes required to food labels to reflect the fact that the UK will no longer be a member of the EU.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued two guidance documents to assist establishments in determining whether they have an obligation to register as a food facility. The first document is the finalized seventh edition of FDA’s Questions and Answers Regarding Food Facility Registration (Final Guidance). The second document is a supplemental draft guidance to the seventh edition (Supplemental Draft Guidance), which addresses which parties must register in situations where multiple entities share a physical space (e.g., a food manufacturer leases a building). The Supplemental Draft Guidance is open for comments through October 19, 2018. This memorandum summarizes the changes made in the Final Guidance since it was originally proposed in draft form in December 2016 and the new content in the Supplemental Draft Guidance.
Key considerations for food companies considering a package refresh or new product launch – an integrated legal team approach
Launching a new food product? Revising your label? On September 13, the Hogan Lovells Food and Beverage team will offer a free webinar on key considerations for food and beverage packaging and labeling. Food regulatory partners Maile Hermida and Elizabeth Fawell will be joined by trademark partner Julia Matheson to discuss what you need to know if you are refreshing your product’s packaging and labels – either on your own initiative or to comply with new labeling requirements – or launching a new product.
Maile and Elizabeth will discuss key labeling considerations facing food companies, including new nutrition labeling requirements, GMO disclosures, and class action litigation. Julia will provide an overview on trademark, trade dress, and unfair competition claims.
Topics for this one hour webinar include:
• Labeling hot issues
• False advertising claims
• Trade dress
• Unfair competition
On July 26, 2018, the FDA held a public meeting to discuss issues related to the agency’s comprehensive multi-year Nutrition Innovation Strategy. This public meeting and comment period follows FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb’s unveiling of the Nutrition Innovation Strategy in a policy address on March 29, 2018 as a way to help Americans improve their nutrition as a step towards reducing chronic disease. This post provides a high-level summary of the issues that were raised at the public meeting.


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LONDON, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Jinlingguan, an infant formula milk powder brand of Chinese dairy giant Yili, has won the "2019 Infant Milk Powder Formula Innovation Award" Wednesday for its high-end organic product Seine Mouiller at Food Matters Live, a leading food event of the world.
Photo:Yili Jinlingguan won the 2019 Infant Milk Powder Formula Innovation Award at Food Matters Live 2019.
As one of the most authoritative, extensive and internationally influential high-end food events in Europe, the Food Matters Live of the United Kingdom has brought together food companies from all over the world. More than 20,000 experts gathered this year in London to discuss on the development and future of healthy food industry.
"Seine Mouiller" originates in Mongolian, meaning "best ranch". Once launched, the brand has been widely favored by market and industry experts, with more strict product standards, less manual intervention and more stringent control system.
The major reason why Seine Mouiller could stand out from many of the world's leading food brands Wednesday lies in its differentiated recipes and innovations. In addition to the 132-year-old Danish organic ranch as its exclusive source of milk, Seine Mouiller revolutionarily adds BID compound probiotics combination and GOS + FOS probiotics combination, together with the innovative α + β protein combination, helping babies to better absorb nutrition.
Photo: Award Winning product: Jinlingguan Seine Mouiller
Yili has been a pioneer in breast milk research since 2003. In 2007, it has set up a special database, which has so far accumulated millions of data on breast milk nutrients. In 2014, it created an R&D center with the Wageningen University in the Netherlands, known as "Food Valley", which has been upgraded to be Yili Innovation Center Europe in 2017, marking a milestone of its milk research and formula improvement.
In the future, Yili will stick to innovation as the core, continue to focus on quality and resources, drive the high-quality development of Chinese infant milk powder industry, and strive to construct "a global healthy ecology". (Edited by Li Wenxin, email@example.com)


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Internet and advertisement giant Google in a newly founded company Calico. Google will finance this company in the quest for reverse the aging process and extend human life.
Former Google board member Arthur Levinson, best known as the ex-CEO of biotechnology pioneer Genentech will head Calico. Levinson resigned from Google’s board nearly four years ago.While running Google, Levinson will keep continuing his job at Genentech and also Apple where he holds a position.
According to Google CEO Larry Pagehe focus on health, comes from Google’s co-founder himself who battles with personal ailments. Earlier this year, he disclosed he was diagnosed with left vocal-cord paralysis, a condition that restricts vocal-cord movement, and is also experiencing impairment on the right side. Page said “Illness and aging affect all our families “With some longer term, moonshot thinking around health care and biotechnology, I believe we can improve millions of lives.” Google is stepping up investments in areas outside its core online-advertising and consumer-services business. The search provider has already put money into health-related companies through its venture arm, called Google Ventures, among other sectors. The Mountain View, California-based company has also worked on longer-term bets through a research unit that’s unveiled plans for computerized eye glasses and driverless cars. Google’s announcement didn’t include any details on the size of the new health-care company or the scope of the investment.


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In a groundbreaking development, MediaTek has officially unveiled its first-ever chipset based on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC) advanced 3nm Chipset. The chipmaker’s flagship Dimensity chipset, slated for a release next year, promises significant enhancements in both performance and efficiency compared to current-generation chipsets. While MediaTek has remained tight-lipped about its collaboration partners for the new processor, it’s important to note that industry giants Apple and Qualcomm are also rumored to be in the race to launch their own cutting-edge chips.
MediaTek 3nm Revolution
In a press statement, MediaTek proudly declared the successful creation of its inaugural 3nm chipset, leveraging TSMC’s groundbreaking 3nm technology. This remarkable feat sets the stage for the integration of MediaTek’s 3nm chips into a wide array of devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart cars, and more, slated for release in the second half of 2024. The anticipated launch aligns closely with reports suggesting that Qualcomm is planning to unveil its own 3nm chipset later this year, possibly at its annual Snapdragon Summit event.
Performance and Efficiency Leap
MediaTek’s foray into 3nm technology is not just about shrinking chip sizes; it represents a leap in performance and efficiency. The company boasts an impressive 18 percent increase in performance and speed or a remarkable 32 percent reduction in power consumption at equivalent speeds compared to TSMC’s N5 process. Furthermore, there is a remarkable 60 percent boost in logic density when compared to older chip technology, underscoring MediaTek’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of technological innovation.
The Race for Flagship Dominance
Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturing company TSMC has recently started producing advanced 3nm chips, marking a significant milestone in semiconductor technology. MediaTek, a chip manufacturer, is set to release their own 3nm chipset as part of their Dimensity mobile processor lineup, expected to power flagship smartphones in the latter part of 2024. However, Apple has teamed up with TSMC to create a groundbreaking 3nm chipset for their upcoming iPhone models, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, while the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are likely to feature the A16 Bionic chip. This advancement in chipsets signals an exciting new era in technology, with smaller and more powerful devices on the horizon.


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The owner of British Airways says it is facing a fine of £183m from the Information Commissioner’s Office after a customer data breach.
International Airlines Group (IAG) said it had been notified by the regulator that it intends to issue BA with a penalty under the UK data protection act equivalent to 1.5% of its worldwide turnover for 2017.
BA boss Alex Cruz said the airline was surprised and disappointed while IAG chief executive Willie Walsh said BA would be making representations to the ICO about the scale of the fine, and could appeal it.
The penalty follows the theft of customer data from BA’s website, details of which were disclosed last autumn.
(c) Sky News 2019: BA faces £183m fine over customer data breach


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You might have to carpool with co-workers you dislike to offset the high cost of gas, eat Hamburger Helper for dinner three nights a week to cope with rising grocery costs, or perhaps even live in your parent's basement because you can't afford your own place anymore. But there is a silver lining: The price of avocados has dropped.
Attention everyone! Inflation continues to wreck the economy, interest rates jumped for the 6th time in a row….— Adam (@1Mikehunt1) November 2, 2022
But @CNN wants you to know it’s ok… because the price of avocados is decreasing. 🤡 https://t.co/4eoYSJGl9a
The overall price of groceries has risen 13% above last year's costs, adding to shoppers' stress as they search for bargains on grocery store shelves. But thanks to a bumper crop of avocados, there's an oversupply of the fruit leading to a 35% year-over-year drop in wholesale prices to under $30 a carton, down a whopping 67% from June's peak prices. And the lower prices may not be fleeting. According to analysts, shoppers can expect lower avocado prices until at least mid-2023.
Gallery: These 8 Things Just Got Cheaper
So, though it's no longer uncommon to see a bag of Doritos selling for as much as $6 or a gallon of milk priced double what it was a year ago, you can add avocado toast back into your frugal food rotation.


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The Food Security Portal E-learning Platform has launched two new courses: the French version of the Pro-WEAI (Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index) Foundations Module and a brand-new course focused on training Farmer Business School facilitators.
Throughout the Sahel region of West Africa, the majority of crops and livestock are produced during one main rainy season. Any disruptions to this season—like those caused, for example, by climate change-induced drought—can have significant negative impacts on incomes, food availability, and food security for both producers and consumers. A new article in Global Food Security examines these impacts at the household level in Senegal.
Our window of opportunity for achieving SDG 2 — eradicating hunger and malnutrition and ensuring access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food for all by 2030 — is closing rapidly. However, far from moving closer to that goal, the world has seen a resurgence of hunger and food insecurity.
Food security has been a significant concern for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), even before the onslaught of challenges brought about by COVID-19. As the pandemic started spreading to the region, one concern has been that of its possible impacts on food security, as the crisis has the potential to exacerbate an already fragile food security environment.
This post originally appeared on IFPRI's Ethiopia Strategy Support Program (ESSP) blog.
The share of households consuming dairy products in Addis Ababa has dropped by 11 percentage points since the COVID-19 crisis, seemingly linked to perceived risks of consuming dairy products. All income groups declined their consumption, except for the richest quintile where the share of consuming households changed little.


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In the wake of the Equifax data breach it was thought that less than 400,000 UK customers were hit, in fact nearer 700,000 were left vulnerable and 15 million UK records had been targeted.
The discovery of the true UK figure was made when the firm identified a further stolen file, proving to be yet another damning oversight in the handling of the major cyber incident.
Equifax has said that the additional customers have been contacted, with passwords, email addresses, phone numbers, driving license number and card details potentially stolen.
Initially the credit rating firm reassured customers that the data accessed in the breach was not critical enough that theft was likely, but security professionals have disputed this.
Following the colossal breach, both the CIO and the CSO resigned, and in the days following this, the CEO also stepped down due to the poor handling of the situation. The blundering response to the incident is even more shocking due to the fact that GDPR is near at hand, arriving in May 2018.
The story of cyber disaster for Equifax began before the major summertime breach, with the company admitting to another incident earlier this year. Equifax did at least bring the independent cybersecurity firm, Mandiant, on board to investigate both attacks, but this has not assuaged the concern caused by the company’s lacking communication.
Communication from the company when the Equifax data breach hit was non-existent to begin with, leaving the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre to raise awareness to the result of the attack. The prompt announcement of data breaches will be a focus area of GDPR, with penalties threatening organisations that fail to inform quickly enough.
News of the true extent of the numbers of UK customer hit by the breach comes at a time when the nation is still reeling from the crippling effect of the WannaCry ransomware attack, a standout incident that raised general cyber awareness massively.


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Why Online Safety is More Important Than Ever
Internet safety is as important as ever
Online safety and protection has been around for a number of years now. Used on all types of websites, and for all types of businesses, it is there to protect consumers and businesses against fraud, hacking, and the theft of valuable information.
Nowadays though, with so many companies, businesses and individuals moving into the online world, with one or multiple websites, online security is needed now more than ever before. More people are working online, gaming online, keeping in contact with family online, and even just winding down and playing some games on online casinos, the internet is busier than ever.
With the advent of online shopping or spending your money online, businesses have had to step their security game up to prevent that money from being stolen, prevent your private details being leaked, and prevent any kind of fraud to happen.
What has come to light recently is how important cyber security and online safety is during this time of being in the midst of a global pandemic. The way people live is changing, and they are more reliant on the internet now than ever before.
Considering the current pandemic has led to stay-at-home orders from governments across the globe, it is no surprise that there has been a massive spike in internet usage over the past few months.
This stay-at-home system that has been in place world-wide has led companies to adapt to the situation, and their employees are now working from home if they can. This can lead to obvious threats.
At an office, you are using a secure line as well as most likely having high level security measures protecting work computers, this isn’t the case if you’re at home, and you will need to ensure your internet line is secure, as well as your laptop or home computer.
More people are also using the internet for entertainment now. Subscriptions for Netflix, Hulu and the like have gone through the roof, as well as more and more people buy PS4, Xbox and computer games.
None of this is obviously that unsafe, but considering there are many people who rely on “free” streams to watch TV shows and movies, using dodgy websites to watch what you want to watch can leave you open to someone hacking your information.
What many researchers can agree on is that this kind of behaviour, being even more reliant on the internet for everyday activities and purchases, is most likely going to outlast the pandemic.
More and more people are recognising the fact that they can work from home quite easily, and more businesses are moving in that direction. Twitter recently announced that any and all employees who can do their job from home, never have to come into the office again.
More people are going to be doing online shopping as well, and obviously hackers and information phishers can see these trends, and they know that there are many, many more people who they can attack.
There are a few ways in which you can protect yourself. This information is important to know if you aren’t familiar with the internet, or you aren’t familiar with how hackers use the internet to steal your information.
The first thing to look out for is emails or alerts asking for personal information. There is no reason for a clothing brand or something similar to be randomly asking for your bank details or private information like that.
Companies or institutions that require that information wouldn’t usually ask for it over email either, they would either call you or email you telling you to come in. Delete these types of emails, and don’t reply at all.
Another thing to check is provided links. You don’t need to click a link to see where it goes, just hover over it and it will tell you. It’s quite easy to see if a website is dodgy or not just by the URL, or if it is a website associated with whatever they’re asking you. Much like being asked for your banking details but the link doesn’t go to a website associated with banking at all.
Another easy spot is if there are spelling mistakes. Official emails from big companies won’t have spelling mistakes in them. This is one of the most common giveaways and is usually a dead giveaway of a dodgy email.
Emails that have generic greetings are also incredibly suspicious. Information phishers will send out mass emails and just work with the people who respond. Watch out for emails that just say “Dear Sir/Madam”. A legitimate company that you deal with would obviously know and use your name.
The last major thing to look out for are emails that require immediate action. “Reply Now”, “Send in your ID number to win instantly”, these types of emails are obvious rubbish and any legitimate company would not send them.
It is now more important than ever to ensure you use the internet safely and not open yourself up to having your personal information stolen. It is easy to keep your guard up as long as you use reputable websites, and ignore any requests for information from unknown sources.


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With the arrival of Apple's iPad 2, it's time for some tough decisions.
Apple's iOS 4.3, the firmware update due this week for the iPhone and iPad, promises a handful of valuable and interesting changes for users of the company's new and old smartphones, tablet computers and music devices.
The Apple rumor mill never runs out of material -- there's always a new story to replace the one that was just proved false.
Google's Android mobile OS surpassed RIM's BlackBerry OS globally and in the United States for the first time last month, with the Google smartphone and tablet software nearly tripling its worldwide market share to 15.2 per cent over the past 12 mont...
While it sounds miniscule next to Apple's App Store and its more than 350,000 apps, the Windows Phone Marketplace now offers 9,000 apps and games and is growing by an average of 100 apps a day.
Touch-screen panels have been around for more than a decade, but it was the 2007 introduction of a multitouch screen in Apple's iPhone that galvanized the market. Now the business is going gangbusters -- as are the innovations that touch-screen manuf...
Google patched 25 vulnerabilities in Chrome today in one last update before the Pwn2Own hacking contest starts Wednesday in Canada.
If its proposed acquisition of Hitachi GST is successful, Western Digital will immediately gain status in the hard disk drive (HDD) enterprise market, where it has been striving to grow for the past couple of years.
There was a disturbance in the force this past week. Did you notice? Apple publicly made a positive security move. Seriously. (Stop laughing!)
If you've recently splashed out on a shiny new MacBook Pro notebook, Henge Docks, manufacturer of docking stations for Apple's line of MacBook computers, may be just what you need to incorporate your new machine into a desktop setup.
Research in Motion (RIM) has confirmed that its chief marketing Officer, Keith Pardy, is departing for personal reasons, a move that has provoked renewed concerns about RIM's marketing efforts.
Last week, Apple's iPad 2 appeared to send Samsung into a panic--one Samsung exec said the company would have to rethink pricing of its upcoming Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet and "improve the parts that are inadequate."
Dell will release an ultrathin laptop with Intel's latest Sandy Bridge chips in the next few weeks, the company said Monday.
This time next year Steve Jobs may take to the stage and introduce the iPad 3, while Microsoft is still working on a tablet-tailored Windows, according to a Bloomberg report. A few months after, though, Microsoft will release a tablet-friendly versio...
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Herff Jones’ parent company announces sale
Varsity Brands, parent company of yearbook and class ring maker Herff Jones, announced Monday that it would be purchased by a consortium led by Charlesbank Capital Partners.
In a press release from Charlesbank, officials said Varsity Brands’ senior leadership will remain in their current positions and invest in the company alongside their purchaser.
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close by December, the release states.
The release did not include the purchase price. Reuters reported that the deal is worth $1.5 billion.
“Over the last several years, Varsity Brands has made steady progress towards serving as the single source for every customer’s sport, spirit, and achievement needs,” Jeff Webb, Varsity Brands’ chairman and CEO, said in a written statement. “We now look forward to accelerating this work in partnership with Charlesbank — a preeminent partner that brings unique investment acumen in the education market – and to building on Varsity Brands’ key competitive strengths. These include unparalleled customer reach, leading brands with prominent market positions, and multiple avenues for future growth.”
Herff Jones, previously headquartered in Indianapolis, has made rings for Super Bowl winners, including the Colts, and Indy 500 winners, among other championship rings. Herff Jones continues to operate two facilities in Indianapolis.
Herff Jones was founded in 1920 by Harry J. Herff and Randall H. Jones. In addition to class rings and yearbooks, the company makes caps and gowns, diplomas and printed material such as name cards. It also makes awards, including the Naismith award for college basketball athletes and championship rings.
The company, which became 100 percent employee-owned in 1995, bought Varsity Brands in 2011 and BSN Sports in 2013. This year, it rebranded the entire company under the Varsity Brands name.
Varsity Brands’ three businesses — Herff Jones, Varsity Spirit and BSN SPORTS — have combined sales of more than $1.2 billion, the release states.
“We are delighted to partner with Jeff Webb, his talented management team and our co-lead investor, Partners Group, to provide liquidity to the employee-owners of the business, and we look forward to supporting them as they build on their culture of excellence,” Andrew Janower, managing director at Charlesbank Capital Partners, said in a written statement. “Varsity is well-positioned to capitalize on strategic growth opportunities, and we are happy to be part of the bright future for this terrific company.”
Call Star reporter Justin L. Mack at (317) 444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack.


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Due to rising demand for OLED displays in smartphones and high-end flat panel TVs, panel manufacturers are making bigger investments in new OLED display fab construction, according to market research firm IHS Markit. This investment is expected to increase global production capacity of AMOLED panels -- including both red-green-blue (RGB) OLED and white OLED (WOLED) – by 320 percent from 11.9 million square meters in 2017 to 50.1 million square meters in 2022.
The IHS Markit Display Supply Demand & Equipment Tracker report forecasts a production capacity increase from 8.9 million square meters in 2017 to 31.9 million square meters in 2022 for RGB OLED displays. OLED capacity for TVs, primarily WOLED but including printing OLED, will grow from 3.0 million square meters in 2017 to 18.2 million square meters in 2022.
Where is the added capacity? Market leaders Samsung Display is planning to focus on RGB OLED panels for mobile devices, while LG Display will focus on WOLED displays for TVs. However, LG has started to manufacture RGB OLED panels this year, said IHS Markit.
Samsung Display is expected to remain the top supplier of RGB OLED panels for smartphones, increasing capacity from 7.7 million square meters in 2017 to 16.6 million square meters in 2022, according to IHS Markit. Target customers are Samsung Electronics for the Galaxy phones and Apple’s iPhone.
The global production volume of iPhone devices is forecast to reach about 227.5 million units in 2017, growing 5.6 percent, according to market research firm TrendForce.
“The introduction of an AMOLED iPhone will help expedite the AMOLED adoption in the smartphone market,” according to TrendForce. The researcher estimates that about 43 percent of smartphones shipped worldwide in 2020 will feature the AMOLED display.
“Apple’s move has been closely watched by its competitors,” said Boyce Fan, research director of WitsView, earlier this year. “The reveal of the next iPhone’s specifications has accelerated the deployment of AMOLED displays for other smartphone brands. Panel makers, especially those from China, are hastily building up their AMOLED manufacturing capacity as well.”
Fan expected the larger Chinese panel suppliers – BOE Technology and Tianma – to begin trial production of their AMOLED panel fabs in the second half of 2017. ChinaDaily.com reported last week that BOE started mass production of its AMOLED displays ahead of schedule at its Chengu, Sichuan fab. The displays were delivered to more than 10 smartphone manufacturers including Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, Xiami, ZTE and Nubia.
As part of China’s big push into the semiconductor industry, Chinese panel makers also are making big investments in RGB OLED production for smartphones, but their production capacity will be much lower than Samsung Display, according to IHS Markit’s analysis.
Players, including BOE, ChinaStar, Tianma, Visionox, EverDisplay, Truly and Royole, are expanding the production capacity of RGB OLED panels, targeting the mobile market. Because of their lower capacity, Chinese makers will focus on Chinese smartphone makers including Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, Meizu, Lenovo and ZTE, and white box makers, said IHS.
However, South Korea’s panel makers are expected to lose significant market share to Chinese manufacturers by 2022. IHS forecasts South Korea’s estimated 93 percent share of the global AMOLED production capacity in 2017 will drop to 71 percent in 2022.
“Chinese players (BOE, ChinaStar, Tianma, Visionox, EverDisplay and Royole) will account for 26 percent in 2022, up from five percent in 2017,” said IHS.
“It takes more than $11.5 billion to build a Gen 6 flexible OLED factory with a capacity of 90,000 substrate sheets per month, and this is a much larger investment required than building a Gen 10.5 TFT LCD fab with the same capacity,” said David Hsieh, senior director at IHS Markit, in a statement.
“The learning curve costs for the mass production of flexible OLED panels are also high. The financial and technological risks associated with the AMOLED panels have hampered Japanese and Taiwanese makers from entering the market aggressively,” Hsieh added. “In other words, the capacity expansion of AMOLED display, whether it is RGB OLED or WOLED, is only apparent in China and South Korea.”
Hsieh said the “strong expansion of RGB OLED capacity in China” is a threat to South Korean makers. But South Korean manufacturers have high capacity fabs with high efficiencies compared to China’s relatively small OLED fabs across multiple regions and companies, he continued.
“Also, while the Chinese makers could expand fabs with government subsidies, the operating performance will completely depend on the panel makers themselves,” Hsieh added. “How long it will take until they could sustain the business, getting over the challenges with learning curve costs, initial low yield rates and capacity utilization, is still an open question.”
Chinese panel makers will likely build more AMOLED panel fabs in the near term despite several technological barriers, according to WitsView’s Fan. “Costs will not be a significant issue for them because the domestic market has plenty of capital and the government supports the development of new display technologies,” he said.
Revenue opportunities from AMOLED is only one emerging segment that the Chinese IC industry is focused on. It is also looking at biometric sensors and dual-lens cameras, along with boosting its domestic market for processors and memory components.
“Developments in China’s IC industry is driven by import substitution demand, government policies, major funding sources and innovative applications for semiconductor technologies,” said Jeter Teo, research director of TrendForce, in a statement.
“Currently, key products in China’s IC market such as processors and memory components are still imported from overseas,” Teo added. “China in fact has imported more than RMB 1.4 trillion worth of IC products annually for four consecutive years, from 2012 to 2016. Therefore, increasing domestic IC production has become a critical mission for the Chinese government.”


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Uber adds live location sharing to the rider app
Uber introduced a handful of improvements to the rider app just before the holiday season. The company announced adding new and improved features in its blog this Monday.
To help riders and drivers easier find each other and simplify pick-ups, passengers will now be able to activate live location sharing. When a rider taps on the grey button in the bottom right corner of the passenger app, the driver will be able to see where they are located in the real time. Passengers can disable location sharing any time, and it defaults back to the inactive mode as soon as the trip starts.
Another feature that simplifies pick-ups is beacons that Uber announced almost a year ago. After the pilot, the program now expands to three large cities – New York, San Francisco and Chicago – right before the holidays. The beacons are small devices that are installed in the car and sync their color with the passenger’s app, allowing riders to quickly locate exactly the car they hailed.
The company made it easier to call an Uber for someone else. Instead of choosing the location for that person, the process now works just like hailing a car for yourself, starting with setting a destination. Uber also updated its in-app gifts, making the process of sending Uber credits to your friends easier.
Photo credit: Uber


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By enabling more productive 3D printing, HP is lowering the horizontal line for powder bed fusion costs, Basiliere said.
About the size of two washing machines, the HP Jet Fusion printer line will have a starting price of about $130,000 for the 3200 series and in the low $200,000 range for the more sophisticated 4200 series.
The 4200 series Jet Fusion printer is 25% faster than the 3200 series and will be able to produce product runs of more than 50,000, Monino said. Even at that rate, the printer will be more economical to run than traditional CNC milling or injection molding manufacturing techniques, Monino said.
Along with the base printers, the HP Jet Fusion system comes with a separate post-processing station, which removes excess powder and debris and prepare printed parts for use. The post-processing stations are sold separately from the printers and add about $25,000 to the price.
While technically dissimilar in some ways to binder jet or selective laser sintering (SLS), a method of binding pulverized material together with either chemicals or laser light, HP's Jet Fusion 3D does result in a similar post-processing requirements; printed parts must be allowed to cool and then be pulled from a bin or "cake" of powder and cleaned before used.
Joe Kempton, an analyst for market research firm Canalys, said HP's Multi Jet Fusion technology is essentially powder bed fusion 3D printing.
"Therefore, even though the technology is a game-changer, it will only affect a portion of the 3D printing industry, and within this segment, only the middle market of the enterprise space," Kempton said. "This means the kind of customers who will be using it are different from those who would be using, for example, [stereolithography]"
Stereolithography (SLA) is a 3D printing method where photosensitive resin is hardened with either UV or laser light. While various methods of SLA printing can be faster than others, HP's Multi Jet Fusion printing will top any previous production speeds.
"HP is truly offering a revolutionary new type of 3D printing," Kempton said. "There is often a lot of overhype in the 3D printing market over new technologies, most of which fail to live up to these lofty expectations, but HP's Jet Fusion technology really is something special."
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Puebla, Pue. The Chamber of the Textile Industry (Citex), Puebla-Tlaxcala delegation, urged federal and state authorities to carry out operations in flea markets and markets, because part of the contraband and stolen merchandise is arriving from the companies’ cargo trucks, which represents significant economic losses.
Carlos Couttolenc López, president of the organization, said that they are concerned that something is not being done to detect the illegal merchandise that arrives in these commercial areas despite the damage it generates to textile factories, which are also penalized by their customers when they do not deliver to time due to the robberies they suffer on the roads.
“It is not about prohibiting this commercial activity, because there are small workshops that manufacture their products, but others resort to providing contraband to sell to the detriment of formal companies and obtain large profits without paying taxes,” he deepened.
He pointed out that Citex will not stop speaking out against the unfair competition that is generated from customs, where the entry of illegal merchandise has not yet been fully stopped.
He commented that, as long as this problem is not stopped, the textile and maquila sectors will continue to be at a disadvantage and grow slowly, which is a generality in the country.
Couttolenc López specified that it is in the hands of the authorities to deal with complaints from industrialists who are victims of theft and whose finished products are easily marketed in flea markets and markets.
In this vein, he said that this goes hand in hand with monitoring insecurity zones on the roads, since motor carriers are at the mercy of organized crime that uses its own technology to take units that bring GPS, since they use inhibitors of radars to have time to remove the merchandise.
He explained that only the load of fabrics reaches a value of 800,000 pesos, plus the value of the transport unit that is also stolen, which ranges from 1 million 500,000 to 2 million 700,000 pesos.
He acknowledged that some small workshops prefer to sell in tianguis, but authorities are also required to make sure that merchants are offering legal merchandise.
“There may even be another industry that buys stolen raw material as an order. For example, a cotton needs another company to process it, they cannot sell the bale as such ”, he commented.


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The growing respect for quality ingredients reached new heights when Pat La Frieda achieved guru status.
Few causes bring chefs together like GrowNYC, a nonprofit that sponsors farmer’s markets across most of the five boroughs.
Not long after the demise of Gray Kunz’s Manhattan restaurant Grayz, chef Martin Brock found a new professional home as chef de cuisine at
For more than 130 years, Commander’s Palace in New Orleans has been a bastion of the ultimate in genteel Southern dining.
Online meat purveyor 35° (www.35degreessteaks.com)
The International Culinary Center is offering a Parisian-style baking course, Madeleines & Macaroons, on May 15 ($195) and a 10-hour
Thirty-five-year-old chef Homaro Cantu is sending traditional Asian cuisine into a tailspin at his new restaurant iNG, which opened in Chi
Those with a taste for richly flavored Mangalica ham no longer have to visit a big-city butcher shop or high-end restaurant such
Of the many ingredients in his life, business and pleasure are perhaps the two that chef José Andrés mixes most admirably.
A curiously foggy domed glass bowl arrives at the table.


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In the wake of the recent
The announcement came after its President and CEO, Marco Bizzarri met with popular African-American fashion designer Dapper Dan and other community leaders in Harlem to discuss the scandal and how they are going to make amends.
Dapper Dan, who also has a collaboration with Gucci shared the outcome of the meeting and what they were expecting.
In a statement, Gucci outlined four initiatives – Hiring global and regional directors for diversity and inclusion, setting up a multicultural design scholarship program, launching a diversity and inclusivity awareness program and launching a global exchange program.
“We accept full responsibility for this incident, which has exposed shortfalls in our ongoing strategic approach to embedding diversity and inclusion in both our organization and activities. I am particularly grateful to Dapper Dan for the role he has played in bringing community leaders together to offer us counsel at this time,” Bizzarri said before the initiatives
Read the full statement below:
In another development and also to address their own blackface controversy, Prada, on February 13, also announced the establishment of a Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council which is going to be co-chaired by popular film director and producer Ava Duvernay and artist and activist Theaster Gates.
According to the Italian brand in a statement, Ava and Theaster will “help shape and advise Prada’s initiative to elevate voices of
The decision to establish the council came about after they were criticized for putting on sale keychain figurines which featured black-faced monkeys with big red lips resembling the racist blackface.
Read their full statement below:
This trend of producing controversial items without analyzing its cultural significance to the consumer has been described as a deliberate publicity mechanism by many critics after repetition of the same “offence”.
What are your thoughts on this?


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and Daimler recently got approval to launch their joint car sharing program, and if things go well, they could soon be sharing even more according to a report published Wednesday by Bloomberg.
As the nature of the car industry changes, particularly in Germany where there have been a series of cataclysmic shakeups and scandals, so too must the strategies used by even the largest manufacturers. This is why BMW and Mercedes-Benz's parent company Daimler are considering teaming up on everything from electric car development to platform sharing and autonomous car technology.
According to Bloomberg's report, the sharing of technology would be limited to things that aren't brand specific, so don't expect to see iDrive in your next E-Class. Although, conversations between the longtime rivals are still in the very early stages and nothing is set in stone.
This move, while definitely a big deal, isn't without precedent. Volkswagen and Ford are working on a similar deal in order to help defray some of the astronomical costs of the development of
. This is particularly important when you compare the traditional carmakers to the seemingly bottomless pockets of the Silicon Valley developers with which they are competing.
2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC hits the road ahead of its CES debut
See all photos