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What Does a Sustainable Can of Beans Look Like?
September 4, 2008 08:58 AM - , Triple Pundit
Two years ago Truitt Brothers decided to figure that out, and added two products, green beans and pears,sourced and prepared sustainably, to their more traditionally packaged goods which they had been producing for over 30 years. While the sustainability-focused line is still less than 5% of their whole business it has quadrupled in growth in those two years, and that growth is projected to continue. In fact, they have already doubled their offerings by adding kidney and garbanzo beans.
Slow Food Movement Picks Up Momentum in the USA
September 2, 2008 09:15 AM - , Organic Consumers Association
A lush, under-the-stars spread of handmade bread, gourmet olives and fine wine makes an unlikely launch for a weekend dedicated to ending hunger, empowering poor nations and transforming farming as we know it. A sign points the way to a display of apples at a farmer's market during Slow Food Nation in San Francisco, Friday, Aug. 29, 2008.
Drought in Australia food bowl worsens
September 2, 2008 08:59 AM - Reuters
Drought in Australia's main food growing region of the Murray-Darling river system has worsened, with water inflows over the past two years at an all-time low, the government's top water official said on Tuesday. The drought will hit irrigated crops such as rice, grapes and horticulture the hardest, but would have less impact on output of wheat, which depends largely on rainfall during specific periods and is on track to double after two years of shrunken crops.
Small farmers to join Brazil sustainable cane move
August 29, 2008 10:55 AM - Reuters
Dozens of small and medium-scale farmers in Brazil's Sao Paulo state will grow sugar cane certified as meeting strict social and environmental standards, the region's cane producers association said late on Thursday. Several ethanol companies like Cosan and Louis Dreyfus signed deals to produce and export verified sustainable ethanol in the last couple of months to address consumers' concerns over the impact of ethanol which powers almost all the country's new cars.
Water Corruption Prevents Progress
August 29, 2008 09:57 AM -
Africa's largest water transfer effort, the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, plans to supply water to the industrial heartland of South Africa and to generate energy for impoverished Lesotho. The multi-billion dollar investment offers economic growth and greater water security for underserved communities in the region.
'Best Hope At Sustainable Fisheries' Short-changed By Conservation Efforts, Researchers Argue
August 26, 2008 09:44 AM - University of British Columbia.
Small scale fisheries produce as much annual catch for human consumption and use less than one-eighth the fuel as their industrial counterparts, but they are dealt a double-whammy by well-intentioned eco-labelling initiatives and ill-conceived fuel subsidies, according to a University of British Columbia study.
Roundtable Reveals International Biofuel Standard
August 25, 2008 09:53 AM - , Worldwatch Institute
Biofuels offer the promise of a low-carbon fuel that could power vehicles and stimulate the world's rural economies. Yet biofuels are also among the most vilified of environmental technologies. Ethanol refineries are not always clean. The labor on biofuel farms is not always fair. The diversion of feedstocks from food to fuel may be driving up global commodity prices.
A New Biopesticide For The Organic Food Boom
August 25, 2008 09:51 AM - American Chemical Society
With the boom in consumption of organic foods creating a pressing need for natural insecticides and herbicides that can be used on crops certified as "organic," biopesticide pioneer Pam G. Marrone, Ph.D., is reporting development of a new "green" pesticide obtained from an extract of the giant knotweed in a report scheduled for presentation here today at the 236th national meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Uruguay: Organic Wool Has Become the Great Challenge
August 25, 2008 09:47 AM - , Organic Consumers Association
There is a strong growing demand in the world for "organic" wool and consumers are willing to pay a bonus, which is a promising advantage for Uruguay and its textile industry, said Pedro Otegui, one of the country's leading wool and textile exporters.
Wastewater fears for urban farms
August 19, 2008 08:49 AM - , The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
Urgent action is needed to remove pollutants from urban wastewater, which is often used in cities to grow food, an international study has warned. Data collected by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) found that 85% of cities discharged the water without any appropriate treatment.


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A DOLLAR Tree worker has revealed customers have asked the same question about the cost of the store’s frozen products.
The low-discount shop is renowned for selling hundreds of items that cost just $1.25.
But, some stores have a Dollar Tree Plus section where items cost between $3 and $5.
Dollar Tree Plus is available in more than 100 stores, according to the Passionate Penny Pincher blog.
A worker shared on Reddit that their store has a frozen section.
They said: “We not a Dt+ but we now have Dt+ Frozen. Yay this will be fun (not) already had 10 people thinking these are $1.25 like hello didn’t you see all of the signs???.”
- HAPPENING: Shooter’s Grandpa Says Someone Else Bought Him Weapons and Taught Him How to Fire
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- Hardest landing is GUARANTEED.
- Why did the West Only Go to Shit After WW2 and Not Before?
- Barack Obama absolutely buried by Jason Whitlock.
- Leaked Document: China Preparing for Imminent War with USA Over Taiwan
- This is what happens if you give up your guns: Australia announces TWO YEARS in prison for violating COVID rules
- School shootings were rare until the government put a target on the backs of our children in 1990. What happened in 1990?
- An amusing economic indicator: Strippers say a recession is guaranteed because the strip clubs are suddenly empty
- Pretty much in all Europe is happening but mainstream media are too focused on Ukraine..

domain: news


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Quora, a popular members-only question and answer site, has revealed that hackers have stolen the information on 100 million of the site's users.
In a security update, the site admitted that "a malicious third party" had made unauthorized access into the site. The breach, detected 30 November, is currently under investigation and, in the meantime, Quora is prompting all its users to reset their passwords.
Information stolen includes users' email addresses, passwords, names and any information gleaned from linked social media accounts. In addition, the hackers have knowledge of user activity including questions and answers posted, as well as anything up- or down-voted and any personal messages sent.
As there are no monetary transactions on Quora, no credit card information was stolen, making it a perplexing choice of target for hackers. However, since many people use the same passwords for various different online systems, it's likely hackers were taking the information to attempt to access different sites.
In addition, knowledge of users' questions and answers could be useful to some, by showing what services they use and even where they live.
The biggest surprise, however, is that many people weren't even aware hey had Quora accounts in the first place. Users on other social media platforms have expressed concern and annoyance at losing information on a network they haven't used in years.
Even Quora itself nods to this concern in its FAQ sheet on the breach, with a question "I didn't know I had a Quora account. How is it that my email or information was exposed?"
While 100 million victims of a hack is a significant number, it isn't the biggest hack this year. On 30 November, for example, the hotel chain Marriott alerted its customers to a massive hack that affects 300 million users.
Since August of this year, we've seen plenty of breaches with the NHS, British Airways, Facebook, Amazon, and several other major online services (or services with an online presence) have all had data stolen, to varying degrees of severity. If they didn't know it already, people are quickly having to realise that data isn't safe online.
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Aldi chooses Sofidel as supplier for its toilet roll wrapped in paper packaging
Sofidel commitment to offer consumers and its large-scale retail customers more sustainable packaging solutions has obtained a major acknowledgment.
Aldi, the discount retailer recognised among the most important players in the large-scale retail sector worldwide, has chosen Sofidel in the UK as the supplier for its four-pack Luxury Toilet Tissue wrapped in paper as part of its strategy of removing plastic packaging or replacing it with recyclable alternatives for its own-label products.
This is a major recognition of the most recent step Sofidel has taken towards its sustainable development strategy.
The Sofidel Group has set itself the goal of achieving a 50% reduction in the use of conventional plastic in its production by 2030 (compared to 2013), which is equivalent to the elimination of over 11,000 tonnes of plastic released onto the market every year (from 2030 onwards).
A goal pursued with a general reduction in the thickness of the plastic film used in the production process (launched some years ago), the introduction of new kraft paper packaging, which is already present or due to arrive on European distribution shelves, and the progressive use, on some markets, of recycled plastics or bioplastics.


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If you’re on the list for the next Internet Marketers of New York event, consider yourself privileged. It’s not just any schlub off the Web street who can attend the new local trade group’s shindigs. IM-NY events are invite-only. It’s no wonder the organization has a mere 20 members so far.
“The biggest concern the organization has is we don’t want to exclude any good people, but on the other hand, we need a way of building trust and making sure everyone has basic knowledge of Internet marketing,” said the group’s founder Greg Niland, president of consulting outfit GoodROI. Niland also runs several affiliate network sites in addition to hosting a weekly online radio show covering online marketing topics, called GoodKarma.
Niland and his handful of comrades aim for IM-NY to serve as a casual means of connecting with other “smart people” without contending with the sales pitches or lecture hall settings of other trade organization events. “About 80 percent is being social and just having fun, and about 20 percent is saying, ‘Hey, by the way, I have a great idea. What do you think about it?’ ” said Niland, adding, “Also, it helps with the trust factor for any collaboration.” He explained the group’s invitational approach will allow members to work together on projects or discuss topics they’d like to remain shrouded.
Indeed, the group’s first meeting, held at an undisclosed dining establishment near a central New York City transportation hub, involved talk of a consulting project collaboration. The next event, to be held in January, will be at a similar spot. According to Niland, the nascent club is in talks with a larger corporation to use its meeting places. IM-NY events are set to take place once each month.
Though IM-NY just began offering event sponsorship opportunities, Niland said the non-profit group has no revenue-stream goals, and no plans to charge membership dues. No sponsors have signed on yet for a minimum $1,000 sponsorship package, according to Niland, who said sponsors will be given the chance to address the group for three to five minutes, but will not be offered signage or branding of any kind. Instead, the intent is for sponsor representatives to carry on informal conversations with members.
The organization isn’t looking to compete with the likes of Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO), nor New York’s online ad trade group, 212. Niland suggested he’s hoping to appeal to a different group of people than those organizations.
IM-NY member Barry Schwartz, SEO expert and CEO of Web development firm Rusty Brick, was asked by Niland about a month or two ago to join the new organization, which Niland has had brewing for the past year. Although Schwartz and Niland agree the current crop of folks leans towards the search marketing end of the spectrum, this will change. “I expect a lot more e-mail people to be showing up at the next event,” said Niland.
So far, membership skews male (about 85 percent, according to Niland). As for age range, some are nearing 60 while “some literally just learned how to drink beer legally,” he said.
They're arguably the most annoying video ad formats in existence, but soon they'll be a thing of the past, at least on YouTube.
On Thursday, Twitter reported its earnings for Q4 2016, and the results have raised questions about the company's long-term future.
From its $1.5 billion air cargo hub to its growing network of contract last-mile delivery drivers, Amazon is increasingly looking like a logistics company; but shipping and logistics giant FedEx isn't sitting idly by.
Havas Group's Meaningful Brands report delivers sobering news for brands: consumers wouldn't care if 74% of the brands they use disappeared off the face of the earth.


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Apple: No Netbook, But A Tablet Instead?
The speculation comes from Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, according to Apple Insider . The analyst firm wrote a lengthy note to clients, rounding up recent investments Apple has made and concluding that they will likely end up coming to fruition in some form of tablet device.
"Between indications from our component contacts in Asia, recent patents relating to multitouch sensitivity for more complex computing devices, comments from [COO] Tim Cook on the April 22 conference call, and Apple's acquisition of P.A. Semi along with other recent chip-related hires, it is increasingly clear that Apple is investing more in its mobile computing franchise," Apple Insider reports.
Munster believes that an Apple tablet could appear sometime in 2010 and be priced between $500 and $700.
Munster goes on to note that his contacts have not seen a prototype and that software could play a pivotal role in the potential tablet, with Apple letting the device tap into the App Store.
The move wouldn't be all that surprising. Apple has held steadfast to its position to not enter the market with a "cheap" netbook just because sales have picked up. Instead, it appears that the company is interested in continuing its history of reimagining products in a given market.
An Apple tablet, like most products from the company, would likely be successful. Still, the question remains as to whether Apple is confusing the demand for low-cost, ultraportable computers with a market that does not exist. Even so, Apple would probably go ahead and roll out the tablet anyway. And in the process, it would likely create a whole new market that other companies would rush to follow.


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J.C. Penney Co. Inc. JCP, -4.48% said Thursday that it will launch sales of smartwatches for the holidays, starting October 30. Brands will include Samsung, LG and Garmin. Wearables will be priced in the range of $155 to about $350, with an expanded assortment online. The retailer has also introduced a new Modern Bride concept, including new fixtures and merchandise presentation. Modern Bride began as a collaboration with Conde Nast in 2011. The fine jewelry department has been given a new trademark, JCPenney Co. Fine Jewelry, Est. 1902, and training for associates working in that department has been revamped in order to improve customer service. J.C. Penney shares are down 1.1% in Thursday premarket trading, and down more than 60% for the past year. The S&P 500 index SPX, -1.97% is up 19.5% for the last 12 months.
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Energy Minister Simon Bridges says big petrol retailers are "on notice" after they maintained large profit margins while the price of oil was falling sharply late last year.
Mr Bridges warned the New Zealand branches of Chevron, Mobil, Z Energy, BP and Gull in a formal letter.
He expressed his disappointment at their slowness to adjust prices at the pump when the cost of crude oil was plummeting.
He wrote: "I accept that the rapid fall in importer costs was unusual, but I consider the corresponding retail price adjustments were slow and margin levels too high for too long."
He said the lag in dropping prices at the pump did not "indicate an entirely vibrant competitive market".
At the time, the retailers were making an average profit of up to 55c per litre, compared to the average profit margin of 42c per litre over 2013. Their margins have since returned to an average of 45c.
Mr Bridges conceded fuel prices began falling again before he sent the letter, on February 3, but said retailers were "on notice" and he had "made it very clear" that he was "watching them".
If retailers did not react more quickly in future, he would "assess his options". He did not say what those options were.
Chevron New Zealand spokesman Jeremy Clarke said the company reviewed its prices daily, and "we base our pricing on the competitive environment in which we operate, and the cost involved at that time".
Mobil spokeswoman Samantha Potts said many factors, including the price of crude oil and exchange rates, influenced fuel prices.
"Over the past few months the falling crude oil price has flowed through to regional product prices and resulted in significant drops in local prices at New Zealand retail sites," Ms Potts said.
Z Energy chief Mike Bennetts said once all costs were taken into account, his company's net profits in the last financial year were 4.2c per litre.
BP spokesman Jonty Mills said the company had not changed its pricing models as a result of Mr Bridges' letter.
"One of the things we've gone to him [Mr Bridges] and said is that the evidence shows ... that prices move up and down consistently in relation to the cost of the product on the international market."
Gull general manager David Bodger applauded Mr Bridges' letter: "A lot of our opposition are charging, on average, 10c a litre more in areas where we're not [located]."


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New technology makes online tracking cookies harder to detect
Move Over, Stale Cookies. There Are Fresher Technologies on Their Way That Keep Track of People Online
Personal computers really took off somewhere in the 1980s. But it was about 20 years ago, when the Internet came on the scene, that another technology was introduced: the computer “cookie.” It was designed by a programmer at Netscape (an early browser) to help our online experiences be more efficient, even pleasurable. But it soon turned into big business. How big? About $35 billion a year in the United States alone is spent collecting data for advertisers. (For a refresher, read our article, “What is a cookie?”)
For the most part, cookie technology hasn’t become more sophisticated over the past two decades. That fact has allowed security software makers and browsers (Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc.) time to come up with strategies to limit or even block cookies from gathering data on us.
That was then; this is now—because the new tracking technologies that Web companies are baking up aren’t like the cookies techno-Grandma made. These technologies and approaches are more robust and, more importantly, harder to detect…and therefore difficult to stop.
Tracking grows up.
This new breed of non-cookies comes in different shapes and flavors, and works in different ways. One of the programs might track you by your IP address, while another might make note of your operating system or other aspects of your online presence or behavior.
That just for starters. Software and app developers are now working in harmony to track an individual’s mobile browser activity more accurately. And Google, who makes the software for Android phones, is working on ways to link your mobile-browser history to your unique app use. Why? So they can cross-reference the data, identify your likes and behaviors, and offer an attractive consumer profile of you to mobile advertisers.
One new way companies are keeping track of your website visits is through a technology called “canvas fingerprinting.” When you visit certain websites, it will “ask” your computer to identify itself by “drawing a picture.” It takes a “fingerprint” of your computer, so to speak, without your knowing it. But after that, every time you visit that site, it will already know you and can keep tabs on your history. It’s not a very common practice yet, but it’s growing. What’s more, the websites privacy policies don’t tell you what they’re doing.
Some of the tracking methods almost sound like detective work. And because they’re like a good detective at work, you probably wouldn’t even notice that they’re following you. For instance, a few new services springing up collect data individually (and independently) from PCs, laptops, smartphones and tablets/iPads. Then they sift through it all and use your user location, IP address, browsing patterns—even what you’re reading—to create a well-rounded and pretty accurate “profile” of you or your household. They sell those profiles to companies looking for good sales leads, such as automotive dealers.
It’s good for business.
Advertisers seem to like the new shape of tracking technologies, mostly because they’re not as “intrusive” as cookies of the past, which were simply dropped right into your computer. But that also means they’re being a little sneakier by not letting you know about it.
Is that bad? Some people who don’t like all the behind-the-scenes hidden technology involved think it is. Others, who reap the rewards, don’t think so. Until something goes very wrong, or until these new data-tracking systems get more attention, most of us won’t even know what’s going on.
- Easy Prey Podcast
- General Topics
- Home Computing
- IP Addresses
- Online Privacy
- Online Safety
If you don't want a website or your internet provide to know what websites you visit, you...[Read More]
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) exists to help people with their voice-based communication using the Internet –…[Read More]


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COLUMBUS, OH: Geben Communication has acquired Women Online, a content and influencer marketing agency that specializes in social impact and nonprofit clients.
The seven-figure deal came about rather unconventionally, with Geben CEO Heather Whaling meeting Women Online founder Morra Aarons-Mele on the TheLi.st, a digital community meant to connect women for business opportunities.
"This is not the norm, but it worked for us," Whaling said, adding that the deal came together in less than three months and was completed without involving a broker or venture capital or private equity firm.
The acquisition puts Geben on track to grow into a $4 million business this year. Since 2017, the firm has grown 66%, according to Whaling.
The addition of Women Online adds social impact to the range of Geben's clients, which span industries including healthcare, technology, B2B and consumer services.
Through the deal, Geben is also acquiring The Mission List, Women Online's influencer network.
"For us, it's an investment in both expertise and relationships," Whaling said. "Our existing clients will benefit from Women Online's content and influencer marketing skills, and Women Online's clients will have access to Geben's full range of PR, social media and digital services."
Aarons-Mele will join Geben's leadership team as EVP and will lead the development of a national social impact practice. No redundancies are planned.
"We know that clients are looking for other ways to partner with influencers, and we have for-profit clients who have foundations and are looking at how they can be a better corporate citizen," Whaling said.


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Google is helping its users understand what's behind customized, or personalized, results (as opposed to Google Custom Search). They're rolling out a new feature that explains why results may be tailored to a particular user.
The feature will be rolled out over the next few days. When it does, you'll notice a new link for "More Details" in the top right corner. Clicking on the link will take you to an explanation of customized results. The explanation says that location (IP address), recent searches and web history to serve up the personalization.
Google noted that this feature does not change how they compile results.
Meet Your Favorite Search Engine Watch Contributors
Many of SEW's leading expert contributors will be at ClickZ Live, the new online and digital marketing event kicking off in New York (March 31-April 3). Hear from the likes of: Thom Craver, Josh Braaten, Lisa Barone, Simon Heseltine, Josh McCoy, Lisa Raehsler, Greg Jarboe, Dan Cristo, Joseph Kerschbaum, John Gagnon, Eric Enge and more!


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- Reuters•last month
More than a dozen U.S. Republican lawmakers on Wednesday urged the Obama administration to impose penalties on the Chinese telecommunications equipment maker ZTE Corp for alleged violations of Iran export controls. In a letter to three Cabinet secretaries, 14 House of Representatives Republicans led by Robert Pittenger of North Carolina said the Chinese technology giant has "blatantly worked to evade American sanctions and export control laws" to sell products to Iran that could be used to oppress dissidents. ZTE officials were not immediately available for comment.
- Reuters•2 months ago
Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp will set up a 1.2 billion yuan ($180.38 million) fund to invest in private technology, media and communication start-ups and diversify its business. ZTE and other investors will set up the Suzhou Partnership fund to invest in shares, equity or assets of firms with good growth potential, "enhancing the competitiveness of the group's main business," ZTE said in a statement late on Wednesday. ZTE will control about 25 percent of the fund, while 75 percent will be owned by other investors.
- Reuters•5 months ago
Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp revised down its 2015 net profit on Wednesday due to export curbs imposed by the U.S. Commerce Department for alleged violations of sanctions against Iran. Shenzhen-based ZTE said its 2015 net profit rose 22 percent to 3.2 billion yuan ($493.3 million). On Jan. 19, the company reported a preliminary 2015 net profit of 3.8 billion yuan.


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April was a huge month for Android phones, with the launch of at least five major devices across all carriers.
That means some of the older phones like T-Mobile's MyTouch 4G and HTC's DROID Incredible are finally being replaced by new phones that pack more power. (Although those are still great devices to have.)
But there are still some old favorites out there that still handle just as well as they did on Day One.
As we do every month, we took a look at the best Android phones available now, no matter which carrier you use. Check them out.
Samsung's DROID Charge is Verizon's second 4G phone
Although Samsung's DROID Charge experienced a minor delay thanks to Verizon's 4G outage last week, it now makes a solid choice for Android fans. Like HTC's Thunderbolt, the Charge runs on Verizon's speedy 4G network. It runs Android 2.2 Froyo, 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, and an 8 MP camera.
Our only concern is the price. At $300 with a two-year contract, it's ony of the most expensive phones Verizon has to offer.
Who it's for: Anyone who wants to take advantage of Verizon's 4G network.
HTC DROID Incredible 2 is a nice upgrade from the original
One of HTC's most popular smartphones of 2010 just got a sweet upgrade. The DROID Incredible 2 has a gorgeous display, runs Android 2.2 Froyo, and takes great photos with its 8 MP camera. Plus you get all the benefits of HTC's Sense user interface.
Who it's for: Android fans who don't mind missing out on 4G
T-Mobile G2x has quickly become T-Mobile's best phone
Reviews of T-Mobile's G2x have been fantastic so far. Critics love its powerful graphics processor (dual core), 4-inch screen, and full 1080p HD video recording. It's a great 4G phone, and very affordable compared to its competitors on Verizon.
Who it's for: Gamers and anyone looking for a fast, powerful phone at a great price
Nexus S is our Android phone of choice
We love the Nexus S. You get a pure version of Google's Android 2.3 Gingerbread, meaning you'll be the first to receive software updates like the one coming soon with video chat. Plus it's completely unlocked to run on any GSM carrier. (Perfect for world travelers).
Sprint is launching its 4G version of the Nexus S in a few days, so now is a great time to consider one.
Price: $99.99 with two-year contract from T-Mobile. $199.99 with a two-year contract from Sprint (4G version.) You can find them both at Best Buy.
Who it's for: Anyone who wants the full Android experience as Google intended.
Motorola's Atrix 4G is still the best AT&T has to offer
AT&T doesn't have a spectacular line of Android phones right now, but that doesn't take away from how amazing the Atrix is. After almost three months since the phone's launch, AT&T is finally rolling out its upgrade that will allow you to connect to its HSUPA ("4G) network.
As we said in our review, though, skip out on the optional laptop dock.
Who it's for: AT&T customers who want an Android phone. (You don't have much choice.)
HTC's Thunderbolt is still incredibly popular
After about six weeks on the market, HTC's Thunderbolt is selling incredibly well. Some analysts think it may even be outselling the iPhone 4 at Verizon stores. The Thunderbolt is the first 4G phone on Verizon, and comes at a great price. It has a huge 4.3-inch screen, 8 MP camera, and runs Android 2.2 Froyo with HTC Sense.
Who it's for: Anyone who wants a snappy 4G phone with a giant screen
Samsung Galaxy S II is only available overseas for now
For those of you who have access to the phone, the Galaxy S II is the next incarnation of Samsung's insanely popular Galaxy line of Android smartphones. The phone is thinner than the iPhone 4, and runs the latest version of Android, version 2.3 Gingerbread. We can't wait for this thing to get to the U.S., but in the meantime our friends overseas seem to be enjoying it so far.
Price: Not available in the U.S. yet.
Who it's for: Samsung fans who want the thinnest phone out there right now
Kyocera Echo is a unique, dual screen phone
Kyocera is betting its dual screen design can take off. While we enjoyed the device overall, those two screens really suck down the battery. In fact, Kyocera includes an extra battery and portable charger with the phone so you can always have a spare on hand.
You can run the phone in singles screen, dual screen, or "tablet mode," which syncs the two screens into one large display. It's not the most impressive Android phone we've used, but there's a lot of potential here, especially for gamers.
Who it's for: Gamers and those who are good about taking care of their phone's battery
Now that you've chosen a phone, don't miss...
Get the latest Google stock price here.


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“There has to be a better way”. So thought Marina Santilli when she joined UCL Business (UCL’s commercialisation company) and found that transacting low-value licensing tasks was taking up almost as much time as high-value ones.
With a background in product development, Marina set about developing a software solution to take the pain out of non-exclusive licensing for all the involved parties, reduce barriers for licensees and free up her time to focus on more interesting challenges. The result was e-lucid, a ‘click-through’ licensing platform which has proved so successful it’s now becoming a spinout company in its own right.
Grasping the long tail
“The traditional approach to negotiating a licence for university IP was designed around patent exploitation and exclusive licenses. Using the same process for something like a software license which might only cost a few hundred pounds just doesn’t stack up,” says Marina.
Time-heavy, back-and-forth negotiations mean many universities either exploit only a small fraction of these opportunities, or ignore them altogether in favour of bigger deals. But in doing so, they miss out on potentially significant income from the IP ‘long tail’.
According to the long tail model, the aggregate value of many small, non-exclusive licence deals can match or even exceed the combined value of fewer high-value exclusive licence deals. José Fernandez, product lead for e-lucid, has figures that prove the theory: “We’ve got nearly 20 universities using the platform now, and they’re generating for themselves annual revenue of over $80,000 on average from products they wouldn’t otherwise have licensed. Some are making much more.”
At the University of Sheffield, it’s the ability to offer products and licenses on a “no-negotiation” basis which has made the difference, says Head of Impact and Intellectual Property, Andrew Hogben:
“We’ve previously found it hard to justify investing time in commercialising IP with lower monetary value because the opportunity cost was too great. E-lucid handles the contracting, approvals and payment and helped us to promote a number of products that otherwise would have sat on our shelves”.
Customisable and scalable
Although e-lucid started by transacting software, the platform can be used to license a vast variety of Intellectual Property (IP) assets, allowing technology transfer offices (TTOs) to exploit the full range of a university’s intellectual and creative output.
“Once people start using the platform, we often see them starting to engage with arts and humanities departments, which are typically relegated in TTOs,” says José. “Suddenly there’s a realistic opportunity to commercialise things like processes, images and teaching materials, which opens up new departments and new avenues for knowledge transfer.”
And the quirkiest thing he’s seen licensed on the platform? “Probably the canine scales, which are a psychological tool for assessing the wellbeing of dogs.”
With such variation in scope, universities can customise how they use it to fit their commercialisation strategy. They can also choose different options to suit their stage in the express licensing journey. E-lucid can be licensed for an annual fee or for a small percentage of commercial transactions – allowing people to start small and test how it works for them before making a bigger commitment.
As the platform is hosted and supported by e-lucid, there is no demand on internal IT resources. And a tailored ‘storefront’ means e-lucid functions effectively as a marketing portal.
Charles Mycroft, Contracts and IP Officer for the University of Lincoln, says they’ve achieved a significant increase in the number of licences granted and a greater understanding of their global audience:
“Particularly from a non-STEM perspective, e-lucid has enabled us to showcase our IP in a much more structured and accessible way. The platform is very easy to navigate and mirrors the University’s branding. So far it has been a pleasure to use and being web-based has enabled us to maintain and grow this service while working remotely.”
A case study in impact
As well as generating income from otherwise neglected IP, e-lucid customers are realising big savings on the ‘opportunity costs’ of processing non-commercial transactions.
“Only about seven per cent of transactions through e-lucid are income-generating,” according to José. “A big proportion of the remainder are things like research-use licences which many TTOs devote a lot of resource to, but which don’t contribute to the bottom line.”
Many non-commercial activities play a vital role for universities in meeting their impact agenda. And here e-lucid really comes into its own. In 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, UCL academics, UCLH doctors and Mercedes Formula One engineers reverse-engineered an off-patent life-saving breathing device. With the potential to help patients around the world, UCL Business decided to share the designs and manufacturing instructions free-of-charge – but it was crucial to do it in a controlled way.
The UCL-Ventura device became the perfect demonstration of e-lucid’s potential. A bespoke version of the platform was up and running within days. Within 48 hours of going live, it had received over 800 licence applications for the blueprints, and at its peak was handling two applications a minute. What would have taken a prohibitive amount of manpower to manage via a traditional licensing route was not only proved feasible, but has continued to pay dividends. The academic team have awarded over 2,000 licenses via e-lucid, managing and communicating updates, and developing ongoing networks with teams building the device according to their blueprints around the world.
Sharing the benefits of effective knowledge transfer
With an award-winning product and a growing roster of customers, spinning out was an obvious next step for the e-lucid team. And after all, what better advert could there be for a TTO than commercialising its own innovations? On a practical level, with six staff members based in three different countries, moving forward as a separate company will give greater flexibility to grow and develop.
“We’re fundamentally quite a different operation to UCLB,” explains José. “The skill set of the team and the risks we have as a company are quite distinct from a TTO, from developing robust software and staying on top of cybersecurity threats, to providing a 24/7 response for customers around the world.”
The team plans to grow its customer base, develop new features for different markets, and continue to ensure that the product is stable and robust. But while e-lucid may be going its own way, it will stay true to the values inspired by its origins in the university sector – including an ongoing emphasis on impact.
“One of the things I’m most excited about is our plans to launch a free tier of e-lucid. I’m from Mexico, and for a small university here it could be quite a significant chunk of their budget to use the platform. But when you’ve seen how transformative effective knowledge transfer can be, you want to spread those benefits as widely as possible.”


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The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is launching the Circular Startup Index, a searchable database designed to connect businesses with startups in an effort to encourage investment and work towards a circular economy.
Available through the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s website, the index currently features 500 startups spanning various sectors, industries, and geographical locations, including Sway, Delete Cups, and Notpla. Each is a member of the Foundation’s community and has been selected for pursuing at least one principle of a circular economy, from eliminating waste and pollution to circulating products and materials and regenerating nature.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation believes that the Circular Startup Index ‘acknowledge[s] the fundamental role startups play in the circular economy transition’. It is hoped that the database will bring capital to the innovation efforts of various startups and help scale up their solutions by enabling businesses to seek out collaboration partners through a single source.
“Designing a circular future requires radical innovation to rethink how our economy works,” says Ella Hedley, project manager, Startups at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. “Thousands of circular startups are already on the case. But they need more support and investment. So we created the Circular Startup Index to create visibility of the breadth of circular startups on the market and help businesses discover suitable circular solutions.”
Hugh McCann, senior circular growth manager at DS Smith, added: “As a leading provider of sustainable, fibre-based packaging across Europe and the US, we are keen to work with disruptive businesses that can bring exciting and innovative circular solutions to DS Smith, helping us realise our purpose to redefine packaging for a changing world and reach our industry-leading circular economy ambitions.
“The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Startup Index has already expedited our work, bringing us into contact with potential partners – businesses that are leading the way and surfacing hundreds of circular solutions. We have already started working with one of the businesses we found on the Index, and are inspired by the ongoing opportunity to engage with some of the most forward-thinking businesses in the circularity space.”
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation and UNEP’s Global Commitment Framework is currently being used as a reference to collect data as part of CDP’s global environmental closure platform, in which nearly 7,000 companies are expected to share information about their production processes and utilisation of ‘problematic plastics’.
WRAP and the World Economic Forum’s Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) are also working alongside the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Plastics Initiative to create a knowledge exchange network – combining expertise between their global initiatives and pushing back against the impacts of plastic pollution.
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North Sea Midstream Partners and Kellas Midstream Announce Completion of Commissioning of the Lynx Line
16 Apr 2024Read more >
PD Ports has announced an all-time record in container volumes handled at Teesport.
This new record comes at a time when the Department for International Trade published its annual maritime statistics confirming Teesport, one of the deepest water ports on the east coast of England, experienced an overall volume increase higher than any other UK port in 2017.
A significant driver in this reported growth is the increasing number of containers and trailers shipped from the continent to Teesport with 54,400 TEU (Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit) handled in October, the highest on record, following an exceptional five-week period in September.
At a time of the year in which ports usually see a reduction in volumes ahead of the Christmas peak, Teesport experienced its busiest month to date.
The growth in this sector has been supported by additional vessels now calling at Teesport from shipping lines A2B-online, Containerships and Unifeeder providing increased frequency and further connections to Botlek and Dunkerque, an uplift in ferry volumes and exceptional performance at its intermodal rail terminal have been instrumental in driving further growth in this key sector.
Significant investment in a fifth ship-to-shore crane and three RTG (Rubber Tyre Gantry) cranes in the last two years has been fundamental to the Port’s ability to be able to support the growth in volumes at the container terminal.
Over £1billion of investment has been attracted and secured by both PD Ports and third parties over the last 10 years to underpin growth and development positioning Teesport as the UK’s northern gateway for international trade.
Frans Calje, PD Ports’ CEO, commented on the record four-week period: “These results of huge significance not just for Teesport but the wider Tees Valley region. It represents the immense confidence and trust global shippers have in the Port to deliver peace of mind with flexibility and efficiency unlike other congested UK and European hub ports.
“Teesport is at the centre of a nationally important logistics hub to support international trade moving goods in and out of the UK. Our strategy to support our customers and government plans to move more road freight by rail has also seen a surge in demand for our quayside rail terminal with destinations across the UK.”


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The now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t shuffle of interchange-rate changes planned for April may have betrayed a rare introspective moment at the payment networks—which are long used to imposing their fees and rules on the rest of the payments ecosystem at will. And that makes it hard to resist wondering what might be triggering that consideration.
As we saw over the past year, industry regulators—led by the Federal Trade Commission and now the Justice Department—appear to be exercising a good deal more scrutiny on the payments system than usual. Just last week, the DoJ launched another investigation of Visa and Mastercard, centered on their fees and implementation issues with Durbin Amendment compliance (which followed on FTC’s formal inquiry launched in February.
And, lest we forget, in January the DoJ took the unusual action of putting the kibosh on Visa’s acquisition of account aggregator Plaid, citing potential anti-competitive domination by the network of the rapidly emerging market for account-to-account (A2A) payment alternatives.
But this first of a two-part temperature-check on the industry looks at a development that might seem a bit perplexing—Intuit’s lawsuit, launched in February, against Visa and Mastercard and alleging a number of anti-competitive actions by the networks, including price-fixing, restraint of trade and monopolistic suppression of the debit card market. A coincidence? Maybe not.
This antitrust suit is different in some ways from other legal actions by merchants in the recent past. Intuit is going it alone rather than assembling a collection of merchants to help shoulder the substantial legal costs. Also, there is the emphasis Intuit puts on network practices that the complaint says are “forcing ISOs, PayFacs, and consumers to accept outdated, less secure products” and that are making both merchants and issuers pay anti-competitive fees. And a third difference is the timing of this lawsuit. Why now?
Going it alone on an antitrust suit avoids the complications of working with dozens or hundreds of other merchants in lengthy court proceedings. Kroger’s recent success in its own legal action might have served as a model for future actions of this kind.
Many of the claims in the suit echo the same historic merchant grievances over network rules and rates expressed in other merchant actions, especially the honor-all-cards rule, which most view as the foundation enabling the monolithic imposition of interchange rates.
And Intuit, which has more than two dozen subsidiary companies, claimed it paid “billions in interchange and network fees” as a merchant when its consumer customers bought its software during the period August 2004 to present. That’s plenty of incentive for a big, successful merchant to act independently, so more such suits could certainly be looming.
Concern for network practices that adversely affect downstream payment participants like ISOs and payfacs makes sense, too. Intuit has served in both roles on behalf of its software customers that process their payments through the company, and the complaint conveys Intuit’s frustrations in playing these roles in the payment ecosystem, as well. The complaint also blames issuers as ”co-conspirators” and acquirers as “gatekeepers” for the bank card system, “imposing restrictive rules on merchants, ISOs and PayFacs” to keep them compliant—for instance, using sub-standard signature-authenticated credit and debit cards.
“Visa’s and Mastercard’s success in forcing merchants, ISOs, PayFacs, and consumers to accept and use technologically-inferior, and in fact defective, products—including products that Visa and Mastercard knew would increase fraud—not only advanced the goals of the conspiracy,” the complaint reads, “but also is further evidence of their substantial market power.”
Okay, but why now? EMV has worked its way mostly through the U.S. payments market like the proverbial “pig through a snake’s belly,” leaving remote transactions as the remaining gaping wound in payment card security. Concerted efforts by the networks with the latest version of 3-Domain Secure in Europe and Click-2-Pay are, in theory, progressing (however fitfully). In an era of Covid, can’t we all just get along?
The Intuit suit perhaps provides some clues to what might be a sea change in interchange politics—a convergence of long-boiling merchant complaints with refreshed regulatory zeal. Notably, the complaint expresses Intuit’s continuing abhorrence over FANF—Visa’s Fixed Acquirer Network Fee, which was imposed NINE years ago!
FANF, as readers might recall, is “effectively a fee merchants, ISOs, and PayFacs must pay to be a part of the Visa network,” the complaint reads, adding, “[t]his new fee is nothing more than a creative and anticompetitive mechanism for penalizing merchants, ISOs, and PayFacs for routing debit transactions over any rival debit network.” Implementation of the fee essentially undid the separation of debit from honor-all-cards, hard-won by merchants in the Walmart interchange suit settled in 2003, by leaving the merchant no way to mitigate the fee unless it routes debit volumes along with credit to the network.
Further, FANF discriminates against merchants and others for routing transactions over competing PIN-debit networks, the complaint reads. This is because, in addition to paying the special fees to be a part of the Visa network regardless of which PIN-debit network they route through, merchants, ISOs and payfacs wind up effectively paying twice for the same debit transaction, according to the suit.
On top of that, issuers are disincented from contemplating the use of rival PIN-debit networks by the network’s 5-year-old Delayed De-Conversion Assessment (DDCA) fee, which kicks in if issuers experience “sustained material decline in Visa payment volume or card counts” or demonstrate “an intent to change business status or network affiliation,” according to the complaint.
In other words, if an issuer contemplates working with merchants to leverage safer and more cost-effective PIN and PINless debit routing, higher fees are the penalty for doing so.
Both FANF and DDCA were part of nearly a dozen complaints a group of merchants made to the DoJ and FTC in 2019 as indicative of both technical and business impediments the networks have erected to discourage use of PIN/PINless debit and merchant routing choice under Durbin. Lo and behold, the chickens, it appears, have come home to roost in the formal investigations by the FTC and now the DoJ.
Perhaps that’s why, just a few weeks ago, an announcement quietly came over the ether stating that a Payments Leadership Council (“PLC”) had been created, joining the chief executives of the major networks—Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover—with the CEOs of FIS, Fiserv, and Global—the marketplace heavyweights representing issuers and the acquirers—in the stated mission “to share their unique insights on the innovations that have enabled leadership in global commerce and economic growth in order to promote effective public policies responsive to current and future challenges facing the U.S. economy.”
“The Payments Leadership Council recognizes the unique and critical role the payments industry will play in the country’s economic recovery,” the PLC’s joint statement read. “We will work with policymakers to promote inclusive growth, protect consumers, foster inclusion, cultivate innovation, and support a dynamic ecosystem for payments.”
Is the PLC an effort by the feudal lords of card payments perched atop their bastions and bulwarks to pour boiling oil down on the desperate merchants pounding at the castle gates? Or a fig leaf that might point to a pathway for the entire card payments ecosystem to take a broader, holistic approach to fair, safe, and efficient transacting? We don’t know because there has been nothing made public about the effort since it was announced. But the stage is certainly set to find out if card payments are headed to the courts in a big way in this new, emerging, Covid-impacted moment of business morality.
The bottom line on the Intuit suit is that it provides another important set of clues to how the long-boiling confrontation over network rules and rates might play out. It cites extensively the European Union’s largely successful efforts to rein in the networks through sustained regulatory and legal challenges. These challenges might be providing a foundation for antitrust actions that are making their way to the U.S. legal battlefield.


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Two days prior to signing Phase One of the US/China trade deal, the Treasury Department announced they were removing China’s designation as a currency manipulator.
The Trump administration designated China as a currency manipulator in August 2019 when Trump accused China of intentionally weakening their currency to make their goods cheaper for sale overseas in light of the then-new tariffs.
Since August, the Treasury Department claims China has made promises to stop devaluation and to promote transparency and accountability.
While the August 2019 label as a currency manipulator received bipartisan agreement, this new move has received criticism from Democrat Senators who argue the label of “currency manipulator” should not be used as a bargaining tool in the ongoing US/China trade war.
As the signing date of Phase One approaches, I expect the Trump administration to release further details in multiple parts.


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DIFF picks MEC as media buyer
Dubai, September 11, 2011
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has appointed active engagement firm MEC as its media buying agency for its upcoming eighth edition.
MEC secured a three-year contact with DIFF, taking over from predecessor OMD, after a four-way pitch featuring media buying industry leaders Mediavest, MediaCarat and OMD, a statement said.
“Media buying plays an important role in driving the Festival’s industry and community engagement, and MEC’s approach provided an exciting blend of both cutting-edge technology as well as its active engagement in all the spaces we want to be present in,” said Mahsa Motamedi, DIFF director of Marketing and Sponsorship.
Mohan Nambiar, chief executive officer, MEC Mena, said: "DIFF is an iconic event in the region and we are delighted at being chosen to handle its media business.”
“Cinema is about creativity and passion, and we have demonstrated our strengths in these areas consistently over the years. We strive to be a valued and valuable business partner to all our clients and hope our partnership with DIFF will pave the way for exceptional success in its next editions,” he added.
Leo Burnett continues as the Festival’s marketing and advertising agency, executing all DIFF creative and digital, while ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller remains the festival’s public relations agency for the UAE and Arab world.
DIFF is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, the home of the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The Festival is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.
DIFF 2011 will run from December 7 to 14. – TradeArabia News Service
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- Saudi's inaugural food expo 'a big hit'
- One million Gazans in need of food aid says UN
- US burger chain to open outlets in Saudi
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MySpace officially launched its beta self-service ad program Monday. The initiative, dubbed MyAds, is intended to help small businesses promote themselves across the social networking site.
"MyAds is the opportunity to democratize online advertising to small businesses and empower them to place their message in front of millions of potential customers," according to a spokeswoman.
Participating companies select their audience, determine how long the ad will run, and specify how much money they wish to spend. Users will not pay to list ads; they will be charged only when someone clicks on the ad and visits a profile to learn more. Pricing runs from $25 up to $10,000, with a minimum of 25 cents per click.
"We will keep showing your ad on MySpace until your campaign has reached its expiration date, or you have reached your spending limit," Space said.
Ads will be targeted to MySpace users with profile information or Internet Protocol addresses that correspond to the targeting options selected by the advertiser. MySpace will use its HyperTargeting technology, which cross references information with U.S. Post Office database. The platform offers more than 1,100 categories, MySpace said.
Ads will show up in banners that look like this:


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Market opens tomorrow June 2nd!
(We have more vendors to announce and will continue to do so next week)
The community garden headed by Mary and Martha's Soup Kitchen will be in the non-profit tent to sell their wares and produce.
They are raising money to keep the food pantry full and keep the garden growing to help the families of the community. Directed by Diane Holley, Jeff Shroeder and Joy Dyer. Stop by this booth to see what these hard working individuals are doing.
To learn more about America's initiative to grow community gardens please go to A.C.G.A. (America's Community Garden Association)
As our country is rising above the past years of economic difficulty we want this Farmers Markert to be something that allows local businesses to flourish, benefits the community as well as serves those who have fallen on hard times. Please come out, show your support and enjoy an hour or so with family and friends of the market.


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BUSINESS BRIEF -- Contact Lens Merger
Published 4:00 am, Tuesday, October 1, 1996
The Federal Trade Commission said it approved a plan by contact- lens maker Wesley-Jensen to buy Pilkington Barnes Hind for $79 million. Pilkington Barnes, a unit of Allergan Inc., is a Sunnyvale contact-lens maker with 1996 revenue of $125 million. Wesley-Jensen is a unit of Bain Capital of Boston, a private investment concern which has invested in several technology and health-care companies.


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Two people from Northern Ireland have been named among the wealthiest people in the UK, according to a new Sunday Times Rich List.
Owner of pharmaceutical company Norbrook and solicitor, Mary Haughey (Lady Ballyedmond) features prominently in the latest rich list published today.
She is ranked as the 135th richest person in the United Kingdom, standing with an overall wealth of £1.247bn
However, while Lady Ballyedmond and family were named the richest family in Northern Ireland, their wealth decreased by £98m within the last 2 months.
The Newry -headquartered veterinary pharmaceutical firm founded by her late husband, Eddie, in 1969.
The Northern Irish manufacturer is one of the largest family-owned veterinary medicine companies in the world, making treatments for cats, dogs, rabbits, cattle, horses, pigs and poultry.
According to the Sunday Times, Norbrook has struggled with supply chain and manufacturing problems for the past two years.
Profits halved to £4.2 million on lower turnover of £211.7 million in 2019-20. The size of the workforce was cut by nearly 100 to 1,883 during the same period.
Meanwhile, Co Louth-born and owner of Irish based consumer electrical goods firm GlenDimplex, Martin Naughton is also on the list and recorded as the second richest man in Northern Ireland.
Mr Naughton started Glen Electric in 1973 with a small manufacturing facility employing just ten people in Newry, Co Down.
In 1977, Dimplex, the leading brand in the UK electrical heating market was acquired by Glen Electrics forming the Glen Dimplex Group.
According to the latest rich list, the 82-year-old lost his billionaire status within the last year, losing £300m during the pandemic.
He now sits with a combined wealth of £858m.


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Black Friday deals are now live at Amazon. Here are the best discounts you can get on Kindle eBook readers, Echo smart speakers and Ring home security devices.
Cyber Monday is on the horizon and will follow up Black Friday with bargains galore! Here is all you need to know about the event, including when it starts.
For Black Friday, the Epic Games Store is offering deals on hundreds upon hundreds of releases. From "Far Cry 6" to "Hitman 3", here are some of the best savings.
Between PS Direct and the PlayStation Store, there are nearly 400 games on sale for Sony's Black Friday event. Here is the full list of discounted titles.
Sponsored ArticleAMPLIFY - Home & Garden
Need a new mattress? Then take advantage of Cyber Monday. We have the inside scoop on the best Cyber Monday mattress deals of the year.
The coronavirus pandemic paved the way for record breaking online-only sales, with a total of 95.7 million shoppers making purchases online.
The pandemic kept shoppers mostly inside on Black Friday, where online sales proved too tempting for many.
The next-gen Xbox Series X console has been particularly hard to come by since it was launched three weeks ago.
AMPLIFY - Lifestyle
Looking for gifts for friends who've been both naughty and nice? Get the latest from tentree!
The PlayStation 5 console sold out in last week's Black Friday sales as some gamers camped outside GameStop stores overnight.
The retailer will be hosting a Cyber Week event with exclusive deals and discounts every day from Monday.
Save on electronics including a 60-inch TV, a Lenovo Chromebook, and Beats Studio3 wireless headphones at Walmart.
We look at some of the best Cyber Monday discounts offered at Macy's and Kohl's, from electronics and clothing to kitchen and home appliances.
Save up to $500 on select laptops and up to $500 on MacBooks during the Cyber Monday sale 2019 at Best Buy and Costco.
The shopping website has deals on Amazon devices, TVs, home, electronics and more.
Advent starts this week as the Judiciary Committee begins its impeachment hearings.
Target and Walmart feature as some of the biggest retailers offering deals on TVs this Cyber Monday.
Deals on home, technology, fashion and more.
Target will be adding more deals to its Black Friday line up through to December 9, 2019
"Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" is the most pre-sold game in the series' history.
Discounts were available on televisions, children's toys and more.
Grab these Amazon Cyber Monday deals before the discounts go away.
An Instant Pot pressure cooker, 23 and Me DNA tests and personal water filters were the most purchased items in the United States.
Shoppers spend more than $1 billion in online sales on Thanksgiving alone.
Hoodies? Onesies? Mugs? There's no war on Christmas from candidates' gift shops.


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Kraft Inc. has agreed to buy Tombstone Pizza Corp., the Medford, Wis.-based frozen pizza and meat snack firm, the companies announced Wednesday.
Terms were withheld.
''Tombstone pizza is the No. 1 premium frozen brand in its marketing base, which includes 22 states in the Midwest and West. The company has quality products in a rapidly growing segment,'' said Eric Strobel, executive vice president of Kraft`s retail venture division.
Tombstone was established in 1962 by Ronald and Joseph Simek and their wives, Joan and Fran, in a tiny kitchen in the rear of the Tombstone Tap, a Medford family bar bordered on two sides by a cemetery.
The year before, the tavern grossed about $40,000 through the sale of beer, beef, barbecue beef and hamburger sales. Tombstone sales were more than $100 million last year.
''Tombstone is hardly a name for a food to create a friendly feeling. But nobody`s going to argue that it`s a name you don`t easily forget,'' D. David Sebold, executive vice president and general manager of Tombstone, said once in an interview.
After establishing itself firmly in tavern pizza sales, the firm branched into supermarket sales. In 1980, it jumped into meat snacks with beef sticks. Within two years, the firm was selling $5 million of beef sticks at wholesale. Tombstone and its more than 1,000 employees will become a free-standing unit of Kraft. With plants in Medford and Sussex, the firm sells to more than 45,000 retail outlets.
Tombstone had been courted by Oscar Mayer before that firm was acquired by General Foods Corp. G. Heileman Brewing Co. of La Crosse, Wis., also was rumored to have been interested in Tombstone in the last 10 years.
''We are pleased to be joining such a great food company,'' said Sebold.
''We look forward to working as a team to accelerate our growth. I believe our companies share common values, people and products.'' Sebold joined the firm after working as a $1.50-an-hour bartender in the tavern.
None of the Simeks will remain in the firm`s management. The deal is expected to close within two months.
In recent years, other frozen pizza firms have come under the umbrellas of food giants. Frozen pizza sales rose 3 percent to $814 million in 1984.
Last December, Pillsbury Co. acquired most of the operating assets of Jeno`s Inc., the frozen pizza and snack foods firm. And Mama Celeste pizza was bought by Chicago-based Quaker Oats Co. in the 1970s.
Kraft is the Glenview-based division of Dart & Kraft Inc. of Northbrook. Kraft, with sales of $7 billion last year, will become an autonomous company by the end of the year if the previously announced split of Dart & Kraft is completed as expected.


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xDai Payment Network Raises $500K in Seed Funding From Leading Crypto VCs
BERLIN, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2019 / Payment ecosystem xDai has secured $500,000 in seed funding from a string of leading crypto funds. Development of the stablecoin-based payment system was initiated by POA Network in 2018 with the goal of supporting a variety of stablecoins on dedicated sidechains. The recently closed seed round was led by B-Tech - the investment arm of BitMax.io and Focus Labs - together with blockchain VC firms Bixin Invest and NGC.
"Our thesis is strongly focused on real usage, not just speculation. xDai places strong emphasis on UX and private transactions, which is exactly what users need,” commmented a B-Tech spokesperson, adding “We are excited to be working together to advance payment adoption.”
xDai is the first seed investment to have been made by the nascent B-Tech fund. “We are keen on supporting the efficiency of the ETH ecosystem and helping it advance the global payment process for everyone,” stated BitMax CEO George Cao after the deal was announced. The successful completion of the seed round will accelerate development of the xDai Stable Chain and further merchant adoption of the stablecoin-based protocol.
POA Network and MakerDao are among the 10 validators securing the xDai Stable Chain, with further validators set to be added to further decentralize the network. Burner Wallet, Poketto, AlphaWallet, DEX Wallet, Nifty Wallet, Status, Portis, Wallet Core, MetaMask Mobile and Discordtip Bot have already added support for xDai Chain, with further integrations to come. In addition to supporting stablecoins DAI, USDT, RSV and others, which can be locked on the Ethereum chain to create an “x” equivalent on the xDai Stable Chain, the project will have a native utility token, DPOS, that provides staking on the network, including its various sidechains.
"xDai is the missing catalyst for mass adoption of current-day stablecoins, making them fast-and-easy-to-use at stable fees,” stated a member of Bixin, which also participated in the seed round. “We see great potential in this great project and are more than excited to see the changes it will bring to the industry.” This sentiment was echoed by Roger Lim, Founding Partner at NGC Ventures, who noted that “xDai solves the price volatility and scalability issues of blockchain adoption with its Ethereum side-chain that executes smart contracts very quickly, privately and affordably.”
Commenting on the development work taking place, xDai founder Igor Barinov said: “At ETH Denver we witnessed the biggest crypto pop-up economy, powered by xDai and Burner Wallet. We’re now further developing interoperable bridges, enabling a global payments ecosystem. We believe that xDai’s focus on Layer 2 and a user-first approach can really make a difference in advancing real-world adoption of cryptocurrencies.”
P2P and private payments, subscription services, blockchain banking and vendor stable payments are among the primary use cases envisioned for xDai, with the goal of furthering real-world adoption of blockchain technology while competing with the incumbent crypto payment processors.
xDai Chain applications provide everyday users with fast transactions and extremely low gas prices. Since the xDai Stable Chain is Ethereum compatible, data and assets can be transferred seamlessly to the Ethereum mainnet providing backend safety and limitless opportunities to scale. This synergy between stability, speed, security and scalability opens the door for many exciting applications and new use cases.
Contact for Dai
+972 545 646 238
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The Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun is reporting that Sony has set the minimum price point for the unannounced PlayStation 4 at ¥40,000 yen — which converts to approximately $427 at current exchange rates. Assuming the paper’s sources are correct, it is unlikely that Sony will directly convert the yen price point for the next generation PlayStation. This means that the U.S. MSRP could easily exceed $449 or more, depending on the number of SKUs that Sony is planning to release at launch.
Previous rumors have suggested that the PlayStation 4 will support Ultra HD 4K resolution, and come with a controller that incorporates a touch panel interface (akin to the Vita) and biometric sensors on its grips. That amounts to a considerable amount of expensive tech. Assuming these rumors were correct — and the price point mentioned by Asahi Shimbun holds true — this would seem to indicate that Sony is planning to sell the new machine at a loss.
This is hardly a surprise, since the company has traditionally launched hardware at a loss. Additionally, Sony is most likely planning to put as much distance as possible between the PS4’s price and the initial $600 price tag that devastated early PS3 sales.
Asahi Shimbun also claimed that the PlayStation 4 will abandon the Cell chip (a rumor that has popped up before), and make use of the cloud technology that Sony picked up in their acquisition of Gaikai in August 2012. This last claim about the cloud tech is by far the most solid bit of speculation in the report, because so far we have seen very little from the acquisition that would justify its $380 million price tag.
Asahi Shimbun did not provide any evidence to support any of their claims, so all of this should be considered a rumor until Sony makes their official announcement concerning the PlayStation 4. Fortunately we won’t have to wait long, as the company is expected to debut the console at an event on February 20th.


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Resort fees are embedded into many hotels' business models, so it would take a lot to upend them. But the prospect is picking up a lot of momentum.
The pressure on hotels over their consumer-unfriendly resort fees is building as the District of Columbia sued Marriott International, alleging the chain “has reaped hundreds of millions of dollars over the last decade” by leveling these “deceptive” charges.
The complaint, filed Tuesday by the city in Superior Court (see below), alleged that Marriott is engaged in “an unlawful trade practice” and has violated the District’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act” by using what the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has labeled “drip pricing.”
Calling these resort fees — also sometimes labeled as amenity fees or destination fees — profit centers for the Bethesda, Md., hotel chain, which is the largest in the world, the lawsuit states that “Marriott owns, manages, or franchises at least 189 properties worldwide that charge consumers resort fees ranging from $9 to as much as $95 per day.”
The lawsuit states that Marriott International insists that it approve resort fees before its franchisees, which own many of its affiliated properties, are allowed to charge guests these fees.
The issue, as the lawsuit points out, is that Marriott allegedly hides these fees from consumers on Marriott’s websites and on online travel agency websites, such as Expedia and Priceline, by excluding them from the room rate or by camouflaging them in “taxes and fees” shown online or on credit card statements.
Asked to comment on the lawsuit, Marriott International spokesman Brendan McManus said, “We don’t comment on pending litigation, but we look forward to continuing our discussions with other state AGs.”
Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel
Marriott International operates 30 hotel brands such as The Ritz-Carlton, Westin, and Courtyard, and the lawsuit took its Renaissance Las Vegas to task over the way it deceptively displays resort fees.
The lawsuit notes when consumers visit a Marriott website, the Renaissance Las Vegas hotel might show a $219 nightly room rate on the first screen with no hint of a resort fee. That makes the room rate lower than it actually is. The base rate is displayed the same way on Priceline and Expedia, the lawsuit notes, depriving consumers of the ability to make apples to apples price comparisons with other properties.
When consumers click through for more details on Marriott websites, only then do they first see “an obscure box” that states, “USD 30 daily destination amenity fee added to room rate incl free play at local casino, whiskey/wine tasting, and more,” the lawsuit stated.
“This statement appeared in small typeface in a shaded light blue box and was displayed less prominently than the quoted room rate of ‘219,’ which appeared in a larger bolded typeface and still did not include the resort fee,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit added: “Moreover, as Marriott’s top management admitted during an investigative interview, the statement ‘daily destination fee added to room rate’ is ambiguous and confusing to consumers because it may be understood either as indicating that the daily destination fee has already been ‘added’ to the room rate quoted on the page, or that it will be ‘added’ to the quoted rate at a later time.”
The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief to force Marriott to cease charging resort fees and to cover civil penalties and attorneys’ fees.
Hotels — and not just Marriott — have come under renewed pressure in recent weeks. Skift broke the news in late May that Booking Holdings would begin charging hotels commissions for the first time on its resort fees. The policy was to be rolled out first in the United States starting June 1, and then globally in destinations that charge such fees.
But about a week after Expedia Holdings announced it wouldn’t charge commissions on resort fees, Booking Holdings reversed course and, as Skift reported exclusively, quietly informed hotels that it would delay the commissions on resort fees until January 1, 2020. The timing of the new commissions — or the question of whether Booking Holdings, which shuffled leadership at its biggest brand, will actually impose the new charges — is fluid and subject to change.
Although Expedia declined to impose new commissions on resort fees, it noted that hotels that charge such fees will likely plummet in its search results because the fees will be taken into account in the display order.
Pressure on Resort Fees
All of this pressure on resort fees takes place seven years after the Federal Trade Commission, as noted in the lawsuit, warned the hotel industry that its resort fee practices may run counter to consumer protection laws by misrepresenting the actual cost of hotel stays.
Marriott, the lawsuit stated, received a warning letter from the commission about these so-called drip pricing practices. The Federal Trade Commission in 2017 issued a report stating that separating resort fees from room rates would “likely” harm consumers.
The lawsuit noted that its complaint “followed an investigation by the Attorneys General in all 50 states and the District of Columbia regarding the pricing practices of the hotel industry.”
Here’s the lawsuit:
Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch
Photo credit: Marriott Baltimore Waterfront in Inner Harbor, Baltimore, Maryland. The District of Columbia sued Marriott International over its resort fee practices. m01229 / Marriott


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The recent boost in CEOs’ confidence in current business conditions is showing signs of slowing this month, up just 1.8 percent from our September reading—after a 7 percent rise last month and double-digit climbs over the summer.
CEOs’ outlook for the business environment 12 months from now also stalled this month, at 6.9 on our 1-10 scale, essentially unchanged from September.
Those were the findings from Chief Executive’s October polling of 487 U.S. CEOs from October 6-8. This is the first time since May that the indexes have not shown an appreciable month-over-month gain.
CEOs we polled say uncertainty about the upcoming election and when a vaccine or effective treatment for Covid-19 will become available are the main reasons for this hesitation.
“I think we’re at the tip of the iceberg on the impacts on Covid-19 to the global economy,” says Jerry Murphy, CEO of telecommunications services provider ACBB-BITS, echoing the general sentiment shared by his peers in our monthly poll. “Add to this the chaos of the upcoming election and you have a stew of uncertainty.”
The gap between those who expect the economy to recover swiftly with a vaccine and those who forecast lingering effects on the economy appears to be widening this month.
Tim Roach, CEO of Chicago-based financial company Lendr, rates his forecast for business a year from now a 5 out of 10, blaming overall market conditions: “There’s no real path out for small businesses to reopen. Leadership seems confused and uncertain what to do. This will have devastating consequences over the next 24 months,” he says.
“Covid’s long-term impact regarding consumer spending, real estate, taxes, lending and unemployment,” lists Steve Bugg, CEO of Great Lakes Credit Union, when asked to explain why he expects business conditions to be worse a year from now than they are today. “Also, the election results will impact the next four years, too.”
In contrast, many others believe the economy will bounce back once we get on the other side of the vaccine and election.
“I believe the economy will bounce back dramatically once there is an approved vaccine, which will cause infections to drop on Covid-19,” says Arnold Kamler, CEO of Kent International, a bicycle manufacturer based in Parsippany, New Jersey.
“Businesses opening back up for office work once a vaccine is available for Covid-19,” echoes J. D. Ewing, CEO and president of family-owned furniture retailer COE Distributing, to explain his forecast.
Meanwhile, CEOs report adjusting to the “new normal,” with 60 percent of those polled saying they have permanently rebalanced their mix of on-site, remote and hybrid workers. Another 15 percent plan to do so in the coming months.
Once again this month, an increasing number of CEOs forecast increases in profits and revenues for the year ahead: 62 and 67 percent, respectively, compared to 59 and 62 percent in September.
The proportion of CEOs who anticipate increases in capital expenditures and hiring shows a similar trend, with 44 and 48 percent this month, respectively, compared to 40 and 42 percent the month prior.
And for some of the CEOs surveyed, the “talent war” that was in place prior to Covid-19 has returned.
“We are struggling to get new employees when needed to replace or add on,” says Pete Barile, president of TN-based furniture manufacturer Daniel Paul Chairs. “We are in a large industrial community with many national/international companies who also struggling for new workers. They are paying their very high-trained employee rates just to get some new warm bodies to show up. We cannot match their rates nor benefits just to attract possible candidates to start training. It’s a big problem in our area for most smaller companies, no matter what the business is,” he says.
Todd Lokash, president of Paragon Industries L.P., a TX-based manufacturer of electric kilns, heat treating ovens and custom furnaces, echoes the sentiment: “The biggest obstacle is finding people that are willing to work. The increased unemployment benefit has ruined the market for qualified candidates,” he says.
Overall, nearly half of CEOs across the country say they’re looking to hire new workers over the coming months, compared to only 17% in the midst of the crisis last April.
October data once gain shows significant variations in CEOs’ outlook—very much a representation of the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the various sectors of the economy. Real Estate CEOs have reported the largest decline in confidence this month, at -21% since September.
Chris Clemente, CEO of Reston, Virginia-based Comstock Companies, says although his company has been deemed essential and continued operating through the year, he fears the U.S. economy and employment market will suffer irreparable harm depending on the outcome of the election.
Looking at confidence levels by company size, October data is fairly flat across ranges, with the Index bordering on a “very good” rating of 7 out of 10.
About the CEO Confidence Index
The CEO Confidence Index is America’s largest monthly survey of chief executives. Each month, Chief Executive surveys CEOs across America, at organizations of all types and sizes, to compile our CEO Confidence Index data. The Index tracks confidence in current and future business environments, based on CEOs’ observations of various economic and business components.


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Nationwide customers the most 'loyal' as 30% of current account holders also have an Isa there
Current account customers at Britain’s largest building society are the most 'loyal', with 30 per cent also holding an Isa product, research has found.
Those who do their day-to-day banking with Nationwide are on the whole the most faithful, with more holding an additional product - such as an investment, loan, mortgage, credit card or insurance - with the building society than any other financial institution.
The research from global strategy, marketing and pricing consultancy Simon-Kucher & Partners looked at seven high street banks and building societies. It found the average Nationwide current account customer holds 1.31 products.
Strong anchor: Nationwide current account customers are more likely to hold other products with it than any other bank or building society
In contrast, the data found only 11 per cent of current account customers at the Co-Operative Bank also held an Isa with it and an average of just 0.76 products.
Elsewhere, 25 per cent of Lloyds Banking Group banking customers also hold an Isa and an average of 1.24 products. The full tables are below:
CURRENT ACCOUNT + ISA
Percentage of current account customers who also have a cash Isa with same provider:
Lloyds Banking Group
CURRENT ACCOUNT + OTHER
Average number of other products current account customers hold with same provider:
Lloyds Banking Group
Ben Snowman, author of the study, said: ‘Current accounts are known as the anchor product in the relationship between customer and bank. However, there are clearly vast differences in the loyalty that current account customers exhibit between the top seven high street brands.’
Jens Baumgarten, banking partner of Simon Kucher & Partners, said: ‘When it comes to Isas, banks must act smartly and quickly to secure the business of their customers. The pricing of Isas is the key determinant for banks to be able to attract and retain customers.’
Is it the 'Flexclusive' effect?
Both of these were the first newly-launched current accounts from the building society for more than two decades.
Current account customers qualify for its ‘Flexclusive’ deals – these are often market leading rates, including savings.
Last year, for example, it had a best buy Isa of 4.25 per cent which blew its competitors out of the water – it was only available to current account customers who had £750 or more entering the account in the previous three months.
This could be a factor as to why almost a third of current account customers with the building society also hold an Isa.
This year, cash Isa rates have remained subdued and Nationwide has yet to offer market leading ‘Flexclusive’ Isa.
Its best instant-access Isa rate at the moment comes in the form of its Nationwide WEB Isa issue 2, with a 2.25 per cent rate and opening balance of £10,000 – but this is open to new and existing customers.
The leading rate comes from Santander, with its Direct Isa offering 2.5 per cent.
Seven day Isa switch rule will encourage savers to switch
The Isa market in 2014 is set to change as a result of the new seven day switching scheme which is due to be introduced from September 2013.
Previous research by Simon-Kucher reveals that account switching rates are likely to increase from 2.5 to five per cent last year to six per cent to 12 per cent as a result.
It also found that 37 per cent of current account holders would consider switching to a ‘challenger’ brand, with Virgin Money being the most popular.
Ben Snowman, adds: ‘These two effects will give customers more choice in selecting a current account provider, combined with greater ease of access to alternative banking brands. Banks must secure the loyalty of their customers now, or risk them looking elsewhere for Isas and other banking products.’
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Medical Marijuana, Inc. and our family of companies made headlines this week for our work bringing CBD to patients in Mexico, our research into cannabinoids, our top quality CBD products, and more.
The cannabis and CBD industries continue to dominate the news cycle week after week. Medical Marijuana, Inc. was once again part of this conversation, receiving coverage in dozens of media outlets. Keep reading for the highlights from this coverage.
HempMeds® Mexico Recognized by Business Media
Medical Marijuana, Inc. subsidiary HempMeds® Mexico was active from the beginning advocating for patient access to CBD in the country. Our company’s efforts to bring CBD products to the people of Mexico was picked up by the International Business Times and the Motley Fool.
“One company that hasn’t been shy about its push into Mexico is Medical Marijuana, Inc., the very first publicly listed pot stock. Southern California-based Medical Marijuana was the first company to import CBD-rich oils into Mexico in 2016, giving it a head start on building important relationships with the country’s medical community. You’ll note that even with recreational legalization likely on the horizon, medical spending should continue to grow in Mexico. That gives Medical Marijuana and its RSHO-X hemp oil a real shot to continue penetrating Mexico’s medical cannabis market,” the article reads.
You can find more about our operations in Mexico here.
AXIM® Biotechnologies Researches Cannabinoids
Medical Marijuana, Inc. investment AXIM® Biotechnologies works with cannabinoids like CBD and CBG to develop new drugs and consumer products aimed at a number of health concerns. In the news recently were AXIM®’s efforts to address oral health with products like the company’s CanChew™ CBD gum and Orimax™ CBG dental hygiene line.
AXIM® executives also added their voice to the debate over the current lack of CBD regulations by the FDA. Recently, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) has pushed to give the FDA a deadline by which to create its CBD regulations.
John Huemoeller, AXIM® Biotechnologies CEO was quoted saying, “Last year, hemp and CBD were legalized through the 2018 Farm Bill. A few months ago, the DEA requested an increase in the amount of cannabis grown in the U.S. for research. Now it’s time for the FDA to recognize that cannabis and CBD products aren’t just a fad, but, because of their many wellness benefits, they are here to stay. We look forward to understanding how these new regulations may help the industry grow by setting needed safety standards and provide consumers with an overall improved level of trust in CBD and other cannabis products.”
AXIM® Biotechnologies was featured in the following media outlets recently:
Adding to the Cannabis Conversation
As a leader in the CBD industry, Medical Marijuana, Inc.’s leadership is often sought out as an expert source for news articles exploring the CBD and cannabis industries. Medical Marijuana, Inc. CEO Dr. Stuart Titus was tapped recently to comment on the need for additional research on the cannabis plant in an article on MG Magazine.
“For many years, U.S.-based researchers have had extreme difficulties in performing medical cannabis studies because of the lack of quality in the cannabis that is available for research and the lack of diversity in organizations allowed to grow it for this purpose,” Dr. Titus said. “Currently, the University of Mississippi is the only organization federally approved to grow this cannabis… It is encouraging to see the DEA taking steps to change this and offer researchers the opportunity to gain access to higher-quality cannabis and do more in-depth studies on its potential wellness benefits.”
Dr. Titus was also interviewed by Terpenes & Testing Magazine about the maturing CBD industry and how research is changing the way we look at safe CBD oil. In the interview, Dr. Titus also stressed the need for strict quality standards be developed by the CBD industry to help protect customers.
“A Hemp Roundtable group has formed, consisting of industry leaders who are interested in providing quality-assured products,” he explained. “Members are looking to get ahead of any potential federal regulations that will be imposed. The Hemp Roundtable’s US Hemp Authority now has a seal of approval for CBD manufacturers who have met requirements for quality manufacturing with tested and certified products.”
You can learn more about Medical Marijuana, Inc.’s leadership team here.
Top Quality CBD Products from Medical Marijuana, Inc.
At Medical Marijuana, Inc., we pride ourselves on providing the safest and highest quality CBD products on the market. Because of this, our products are regularly featured in the media as part of buyer’s guides, best picks, product reviews, gift guides, and more.
We were the first in the CBD industry to develop strict quality standards, including our Triple Lab Tested™ guarantee, to ensure our customers receive only the best CBD oil products available.
Medical Marijuana, Inc. products were recently featured in the following media sources.
Get More Medical Marijuana, Inc. News
Interested in trying CBD for yourself? You can shop our online CBD store here.


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NEW, RELAXED rules for duty-free goods have been announced and will come into force next year.
The new European Commission Directive nearly triples allowances for items purchased outside the EU, and is sure to lift the spirits of holidaymakers who visit the world’s top two shopping destinations – New York and Dubai. The limit for general goods has increased from 175 pounds sterling to 500 pounds sterling for air travellers, while for car and boat passengers, it is 220 pounds sterling. There will also be an increase from two to four litres on wine and no limit for perfume and eau de toilette. For fortified and sparkling wines, spirits and tobacco, there will be no change, although a limit of 16 litres will be introduced for beer.


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If packaging is a necessary evil, then overpackaging is just evil, period. Overpackaged items include apples sold in clamshells, small electronics sent in large cardboard boxes filled with packing peanuts, books wrapped in plastic. Cereal is an item bought for nearly every household in the United States and not commonly considered overpacked, yet with its interior plastic bag and exterior paperboard box, it certainly fits the bill.
Malt-O-Meal is a cereal brand that recently launched its BagTheBox campaign, offering cereal products in bags that use 75% less packaging than its boxed cereal counterparts. Since 2001, Malt-O-Meal has saved 156 million pounds of paperboard. The reduced packaging material helps save energy and waste, contributing to a greener environment while businesses and consumers spend less money.
With the U.S. cereal industry producing 2.3 billion cereal boxes a year, each with a plastic bag inside, Malt-O-Meal's resealable bags work to raise awareness regarding cereal product overpackaging and help positively impact the environment.
At Heritage Pioneer, we are committed to providing the latest in sustainable packaging news. For information on our sustainable packaging products, including recycled PET and sustainable clamshell alternatives, contact us today.