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Is the baguette under threat? How UNESCO could save the French bread
“Two hundred and fifty grams of magic and perfection in our daily lives” – that’s how French President Emmanuel Macron summed up the baguette, as it took its place on UNESCO’s list of world intangible cultural heritage last November, after a years-long campaign led by France’s politicians and bakers.
The French delegates in the room at the UNESCO meeting in Rabat, Morocco, cheered and waved baguettes in celebration, and back home, (most) bakers have welcomed the decision, but the good news comes at a time of multiple challenges for France’s bakers as they face up to long-term changes in consumer habits as well as short-term cost pressures.
France is home to one bakery for every 1,800 inhabitants and more than six billion baguettes are baked and sold every year. A 2022 study showed that 94% of Parisians live within a five minute walk of a bakery. If it is fair to say that bread plays an important role in France’s diet – and its identity, its place is not as central as it once was: the country counts around 33,000 artisan bakeries today, compared with around 55,000 in the 1970s.
In recent months, the pressure on France’s bakers has intensified: costs have gone up across the board – not just energy and wheat prices because of the war in Ukraine – but sugar, eggs, butter and other ingredients too, while consumers are also struggling with high inflation, reducing household budgets.
France’s bakers hope the recognition of the baguette by UNESCO will highlight the value of this emblematic French product, and remind consumers that it is worth paying a fair price for good quality bread.
“It is very important that the baguette – the French baguette – is recognised because it represents an ancestral skill that is admired throughout the world,” says Olivier Magne, Co-Founder of Farine & O bakery which has several branches in Paris.
“It’s a product that is of excellent quality when it is made with the right flour and by a skilled baker but it is also a product that is within the reach of everyone and that’s important,” says Magne, who won the prestigious title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2015.
The traditional French baguette, the baguette tradition, and its four ingredients – flour, yeast, water and salt – are enshrined in a 1993 decree that protects the process, which demands time and hand-kneading, and its end result, says Magne.
“The 1993 decree that set out the process and the ingredients for the baguette tradition with no additives really saved French bakers – without it there would only be industrial baguettes by now,” says Magne.
The baguette tradition is made by first weighing and mixing the four ingredients, followed by the all-important kneading by hand. Fermentation, dividing, relaxing of the dough follow, then the baguettes are shaped by hand, proved a second time, cut with shallow marks – the baker’s signature – and finally baked. Connoisseurs recognise a good baguette by its crunchy crust and chewy, honeycomb-textured interior.
As things stand, around 60% of the baguettes sold in France are made by artisan bakers, according to the Confédération Nationale de la Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Française (CNBPF), which represents the country’s bakers and has been working on the UNESCO campaign for around five years.
The threat of rising ingredient and energy prices
The traditional baguette dates its origins back to the long loaves of bread consumed in the 17th century. But for centuries most people’s daily bread came from large loaves that kept for many days: the baguette really became popular in France over the course of the 20th century and in particular following the Second World War. Then, bread was a vital part of people’s diets and the average person consumed around 900g per day. Nowadays that has fallen to around 94g of bread per person per day, a food consumed for pleasure rather than out of necessity, according to the CNBPF.
“The UNESCO inscription is very good news, but it has come at a time of problems for everyone, not just for bakers in France, but for everyone across Europe and around the world,” says Dominique Anract, President of the CNBPF.
“This UNESCO inscription is going to remind bakers that they must keep going and remind consumers that it’s really an exceptional product – flour, water, salt, yeast and then kneading by hand, with wheat originating from different regions just like cheese or wine – that deserves to be preserved and passed on to future generations.”
But even with supportive policies in place that protect their traditional methods as well as specific financial aids to counter the current difficulties, life is becoming more and more challenging for the country’s bakers.
To survive, they will need to rein in their costs. Some bakeries are already reducing their output or opening hours or baking at night when power is cheaper, but they must also take advantage of the government financial aid on offer and – crucially – increase their prices, Anract says.
Rachid Mhamdi, owner of L’Artisan de Gambetta bakery in Paris’s 20th arrondissement, says it is a balancing act: “Energy is going up as well as ingredients. We can’t avoid increasing our prices but we are trying to not increase them too much, to keep our prices reasonable.”
Mhamdi, whose bakery turns out around 800 baguettes tradition per day, and as many as 1,200 baguettes overall, sees the UNESCO decision as an important boost for an emblematic product.
“The baguette tradition is one of the key products in the bakery – it’s very important, of course. If a bakery doesn’t make good baguettes traditions then what’s the point?”
For Magne, an increase in the price of bread, alongside the UNESCO celebration of the baguette, might even prove to be a useful reminder of its worth.
“I think we (as a society) have got used to being too wasteful. My grandparents wouldn’t throw away yesterday’s bread: they knew what it was to harvest and mill the wheat and they didn’t throw away things they had sweated over. It’s time for a rethink. These are noble products that are worth a certain price.”
Anract believes customers will be prepared to pay a little more to ensure their local bakery’s survival, even if they too are feeling the pinch, partly because of the bakery’s important role, which goes far beyond the bread itself.
But those bakers that don’t manage to pass on increased costs to customers may not survive, Anract warns, and that has implications for wider society.
“A bakery is a local presence that brings life to the local neighbourhood. In a village a bakery is often the last business to survive. It’s a catastrophe for a mayor when a village loses a bakery,” he says.
The role of the baguette in French society
A trip to the bakery can be about much more than buying bread. For an isolated person living alone it may be their daily chance for a conversation, and for many children, being given the coins and sent in to buy a baguette by themselves is a memorable rite of passage on the path to independence.
Those social links are one of the reasons that led Guillaume Dubourg to train as a baker and launch his mobile bakery in and around his home village of Saint-Hilaire-de-la-Côte near Grenoble in south east France: “I noticed that many of the villages near me had become dormitory villages, where people worked far away and didn’t know their neighbours. I wanted to encourage more social links but above all I wanted to support organic agriculture and provide good, nutritional food for people.”
Dubourg does not believe the baguette fulfils that role, however. Nor does he see it as a good representation of traditional French bread. The baguette’s composition and size may encourage its social role – it’s not made to last for days, which means frequent trips to the bakery – but from a nutritional point of view, celebrating bread made from white flour and chemical yeast as a traditional product is “not very logical”, Dubourg says. For bread to be a truly artisanal, nutritionally sound product, it needs to be made with levain or natural yeast and unrefined flour, he argues.
Dubourg’s mobile bakery uses solar panels for energy and he kneads his dough by hand on a traditional wooden kneading table before baking it in a woodfired oven. He buys his flour direct from local organic farmers who grow traditional varieties of wheat and mill it themselves into flour which Dubourg says offers more nutrients than the white flour used in the post-war success story that is the baguette.
That ability to cater to changing habits is something he has in common with other bakers, however. In two of the villages Dubourg serves, ad hoc food markets have grown up around the mobile bakery on the days it visits, encouraging neighbours to talk to each other while they do their shopping.
In some cases, catering to changing tastes may mean a move upmarket.“There are a lot of very nice artisanal bakeries that are opening and that are doing well,” says Anract.
“The world and our habits are changing very fast,” adds Magne. “Bakers have had to rise to that challenge and change what they offer – for some bakers, 30% of revenues can now be ready-to-eat products like snacks, salads, burgers etc.”
The UNESCO recognition of the baguette may also help to ward off complacency, Magne says. “In France we organise a world baking championship but we often come third or fourth. We think we have our know-how and so now we don’t need to make the effort but this UNESCO inscription should encourage us to realise that we’re the pioneers of the baguette and we should work to remain the best in this area.”
For Magne, and the majority of France’s bakers, the baguette tradition is a product worth protecting. “The baguette is definitely a symbol of life. It is used for the jambon-beurre (ham and butter sandwich) which is one of the biggest sellers in the bakery, a simple product but one that makes a meal.”


text: Today, we all know what social media is. As a matter of fact, as many as 52 million adults in the UK are on social media. But, why are so many companies still struggling to figure out social media? Social Media Expert (Query: Expert or expert?), Maria McGowan, recently dove into this topic for LinkedIn, and she is of the opinion that social media can sometimes be a bit too much for businesses due to its constant changing and the volatility of social media streams. All the same, many companies have witnessed the many good things that social media marketing has to offer, especially in regards to attracting and engaging consumers, with almost 80% of companies now setting up dedicated social media departments for maximum benefits. Here, top Hampshire branding agency, Muze Creative, explores this further.

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Two more international chains are due to open in Israel by the end of the year.
Match Retail on Sunday said it would open two branches of fashion giant H&M’s upscale clothing chain & Other Stories in Jerusalem’s Malha Mall and Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Center. They are expected to open this fall, the local franchisee for H&M said in a press release.
& Other Stories has branches throughout Europe that sell women’s clothing, shoes, purses, accessories and beauty products, with a focus on high quality throughout a wide price range.
H&M opened in Israel in 2010 and now has 21 stores here, as well as one COS store in the Tel Aviv Fashion Mall.
Meanwhile, Fox Group on Sunday said it would open two branches of Danish chain store Flying Tiger. The Copenhagen-based company has some 950 stores throughout Europe and Asia and sells a variety of household products, mainly accessories and toys.
Fox committed to operating the franchise for at least five years in Israel, it said in a press release. The new stores are expected to open by the end of the year. No locations for the stores were disclosed.
Flying Tiger opened in 1995. The company’s CEO has said the store aims to be a sort of “treasure hunt,” with hundreds of new items added every month, the press release said.


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Xiaomi earlier today unveiled a brand new HDTV with a transparent display. Similar to concepts we’ve seen at CES, Xiaomi’s transparent TV boasts a 55-inch OLED display that can blend into the surrounding environment when turned off. The Mi TV LUX Transparent Edition will retail for $7,200 and will be available in China next week. …
15:16 • Deals
I’m obsessed with this Amazon gadget you’ve never heard of – and it̵…
11:06 • Deals
Unreal Prime Day deal gets you a MyQ smart garage opener and a $40 Amazon credit for $17
09:47 • Deals
Did someone forget to end these 15 epic Prime Day deals?
21:34 • Deals
Robot vacuums start at $90 for Prime Day, or get a Roomba for $200
10:22 • Deals
Amazon just revealed its official list of Prime Day 2021 best-sellers
- You’re about to get new $3,600 stimulus payments – and they might keep coming every year
- This mind-bending new Netflix original series is your next obsession
- This new Windows 11 feature is already making people so angry
- iPhone 13 isn’t even out yet and Apple fans are already complaining about the weirdest thing
- Strawberry Moon: How to watch the last supermoon of 2021 this week
It’s certainly no secret that Apple has grand ambitions in the TV streaming space. Over the past few months alone, the company has made a number of intriguing and notable series purchases. Two of the more prominent deals include a multi-million dollar deal to reboot the 80s sci-fi classic Amazing Stories and a new original series …
Apple’s new TV project with ‘La La Land’ creator proves that it’s dead serious about competing with Netflix and HBO
With a reported $1 billion at its discretion to develop and acquire original content, Apple’s TV chiefs — Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht — have been making a number of high-profile and intriguing moves over the past few months. Most recently, Apple managed to secure an original series from acclaimed La La Land writer …
After a string of uninspiring moves in the TV space, it appears that Apple is finally starting to step up to the plate. Just yesterday, word surfaced that Apple finally inked a deal for a Television show that may actually be worth watching. To this point, Apple signed a deal with legendary director Steven Spielberg …
Last year, I wrote that Apple’s TV strategy was an aimless disaster and that company executives, at a fundamental level, appeared to have no concept as to what makes for a compelling TV viewing experience. Many months later, the sad reality is that Apple’s TV strategy remains a disorganized and embarrassing mess, with little evidence …
The Golden Age of Television has been a boon for viewers but the same can’t exactly be said for writers. While there are undoubtedly more writing jobs available than ever before, the cultural shift in the way we actually consume TV has had a direct impact on how much money TV writers actually manage to take …
I’ve been pretty critical of Apple’s efforts in the TV space, having previously called the company’s seemingly non-existent TV strategy aimless and backwards. And with good reason, nothing Apple has done to date suggests that the company truly understands what makes for a compelling TV viewing experience. Bizarrely, Apple still can’t seem to figure out …
In what’s become something of a long-standing tradition, Game Of Thrones was the most torrented show of 2016, according to a new report from Torrent Freak. Impressively, 2016 marks the fifth year in a row that HBO’s hit show has sat perched atop of the torrent charts.
When it comes to binge watching great TV shows, Netflix has an incredibly deep reservoir of programs to browse through. Sure, most everyone is familiar with hits like Breaking Bad, Stranger Things, and Narcos, but one of the great things about Netflix is that there is an impressive amount of A+ quality content lurking beneath the surface.
The first season of season of HBO’s True Detective was some of the most riveting and compelling television to have aired over the past few years. Featuring an intriguing storyline set in the backwoods of Louisiana, Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson delivered A+ performances as they brought Nic Pizzolatto’s eery and incredibly unique script to life.


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Lumia 650 stock has arrived in India and Microsoft India may soon launch it officially, we reported earlier. Now while Microsoft may be very close to making it official, a retailer has already listed the device on Amazon and has promised delivery by April 30.
The device is priced Rs 16,599 for White color Model Rs 16,700 for Black color Model and it is the only retailer offering the device in India now. It is the Dual-Sim variant of Lumia 650. We still expect the price to be around Rs 15000 than what this retailer is quoting, so may be you can wait.
You can read all about Lumia 650 specs, features by clicking here. We have also posted detailed comparison between,
that gives you a good idea about how Lumia 650 compares to other mid-range Lumia devices in terms of specifications, features and price.
Thanks Vipin for the tip. Cheers!!


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Welcome to the weekend. Yep, another week has flown by and, as always, there's a bunch of wearable tech news headlines to catch up on.
So, before you head out in the sun, take a look at our comprehensive roundup of the big news below..
Samsung leaks the Gear Fit2
We first got wind of the Gear Fit sequel when a grainy image hit the web last week. This week, we've had official confirmation from Samsung itself that the Gear Fit2 is coming - albeit unintentionally.
Essential reading: Samsung Gear Fit2 review
The Fit2 was listed, along with the IconX sporty earbuds, on the Korean company's S Health website before being taken down. There was nothing in the way of specs, pricing or features, but we did get to see our first official pics.
The Fit2 is just one of a number of smart wrist wearables set to launch soon.
Garmin gets stylish with new tracker
No, really. The Garmin Vivomove is a tracker inside a traditional watch body, like the Withings Activité. The Vivomove keeps its tracking skills minimal with the emphasis on packing them inside a nice looking watch.
It's available now, in three different models starting with the Sport at the bottom, with the Classic up next and the Premium, which offers the tracker with the option of stainless steel or a gold-tone steel finishes.
Check out our pick of the best hybrid watch trackers.
Fitbit teases new devices
Fitbit boss James Park has revealed that a line of "exciting new products" will launch before the end of the year.
Unsurprisingly, Park didn't mention any product names, although we do know that Fitbit recently applied for trademarks for the Fitbit Flex 2 and the Fitbit Charge 2.
Essential reading: Fitbit Alta review
Fitbit also announced that it recorded $505.4 million in revenue during the first quarter of the year.
HTC smartwatch set to land
The HTC smartwatch rumours continue to gather momentum and the latest murmurs point towards an Android Wear device, called the HTC One Watch, being announced at the start of June.
That's according to Evan Blass, whose predictions in the past have been pretty impressive (although he originally touted an April launch).
Polar promotes personalisation
Polar has introduced a new running program, integrated into Polar Flow, that works with its line of running watches and fitness trackers to help you build the perfect training plan.
Sounding like what Adidas offers through its MiCoach training app, Polar is aiming to take things further offering adaptive plans and real time coaching.
Our crowdfunding pick this week is AirJamz, a Bluetooth motion sensing wristband that lets you play air guitar with sounds.
Groundbreaking? No. Great fun? You betcha.
How we test


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ACVB President Named Corporate Marketer of the Year
The Atlanta Chapter of the American Marketing Association has named William Pate, president and CEO of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB), the 2010 Corporate Marketer of the Year. The award recognizes results-driven marketing programs and the leaders that drive and inspire their teams to excellence and achievement.
Pate joined ACVB in late 2008 and assumed the role of president and CEO in 2009. At that time, Pate retooled ACVB’s marketing programs to meet the challenges of unprecedented economic conditions.
“During the past year William has applied his 25 years of corporate marketing experience to help ACVB successfully navigate through a tough environment,” said Ken Bernhardt, ACVB Chairman of the Board of Directors and Professor of Marketing at Georgia State University, Robinson College of Business. “The creation of several innovative marketing programs has produced valuable economic impact for Atlanta at an important time for the city’s economy.”
Highlights of ACVB’s 2009 marketing programs include:
• Hosted annual meetings for four key travel groups to generate a potential $250 million in business for the city in future years. At the start of 2010, Atlanta is outpacing every major competitive city in tradeshow convention booking pace over the next eight years and will host more citywide conventions than any year in the history of the city.
• Keep Your Meetings in Georgia campaign drove short term business by appealing to Atlanta’s Fortune 500 companies to keep their meetings local. Three Fortune 500 companies decided to keep their meetings local in 2009.
• The I.R.S. (Intown Restaurant Stimulus) program stimulated activity for restaurant members. Participating restaurants offered 15 percent off diner’s tabs during the two weeks following tax day. During the first two days of the promotion alone, nearly 10,000 visitors viewed the promotional page of Atlanta.net.
• The Backyard Adventure program appealed to Georgians to seek an affordable family getaway in Atlanta. The program generated an additional 2,093 occupied room nights in 2009.
Pate has previously been honored for his work from both Advertising Age and the American Marketing Association for his work at BellSouth, MCI and the Southeast Dairy Association.
Established in 1913, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau is a private, nonprofit organization created to favorably impact the Atlanta economy through conventions and tourism.


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IPOH - Time-pressed office workers can now pre-order their lunch before they arrive at the eatery, thanks to a new app from MeCan App Sdn Bhd.
The company has come up with mecanorder, an app that works on Apple and android platforms, though the new Nam Heong Food Court at Ipoh SoHo is currently the only establishment to use the application.
"As soon as customers reach the restaurant and press a button, the kitchen staff would start to prepare their food," said MeCan App business development manager Rachel Liew.
"Time is saved by not having to look through the menu and in deciding or waiting for the waiter to take your order," said Liew.
She said the app also allowed customers to make special requests, such as less sugar in drinks or not to have any bean sprouts in noodles.
"It is no different than ordering through a waiter, except you do not have to wonder if the person taking your order actually understood you," she said.
"At present, there is heavy reliance on foreign workers at food and beverage outlets, and very often we find there are misunderstandings due to language barriers."
Nam Heong Kopitiam Sdn Bhd owner Andy Goh said the app suited his business model, which is a modern, air-conditioned food court to attract the younger generation.
"Like sundry shops, traditional coffeeshops are dying a slow death," he said.
"I think a modern food court offering Ipoh's famous street food will appeal to young people who shy away from coffeeshops, claiming that they are stuffy and cramped," said Goh, whose family owns Ipoh's iconic Nam Heong Coffee Shop in Jalan Bandar Timah.
Beautician Chiah Xiao Ying, 23, is one of those who are bowled over by the app's convenience.
"I will definitely patronise the food court again due to its sleek design," she said.
The food court also has tablets installed at each table for customers who order only after arriving.
Naturally, using an IT-based system means that some customers will need help.
Housewife Looi Kim Gaik, 57, said she would get used to the new system after a while.
"I was unable to order my food without the help of my son," she said.


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Sherwin-Williams has opened the doors to a new store in Gloucester County, following a transaction arranged by brokers with Jeffery Realty.
Sherwin Williams has expanded its footprint in northern New Jersey with the completion of a new lease in Passaic, brokers with The Goldstein Group announced this week.
A new Sherwin Williams location has opened in Somerset County, following a newly announced transaction by The Goldstein Group.
Paul V. Profeta & Associates has expanded its out-of-state portfolio with the acquisition of a 362,000-square-foot, triple-net-leased industrial complex in Central Florida.
Four new tenants have joined the roster at a 32,000-square-foot shopping center in Bergen County, following a series of leases brokered by The Goldstein Group.
Painting retailer Sherwin-Williams has opened the doors of its new, 4,500-square-foot store at a North Brunswick retail complex, Levin Management Corp. said Friday.


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Until recently, the costs of sustainability initiatives were considered detractions from profitability. However, companies have begun to realise that their own success depends more and more on the ability to address the broad array of issues impacting the fragile world in which we now live.
Forward thinking Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) companies are embracing new approaches, tools and data centric strategies to improve project and business outcomes.
The HxGN Content Program has undergone many updates since its announcement in 2014. From now providing 3D models to high-definition layers, watch as Geosystems Vice President of Global Sales Jamie Curtin explains.


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The recently launched Huawei Mate 30 and The Mate Pro 30 have a wealth of upgraded hardware, including additional cameras and borderless screens, but they make a huge compromise Huawei has been forced to switch to Android Open Source for national security reasons and can not ship it with preinstalled Google apps and services. This means that there is no play store and shoppers need to limit themselves to the in-house alternative Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) for apps.
However, Huawei has come up with a kind of workaround: users can unlock the Mate 30 series. & # 39; Bootlocker reversing Huawei's May 2018 decision to remove this functionality for its phones. The company confirmed this change with AnandTech and Android Authority.
"We restricted [bootloader unlocking] because we wanted to ensure more consumer safety," said Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer Business Group, in a statement to Android Authority. "But this time, we're giving consumers more freedom to make more adjustments themselves. We plan to leave this to consumers.
While this is not an ideal situation for either Huawei or its customers, unlocking the devices makes it easy to install Google Play Services and restore features that look like a complete experience. According to the Android Authority, it is not clear how this process will proceed and how much Huawei supports the unlock:
Unfortunately, Richard did not elaborate on how this process will proceed. Will the Mate 30 Series ship with an unlocked bootloader? Do users need to figure out themselves how to unlock the bootloader and then go to the XDA developer forums to spread the word? Could Huawei publish explicit instructions online on how to unlock the Huawei Mate 30 Pro bootloader to make things easier? With all these details, the company was mother.
Android Authority found that unlocking a bootloader and loading apps from the side of the phone exceeds the technical capabilities of an average user, and it is therefore unclear whether this feature will be important to more than a handful of Huawei enthusiasts or compensation of any Impact on the sale of the Mate 30 series. According to Anandtech, Huawei may make significant investments in HMS (for example, a developer fund of $ 1 billion and a commitment to spend only half of Google's 30% cut on Google's app revenue), that Google suffers more damage in the long term than its Chinese competitors.
According to Android Authority, Huawei has set an ambitious target of 20 million Mate 30 Series mobile phones sold. The successful P30 and Mate 20 series had access to the Google ecosystem, and it's difficult to predict whether the Mate 30 series will sell without it. The Commerce Department has repeatedly extended a grace period to facilitate the transition for Huawei and US companies before the blacklist unfolds its full effect. However, it is relatively clear that the deadline will soon expire (and the delays apply only to old and not new products, including software updates). Yu told Anandtech that Huawei would "restore" access to Google services and updates immediately if sanctions were lifted against the company.
"Huawei has already developed a strong brand in Europe, and I am sure there will be a market for new products, given Huawei's good track record in terms of chic design and outstanding features, such as multiple excellent zoom cameras", said Ben Wood, chief researcher at CCS Insight, told Guardian, "The lack of Google services, however, is a major challenge for customers. There is also a risk that consumers will buy a new Huawei and then find that it does not offer everything they expected and that they decide to return. "


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Trelleborg Q1 results show effect of weaker market
In its interim report covering January – March 2013, Sweden’s Trelleborg “noted a strong first quarter despite weaker market conditions”, or in other words, its figures are down on a year earlier but show a respectable performance given the current market. The company anticipates its performance in the second quarter will be on a par with the first quarter.
Net sales for the first quarter of 2013 declined 5.8 per cent to SEK 5.4 billion (£533.1 million); organic sales decreased by five per cent. Operating profit for the quarter, excluding items affecting comparability and the participation in TrelleborgVibracoustic, declined 4.1 per cent to SEK 639 million (£63.2 million), equivalent to an operating margin of 11.8 per cent, up from 11.6 per cent a year earlier. Net profit amounted to SEK 491 million (£48.5 million), a year-on-year decrease of 2.0 per cent.
The business area of interest to us is of course Trelleborg Wheel Systems. Sales here amounted to SEK 1.1 billion (£109.6 million), a decrease of 1.7 per cent on the first quarter of 2012. Operating profit fell 7.7 per cent to SEK 144 million (£14.2 million) and operating margin decreased from 13.8 per cent to 13.0 per cent. “Adjusted for acquisitions and exchange-rate effects, organic sales declined by seven per cent,” the company states. “Sales of tyres fitted on materials handling vehicles in Europe declined significantly compared with the corresponding period in 2012. Sales of agricultural tyres fell slightly less and performed in line with the underlying market. The quarter was the second best to date in terms of agricultural tyres, despite a substantially weaker market climate.”
The impact of lower sales on Trelleborg Wheel Systems’ operating profit was in part offset by reduced costs excluding exchange-rate effects.


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- Impossible Foods just announced a new plant-based pork substitute and a sausage product that will appear in a Burger King breakfast sandwich launching at the end of January.
- The announcements represent the meat alternative company's first major new product launches since it debuted the original Impossible Burger back in 2016.
- The company hasn't revealed when the ground pork alternative will actually launch, but has said it will likely appear in restaurants before making its way to grocery stores.
- The sausage will appear on a new breakfast sandwich launching in Burger King restaurants in a few test markets at the end of January.
- The new Burger King menu item gives Impossible ammunition to compete with rival Beyond Meat, which has meatless breakfast alternatives available in chains such as Dunkin' and Carl's Jr.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Impossible Foods just announced its first new products since debuting its popular plant-based "beef" burger in 2016 — Impossible Sausage and Impossible Pork, the former of which will be launching in a breakfast sandwich available at select Burger King locations this month. The launch represents the startup's next major step forward as it competes with rival Beyond Meat to dominate the market for plant-based meat alternatives.
Impossible Foods will be testing its first sausage product at 139 Burger King restaurants at the end of the month. located in Savannah, Georgia; Lansing, Michigan; Springfield, Illinois; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Montgomery, Alabama. Those restaurants will be getting the Impossible Croissan'wich, a sandwich that consists of egg, cheese, and Impossible Sausage on a toasted croissant.
The Impossible Burger can already be found at several popular fast food chains such as White Castle, which sells Impossible Sliders, and Burger King, which has Impossible Whoppers on the menu. But the launch of a sausage product at Burger King gives Impossible Foods even more ammunition to compete with rival Beyond Meat, which similarly can be found at a growing number of fast food chains, and which already provides the meat alternatives for breakfast sandwiches at chains like Dunkin' and Carl's Jr.
In addition to the new breakfast sandwich, Impossible Foods is also launching Impossible Pork: a plant-based ground pork alternative that the company says can be used in any recipe that calls for ground pork. The company has not said when Impossible Pork will launch, but Rachel Konrad, chief communications officer of Impossible Foods, said it's likely to appear in restaurants before grocery stores, as with the Impossible Burger before it.
Like the Impossible Burger, the company's pork product is made using heme — the protein that gives the plant-based patties their signature "bleeding" look that simulates the texture and appearance of red meat. The Food and Drug Administration approved heme for use in food products sold in grocery stores in August, a victory for Impossible Foods that came after the FDA initially said that the data the company had provided about its burgers wasn't enough to "establish the safety" of heme.
The heme in Impossible Pork isn't the same as that found in the burger. Rachel Konrad, chief communications officer at Impossible Foods, told Business Insider that the company tweaked its heme formula to better replicate the consistency of pork rather than red meat.
Impossible Foods decided to make a pork alternative its next major product for two key reasons: there's a huge market for it since it's the most widely eaten meat in the world, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Plus, offering a plant-based alternative to pork could help cut back on the environmental impacts stemming from the pig farming industry, the company says. High-density pig production can release excessive amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus into the environment, the FAO says.
Impossible Foods is showing its new plant-based meat options at CES, the annual tech trade show that occurs each January in Las Vegas. The news comes after the company teased a major announcement just ahead of the conference. While this is the first time the company is officially unveiling its new pork alternatives, Impossible Foods CEO Pat Brown told Business Insider in May that it had been working in this direction.
As for what's next for Impossible Foods, Konrad said the company's research and development team is working on the Impossible Burger 3.0, as well as steaks, and hinted that the company could consider expanding into poultry and fish in the future as well.


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Welcome to What’s Trending In Payments – a weekly look at the most popular, irreverent and important stories the payments industry had to offer over the past five days. Which companies grabbed the most headlines – for better or for worse – this week, and which topics have the industry abuzz with intrigue, laughter or disbelief? Featuring breakdowns from the PYMNTS.com staff and commentary by Karen Webster, here’s our take on what all of you payments peeps thought.
TOPIC ONE: Will Apple Wearables Be Chic?
Why It’s Hot
The fashion and tech industries were abuzz this week with the news that Apple had hired former Yves Saint Laurent CEO Paul Devene as its new vice president of special products. Deneve previously worked as a sales and marketing manager for Apple in Europe between 1990 and 1997, according to IBN Live.
Apple says that Devene will report directly to CEO Tim Cook, but was otherwise scant on details in terms of what Devene’s tasks will be. Mystery and intrigue abound.
I’d like to know who made the rule that ‘wearables’ have to be electronics? If this industry really wants women (or at least certain women J) to embrace wearables, and for wearables to actually be one of the magic “things” that ignites payments, then they better channel a little haute couture. Little known fact … YSL is killing it in the accessories department -handbags, shoes and sunglasses. So, could this be the signaling of a new trend in wearables that includes leather and cute heels?
This is a pretty logical connection that I’m embarrassed to admit I didn’t make right away, but no one has ever accused me of being particularly forward-thinking when it comes to fashion. But if Apple wants to make iWatch or iGlass or iWearablePod or whatever else they come up with cool, this would certainly be a good start.
And speaking of fancy …
TOPIC TWO: The Fancy Is Cool Because Will Smith Said So
Why It’s Hot
We’ve featured Fancy, which is “part store, part blog, part bookmarking tool and part magazine,” several times on PYMNTS before. Now the site is getting attention all over the Interwebs, as they’ve raised $53 million in a new round of funding. And it’s not just the amount that’s turning heads: it’s the investors.
From Will Smith to billionaire Len Blavatnik to a little payments company known as American Express, Fancy’s latest reported backers are quite impressive.
Overall, the company is now valued at around $600 million: that could buy you a lot of waterproof pool tables and Ninja Turtles-themed soap.
Well, one thing’s for sure. Fancy sure took a “fancy” to the notion of making money a whole lot sooner than Pinterest did. I wonder if this will now motivate Pinterest to seek funding from Tommy Lee Jones so that they can start turning “pins” into moolah?
@EllieMaySouth: I fancy will smith
There are plenty of ways I could’ve gone with this. I could’ve cleverly referred to, “oh you fancy, huh?” I could have included a tweet about Fancy Feast. I could have covered a tweet that actually pertains to this story.
But there are only so many times a man gets the opportunity to link to this clip in his life. And I’m not ready to pass this chance up. Will Smith is the man.
TOPIC THREE: French Give Biometric Payments A Thumbs Up
Why It’s Hot
France isn’t the first country to toy around with biometric payments, but it may be the one with the most promising chance for success. That’s what EMEA editor Chanel Smith found this week, covering a recent biometrics trial in France run by supermarket chain Auchan and DIY store Leroy Merlin.
In her report, Smith highlights a WorldPay study citing 49 percent of European consumers as “eager to use biometric payments,” and explains why the latest trial run in France might fare better than Pay By Touch’s failed run in the U.S.
There are still plenty of barriers for biometric payments to overcome, of course, but it’s a cool idea and a cool story nonetheless.
Sure, and if only Napoleon were taller, he might have had more confidence. Pay by Touch by any other name, even if translated in French, is still trouble if you ask me.
This is a pretty forward thinking tweet, as where nowhere near biometric payments replacing established payments tech yet. But if fingerprint or retina scanning or whatever else really does take off, well … thinking about the implications is pretty fascinating.


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Even with an excess of advice on online best security practices, experts in the field and regular users implement different strategies to cope with cyber threats, and not all adequately keep devices protected.
Cybersecurity experts, for instance, say they primarily install software updates to stay safe online, whereas non-expert users prefer to rely on antivirus software. A new Google study, “'…no one can hack my mind': Comparing Expert and Non-Expert Security Practices,” surveyed 231 security experts, or people with at least five years of experience working in or studying computer security, and 294 “non-experts,” recruited through Amazon's MTurk work marketplace.
After installing software updates, experts ranked creating a unique password, implementing two-factor authentication, having strong passwords and using a password manager as their top security practices. Non-experts, however, said after using antivirus software, they relied on strong passwords, changed their passwords frequently, only visited familiar websites and didn't share personal information.
Clearly, both sides don't exactly line up.
“Our findings highlight fundamental misunderstandings about basic online security practices,” a Google blog post stated. “Software updates, for example, are the seatbelts of online security; they make you safer, period. And yet, many non-experts not only overlook these as a best practice, but also mistakenly worry that software updates are a security risk.”
Regular users suggested these updates could install malicious software, specifically for automatic uploads. Some experts agreed saying that update dialogs could be spoofed if automatic updates weren't enabled.
Opinions on antivirus (AV) differed greatly with 85 percent of non-experts saying they use the software on their personal computers, as opposed to 62 percent of experts.
The tech company attributes regular users' preference for AV to its single install process.
That said, both sects agreed passwords required extra security, albeit in different ways.
Whereas 73 percent of experts used a password manager, only 24 percent of non-experts did, too. The researchers attributed this to a “lack of education” on the benefits of password managers and a perceived lack of trust in the programs.
“There is clearly room to improve how security best practices are prioritized and communicated to the vast majority of (non-expert) users,” Google wrote.


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HART for Animals has moved their thrift shop to Sand Flat Road Plaza, opening Thursday, July 2, 2020, as part of their ongoing fundraising goals. “Pick of the Litter” Thrift Shop is behind Shooters Bar & Grill, and carries items such as housewares, fashion and home accessories, pet accessories, baby and kidswear, and toys, gifts, furniture, and more.
“The money raised at the thrift shop is a tremendous opportunity for HART to continue to work towards our mission of helping save the lives of our animals in Garrett County,” says Mercedes Pellet, President of HART. “It helps support and sustain our adoption wing, and our rescue and transport programs.”
“The thrift shop is always in search of new or gently-used items,” says Paula Yudelevit, Executive Director of HART. The thrift shop accepts homewares, small appliances, fashion accessories and jewelry, baby items, pet toys and accessories, and sporting goods. Donations may be taken to the new location at 17869 Garrett Highway, Oakland, during thrift shop business hours, or the HART Animal Center during the week.
“Our volunteers and customers are going to love the open and airy feel to the new thrift shop,” Ms. Yudelevit says. “In addition to our home store items, our new boutique area features women’s shoes, accessories, and some designer and never-worn clothing.”
Those interested in volunteering or general information may visit HART’s website at www.hartforanimals.org, or call 240. 442.5370.
“Pick of the Litter” Thrift Shop hours of operation are Fridays, 10 am to 6 pm, Saturdays, 10 am to 5 pm, and Sundays, Noon to 5 pm.
For additional information on HART, the HART Animal Center, or any of its programs, or to donate, visit the HART web site at www.hartforanimals.org or become part of the HART for Animals community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HARTforAnimals.


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Unbeknownst to many NBA fans, exciting activity is not limited to the hardwood during The Finals. Rather, an entire world of quick moves and strategic plays exists outside of NBA arenas on game days during the NBA Finals. Throughout the NBA playoffs and Finals, the NBA has partnered with the Coalition of to Advance the Protection of Sports Logos (CAPS) and federal and local law enforcement officials to seize hundreds of pieces of counterfeit NBA merchandise. To date, the parties have seized over 1,000 pieces of counterfeit merchandise in Miami and San Antonio during the 2013 post-season.
Along with CAPS, which was formed by the four major sports leagues and The Collegiate Licensing Company in 1992 to address trademark protection and enforcement issues, the NBA has executed a large-scale operation this post-season aimed at seizing counterfeit merchandise. "During the playoffs, there is a huge spike in counterfeit vending. It is because of that phenomena that the NBA's intellectual property lawyers get out of the office and travel during the playoffs to host cities to see how much activity there is in terms of counterfeit sales. We then coordinate with local law enforcement and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate, seize counterfeit goods and prosecute cases," said NBA vice president and senior intellectual property counsel Anil George.
In hunting down counterfeiters, the NBA notes that it looks at three different types of business operations: established storefront vendors, temporary "pop-up" shops and traveling vendors. While each type of business poses the possibility of dealing in counterfeit goods, George notes that the most frequently notorious counterfeiters are the traveling vendors. "They have a full calendar of sporting events they are aware of. These people are a particular breed of counterfeiters who are real professionals in this area of criminal behavior, where they have an entire business model that is built around sporting events. They manufacture counterfeit products very cheaply and then sell them to what are oftentimes unsuspecting customers," George said.
For businesses, the cost of counterfeit merchandise is huge. Since its launch in 1992, CAPS indicates that it has seized over 10 million pieces of counterfeit sports merchandise. CAPS values the merchandise it has seized at over $389 million. In the 2012 fiscal year alone, over $27 million worth of counterfeit sports merchandise was seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition asserts that worldwide, businesses--sports-related and not--lose $600 to $700 million annually because of counterfeiting. "We really see this as a consumer fraud issue. What we find, is that a lot of fans are being ripped off," George noted.
CAPS offers three suggestions for fans to avoid purchasing counterfeit merchandise. First, hologram hangtags or sewn-in screen printed neck labels identify merchandise as being NBA "genuine" or "official." Additionally, ripped tags or irregular markings on apparel are signs that an item is counterfeited. George notes that oftentimes, misspellings are seen on counterfeit merchandise. Finally, one surefire method for fans to avoid purchasing counterfeit merchandise is to shop at NBA-authorized retail locations, like official team stores and NBAStore.com.


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Want to glimpse into the future of NBA? Look no further than the city of Charlotte as it hosts the 2012 Jordan Brand Classic this weekend. To feature some of the best high school players in the nation, participants get an early start to the festivities with a visit to the Jordan Brand Classic Gold Room, a collection of memorabilia and past exploits left by Jordan Brand Classic alums like LeBron James, Chris Paul, and others. Also on display was the East/West game jersey and footwear for this year’s Jordan Brand Classic. After a quick introduction by Jordan Brand Vice President, Howard “H” White then followed by a speech by Hip Hop Preacher Eric Thomas, players made brief appearances on ESPNU cable channel. Prospects Shabazz Muhammad and Nerlens Noel also took the opportunity to announced their college decisions live on television. The action starts this Saturday, April 14th, on ESPN as the International Game kicks-off on at 2:30 pm EST, the Regional Game to follow at 4:30 pm EST, with the All-American Game at 7:00 pm EST as finale.
Event Date: April 14th, 2012 (Saturday) | 2:30 pm EST – 9:30 pm EST


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The proportion of vegetarians among the younger respondents to a survey is significantly disproportionate. There are also big differences between the genders.
According to a representative survey, around twelve percent of people in Germany now eat a vegetarian or vegan diet. The avoidance of meat consumption is particularly pronounced among women and those under 30, as shown in the survey published by the Federal Association of the German Food Trade (BVLH) on the occasion of the Anuga nutrition trade fair starting on October 7th in Cologne.
Nine percent of the population eats a vegetarian diet and three percent eats a vegan diet. Another 41 percent of those surveyed described themselves as flexitarians, meaning they consciously limit their meat consumption.
According to the survey, the proportion of vegetarians was significantly disproportionate among younger respondents. At least 15 percent of those surveyed under the age of 30 described themselves as vegetarians. Among those surveyed aged 60 and over, it was only six percent. At twelve percent, the proportion of women who eat a vegetarian diet is twice as high as that of men.
According to the survey, the most important reasons for buying more plant-based products are environmental protection, animal welfare and your own health. Almost three quarters (72 percent) of those surveyed rated the range of plant-based products in German grocery stores as sufficient or just right. Around 43 percent say they would buy more plant-based foods if they were offered at a cheaper price.
Consumers: Substitute products unhealthy
However, a problem in the eyes of many consumers is that, because of their taste, vegan substitute products sometimes contain more sugar, fat and salt than the animal foods they are intended to replace. For two thirds of those surveyed, this would be a reason not to buy such products.
The survey on the topic of “plant-based nutrition” was carried out by the Forsa Institute from August 10th to 14th. A total of 1,026 people aged 18 and over were interviewed using a systematic random procedure.


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Toys ‘R’ Us recently agreed to settle its breach-of-contract lawsuit against insurance provider Colony National Insurance after alleging the company failed to provide assistance, both financially and legally, following the retailer’s loss of a $25 million wrongful death suit in 2013. U.S. District Judge Madeline C. Aeleo filed a one-page order in New Jersey federal court stating that the two companies have 60 days each to reopen the matter if the settlement is not agreed upon. The settlement itself was not open to the public and both sides have refused to comment.
Toys ‘R’ Us was found guilty of negligence in a case involving a 28-year-old woman who died after using an allegedly defective Benzai Falls In-Ground Pool Slide sold at one of the retailer’s locations. Upon appealing the case in September 2013, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court found the retailer demonstrated a “substantial degree of reprehensibility” when it sold the unsafe pool slides that did not meet federal consumer safety laws.
When Toys ‘R’ Us turned to Colony to cover them, the provider said the contract had only agreed to cover the slide manufacturer’s, Manley Toys Ltd., U.S. subsidiary, but the retailer itself did not qualify as an insured party. The Toys ‘R’ Us complaint stated:
In breach of its duty to exercise good faith in attempting to settle the [wrongful death suit] on behalf of TRU … Colony never offered or made available its policy limit.
The complaint does recognize Colony paid out $800,000 from Manley’s $4 million policy, which allowed them to settle out of the case. Toys ‘R’ Us, operating under the belief it was a “certificate holder” to Colony’s general liability policy, believed it been under an additional umbrella policy with Colony. The retailer accused Colony of lying when it agreed to indemnify Toys ‘R’ Us and defend it from all liability, but instead waited three years before claiming the retailer was not covered under an umbrella policy.


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Financial technologies such as digital currencies are "shaking" the banking system and must be monitored to maintain stability, according to the head of the International Monetary Fund.
Speaking to CNBC on Wednesday, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde pointed to the changing business models of commercial banks as evidence that innovations like cryptocurrencies are having a clear impact on financial sector incumbents.
"I think the role of the disruptors and anything that is using distributed ledger technology, whether you call it crypto, assets, currencies, or whatever ... that is clearly shaking the system," she said.
The IMF boss warned that such financial industry changes must be accompanied by regulation.
"We don't want innovation that would shake the system so much that we would lose the stability that is needed," she said.
Start-ups and big tech companies alike are increasingly eyeing the banking sector as a multitrillion-dollar market ripe for disruption. Facebook is reportedly developing its own cryptocurrency and Apple released its own credit card in partnership with Goldman Sachs last month.
Banks have responded with their own attempts to embrace new technology. JPMorgan is trialing a digital token called "JPM Coin" that would instantly settle payments between clients and Goldman Sachs is expanding its digital retail bank called Marcus overseas.
Lagarde said technology companies entering the banking space "forcefully" must be subject to regulation.
"They will have to be held accountable so that they can be fully trusted," she said.
Lagarde's comments followed a panel discussion at the IMF Spring Meetings in Washington examining how money and payments are changing around the world. She has previously encouraged central banks to examine digital currencies in order to keep up with changes in the financial landscape.
Many digital currencies like bitcoin are "decentralized," meaning they are not controlled by a central authority.


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(Lakeland, TN) After being a vacant eyesore for years, the outlet mall in Lakeland is getting a makeover and bringing business and jobs back to town.
The mall is also Lakeland’s largest retail space and could provide money for the city's school district, if it decides to create one.
Decades ago when the mall was built, it bustled with business, but now just two stores remain.
Lakeland planning director Jim Atkinson says the age of the mall drove stores away, “It's lived its useful life and now it's time for something new and the owner has some wonderful ideas."
A new plan approved by city council Monday means new life for the mall.
The area off I-40 is going to look completely different.
The big building of the old Lakeland Factor Outlet Mall is going to be completely torn down and replaced with several smaller buildings surrounding walk ways, benches, and a park for shoppers.
Most of the parking lot is going to be taken over by those buildings so the developer is building a two-story parking deck for shoppers to use.
The smaller building at the mall will stay up but get a makeover to match the new buildings.
Last summer, voters in Lakeland approved a property and sales tax increase to pay for their own schools.
Atkinson says this project should help generate more money for the schools, “We still rely heavily on sales tax revenue and this is by far the largest single retail site we have in the city so anything that happens here will significantly impact our revenue."
Gilad Development owns the mall now and is funding the renovation.
The goal is to keep the outlet concept and the developer is in talks with possible retailers who will fill the new space.
No tax incentives were given by the city for this project, and there is no set date for groundbreaking.


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Netflix shares surge on better-than-expected growth projections
Video streaming service buoyed by success of new Irish pricing strategy
Netflix forecast 2.25 million new domestic subscribers this quarter, according to a statement on its website. Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters
Shares in video streaming service Netflix have surged after it projected better-than-expected customer growth and said it may charge new users more to share accounts.
The shares rose as much as 18 per cent to $395 in extended US trading last night after the results were announced.
The company may follow the model of a recent price increase in Ireland, where current users were told they would not see price increases for two years, Mr Hastings said.
“Management appears more confident than at any time in their history,” said Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles.
“It’s either a sign that things are really great or that they’re starting to believe their own hype.”
Netflix forecast 2.25 million new domestic subscribers this quarter, according to a statement on its website.
The Los Gatos, California-based company predicted first-quarter profit of $48 million, or 78 cents a share, compared with analysts’ projections of 75 cents.
Mr Hastings has resisted calls to raise prices by investors who cite the company’s programming obligations, which now stand at $7.3 billion. Instead, Netflix is considering alternatives to its current $7.99-a-month subscription, including an $11.99 option for customers who share their accounts with friends and family.
In December, the company offered some new customers a $6.99 starting plan. “Eventually, we hope to be able to offer new members a selection of three simple options to fit everyone’s taste,” Mr Hastings said.


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British American Business Council Selects Eceptionist for Its International Business Award
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Eceptionist announced today that the British American Business Council (BABC) has awarded it the International Business Award in the Small to Medium Business category. The award encourages and recognizes companies who have made significant contributions and demonstrated leadership to further trade, commerce, civic, philanthropic, and/or cultural relations between the United Kingdom and the United States.
“The BABC International Business Awards were created to recognize companies, large and small, who are excelling in trade and investment between the UK and the US”
Criteria for the award included having year over year revenue growth both in the US and the UK. It further included having job growth in both the US and the UK along with annual capital expenditure in the US and UK. Corporations applying for the award had to have between 10 and 500 employees and worldwide revenue between 1 and 100 hundred million.
"The BABC International Business Awards were created to recognize companies, large and small, who are excelling in trade and investment between the UK and the US," said Becci Himes, BABC Houston's Executive Director. "We have a very strict set of judging criteria based on percentage of revenue growth, job creation, capital expenditure and innovation. Eceptionist excelled in every category. Their determination, passion, and success impressed us all. Eceptionist is British-American business."
“Eceptionist is honored to accept this award from the BABC. Eceptionist, with the use of its web based software application, has been actively engaged in healthcare throughout the United Kingdom for over a dozen years. The Eceptionist platform is in use in the United Kingdom in areas such as Telehealth, Referral Platforms, Enterprise Scheduling, and Wait List Management. We are very proud of the work we are doing across the United Kingdom and our business there has seen a significant increase in the last several years,” said Eceptionist press contact Deborah Jones.
The British American Business Council (BABC Houston - www.babchouston.org) is an active member of the British American Business Council – the largest transatlantic business network, with 24 chapters and 2,500 member companies, including many of the world's largest multinationals, based in major business centers throughout North America and the United Kingdom.
Eceptionist (www.eceptionist.com) is a privately held company located in Houston, Texas. Eceptionist is a leading provider of software solutions for the healthcare industry and is dedicated to helping organizations improve and optimize healthcare services. Eceptionist has created a platform that organizations can use to better manage healthcare as it is delivered across departments, sites, ACO’s, communities, and countries. The Eceptionist platform supports intelligent scheduling, telemedicine, intelligent referral and triage management, wait list and wait time management, case management, care pathways, protocols and reporting for facilities and hospitals around the world.


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Over the past decade, the rapid emergence and evolution of new transportation services has created a new set of competitors in the urban marketplace. These include ride-hailing companies and delivery vans. The rise of e-commerce and the pandemic have also changed the way people commute. To help address crowding on roads a number of private companies have been trying to impose order.
Over the years, cities have been gradually outsourcing their parking management to legacy companies such as Xerox. These firms have been able to provide various services, such as the E-ZPass toll collection system. However, now, a new breed of startups is disrupting the industry by developing a new technology that allows them to monitor the usage of their parking spaces.
According to Regina Clewlow, CEO of data transportation company Populus, the lack of parking fees for on-demand services such as food delivery has become a major issue for cities. She noted that many of these drivers don’t pay for parking.
In 2017, Clewlow helped launch Populus, which provides a platform that allows cities to monitor the usage of their parking spaces. Through its platforms, the company has been able to collect data from various mobility services, such as ride-hailing companies. It then maps the street grid to visualize the areas where there are potential parking spaces that could be better utilized. In addition, cities can charge their fleet vehicles for access to these spaces.
Populus has raised $11 million in a new round of funding led by investors, including Robert Downey Jr.’s FootPrint Coalition Ventures and Zero Infinity Partners. The company’s total funding has now reached nearly $20 million. According to Jonathan Schulhof, the managing partner of Zero Infinity Partners, the company’s team is working on developing a new data infrastructure that will help cities reduce their environmental impact.
Populus’ platform is free to use, and cities pay a subscription fee to use it. The company then collects a slice of the revenue that the cities gain from using it. It works with over a hundred cities in the US and Israel, including Chicago, Baltimore, and Seattle.
Another startup, Automotus, uses battery-powered cameras placed on streetlight poles to monitor the activity of parked cars. The company’s cameras capture 30 images per second and then, through its software, are able to analyze the data to provide a personalized view of the parking situation. For instance, if a road has an unusually high number of parked cars at certain hours of the day, the city might need to increase the rates.
According to Jordan Justus, the founder and CEO of Automotus, the company’s software is able to automate the enforcement of parking rules. For instance, in a pilot program conducted in Pittsburgh, the number of cars parking in the areas where the company’s cameras were placed increased by 21%. The amount of time that these drivers spent parked decreased by 30%.
He believes that the future of transportation management will be more integrated and less fragmented, where both mobility services and transit operations can be easily integrated. He noted that cities are already starting to realize the potential of this concept, but they are not yet ready to fully implement it.
Cities were able to quickly adapt their urban spaces during the pandemic by transforming them into places where people could gather and eat. Although the mass transformations were short-lived, they demonstrated the potential of using public art, plazas, and public transportation to complement the parking needs of their residents. Donald Shoup, an urban planning professor at UCLA, noted that the changes made during the pandemic also highlighted the need for more integrated transportation management.
If the cities that are currently testing the use of parking management tools can prove their effectiveness, then this concept could be a way to break free from the parking addiction that Americans have.


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Product delays are causing issues for ALDI.
Many grocery store have been affected during this pandemic.
Including ALDI and somethings might be missing you’re next visit.
What will ALDI be missing?
Due to the pandemic, inclement weather and other issue that store are dealing with currently.
Are causing several issues at grocery stores across the board.
Unfortunately this includes ALDI as well.
The company posted to their website that they will most likely be out of certain items your next visit.
This is due to shipping delays.
These delays are at one of the least ideal times given the Super Bowl is right around the corner.
So if you’re looking for any of the following items you might want to look else where
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Pretzel Bites
- Sun Chips
- Rice Rolls
Hopefully once ALDI get its shipping figured out they’ll be back in the swing of things.
“We are experiencing shipping delays and are working around the clock to fix it. We know it is frustrating, and we are sorry for any and all inconveniences,”
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].


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Essen, Germany — Polyurethane catalyst and surfactants company Evonik had sales of EUR 15bn in 2018, up 4.5 % on the previous financial year.
Strong demand drives Evonik on in 2018
Adjusted EBITDA across the business was up 10.4%, and reached EUR 2.6bn in 2018.
Christian Kullman, Evonik's chairman, said: 'Despite substantial external burdens, we delivered on our forecast for 2018.'
Evonik is optimising its sales and administrative processes to permanently reduce costs by EUR 200m by the end of 2020. Savings of EUR 50m are baked into the 2018 figures, the company said. The remainder will be gained this year, Evonik promised.
Sales in the company's nutrition & care division, which includes polyurethane additives, were EUR 4.6bn in the 2018 financial year. This is up 3% on the EUR 4.5 bn achieved in the previous year. The company said that this was a result of 'rising demand worldwide, which led to higher volumes and selling prices'.
Adjusted EBITDA in the division was up 8.4%, at EUR 810m in 2018. This compares with EUR 747m in 2017.
The company also announced that it will complete the sale of its methacrylate business to Advent International for EUR 3bn in Q3. This is values it at 8.5x EBITDA. Evonik said it will use the cash it generates from the sale to invest in businesses with strong cash flow and attractive margins. It will also purchase PeroxyChem of the US, and it will build a new polyamide 12 plant.
|Evonik Numbers 2018 (EUR bn)|
|Nutriton & Care|


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|Grapegrower & Winemaker||Wine & Viticulture Journal||Wine Industry Directory||
||Daily Wine News||
Nick James-Martin joins d’Arenberg as winemaker and brand ambassador
Subscribe to Daily Wine News e-mail
Browse the DWN Archive by date
Nick is currently undertaking a Master of Oenology at the University of Adelaide, having completed a Graduate Diploma in 2006, Wine Marketing degree in 2004 and vintages in France and New Zealand.
Prior to pursuing a winemaking career Nick held a number of wine related positions including marketing manager at Reschke Wines, event manager of the International Wine Challenge in London as well as working on the family vineyards in the Riverland and McLaren Vale.
Nick joins the winemaking team at d’Arenberg, lead by chief winemaker and viticulturist Chester Osborn, and will assist the Osborn family in the promotion of d’Arenberg worldwide.
“With over 60 countries stocking d’Arenberg wines it is becoming increasingly difficult for Chester and his father d’Arry to maintain an ongoing personal prescence in all markets,” Nick said. “Similar to the traditional winemaking philosophies employed at d’Arenberg, we feel that there is no substitute for meeting our customers face to face.”
Nick will be hands on during vintage and involved in the blending process, but will spend a large amount of his time hosting d’Arenberg dinners and meeting key customers in domestic and international markets. Chester maintains his extensive travel regime with Nick, taking the international travel load from Managing Director d’Arry Osborn.
“d’Arry has just turned 82 and while he still travels a lot domestically, I think he would rather be out fishing for whiting than waiting in airports,” Nick said.
The ‘d’Arenberg dinners’ which often involve plenty of humour, costumes and props have helped the d’Arenberg brand become a cult classic in the USA and Canada. Despite tough economic conditions these dinners will remain an integral part of the d’Arenberg way of doing things.
“It is even more imperative for us to maintain our travel and try and do as many lunches and dinners as possible,” Chester said. “Sharing the d’Arenberg story and having a laugh over a bottle of wine will always be a very important part of how we do business – and you just can’t do that over e-mail or phone."
“We are very pleased to have Nick on board and we look forward to him spreading the d’Arenberg word overseas and here in Australia.”
For more information please contact: Nick James-Martin 08 8329 4870 0438 284 561


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Since the outbreak of the international financial crisis, China has steered its macro-economic policies so as to expand domestic demand, stimulate imports while stabilising exports, and promote balanced global trade. The results have been noticeable. Between 2008 and 2010, China’s imports soared by 23.3 per cent, creating a trillion-dollar market for the rest of the world. At the same time, its trade surplus shrank from nearly $300 billion at its peak in 2008 to $107.1 billion as of the first three quarters of 2011, decreasing as a percentage of GDP from 6.5 per cent to 2.2 per cent. In short, China has become an important factor in promoting balanced global trade growth, and world economic recovery.
This growth in imports is the result of a rapid transformation of our economic model. In recent years, China has actively expanded domestic demand; promoted an economy driven equally by consumption, investment and exports; worked for greater liberalisation of trade and investment; continued to provide stronger policy support for increasing imports; and strived for balanced trade. We have phased out import licensing requirements for more than 800 tariff lines, and abolished customs duties on goods from 95 per cent of the world’s least-developed countries. At a time when the financial crisis was sweeping the world, our government also organised more than 30 large trade missions to buy from abroad.
This strategy, together with the sustained and rapid development of our economy, has provided a market for the rest of the world of unprecedented scale. China is now the largest export market for Japan, Korea, south-east Asia, Brazil and South Africa. It is the second-largest export market for the EU, and the third largest for the US. For many American and European businesses, it was orders coming from China that enabled them to restart production after the crisis hit, and put their employees back to work.
Today, world trade is still not balanced, which is an outcome of industrial divisions among different countries in the course of economic globalisation. Tackling the imbalances in global trade is a complex and long-term issue, which calls for concerted and unremitting efforts from all sides.
As China implements a more proactive strategy to open up its economy, our imports will exceed $1.7 trillion this year, and amount to roughly $10 trillion over the next five years, on a par with our exports. Yet it is a cause for concern that particular countries are disregarding China’s efforts to promote balanced global trade, and have been politicising economic issues, using protectionist trade and currency arrangements to bash China for political reasons. Such attempts will not help resolve their own domestic strife; rather, they could negate our efforts to expand imports, crush global market confidence and cast a dark shadow over the recovery prospects of the world economy.
The financial crisis has been dragging on for three years, causing huge damage to the world economy – and to developing economies in particular. In many countries, the pace of recovery has slowed; the world is poised at a complex, sensitive and unstable juncture.
History tells us that moments of critical crisis call for strengthened international co‑operation. Only through co‑operation can we ensure growth, and only through co‑ordination can we achieve stability. We hope that other countries can adopt a longer-term vision and a more open mindset, engage more in co-operation and partnership and less in the blame game, and join together to sail in the same boat through the current difficulties. China stands ready to work with other countries to strengthen dialogue and co-ordination on macro-economic controls, resist trade protectionism, disperse the haze cast by the global financial crisis, and promote a robust, sustainable and balanced world economy.
Chen Deming is the Chinese minister of commerce


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With just nine weeks left in the year, we think it’s safe to say that most everyone is looking forward to 2021. While there’s certainly no way to predict what the future will hold, there are some clear trends and shifts emerging that will impact how businesses market to consumers going forward.
The team from Talkwalker recently partnered with HubSpot to interview 70 global experts and frontline professionals who identified 10 social media trends for the year ahead. Taking it a step further, they surveyed consumers to rank the trends in order of which they think will be the least impactful to the most impactful. Below is a summary of the results:
10. Remixing is the new user-generated content
User-generated content (UGC) refers to any content—including text, videos, images, reviews, etc. —that have been created by people, rather than brands. For many companies, UGC has long been an important part of their digital marketing strategy. But, in 2021, experts predict remixing—the art of taking existing formats, templates, or ideas, and recreating them to express a user’s own personality or ideas—will continue to grow in popularity thanks to TikTok and Instagram Reels.
9. Coronavirus content will focus on the 4 Cs
It’s become pretty evident that we’ll continue to see the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic well into 2021 and maybe even beyond. In their search for information, consumers are turning to brands for information and reassurance relating to the crisis. 78% of which have said that brands should help them out in their daily lives. To not only be part of these COVID-19 conversations but also ensure their communication is relevant, brands will need to focus on the 4 Cs—community, contactless, cleanliness, and compassion.
8. Messaging will become more memetic
Memes are here to stay with 55% of 13-35-year-olds sending them every week. Mentions of memes increased over the last 13 months, from 19.8 million mentions in August 2019, to 24.9 million in July 2020 (+26%), with a peak of 28 million during April 2020. While many are entertaining and created in good fun, memes can influence the mindset of consumers. Expect to see them used more in marketing and advertising campaigns.
7. Nostalgia marketing will engage your audience
Naturally, the pandemic has left many of us reflecting on the ‘good old days.’ Nostalgia marketing is based on the premise that connecting with positive memories from the past helps people disconnect from their current struggles. Experts suggest that connecting that positive memory to your brand will build an emotional relationship with consumers. By making them feel good, consumers will associate your brand as being a good brand.
6. Conversational marketing will drive sales
The most successful companies in 2021 will be those who invest in building relationships and increasing consumer engagement through conversational marketing. Conversational marketing includes building relationships through personalized, one-to-one content such as chatbots, social messaging, calls, and more.
5. The line between social media and gaming will blur
Over the last 13 months, the number of people who identify as gamers (include references to gaming as part of their social bios) has increased from 31.1 million in August 2019 to 41.2 million in July 2020 (+32%), with an immediate uptick shown during the lockdown months. In 2021, we can expect the stigma associated with gaming to erode as brands become more focused on the value of the online communities gamers have built.
4. Old-school marketing will be the new ‘new’
Like fashion and popular culture, marketing trends are often cyclical. In 2021, experts predict we will see a rise in “old-school marketing” as brands switch back to tried-and-tested methods of engaging consumers. 55% of Americans now listen to podcasts, while newsletter mentions were
up 14% during the lockdown. 2021 will see continued growth in these areas. We’re also seeing a shift back to increased voice communication, not just with calls but voice search, voice notes, and now voice Tweets.
3. Social media giants will adapt to the new normal
Tech giants including several of the large social media platforms have faced significant scrutiny this year. But, they’ll continue to be just as significant in the new year. Experts attribute this to the fact that these larger platforms have the size and capabilities to adapt quickly to
changing trends and consumer habits. By incorporating new features like Instagram Reels or Twitter voice tweets, they’re able to pivot their features to counteract the popularity of growing channels, while at the same time reacting to the trends to counteract disinformation and engage
socially conscious audiences. So, while the way consumers use these platforms may change, social media will continue to be a significant part of our daily lives.
2. Digital disinformation will be tackled
Among many other issues, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the issue of disinformation to the forefront. As a result, consumers are demanding more accountability, authenticity, and transparency. Expect 2021 to be the year brands and social media channels focus on highlighting the truth, and silencing ‘fake news.’
1. Audiences will be more socially conscious
If there were any doubts before, 2020 made it clear that this generation (and the future Generation Alpha) are more socially conscious than their predecessors which has had a notable impact on brands, politics, and society as a whole. Companies will have to engage more
with topics like mental health, inclusivity, and social justice, or face becoming irrelevant and potentially obsolete in 2021. Cause-driven messaging will be the biggest trend we see in digital media in the coming year.
Of course, each of these trends are simply expert predictions. And if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that it is important to be flexible. When it comes to social media, and digital media in general, the only permanent thing is change. The platforms themselves and their best practices are always evolving based on consumer behavior.
At TargetMarket, we stay on top of the changes so that you don’t have to. Schedule a free consultation to learn more about how you can get ahead of these trends with a custom digital marketing strategy.


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Burger King's New 'Real Meals' Are Silly, But They Have a Good Message
For a long time, themed kids' fast food meals were dominated by the Happy Meal. It became a catch-all term for neatly packaged meals that kids liked. Other restaurants tried, but nothing had the longevity or brand awareness domination of the Happy Meal.
Burger King is trying its best, though, to face off against the Happy Meal and shed some light on a major issue affecting people of all age groups all over the world: It's OK to not feel happy all the time.
Enter Burger King's "Real Meals," which it says are more representative of the "real" moods its customers experience. There's the Pissed Meal, Blue Meal, Salty Meal, Yaaas Meal and DGAF (Don't Give a [You Know]) meal. Each meal includes a Whopper, fries and a drink, and each comes in specialty packaging.
— Burger King (@BurgerKing) May 1, 2019
This seems a bit silly, and it is, but there's an opportunity to give Burger King the ol' tip of the cap for doing this. It's all to raise awareness for Mental Health Awareness Month during May.
"Burger King restaurants understands that no one is happy all the time," Burger King said in a statement, according to NBC News. "That's why they're asking guests to order a Whopper meal based on however they might the feeling."
Yes, this is a bit of an oversimplification of mental health issues that people face, and it's sort of reductive to say that throwing fast food at the problem will solve the issue. But, I think Burger King is coming from a good place here. It's totally silly, but hopefully you're not taking your cues about how to handle the broad spectrum of mental health issues—and how to help a loved one dealing with these very real problems—from a fast food chain.
If Mental Health America, Burger King's partner in this effort, can sign off, that's a good indicator of Burger King's good intentions.
"While not everyone would think about pairing fast food and mental health, MHA believes in elevating the conversation in all communities in order to address mental illness Before Stage 4 (when someone has severe symptoms," MHA president and CEO Paul Gionfriddo told NBC News.
So, with that disclaimer aside, we can look at this as an innovative and creative move from Burger King.
This is a little more on the subtle side. It verges into that "How do you do, fellow kids?" territory we've hinted at before, where brands try too hard to appeal to those pesky millennials but end up falling flat, but you can forgive it because what it's trying to do is ultimately a good thing. It's like an embarrassing parent. Sure, they come on a little strong with the jokes, but they're just trying to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome.
If a silly box that says "Yaaas meal" ultimately chips away at the stigma surrounding mental health issues, then who are we to complain about it? If people in cities like Seattle, New York and Austin, where Burger King will roll out this promo, use this as an opportunity to work toward managing an ongoing issue they may be suppressing, that's a good thing.
So, Burger King, this is pretty stupid. But also really nice.
It's not that a Whopper is going to solve the problem, but it's OK to feel a little sad, deflated, angry, frustrated or anxious without having to feel like you should mask it for society's sake.
There's just this tiny part of us that can't shake the feeling that Burger King is biting Marge Simpson's style.


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Soccer ace Wayne Rooney's fiancée has been named the highest earning WAG of 2007 - making £15 million this year alone
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Thursday December 20, 2007
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At the revelation of its second quarter results, eBay CEO John Donahoe admitted that a cyber attack has had its impact on the sales platform's results.
"Focus now on recovery"
The majority of eBay's users were forced to change their password several months ago because of a hack and according to the CEO, that has had a negative effect on the second quarter sales. "The focus is now on recovery", Donahue said.
The results are nevertheless pretty much in line with forecasts as it reached a 4.37 billion dollar turnover (3.23 billion euro), 13 % higher than the previous year. Profit was also higher than anticipated, namely 868 million dollars (640 million euro), 6 % higher than the 822 million dollars (610 million euro) it managed the year before.
Large PayPal growth
Donahue said 85 % of eBay users changed their password, but a number among them have been less active ever since. Net turnover rose 9 % to 2.17 billion dollars (1.6 billion euro), but it pales in comparison with PayPal's growth, where net turnover grew 20 % to 1.95 billion dollars (1.4 billion euro).
The cyber attack has forced eBay to lower its 2014 forecast by 200 million dollars (150 million euro) to an estimated turnover of 18 to 18.3 billion dollars (13.3 to 13.5 billion euro). Its third quarter turnover is estimated to become 4.3 billion dollars (3.2 billion euro).


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The US Postal Service (USPS) has announced its plan to end Saturday delivery of first class mail in August 2013. While this should not come as a surprise, as the Postmaster General has been advocating this plan for over a year now, the American Postal Workers Union President announced his opposition to the plan, as he believes a solution must come from Congress. Some lawmakers also appeared to have been a bit surprised as one Senator noted that the Postal Service should have allowed Congress more time to find a legislative solution. Sadly, the US Postal Service is running out of options as it lost almost $16bn during its last fiscal year and defaulted on Congress-mandated pension payments. Waiting for Congress to act will surely result in bankruptcy for the US Postal Service which does not accept tax dollars to operate.
Under the plan, post office hours will not change and post office boxes will continue to receive Saturday delivery. Although there will be no first class mail delivery, there will be parcel delivery services. The Post Office is banking on e-commerce growth and parcels to bring the beleaguered group back into the black.
The volume of parcels has indeed grown over the past three years at 14.6%, while First Class Mail has declined 11.5% for the same period. In terms of revenue, the parcels segment has increased by more than 14% over the past three years and in 2012, it represented 18% of total USPS revenue. However, parcel’s contribution to total revenue has increased only 3% from 2010; therefore it has a long way to go if it is to become a major competitive threat against UPS, FedEx and the regional parcel providers.
Still, Saturday parcel delivery would be a competitive advantage for the US Postal Service. FedEx and UPS also deliver on Saturdays, but at a higher price in many cases. In addition, its relationship with UPS’s SurePost and FedEx’s SmartPost has been and will likely continue to be financially beneficial for each of the providers. But it does make one wonder if, and how, the relationships between the three will change based on the US Postal Services emphasis on e-commerce and parcels.Postmaster General Donahoe answered his critics to this controversial plan by saying, “America’s mailing habits are changing. This makes common sense.” True, but it will be a long road to recovery for the US Postal Service.


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Looks like Apple is making it easier to find Safari extension soon. The Firefox community is already pretty vibrant in this regard and I look forward to more coming out for my favorite browser.
Apple sent out an email today asking for submission to their "Safari Extensions Gallery".
We'll soon be launching the Safari Extensions Gallery, a new destination that provides you with an opportunity to increase the visibility of your Safari extension beyond your website. The Safari Extensions Gallery will feature selected extensions that offer an innovative user experience. And a one-click installation process will allow users to seamlessly install extensions from a developers website without ever having to leave the Gallery.


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South Korea will build a new Chinatown near Seoul that will serve as an international shopping and tourism hub, authorities said Wednesday.
The Chinatown, expected to be over 2.3 million square meters in size, will be built in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the Yellow Sea Free Economic Zone (YSFEZ) authority.
The YSFEZ is one the country's several free economic zones (FEZs) located near the capital area.
The project, proposed by a special purpose company (SPC) established with major investment from Chinese firm Legions Group, has been reviewed by the related bodies as of March and is waiting official approval from the authorities.
The company, capitalized at 50 billion won (US$43 million), is 50-percent owned by Legions, 20 percent by Chinese individuals and
20 percent by South Korean private investors.
The plan is to build hotels, recreation and convention centers, as well as large-scale shopping facilities with duty-free shops in the newly envisioned town, named China Castle. The company said it will also establish medical centers, an international school and apartments in the area.
By attracting experts and students interested in South Korea and China, the company aims to make the region appeal to Chinese tourists, as well as service and distribution industries.
The initial engineering work of the project is slated to be finished by 2018. The company said it will complete selling the lots to both South Korean and Chinese firms by 2022.
"The area which will be developed with Chinese capital aims to become a Chinese-friendly city and a grand-scale shopping hub for the 1.5 billion Asian population," said Sohn Jong-cheon, an advisor for the SPC company.
Yang Jae-wan, the chief of the SPC firm, said he is expecting to welcome around 50 million annual visitors by 2025 and to compete with Hong Kong and Macao over Asian tourism by 2035.
The approval for the project is expected to be completed once the agreement on fund investments is made, according to the free economic zone authority. (Yonhap)


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Robinhood Zero Fee Crypto Trading App Shares IPO Launch Plans
Zero Fee Crypto Trading App Robinhood Plans To Launch IPO
Popular Fintech startup that offers stock, option, and cryptocurrency trades with zero fees — Robinhood is buckling up to go public, starting with the hiring of a chief financial officer.
Just a year and a half ago, Robinhood was yet largely under the radar. But then it raised a $110 million Series C at a $1.3 billion valuation in April 2017 and then just a year later scored a $363 million Series D, both led by DST Global.
Coupled with the growth of its premium subscription for trading on margin called Robinhood Gold, the startup now has the firepower and revenue to make a viable Wall Street debut. It’s now valued at $5.6 billion.
In a news regarding Robinhood, CEO Baiju Bhatt said that the startup has begun to search for a CFO, and is undergoing a spate of audits from the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in order to ensure regulatory compliance.
But Robinhood, like many tech startups planning to go public these days, is still losing money. And it’s branching out into areas like stock options and cryptocurrencies that will incur losses as Robinhood pushes for market share. “We don’t intend to make very much money on it at all for the foreseeable future,” Robinhood co-founder Vlad Tenev says.
Investors in IPOs are willing to tolerate losses as long as they will be turned soon enough into growing profits. And they’ve learned to distrust CEOs who talk cavalierly about losing money. Witness the downfall of Groupon after its manic growth failed to deliver profits, or Uber, which has had to retool its expensive global ambitions.
In June, talks emerged that Robinhood was working to launch a cryptocurrency wallet following a job advertisement for multiskilled cryptocurrency engineers posted by the startup. While Robinhood allows traders to buy and sell crypto on the platform, users cannot transfer assets purchased on the platform to a third-party wallet.


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The Under Armour Curry 2.5, Steph Curry’s shoe for the NBA playoffs and until his third signature model releases later this year, is set to release in a patriotic red, white and blue scheme as an ode to summer and likely the upcoming Olympics. Although Steph won’t be participating in the Summer Games, Under Armour […]
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Beefalo producers want their meat to be more than just a niche product
Beefalo is a crossbreed of cattle and bison. The meat is lean and the animals are relatively docile, but ranchers have been reluctant to raise beefalo. The meat isn’t available in most grocery stores because it comes from mostly small producers. Some hope beefalo will soon be widely found all over the country.
Jonathan Ahl of Harvest Public Media reports.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Is hemp fiber the new sustainable knit for footwear?
November 5th, 2020
Zoe Newman, a graduate student from North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles, shared her research on the impact of introducing hemp fiber into more sustainable knit footwear during IFAI Virtual Expo 2020. Newman explained that sustainable materials are lacking in the textile industry, especially for footwear, and integrating natural fibers into the market […]
Wear Sustain calls for efficient wearables
May 11th, 2017
Wear Sustain, a collaboration among seven European organizations, is offering funding for teams of creatives and technologists to develop the next generation of sustainable wearables and e-textile ideas. The wearable technology project seeks applications from teams of art, design, technology or engineering practitioners and businesses to co-develop compelling, ethical, innovative and sustainable solutions for wearable […]
October 21st, 2016
Overcoming issues of energy and consumer engagement. Over the past decade, environmental issues have become a major concern for the textile, clothing, footwear and related industries. For wearable technology, the energy needed to operate devices and refinements in the technologies and fabrics has been in focus for decades. But now that significant development in these […]


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Bitcoin Earns Reputation for Poor Payments Standards Participation
Bailey Reutzel examines how the bitcoin community's reluctant to engage over standards could harm the digital currency in the long term.
A team of open-source payments veterans is looking to launch a new identity blockchain, one that won't run afoul of government favor.
With the help of Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Apple, the W3C is deploying a browser API that could extend cryptocurrency's payments potential.
Devs are looking to make bitcoin's layer-two lightning network compatible with a payment standard used by all major browsers – and so far, so good.
A recent W3C event saw the wider blockchain community coming together to discuss standards in an increasingly fragmented market.
Despite criticism of bitcoin's approach to payments innovation, its development process may have advantages over existing methods, observers argue.