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Could A Tattoo Artist Save Your Life?
If this ad campaign catches on, it’s possible.
Ogilvy Rio (a Brazilian ad agency) and Sol de Janeiro (a sunscreen brand) joined forces to create a campaign that trained 450 tattoo artists to detect signs of skin cancer on their clients.
It’s refreshing to see an ad campaign that’s using tattoos to look out for their consumer’s heath. Remember the people who sold their bodies as billboards for new websites, and now their ink has outlived those companies? Or more recently, how a Michigan tanning salon gave Nikkole Paulun from 16 and Pregnant, free tanning for life after she got a tattoo of the salon’s logo (let’s hope the tanning salon stays in business for that long).
The tattoo artists against skin cancer campaign really knew its audience. Brazilian beaches tend to be flooded with tans and tattoos, and where there are tans, there’s a chance of skin cancer.
Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer, more common than breast and prostate cancer combined. This campaign couldn’t have come at a better time, as May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
So besides reminding people to buy sunscreen, how effective was this campaign? Well let’s look at the numbers.
450 Brazilian tattoo artists were trained, and on average, an artist gets about six customers a day, meaning roughly 18,900 people could get checked for skin cancer a week. The campaign also encourages other tattoo artists to join, directing them to a website where they could get certified to detect skin cancer.
The case study did help prevent cancer, as some tattoo artists found precancerous moles on their clients, and directed them straight to a dermatologist.
Now, I’m not saying tattoos will prevent skin cancer. Or that getting a tattoo will make you skin cancer free. It’s kind of like that Sex & The City episode (sorry, I could relate almost anything to Sex & The City) where Samantha went to get a boob job, only to find out she had breast cancer. I think this campaign a great way to raise skin cancer awareness for people who already were planning on getting ink. But why stop at tattoos? Couldn’t other skin professionals implement this idea it as well?
Masseuses, estheticians, make-up artists – really anyone working with skin, should know how to look out for skin cancer. Perhaps it could be part of the cosmetology degree. Or maybe tanning salons could offer a complementary skin cancer check along with their $100 a month all access tanning bed membership.
What do you think about this campaign? Could it work here in America? And should other skin professionals get on board?


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Ohio area private label winemaker acquired
An investment fund has acquired the largest wine-making operation in Ohio and a major producer of juice on the East Coast.
S’quared Holdings, a fund jointly owned by the winemaker RedHead Brands and a metal refinery I. Schumann & Co., acquired L’uva Bella Winery in Poland Township, Ohio. The winery makes wine for RedHead, as well as store brand wines and wines for bulk distribution. The company also distributes juices for both winemaking and other uses, per a story in the Business Journal Daily.
The acquisition comes at a time when U.S. sales of alcoholic beverages are up 55% the week of March 21, the story said. RedHead wines that are in 2,000 locations will now run under the L’uva Bella portfolio, too.
The company hopes to expand by 15 employees over the next three to five years, per the article. Read the full story here.

domain: news


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October 03, 2012
Why are we waiting?
Sky...believe in getting there first. I can't believe it has taken Virgin Media so long to release the TiVo App for UK customers. My first post on the TiVo App was last almost two years ago and we still have yet to see it. But Sky has ads on TV and in the press promoting its App and catch-up services now, whereas with VM it's still "coming soon". CEO Neil Berkett promised September 2012 but we are still waiting in October. (And don't get me started on the "2013 promise of an Android version)


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Here’s a pleasure that’s even better: wild blueberries you’ve picked yourself, for free, in a breathtakingly beautiful nature preserve.
Meanwhile, Citymeals-on-Wheels, the nonprofit that provides hot weekend meals to the homebound elderly, has teamed up with GrowNYC to deliver fresh fruit and vegetables.
Salt can be made in New York City, staggeringly easily.
Urban gardeners found themselves in that position in 2001, when a drought inspired the folks at GrowNYC to help them harvest a vital new crop: rain.
Last year along, the paddy produced about 30 pounds of rice, and immeasurable quantities of enlightenment.
The drink on tap at Molecule isn’t wine or beer, but pure water.
The craft distilling movement has yielded a bumper crop of spirits that hearken back to old traditions while pushing the boundaries of creativity.
Now that Whole Foods fills growlers, Daniel Boulud owns a gastropub and the Wall Street Journal has declared beer sommeliers the next big thing, the idea of professional beer training probably seems like a no-brainer.


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The world's longest luxury river cruise MV Ganga Vilas which was flagged off on Friday for its 3,200 km maiden journey, was reportedly stuck on the third day in Bihar's Chhapra. According to the officials, the giant vessel stuck due to shallow water in the Ganga. However, hours after the news broke out, the Inland Waterways Authority of India denied the reports and added the cruise reached Patna at its scheduled time.
Earlier today, citing officials, ANI reported that the cruise was scheduled to dock at the shore for the tourists to visit Chirand, but got stuck because of water deficiency in the Ganges near the Doriganj area of the district.
Features of MV Ganga
MV Ganga Vilas is the first-ever cruise vessel made in India. The luxury cruise has three decks, 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists, with all the luxury amenities. The tourists will be served local food and seasonal vegetables, Mathur said. Antara Luxury River Cruises founder and CEO Raj Singh added there will be no non-veg food or liquor on board.
The ship has 39 crew members and its captain is Mahadev Naik who has more than 35 years of experience. Speaking to PTI, Knegar Krieger, a Swiss national who is on board for the maiden journey, said "travelling on the Ganges is a very special experience, it is once in a lifetime experience, not to be missed."
(With inputs from agencies)


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REI is entering its latest effort to support environmental activism, with the launch of Uncommon Path, a new print magazine dedicated to environmental and outdoor journalism, published by Hearst Magazines.
The outdoor trade fair is limbering up for its January Snow Show, set to open on Wednesday, kicking off a schedule featuring panels, workshops and a reconceptualized fashion show looking at the latest in snow sportswear.
The Deckers Brands labels announced on Thursday that they have entered into a partnership with Camber Outdoors, an organization dedicated to promoting corporate diversity and women’s leadership within the outdoor sector.
Adidas Outdoor has opened a new sales-focused office in Golden, Colorado to serve its Rocky Mountain region. The Colorado showroom will house sales reps and support the western market in key sales areas.
Patagonia launches a digital platform for environmental activism, compared by founder Yvon Chouinard to an online dating site. Patagonia Action Works links activists to environmental causes, petitions and volunteering.
Snowboard brand ThirtyTwo has announced it is launching a new apparel collection called Transition which can be worn both on and off the mountain for action sports ranging from snowboarding to skateboarding.
Invista's Cordura and Nike-owned Converse have collaborated on a new skate and streetwear-inspired collection of durable bags. Converse and Cordura previewed the collection this week at Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show 2018
Patagonia staged a protest against the government's land use policies in Colorado this week. The message was cast via light projections against buildings as the industry converges for the Outdoor Retailer trade show.


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On October 21-22, 2020, the "2020 Global Service Outsourcing Conference and Service Trade Innovation Development Wuhan Summit" hosted by the Institute of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce, Wuhan Municipal People's Government and Hubei Provincial Department of Commerce was successfully held in Wuhan.
Chen Jian, former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, Zhou Xianwang, Mayor of Wuhan Municipal People’s Government, attended the event and delivered speeches. Gu Xueming, Dean of the Institute of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce, and other guests delivered keynote speeches. The second-level inspector of the Department of Service Trade and Business Services of the Ministry of Commerce Wang Xuyang, Deputy Commissioner Song Huiqin of the Special Commission Office of the Ministry of Commerce in Wuhan, Yang Benchu, the second-level inspector of the Hubei Provincial Department of Commerce, and Chen Ping, director of the Management Committee of Wuhan East Lake New Technology Development Zone, attended the opening ceremony. Xu Honglan, Deputy Mayor of Wuhan presided over the opening ceremony of the conference, and Zhang Wei, vice president of the Institute of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce presided over the summit forum.
As one of the most influential summits in the global service outsourcing field, the Global Service Outsourcing Conference has been included in the important international conference plan of the national high-end think tank of the Central Propaganda Department. The theme of this conference is "Opening and Sharing Data to Create the Future". With the aim to implement the spirit of the speech at the 2020 China International Trade in Services Global Service Trade Summit, it coordinates the promotion of epidemic prevention and control the economic and social development, and creates international cooperation and exchanges in service trade platform, accelerates the promotion of open cooperation in the service industry so as to create a good atmosphere for Wuhan to comprehensively deepen the pilot service trade innovation development and the construction of China's service outsourcing demonstration city, and promote the recovery and high-quality development of Wuhan's service trade and service outsourcing industry.
LiveCom was invited to participate in this global service outsourcing conference. Chen Pei, technical director, gave a presentation on the theme of "Hybrid Cloud Technology Helps Enterprises' Globalization and Digitalization", proposing that enterprise informatization construction has developed into the IT digital era and enterprise digitalization Transformation is imperative. A digital enterprise is a customer-centric enterprise that uses digital technology to reshape and transform its own business. IDG’s survey results of IT and corporate decision makers show that the digital transformation of enterprises will bring eight aspects of value, including employee productivity enhancement, data-driven business value enhancement, and customer experience enhancement. Digitalization will revolutionize the business field and give companies major challenges and opportunities. Comprehensive cloudification is the cornerstone of enterprises' implementation of digitalization. From middle office to digital ecology, the foundation is still the cloud, and the evolution of comprehensive cloudification is ultimately hybrid cloud. Hybrid cloud is a key technology to support digitalization. LiveCom has POPs in more than a dozen large cities around the world such as Los Angeles, London, Paris, Dubai, Singapore, etc., providing enterprises with a global SD-WAN access platform and a global satellite access platform ; LiveCom has a professional enterprise informatization implementation team, which provides advisory ICT service architecture, private cloud implementation services for enterprises, so as to realize cloud-network integration, and flexibly integrates and interconnects customers' local infrastructure, private cloud and public cloud through the network. At the same time, intercommunication must achieve high-quality, high-stability, safe and reliable data transmission, and ensure stable network quality so as to avoid data being stolen during transmission; LiveCom’s global network service capabilities and ICT implementation capabilities strongly support enterprise mixing Cloud landing, help enterprises to smoothly migrate to the cloud and promote their digital transformation.


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Mitsubishi Electric India joins hands with Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation to restore city’s green cover under its ongoing initiative “Eco Changes for a Greener Tomorrow”
Pune, August, 2016: Mitsubishi Electric India pledged its support for Vanamahotsava 2016-17 with its employees taking up a tree plantation drive in Pune today. The company joined hands with Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and planted over 200 trees at Kasarwadi Mahilla Sudhikarana Kendra. The tree plantation initiative is in line with Mitsubishi Electric’s global campaign “Eco Changes for a Greener Tomorrow”
"Vanamahotsav 2016-17” is an afforestation initiative of the Government of Maharashtra to plant two crore trees in the year 2016-17. Mitsubishi Electric India came forward to support this government initiative with an objective to sensitize its employees towards their importance of tree plantation. Employees working at Mitsubishi Electric India’s Pune facility on Telco Road came together to plant trees of species like Peepal, Raintee, Banyan and Neem in the allocated space. Mitsubishi Electric India has been doing plantation and beatification work since 2014 on TELCO Road.
Speaking about the initiative, Mr. Makoto Yokoyama, Director and Division Manager, Factory Automation and Industrial Division, Mitsubishi Electric India said, “It is endearing to see employees actively participating in this initiative. If every individual plants at least one tree, it will be a major step towards protecting our environment. We are more than happy in doing our bit and would like to thank the PCMC staff for this opportunity and their support.”
In 2021, which is only 5 years from now, Mitsubishi Electric will celebrate its 100th Anniversary. The Mitsubishi Electric Group has established Environmental Vision ‘2021’ to contribute to the development of a sustainable society. “Environmental Vision 2021 is the long-term environmental management vision of the Mitsubishi Electric Group. With the guideline of making positive contributions to the earth and its people through technology and action, the Company is working toward the realization of a sustainable society utilizing wide-ranging and sophisticated technologies as well as the promotion of proactive and ongoing actions by our employees. The Vision sets 2021 as its target year, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Mitsubishi Electric's founding.”
The tree plantation programme is an extension of Mitsubishi Electric’s philanthropic activity which is in line with the company’s aim to be a global leading green company, making lasting contributions to every society in which it operates including India.
About Mitsubishi Electric In India (MEI):
With over 90 years of experience in providing reliable, high-quality products, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6503) is a recognized world leader in the manufacture, marketing and sales of electrical and electronic equipment used in information processing and communications, space development and satellite communications, consumer electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation and building equipment. Embracing the spirit of its corporate statement, Changes for the Better, and its environmental statement, Eco Changes, Mitsubishi Electric endeavours to be a global, leading green company, enriching society with technology. The company recorded consolidated group sales of 4,394.3 billion yen (US$ 38.8 billion*) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016.
Mitsubishi Electric in India has grown to become a company offering a wide range of innovative and high-quality products for the Indian market. This includes products and solutions for Air Conditioners, Automotive Equipment, Elevators & Escalators, Factory Automation and Industrial Systems, Power Systems, Photovoltaic solutions, Semiconductor & Devices, Transportation Systems and Visual &Imaging.
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Woody’s RV World Adding 4th Alberta Location
Canada-based dealership Woody’s RV World Ltd. announced that it is acquiring Leisureland Camper Village in World Grande Prairie, Alberta, with plans to take ownership on Feb. 1 and hold a grand opening in late March.
According to a press release, the Leisureland operation includes a 25,000-square-foot building that “offers a look and feel very consistent with the other Woody’s RV dealerships.” With the expansion into Grande Prairie, Woody’s RV World said it now has stores in all four major markets in Alberta.
Darren Paylor, president of Woody’s RV World, related that all of the existing staff at Leisureland Camping Village will be retained. “On behalf of the management team would like to thank the Leisureland staff for their hard work and promise to continue the tradition of exemplary customer service that they have demonstrated for so long,” said Paylor.
He added that “along with Woody’s RV continual growth and expansion is the creation of many exciting job opportunities for the community and also existing employees.” For employment inquiries in any of Woody’s RV World’s four Alberta-wide locations, send resumes via e-mail to email@example.com or visit www.woodysrv.com.
Woody’s RV World, a full-service dealer founded in Red Deer in 1986, has quickly grown to become a leader in the retail RV industry. Woody’s RV has been recognized numerous times as the Reader’s Choice Gold Award, Reader’s Choice Best Service and Best RV Dealer, in addition to being listed as one of the Top 50 RV Dealers in North America, as well as the Canada’s RV Dealer of the Year (2001) and Entrepreneur of the Year (1998).


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Reebok begins sketching concepts of ‘Fitness Masks of the Future’ as the sports world develops around containing COVID-19 pandemic.
Reebok is exploring three designs that are currently rediscovering the future of sports protection. From a pandemic, stand-point athletic brands such as Reebok are being tasked with reviving sports protection. The team created mock-ups of what the future of face masks specifically designed for fitness could look like. The masks, purely conceptual at this point ignites the conversation post-pandemic.
The three concepts are intended to combat issues plagued by wearing a facial covering during exercises. A few main factors like breathability, communication, comfortability, and ability to show facial expression. Reebok ‘Sensorial’ mask, ‘Reemersion’, and the ‘Symbiosis’ mask are currently being considered as possible candidates for future manufacturing.
The brand has been an active contributor through its ‘#ReebokLove’ initiative. A program was designed to give consumers the chance to thank frontline workers in their community utilizing their discounts and various contribution opportunities.[bctt tweet=”Reebok begins sketching concepts of ‘Fitness Masks of the Future’ as the sports world develops around containing COVID-19 pandemic.” via=”no”]


text: On January 15, 2020, the U.S. and China signed a “Phase One” trade deal to address desired structural reforms and other changes to the Chinese economy affecting international trade and foreign investment. The U.S.-China Phase One Trade Agreement, which is the first agreement in what is expected to be a series of agreements, focuses on reforms in the Chinese economy in the areas of intellectual property, technology transfer, agriculture, financial services, and currency and foreign exchange. The agreement also includes commitments by China to purchase additional U.S. goods over the next two years, including significant purchases of U.S. agricultural, food, fish and forest products (USTR, 2020a). Although the U.S. has agreed not to impose additional tariffs on imports from China, and China has agreed to reduce or eliminate certain tariffs imposed in retaliation, the Phase One Agreement does not specifically address the escalating tariffs between the two countries due to the ongoing trade dispute that started in 2018. However, the agreement signifies a decrease in tensions and a possible path to tariff reductions and eliminations in the future. This is particularly important for U.S. forest product exports, which suffered significant losses in 2018 and 2019 from Chinese retaliatory tariffs. In this report, we provide the context and overview of the U.S.-China Phase One Trade Agreement and implications for U.S. forest product exports. Forest products are a major agricultural and agriculture-related export for the U.S. However, the negative impact of the trade dispute on the sector has received little attention compared to other agricultural commodities such as soybeans and cotton. Over the last decade, the sector has become increasingly reliant on China for sales and suffered considerable losses from the retaliatory tariffs that China imposed (Ward, 2019; Pryor, 2019). The U.S.-China Phase One Trade Agreement sets the stage for a decrease in tensions between the two countries and the eventual removal of Chinese tariffs on U.S. products. This could result in considerable gains for the U.S. forest product sector moving forward.


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North West digital and web agency Fablr has just launched a new website for the heritage food brand Ye Olde Oak. The canned hotdog and meat brand was launched in the UK in 1949 and has been a store cupboard staple ever since.
Ye Olde Oak appointed the Fablr team to develop their new brand direction with a vibrant new web presence, supported by an extensive social media and PR campaign.
From their Leeds and Manchester bases, the Fablr team has built a modern, responsive, and dynamic website for Ye Olde Oak. The website project included the graphic design, brand voice, creative copywriting as well as the technical build.
Fablr has also launched an extensive creative social media campaign for Ye Olde Oak, which included art direction for brand videos and photoshoots to create a library of engaging creative content.
The bold and vibrant new website highlights the different hot dog and tinned meat products, alongside important information such as how the canned packaging can be recycled and is better overall for the environment than alternative packaging.
Bryn Scadeng, head of marketing and innovation at Struik Foods, said: "Once again, we were pleased to work alongside the Fablr team for another website launch. We love their creativity, which, teamed with their excellent technical ability and deep understanding of our brands, gives us an excellent ongoing design and creative partner."
Geoff Bretherick, creative director at Fablr, explained, "Ye Olde Oak has been a staple of the British kitchen for a long time but it had become somewhat overlooked in recent years. We have completely immersed ourselves in the whole brand in order to create something that gives Ye Olde Oak a real voice and a personality - celebrating both its heritage and ‘favourites’ status for UK hot dog consumers.
"Ye Olde Oak’s new packaging was our starting point, and our job was to translate the refreshed and emboldened visual identity to a digital delivery and create more of a brand story around the UK’s no. 1 hot dog.
“The new brand is backed by a really distinctive typographic framework and saturated colour palette, and we’ve loved bringing all this energy to the brand messaging and visual treatment of content as part of our design process.”
The Fablr team has worked with Struik Foods Europe for two years now and has previously created a website and social media campaign for its new Bunlimited brand as well as their flagship brand website www.struik.nl.
The Northern agency was launched in 2015 by Philip Bennison and Geoff Bretherick, and they work across the technology, FMCG, arts and professional service sectors. They recently launched their digital marketing offering, on top of their existing web and mobile design and development services.
For more information visit:


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I normally blog about writing or related technologies, but this month I wanted to pick up on the 20th anniversary of Bluetooth. There’s a great article by Neil Tyler in this week’s New Electronics, looking at the creation of Bluetooth in the 90s. It made me suitably nostalgic, as I helped organise the European press launch for Bluetooth in Stockholm (when Ericsson was a client), and I also worked with CSR soon afterwards.
Who would have thought that two decades later Bluetooth would be quite so ubiquitous? There’s a lesson here on how to have a winning technology: not to over-simplify, but it’s something along the lines of make it useful, make it cheap, and make it simple to understand.
It’s worth remembering also that the original use case of Bluetooth was simply as a cable replacement technology, because it’s cheaper and more convenient to connect a phone headset or peripheral wirelessly, and it’s one less thing to forget when you pack your briefcase. It’s gone a long way further than that.


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Touchscreen phones, led by Apple's iPhone, are becoming the mobile sector's next blockbuster application, and Asian makers and consumers are increasingly joining the party.
Peter Chou is CEO of world No.1 smartphone maker High Tech Computer. The Taiwanese company is launching its Diamond touchscreens in Asia and the U.S. later this year, and expecting over 3 million in sales.
[Peter Chou, CEO, High Tech Computer]:
"We put tremendous software effort in this product to try to really make mobile Internet workable, so we see 2008 is the year HTC will take a major step forward to actually make mobile Internet usable and
Nokia and Blackberry are also reportedly preparing touchscreens, as the high-speed phones allow video watching and music, as well as truer Internet connectivity.
Japan's eAccess uses HTC phones and Chairman Sachio Semmoto says touchscreens will bring mobile broadband to the masses.
[Sachio Semmoto, Chairman, eAccess]:
"The iPhone is one tool; Diamond is another tool. Those kinds of smartphones, which are suitable for broadband appetite, are going to be increasing position for coming years."
Apple has signed deals to bring the iPhone to selected Asian nations but not Japan, where it's talking with top player NTT DoCoMo and No. 3 Softbank on a deal to enter the 100 million-user market.


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D23 has shared a First Look of some stunning Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge photos, which reveal intergalactic new details.
Check Out the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Photo Gallery Below
The world of Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, a remote outpost planet home, will be revealed to the public shortly. Soon, you’ll be able to visit Oga’s Cantina, ride Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and shop to your heart’s content.
While you wait for its opening on May 31st, check out photos from Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge below. These are some pretty up close and personal photos of what to expect when you visit.
To learn more about D23, the Official Disney Fan Club, or to join, make sure to visit their website.
Photos Courtesy of D23
About Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is an upcoming Star Wars-themed area being developed within Disneyland Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. It will encompass 14 acres (5.7 ha) at each park. The lands were announced on August 15, 2015, and construction at both parks began on April 14, 2016. The lands are scheduled to open at both locations in 2019, with the Disneyland version opening on May 31, 2019, followed by the Disney’s Hollywood Studios version on August 29, 2019.


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Blog: Topshop steps into Australia
Petah Marian | 8 December 2011
Topshop and Topman opened their first Australian store today in Melbourne to a very warm welcome.
Looking at the Australian press, the opening was something of an event, with as many as 250 people queuing overnight to be the first to shop the UK fast fashion brand.
Topshop's international expansion drive (US, Canada) has come at a time when, at least in its UK home market, the brand has lost some of its lustre, with the company reporting a drop in full-year pre-tax profit late last month. Indeed, hype has cooled from the glory days in the mid-noughties when Kate Moss began designing her range for the chain.
However, internationally it seems that many consumers can't get enough of the brand. Hosting friends in London (from my home town of Melbourne), many visits would mostly revolve around hitting Oxford St and buying up as much Topshop, Zara or H&M as their baggage allowances offered.
Topshop enters Australia at an interesting time. With the country largely avoiding the recession that has impacted the much of the developed world, the country's retailers are only now starting to feel the pinch, with the strong Australian dollar driving consumers online amid an environment of declining consumer confidence.
The local retailers I spoke to in my Australian Management Briefing in early November about the entry of Zara, Gap, Topshop and Uniqlo into the market were encouraged by their presence. Indeed, the CEOs of Myer and Sportsgirl see a halo effect from Zara stores being positioned near theirs. They also said that the openings were increasing footfall more generally in these shopping areas.
We can only hope that Topshop/Topman's Jam Factory Neighbour, Target, and the rest of the Chapel St shopping strip will experience the same benefits.
Continuing our look at what lies ahead for the apparel industry and its supply chain in 2017, the panel of industry experts consulted by just-style last week tackled likely shifts in the sourcing land...
This week our focus turns to first thoughts from a panel of industry experts consulted by just-style on the challenges and opportunities likely to face the apparel supply chain in 2017, with prospects...
Welcome back after the holiday break, and from the team here at just-style I’d like to wish all our readers a happy and prosperous New Year....
Apparel sourcing is a complex process built on a mix of location, logistics, lead-time, price, compliance, risk and reliability. And it's in a constant state of flux as retailers, brands and manufactu...
- Trump and the apparel industry – Infographic
- How US border adjustment tax could affect apparel
- British Brexit plans prioritise tariff-free trade
- Apparel factory auditing is in the firing line
- NRF 2017 – Retail tech launches and developments
- Cambodia clothing exports at risk from Brexit
- New project to digitalise European fashion chains
- Apparel brands urge Bangladesh PM to address wages
- Brands need to tackle Turkey factory refugee abuse
- JC Penney to roll out hundreds of Nike "shops"
- Outdoor performance apparel 2016: A broader perspective
- Southeast Asia strategic sourcing review – a focus on Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar
- Anti-odour clothing: fresh fashion for an active lifestyle
- Global apparel markets: product developments and innovations, October 2016
- Global market review of lingerie – forecasts to 2022


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In the news this week: eBay's CEO Devin Wenig shares more details about their new payment processor Ayden, Royal Mail Tracked Returns tariff changes, and new features for Amazon Sponsored Products.
eBay payment switch not optional
After the announcement that eBay will be dropping PayPal as its main payment processor, having signed a new agreement with Ayden, eBay’s President and CEO Devin Wenig has given further details on how the switch will take place:
“It’s not going to be optional. We’re not going to hold peoples’ hands and beg them to move over. We’re basically going to say your eBay account is now your full end-to-end eBay account for all your activities including payments. And that’s the way it works on every other marketplace.”
– Devin Wenig, president and CEO of eBay
Once the agreement with PayPal ends in 2020, new terms and conditions will come into effect for retailers and the Adyen payment system will be the only way to make payments within the site. Through the new payment system, buyers will have be able to use Apple Pay and other local payment methods. PayPal will still be available as an external payment option for shoppers.
Initial testing of the new system will start this year, which will be experienced by 5-10% of users.
Read more about Devin Wenig’s comments here.
New Royal Mail tariffs for eBay returns
From 23 March 2018, Royal Mail will be changing the weight bands and prices for Royal Mail Tracked Returns 48. The new bands and prices for tracked returns will be:
0 - 2kg - £3.05
2 - 5kg - £5.66
5 - 10kg - £7.58
10 - 20kg - £9.60
The price update will affect sellers that use eBay’s returns process - find out more about eBay returns here.
New features for Amazon Sponsored Products
Amazon has added new features to Sponsored Products, these include notifications and tailored recommendations to help retailers keep on top of their campaign budgets.
Real-time budget notifications will appear at the top of the Campaign Manager in both Seller Central and Amazon Marketing Services accounts. These notifications will let you know when Sponsored Product campaigns have reached their daily budget limit. Once you click on a notification you’ll see recommendations for increasing your budgets for each campaign that’s running.
Find out more about the new Amazon Sponsored Products features.


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By Greg Mills
The US Government has the authority to prevent mergers when anti-trust laws kick in. There is a lot of discretion at the Justice Department, and sometimes the government could step in but does not do so. Other times, they stop mergers as being “anti-competitive.” The AT&T merger with T-Mobile may be a situation where they think competition is best served by not allowing the biggest network to absorb the fourth largest network. The third largest network, Sprint, has been loudly screaming “monopoly” and working the political system to stop the merger.
The motivation behind the proposed merger is largely the cost of going national with a 4G LTE network would be reduced for AT&T if they could count T-Mobile’s customers and network as theirs. AT&T is spending a lot of money building out a 4G network and having the advantage of combining the existing network of T-Mobile would give them an edge against Verizon.
The T-Mobile network is sort of a 3.5G network as the particular flavor of LTE that they use isn’t quite up to full 4G specs. The customer base of T-Mobile in addition to the network makes it an attractive addition to the AT&T system. Some overlapping capacity would be excess and could be sold off. The customers of T-Mobile would be absorbed by AT&T until their contracts expire. AT&T would likely keep the majority of those customers and that worries Sprint.
The looming release of another iPhone on the industry is certainly on the minds of the players. If the coming release of iPhone 4s, or iPhone 5 isn’t 4G, there will likely be a further release soon as Apple would miss a lot of business if they don’t match Samsung and the other players who are already selling 4G handsets. The delay in the release of Apple’s latest iPhone is most likely due to them waiting for the next generation of 4G chips that are inexpensive enough to allow Apple to add them to the 4G iPhone and still have backwards compatibility with G3 networks.
The HP TouchPad disaster has another chapter it seems. When TouchPad flopped at prices above the break even point, HP decided to sell the existing stock off at US$99. This amounts to a loss of up to $250 per tablet figuring the stores are going to want something for selling them, and iFixit figures it costs HP around $300 to build a TouchPad. Well, the $99 TouchPad sold quickly despite the Palm OS and the HP TouchPad being orphaned technology. If cow poop is cheap enough you can sell it. Some insiders think HP is simply building out the remaining parts they have on hand to reduce their losses. That sounds questionable to me.
The second question is why anyone would pay $99 for an orphaned device? I guess you can still sell a Kin Microsoft phone. There is some hope Palm may rise again from the ashes. ometimes when things die, they are really dead. Personally, I would rather save my $99 towards an iPad 3 whenever they come out.
Further confounding the situation is the rumor that Samsung may buy the HP TouchPad and Palm business from HP. Samsung has voiced serious concerns about Google buying Motorola and has already suffered from the Android bag of hurt enough to dust off other OS platforms. This is music to Apple’s ears as a further fragmented Android platform will leave them the likely winner as the main competition to the Apple iOS fades away.
That is Greg’s Bite for today.


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Ford Motor Company and Schaeffler conducted a demonstration of the Fiesta-based eWheelDrive car, a research vehicle that could result to improvements in urban mobility and parking through production of smaller, more agile cars. The eWheelDrive is powered by independent electric motors in each of the rear wheels and offers room under the bonnet which usually occupied by the engine and transmission in conventional cars and by a central motor in electric cars.
The eWheelDrive technology could, in the future, support the development of a four-person car as small as a current two-person car. The eWheelDrive steering system designs could allow the car to move sideways into parking spaces – a possible breakthrough since cities are becoming more congested.
With in-wheel motors, the part required for drive, deceleration and driver assistance technologies -- – including the electric motor, braking and cooling systems -- are fitted in an integrated wheel hub drive.
Peter Gutzmer, chief technical officer at Schaeffler, said the eWheelDrive is a highly integrated wheel-hub drive that makes it possible “to rethink the city car without restrictions,” and may become be a vital factor in new vehicle concepts and platforms in the future.
Ford joined the eWheelDrive project led by German part supplier Schaeffler to probe the potential for future vehicles that also could offer zero emissions as well as more features like additional protection zones.
Many industry experts view in-wheel electric motors as a potentially important future technology enabler for city cars as the world become more urbanized and congested. Population in cities around the world is projected to reach 6.4 billion by 2050, while the number of vehicles is project to increase fourfold.


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Two new diamond companies certified as membership grows week by week.
The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) has announced two new members – diamond manufacturers AMC NV and Dalumi Europe BVBA.
Antwerp-based AMC NV has met the RJC’s certification meeting the ethical, human rights, social and environmental standards established by its Member Certification System.
“AMC is deeply committed to upholding only the very highest of ethical standards, and we are honoured that our efforts in this area have been formally recognised through the award of RJC’s certification,” said Lionel Mai, director of AMC.
“We believe that this recognition marks merely the beginning of a journey, for AMC will continually strive to improve the livelihood and wellbeing of our diamond communities whilst at the same time maintaining the quality of the environment from which we seek nature’s most precious gift, the diamond,” added Mai.
Likewise, Dalumi Europe has also met the RJC’s Member Certification Standards. The diamond cutting and polishing manufacturer was audited by Peter Warbrick from SGS, one of the independent third-party auditing firms accredited to the RJC’s Member Certification System.
“As part of our commitment to promote ethical and responsible business practices throughout the industry we were one of the first RJC’s members in 2006 and are now delighted to be certified,” said Michal Marx, head of marketing at Dalumi group.
“Dalumi has a leadership role in the diamond industry and will continue with the efforts to bring human and environmental issues to people’s awareness and thus promote confidence in our industry,” Marx added.


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Home Tags Retail news
Tag: retail news
Shrink accounted for $112.1 billion in losses according to the 2023 National Retail Security Survey released today by NRF.
The economy is still growing, but not as fast as it was earlier this year, according to NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz.
NRF announced its acquisition of the Reverse Logistics Association (RLA), a global trade association for the returns and reverse industry.
Shooter Detection Systems (SDS) announced it has integrated its technologies with Hanwha Vision.
Today, the International Supply Chain Protection Organization (ISCPO) announces the addition of ThinkLP as a preferred vendor partner.
Cameras' hardware and software can make a big difference to law enforcement, and Insight LPR has the tech to keep you covered. Read more here.
The NRF Foundation announced four new additions to its board of directors. Read more about the new members here.


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Samsung have started mass production on a slew of new mobile flash memory chips that could give us nearly four times the speed of current chips. Samsung's Pro Class 1500 high-speed embedded memory will hit 'SSD-like' speeds in read/write operations in smart devices with capacities of 16, 32 and 64GB.
With smartphones already reaching 2GHz clock speeds running four cores, the CPU can't be the one to do all of the heavy lifting and continue to make the device feel fast. The job of system RAM is to keep an eye on all open programs, and if this part of the device is lacklustre, you'll feel it. Samsung have claimed that the new flash modules can reach speeds of up to 140MB/sec with write speeds hitting 50MB/sec at 1,500 IOPS writes and 3,500 IOPS reads.
Samsung seem to have leant on multiple technologies in order to reach these speeds, such as the 20nm manufacturing process, quick toggle DDR 2.0 memory that sports its own controller and a new JEDEC memory standard. At the moment there's no ETA when we should expect this tech to be baked into devices, but it shouldn't be too long.


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Tom Whitcomb of Los Angeles, Calif. enjoys a sample chocolate at Mana'olana Chocolates. Whitcomb, originally from the Gulf Breeze area, said the candy was terrific and the store was a great addition to the area.
With the holidays fast approaching and the search on for the perfect Christmas gift or stocking-stuffer, why not think chocolate. And, for all those chocolate lovers out there, the perfect place to shop for delicious treats is Mana'olana Chocolates in Gulf Breeze.
Greg and Tracy Bardin opened Mana'olana Chocolates recently in the Sea Shell Collections, which anchored by Publix, and is filled with all sorts of confections.
Mana'olana is the Hawaiian word for "hope". Tracy Bardin said she named the business Mana'olana Chocolates in honor of her daughter, Hope. ...


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Today's merger announcement between ICG and Netcom (NETC) serves as further evidence that the Internet provider sector is consolidating.
WorldCom bought backbone provider UUNet (UUNT) last year and has been on a buying spree ever since. In addition, it announced plans to grab the lucrative business divisions of both America Online (AOL) and CompuServe (CSRV). (See related story)
Analysts have long predicted that larger players would snap up smaller ISPs. It appears they were right.
Telephone companies--especially smaller, nimble ones--appear to be gobbling up ISPs in order to have a strong Internet presence without having to start from scratch.
Allen Weiner, an analyst with Dataquest, looks at the mergers and sees the future.
"We're seeing what I believe will be the profile of a 21st century telecommunications company," he said. Unlike giants such as AT&T and MCI Communications, smaller companies are able to move quickly.
Companies like WorldCom and ICG will be able to offer companies complete "end-to-end" solutions, Weiner added. "It's the kind of leveraged strategy that allows a company to go in and get the entire telecommunications budget. There's a window of opportunity in which companies like WorldCom and ICG will be able to swoop in and grab market share from AT&T, and they won't be able to get it back."
Medium and larger ISPs just need to find a good asking price, according to Weiner. Small ISPs, however, will have to work harder to occupy that special niche and to stay competitive by providing excellent service or catering to special clients.
Abhishek Gami, vice president at Nesbitt Burns Securities, predicted that the Netcom purchase itself will have a moderate impact on the industry.
But he agreed with Dataquest's Weiner that this deal, most importantly, underscores the shakeout in the marketplace. "Consolidation is beginning as facility-based companies acquire companies with data networking expertise."
Netcom was an especially good buy because it owns its own routers and can "peer" at all the network exchange points, meaning that it doesn't have to pay other providers to carry its traffic. It also has a Web hosting service that made it even more attractive as an acquisition target.
"The issue is what is your value-add," said Ted Julian, Internet research manager at International Data Corporation. "It's not a black-and-white issue. The more you own your network, the more choices you can offer your customers."
Reporter Courtney Macavinta contributed to this report.


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Every time a business owner denies to do any sort of service that supports gay marriage, it is a victory for not only the body of Christ, but especially for Jesus Christ. Business owner, Jack Phillips allegedly stated that the state of Colorado does not even support gay marriage. Therefore, we see can see why he feels he has absolutely no obligation to make a wedding cake for this gay couple, Charlie Craig and Dave Mullen. Dave allegedly mentioned, 'it's just a wedding cake', well if that's so, why didn't they both just go to a supermarket or find a business owner of a cake shop whom supports gay marriage to make it? However, even if the state of Colorado supported gay marriage, we feel Mr. Phillips or any other business owner should have the right to deny a gay couple a wedding cake or any other service based on freedom of religion.
The right thing to do would be for gay couples to go to a store that specializes in making those sorts of cakes, not infringe on the rights of business owners whom do not support gay marriage. Jack Phillips has been making wedding cakes for men and women in matrimony, so why all of a sudden should he have to change his beliefs for anyone?
In the meantime, we will be praying for Jack Phillips, since it was mentioned he gets a lot of people and protestors outside of his shop demanding he drops his respect for God and start making wedding cakes. This is a strong man, this is not the first time, he denied a gay couple a wedding cake. May God continue to bless he and his business.


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Not such a baaaad idea: Woollen chimney draft excluder business is starting to warm up
Sally Phillips has spent a lot of time in the past eight years looking up freezing chimneys for Noctule and Soprano Pipistrelle bats in her day job as a Lake District-based bat surveyor.
The job gave Sally, 43, the idea for her Chimney Sheep business, which makes woollen draft excluders for chimneys.
She says: ‘In 2010 I realised how ridiculous it is that millions of houses lose huge quantities of heat through the chimney.
Shear genius: Sally Phillips with her wool 'Chimney Sheep'
‘I’d just moved into a Victorian terraced house in Cockermouth, Cumbria, and spent much time insulating it. It seemed daft to spend lots of money when there was a hole for all the warm air to escape through.’
Unable to obtain a bank loan to launch her range of woollen draft blockers, Sally raised the £50,000 she needed from ‘family money’ and a £7,000 grant from the Rural Development Programme for England.
Sally has spent the past year testing prototypes and began selling online in September. She says: ‘It’s basically just 20mm-thick compressed felt made from coarse Herdwick wool, which I get from a farmer in Buttermere.
They squash into the chimney throat and stop hot air escaping.’
Sally has sold more than 350 products, at a cost of £15 to £30 each, as a result of online searches since she launched and says feedback has been ‘wonderful’.
‘I haven’t advertised yet. I’ve been working hard on getting search words right so people who look online can find me,’ she says.
Sally, who has been asked to supply a fireplace shop in Ireland wholesale, is now in the process of looking for other retail outlets to partner with.
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Technology company Samsung has failed to convince a panellist at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to transfer the domain name ‘samsunghub.com’.
Samsung complained about the domain, a fan site resolving to ‘sammyhub.com’, under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP).
As well as reporting on Samsung news, the site hosted advertising provided by Google AdSense, which displays targeted adverts matching keywords that advertisers bid on.
In a decision on May 18, which was published on June 3, WIPO panellist Nicholas Smith dismissed Samsung’s complaint.
After finding that the domain does incorporate Samsung’s registered trademark, Smith was left to decide whether the registrant, an Indian man, had a legitimate interest in the domain and had registered and used it in good faith.
Registrants of fan sites can have a legitimate interest in a domain that includes a complainant’s trademark, as long as the site has been used, is distinctive from an official site and is non-commercial in nature.
Some panels have found, however, that having advertising precludes fan site status.
But there are some cases where “a degree of incidental commercial activity” is allowed, especially when it is clear that the respondent is not trying to pass itself off as the trademark owner and doesn’t sell any goods on the site.
“Other than the placement of Google advertisements on the website, the respondent’s website appears to be non-commercial,” the panellist said, noting that the site had been used since 2006.
Samsung claimed that because some of the adverts referred to other companies, which may or may not be its competitors, there was enough evidence to show bad faith.
But the panellist said: “There is no evidence in the record that casts doubt on the respondent’s claim that the advertising links are sent automatically by a third-party (Google) advertising feed provider using keyword search techniques rather than human selection.
“It cannot be assumed that the respondent requested such links or was even aware of them before receiving notice of this dispute.”
Flip Petillion, partner at Crowell & Moring LLP, said he agreed with the “well-written and well-reasoned” decision, especially the part covering the respondent’s use of Google AdSense.
The case re-emphasises that UDRP panels are increasingly considering the defence of laches – which is a little-used legal doctrine that can thwart complainants who have waited too long to file a UDRP case – according to Howard Neu, who represents domain name registrants in UDRP cases.
“One of the most important factors here is that Samsung waited so long [before filing the case],” he said, adding that it was unclear why there was a delay.
Petillion said “there is nothing in the UDRP rules” that stops complainants from waiting several years to file a complaint, and doing so should not necessarily count against them.
In a case last year, a UDRP panellist made the unusual move of refusing to transfer a website to the complainant – Victoria’s Secret – by relying solely on the laches defence.
This article was first published on 04 June 2013 in World IP Review
samsung, udrp, victoria's secret, wipo, samsung hub


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After vehemently denying there being a problem, Microsoft has finally caved in and extended the warranty of the XBOX 360 another 3 years across the board, for those who have the RED RING OF DEATH problem (all other problems are covered by the normal warranty). Furthermore, they are reimbursing everyone who has already paid to fix their RED RING OF DEATH consoles that were previously not covered by the old warranty. This is expected to cost them over $1 billion (before tax), but to Microsoft that’s pretty much a drop in the bucket.
They still won’t elaborate on exactly what is causing the problem; most people speculate that it has something to do with overheating, since returned units seem to come with extra heatsinks applied.
As of yet, there are no plans for a proactive approach, in terms of a mass recall to fix all of the 11.6 million consoles that have already been sold (as a side note, that is quite an impressive number, and right in line with Microsoft’s predictions).


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BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Finally Light Bulb Company, a Boston-based lighting technology start-up today announced it has raised a $50MM Series D round of financing. Finally, which manufactures light bulbs that utilize the company’s patented Tesla Technology rather than LED, will use the capital to support Research and Development as well as Sales and Marketing efforts including the development of new and improved products and increased support for the expansion of retail distribution initiatives.
The Series D round was led by Brian Kelley. Mr. Kelley, the former President of Coca-Cola Refreshments who oversaw the development and extension of the Keurig beverage ecosystem while Chief Executive Officer at Keurig Green Mountain, is now a partner at the private investment firm Lindsay Goldberg. “I cannot think of anyone today who is truly satisfied with their light bulbs,” said Kelley. “A lot of bulbs were rushed to market to meet demand when incandescent light bulbs started getting phased out by the government,” Kelley continued, “conventional wisdom suggested that LED was the best lighting option because there were no other alternatives - but thankfully, the Finally Light Bulb Company refused to settle. Its Tesla Technology is a total game-changer.” Kelley will join the Board of Directors of Finally in March.
“The Finally story is about solving a problem,” said Michael Simon, Chief Executive Officer of the Finally Light Bulb Company. “Innovation, perseverance and passion are all a part of the solution. In the end we produce a product that enables people to enjoy better quality light without having to sacrifice energy efficiency and long life.”
Since 2012, Goscha has raised $93MM for the Finally Light Bulb Company, including the $50MM from this round. The company now has 40 employees.
“Six years ago, I truly had a light bulb moment – but it wasn’t a good one,” said John Goscha, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Finally. “I needed to replace an incandescent light bulb and couldn’t find an affordable light that came close to the warm glow I was so used to. I couldn’t believe that with all their R&D and big budgets, lighting companies couldn’t reproduce the light we love.” Goscha hired a number of scientists and engineers from top lighting companies, including GE, Osram, Sylvania and Panasonic to help him develop an energy efficient light that better replicates the distinct glow of the old incandescent lighting technology.
“We call it Tesla Technology because it is based on Nikola Tesla’s early light bulb experiments,” said Goscha. “We paired his research with tech advances only available this century, to produce the same pleasing warm glow as the incandescent bulb,” continued Goscha. “Our Finally light bulbs are energy efficient, enjoy a long life and produce a better light spectrum that LED and other lighting technologies cannot.”
About The Finally Light Bulb Company
Massachusetts-based technology start-up, the Finally Light Bulb Company, offers a high-quality, long lasting and energy-efficient home lighting solution for consumers. Finally has developed Tesla Technology, a patented technology that delivers better light quality and produces 66% less harsh blue light than the average LED light bulb. Finally currently offers 60 watt, 75 watt, 100 watt equivalent standard A-line and G25 vanity light bulbs. Finally light bulbs are available in nearly 3,000 retail doors in the US through club, specialty hardware, office supply and select grocery stores including Costco, Ace Hardware, Staples, Big Y, Harris Teeter, Wegmans and regional Home Depot stores. Online, the company most notably sells on Amazon, Wayfair, The Home Depot and the company’s website www.finallybulbs.com


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Tourists break pork taboo
New Delhi plans to build its first pig abattoir in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Games to meet demand from pork-loving foreign visitors.
Pork is taboo for India's 140m Muslims, and the Hindu majority avoid eating beef.
Both meats are hard to find; instead chicken and goat are widely eaten.
A city official was quoted in the Hindustan Times: "Though we issue licenses for selling pork at meat shops, the city does not have any abattoir for slaughtering pigs."
However, pork is available for people prepared to do the work themselves.
"Anyone can slaughter a pig at their house after paying a token charge of two rupees," the official said.
27 October, 2016, 8:30
Next steps for tackling obesity: prevention, sugar consumption a
01 - 03 November, 2016
China Foodtech 2017
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Butcher’s Shop of the Year
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Policy priorities for the UK food, drink and farming industry


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Ambani also outlined a five-point agenda for the division as it sought to be amongst the top 10 global retailers in the next few years.
"Reliance Retail continues to be among the fastest-growing retailers in the world. To expand the circle of shared prosperity, we will be focusing on five key initiatives, including research, design and product development capabilities, sourcing ecosystem, supply-chain infrastructure, expanding store footprint multi-fold, and acquiring businesses," he said of the division's future road map.
The RIL chairman, however, chose to steer clear of announcing any listing plans for Reliance Retail, whose 2020-21 (FY21) turnover stood at Rs 1.53 trillion - over 6x the nearest competitor in retail.
Reliance Retail had added 1,500 stores in FY21 and had taken its total store count for the year to 12,711 outlets across multiple formats, including grocery, electronics, and apparel.
The division's earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (Ebitda) stood at Rs 9,842 crore in FY21, with Ambani indicating that retail and Jio were together contributing to half of RIL's total Ebitda of Rs 98,000 crore for the year.
“RIL’s apparel business sold nearly 500,000 units per day and over 180 million units during the year. This is equivalent to dressing up the entire population of the UK, Germany, and Spain once," said Ambani.
Ajio, the online fashion and lifestyle platform of Reliance Retail, had emerged as one of the leading digital commerce destinations with a portfolio of over 2,000 brands, Ambani said.
“Driven by innovation, Ajio now contributes to over 25 per cent of our apparel business," he added.
“We further consolidated our position in consumer electronics and sold 45 million units of electronics last year (FY21), which translates into over 120,000 units per day," he added.
As India’s largest grocery retailer, Reliance Retail sold over a billion units of groceries, or about 3 million units per day.
JioMart, the new commerce platform launched in May last year by the company, had registered over 650,000 peak orders in a single day, said Ambani.
Since its launch, over 300,000 merchants or shopkeeper partners across 150 cities were onboarded on JioMart. The plan is to increase the number to over 10 million in the next three years.
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South Sudanese model Nykhor Paul has been using her Instagram page to post open letters to "white people in the fashion world". It started a few weeks ago when yet another makeup artist at a show was unable to provide the right makeup for her skin tone.
The model, who's worked with Vivienne Westwood and Louis Vuitton, wrote: "it's time you people get your shit right when it comes to our complexion! Why do I have to bring my own makeup to a professional show when all the other white girls don't have to do anything but show up wtf!". WTF indeed.
Nykhor then explained that makeup artists have plenty of choices – including "Mac, Bobbi Brown, Makeup forever, Iman cosmetic, black opal, even Lancôme and Clinique", which all cater for dark skin tones well. Point well made, we thought.
While the post received a lot of support, she also got labelled racist – to which she responded with a new comment that further addressed the race issue that gets so often buried in the fashion and beauty industries (and the western world generally).
Brit supermodel Jourdan Dunn has spoken about inequalities too, and we need vocal icons like these ladies to keep voicing their frustrations until they're free of them.
Nykhor's last word ends on a positive note: "I am blue black and proud of it, I am beautiful in my own skin no matter how dark and scary people might feel around me. Embrace your blackness!!!"
It's time the industry finally follows suit.


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This is caused by the economic crisis, which is worth analyzing carefully, and thus finding out what could have led the company to abandon the project in the metaverse.
There has been a round of layoffs from Disney, with the entertainment giant expected to lay off 7,000 employees overall. The team that dealt with the metaverse would seem to pay first, thus dismantling itself before even delivering any concrete results.
Some analysts speculate that the layoffs could also be a sign of Disney’s losing interest in the technology. metaverse. The metaverse is still in its early stages, and whether it will become mainstream technology remains to be seen.
Some companies are investing heavily in the metaverse, while others are taking a more cautious approach. Disney’s decision to fire the metaverse team could be interpreted as a lack of faith in the potential of the technology. Regardless of the reasons behind the decision, the impact on the world of metaverse-related cryptocurrencies should be minimal.
The news of the layoffs at Disney was met with concern and criticism from many quarters. The company has been a major player in the entertainment industry for decades, and its decisions have had a significant impact on the industry as a whole. The layoffs have raised questions about the company’s long-term strategy, as well as its ability to weather the current economic crisis.
Change of Project CEO
The change in CEO caused a change in Disney’s attitude towards the metaverse. With the economic crisis affecting large American corporations, Disney is scaling back its operations. This has raised questions about the future of Disney’s metaverse, which the previous CEO claimed would be the next frontier for storytelling.
It is not clear if Disney will decide to invest again in this sector in the future, especially considering the declining interest in this technology. However, some companies in the fashion industry have already found monetization channels in the virtual worlds related to Blockchain and NFT, so there may be investment opportunities in this field.
Hype Around the Corporate Metaverse Decreases, But Due to the Difficulty of Making It Come True
In recent months, the hype around metaverses has subsided significantly. While many believed that this virtual world would be the next big thing, it seems the reality was less exciting. The reasons are many, including the fact that the technology is still in its infancy and there are still many problems to solve before it can be widely adopted.
Despite this, there are still those who believe in the potential of the metaverses and have worked hard in recent months to build strong business relationships. One of the main challenges facing those trying to succeed in the world of metaverses is the need to find ways to monetize these virtual worlds. Another challenge is the need to create compelling content that keeps users engaged and coming back for more.
Despite these challenges, the world of metaverses still has great potential. Those who are able to navigate the complexities of this space and build strong business relationships will be well-positioned to succeed for years to come. As technology continues to evolve and mature, we can expect to see new and innovative applications emerge, opening up even more opportunities for growth and success in the world of the metaverse.
By Audy Castaneda


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NEW YORK, NY / Amsterdam, NL Bynder, the digital asset management, and SaaS technology company, today announced the appointment of Kevin Broom as Chief Product Officer. Based in New York, Broom will lead Bynder’s global product initiatives and spearhead the company’s technology innovations. Broom joins the team at a time when Bynder is perfectly poised to scale the business, following a year of unprecedented growth as the company experienced a 150% increase growth.
“Last year we made a number of significant changes that resulted in positive growth for our company,” said Chris Hall, CEO, and Founder of Bynder. “Kevin joins the Bynder family at a critical point in our journey to become the most trusted DAM platform for enterprises. His extensive experience in product development will help drive Bynder’s innovation to new heights as we continue to provide our customers with a best-in-class product and new functionalities.”
Broom joins Bynder with over 25 years of experience in building digital audiences, SaaS ecosystems, and teams across product development, sales operations, marketing analytics and consulting. In his new role at Bynder, Broom will lead the growing global team of software engineers, product managers, and UX designers.
“Bynder has created a brand and strong network of customers through the company’s commitment to ongoing innovation,” said Kevin Broom, Chief Product Officer at Bynder. “As intuitive digital asset management becomes increasingly important, I see significant opportunity for Bynder to build a platform that is scalable, customizable and a hub for creativity. We have all the ingredients necessary to advance our position as the global leader in DAM SaaS technology.”
Most recently, Kevin served as EVP of Product Development at AlphaSense, Inc. Prior to that, he worked for Yahoo! in London as EMEA’s Senior Director of Search. Kevin has also worked at AOL as Program Director for search and directional media, at BearingPoint and The Hackett Group as a Manager and at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a Senior Consultant.
As part of Bynder, Broom joins the Advisory Board of Insight Venture Partner’s Product Accelerator, a joint collaboration between Insight Venture Partners and Product Labs. This program is focused on targeted training for Chief Product Officers and Product Accelerators specialized in product challenges during the scale-up phase. In this role, Broom will provide direction to the roadmap and offerings to future Product Leaders joining Insight Portfolio companies.
“Growth stage companies like Bynder rely on teams that are eager to build for scale, and learn along the way,” said Broom. “This culture of learning is essential to success, and is something I am excited to promote and cultivate within Bynder.”


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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Officials with Chip Ganassi Racing and driver Kyle Larson announced a two-race sponsorship with credit card processor First Data on Monday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
First Data, whose corporate headquarters are located in Atlanta, will be the primary sponsor on Larson’s No. 42 Chevrolet for upcoming Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville Speedway.
First Data and Martinsville Speedway officials recently announced the company would hold the naming rights to the track’s fall Monster Energy Series race, which will now be known as the First Data 500. That agreement is for three years, according to First Data.
The company served as a sponsor on the No. 1 Chevrolet of teammate Jamie McMurray at Martinsville last season. It will return in an associate role with McMurray at Martinsville this year.
Larson, 25, has three wins this season and is currently third in points.
“Last year we got a little bit of Chip’s car,” First Data chairman and CEO Frank Bisignano said. “This year we’ve got two cars. It’s all about forward trajectory. They are great guys to be in business with.”
Larson’s team currently carries primary sponsorship from Target and its related partners, however the retailer has said it will not return after the completion of the ’17 season.
Ganassi indicated First Data could be a partner in ’18 as well. Larson said he was confident funding would be in place, adding, “We have a lot of important things to worry about the rest of this year, a championship being one of them.
“Obviously with Target leaving a lot of people are probably looking at what we have for the future and I think this (First Data relationship) is a great step.”
Ganassi, a former racer, has been a NASCAR team owner since 2001 and open-wheel owner since the late ’80s. The current sponsorship climate is nothing new to the veteran car owner.
“I guess in some respects its more difficult than it’s ever been and in other respects it’s never been easy,” Ganassi said. “It’s just part of the business. You have to go with the flow.
“We’re going to be here; this is the only business I have. We’re going to be in business. … I think (the current climate) presents opportunities for us, more than anything, to go find new businesses, new partners, new people that are interested in the sport.”


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Dynaudio Affirms Commitment to Custom Install with Ambassador Tour, Reveals CEDIA Plans
Dynaudio takes dealers through its high-performance loudspeaker design and build through its Ambassador Tour — and plans to show new innovations at CEDIA 2017.
August 11, 2017
After decades of serving the professional recording and audiophile markets, the Danish high-performance loudspeaker company Dynaudio is making a push into the Americas to support the entire consumer audio industry.
In recent months, the company has made key promotions and appointments in North and South America, extended its reseller network in Latin America in partnership with Audio Americas, and introduced a new range of custom installation in-wall and in-ceiling loudspeaker models, along with updated versions of its high-end loudspeakers for the specialty retail and home theater markets.
“We have a long history of making the absolute best loudspeakers in the world, and we have built an exceptional reputation over 40 years of in-house manufacturing,” says Andrew Werdean, CEO of Dynaudio Americas. “Just this past year, we have been able to leverage the technical innovation and uncompromising sound quality of our free-standing hi-fi and pro-audio loudspeakers to build a really amazing in-ceiling and in-wall speaker.”
Ambassador Tour Demonstrates its Focus on Custom Install
Dynaudio recently provided a select group of dealers a closer look at its Custom Install range, as well as its complete loudspeaker portfolio.
Terming this preview an Ambassador Tour, Dynaudio brought an inaugural group of “ambassadors” to its factory and the R&D facility in Skanderborg, Denmark. During the week-long Ambassador Tour in May, the executive team from Dynaudio introduced top dealers and integrators to the unique people, processes and philosophies behind the Dynaudio brand.
Participating dealers included personnel from Admit One, Atlantic Stereo, Audio Vision SF, Boca Theater & Automation, Crescendo, Eagle Sentry, Environmental Technology Control, Logic Integration, Music for Pleasure, Russ Berger Design Group, Wipliance, and World Wide Stereo.
“I enjoyed meeting so many senior officers and the people who ran specific divisions; it was a great way to be introduced to Dynaudio,” says Greg Simmons, vice president, Eagle Sentry. “For those of us who aren’t as familiar with the company’s history and product line, it was great to learn about how Dynaudio loudspeakers have matured over the years and what it takes to achieve such a high level of performance.”
During the event the Ambassador Group got a firsthand look at Dynaudio’s operations and staff, design and build processes, and how they impact the company’s studio, home and in-car products.
Dynaudio explained that it builds every part of every loudspeaker, including the aluminum voice coils, the specially coated tweeter domes, and the MSP (magnesium silicate polymer) woofer cones at its Skanderborg factory.
The Ambassador Group trip to Denmark also included a visit to the to the Danish national Broadcast Center, DR-Byen, which features more than 400 Dynaudio speakers, as well as excursions to castles and canals.
“The Dynaudio tour was absolutely one of the more impressive factory tours I’ve done,” says Lance Anderson, owner of Admit One Home Cinema. “The company really does make all of its product in house, and that’s a rare thing these days. It was also cool that we got to witness Danish design firsthand.”
Simmons points out that one of the most striking parts of the tour was seeing how Dynaudio breaks so many of the traditional stereotypes that are associated with the consumer audio market.
“I was impressed by the number of women on the factory floor,” adds Simmons. “Our industry is so male-dominated, and it was refreshing to see so many women in the facility. I was also impressed by the scope of the company’s car audio business, and by the fact that Dynaudio crafts its cabinets right there on site.”
Integrators also had the chance to check out Dynaudio’s new three-story, 17,000-square-foot R&D center, which includes some of Europe’s most advanced measuring facilities.
“Following the strategies developed with Dynaudio’s parent company, Goertek, we have tripled the number of employees in R&D and created a facility with the space and creative atmosphere to support the future of sound reproduction,” says Brian Kjaer, senior manager of Dynaudio Academy. “With these resources, we can ensure that Dynaudio products are always built on unparalleled technologies.”
Chris Livengood of Audio Vision S.F., says that witnessing the steps that Dynaudio takes to ensure the performance of its products was impressive.
“When Dynaudio redesigned its R&D lab, the company did a top-down reinvention of how it creates new products,” comments Livengood. “The company measures every single product in every way possible, many, many times throughout the process of designing it, and that’s very unusual. Few speaker manufacturers make their own drivers, much less measure them in house and do it more than once or twice. With its R&D labs, Dynaudio can go from prototype to product much faster and perform the constant measurement that is critical to creating a better product.”
Dynaudio Brings New Innovations to CEDIA 2017
Looking back on the tour, the group of custom installation professionals found the time spent with Dynaudio provided a higher level of insight than just standard product presentations.
“The tour was great, as it allowed us to better understand how the speakers are actually built and to see the steps that Dynaudio takes to make perfect audio,” notes Tom Farinola, president of Atlantic Home Entertainment and Stereo. “Dynaudio showed the kind of graciousness that makes you want to partner with the company, and this is increasingly important in our industry because the traditional camaraderie between dealer and manufacturer — and their shared passion — has really suffered with the rise of the just-in-time supply model. With this facility tour in Denmark, Dynaudio recreated that passion.”
Werdean admits the tour is purposely designed to engage integrators, and the company will rely on that engagement to help it to increase is presence in the consumer audio market.
“We’re making huge steps in the U.S. and around the world; our business worldwide has doubled this year,” says Werdean. “While this growth is exciting, we want to make sure we’re taking the company down the right path. We’ll be counting on our Ambassador program to help us do so. They have seen the amazing technology and experienced the outstanding sonic performance of our speakers, and they understand our history, our current direction, and where we can go in the future.”
As part of the company’s 40th anniversary, Dynaudio is celebrating its heritage through the release of the new Special Forty anniversary speaker.
Dynaudio says the speaker draws on its 40 years of research and highlights the level of craftsmanship, performance and attention to detail that it brings to the market. The Special Forty Anniversary features Dynaudio’s new Esotar Forty tweeter, along with a high-performance 6.6-inch (17-cm) woofer yet, and a classic crossover topology incorporating phase alignment and impedance alignment technologies.
The Special Forty is available in exclusive grey and red birch high-gloss finishes. Learn more about the Special Forty.
Other new products available from Dynaudio include its new Custom Install architectural range. Dynaudio says that its new architectural products embody the same core technology, expertise and attention to detail found in its traditional products, as well as its professional products. Those products will join the Special Forty this year in San Diego as part of its CEDIA exhibit on September 5-9.
Exhibiting at booth #2700 at CEDIA, Dynaudio will also introduce the first products in the ultra-high performance Dynaudio Cinema Series: the Cinema Master 60.
“Dynaudio will equip a special exhibit room at the Marriott Marquis Hotel with a high-end home cinema system, partnering with Datasat Electronics to create the most realistic cinema experience,” explains Mick Tillman, Eastern sales director, Dynaudio.
Werdean adds the company’s demo and overall commitment to the custom channel will be a priority during the show in order to impress upon show attendees the level of performance the company brings to market.
“The first Dynaudio loudspeakers were a revelation when they were introduced,” says Werdean. “We’re confident that integrators and dealers who get the chance to see and hear our newest products will find them to be similarly transformative. We can’t wait to blow them away at CEDIA.”
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- Hyundai’s ix35 is the world’s first mass produced fuel cell electric vehicle
- Zero emissions mean low tax costs for company car drivers
- Two hydrogen storage tanks enable the car to travel up to 369 miles on a single fill
Hyundai has announced the pricing for its new zero-emission hydrogen-powered ix35, the world’s first mass produced fuel cell electric vehicle.
Prices start from £53,105 with part-funding from the HyFive project - saving customers nearly £15,000 off the un-funded on-the-road-price of £67,985.
Between now and 2015, Hyundai has committed to produce a total of 1,000 ix35 fuel cell vehicles to be available across the globe - many in Europe - where they will take part in similar trials as a sustainable Hydrogen Road Map is established. It is the intention that five vehicles will soon be tested on the streets of London, with more planned for delivery before the end of the year.
The Hyundai ix35 has been sold through central Hyundai channels to selected trial partners since 2013 and is already on the road in 15 countries around the world.
There are only subtle differences in design from the petrol and diesel versions of the SUV including blue-tinged badging, changes to the grille design and the lack of an exhaust pipe.
The ix35 fuel cell is equipped with a 100kW (136ps) electric motor, allowing it to reach a maximum speed of 100mph while the 0-62mph sprint is covered in 12.5 seconds. Two hydrogen storage tanks, with a total capacity of 5.64kg, enable the car to travel up to 369 miles on a single fill, and the energy is stored in a 24kWh lithium-ion battery jointly developed with LG Chemical.
This is the fourth-generation fuel-cell powered electric vehicle from Hyundai and it delivers significant improvements over its predecessor, including a driving range that has been extended by more than 50 percent while still producing zero tailpipe emissions, and fuel efficiency gains of more than 15 percent.
Currently zero emissions means only a five percent BIK tax for the 2015/16 tax year, increasing to seven percent from April 1, it is yet to be confirmed if the ix35 will be eligible for the plug in car grant.


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Psyonix’s wonderfully addictive and critically acclaimed Rocket League could be making a beeline for Xbox One, if a game rating spotted on Taiwan’s database is to be believed.
Currently available across PC and PlayStation 4 only, word of the studio’s blistering genre mash-up making the jump to new platforms has surfaced before, with Psyonix admitting it was open to the notion of porting the game. According to the now-pulled listing, it would seem an announcement is now imminent.
Rocket League rated for Xbox One in Taiwan. pic.twitter.com/KEZfnFe74B
— lifelower (@lifelower) December 2, 2015
Launching via PlayStation Plus during the summer, Rocket League shot to fame thanks its crisp visuals and razor-sharp controls. Since then, it’s been supported with a string of free and paid-for DLC, with everything from a Back to the Future-themed add-on to the recently-released Portal cosmetics. Moreover, the title has also carved out an eSports scene – it’s little wonder, too, considering just how competitive the multiplayer component can become.
After flirting with the idea back in August, it would appear that Psyonix is on the verge of bringing Rocket League to Microsoft’s flagship hardware. Xbox One owners, get ready to start those engines.


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Belarus: Inflation falls to 19-month low in February
Consumer prices rose 1.0% over the previous month in February, largely in line with January’s 0.9% increase but marking the strongest rise since February 2019. The result was largely led by higher prices for services, with prices for both food and non-food goods increasing more marginally.
Inflation fell to a 19-month low of 4.4% in February, from 4.7% in the opening month of this year. As a result, it moved further below the Central Bank’s 5.0% target. Meanwhile, annual average inflation ticked down to 5.4% in February, from 5.5% in January.


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Nintendo at E3 2003
Nintendo's E3 2003 was all kinds of lame. It's almost hard to do an earnest recap of what the show brought to the table, because this particular year is already so well-remembered for being just outright terrible. E3 '03 has been a running joke for years, the go-to example of an expo that Nintendo just got wrong.
The Big Announcements
The show's biggest lasting contribution might not even have been any Nintendo product, actually, but the underwhelmed reaction that Nintendo's announcements there inspired in those witnessing the failure happening right in front of them: he Internet-famous meme "The Reaction Guys" got its start with IGN's own coverage of Nintendo's E3 2003 press conference.
That's Matt Casamassina, Craig Harris, Chadd Chambers and Peer Schneider all honestly reacting to Nintendo's presentation that year – they were so bored by what they were seeing that they couldn't help but go deadpan for the duration of the event.
So why all the sad faces? Well, Nintendo's biggest announcement of the year was Pac-Man Vs. Seriously, that was the biggest announcement. That was just the beginning of Nintendo's connectivity push, though, as the company then pressed on to focus attention on The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures and Square Enix's Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.
Ironically, many of the games Nintendo was featuring that year were actually quality, big games. The trouble was that Nintendo announced them prior to E3 -- so Mario Kart, Pikmin 2, Twin Snakes, Resident Evil 4 were all known quantities to the audience by the time E3 rolled around. Trained to expect major unveils, gamers and the gaming press alike walked away unimpressed and skeptical that the focus of the event, the GBA-tethering-concept, would find an audience or backing from other developers.
The Big Games


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Rubicon Project Selected As Demand Partner For Two of the Nation’s Largest Out-of-Home Video Networks
Adspace and Captivate to use Rubicon Project’s leading Orders platform, enabling access to nearly 80 million premium, difficult-to-reach consumers
LOS ANGELES – November 2, 2015 – Rubicon Project (NYSE: RUBI) today announced it has significantly expanded its presence into the fast growing out-of-home market through the formation of two independent strategic collaborations. Under these agreements, Rubicon Project will power the automation technology for two of North America’s leading out-of-home video networks, Adspace Networks, Inc., and Captivate. Both companies will use Rubicon Project’s leading Orders platform to package and sell advertising to Rubicon Project’s installed base of premium buyers.
Adspace and Captivate provide significant reach and scale in their respective out-of-home areas focusing on selective, premium inventory. Adspace reaches nearly 70 million unique customers every month with prominent premium placements in over 300 malls around the country. Captivate connects advertisers with more than 10 million unique monthly viewers through its nationwide network of 10,000 elevator and lobby displays located in 1,600 premier office buildings across the U.S.
PricewaterhouseCoopers recently valued out-of-home advertising as having the strongest prognosis of traditional media, anticipating that by 2019 it will grow to a nearly $11 billion market in the U.S. and to $45 billion worldwide. Today’s announcement comes on the heels of Rubicon Project’s previously disclosed agreement with BITPOSTER, the United Kingdom’s largest audience-driven outdoor media trading platform, which provides access to over 300,000 digital and static out-of-home billboards including roadside, transport, and retail.
“Automation truly represents the future for easily and efficiently connecting buyers and sellers in the out-of-home video advertising space,” said Peter Krieger, President and COO of Adspace Networks, Inc. “Rubicon Project is a recognized leader in advertising automation and our collaboration will allow us to utilize their Orders platform to leverage the mass impressions of our 3,600+ screen network and easily deliver ad content to hard-to-reach consumers.”
Marc Kidd, Chief Executive Officer of Captivate, added, “It only makes sense that in our ongoing efforts to elevate tenant engagement and the impact of advertising, we also look to elevate and automate the content we deliver to our audience of upscale, hard-to-reach professionals. Rubicon Project, its Orders platform and installed base of premium buyers is the perfect solution as we look to bring the power and scale of automation to the out-of-home marketplace.”
“Our Orders platform was created with the ultimate intention of providing automated advertising to all media environments, far beyond online and mobile, including out-of-home and place-based media that consumers work and play in on a daily basis,” commented Dax Hamman, Chief Product Officer, Rubicon Project. “The agreements with Captivate and Adspace are evidence of the true power and reach of our Orders technology and mark the latest step forward in our expansion into the multi-billion dollar out-of-home advertising market, dovetailing perfectly with our recent BITPOSTER announcement in the U.K.”
Barry Frey, President and CEO of the Digital Place-Based Advertising Association (DPAA), spoke to the merits of the announcement, commenting, “Both Captivate and Adspace are premium leaders in their respective fields and the agreements with Rubicon Project, the leader in advertising automation, represents a significant step forward driving the video everywhere ecosystem.”
Tags: Adspace, Buyers, Captivate, digital out of home, DOOH


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Indivior warns of annual loss as Suboxone sales plunge
Indivior warned it would suffer a loss this year after collapsing sales of its controversial Suboxone opioid-addiction treatment caused profit to fall more than a third in 2019.
Operating profit for the year to the end of December fell 39% to $178m (£137m) as net revenue dropped 22% to $785m. In the fourth quarter, Indivior swung to a $42m loss from a $20m profit a year earlier.
Indivior shares lost a fifth of their value in response to the news.
The pharmaceutical company said sales of Suboxone were hit by the launch of generic competitors. Suboxone's share of the market more than halved to 24% from 53% over the course of the year. Indivior said the pace of market loss would intensify and that its share would settle at the nomr for branded drug products.
The company said it expected a loss of $20-50m in 2020 and for revenue to drop to between $525m and $585m. The news was a shock to investors after Indivior upgraded its revenue guidance twice last year based on better-than-expected sales of Suboxone.
Indivior shares fell 20% to 39.2p at 12:17 GMT. The shares had already more than halved since April when a US jury indicted the company on 28 counts of felony over sales of Suboxone amid an outcry over the American opioid epidemic.
The US justice department charged Indivior with fraudulently claiming Suboxone was better and safer than similar drugs when it was not and demanded a payment of $3bn. The company, owned by Reckitt Benckiser until 2014, also referred patients to doctors it knew to be prescribing opioids in a careless manner, the indictment said.
Shaun Thaxter, Indivior's chief executive, said: Although we are optimistic about delivering on our strategic priorities in 2020, we of course recognise the legal uncertainties we face. We are proactively working to manage these risks while our teams remain focused on leveraging the strategic and operational accomplishments of the past year to further our leadership position in addiction science and diversification into behavioural health."


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Oceans Omega, DSM Nutritional Products enter supply agreement
PARAMUS, N.J. — Oceans Omega has a new supply agreement with DSM Nutritional Products for the production of Oceans Omega’s OTEC emulsion ingredients, the company said Monday.
DSM is a supplier of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, carotenoids and other ingredients to the feed, food, dietary supplement and personal care industries. Oceans Omega supplies stabilized omega-3 EPA and DHA ingredients.
"We are delighted to have DSM Nutritional Products produce our OTEC emulsion ingredients," Oceans Omega chief technology officer Volker Berl said. "This enables us to further scale our volumes while strengthening our supply chain and leveraging DSM’s world-class life’sDHA and Meg-3 oils in our emulsion products."
Switching off the pain
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Omron recently charged analgesic aisles with a new pain relief option. Omron’s Electro-Therapy Pain Relief unit is the only approved transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation unit on the market and should be an adjunctive sale for chronic pain sufferers. The product could add a spark to nonmedicinal, external pain relief. Sales of heat and ice packs were relatively flat in 2012, with sales approaching $235 million.
At-home tests grow in popularity
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The landmark launch of Orasure Technologies’ OraQuick In-Home HIV test last year was a key driver behind the 5.4% growth in the home-test kit category for the 12 weeks ended Dec. 30 across U.S. multi-outlets, according to SymphonyIRI Group data. The HIV test contributed $1 million in purely incremental sales to the total $15.5 million in category sales.
OraQuick contributes to a trend of more self-test diagnostic tools coming to market. According to Identigene, which manufactures a DNA test kit, there are three factors behind self testing — the continued shortage of family care physicians, the number of patients without insurance or who are under-insured and the proliferation of retail clinics, which is contributing to awareness of diagnostic options in the pharmacy.
The article above is part of the DSN Category Review Series. For the complete Diagnostics Sell-Through Report, including extensive charts, data and more analysis, click here.


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According to a study conducted by India Ratings in 2021-22, India’s merchandise exports may very well have reached a record high in terms of value during that period; nevertheless, volume growth occurred at a more modest rate. There was a volumetric decrease in the number of goods exported in the following four categories: plastic and rubber articles; gems and jewellery; optical, medical, and surgical tools. However, outbound shipments from these categories indicated a significant increase in the high double-digit volume.
According to a study conducted by India Ratings, “Analysis of merchandise exports data shows that value growth was more pronounced than volume growth in FY22.” “The export growth in the four items described above was driven solely by higher value/prices, not volume/quantity,” the report states. In volume terms, stones and jewellery exports decreased by 30 per cent in 2021-22, even though those exports increased by 50 per cent. In a similar vein, the value of exports of plastic and rubber goods increased by 35.2%, while volume exports decreased by 18.6%. When comparing the previous year to the current one, the value of outbound shipments of optical, medical, and surgical tools increased by 21.6 per cent while volume decreased by 8.8 per cent. In terms of value, the ‘Others’ category reported an increase of 36.5 per cent in 2021-22, although the volume of exports declined by 25.1 per cent.
The only category in which exports increased in volume, with a 69.2 per cent increase, but decreased in value, with a 23.2 per cent decrease, is ores. Nevertheless, “while the value growth is more pronounced in the case of items such as minerals and petroleum products, paper and related products, base metals, chemicals and related products and textiles and allied products,” the report states that “volume growth is more pronounced in the case of items such as project goods, machinery and electronics items agriculture and allied products, transport equipment, sports goods and articles of stone/plaster/cement/ ceramic/ glass and glassware products.”
According to the report, the present export growth momentum is unlikely to continue because of global headwinds caused by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, disruptions in global supply chains, and rising interest rates across nations. “Pent-up demand as a result of COVID-19 related closures, countercyclical monetary/fiscal stimulus in developed nations, execution of interim trade pacts with select countries, and rebate schemes all contributed to India’s merchandise exports reaching a record USD421 billion in FY22,” According to the research, “although, it is unlikely that the global environment will continue to be helpful in light of the recent history.”
It went on to say that the policy support and proactive measures such as the signing of new free trade agreements and expanding the Refund of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products scheme to other sectors such as pharmaceuticals, steel, and organic/inorganic chemicals might be able to lend a helping hand to the ongoing growth momentum of merchandise exports.