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Many beauty industry experts would agree that the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) passed in late 2022 was long overdue but far from perfect. As the first major update to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) cosmetics authorities since 1938, MoCRA imposed several new requirements for cosmetic manufacturers and brands. However, some clean beauty brands and industry advocates argue that there were several provisions that didn't go far enough, particularly in regard to ingredients and ingredient safety.
In an attempt to fill in some of the gaps in the newly updated federal legislation, some states have continued to enact cosmetics legislation that outright bans the use of potentially harmful chemicals in cosmetics. This new wave of state laws limiting the use of certain ingredients in cosmetic products (or banning them altogether) started before MoCRA passed and is in part responsible for the updated federal legislation. The increasing number of state regulations provided some much-needed momentum for the federal government to update its laws to address a growing amount of consumer concerns.
But if every state continues to expand its own rules and regulations, how will beauty brands be able to navigate a regulatory landscape with potentially 50 different standards? And what impact will this state-by-state legislation have on small, independent beauty businesses that might not have the resources or bandwidth to ensure compliance?
In an effort to understand the nuances of these various state legislation efforts, BeautyMatter spoke with industry experts to find out the impact these laws might have on the beauty industry.
Where MoCRA Falls Short
Passed with bipartisan and industry support, MoCRA was a great start in reforming how cosmetics are regulated, but the legislation is missing a few key elements. MoCRA did not ban any specific ingredients, and the federal preemption provision allows states to continue to enforce existing bans or limits on ingredients in cosmetic products, enact new bans and limits on ingredients, and continue to enforce any law that requires reporting of cosmetic ingredients.
“Part of the whole point of the industry working together to make sure that MoCRA got passed was to help prevent this type of action at the state level by providing a fair and comprehensive set of regulations to oversee [cosmetics] at the federal level,” Independent Beauty Association (IBA) President and CEO Don Frey told BeautyMatter.
“Each one of these [state regulations] seems to have just a slightly different list of ingredients in them, so it becomes extremely difficult for the industry as a whole—particularly small businesses—to be able to keep track of all these regulations, make sure they're complying, and also not constantly be having to go back and reformulate and recast all their targets because yet another ingredient that is safe is all of a sudden now on a list in some random state."
Generally speaking, it is easier and quicker to pass state legislation than it is to pass federal legislation. This is because the nature of federal legislation is such that it affects everyone in the entire nation, whereas states have a smaller constituent base to answer to. MoCRA’s definition of safety is rather vague on purpose and allows for individual states to set their own standards.
“The fact that there are these patchwork bills coming out means the federal regulation is missing something important, which I believe it is,” says Karen Yarussi-King, President at Global Regulatory Associates, a regulatory consultancy for small and medium-sized cosmetic companies. “It's missing a position on ingredients, and a position on natural, clean, nontoxic, safe, etc. It's still the Wild West.”
For now, it’s up to the states to pick up where the federal government left off. Organizations like the Environmental Working Group (EWG) are not waiting for the federal government to act on cosmetics reform. They’re going straight to the states to advocate for bills that they believe contribute to safer cosmetics.
“The Food and Drug Administration rarely takes steps to ban or restrict ingredients on a federal level, even though there are ingredients allowed in cosmetics that could cause health harms,” Melanie Benesh, EWG’s VP of Government Affairs, tells BeautyMatter. “States play an important gap-filling role where the federal government has fallen short.”
State legislation is often the quickest path to effect change, and clean beauty brand Beautycounter has been a longstanding advocate for cosmetics reform at both the state and national levels. Chief Impact Officer Jen Lee recently provided testimony to the Washington State Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee in support of the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act in March 2023. Her testimony helped influence the Washington State Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act (HB 1047), which was recently signed into law and restricts the manufacture, sale, and distribution of cosmetics containing harmful chemicals, including PFAS, formaldehyde, mercury, and more. Beautycounter’s community of advocates sent over 1,000 emails to their state legislators urging them to support and pass this bill. This passage marks the 12th piece of legislation that Beautycounter has influenced. Washington's Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act bans more chemicals of concern in beauty and personal care products than any other state.
“There's a specific reason why MoCRA didn't address toxic chemical bans, [and that’s] because they wanted to leave the door open so states could weigh in and be able to legislate for themselves,” Lee tells BeautyMatter. “A lot of federal-level activities happen because there's a significant movement in state-level laws. I think you have to look at both, and I don't think it particularly makes sense in a non-bipartisan topic like this that one needs to trump the other.”
The states show no signs of slowing down when it comes to creating their own laws to protect consumers in the wake of MoCRA. Currently, Beautycounter’s advocacy efforts are geared towards the Nevada PFAS ban, the California chemical ban, the New York chemical ban, the Oregon chemical ban, and the Illinois chemical ban.
“We actually really believe every state matters,” says Lee. “Our strategy is to weigh in on every state as long as we have the resources and the capability and time to do it.”
The Impact of State-by-State Legislation on Small Beauty Brands
MoCRA stopped short of banning specific ingredients, and instead requires cosmetic companies to substantiate product safety. According to Yarussi-King, this is done on purpose, as a lot of smaller independent brands take claims from third-party manufacturers’ raw materials documents as fact without doing any additional safety or efficacy testing.
“I have a funny feeling that [MoCRA] skipped banning raw materials to force people to do safety testing,” she says.
Yarussi-King estimates that 50 percent of the independent brands she consults for have not done any safety testing before meeting with her. Yarussi-King argues that the proliferation of “clean lists” from retailers and organizations can give brands and consumers a false sense of safety. The FDA has now been granted mandatory recall authority if it determines that there is a reasonable probability that cosmetic products are adulterated or misbranded, so companies have to be able to show that their product is safe through testing.
“There are some small brands that say, ‘All my ingredients are a one or two on the EWG scale, so I don't have to test.’ False. You've got some companies saying, ‘Well, I meet the Sephora clean list, so I don't have to test.’ False. ‘Well, I'm only using natural ingredients, so I don't have to test.’ False,” says Yarussi-King. “All these [organizations] basically have convinced the small companies that they don't have to do testing as long as they’re certified or meet their clean list, which is all false.”
While MoCRA doesn’t outright ban materials, many states have and will continue to do so, and for small brands to comply, a lot of them are going to have to go back and reformulate their products. Not only does this cost brands time and money, but every time you reformulate, it can affect the quality of the product.
“Some of the things in particular that have been outlawed in some of these state legislations are certain preservatives that are relatively commonly used in many formulas,” says Frey. “Those preservatives are used because they're safe and effective at those levels, as well as cost-efficient.”
Due to the product safety provision in MoCRA, all reformulated products will have to go through additional safety testing, which can take a lot of time. “What I get very concerned about is efforts just to maintain products in the marketplace is really going to take over the same efforts that normally would be used to create new innovative products for the marketplace,” says Frey.
There’s no doubt that these state and federal regulations will end up being very expensive for small brands to be fully compliant, and they’ll have no choice but to pass on that additional cost to the consumer. If small brands can’t keep up, they risk losing the ability to sell products in certain states with more strict regulations until they can reformulate. If brands don’t want to reformulate across the board, they may be forced to formulate different products to be sold in different states.
“It's the big brands trying to crush the little guys,” says Yarussi-King. “They're banking on the fact that [small brands] have cut corners. Forced to do what everybody else has to do, they're not going to be able to become a strong brand, and then they can either kill them or buy them.”
The Impact on the Industry at Large
Increasing state legislation creates a domino effect: If multiple states pass laws forbidding the use of formaldehyde in cosmetics, that’s a good indicator that a federal regulation will get enacted in the future as well. Creating movement in every single state is a key strategy for many clean beauty brands and advocates.
“When states step in to ban ingredients of concern, consumers get safer products and are exposed to fewer chemicals of concern,” says Benesh. “And when everyone has to make safer products, responsible brands get a more level playing field.”
Beautycounter has brand advocates in all 50 states and trains them to meet with their state legislators to be able to weigh in and tell their stories. Many small, independent beauty brands are against increased regulation and argue that they don’t have the resources or access to manufacturers to reformulate their products. The beauty industry is evolving so quickly that many smaller brands can’t keep up. Skincare start-up Wldkat, Kristen Bell's skincare brand Happy Dance, and indie clean makeup brand Athr have all shut down this year, citing mounting financial pressures. In spite of this, Beautycounter believes that increased state regulation doesn't pose an economic threat to beauty brands, no matter their size.
“There's really no reason to say there's an economic obstacle,” says Lee. “If we're able to [produce clean and safe cosmetics] and have a robust preservative system, there's no reason other public companies that are very well known can't do it as well.”
So, how will beauty brands be able to navigate a regulatory landscape with potentially 50 different standards? As more states continue to pass legislation, all beauty brands will need to stay up to date on the latest state and federal laws regarding cosmetics. Moving forward, companies are going to have to manufacture for the most stringent level of safety standards, just to be safe.
IBA is performing more state-specific outreach to keep its members informed, and working with other trade associations to make legislators aware of the issues that these different state laws create.
“We're working to try and find ways to get in front of these various state laws,” says Frey. “We're going to have to amplify our voice—more than we have in the past—because these laws are just happening. And we need to make sure that [the laws are enacted] in such a way that they don't go overboard in overregulating the industry.”
Frey points out that beauty and skincare products are often seen as optional or extra, but in reality, they are essential items that people of all socioeconomic backgrounds use every day to keep their skin and bodies healthy. He argues that we need to make sure that the industry is able to maintain democratic access to high-quality and effective products.
“I get concerned about all these ancillary costs being added on to these products,” said Frey. “It’s going to make it more challenging for people that are already struggling in hard economic times to afford these essential products.”
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Making the Cut 2015 is right around the corner and has announced an exciting giveaway offering two VIP passes to one lucky winner! The live hair and fashion show will feature hairstylists throughout Southern California competing for the chance to win cash, prizes, publicity and the highly coveted title of “Southern California’s Top Stylist 2015.”
The event will take place on Monday October 5th at The Avalon Hollywood and includes red carpet photos, an opening performance by Scott Fontana, appetizers and cocktails, a stage production featuring live cutting and styling from the six finalists, and a full hair and fashion runway show.
E! News’ Marc Malkin and celebrity hair stylist Frank Galasso will serve as celebrity judges at the event, which is being sponsored by L’Oreal Professionnel, Kerastase Paris and Cover Girl. One lucky stylist will takes home the title, $2,500 cash and other prizes.
To enter for a chance to win VIP tickets, go to @MTCHairShow on Instagram, follow Making the Cut and tag a friend in the comment section under the giveaway. To purchase tickets, visit http://www.makingthecuthairshow.com/tickets/
About: Making the Cut is the industry’s first and only live hair styling competition, created and hosted by Scott Fontana, celebrity stylist and owner of Christophe Salon Newport Beach. Making the Cut is a high-end, professional produced event that features live hair cutting and styling on stage performed by leading stylists, a live hair and fashion show, and a renowned judging panel comprised of beauty industry elite. The show is edgy, sexy and wildly entertaining.

domain: news


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As Android updates usually take weeks and months to trickle down to non-Nexus devices, the new version is currently running on just 1.1 percent of all Android devices. These include the Nexus 5, along with some Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 devices. The Fudzilla team currently uses three Nexus devices and all got the official OTA update over the last ten days.
Android 4.1.x Jelly Bean is still the dominant OS version, with a 37.4 percent share. Android 4.2.x and 4.3 have a share of 12.9 and 4.2 percent respectively. Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0.x) still runs on 18.6 percent of all Android devices, while the three year old Gingerbread is still on 24.1 percent of devices.
Only Android 4.4 features API level 19, while 4.3, 4.2.x and 4.1.x versions support API levels 15 through 16. Gingerbread is limited to API level 10.


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BENGALURU: Toyota Kirloskar Motor said it expects its vehicle sales to remain flat this fiscal hurt by a ban on sale of diesel vehicles with engine capacity more than 2,000 cc in Delhi NCR, one of its major markets in the country.
The Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) passed the verdict in December in an effort to reduce the level of extreme pollution in the country's capital, often dubbed as one of the most polluted cities in the world due to a large number of vehicles and other factors.
"We could have grown about 10-12% this year but will not due to Delhi diesel ban, which is the pain point for us. Last year we sold about 140,000 vehicles and hope to finish at similar numbers," vice chairman Vikram Kirloskar told TOI.
The ban on such vehicles in Delhi has hurt the company badly, which makes up about 13% of its sales. Toyota has a 5% market share in the country, has 1 million customers and caters to just 35% of the car market due to its reliance on big vehicles such as Innova.
Kirloskar said the ban offered no solutions to the pollution levels of Delhi because according to a study by IIT-Kanpur, trucks, two wheelers and road dust were found to be the main pollutants rather than passenger vehicles and more specifically, vehicles with more than 2,000 cc engines.
"I hope some sense comes out because through this there will be no effect. If you ban new vehicles and keep old vehicles for longer time, you are actually increasing levels of pollution."
According to Kirloskar, the government has to go with diesel vehicles if it was intent to bring down pollution. "Carbon content emission in diesel is 5-6 times lower than petrol; we also need more sophisticated diesel vehicles to comply with the BS VI emission norms which start from 2020."
Kirloskar was also unhappy of the cess that the government introduced in the last Union Budget. "We are paying 40-50% of vehicle price as tax which is being overtaxed. I still don't think the entire taxation makes sense," he said adding that a reduction in tax and increase of volumes will help the auto industry create an additional one million jobs.


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A NEW seaside business venture is hoping to be a sweet success.
Let There Be Crumbs will open today as part of long-term plans to revamp the Roker Hotel.
About £100,000 has been ploughed into converting the former Thai China restaurant into a cake shop and tea rooms, which is creating 10 jobs.
The new business will be whipping up cakes, confectionery and light bites, serving loose-leaf teas and freshly-ground coffee while also offering afternoon tea and cocktails.
Hotel owner Mark Hird said: “Tearooms have grown immensely in popularity in recent years and we hope that including one inside the new Best Western Roker Hotel will not only serve to satisfy modern tastes, but increase our appeal for seaside visitors, as well as hotel guests.”
Work is due to begin on the next stage of a planned redevelopment programme for the Roker Hotel, which includes plans to relaunch the hotel as a four-star Best Western Plus property by the end of 2014. Tavistock Leisure founder Mark and wife Nicola have bought the business out from parent company Durham Estates and have ambitious plans to develop the new Tavistock Hospitality Ltd as it emerges from the recession.
Additions being made to The Roker as part of the development include a pub and mini-brewery.


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Mirror Margarita gains Sainsbury’s listing
Pre-mixed cocktail brand Mirror Margarita has secured a UK-wide listing in Sainsbury’s following a £1 million (US$1.22m) Black founder brand incubation programme.
Deano Moncrieffe and Emma Murphy, who are also owners of London agaveria Hacha, transformed the venue’s signature Mirror Margarita into its own RTD (ready-to-drink) bottled cocktail brand in 2021.
Mirror Margarita was one of nine businesses that took part in the Thrive with Sainsbury’s programme, which was created to allow the UK retailer to support Black founder-led food and drink brands.
In the programme, the brands received an initial grant of £20,000 (US$24,177), one-to-one practical training and group learning opportunities.
Speaking to The Spirits Business, Moncrieffe commented: “It was a really immersive and rounded programme covering pretty much everything from food and drink safety, investor pitch techniques, legal requirements, increasing visibility, tweaking existing brand designs to have more standout on shelf, and essential new skills.
“It was a really rounded way of getting to understand more about the off-trade because that’s not an area that either Emma or I have a lot of experience in, so it was so invaluable.
“You’ve got to think about supply chain, you’ve got to think about distribution, you’ve got to think about your cogs, new product development, your marketing strategy – it’s going to be completely different to what it would be in the on-trade. It’s been a really, really big eye opener from that point of view.”
Following the training, the brands then pitched for a permanent place on supermarket shelves. This included ‘Dragons’ Den-style’ pitches to Sainsbury’s category and buying teams, which gave brands the chance to showcase their new branding and products, and answer any questions.
“We’re incredibly proud to have taken part in the programme,” Moncrieffe said. “We feel that this is laying the foundations for a massive opportunity for us to continue to grow this year and beyond, and we’re really excited that more people in the UK are going to be able to taste and explore the wonderful world of Mirror Margarita.”
‘First in the UK’
The first three brands to be selected from the programme, including Mirror Margarita, will be available to purchase at Sainsbury’s later this year.
“We feel incredibly proud that to our knowledge we will be the first bar in the UK to have their own signature serve brand on sale at a national supermarket,” said Moncrieffe.
“I think this is actually quite ground-breaking because if you go into a lot of supermarkets at the moment, you will see very popular restaurants or food outlets, like Itsu or Yo Sushi, that have their own brand on sale in a national supermarket, so from a restaurant point of view, it’s been done before, but it’s not been done from a drinks point of view.
“I think that this may be in some way inspiration to other bars to follow suit; but it’s just amazing that we’re the first to have done it.”
In partnership with Foundervine and Mission Ventures, the programme sought to combat the barriers Black and ethnic-minority start-up businesses face, including reduced industry knowledge, insufficient access to funding, and limited social capital and networks.
“For me personally, as a Black mixologist, I’m the first to be able to achieve [a supermarket listing like this],” Moncrieffe added. “So hopefully that will inspire and excite a new generation of bartenders from minority groups to know that they can achieve something pretty big.”
Silika Shellie-Manso, director of grocery innovation, Sainsbury’s, said: “We launched Thrive with Sainsbury’s to give Black founder-led start-up brands access to quality support and services to which they wouldn’t otherwise have access to, as innovation and inclusivity are at the heart of what we do.
“What these brands have achieved over the last 16 weeks is phenomenal and we hope all businesses involved can take away skills and knowledge to help them grow even further. For the three selected brands, we’re so excited to welcome them into the Sainsbury’s fold.”
‘Most popular luxury RTD’
Going forward, Moncrieffe confirmed the brand plans to increase its distribution in the nationwide on-trade to support its growth in the off-trade.
“Expect to see us in a lot of major cities across the UK,” he said. “And hopefully some very exciting partnerships to come this year in the on-trade will be a lot more feasible in cities outside of London.
“It is the mission for us to become the most popular luxury RTD in the country and definitely the most popular Margarita in the UK as well. That’s what our mission is, and that’s what we’re trying to do. So when we get there we can explore outside of Europe and then in other key markets across the world as well.”


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Google’s next Nexus device could be manufactured by HTC, if reports are to be believed.
Smartphone site GSMArena claims that an anonymous tipster has suggested the Taiwanese manufacturer’s much rumoured 5-inch ‘phablet’ device will bear the Nexus name upon launch, following on from Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus device released in November last year.
The reports suggest that the handset will run Android 4.1.2, an update of Google’s software which will include big fixes, extra lockscreen functions and improvements to the user interface.
Rumoured specs of the device make it out to be an impressive handset, with a 5-inch, 1080p display and Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset. Photography could be handled by a 12 megapixel camera with a front-facing, 2 megapixel sensor also included and the phone is said to be powered by a 2500mAh battery.
While HTC’s name has previously been mentioned in connection with rumours surrounding the next Nexus device, other manufacturers such as Samsung, LG and Google-owned Motorola have also been tipped for the project.
Despite this, some commentators have speculated that another Nexus device may not emerge until the release of the next iteration of Android, rumoured to be called Key Lime Pie. Google-branded handsets have previously only been released in line with major new versions of the Android platform, whereas the 4.1.2 designation suggests more of an incremental upgrade rather than a major overhaul of the software.


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The government’s planned VAT increase has come into force today, with a 20 per cent tax levy on goods purchased, apart from food, newspapers and magazines, and children’s clothing.
According to the Treasury, the increase from 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent will bring an extra £13bn in revenue, as the Coalition government battles to reduce the huge deficit facing the UK.
Chancellor George Osborne defended the rise, which comes on top of stinging increases in fuel prices this week, claiming it could boost employment and is a better alternative to raising income tax.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research and Kelkoo predict that retail sales will fall by around £2.2bn in the first three months of the year, and the British Retail Consortium warned that the rise may have affected the January sales, compressing a month’s worth of activity into a few days over the New Year holiday.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Osborne said: “When you’ve got a very large budget deficit and you’re in the middle of a European sovereign debt crisis, and you’ve decided that at least part of dealing with the deficit has to come from tax rises, then I think VAT presents itself as the choice.
“If you look at the population and how much they spend, then VAT is progressive,” he said.
Alex Tatham, sales and marketing director at Westcoast, was unconcerned about the increase.
“I don’t think the VAT increase will have an impact at all on individual purchases, and businesses tend to absorb the rise anyway,” he said. “It may well have helped to clear out some retail stocks though. The country needs the cash and the government really doesn’t have any choice.”
Jeanette Bresitz, head of marketing at Spicers, said strong working relationships were key to riding the VAT storm.
“Even though most businesses are able to claim back VAT, the rise is likely to impact the customer’s purchasing behaviour because of the psychological impact of higher prices,” she said. “Therefore, transparency behind any rise is fundamental to establishing trust between the dealer and the customer. Loyalty is key so resellers need to form strong relationships with their customers at the start of the year to ensure they benefit from these throughout 2011.”
Chief exec Jens Montanana claims Logicalis performed well despite 'currency headwinds'
All the photos from last night's event, which saw over 600 people congregate at the Hilton London Bankside
Five year deal with Essex NHS Trust will cover 400 sites, including hospitals, clinics and GP practices
18 individuals and three companies walked away as winners at CRN's inaugural Women in Channel Awards last night


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Jones has been chosen to promote BT’s Business offering, another step towards the corporate takeover of our TV screens. Indeed, with the prolonged success of shows such as the Apprentice and Dragon’s Den, and Jones’ fellow-Dragon Duncan Bannatyne now fronting a campaign for BlackBerry, it may be time to reverse the old adage and suggest that ‘there’s no show-business like business’. Half of Britain’s bosses seem to spend as much time in make-up at the moment as in the boardroom.
And who has Jones replaced as BT’s new face? Scottish firebrand chef Gordon Ramsay. Ramsay is yet another celebrity entrepreneur, one known as much for his colourful interpretation of airwave-appropriate language these days as he is for his hugely successful chain of restaurants.
You can understand BT trying to jump on the business-star bandwagon while it’s still thundering along. If the average couch potato has been conditioned to find the corporate world entertaining, it seems only logical to use this new-found celebrity power to promote its business offerings.
Indeed, the company’s incoming chief executive Ian Livingston will be all too aware of the importance of business customers to BT’s future. Hence Jones, who made his millions with his own telecoms business, is set to appear alongside some ‘surprising Hollywood guest stars’ in the multimillion-pound campaign, due to launch early next month.
For his part, Jones has leapt on this latest chance to maximise his earnings, and while his star is rising he’d be wise to take full advantage. Indeed, we all know the entertainment industry is fickle, and no amount of business acumen can help you when your time is done. Indeed, as MT asks in Bring Back the TV Tycoons, where is JR now?


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Walgreens has partnered with Blue Shield of California to expand in-person and virtual care options through the launch of 12 additional Walgreens Health Corner locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County. There are currently 12 Walgreens Health Corner locations in the region and an initial eight more will open by the middle of 2022.
The services will be available at no additional cost to members enrolled in Blue Shield’s commercial PPO and HMO plans who live within 20 miles of a Walgreens Health Corner location. Walgreens Health Corners are staffed by qualified personnel, such as pharmacists and registered nurses, who offer both in-store health counseling and support and services through the Walgreens Health Corner App.
Available services range from preventative care and wellness checks to assistance with managing chronic conditions. Options include select health screenings, scheduling mammography appointments and assistance with technology needs such as digital health applications and medical devices.
“Walgreens has a strong community presence throughout the state and together we are offering new ways for Blue Shield members to meet their health care needs and improve their overall health,” said D.D. Johnice, VP of the Health Transformation Lab at Blue Shield of California in a statement. “We are thrilled to make these resources available closer to home and to offer more satisfying and convenient support to our members and their families.”
The Health Corner concept differs from Walgreens’ VillageMD operations through its focus on neighborhood-centric, highly personalized care as opposed to more generalized primary care. Health Corner will expand from 47 to 100 locations over the course of 2022, while the number of co-located VillageMD clinics will grow from 81 at least 200.
Walgreens has big plans for VillageMD, which the retailer acquired in October 2021. Walgreens is aiming open a total of 600 VillageMD primary care practices by 2025 and 1,000 by 2027. This will help Walgreens achieve its goal of becoming the first retailer to offer full-service primary care practices, including primary care physicians and pharmacists co-located in stores, on a national scale.


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Beijing/ London: Beijing is preparing to allow more sources of imported meat in an effort to overcome potential pork shortages as African swine fever curbs domestic hog herds, according to the China Meat Association.
China may lift restrictions on buffalo meat imports from India as well as live cows and sheep from Mongolia and pork from Russia, Gao Guan, the vice president of the association, said Monday in Beijing. China is also looking to expedite the resumption of U.K. beef imports to this year after agreeing to lift a ban in 2018, he said. Shipments had been expected to resume in 2020.
“Though China is boosting its own production, more countries will also be allowed to export to the country after the outbreak of African swine fever,” Gao said. “The expansion of meat imports will cover any potential animal protein shortages in the country.”
Exports from the targeted countries are currently restricted for a number of reasons including BSE and swine fever. There is currently no timetable for the changes, which are pending final approval from China’s customs, Gao said. The General Administration of Customs couldn’t be reached for comment.
Beijing is seeking to expand potential sources of imported protein as the nation culls more than 1 million hogs to contain the spread of African swine fever while shunning supplies from the U.S. because of its ongoing trade dispute with Washington. China recently allowed poultry imports from Russia for the first time since the Soviet era.
Germany’s agriculture minister plans to visit China later this week in a bid to ease trade restrictions on products like beef and poultry, according to a press release on Monday.
Increasing the potential sources of tested and certified meat would also help reduce smuggling into the country, Gao said. Beijing has recently stiffened controls at its borders to clamp down on the illicit trade of produce from its immediate neighbors.
China’s pork production may decline about 30% in 2019 because of African swine fever, Rabobank predicted in April. A drop of that size would be roughly the same as Europe’s entire annual pork supply, the bank said. – Bloomberg
Also read: Indian meat exporters urge China to end controls for its own good


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UHT rounded JEC Europe 2015 off The innovative IM U30-3K caught the attention of the world2015-03-09
Taiwan- UHT, the IM/ HM carbon fiber manufacturer, successfully exhibited its series of carbon fiber yarns at JECT Europe in Paris, especially the innovative and exclusive U30-3K caught the attention of the world. Mostly, the products were made high inquiries, and its developing potential was foreseeable.
In addition, UHT was invited to exhibit an ultra-light medical cylinder which made by carbon fiber material at the innovation showcase area where could be easily to see UHT’s ambitious in the cylinder market.
At the show, UHT also benefited by its Ultra-High Temperature graphitization technology, which gained the USA innovation patented. The process conspicuously attracted many international visitors who are existing carbon fiber manufacturers in Japan, Turkey and China to discuss the unique technology, and they were highly interested in strategic cooperation.
UHT CTO Ben Wang said, the exclusive U30-3K effective increased the modulus of the material which was developing for 3C (Computer, Communication and Consumer) applications as the Greater China is the biggest world factory of 3C products. Currently, the product is steady growing, he believe, it had successfully initiating a topic in Europe through the show which will be helpful to the promotion of the European market.
Photo A：UHT’ graphitization technology had successfully initiating a topic in Europe.
Photo B：UHT exhibited a carbon fiber medical cylinder.


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Home improvement retail chains are receiving heightened scrutiny from state revenue agencies for unpaid taxes in transactions where the big box stores act more like construction contractors than traditional retailers.
Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe’s could be on the hook for millions in unpaid sales tax liabilities and penalties under two lawsuits advancing in Illinois. And South Carolina’s Department of Revenue is pursuing $2.8 million in back taxes, penalties and interest against Lowe’s after winning a $2 million judgment against Home Depot.
The tax question involves whether home improvement stores should be viewed as retailers or contractors when appliances, cabinets, furnaces and other products are installed. The tax duties for the two groups are different. Asserting the contractor designation, the chains often remit use tax based on their cost for materials used during installations rather than the higher sales tax based on the retail sales price of the materials.
While South Carolina and Illinois lead the states with aggressive audit tactics, tax practitioners say other states that haven’t updated their tax codes may follow suit as consumer demand for store-sponsored installation services surges.
“Construction is one of the most complicated areas of the sales and use tax,” said Scott Peterson, vice president of U.S. tax policy at the tax software company Avalara and a former state sales tax director. “Across the country there are multiple definitions of a contractor, multiple definitions of what it means to incorporate material into a construction project, and multiple definitions of construction.”
The lack of clarity and consistency across state tax codes for retailers and contractors “is nothing new,” said Steven Wlodychak, national state and local tax leader for Ernst & Young LLP. But the issue is coming up in audits because installations have become a prominent feature of the home improvement business model.
“The difference is that from a business perspective more retailers are also engaging in contracting activities and the state laws weren’t originally designed to conceive that the two could be the same,” he said.
Contractor or Retailer?
Home Depot declined to comment on the tax controversies in South Carolina and Illinois. The Atlanta-based company, however, predicted significant revenue growth from installations going forward in its most recent annual report.
“We believe that changing demographics are increasing the demand for our installation services, particularly for our ‘baby boomer’ customers who may have historically been DIY customers but who are now looking for someone to complete a project for them,” the company stated.
Illinois has already successfully targeted Best Buy in a similar action. In a unanimous decision, an appeals court affirmed an Illinois Department of Revenue argument that found Best Buy wasn’t a contractor and wasn’t exempt from tax duties on the sale of certain home appliances it delivers and installs. Best Buy had relied on a provision of the code that carves out an exemption for construction contracts that incorporate tangible personal property into real estate.
In so ruling, the court upheld the department’s basis for an assessment against Best Buy of $192,147 for the period July 2012 through December 2013.
Best Buy didn’t respond to Bloomberg Tax’s request for comment on the ruling.
The Best Buy decision provided fresh ammunition in a separate tax fraud lawsuit, brought by a whistleblower, who alleges Best Buy, Lowe’s, and Home Depot have cheated Illinois out of millions in tax revenue for more than a decade. The whistleblower, a small regional appliance retailer, filed an action under the Illinois False Claims Act alleging the national chains deliberately misclassified their installations of dishwashers, dryers and microwave ovens as construction contracts.
Attorneys representing the whistleblower folded the Best Buy ruling into a motion relating to claims against Lowe’s.
“The fundamental legal claim we’ve been making is right based on the appellate court’s decision,” said relator’s counsel Paul Berks, a partner with Massey & Gail LLP in Chicago. “Now all that’s left for us to prove is the knowing part—whether they knew, or were reckless, or disregarded evidence that they had this obligation.”
Berks has been pursuing claims against the retailers in Cook County Circuit Court since 2015. In April 2019 Berks won an appeals court ruling, rejecting Home Depot’s campaign to dismiss the case.
Revenue spokesman Sam Salustro said the department has issued various letter rulings and compliance statements regarding the construction contractor classification.
The revenue department tried to put the issue to rest with a June 2015 compliance alert, addressing tax collection problems spotted during an agency investigation. The department also recommended the retailers perform self-audits going back to July 2012. Businesses could then enter into voluntary compliance agreements with the state and avoid late payment penalties.
Paul Bogdanski, a tax partner in the Chicago office of Reed Smith LLP, said the appeals court made a shallow analysis of the contractor exemption and noted the department’s own compliance alert acknowledges a seller can act as either a retailer or a contractor, depending on the transaction.
“I don’t think the appellate court considered the potential for a taxpayer to do multiple things,” said Bogdanski, a former revenue department deputy general counsel. “They never gave consideration to the history the department has on this issue.”
South Carolina Litigation
Home Depot’s problems in South Carolina arose after the state revenue department audited the company and asserted it had failed to properly remit sales tax on its cost for materials utilized across all installation contracts. The state’s administrative law court sided with the department in March 2018, finding “Home Depot was acting in its capacity as a retailer” and ordered an assessment of $1.5 million in back taxes and $487,514 in interest. A spokesperson for the agency said Home Depot withdrew its appeal and the matter is now resolved.
The department made similar allegations against Lowe’s and seeks to collect $2.2 million in taxes, $360,000 in interest and $290,000 in penalties. The case was tried in 2016, but the department said the court still hasn’t issued a decision. Lowe’s declined comment on the pending litigation.
The department has taken a very narrow view on a tax question that should be clarified by the state legislature, said Rick Reames, a tax partner with Nexsen Pruet LLC in Columbia. S.C.. Reames, who has represented businesses in sales tax disputes, predicted audits in any state with an aggressive revenue agency and vague rules delineating tax duties for retailers and home remodelers.
“Since the Home Depot decision, the South Carolina Department Revenue has continued to take an incredibly broad view of what should be included in the sales tax base,” said Reames, a former state revenue director. “Like many states, it has staked out positions that are better taken by state legislatures.”


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CNET también está disponible en español. Don't show this again. Wave's chip will use HP's VerSecure 128-bit strong encryption technology,which the U.S. government has preapproved for export, althoughWave will need another export approval for its chips. Wave's security chip is designed to be built into new PCs, which can thenbe used for e-commerce and security applications. As a hardware-basedsecurity technology, Wave says its Embassy E-commerce platform will beboth cheaper and more secure than software-based approaches.
Wave has licensed the Embassy technology to ITE and Standard MicroSystems Corporation, whichmanufacture PC motherboards, "This is a flexible, secure kajsa military collection straps iphone x fabric tough case - blue reviews platform helping to expand the role of the PCin e-commerce," Sprague said, "It is compatible with most applications thatrun today, which are completely server-centric and would benefit from useof a trusted client.", Embassy uses RSA Data Securityencryption, utilizes Aladdin Knowledge Systems' data protection software,supports Sun Microsystems' JavaCardspecification, and will work with VeriSign digital certificates..
"By moving security from the server to the client, we think we add newapplication capabilities to PCs that don't exist today," said Doug McGown,a director for HP's VerSecure. "We have created a virtual smart card thatresides on the PC.". The Embassy technology appeals to PC makers because it can be deployedwithout changing the motherboard and will solve requirements for a "secureboot" for PCs. McGown said the "trusted client" model will add security to applicationslike virtual private networks and can be used to store digital certificatesor software licenses securely.
Today's announcement represents Wave's efforts to broaden its market andresuscitate itself after several years of effort to get its hardware builtinto consumer PCs so they can be used for renting computer games and othersoftware, It also adds a new revenue source from licensing fees fromapplications that are loaded into the chip, McGown said kajsa military collection straps iphone x fabric tough case - blue reviews HP is looking at building the secure chip into peripheraldevices in addition to new PCs, which would accelerate how quickly itbecame prominent in the marketplace..
The firms announce a security technology they call a "trusted client" system that builds security into a programmable chip for PCs. NEC has committed to use the chip indesktop PCs next year, and HP's PC division is considering the same. "We are introducing the concept of a 'trusted client' extending the web ofsecurity to the desktop for existing applications," said Steven Sprague,Wave's president. "We are bringing a hardware solution to desktopsecurity." Wave designed its chip for use in set-top boxes, handhelddevices, and peripheral cards.
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Black roller skaters have become increasingly popular in the UK over the last decade and now skate brands like Skateboarders UK and The Black Skate have started to feature the popular skate on their website.
They’ve been hailed as the ultimate black skate and have even caught on with fashion designer Marc Jacobs.
Now, the Black Skates have teamed up with Skateworld, a skateboarding magazine which specializes in black culture and art, to offer a range of black roller skate models.
Here are the black skate models featured in the article: 1.
Bambi The Bambie is one of the most popular black roller skating models on SkateWorld.
She is a big fan of the brand and has been featured on the magazine’s Instagram account and in the Skate World Magazine.
Missy The Missy is a black skate model from The Black Sky.
She has been skateboarding since the age of five and is also featured on Skayworld.
The Belly The Bem is a new black roller model from Skateland.
She was originally inspired by black models and has had a long skate career.
Miss Molly The Miss Molly is the latest model to join The Black Skies Skate Team.
She’s been skating since she was two and has already featured in fashion and music videos.
The Princess The Princess is a brand new black skate girl from Skayland.
The team is looking for the perfect Black skates model.
Lady Gaga Lady Gaga has been skating for over 30 years and has worked as a model, model wife and dance teacher.
Miley Cyrus Miley has been in the industry for over a decade and is now a pop star and singer.
She recently dropped a video for the band Pink.
Laganja Estranja Laganjas famous skates are made from nylon and are now a trend among skate brands.
She also has her own fashion line.
Black Skaters UK Black skaters are one of Skate Worlds most popular models and have been featured in several magazines and films including the UK’s own Channel 4 series Skate and Skate UK. 10.
Black Sky Black Sky has a huge following and is the brand that launched the Black Skies skateboarding brand in 2012.
The Black Riders The Black Rider brand has been on Skaterworld for some time and has also featured models like Alyssa Milano, Adele and Sofia Vergara.
The Queen The Queen is one black skater who’s had a huge skate career and is currently an Olympic champion.
She just celebrated her 30th birthday and has become a pop singer, fashion designer and a member of The Black Wings Skate Crew.
Black Star Skate The Black Star is a skate brand that has been around for a while and has a number of black models in its roster.
Black Wings The Blackwings Skate has been based in the U.K. since the mid-1990s and has some of the world’s best black skaters in its ranks.
Skateboarding UK Skate is the main skateboarding channel in the United Kingdom and is owned by the BBC.
It was established in 1996 and it’s owned by BBC Worldwide.
Skates for the People Skate for the people was launched in 2006 and has since grown to become the biggest and most successful skateboarding platform in the world.
Blackskates Black Skating UK is a UK skate brand and was established as a skate clothing brand in 2013.
Skateworld was also founded by Skatewings UK, which is now known as Skate.
Black Roller Skate Black Roller skate models are some of Skatworlds most popular skaters and have featured in Skate the World Magazine, Skate Magazine, Slopestyle Skate, Skates magazine and Skat and Skates.
Black Stars Black Stars is a Skate company and has made it to the top 10 of Skates’ Most Popular Skaters list.
The brand is a huge fan of Black skater models and recently released a video featuring them.
Skater.UK SkaterUK is the official skateboarding website for Skate on the BBC and is run by the UK-based Skate Board.
Sketches Sketched is the Official UK Sketcher and is launched by Skatboarders.
Skaters.UK is one the largest skateboarding websites in the country.
The site features the best skate photos from around the UK and also features a range in skateboarding accessories and accessories for skaters to buy.
Skated.com Skated is Skate’s official website and it is run and managed by the SkatersUK team.
Skatable is the only skateboard brand with a dedicated UK Skating Channel.
Skats.com is a social network and features


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Do you own a Samsung Galaxy S4 16GB? Have been complaining about the user memory that you got? Good news is here! Samsung has started rolling out a new software update for the Samsung Galaxy S4 today according to SamMobile.com. This Samsung Galaxy S4 new software update is for Germany only for the Samsung Galaxy S4 variant I9505, Snapdragon powered processor one. Exynos processor powered phone I9500 will get this update later on. You can update your Samsung Galaxy S4 via Samsung KIES update. Update for the rest of the world is not planned yet but coming soon. [Read more…]
Until I was writing today the cheapest Samsung Galaxy S4 deal on the market is now from Tesco Mobile shop. On their website there is a section for pre-ordering Galaxy S4 the super fast and high tech phone featuring 2 GB of RAM and a quad-core processor and an amazing display.
Before we go to the deal details we need to know that Samsung is in trouble with the production of Samsung Galaxy S4. They have more interest than their production quantity. Samsung did not realize that they would get that much response about their new product Samsung Galaxy S4. So, not everyone is getting it early, customers have to wait to get it in their hands. [Read more…]


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“Anything Goes in GO” the Cleveland Press crooned in house ads plugging its new weekly entertainment section. But it turned out almost everything went.
Cleveland Press Advertising Director Robert Hatton calls it “The Great Kick-Ass Controversy of ’82.” WMMS-FM Promotion Director Chris Hernandez calls it “a laugh.” Press Editor Herb Kamm thought it was obscene and probably wants to forget it ever happened.
It all started when the Press recently kicked off its new weekly supplement aimed at the young rock ’n’ roll crowd, GO. There it was in the very first issue, in full-page splendor: a WMMS advertisement with hard-to-miss inch-high lightning-bolt letters screaming the rock station’s slogan, “Kick-Ass Rock ’n’ Roll.”
At least, there it was in the first few thousand papers to roll off the Press’ presses. When Kamm laid eyes on the ad he jumped on the phone to Ron Hrovath of Media Center Inc., an outside firm, which is helping the Press produce GO. “I guess he [Kamm] thought it was the most obscene and vulgar thing he’d ever seen,” says WMMS’ Hernandez.
Hrovath, in turn, phoned WMMS General Manager Walt Tiburski and told him Kamm was censoring the ad. “Tiburski took it pretty good,” says Hernandez, “although I understand we didn’t have much choice in the matter.”
The Press advertising department didn’t have much choice in the matter, either, according to Hatton. Hatton says he and others argued against censoring the ad but got nowhere. “I’m kind of a kick-ass guy myself. I voted to leave it in, but the powers that be overruled me.”
After issuing the proverbial command to stop the presses. Kamm substituted hyphens for the final two letters in the offending word. The change came too late for many Metro and Home editions, but did make the later editions. However. 50.000 copies of GO distributed free throughout the area at newsstands, record shops, colleges and the like escaped the knife.
Meanwhile the folks at WMMS were laughing their you-know-whats off. “We got a big kick out of it,” says Hernandez. “We weren’t angry or upset about it or anything like that. It [GO] is a young adult magazine, so we didn’t have any qualms about running an ad that said ‘Kick-Ass Rock ’n’ Roll.’ We use the ‘Kick-Ass’ slogan as an ID, although not in the day when housewives and so forth are listening to us. Usually it runs after 7 p.m. when no adults are listening to the radio anyhow.”
Actually the Great Kick-Ass Controversy of ’82 wasn’t the first time the new GO supplement proved to be a pain in the ... well, you know. It began causing trouble from the word go. A week before the first GO was printed, the Press ran four house ads plugging the supplement’s upcoming classified section. The Press made a pitch for the type of date-seeking personals that run in Cleveland Magazine but the sample copy was more daring than what even this establishment would print.
“Here’s an example of what we’ll run for just 50 cents a word,” declared the Press. “Desirable young man (24) who’s saddled with a ‘3’ for a live-in French chambermaid, seeks an authentic ‘10’ who can handle light housework and other ‘assignments.’ Must agree to wear black leather ‘unmentionables’ and dig whips. Send revealing pix, references to Bruno, Press Box 000.” (The editor of GO is Press rock critic Bruno Bornino) Another of the sample ads suggested that rock groups could use GO classifieds to find guitar players: “The pay isn’t much, but you’ll get to paw a lot of foxes, and until you can afford your own pad (maybe next year) you can live free with my Big Mamma and me in our van with a Jello-filled waterbed …” Another one advised, “Even if you live in a roach infested pad near Coventry … you can rent it ‘fast’ in GO classified.” A fourth sample ad showed how the owner of a “thriving head shop” who just inherited a ton of Colombia Gold from his grandmother could divest himself of his holdings: “If you can’t sell it, smoke it!”
This time it was Press Associate Publisher Jerry Merlino who was rushing to the pressroom when the first few thousand papers started coming out. Merlino ran into Kamm in a hallway. “Did you see what I saw?” Merlino asked Kamm. Kamm said, “Yeah, I saw it.”
Merlino said, “I’m on my way to pull it now.” Kamm replied, “If you weren’t going to do it, I was.”
Merlino yanked all four house ads and replaced them with tamer versions. But again, thousands of Metro edition copies were distributed before they could be censored.
Merlino blames this incident on “an overzealous copywriter.” It seems that Press people, including Merlino himself, were joking around the office about what type of personals might run in GO. “You know, whips and chains and that sort of stuff,” says Merlino. “Unfortunately the copywriter heard us and took us literally. And wouldn’t you know it, that turned out to be one of those times when the copy didn’t go through anyone else’s desk for approval.”
Advertising Director Hatton says both embarrassing incidents are the result of GO breaking new ground in Cleveland newspapering. In the future, he predicts, readers will see other things in GO that have never before appeared in the Press. “I’m sure that the Kick-Ass Controversy won’t be the last.”
And indeed, it wasn’t. Although WMMS discontinued its censored ad after that premiere issue of GO, careful readers of the supplement spotted a subtle sequel to the controversy in the very next issue a week later. A rock band review by Editor Bornino read, “...the band played one ‘kick-a—’ original after another.” These hyphens, assures Bornino, were not inserted by the management. “I did it as sort of a spoof,” says the irrepressible writer, “since that’s the way they apparently want it.”


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Consumers on InfoSec: What, Me Worry?Index: Personal, Financial Distress Outweigh Internet Concerns
"It just amazes me the extent in which people seem to be generally unconcerned about cybersecurity issues," Frymier says, citing publicity about the Target and other retailer breaches, e-spying and hacking from the Chinese Liberation Army and the revelations by Edward Snowden about National Security Agency meddling. "... At the end of the day, the consumer hasn't been hurt by this activity."
The IT services company this week issued its Unisys Security Index for the first half of 2014, which is near its lowest point since it introduced the measurement in 2007. Among the four types of security the index tracks - financial, Internet, national and personal - Internet security raised the fewest eyebrows among consumers, receiving a score of 112, well below the 130 received by financial security. National security and personal security received scores of 127 and 124, respectively.
"You hear so much about these events in the media that it has no direct effect on people's day-to-day lives; they just start to tune it out," Frymier says in an interview about the Unisys Security Index with Information Security Media Group.
"Who has been hurt by this activity are the banks, the merchants and other retail institutions; the governments and other large institutions in which intellectual property is being stolen," he says. "This just doesn't hit the rank-and-file citizen."
Still, among American consumers surveyed, 59 percent say a security breach involving their personal or credit card data would make them less likely to do business at a bank or retailer that they commonly use.
But will consumers begin to boycott banks and retailers who have experienced breaches? Alluding to Americans' attitude toward Congress and how they vote, Frymier suggests that people say one thing and do another. "I'm reminded of several polls [in that] people think that Congress is doing a horrible job but their individual representative is okay," he says. "So, I think that may be a little bit of that phenomenon that we're seeing here."
Most consumers, though, express concerns over viruses and unsolicited e-mails but not at alarming rates, according to the survey Unisys conducted to update the index.
But the survey shows consumers to be a bit more concerned about the security of shopping and banking online.
The Unisys survey also shows that consumers express increasing anxieties over other people obtaining and using their credit and debit card details.
Concern about unauthorized access to or misuse of personal information is up a bit in 2014 from 2013, according to the survey.
In the interview, Frymier:
- Offers lessons IT security practitioners could take from the index,
- Describes how the Unisys Security Index works and
- Explains how employing network segmentation techniques could defend against breaches.
As CISO, Frymier oversee the development and implementation of global information security policies, standards and procedures. He also leads Unisys consumerization of IT program, charged with fostering the evolution of Unisys IT strategy and implementation to accommodate mobility and the adoption and effective use of consumer technologies in the Unisys infrastructure. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional.


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“MAGIC,” EXO CBX’s debut studio album was released May 9th, 2018. “MAGIC” was released by AVEX Trax and distributed by Avex Music Creative and multiple digital music streaming applications: YouTube, iTunes, Spotify, QQ Music, MelOn, Genie, and Naver. The music video for the lead single released on this studio album, “Horololo” was officially released on April 24th, days ahead of the official release of the studio album. Following their first arena tour announcement earlier in January of 2018, the sub unit announced that their debut Japanese studio album would be released (March 2018.) On April 11th, Album details were released highlighting multiple versions of the studio album: three member specific covers with CD only, one full group cover with CD only, one version with CD and Blu-Ray disc, and one version with CD and DVD. On April 24th, Avex released album teaser featuring sound snippets.
Features included on this EP:


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Google's Verify Apps malware protection for Android is rolling out an update that will constantly monitor apps for suspicious behaviour.
Previously available as a Web app or a Windows app, Google's VirusTotal tool for scanning suspicious files is now available for Mac OS X.
Before it was flagged and removed, one of the most successful apps on Google Play for over a week was an "antivirus" app that did nothing other than change an image.
It may not spell out its methods in a Help section, but Advanced Mobile Care is effective at scanning and optimizing your Android system.
Pricing not available
The two companies are teaming up to enhance the malware scans already done on new and current apps in the BlackBerry World store.
Security researchers discover an Android app called "Bad Pigs" that is nearly identical to Bad Piggies that asked users for permission to change settings and access personal information.
A suspicious iframe link has been detected in an App Store program. Here's why you shouldn't worry.
Domain name honcho Nominet proposes shorter domains ending in .uk instead of .co.uk, complete with extra security features.
Here are some tips and tricks to keeping your Mac running at its optimal speed.
New service scans apps for malicious code or behavior and bounces them if they are suspect.


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Do you prefer sex or stilettos? One in five women admit that new shoes turn them on MORE than their lover
- Shoebuy.com's new study also found that half of women lie to their spouses about the true cost of their shoes
- A quarter refuse to take off their high heels, no matter how painful
One in five women admit to being more turned on by a pair of shoes than by their boyfriends, finds a new study, and one in six say the same of their husbands.
Additionally, half of those surveyed by ShoeBuy.com fessed up to lying about the true price of a new pair of heels.
Most women aren't too proud to own knock-offs however, with 82per cent admitting to possessing fake designer shoes.
Shh: One in five women admit to being more turned on by a pair of new shoes than by their significant other, finds a new study, and half are willing to lie about the price they really paid for them
The study, which focused on 1,000 women between the ages of 35 and 44, also revealed that the subject of shoes is a hotbed for female cattiness.
Nearly half admit to having judged someone based entirely on their shoes; and it's an even split on whether or not those judgements were positive or negative - depending, presumably, on the caliber of said shoes.
Quite what it is about fancy footwear that has such an enduring appeal among women remains something of a mystery, but its prevalence is undeniable.
Revealed: The study also indicated that women can be catty about shoes, with half admitting they have judged someone else on their footwear alone
New shoes you say? As Carrie Bradshaw infamously once said in Sex and the City, 'Men I may not know, but shoes, shoes I know'
In the immortal words of Sex and the City front-girl, Carrie Bradshaw: 'Men I may not know, but shoes, shoes I know.'
Marilyn Monroe echoed the sentiment when she proclaimed: 'Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.'
And shoe designer to the stars Christian Louboutin famously delivered the verdict: 'A woman can carry a bag, but it is the shoe that carries the woman.'
In an ironic twist on the fashion staple that entices more lust in some women than their spouses, high-heeled shoes were actually first invented in the 1500s, for men on horseback to stay in their stirrups.
'A woman can carry a bag, but it is the shoe that carries the woman'
That trend evidently failed to endure for the men, but these days, the average American woman owns 17 pairs of shoes, and admits to only wearing three pairs regularly.
And in a final testament to women's utter devotion to their shoes, the recent study reveals that a quarter refuse to kick their high heels off in the interest of comfort, no matter how painful they might be.
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Sneaker deals require a mutually beneficial relationship between brands and athletes. A massive portion from the athletes’ million dollar revenue comes from these endorsements while brands maximize the athlete’s influence and popularity to pile up their income.
Just take Michael Jordan as an example. When “His Airness” signed with Nike back in 1984, the sneakers industry skyrocketed. The brand even generated US$100 million revenue by the end of 1984 when Nike released the Air Jordan 1.
Since then, brands have become more aggressive in signing marquee players to shoe deals. These brands invest millions — or even billions — of dollars each year to keep their core of athletes intact and satisfied, even offering them royalties and other privileges along with their million dollar contracts.
As of 2021, Nike, being one of the biggest players in this industry, now has a worldwide contract commitment of US$1.3 billion. This makes sense, considering that the brand has the likes of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Paul George, to mention a few, in their lineup.
But relationships are fickle, and one single problem could ignite a spark and force both parties to part ways.
Just a month ago, Irving went on an Instagram tirade over his upcoming signature pair, the Nike Kyrie 8. The shifty guard vented out that he had nothing to do with the design of the soon-to-be-released signature pair and even called it “trash”. After the controversial social media rant, Irving released a statement where he revealed that he is working together with Nike to make everything right.
The relationship between the two turned out to be repairable. With a little patch of communication and involvement, both parties decided to carry on “build something great,” according to Irving.
It doesn’t always end that way, though, like in the case of the late great Kobe Bryant. Prior to his historical partnership with Nike, the five-time NBA champion was notably signed by the Swoosh’s biggest rival, the German brand adidas.
In 1996, the then-17-year old high school phenom signed a six-year, US$48 million deal with the Three Stripes a month prior to getting drafted in the NBA. This would explain why Bryant was not signed by Nike.
In his debut game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Bryant wore a customized adidas EQT which was recently put up in auction by Gotta Have a Rock and Roll. Since then, the eventual Hall of Famer went on to wear adidas EQT Elevate the entire season.
Bryant’s relationship with adidas seemed to possess a lot of potential. Despite Bryant’s lowly rookie season averages of 7.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 15.5 minutes per game, adidas still granted him his first signature pair, the KB8, in just his sophomore year.
Adidas and Bryant went on to release two more signature pairs instead of three, since the plan to release the KB8 II did not materialize. However, it was reported that there was one pair that became a catalyst to Bryant’s premature departure from the brand.
According to Eirik Lund Nielsen, the designer of the Kobe 1, the key behind the Kobe design was the collaboration process between the sneaker and other automotive industries. This made sense since Nielsen was known to use Audi TT Roadster to conceptualize the shape of Kobe 1.
However, when the idea was channeled to the successor, everything did not fall into its rightful place. The pair was initially dubbed as innovative and futuristic when it was introduced in a bizarre-looking low top iteration. But in all honesty, it gave off a Martian-like vibe. Everything about the Kobe Two was odd — its shape, its monotone silhouettes, and its performance. The pair even received hilarious and “NSFW” comments. At one point, it was even labeled as “the worst signature sneaker.”
Reportedly displeased by the Kobe 2, Bryant opted to revert to using the Kobe 1 during the Lakers’ title quest that season. He later on went on to reveal that the Kobe Two taught him that he had to lead the design charge.
It seems Bryant’s competitiveness wasn’t just limited to the hardwood.
Bryant ended up opting out of his contract with adidas and reportedly paid US$8 million. Bryant officially became a sneaker free agent in 2002 and went on to don various brands such as Nike, Converse, Air Jordan, Reebok, and And-1.
After a full season as a sneaker free agent, the eventual five-time champion became an official member of Nike in 2003. Bryant later on became one of the pillars that helped build the company’s empire in the shoe game.
On another note, adidas is looking to re-release the Lakers legend’s old model adidas pairs, which include the notorious Kobe Two, in 2022.


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AdFreak’s readers may tune into the Super Bowl just to watch the commercials. And an item posted here yesterday finds young adults especially keen on the spots. Nonetheless, the latest edition of the annual Eisner Communications Super Bowl Ad Survey detects a decline in the number of people who regard the commercials as the star of the show. Just 7 percent of respondents said they’ll be watching the telecast simply to see the spots—down 2 percentage points from last year and “the lowest number who report they are tuning in just to watch the ads in years.”
Does this mean Super Bowl spots have become less interesting? More likely, it reflects the fact that the games themselves have been more interesting in recent years. In a post-Bowl analysis last year in Adweek’s beloved “Takes” section, we noted a statistical fluke behind the old notion that the commercials are better than the game. In the five Super Bowls starting with 1984’s (when Apple’s “1984” spot established the broadcast as a creative showcase), the average margin of victory was a yawn-inducing 27.6 points; the smallest was 19 points. With blowouts like that, it was easy for the commercials to seem more exciting than the games. By contrast, the five most recent Super Bowls have been decided by an average margin of 13.4 points, and three of those have been decided by 7 points or less. Obviously, a blowout is bad news for any brand that gambled its ad budget on a spot in the fourth quarter. But it’s beneficial for the comparative reputation of Super Bowl advertising in general.
As of this writing, the betting line has the Patriots favored over the Eagles by a touchdown. Ad-agency creatives who have no other rooting interest on Sunday should hope the Pats tack an extra couple of touchdowns onto that margin.
—Posted by Mark Dolliver


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The UK’s new heavy goods vehicle (HGV) market rose 12.6 per cent in 2019, with 48,535 units registered, however the market for new buses and coaches fell 18.8 per cent for a third consecutive a year and amounted to just 5,874 units.
ZF Services will exhibit at Coach & Bus UK on 2-3 October 2019 at the NEC, Birmingham. The free-to-attend trade show will welcome almost 200 of the industry’s leading suppliers that will see the team from ZF (Stand J53) unveil its wealth of technical knowledge, while promoting the benefits of its reman and repair facilities, based at its Nottingham Service Centre of Excellence.
Commercial vehicle manufacturing in the UK declined rapidly as a result of planned shutdowns in April. Just 2,162 units were produced, -70.9 per cent down on the previous month. The year to date figure remains positive, with volumes up 10.3 per cent as a result of domestic demand, though exports are still the majority, making up nearly 60 per cent of production in the first four months.


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NetObjects chooses Big Blue fusion
- I. Satya Sreenivas
- Special To The Business Journal
Despite the lull in activity surrounding the Internet, the top dogs are still gobbling up tiny upstart startups even before they launch a product.
Consider NetObjects, purchased two months ago by IBM for an estimated $100 million.
Big Blue is buying potential--big potential.
NetObjects' major product, Fusion, allows users to build a World Wide Web site without having to know such complex computer languages as HTML and Java.
Within a few short months since its introduction last July, Fusion rose to the top of the market. And it got a lot of press in the process.
More than 150,000 copies have been distributed since the product was introduced last September.
Retail versions have been launched for both the IBM-compatible PC and the Apple Macintosh PowerPC platforms.
"Our product has almost become a standard," said CEO Samir Arora. "IBM wanted to make sure we are viable as a company before endorsing and offering our product. So they made us an offer to buy out our company."
NetObjects grabbed the spotlight when Fortune magazine profiled it as a "cool tech company" a year ago.
Its tools enable users who are not computer programmers to design, create, edit, change and manage Web sites with ease.
Before NetObjects and competitors came along, designing such sites was a tedious task. Fusion changed all that with a graphical orientation and easy-to-use navigational features.
"Our products are a step ahead of what the competition is offering," Mr. Arora said. "They are a smart Web site application that integrates automated site building, data management and professional quality-design features."
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NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) Holdings Trimmed by Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI
Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI lowered its stake in shares of NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) by 7.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,420 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock after selling 340 shares during the period. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI’s holdings in NVIDIA were worth $790,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Welch Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NVIDIA in the third quarter worth $104,000. Evercore Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of NVIDIA by 36.9% in the second quarter. Evercore Wealth Management LLC now owns 765 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $110,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. Thompson Davis & CO. Inc. increased its position in shares of NVIDIA by 0.7% in the second quarter. Thompson Davis & CO. Inc. now owns 822 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $119,000 after acquiring an additional 6 shares in the last quarter. Hanson McClain Inc. increased its position in shares of NVIDIA by 12.7% in the second quarter. Hanson McClain Inc. now owns 881 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $127,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Edge Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of NVIDIA by 98.8% in the third quarter. Edge Advisors LLC now owns 835 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $149,000 after acquiring an additional 415 shares in the last quarter. 63.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Several research firms have recently issued reports on NVDA. Vetr raised shares of NVIDIA from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $176.95 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 6th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating on shares of NVIDIA in a research report on Friday, August 11th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $210.00 price objective (up previously from $185.00) on shares of NVIDIA in a research report on Friday, September 29th. Bank of America set a $210.00 price objective on shares of NVIDIA and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 12th. Finally, Jefferies Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $180.00 price objective on shares of NVIDIA in a research report on Thursday, August 10th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have given a hold rating, twenty-four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $187.38.
In related news, Director Dawn E. Hudson sold 3,052 shares of NVIDIA stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $214.39, for a total value of $654,318.28. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 28,816 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,177,862.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Tench Coxe sold 50,000 shares of NVIDIA stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.62, for a total transaction of $9,481,000.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 315,175 shares of company stock worth $59,428,079. Insiders own 5.17% of the company’s stock.
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) opened at $187.74 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 8.26 and a quick ratio of 7.42. NVIDIA Corporation has a 52-week low of $87.54 and a 52-week high of $218.67. The stock has a market cap of $119,794.08, a PE ratio of 48.69, a PEG ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 1.18.
NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 9th. The computer hardware maker reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.39. NVIDIA had a net margin of 28.78% and a return on equity of 42.71%. The company had revenue of $2.64 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.36 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.94 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 31.5% on a year-over-year basis. research analysts anticipate that NVIDIA Corporation will post 4.13 earnings per share for the current year.
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 24th will be given a $0.15 dividend. This is an increase from NVIDIA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.32%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 22nd. NVIDIA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.89%.
Nvidia Corporation focuses on personal computer (PC) graphics, graphics processing unit (GPU) and also on artificial intelligence (AI). The Company’s operates through two segments: GPU and Tegra Processor. The Company’s GPU product brands are aimed at specialized markets, including GeForce for gamers; Quadro for designers; Tesla and DGX for AI data scientists and big data researchers; and GRID for cloud-based visual computing users.
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVDA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA).
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Google has already started distributing the new design which had prepared for its app store, the well-known Google Play Store surely we all know. Store changes appearance already for the umpteenth time to spend having a design based on the cards that arrived in Google Now.
New Google Play Store
We have already seen several iterations of the Google app store, and now comes a new version of the interface of the search engine company apps store. The new Google Play Store has a design based on the cards that are so typical to the different services that are available, and saw for the first time at Google Now. Basically, each app will now be a different item, and you can move between them with relative ease. Arriving at each of the elements, we can expand them, and then read the information of each of the applications. However, it is not so easy to explain and understand and see in the video that you have here.
As you can see, it is a completely renovated, more minimalist style and with much smoother transitions between elements.
When will it be available?
The new store will be available soon to all users. There are some users, as the who has shared the video through Google +, which claim that they have activated the new design of Google Play Storeapplication store. In addition, seems an update that is coming to smartphones directly through changes to the store server, which it is not necessary to update the app store Google Play Store with this new design, but at a certain moment, when access, it will be activated.
Probably the shop will be activated progressively and will remain available for users from all over the world depending on the region and selectively to go testing that it works without problems and that the users can use the store correctly.
A new design which we will have to get used to having seen many throughout the history of the app store. What is the oldest design that you remember from the app store?
The article Google launches the redesign of the Google Play Store was published in AndroidAyuda.


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Grupo Modelo, famous for its signature Corona beer and fully owned subsidiary of AB InBev, announced on Monday to build for 4 billion Mexican pesos ($750 million) a brand new brewery in the city of Apan in the central state of Hidalgo, Mexico.
This will be the biggest private investment in the history of the state of Hidalgo according to government officials. The brewery is expected to create 3,500 new jobs during its construction and 1,200 direct jobs during its operation.
Grupo Modelo, which already owns 7 plants in Mexico, plans to start construction of its eights plant soon with completion expected in the first quarter of 2019.
The brewery will have an initial production capacity of 12 million hectoliters (320 million gallons) with the option to double the capacity. Grupo Modelo already operates another 24 million hectoliter brewery in the state of Zacatecas, Mexico, which is considered to be one of the largest breweries in the world.
Largest brewery in the world is Compañía Cervecera de Coahuila in Piedras Negras/Nava in Mexico, which AB InBev had to sell to Constellation Brands because of antitrust reasons when it acquired the remaining half of Grupo Modelo’s capital stock in 2013 in a transaction valued at $20.1 billion.
At that time Constellation Brands not only acquired the brewery in Piedras Negras in a $5.3 billion deal but also Grupo Modelo's 50 percent stake in Crown Imports and perpetual rights to Grupo Modelo's brands in the United States, including brands like Corona, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo and Pacífico.
One year ago Grupo Modelo also sold its 4 million hl brewery in Obregón, Mexico, for a sum of $600 million to Constellation Brands, since the majority of the capacity was dedicated to supply Constellation Brands in an interim agreement, which was to end soon. (inside.beer, 1.11.2016)
"Through this investment, Grupo Modelo reiterates its commitment and long-term vision for Mexico," said Mauricio Leyva, president of AB InBev's Middle Americas Zone & CEO of Grupo Modelo. The manager also said that the expansion became necessary due to increased demand for Corona and “the entire Mexican portfolio” in domestic and export markets.
The announcement already marks AB InBev’s second major commitment to build a new brewery within one week. Last week the company said it would construct a new $250 million brewery in Nigeria to start operation next year. (inside.beer, 23.11.2017)


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A music store in Ashland had a sign that read “Dog free zone/Patchouli free zone”. Patchouli is a longtime favorite perfume of choice for the Woodstock crowd for its tradition and its canny ability to cover body odor and marijuana smells. An irate Ashland woman in dreadlocks and big glasses visited the store and began to secretly spill patchouli droplets around the store creating a strong odor. Thanks to a security camera and much public press she was discovered.
Full story from the Oregonian here. Thank you Katy Muldoon for the article.


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Alachua OKs Wal-Mart permits
ALACHUA — City planners have taken another step towards solidifying a rezoning of land for commercial use by a new Wal-Mart store.
At a special City Commission meeting Tuesday, city of Alachua commissioners voted to approve three separate motions for a proposed Wal-Mart store. The 155-acre lot sits at the intersection of Interstate 75 and U.S. 441.
Two special exception permits — one for a large-scale retail establishment more than 80,000 square feet, another for automobile servicing and repair — were unanimously approved. Additionally, a site plan for a 158,562-square foot store was unanimously passed.
The council met some resistance — six residents took to the microphone to voice their concerns, ranging from the potential harm befalling small businesses to the danger faced by the environment. They questioned the commission’s intent behind approving the plans.
“Even if you want to have the store,” audience member Rudy Rothseiden said, “what are tires and wiper changes going to do for Wal-Mart?
“Please acknowledge and support small businesses.”
According to Chris Jones, an economist representing Wal-Mart, the proposed retail center wouldn’t infringe on the 40-plus small businesses that populate Alachua’s downtown district. City commissioners echoed the sentiment, expressing their support for small business.
“If it was up to Ben Boukari, no. I would not support Wal-Mart,” Commissioner Ben Boukari Jr. said. “But it’s not about me. It’s about this community, and it’s about tons and tons of people that could use something like this.”
Furthermore, a study conducted by the Wal-Mart team found that households within a five-mile trade radius would be able to support 79 percent of the store’s demand, well above the minimum requirement of 70 percent.
In addition, Wal-Mart’s proposed site plan includes provisions to attenuate the development’s effect on the environment.
Double-walled reservoirs and oil-water separators are slated to be installed to prevent car oil from leaking into the ground. Also, a cistern and other devices will be installed to collect stormwater runoff, a hazard some residents believed could contaminate the groundwater.


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Lynas’ technical chief still confident in rare earths demand
The chief operating officer of rare earths miner Lynas has hosed down investor worries over Tesla’s ambition to eliminate the use of the permanent magnet components in its next-generation electric vehicles.
This week, Pol Le Roux, said he is confident in demand for rare earths as the electric vehicle shift accelerates and neodymium-based (NdFeB) rare earth magnets are the most energy efficient to create the lightest motors.
“Different technologies provide different behaviours and performance options for the vehicle, and there is room for different options to grow in the market,” Mr Le Roux told AFR Weekend. “We remain confident in the overall advantage of NdFeB magnets, provided end users select responsible suppliers in their supply chain.”
On March 2, after Tesla unveiled plans to eliminate expensive rare earths materials, Lynas shares slumped 6.8 per cent to close at $7.80, with the sell-off extending this week as the stock hit $7.14 on Friday – its lowest since October 2021.
Analysts put the falls down to worries about Tesla’s plans, an amended license for Lynas in Malaysia, and a retreat in the spot price of neodymium in a market dominated by Chinese buyers and sellers.
At its investor day, Tesla said its Model 3 vehicle’s powertrain used 25 per cent less rare earths between 2017 and 2022.
However, Mr Le Roux suggested rare-earth based green electronics components will remain popular for the energy transition. “An NdFeB [rare earth] is known as the most energy-efficient technology, as it creates the lightest electric motors,” he said.
Business intelligence group Adamas Intelligence said Tesla may replace rare earths with ferrite-powered motors to save costs.
While UK research group IDTechEx said Tesla could replace them by developments in magnetic alloys to “improve field strength and increase motor size to provide similar outputs while taking a power density hit, as drivers won’t notice unless it impacts performance or cargo space.”
Last April, Lynas boasted an $11.5 billion market cap at a share price of $11.59 as investors backed its strategic importance, with its Malaysia-based refinery still the only rare earths separation plant outside China.
In June 2022, it snared a $US120 million contract with the US Department of Defence to establish a refinery in the southern US. Lynas had about 2.1 per cent of its stock shorted as at March 6, ASIC data shows.
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It is nothing new that Apple prevents the harmonization of all charging ports to USB-C with its Lightning connector on the iPhone. The EU now wants to change that.
USB-C is now the standard for current Android smartphones. This has a decisive advantage. Users can use one charging cable for several devices. That saves resources and is thus more sustainable. There is also less chaos in the drawers at home. Apple itself uses USB-C for its MacBooks and iPads. atechbook explains how things could now progress with iPhones.
EU wants iPhones with USB-C
If the European Union has its way, smartphone manufacturers should use a uniform charging standard. A majority of members of the European Parliament had already spoken out in favor of this in 2020. A draft law in September should finally get the standardization underway. This could oblige smartphone manufacturers to use USB-C.
Will Apple have to release the iPhone 13 with USB-C?
Apple will present its next iPhone generation in September. This also means that the new iPhone 13 devices have already been produced. Probably with a Lightning connector again. So are they even allowed to be sold like this in Europe? Since the draft law is only due in September, nothing stands in the way of the new iPhones being released. A lot of time will pass from the draft to the finished law. We probably can’t expect it before the iPhone 14 or even later. We estimate it as likely that Apple will change the charging port by then anyway. This assumption is based on the introduction of USB-C on the iPads and the possibility of perhaps completely doing without charging sockets at some point. According to our estimates, this could be the case for the iPhone 15. The devices could then only be charged wirelessly, and headphones could only be connected via Bluetooth.
Also interesting: iPhone 13 – all information about design, features and price.
Why is Apple resisting the change for so long?
Officially, Apple claims that standardizing the ports would slow down innovations. That is even true, but you should also know that the company earns money with the Lightning connector. Obviously, this is the sale of chargers and charging cables. The Lightning connector also allows Apple to offer certification to accessory manufacturers. Of course, this costs money. In return, manufacturers are allowed to print a corresponding certification logo on their products.


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Twitter's Bruce Daisley refutes Sir Martin Sorrell's claim that it isn't an advertising platform
Twitter’s Bruce Daisley has refuted the claim by Sir Martin Sorrell that the platform is not an advertising platform.
Speaking at The Albion Society event Twitter 2013 and Beyond yesterday, Daisley, the UK sales director of Twitter, spoke to the gathered audience about the power of the platform in terms of its ability to interact with a TV audience and deliver advertisers.
In concluding the discussion, Daisley referenced WPP CEO Sir Martin’s claim that the platform was not one for advertising on, but one that was more effective as a PR tool.
"It’s very effective word of mouth," Sorrell told Harvard Business Review last month. "We did analyses of the Twitter feeds every day, and it’s very, very potent...I think because it’s limited in terms of number of characters, it reduces communication to superficialities and lacks depth."
Daisley was discussing Twitters APIs, stating that the platform was able to allow brands to prepare in advance for marketing in the moment. He added that the average engagement of internet ads is 0.05 per cent of internet ads – one ad in every 2,000.
“We see an average engagement of Twitter ads of between one to three per cent, largely because of the relevance it has to its audience,” Daisley added. “As an advertising environment it seems to me to be achieving more than what Sir Martin Sorrell was saying.”
A video highlighting some of Daisley’s points about Twitter and its value as an advertising engagement tool can be viewed above.
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Marvel have released the launch trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man video game.
Guardians of the Galaxy - Making of VFX
fxguide have posted a massive article on the VFX of Guardians of the Galaxy.
X-Men: Days of Future Past - First Trailer
The first trailer has been released for X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Thor: The Dark World - Beyond Realms: Behind the Scenes Featurette
Go behind the scenes of Thor: The Dark World with this official featurette for the film.


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Australian device regs
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Comments on the 11July therapeutic goods draft document outlining Australia's medical devices regulations should be submitted by Aug. 12 to firstname.lastname@example.org. The updated draft includes material on conformity assessment procedures under the new Australian medical devices framework, based on principles set out by the Global Harmonization Task Force and expected to go into effect by Oct. 5...
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New York, NY (PRWEB) October 03, 2012
Brought to you by the producers of DM Confidential, LeadsCon and Daily Deal Summit, The Dealies awards program recognizes leading deal providers, technology companies and merchants that have achieved outstanding results in the highly competitive local commerce industry. The final entry deadline is Friday, October 12, 2012, and the winners will be honored in December 2012 in New York City.
For more information on The Dealies Awards, visit DM Confidential at http://www.dmconfidential.com/events/dealies-awards/.
Companies in the deals space that have taken tremendous strides are encouraged to enter and be the first of a distinguished circle of companies named winners of The Dealies Awards.
To enter online, visit http://www.dmconfidential.com/events/dealies-awards/.
For questions regarding The Dealies Awards, contact DM Confidential Assistant Marketing Manager Marly Zimmerman at mzimmerman(at)accessintel(dot)com.
About DM Confidential
DM Confidential has been serving the customer acquisition industry for almost a decade. In 2012 the publication was acquired by Access Intelligence alongside LeadsCon, Daily Deal Summit and LeadsCouncil. DM Confidential relaunched in August 2012 with expanded content coverage in the local commerce space and continued coverage of lead generation topics. DM Confidential products include a free, weekly eLetter, webinars, conferences, an awards program and a job board. Visit dmconfidential.com for more information.
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