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Confederate Motors Opens $1 Million Private Placement Funding
Motorcycle startup Confederate Motors is planning to raise $1 million through a private stock offering with the hopes of securing enough funding to increase the production of its motorcycles. It’s the first aggressive step initiated by Confederate Motors to increase exposure for its two motorcycles, the X132 Hellcat Speedster and the P51 Combat Fighter.
According to the company, a total of five million shares of the company’s stock will be made available for purchase with each stock unit priced a just $.20. There is a caveat, though. The offering will be made under the Securites and Exchange Commission’s Rule 506 of Regulation D, which stipulates that purchasing a stock in the company isn’t as easy as it looks. For an individual or a company to be eligible in purchasing the available shares, they must be considered as accredited investors by the SEC. That means that an interested party must be someone who has the finances to do it or is an actual financial institution.
Confederate Motors has given no timetable on when it plans to make its five million shares available for purchase, opting only to say that it plans to use the proceeds to increase the production of its models to two per day. That might not seem like a big deal, but for a boutique brand like Confederate Motors, it’s the next step towards establishing itself as a player in the niche motorcycle segment.
Continue reading to learn more about Confederate Motors’ plan to raise $1 million through a private stock offering.
Why it matters
A start-up company like Confederate Motors will almost always go through this route, especially if it needs more funding to continue its operations. There are a myriad of ways to do it too and offering shares to companies is one of them. The company could also talk to an angel investor who will swoop down with boat loads of cash to give to Confederate Motors in exchange for ownership shares in the company. But these processes are neither here nor there because the important thing is that Confederate Motors appears to be ready to take that leap.
The more important question is whether the company can find takers for its shares. $5 million may seem like a lot of money for you and me, but that’s peanuts to a financial institution that may be looking into investing in a company like Confederate Motors. Certainly, the boutique motorcycle brand must have a long-term plan in place if it hopes to convince an investor into taking his money. That plan is so far being kept under wraps, except for the announcement that it’s going to use a majority of the proceeds from the private stock offering to increase the production volume of its bikes.
That’s a good way to start expansion, but the company must also have a vision in place on what its targets are if it wants to convince people and/or financial institutions to make that financial leap.Otherwise, these investors would be putting their money to fund a company that has yet to prove itself capable of battling some of the segment’s top dogs. Hopefully, Confederate Motors gets its money, only because I want to see if its two models are all they’re made out to be.


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* Pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index up 0.6 pct
* Hugo Boss shares fall over 10 pct on poor outlook
* Carrefour rises as results show Europe improvement
By Atul Prakash and Danilo Masoni
LONDON/MILAN, Oct 16 (Reuters) - European shares extended the previous session’s rally on Friday but gave up some of their early gains after mixed results from U.S. industrial heavyweights.
French retailer Carrefour led the advance on good quarterly results, but Hugo Boss shares slumped more than 10 percent. The fashion house cut its 2015 sales and profit outlook as a slowdown in China and more hesitant shoppers in the United States hurt its third-quarter results.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index was up 0.6 percent and headed for a weekly gain after closing 1.4 percent higher on Thursday. The index rose 4.4 percent last week.
The advance followed strong gains in Asia on Friday after economic data eased concerns about the pace of recovery in the United States. Expectations that monetary policy will remain accommodative also encouraged investors.
“Europe’s main indices are attractively valued on a price-to-earnings basis, and with no shocks in the peak period of earnings reporting season in the U.S., it appears that equity investors may have found a base to build upon after the rout in August and September,” said Lorne Baring, managing director of B Capital Wealth Management.
“Easy monetary conditions are clearly going to remain for some time and that is also bolstering sentiment at the moment. We would expect further gains after a rough period for global investors.”
Consumer prices fell in the year to September, official data confirmed on Friday. The evidence of inflation will keep pressure on the ECB to increase its asset purchases to boost prices.
Carrefour shares rose 6 percent after Europe’s largest retailer reported on Friday that sales accelerated in the third quarter. That reflected an improved performance in southern Europe and resilience in Brazil despite a slowing economy.
European sales beat consensus estimates, Bernstein analysts said, with Spain and Italy particularly good. French sales were in line with expectations and not as strong as the performance Casino reported on Thursday.
The STOXX 600 Healthcare index was best performing sector, rising 1.54 percent. Insulin maker Novo Nordisk rose 3.5 percent after approval for rival AstraZeneca’s AZN.L diabetes drug combination was withheld by U.S. health regulators.
The STOXX Europe 600 Oil and Gas index rose 1.1 percent, after crude oil prices ended week-long decline.
Nestle fell more than 2 percent after the world’s largest packaged food company lowered its full-year outlook. A recall of Maggi noodles in India knocked sales and miscalculated rebates in the United States weighed on the Swiss company’s profits.
Sweden’s SKF fell 6.5 percent after the world’s top bearings maker painted a downbeat picture for the industrial sector. It forecast weaker demand ahead as a global slowdown gathered pace, especially in North America and Asia.
Today’s European research round-up (Additional reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Larry King)

domain: news


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t: ItselfApples Worldwide Developer Conference keynote Monday is sure to have pleased some and disappointed others. At the annual confab of software developers for Macs and iDevices, CEO Tim Cook and other executives presented new versions of Mac OS X for computers and iOS for iPhones and iPads. Both sy
stems appear to borrow from one another liberally, evolving to work in tandem much more elegantly. But there was another, arguably more radical product on display: Apple itself. There was no slick marketing video extolling its virtues. And there was no explicit mention of its magical changes by any of the executives that padded into the spotlight. But it was there, center stage at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. This is clearly a different (and perhaps more interesting) company than the one Steve Jobs left behind when he died three years ago. It seems a company that, increasingly, reflects the ideas, taste and sensibility of a group, rather than an individual. Sign up for Inside TIME. Be the first to see the new cover of TIME and get our most compelling stories delivered straight to your inbox. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the
link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.
and oversaw the greatest corporate turnaround in the history of capitalism. It was only natural that, in the wake of his death, the question of whether Apple could really sustain its momentum would persist. Its a doubt thats lingered like a bad smell at many of the firms that survive near-death episodes, from IBM to Ch
rysler. Apple observers even got a sense of what the companys employees think of the question last year when it introduced a Lilliputian new desktop, the Mac Pro. Unveiling the machine, marketing boss Phil Schiller said curtly, Cant innovate my ass. And last month when Internet Software and Services chief Eddy Cue said Weve got the best product pipeline that Ive seen in my 25 years at Apple, it was a not-so-subtle-nod to investors and fanboys not to worrysome cool stuff is on the way. Still, the fact that the companys last all-new product, the iPad, came out in 2010 is going to be catnip for doubters until the world finds out what those products actually are. But where many people have been looking for a major new productan iWatch, say, or an Apple-branded television setthe real innovation may have been in who runs the company and how. Under Jobs, Apple was a firm that largely brought in executives from less well known or glamorous outfits and grew them internally. Bob Mansfield, the technology guru, came from Raycer Graphics. Scott Forstall and Craig Federighi, the software
guys, came with Jobs from Next. Designers like Tony Fadell and Jonathan Ive were essentially consultants from smaller firms who were convinced to sign on full time. And current CEO Tim Cook came from Compaq. (The only exception that comes to mind: Ron Johnson, who had a well-covered career at Target before helping create the Apple Stores.) Spotlight Story Kobe Bryant Had a Singular Impact on His Game and the World Bryant died in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles on Sunday, along with his daughter Gianna
But consider Apples executive bench today. Angela Ahrendts, the former Burberry CEO, is planning an overhaul to Apples juggernaut retail division. Paul Deneve, the one-time CEO of Yves Saint Laurent, is likely helping with the companys wearable devices. And there are Apples two newest recruits, Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre,who are coming on as part of the companys $3 billion acquisition of Beats Electronics. These are all executives who, by virtue of their star power, are likely to have a higher profile of their own. There are a lot of obvious reasons this is the case, not least of which that Apple is a much stronger, richer, more attractive company to work for than it was in the late 1990s. Then, Wired ra
n its famous Pray cover; now, its number 5 on the brand-new Fortune 500 list. And yet, even during the presentation this morning you could sense the shift. Keynotes have always had special guests and humorous asides, but today they seemed a little looser, a little more relaxed. Software head Craig Federighi called from backstage with a somewhat ham-handed hair and makeup malfunction, for instance. A company with thousands of employees is never going to only reflect the vision of an individual, even a legend like Jobs. In fact he often ended public presentations with heartfelt praise of the companys employees and their families, as Cook did again today. But as far as Apples next big thing goes, its already here. Contact us at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Bedding retailer Adairs grew sales and profit over the six months to 30 December 2018, despite a weakening housing market, but dropped its EBIT guidance in anticipation of a potential downturn in consumer spending.
The business is now forecasting EBIT of between $46 million and $50 million – slightly below the previously announced $47.5 to $51.5 million.
“The moderation of our EBIT guidance range relates primarily to the expected impact of the depreciating AUD and a potentially more challenging consumer environment,” Adairs managing director and chief executive Matt Ronan said.
The brand expects sales of between $340 million and $355 million over the financial year – below the $345 million to $360 million range previously announced.
Net profit grew 9.1 per cent to $14.9 million in the first half of FY19, with online sales increasing 42 per cent to $24.3 million – or 15 per cent of sales.
Sales grew 10.6 per cent to $164.4 million, with like-for-like sales having grown 7.3 per cent, with two stores having been upsized over the period, with a further four refurbished.
The business has previously outlined a focus on larger format stores, with the intention of capitalising on the success the brand enjoys in homemaker centres – with nearly half of the retailer’s sales coming from the larger centres.
Five stores were closed over the period, while a further four were opened.
Ronan said the brand is confident its strategic priorities will deliver further growth, and that the results highlight this potential.
“Adairs’ growth over the first half, despite a weaker housing market, shows that our focus on delivering great product at a good price, combined with our relatively low average transaction value, positions the business well to navigate a continually changing market,” Ronan said in a note to investors.
“Customers continue to decorate and update their homes despite the deterioration in house prices and tightening credit availability.”
The company’s online performance saw e-commerce sales grow 42 per cent over the period, as a result of optimised search engine marketing and optimisation, an enhanced social media strategy and an growing ‘Linen Lovers’ loyalty program.
The retailer’s New Zealand business performance has improved, with sales up 30 per cent year-on-year. This is a result of a reworked price-point for the “basics offer”, which allows it to better appeal to first-time buyers, improvements to brand awareness, and an improved supply chain.
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Most experts are calling for a robust holiday shopping season this year — and a new national survey indicates young adults (18- to 24-years-old) could lead the charge, metaphorically and literally, to increase spending.
“As Gen Z and Millennials gets older, their purchasing power increases, and the rise in disposable income is sure to be seen by retailers,” said Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation. “This group of consumers has spent time carefully researching gifts for friends, family and themselves, and are ready to begin knocking out their shopping lists.”
The recent NRF survey found that 54 percent of consumers overall plan to spend about the same as last year, with 24 percent planning to spend more. But among those ages 18-24 — which includes the oldest members of Generation Z — 46 percent say they will spend more than last year. The next-closest group was those aged 25 to 34 years old, with 39 percent planning to spend more.
Also helpful for consumers looking for the perfect gift (and retailers eager to sell those gifts)? An extra weekend of holiday shopping in December.
“With an additional full shopping weekend this December, consumers will have plenty of time to browse and complete their holiday purchasing, whether it’s gifts for others or décor for their homes,” said Pam Goodfellow, an analyst with Prosper Principal. “Gift cards continue to be a popular low-risk option for gift givers, and this year we’re seeing food increase in favor as well. As Americans look to celebrate with even more of the special people in their lives, food serves as a great way to come together.”
Last year, a Society of American Florists’ member post-holiday survey found that 46 percent of respondents experienced an increase in sales in 2016 over the 2015 December holiday season. About a third saw a drop. The remaining respondents said sales were flat. The average transaction was $67.
SAF also queried members last year about Thanksgiving sales and results from the major post-holiday shopping weekend. The results? A bit disappointing. About 43 percent of respondents said Thanksgiving sales were flat; 29 percent said they dropped.
Only 20 percent of respondents promoted special sales for Black Friday in 2016 and just 12 percent promoted deals for Cyber Monday. (About 44 promoted Small Business Saturday specials — but many questioned the value of that day once sales and foot traffic were tallied.)
Check out a detailed breakdown of holiday spending expectations from this year’s NRF survey.
Look for more coverage of the holiday season in upcoming issues of EBrief and Floral Management. Plus, be on the lookout for SAF holiday surveys — coming soon to your inbox.


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Mexican monetary and retailing company Grupo Elektra plans to allow help for the Bitcoin Lightning Community.
Billionaire proprietor Ricardo Salinas Pliego said that the brand new fee function would come to Elektra’s shops “very quickly.” With an estimated web value of $15.4 billion, Mexico’s third-richest individual has been a Bitcoin supporter for a while. Final yr, he declared that he would put 10% of his portfolio into Bitcoin. Earlier this yr, he introduced that his Banco Azteca would develop into the primary Mexican lender to simply accept Bitcoin.
In the meantime, as Bitcoin’s most important scaling answer, the Lightning community has seen growing adoption over the previous yr. As an illustration, social media large Twitter is reportedly testing a tipping function powered by the know-how.
This story was seen first on BeInCrypto Be a part of our Telegram Group and get buying and selling indicators, a free buying and selling course and extra tales like this on BeInCrypto


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Amazon launched its first-ever PC shooter game, and we couldn’t be more content. Crucible is a battle royale game initially announced three years ago.
At first glance, the game resembles other battle royale games. The only difference is that Crucible has PvE elements in its in-game progression system. Here is what you need to know.
Crucible Features and Other Details
According to GameSpot, Crucible is more than fighting the other team. Players have to fight lots of beasts and monsters present in the game. Fighting those PvE beasts offers players all the necessary elements to rank up their team and make it more steady and lethal on the battlefield. Players are advised to choose well their weapons and strategies.
Crucible will have up to 10 characters, each with a distinct playstyle, role, and skills. Players can choose to possess as many characters as they want. But, for the team composition, sometimes having too many characters isn’t a good idea.
The characters have various strengths and weaknesses. All of them have mixed skills and uses. Meaning, there are characters specialized in defense, while others can heal. It is also worth saying that some characters are better at attacks. They’re also designed to be useful at more different roles. The whole thing is that players will never feel like they’re losing too much if they choose the type of character they like the most.
Crucible is a special place thanks to its powerful resources, dubbed Essence in the ground, which can affect the plants and animals. Such an essence is precious because it also turns traveling around the planet very profitable. Simultaneously, the game is dangerous due to the fierce competition for collecting the Essence. And this is where the “Hunters” characters appear.
Amazon’s new game, Crucible, will be released on May 20 as a PC exclusive on Steam.


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LONDON (AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE) - Bitcoin's rally above US$15,000 has reignited debate over whether the cryptocurrency is so-called digital gold or a perilously risky bet as investors grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.
The world's most popular virtual unit has gained over 30 per cent in value in almost three weeks up to last Friday, taking it close to its December 2017 peak when it reached nearly US$20,000.
After a rollercoaster ride on markets since then, it began its latest meteoric rise on Oct 21, following an announcement by US online payments provider PayPal that it would enable account holders to use cryptocurrency.
"It is the validation of a market which was still relatively uncertain a few years ago," said Mr Simon Polrot, president of the Paris-based crypto-assets association Adan.
Bitcoin was created in 2008 by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, and marketed as an alternative to traditional currencies.
Unregulated by central banks, it was sold as an attractive option for investors with an appetite for the exotic - and criminals have also seen its under-the-radar appeal.
However, after bitcoin surpassed US$1,000 for the first time in 2013, it has increasingly attracted the attention of financial institutions.
The more recent arrival of big players in the virtual market, such as PayPal and Mastercard, are "very important signals" solidifying that trend, said Mr Polrot.
PayPal said it would allow users to buy and sell using bitcoin as well as other cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum and Litecoin.
"The migration towards digital payments and digital representations of value continues to accelerate, driven by the Covid-19 pandemic and the increased interest in digital currencies from central banks and consumers," the company said.
The US Federal Reserve and European Central Bank are holding consultations on the possible launch of their own virtual currencies, while China's central bank started experimenting with digital payments in four cities in April.
Also, investment banking giant JPMorgan Chase has joined industry players in the increasing optimism around bitcoin.
After PayPal's announcement, analysts at the bank compared the cryptocurrency to gold.
"Bitcoin could compete more intensely with gold as an 'alternative' currency over the coming years, given that millennials will become over time a more important component of investors' universe," they said.
They also noted that the total capitalisation of the cryptocurrency market is 10 times lower than gold, with some speculating that it could steadily close that gulf.
That viewpoint represents a significant shift, given that JPMorgan chief Jamie Dimon had described bitcoin as a "fraud" two years ago.
Last Thursday, its price leapt nearly 9 per cent and gold rallied 2.45 per cent, as the election in the United States impacted the market. The rises sparked fresh comparisons of the two assets.
"Crypto could constitute a form of safe haven in a context where confidence in fiat money is a little undermined," said Mr Polrot.
As with gold, bitcoin could benefit as central banks worldwide gush out trillions in stimulus support to counter the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, potentially diluting the value of their currencies.
Both gold and bitcoin are "mined" - virtually, by computer users, in the cryptocurrency's case - and have a finite supply, in contrast to hard cash printed in unlimited amounts by central banks.
However, others have pointed to the highly volatile and speculative nature of cryptocurrencies.
"There is no room for bitcoin in a serious forex portfolio," said a London trader who asked to remain anonymous, noting that the unit had lost a quarter of its value in March alone before resuming its rally more recently.
"That would be a catastrophe for a forex trader - we use gold to balance our portfolio."


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People write stories related to kindness and motivation on LinkedIn which are praised on the site.
However, the director of Product at the San-Francisco –based health company called Carbon Health, named Alexander Cohen took a dig t those inspirational posts.
A fake story was made up by the director of meeting Jeff Bezos at Starbucks. He told the story from start, how he met to Starbucks to get coffee for his team which was working hard on a Sunday to meet deadline, while fetching his order, he paid for the car behind him who turned out to be Jeff ezos car.
He further added, as he met him, he ended up chatting with hi, for two hours ad forgot about his team and how he is all set to join the business man on his next trip to space-expenses to be covered by the Amazon boss himself.


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Donald Trump has announced tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, escalating to new heights a trade war between the world's two largest economies.
The new tariffs were being imposed on nearly 40 per cent of goods China sells to the United States. Consumers in the US were expected to see higher prices for items ranging from handbags to furniture, bicycle tyres and air conditioning units.
Mr Trump said tariffs will start at 10 per cent on September 24, and rise to 25 per cent at the start of 2019. The US had already previously imposed tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese imports.
China has said it is ready to impose retaliatory tariffs on US goods. Among the products spared from tariffs by Mr Trump were Apple watches and baby car seats.
But he warned that, if China retaliates, he would impose further tariffs on another $267 billion of Chinese imports. That would mean tariffs on virtually all Chinese goods imported into the US.
Shortly after the announcement on Tuesday a senior Chinese securities market official said the United State's trade actions against will not work as China has ample fiscal and monetary policy tools to cope with the impact.
Fang Xinghai, vice chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), said at a conference in Tianjin that he hopes the two sides can sit down and negotiate on trade and that he looks forward to good China-US trade relations over the long term.
Mr Trump has accused Beijing of using predatory trade tactics in an attempt to supplant US technological supremacy.
He said his latest decision came after an investigation found that China "is engaged in numerous unfair policies and practices relating to United States technology and intellectual property".
Mr Trump said: "As president it is my duty to protect the interests of working men and women, farmers, ranchers, businesses, and our country itself.
"My administration will not remain idle when those interests are under attack. China has had many opportunities to fully address our concerns.
"Once again, I urge China’s leaders to take swift action to end their country’s unfair trade practices."


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'Strong' trading is positive image of camera maker's future profits
A DIGITAL camera maker in Belfast has revealed strong results including a record-breaking customer order.
Andor Technology in Springvale in the west of the city said trading in the first half of the year had been "strong".
The company, one of the few Northern Ireland firms to be on the stock exchange, said it had secured a record order from one customer with a contract worth $2.1m (£1.29m) for its Neo camera.
AIM-listed Andor has experienced steady export growth in its business of making high-spec digital cameras for industry and government since starting as a Queen's spin-out company in 1989.
While the company, headed up by Conor Walsh, did not put a figure on its projected figures for the year ending September 31, 2011, analysts have estimated pre-tax profit for the period at around £8.4m.
The company's board said it was "pleased to report that trading in the first half of the year continued to be strong".
"We anticipate performance for the full year will exceed current market expectations," it added.
The company has staff in Japan but said it was happy to report that all staff were safe and well after the country's devastating earthquake and tsunami.
The board said trials of a new version of the Neo camera had met "extremely encouraging" customer feedback.
The company also recently opened an office in Shanghai.


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The convenience and power of using mobile devices are astounding. With more than 14 billion mobile devices worldwide, they’ve become more than just communication devices; they are increasingly becoming a core part of our integrated digital lives. Mobile devices now act as authentication devices, storing a wealth of personal information and providing entry points to numerous online services, including email, banking and social media accounts. But the threat of SIM-swap fraud puts all that information and those accounts at risk. Protecting customers from this risk, which can quickly cause substantial financial harm, is now a fundamental requirement of doing business.
What is SIM-swap fraud?
A SIM swap is a type of account takeover fraud where a fraudster ports someone’s phone number to their SIM card through social engineering. Once the number is switched, the fraudulent actor can bypass any OTP (one-time passcode) set for the account, as well as create new accounts using that phone number.
According to Allison Nixon, the director of research at the security firm Flashpoint, “SIM swapping is proliferating, and it is going to keep proliferating until companies deal with this. I’ve been looking at the criminal underground for a long time, and SIM swapping bothers me more than anything I’ve seen.”
As these types of attacks can access valuable financial accounts and other sensitive information, the risk is significant. In one case alone, someone lost half a million in Bitcoin in minutes due to a takeover of a text messaging verification code. Beyond that, there’s a risk of significant reputational damage if someone gets hold of your social media accounts. For example, the Twitter accounts of numerous celebrities and world figures were hacked, sending out messages with fraudulent payment links around the globe.
Protecting your customers and your business
As there are more than five billion mobile phones in use, measures to protect consumers and brand reputation are essential. As Aseem Sadana, group COO at IMImobile states:
Despite advances in technology, SIM-swap fraud continues to be difficult to detect and prevent, as fraudsters are adapting their techniques.
One practical measure is checking the SIM profile at key points in the customer journey, like during onboarding or when changes are made to the account. SIM-swap fraud detection determines if the sim card associated with a number has been swapped and evaluates the likelihood it’s been done to complete a fraudulent transaction.
Identity and fraud prevention with GlobalGateway MobileID
SIM-swap fraud detection is one of the features available in MobileID. Depending on requirements, various layers of mobile data can be combined with data points from other channels to help provide a holistic identity and fraud prevention solution.
For example, in scenarios where a bad actor provides their phone number instead of the victim’s, the identity details on file will not match carrier details.
Or, you can detect fraud where a SIM swap has occurred and a bad actor already has control of the victim’s phone number. Even if submitted personally identifiable information (PII data) and a new account OTP verification match records, SIM-swap fraud detection can flag this transaction as highly likely to be fraudulent.
SIM-swap fraud detection is only one of many data points available from Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). These data sources have information about mobile users that includes name, mobile number and address, as well as device information like geolocation, usage and billing data.
Understanding device risk with Mobile Risk Score
Another feature is Mobile Risk Score, which takes up to three phone numbers per transaction and returns a reputation score for each number. The mobile risk score is based on phone number intelligence, traffic patterns, machine learning and global data sources.
One common strategy for MobileID is verifying thin-file customers, who might have a phone but no credit history. With more data coverage, you can access more customers and increase your business opportunities while still performing identity verifications.
Other use cases focus on combining data from MNOs with other data sources and channels to optimize identity intelligence. Relying on a single data source may be risky; systems with one data source have one point of failure, corrupted data can’t be offset, and varying data sets can’t be analyzed and optimized for maximum insight and performance.
Creating workflows that consider multiple signals and techniques provides robust and adaptable fraud prevention measures. Preventing SIM-swap fraud is a strong reason, but not the only reason, to consider adding MobileID to your identity verification and fraud prevention processes.
Simplify KYC Identity Verification Across the Globe
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Build Trust and Safety With Digital KYC
Featured Blog Posts
Business Verification (KYB)Enhanced Due Diligence Procedures for High-Risk Customers
Identity VerificationProof of Address — Quickly and Accurately Verify Addresses
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Deadline for ATSC Mobile and Handheld Specs Proposals Approaching
The deadline for proposals on mobile DTV transmission standards is fast approaching. The Advanced Television Systems Committee Technology Standards Group recently issued a request for proposals to identify potential specifications for its mobile (ATSC-M) and handheld (ATSC-H) standard. Preliminary responses, including an overview of the proposal, are due June 21, and detailed descriptions of the proposal are due July 6.
The ATSC said the ATSC-M/H standard would facilitate broadcasters' delivery of television content and data to mobile and handheld devices via broadcast DTV signals. It also said that any system would be backward compatible, and must not interfere with existing ATSC services.
The ATSC said the standard would support a variety of services including free and subscription-based TV. It would also support interactive television, datacasting, real-time navigation data for in vehicle use, and nonreal-time content downloads to playback later.
Competitors in the mobile arena include Harris and LG Electronics who teamed up to develop the MPH system, as well as Samsung and Rohde & Schwarz who developed A-VSB. Both technologies were demo-ed at previous NAB conventions.
The ATSC said in reaching its conclusions, it may combine various aspects of multiple proposals into a final specification. The RFP is available online.
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Taxi drivers could be in danger of becoming obsolete.
Imagine waiting outside the bar as your Uber driver turns up… but there’s no one behind the steering wheel.
It’s not ‘Back to the Future’. It’s a new age of cabbing and it’s freaking everyone out.
Uber will be the first taxi firm to test a self-driving car on the streets of Pittsburgh after a trial starting in August.
If successful, you could be driven to work by a robot.
The hybrid Ford Fusion will be seen driving around the city streets over the next few weeks.
But this test won’t be conducted completely driverless as there will be someone sat behind the wheel to monitor its ability.
Knight Rider’s KITT, eat your heart out – this futuristic beast also includes radars, laser scanners and high resolution cameras.
In October, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said: ‘Are we going to be part of the future? Or are we going to resist the future, like that taxi industry before us?’
Shame it’s not a DeLorean.


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EPA and California approve fix for 326,000 Volkswagen diesel carsReading time 1 min Staff Writer | July 27, 2017
he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board approved a fix for 326,000 Volkswagen diesel cars.
Auto industry The fix will include hardware and software upgrades
The world's largest automaker will still need to obtain approval for a resale plan for the 2009-2014 model diesel vehicles after making repairs - something that is expected in the coming weeks - but the fix is a significant milestone for the company that aims to move beyond its diesel emissions crisis. ■


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Digi-Prex has raised $5.5M from Khosla Ventures, Vedanta Capital, Y Combinator, Quiet Capital, and SV Angel. The founder of Tinder, Justin Mateen also participated in the round, said Samarth Sindhi, the founder of Digi-Prex.
Digi-Prex just closed its seed round from a range of highly-influential VC firms. It is also one of the largest seed financing rounds for an Indian startup.
Digi-Prex was started seven months ago. It is an online subscription pharmacy based in Hyderabad, India. It caters to patients suffering from chronic disease. The prescription is shared by the patients through WhatsApp with Digi-Prex. The company delivers the medication to the patients on the recurring cycle. The app has garnered thousands of customers said Sindhi in an interview with TechCrunch.
The startup is directly involved with the medicine suppliers to cut the cost of purchase. It provides the medicines at a discounted price to the customers by cutting the prices of over the top counters.
An alum of Brown University, Sindhi has worked with a healthcare firm in the United States. Digi-Prex shares the margin of the profit with physicians and pharmacies. “Instead of trying to acquire customers online, we work with physicians and pharmacies to serve customers,” said Sindhi. The start-up is able to deliver medicines to people living at distant places.
The startup will be expanding its business to 19 cities in India said Sindhi. Digi-Prex is working to make better physicians accessible to the patients so that they become more aware of the disease and get good treatment at an early stage.
Sindhi remembers, “When I returned to India, I was fascinated by how nobody was texting anymore. Everyone was doing everything on WhatsApp.” WhatsApp has a customer base of 400 million users in India. It is one of the greatest platforms to start a business in India.
To learn more about and to know more about the Digi-Prex, visit the official website. Also, don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comment section below!


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soft drink manufacturer Britvic on Tuesday announced the launch of a £75million share buyback as it posted an increase in its interim profit and increased its dividend, citing growth across all segments.
In the six months to the end of March, after-tax profit rose 48.7% to £45.8m, with revenue up 18.5% to £719.3m. Adjusted profit before interest and tax rose 20.7% to £73.5m and the company increased its interim dividend by 20% to 7.8pa.
Britvic highlighted volume and price growth across all business units. It highlighted the growth of At-Home channels, while Out-of-Home channels have recovered ahead of Covid.
The group also said volumes in the immediate consumption segment were ahead of pre-Covid levels.
Managing Director Simon Litherland said: “I am delighted with our performance in the first half. We accelerated revenue growth in our markets and made good progress against our strategic priorities. to replenish investments to support our short- and long-term growth ambitions.
“The current geopolitical uncertainty will likely lead to continued cost inflation and pressure on consumer spending at least through 2023. I remain confident, however, that we will continue to successfully navigate headwinds, thanks to our portfolio of brands. leaders, our strong customer relationships, smart revenue management capability, and the resilience of our supply chain and people.”
Britvic also announced the launch of a £75 million share buyback program which will be completed over the next 12 months.


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BLACK CROWES are to play a special one-off date at the London Scala on April 9, NME.COM can reveal – and we’re giving away TEN pairs of tickets for fans to go along.
The gig, a competition winners and celebrities only bash, is to celebrate the release of the band’s new album, ‘Lions’, released through V2 on May 7.
Support acts for the gig have yet to be revealed – but a host of surprises are to be announced nearer the time.
To enter the competition, [url=] click here
The prize does not include travel or accommodation which means you’ll have to be able to get to and from the show in London under your own steam. And you have to be over 18… oh, and the band won’t be onstage until 11pm which means you shouldn’t enter if you are worried about your beauty sleep! Just thought you should know.
After the gig, The Black Crowes embark on the Brotherly Love US tour with Oasis, kicking off on May 11 in Las Vegas. They’re also expected to announce some summer UK festival dates soon.


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Roads Paved With Green
Last year’s buzz is this year’s action item. All the talk about embracing green initiatives started everyone thinking, but a convergence of events is pushing companies into adoption. Rising fuel costs and the economic slump are key drivers, but saving the environment has grown beyond a politically correct concept to become a prevailing mind-set. It’s not just the right thing to do, it’s the necessary thing to do.
Go Green, Save Green: Sustainable Supply Chain Improvements, a recent Web conference hosted by the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA), Charlotte, N.C., highlighted opportunities where retailers could reduce energy consumption and costs in two critical areas—inside a distribution center (DC) and in transportation.
“The greatest potential for improvements,” suggested Kenneth Raehrdanz, distribution and warehousing industry manager for Dematic Corp., “is in the more than 600,000 warehouses and DCs already in existence in the U.S. Retrofitting existing systems offers the biggest opportunities to turn warehouses into ‘greenhouses.’”
Quipping that he was doing his part to be green by turning out his office lights during the conference, Raehrdanz said there are green savings to be found inside DCs in storing, staging and lighting; in conveying and sorting processes; and in the physical layout of the warehouse.
For instance, energy usage can be reduced significantly by turning off the lights when there is no activity in an area, which is easily accomplished through the installation of motion-activated lighting systems, and by stopping conveyors when product is not being moved. Alternatively, conveyors might be slowed to create savings without sacrificing throughput.
“In the area of warehouse-control software, you can use mechanization and optimization strategies to work smarter and compress throughput to one shift,” noted Raehrdanz.
By installing a “run-on-demand” solution, the DC can shut down or put a system into sleep mode rather than moving product at top speed every shift. In one case study, Raehrdanz said energy consumption was reduced more than 20% by shifting to the run-on-demand model. A side benefit of this model was less wear on the equipment, essentially extending the life of a capital investment.
In the area of storing and staging, particularly in cold-storage or freezer areas, Raehrdanz reported that converting to high-density storage has cut energy consumption in half for some DCs. Additionally, the use of natural light and brightly colored paint schemes that reflect light have also contributed to improved efficiencies.
Picking processes may contribute to improvements as well. For instance, light-directed, radio-frequency or voice-directed systems are more efficient and more environmentally friendly than paper-based operations. Finally, semi- or fully automated system designs typically enable the warehouse footprint to be smaller, which in and of itself reduces energy consumption because fewer lights are required and fork trucks typically travel shorter distances.
On the transportation side, Erv Bluemner, VP of transportation product strategy for RedPrairie Corp., Waukesha, Wis., reminded listeners that “any reductions in fuel consumption create real opportunities to improve the bottom line.”
For instance, excessive engine-idle time burns as much as one gallon of fuel per hour.
Fuel-saving strategies that were discussed included installing systems to monitor idle time, implementing route-optimization tools and establishing governors on engines to ensure that they run in the desired “sweet spot.”
Bluemner noted that software tools can be leveraged to gain transportation efficiencies, such as creating shipment profiles that can be translated into route consolidation and a reduction in empty back-haul miles.
“Using consolidation algorithms we can align loads for more efficient routing,” he said. “Specifically with back-haul miles, postponement strategies can identify shipments that might be delayed a day to piggyback onto another route and save mileage.”
Bluemner recommended reviewing existing fleets to update aging equipment with EPA-compliant engine modifications. Improvements may also be realized by taking steps as simple as basic engine maintenance, installing a different grade of tires, or adding devices to reduce wind resistance on tractors.
Wal-Mart to sell earth-friendly CDs
SANTA MONICA, Calif. As part of Wal-Mart’s “Earth Month” the company is selling more than 20 Universal Music Group titles that come with special earth-friendly inserts. The inserts are made with special seed paper and, according to the companies, can actually bloom into wildflowers.
The inserts, in addition to being good for the environment, also offer consumers three free digital downloads from Universal Music. Universal also said that a number of its new CDs will be packaged in third-party certified, renewable recycled board and recyclable paper.
ODP urges rejection of Levan nominees
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. Office Depot is continuing to urge its shareholders to reject dissident nominees and elect the company’s nominees to its board of directors at its annual shareholders meeting this April.
In a proxy statement sent to investors, Office Depot said that Alan Levan’s proposed nominees would do little to help improve shareholder value. According to the statement, Levan’s company, Levitt Corp. has seen its share price fall about 93% over the past three years and that its subsidiary, Levitt and Sons, is in bankruptcy. Office Depot also noted that BankAtlantic, of which Levan is chairman and ceo and one of his nominees, is president of real estate, construction and development, share price has dropped approximately 75% over the past three years.
Office Depot also cited news reports that commented on Levan’s failing business ventures, as well as others that said that his nominees are not qualified to serve on Office Depot’s board of directors.
The company pointed out nominee Mark Begelman’s experience with Mars Music, a company he founded in 1997 that went bankrupt in 2002. According to Office Depot, many news reports attributed this failure to a flawed business strategy.
According to Office Depot, when Levan’s other nominee, Martin Hanaka served as chairman of Sports Authority from 1998 to 2003, the company saw its price fall by about 13%.
Office Depot stressed that its directors best understand the company and are well-suited to help the company grow.
“We strongly believe that removing two of the most experienced retailing executives from our board, including our current ceo who is driving the implementation of our strategic turnaround plan, would be highly disruptive, could delay the implementation of internal and external initiatives and could damage prospects for a successful turnaround,” Office Depot said in the proxy statement.


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Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Frida Giannini is the 33 year old Creative Director of Women's Wear, Gucci. Nadia Mustafa of Time Magazine says ".... The new brain behind the Gucci woman is nothing like Tom Ford. "[Tom's] obsessed with [selling] sex, and I'm not," says Italian Frida Giannini, who calls herself tamer than her brazen former boss. Giannini, who replaced Alessandra Facchinetti as creative director of women's wear at the $2 billion luxury house last spring, is known for her talent as an accessories designer. Now she will have to prove herself in apparel.
Her plan is to bring a timeless quality to Gucci. She cites as an example the success of the Flora line of accessories introduced last year, inspired by the print of an old Gucci scarf made for Grace Kelly. "I want to continue to develop it, not sell it or mark it down," she says.
Giannini landed a job at Fendi in 1997, designing ready-to-wear before switching to leather goods. In 2002 she jumped to Gucci, where she oversaw handbags. In 2004 she was appointed creative director of accessories, which make up more than 80% of the company's sales. "I can't imagine the next fashion show without any jewelry or bags," she says.
Giannini, an avid equestrian, lives with her husband, a Web designer, in Florence. When she isn't finding a muse in objects as mundane as a doorknob—the shape of which she used for the heel of a Gucci shoe—she draws inspiration from the house's archives—for example, prints from scarves of the 1960s and '70s, which she has applied to dresses and shirts in the cruise collection.
Giannini's personality is already finding its way into the label's image. "The Gucci woman enjoys life, is successful in her job and leaves a lasting impression every time she walks into a room," she says, just as easily describing herself...."
Photo courtesy of Klik


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POCONO SUMMIT, Pa. — If you're one of the families whose July 4 holiday plans have been scuttled by the increase in flight cancellations, the Great Wolf Lodge has a plan to help make it up to you.
The indoor water park resort chain announced a new sweepstakes open to those whose flights were cancelled for the holiday weekend.
If you're one of those unfortunate people, you can tweet a photo of your cancellation notice to Great Wolf Lodge with the hashtag #GWLRescue, and you'll be entered for a drawing that awards a complementary one-night stay at any of GWL's 18 locations to 100 winners.
"Great Wolf Lodge knows how important a summer getaway is in helping families strengthen their pack, and unfortunately many family travel plans this summer are being condensed or disrupted due to flight cancellations," the company said in its announcement. "Great Wolf Lodge has long-served as a close, easy-to-get-to drive destination for families seeking a hassle-free and fun-filled getaway with its expansive indoor water park, character-rich entertainment and family-friendly attractions.
"Now, the renowned family resort is offering a reprieve to families whose planned July 4th holiday weekend getaways are disrupted due to a flight cancellation."
Great Wolf Lodge will randomly select 100 families from those who tweet the notifications with the correct hashtag for the complementary one-night stay.
The resort has East Coast locations in the Poconos and Baltimore.


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Polysack fully recyclable packaging films joins forces with HP Indigo digital printing
10 May 2021 – In collaboration with HP Indigo, Polysack has validated its packaging films for printing on HP Indigo digital presses. Polysack, a green-tech manufacturer of plastic film products for flexible packaging and high-shrink labels claims that its Pack’N’Cycle plastic film is fully recyclable plastic for packaging including stand-up pouches, films, and shrink labels.
The company added that some 9% of all plastic is recyclable and that ‘most recyclable’ plastics is not actually recycled or fully recyclable.
“The ability to combine our 100-percent recyclable film with HP Indigo’s printing capabilities allows businesses to create packaging that fits their brand while remaining environmentally conscious,” says Yanir Aharonson, CEO of Polysack. “Plastic waste is a major environmental problem, and we’re glad to help make the world a bit more green.”
Polysack’s unique film can replace 70 to 80 percent of unrecyclable plastic to fully recyclable packaging without increasing costs, modifying people’s habits, or needing to rebuild the infrastructure for the package production, according to Aharonson.
Printela, a flexible packaging converter based in Lithuania, has chosen Polysack’s recyclable film combined with HP Indigo’s digital printing press to create customized, eco-friendly packaging.
“By using Polysack’s Pack’N’Cycle films, Printela’s HP Indigo Digital Pouch Factory efficiently produces different recyclable pouches consistently, says Valdas Buksnys, General Manager of Printela. “Pack’N’Cycle by Polysack is an efficient Polyester replacement film.”
“We are excited to help brands find new packaging options for their products to continue to improve their sustainability profile,” said Yair Gellis, Head of Flexible Packaging Development at HP Indigo, “The HP Indigo digital printing solution for flexible packaging offers brands sustainability advantages including lower waste.”


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MUMBAI (Reuters) - Cyrus Mistry has told Tata Global Beverages that his removal as chairman of the company was wrong but has not made a formal legal complaint, two sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
Television channel ET Now, citing unnamed sources, had said earlier on Wednesday that Mistry's office had issued a legal notice to Tata Global Beverages, which co-owns and runs Starbucks coffee stores in India.
Mistry was removed on Tuesday as the chairman of Tata Global Beverages, an action he had called "inaccurate and illegal."
Last month Mistry was ousted as chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company for the $100 billion steel-to-software Tata group, sparking a bitter public dispute.
(Reporting by Promit Mukherjee and Aditi Shah; Editing by Euan Rocha, Greg Mahlich)


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Securing Digital Dividend spectrum for the wireless industry is a key priority for the new chair of the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association.
Stories by Adam Bender
Unified communications has reduced costs and employee travel for the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage, among other benefits, according to the office’s CIO, David Schneider.
CIOs should prepare for higher costs with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), IDC analyst Tim Dillon said at the CIO Summit in Sydney. Dillon also spoke about “creeping uncertainty” affecting CIOs’ business outlooks.
Australia will start assigning “05” phone numbers to mobile users in an effort to avoid number exhaustion, the Australian Communications and Media Authority said. The ACMA revised the <I>Telecommunications Number Plan 1977</I> to implement that and two other changes [[artnid: 410749|proposed earlier this year]].
Qantas has launched social-flavoured vacation booking website Hooroo using the cloud and open-source software.
Commonwealth Bank is betting that an EFTPOS terminal that looks like a tablet will give it the edge over competitors. The bank just announced Pi, a smart point-of-sale payment platform embracing modern touch-screen technology and apps.
Cordys opened its first Australian office in Melbourne, the business process specialist said. The company appointed Steve Thomas to direct Australia-New Zealand operations.
Optus will do the work of making a website for small and medium businesses with My SiteOnline, the first in a suite of planned SMB services called My BizOnline.
The Family Court of Australia wants to replace ageing network equipment nationally, and build and fit a new design, according to a tender published 13 July.
Bill shock will perpetuate even with SMS usage warnings required by the revised Telecommunications Consumer Protection (TCP) code, said WhistleOut director Cameron Craig. Carriers should instead let customer place a “hard stop” on their phone accounts when they reach limits, he said.
Qantas and Telstra hope to reduce airplane paper by giving iPads to pilots. The companies have been working to secure approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and hope to distribute the first iPads in September, according to Telstra and CASA.
Telstra agreed to sell its New Zealand business TelstraClear to Vodafone NZ for A$660 million. The deal could be a precursor to a later Telstra takeover of Telecom New Zealand, analysts said.
InMobi reported 34 per cent growth in tablet impressions on its Australian mobile advertising network in the last three months. New Zealand experienced a 78 per cent growth in tablet impressions the second quarter, it said.
Telcos said they’re already complying with many of the requirements of the revised Telecommunications Consumer Protection (TCP) code.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has said it will enforce an industry code to prevent telephone and broadband bill shock. However, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has said the ACMA lacks adequate power to keep telcos honest.


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Electronic scooters were a big boost for downtown Red Deer businesses this summer.
“The e-scooters had a positive impact immediately,” said Brandon Bouchard, Tribe restaurant manager.
“The day after they arrived, we saw an increase in revenue and people exploring the downtown.”
E-scooters were introduced to Red Deer earlier this summer, with six companies bringing more than 1,500 e-scooters to the city this past summer. Those companies are Bird Canada, Neuron, Roll Scooters, Link Scooters, Spin and Lime according to the city website.
In May 2021, Red Deer city council approved the implementation of a two-year e-scooter pilot project. Scooters will be collected and taken off the road after Oct. 31. The 2022 season then starts March 15.
“The nice thing about those scooters is they were a novelty for people to come downtown to try them out. In the process, they would end up discovering businesses and restaurants they may not have discovered otherwise because they weren’t venturing downtown before,” said Bouchard.
“Over the course of the summer, it’s been kind of non-stop. On any given day you’ll find scooters parked in front of restaurants and in front of bars.”
The e-scooters create a great opportunity to bring in new customers, Bouchard added.
“Our hope is that this continues. … We definitely hope they’re here to stay, for sure,” he said, adding business was better this summer compared to the summer of 2020.
“There was definitely an increase. With our business on the weekend, if you weren’t making a reservation, you weren’t getting in. I know the businesses neighbouring us were quite busy all summer long.”
Catherine Robb, owner of Housewarmings gift store, said the e-scooters boosted her business this summer as well.
“I saw lots of business with them. It brought people downtown and I loved everything about them,” she said.
“Nowadays for youth to buy a car it’s an outrageous price, with insurance and everything. A lot of them can’t afford to drive and if they don’t want to take the bus, this is a great way to get downtown.”
It wasn’t just young people she saw riding the e-scooters.
“Even families would ride them. I would see moms and dads with their kids – instead of taking the car, they all come down on scooters,” she said.
Robb and Bouchard admit business has been slower since provincial restrictions were reintroduced in September.


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- New 'Nurture Kids' programme teaches preschool children aged four to six to 'Eat Smart' and 'Stay Active'
- Unique public-private partnership aims to fight war against diabetes and promote health awareness in young children
SINGAPORE, Oct. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ActiveSG, Singapore's national movement for sport and physical activity, and FrieslandCampina Asia, one of the world's largest dairy companies, today announced a collaboration to introduce Nurture Kids — a new physical activity and nutrition programme for preschool children in Singapore.
Nurture Kids is the first health, nutrition and exercise programme designed specifically for preschool children between four and six years old. The children will be taught fundamental movement skills and given tips on how to live an active and healthy lifestyle. The programme aims to inculcate in the children healthy living habits that will offer long-term benefits for their health.
Nurture Kids is currently being piloted at eight preschools which have volunteered to incorporate the programme into their curriculum. Twice a week, coaches engaged by ActiveSG, will guide students through a series of fun activities and games that will develop further the child's fundamental movement abilities such as agility, catching and throwing. The coaches will also share good habits on nutrition, screen time, sleep and physical activity.
Nutritionists have also been engaged to teach the children to 'Eat Smart' through specially designed workshops meant to impart the importance of good and balanced nutrition.
An assessment will be undertaken after 10 weeks to evaluate the outcomes from the programme and the effectiveness of its curriculum.
Mr Lai Chin Kwang, Chief, ActiveSG said: "It is never too early for children to start living healthily. We would like to thank FrieslandCampina Asia for joining us to bring physical activity and nutrition to preschools. We hope that by starting them at a young age, the children will develop a lifelong habit to stay active and healthy."
Nurture Kids is the result of a public-private partnership between ActiveSG and FrieslandCampina. It has been developed in response to the growing trend of childhood obesity in Singapore. About 10 percent of children aged five are overweight1, while 43 percent of obese children are likely to stay obese as adults2.
If left uncurbed, obesity will rise from 11 percent to 15 percent of Singapore's population by 20243. This has far reaching impact on public health and the economy. Chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and even cancer are common complications of obesity4. The burden of obesity alone cost Singapore $2.77 billion, or 14 percent of gross domestic product, in healthcare spending and productivity loss in 20165.
Mr Hendro Poedjono, Corporate Affairs Director, FrieslandCampina Asia said: "There is an urgent need to address the state of health among young children in Singapore. To foster better health behaviour, we need to engage parents, educators, the government and the community. This is why FrieslandCampina Asia is spearheading Nurture Kids together with ActiveSG.
"We believe that Nurture Kids will make a direct and lasting impact on the development of Singapore's young, by providing them the necessary skills and knowledge for a healthy headstart in life, and enhance the overall well-being and health outcomes of Singaporeans now and in the future."
For more information, please contact:
Sport Singapore (SportSG)
As a key recommendation of Vision 2030 – Singapore's master plan for sports, ActiveSG was launched in April 2014 as the national movement for sport and physical activity. ActiveSG aims to create a sporting ecosystem that provides innovative and experiential sport related programmes at sports centres island-wide. This movement will act as an enabler to build a community for individuals, families and organisations from different zones where Singaporeans can come together to learn, train, compete and host a range of sports. Working together with communities, National Sports Associations (NSAs), schools, corporations, public agencies and interest groups, ActiveSG aims to co-create programmes that are affordable and inclusive for all skill levels and age groups.
About Royal FrieslandCampina
Every day Royal FrieslandCampina provides millions of consumers all over the world with food that is rich in valuable nutrients. With annual revenue of 11.3 billion euros, FrieslandCampina is one of the world's largest dairy companies, supplying consumer and professional products, as well as ingredients and half-finished products to manufacturers of infant & toddler nutrition, the food industry and the pharmaceutical sector around the world. FrieslandCampina has offices in 33 countries and over 22,000 employees, and its products are available in more than 100 countries. The Company is fully owned by Zuivelcoöperatie FrieslandCampina U.A, with over 19,000 member dairy farmers in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium—making it one of the world's largest dairy cooperatives.
For more information please visit: www.frieslandcampina.com.
About FrieslandCampina Asia
FrieslandCampina Asia (FrieslandCampina Consumer Products Asia) comprises of operating companies that are active in the consumer products segment in Asia. Over the last 90 years, FrieslandCampina's consumer products brands have acquired market leading positions in many countries across the region. The Company has expanded its range of products to include: milk powder, condensed milk, infant and children's nutrition, dairy drinks, yoghurt and dessert. The Company's leading brands include: Dutch Lady, Foremost, and Frisian Flag.
FrieslandCampina Consumer Products Asia has over 6,000 employees working in nine markets across the region: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. As one of the region's largest dairy companies, FrieslandCampina spreads the goodness of dairy by actively contributing to food and nutrition security initiatives across the region, and is committed to being a responsible business with the goal of creating a sustainable future for the business and communities that it serves.
For more information please visit: www.frieslandcampina.com/en/countries/frieslandcampina-asia
1National Day Rally 2017
2HPB-MOH Clinical Practice Guidelines on Obesity
3The Straits Times – Singapore risks hitting obesity rate of 15% in seven years, 20 June 2017
4Pacific Prime – Fighting Childhood Obesity, July 2017
5The Straits Times - Most adults gain weight after starting work, 20 June 2017


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Intellizence has curated top business expansion announcements by leading companies across key sectors. There were multi-billion dollar investments in existing and new businesses in September 2021.
Some of the companies that announced major expansions in September are:
Ford ($11.4 Billion &$5.6 Billion)
Ford Motor Company in partnership with SK Innovation, plans to invest $11.4 billion to bring electric vehicles at scale to American customers with two new, environmentally and technologically advanced campuses in Tennessee and Kentucky that will produce the next generation of electric F-Series trucks and the batteries to power future electric Ford and Lincoln vehicles.
It also plans to build an all-new $5.6 billion mega campus in Stanton, Tenn., called BlueOval City, which will create approximately 6,000 new jobs and reimagine how vehicles and batteries are manufactured.
Zero Electric Vehicles
ZEV today announced plans to complete the buildout of their new 103,000-square foot, state-of-the-art Electric Vehicle manufacturing facility in Gilbert, AZ to better serve their electrification solutions for light and medium-duty fleet vehicles.
Motional is a driverless technology company making self-driving vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality is expanding its Las Vegas footprint ahead of its 2023 commercial robotaxi deployment. It is accelerating its testing and development by tripling the size of its Las Vegas closed-course testing facility.
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Walgreens ($970 Million)
Walgreens Boots Alliance is investing $970 million in Shields Health Solutions, expanding its position in the specialty pharmacy market. The investment will support the continued growth of Shields’ health system-based specialty pharmacy strategy and build on a minority equity investment.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital ($600 Million)
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is celebrating the completion of a new Critical Care Building, a $600 million investment on the hospital’s north side that involved three years of construction on the hospital’s main campus in Avondale.
The Home Depot
The Home Depot will expand its supply chain and distribution operations in Greenville, Charleston, Jasper, and Lexington counties. The company operates 2,300 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Canada, and Mexico.
GAP ($100 Million)
Gap Inc. is investing more than $100 million to launch fulfillment center expansions in Phoenix, AZ, and Gallatin, TN. This expansion will meet customers’ needs with speed, flexibility, and efficiency.
Shipt is planning its largest nationwide expansion in three years, adding its same-day delivery services to more store locations and reaching millions of potential new customers. Customers across the country will be able to use same-day delivery across nearly 1,000 more store locations.
Intellizence AI platform enables our customers to monitor sales, growth, distress & risk signals in their target companies and emerging industry trends.
- Market Intelligence Stay informed about emerging industry trends, policy & regulatory changes.
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Intel ($95 Billion)
Intel plans to build new chip-making facilities in Europe valued at up to $95 billion, responding to a cross-border race to add manufacturing capacity at a time of a global chip supply crunch.
Google ($2.1 Billion)
Google plans to buy a New York City office building for $2.1 billion, even as most of its workforce remains remote. Google has told its employees they don’t need to return to the office until January. Its CEO previously said he expects 20% of employees to continue telecommuting after the reopening.
Prime Data Centers ($1 Billion)
Prime Data Centers, a wholesale data center developer, and operator is expanding its presence into the Midwest market with a 750,000+-square-foot data center campus in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. The company plans to invest up to $1 billion in Chicago’s Golden Corridor.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) (£3.9 Billion)
AWS plans to launch its first data center region in New Zealand by 2024, as a part of its NZ$7.5 billion (£3.9billion) investment strategy in the country over the next fifteen years. The data center will form the bulk of Amazon’s new AWS Asia Pacific Region.


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NordPass will boast a full range of features to help ensure that passwords are as secure as possible alongside an easy-to-use interface that makes staying secure effortless.
CMO at NordVPN, Marty P. Kamden explained why the company decided to create its own password manager, saying:
“We can secure your connections with NordVPN and we can secure your files with NordLocker, but you still need a strong password for both. Passwords are the front line for your online account security. That’s why we’re introducing NordPass. It all started when we were looking for a safer and more productive way to deal with passwords within our company. In the end, this initiative has grown into something pretty exciting, which we decided to expand beyond the bounds of our company.”
- NordVPN ups security with new encryption tool
- Court throws out Torguard's lawsuit against NordVPN
- NordVPN kills popular free trial due to widespread abuse
NordPass will be able to remember and autosave all passwords, autofill online forms and the new password manager also allows users to save private notes. The new tool will even generate strong passwords on the spot to help eliminate credential reuse.
NordVPN's password manager will support all major operating systems through native mobile and desktop apps as well as through browser extensions.
NordPass uses powerful Advanced Encryption Standard (AES-256-GCM) encryption with the virtually unbreakable Argon2 for key derivation. The new tool will also have zero-knowledge encryption process to ensure ultimate security according to Kamden, who added:
“Zero-knowledge encryption means you own the key to your passwords. By the time your data reaches our servers, it's already encrypted on your device, which means we have zero knowledge about the items saved in your vault. We couldn’t see your passwords even if we wanted to. And these are only the essential features that come with the first version of NordPass. We’re very eager to expand its capabilities in the near future.”
NordPass is currently undergoing internal stress-tests but NordVPN expects the first beta version to be released this fall.
- We've also highlighted the best password manager
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After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.


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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer has temporarily stopped accepting product returns at all customer service desks, leaders announced Friday.
The halt in returns will last until April 16 in an effort to combat the spread of coronavirus.
The measure includes recalls, exchanges and deposit refunds. If you have a return that is set to expire within that time frame, don't worry; the retailer has extended its eligible return policy to 120 days for all items.
In addition to product returns, Meijer is also temporarily discontinuing Sodastream exchanges, automotive battery returns and carpet cleaner/power washer rentals from Bissell. The store will accept back any previously rented Bissell cleaner or power washer, but is requesting that only the customer touch the equipment and return it to the fixture.
The customer service desk will remain open, however, for lottery, Western Union and postal services.
Meijer already announced several other changes to its daily operations in response to the virus. Those changes include dedicated hours for seniors, customers with chronic health conditions, essential service workers and the store's team members.
New store hours are as follows:
- Meijer stores will close overnight at 10 p.m. local time, beginning Friday, March 20, and will open each morning at 8 a.m. local time.
- Meijer Express convenience store locations will close overnight at 10 p.m. and open each morning at 8 a.m.; pay-at-the-pump fuel sales will remain available 24 hours a day.
- Meijer stores and pharmacies will provide dedicated shopping times for senior citizens and customers with chronic health conditions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-8 a.m. local time.
- Meijer stores and pharmacies will provide dedicated shopping times for essential service workers and Meijer team members on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7-8 a.m. local time.
On Wednesday, leaders also announced their plan to install sneeze guards in check-out lanes, to further protect customers and workers.
For more information, click here.
Facts not fear: Putting COVID-19 into context
WTOL 11’s coverage of the coronavirus is rooted in Facts, not Fear. Visit https://www.wtol.com/coronavirus-covid-19 for comprehensive coverage, find out what you need to know about northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan specifically, learn more about the symptoms, and keep tabs on the cases around the world here. Have a question? Text it to us at 419-248-1100.
Protect yourself from coronavirus
- Cover: Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
- Dispose: Throw used tissues in a lined can.
- Wash hands: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
- Hand sanitizer: If soap and water are not readily available, use and alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry.
- Avoid touching: Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.


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environmental law holds owners responsible for pollution coming from their land, but Formosa
Exploration's parent company had sought to buffer itself by signing all mining claims over to the subsidiary.
Exploration went out of business, it tried extreme measures to revegetate the 76-acre site.
Kuang was president of Formosa
Resources, the parent company of wholly owned subsidiary Formosa
The steel plant is owned by Formosa
Plastics Group's daughter company Formosa
Ha Tinh Steel Corporation; its annual intake of coal is estimated to be about 7.
Plastic posted aggregate revenue of NT$130.
The agreement also provides that Formosa
will purchase the resulting NGL products and make product storage available to Copano for operational reliability.
Petrochemical alone lent the DRAM affiliate NT$4.
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen is a champion for human rights and democracy," said Terri Giles, Executive Director of the Formosa
Plastics scored sales revenue of NT$14.
FBC is the medical technology subsidiary of Formosa
Plastics Group (FPG), a leading Taiwan-based conglomerate with businesses in manufacturing, health care, and medical technologies.
Taipei, July 31, 2012 (CENS) -- Amid the faltering global economy, Formosa
Plastic Group's affiliates in Taiwan have geared up to upgrade their product mixes to boost profitability with higher-profit products prepared for economic turnarounds in the years to come.
12 /PRNewswire/ -- Victims of the explosions and fires that ripped through the Formosa
Plastics plastic resins and petrochemical manufacturing plant at Point Comfort, Texas, on October 6, 2005 filed suit in the County Court of Law, Calhoun County, Texas on December 1, 2006.


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Turkey will build a new metallurgical plant for production of rolled stainless steel
Steel giant from South Korea, the Corporation «Posco», published data relating to its joint project with the company Kibar Holding (a major Turkish manufacturer of steel products). According to the plans of the project participants, 85 kilometers away from Istanbul (the largest city of Turkey) will soon have a new plant that will make products from stainless steel.
The construction site for the plant, the founders chose the North-Western part of the city Kocaeli. According to the data published in the media, for the launch of the new company will need about $350 million, the Plant will specialize in the production of cold-rolled products of stainless steel. According to forecasts of the initiators of the project, the first batch of metal with the new facilities, customers will be able to get in the middle of spring 2013.
For the first time on the equipment the new plant of the company founders plan to monthly produce about 16 thousand tons of stainless products. With the expansion of distribution, the company will ramp up production to the rated power, which, according to the designer’s calculations, will amount to 1 million tons of stainless steel a year.
According to stakeholders, with the commissioning of the new plant, the share of imports of stainless steel in Turkey can be reduced by almost half.


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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060
NVIDIA's fourth GPU in the RTX 4000 Series lineup under the RTX 4090, 4080, and 4070 is expected to launch later this year, possibly at Computex Taipei 2023.
With the GeForce RTX 4070 and RTX 4060 launches expected in the coming months it looks like NVIDIA is dropping the 12VHPWR connector mandate.
Thanks to a software update we now know the memory capacities of both the GeForce RTX 4070 and the GeForce RTX 4060. Thanks, GIGABYTE.
New pictures emerge for Founders Edition models for the GeForce RTX 40 Series from NVIDIA, and the RTX 4060 Ti features a small compact design.
Specs for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 desktop GPU have been revealed by a well-known leaker, and it looks to be identical to the laptop variant.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 laptop GPU benchmarks showcase it being over 60% faster than the GeForce RTX 3060 laptop GPU. Faster than the desktop version too.
We're only a few months away from NVIDIA launching its more mainstream GeForce RTX 40 Series offerings, with the RTX 4070 set to debut sometime in April.
We're almost at the point where NVIDIA and AMD are set to debut their mainstream next-gen GPU offerings, here's potential benchmarks for the RTX 4060.
NVIDIA could release the entire GeForce RTX 40 Series product line-up in under a year, as RTX 4060 and RTX 4050 listings begin to emerge.
As pricing, specs, and performance rumors for the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti begin to emerge, insider Kopite7kimi states that performance will match the RTX 3070.
With mainstream cards NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series cards on the horizon, today comes an early leak of the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti and its power efficiency.
NVIDIA's next-gen GeForce RTX 4060 Ti and GeForce RTX 4060 leaked 3DMark TimeSpy Extreme scores show: 2600MHz+ GPU clocks on RTX 4060 Ti.
NVIDIA's next-gen mid-range GeForce RTX 4060: rumor has it we're looking at 220W+ power, but that totally makes sense...


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Hero MotoCorp’s BS4 discounts are applicable only until stocks last at select dealerships
The Indian automotive industry has shifted to BS6 emission norms from the start of this month. Still, a good majority of dealerships (across major vehicle categories) are left with unsold BS4 units that would be difficult to sell considering the present state of affairs.
At select showrooms across the country, Hero MotoCorp has introduced a discount of Rs 10,000 for its HF Deluxe BS4 and Splendor Plus BS4. BS4 variants of the budget commuter motorcycles were originally priced at Rs 39,900 and Rs 51,790 ex-showroom, respectively. If stocks are available at the local Hero MotoCorp dealership, interested buyers can confirm their booking for an amount of just Rs 200 (refundable). The offer lasts until the deadline to finish BS4 sales or stocks last.
Towards the end of last year, Hero MotoCorp launched the BS6 HF Deluxe at an ex-showroom starting price of Rs 55,925. It was the first 100cc motorcycle in the country to become BS6-compliant. The 97.2cc air-cooled fuel-injected motor makes just under 8bhp and around 8Nm of torque while mated to a 4-speed gearbox.
The BS6 Hero Splendor Plus (or Splendor+) was introduced about two months ago at Rs 59,600 ex-showroom. It employs the same 97.2cc FI single-cylinder power plant as the HF Deluxe BS6.
Initially, the deadline to update to BS6 emission norms was set as 31 March 2020. In view of the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, FADA (Federation of Automotive Dealers Associations) had approached the Supreme Court of India seeking an extension by two months. However, the apex court granted permission only for 10 days post the lockdown but on a conditional basis which restricts sales to just 10% of BS4 units left with a dealer.
As India entered its third phase of COVID-19 lockdown protocols from 3 May 2020, automotive dealerships have gradually opened for business. Hence, the window to sell BS4 products extends to May 13. Meanwhile, Delhi NCR does not come under this provision and every new vehicle registered in the region should be compliant to BS6 emission norms.
Dealerships with unsold BS4 stock after the deadline have three options: (1) sell and register them as used products, (2) contact parent OEM for a buyback, or (3) send them for scrapping. The second option is the most feasible as losses would be minimal for dealerships while OEMs can utilise the old products as development platforms. In fact, Hero MotoCorp has already announced that it will be buying back unsold BS4 units.


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National MP Nathan Guy has criticised Air New Zealand’s decision to promote the “Impossible Burger”, insisting the national carrier should promote NZ beef and lamb instead. Air NZ announced it would be serving the burger, which is made from plant-based materials, in business premier class on flights between New Zealand and Los Angeles from Tuesday. Air New Zealand launches meat-free burger Mr Guy wasn’t happy with the promotion of “substitute meat” though and tweeted to say NZ meat should be promoted instead. “Disappointing to see Air NZ promoting a GE substitute meat burger on its flights to the USA,” he wrote. “We produce the most delicious steaks & lamb on the planet – GMO & hormone free. The national carrier should be pushing our premium products and helping sell NZ to the world.” The Impossible Burger contains the genetically engineered soy leghemoglobin or “heme” to reproduce the bleeding effect of a normal burger. Twitter users were quick to point out that Air New Zealand already offers meat options for their customers. “You know it’s a vegetarian burger, right? And that vegetarians don’t eat lamb or beef? And that beef and lamb options are available to those who prefer them,” one… Read full this story
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MP Nathan Guys says Air NZ should promote NZ beef and lamb over vegan 'Impossible Burger' have 335 words, post on www.newshub.co.nz at July 3, 2018. This is cached page on Europe Breaking News. If you want remove this page, please contact us.


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By Mike Boyer
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Johnson gets ready to cut the cord. Today, federal rules go into
effect that allow all U.S. cell phone users to switch carriers while
keeping their phone number. Customers in Cincinnati and 99 other
large cities have been able to do so for the past six months. Most
opted to stay with their carrier.
(Photo illustration by Joseph Fuqua/The
The biggest mystery about local telephone number portability is why it never turned into a bigger problem.
The federal rules that allow wireless customers to keep their phone numbers when they switch carriers go national today, six months after taking effect in the nation's 100 largest cities - including Cincinnati.
There were predictions last November that the rules would have a dramatic effect on the wireless industry. Analysts predicted that as many as a third of the nation's 163 million cellular customers would switch providers. Carriers spent millions on programs to retain customers and attract new ones.
Three explanations for the stampede that didn't happen include:
Carriers' fears about portability were overblown.
People were more satisfied with their cell phone service than nearly everyone believed.
Portability isn't always free, particularly if a customer has to pay an early termination fee.
"Basically, it's a tempest in a teapot," said Roger Entner, manager of wireless services at the Yankee Group, a Boston consulting firm.
Relatively few complaints
Portability hasn't been a big problem for carriers. The number of consumer complaints to the Federal Communications Commission has dropped from 2,400 initially to 400 last month.
| TIPS ON PORTABILITY
Local number portability allows consumer
to keep, or "port,'' their numbers when they switch carriers.
It only applies when switching carriers in a local calling area. If
you're moving across country, you can't keep the same number.
Here are some other tips from the industry and the Federal Communications
Don't cancel your existing
service, until you've signed up with your new carrier.
When contacting the new carrier,
consumers should have their phone number, billing address, account
number and the latest bill.
Only the person whose name is on the account can authorize the change.
A number transfer from a
landline company should take about four days. For wireless-to-wireless
transfers, the FCC says the goal
is to transfer a single number within 2 1/2 hours after the new carrier
calls the old provider.
Carriers can charge their
customers for switching the number, though a new carrier could agree
to pay the transfer fee.
Consumers with cell phone
contracts will have to pay early termination fees, which can reach
$200, if they switch before their agreements
Most customers will have
to buy a new cell phone when changing providers because each company
uses different technology.
The number of people retaining their number when they switch carriers is running about 1 million a month - including wire line subscribers, who have been able to do so since 1998 if their exchange falls within the same geographic area.
"I don't expect a big change," said Entner, when wireless number portability goes national today.
While the major national wireless carriers are ready, several hundred small rural wire line carriers - required to comply for the first time - are not.
About 900 nationally, including two dozen small carriers in Ohio, have sought a waiver under FCC rules, citing the high cost of compliance.
On Wednesday, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, which must rule on the Ohio petitions, gave the rural carriers - including Germantown Independent Telephone, which serves parts of Warren and Butler counties - an additional 90 days to comply.
The commission said that would give its staff more time to look into the issue and allow the companies to work out agreements with wireless carriers.
A spokeswoman for United States Telecom Association, an industry trade group, said rural companies are doing all they can to comply with the mandate.
"There are tremendous costs associated with porting numbers for the first time in rural areas," spokeswoman Allison Remsen said.
Service is the key
The FCC and the cellular industry say about 2.8 million wireless customers have kept their numbers while switching carriers since the new rules took effect Nov. 24.
Yet in a recent report, the FCC concluded local number portability hasn't had a significant impact on wireless "churn." Churn, or the number of customers dropping service each month, typically runs 2 percent to 3 percent for wireless carriers.
That's been mirrored in the Cincinnati area, which has about 1.1 million wireless subscribers.
For Cincinnati Bell Wireless, which has about 300,000 monthly customers, the churn rate was 1.8 percent in the first three months of this year - unchanged from the prior quarter and the prior year.
Cincinnati Bell, which has operated without customer contracts since its inception five years ago, said local number portability hasn't been an issue.
"Initial industry expectations were that churn would go through the roof. But essentially it's been a big yawn," said John Willis, director of consumer marketing.
Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest wireless carrier with about 39 million customers, said its first quarter churn was 1.6 percent, lowest in the industry and down from 2.1 percent in the same period last year.
Verizon won't disclose customer counts or churn rates in specific markets, but Laura Merritt, spokeswoman for Verizon in Ohio, said, "We've added more customers than we have had leave. We feel good about (portability)."
Susan Kristof, spokesman for Sprint, said that number portability "hasn't been what it was expected to be" but over time more consumers will opt to keep their numbers when they change carriers.
And she said carriers have improved their customer service.
"It's a win for consumers, no matter how you look at it," she said.
Alliea Phipps, who operates a public relations firm out of her Norwood home, feels like a winner.
She was dissatisfied with her cellular provider, but her phone number was her link to clients and news contacts.
Since porting her number to a new carrier in late November, she said, "It's been fabulous. My biggest fear was that something would happen and people couldn't reach me."
Just why portability hasn't evolved as expected isn't clear.
Travis Larson, spokesman for the Washington-based Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, a trade group, says, "People are more satisfied with their wireless service than many experts assumed."
He cites two studies, one by the federal General Accounting Office and the other by the association, showing more than 80 percent of those surveyed said they were pleased with their service.
Lauren Patrich, an FCC spokeswoman, said the carriers raised so many questions about the move that it fueled a lot of the dire expectations.
What's unmeasured is just how much fear of losing customers has improved customer service industrywide.
Entner agreed the industry scared many consumers with horror stories about the delays and problems they would face.
"Basically (they) told people 'if you try this, you will have a lot of trouble,' " he said.
"The other thing that happened is that carriers increased the number of subscribers on contracts," he said. "They were really good at containing churn in that way."
That could create a bubble of new switching when those customers' contracts expire in six months or a year, he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
switch didn't happen
dealing with aging parents
shui offers peace at work
Aguirre to face shareholders


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Sport betting with bitcoin
The developer of software for online casino SoftSwiss has supplemented his service News’Score with the ability to place instant bets on the stock exchange. It allows customers to bet using the virtual currency Bitcoin.
The firm has stated that the new Service News’Score is the first platform in the world to place bets with Bitcoin.
The new service allows customers to place bets anonymously as they are not required to register and leave personal information on the website.
Players are also not required to make a deposit through the payment system, there are no third-party payment providers, which in turn means that bitcoin bets are accepted immediately.
Betting stops 15 minutes before the event, all winnings are automatically credited to the players’ Bitcoin wallets after the event is over.


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Christmas shoppers to benefit from free parking at Uttlesford car parks over the festive period
- Credit: Archant
Christmas shoppers are set to benefit from free car parking at nearly all district council-run car parks in the run-up to the festive period.
The scheme, aimed at increasing trade for local businesses, will see free car parking introduced after 3pm from December 1–23, and all day from Christmas Eve through to January 2.
Only the 294-space Fairycroft car park at Waitrose, which closes in January 2015 for about six months over the store’s redevelopment, will not be offering free parking during that time.
But it will be free after 3pm on Saturday December 6, 13 and 20.
The scheme was discussed at a meeting of Uttlesford District Council’s cabinet on Tuesday night, where it received the support of Councillor Julie Redfern.
She said: “To be able to park every afternoon, to park for free after 3pm – I hope it will encourage people to shop in Uttlesford rather than the faceless shopping centres that people drive to.”
It is estimated the district council will miss out on about £18,000 in lost revenue with the introduction of the scheme.
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“We are going some way to help our local businesses to keep trading throughout what has been a difficult period, and I think it’s a really good for our local shops,” said council leader Howard Rolfe, adding that free car parking for a set number of hours, rather than all day up till Christmas, would benefit traders more than having no limit.
In Stansted Mountfitchet, Crafton Green and Lower Street car parks will also offer all-day free parking on Saturday, December 6, when the village celebrates its festive Frost Fayre.
Richard Ketteridge, owner of jewellery shop Something Elegant on Market Walk, Saffron Walden,thought the move would bring more shoppers to the town.
“Anything that can be done to help footfall is welcome,” he said.


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By Artist Shaan
Twitter targets Elon Musk's social network
Elon Musk's friends are being included in Twitter's legal battle.
An picture of the unusual Cartwheel Galaxy was taken by the James Webb Space Telescope.
The reason Google's effort to revamp internet advertising continues running into obstacles is explained by experts.
Robinhood is laying off around 23% of its employees.
Data indicates the productivity startups that are most likely to endure a shakeout following an epidemic.
Other than Safari, Apple Pay may soon be supported by other browsers.
Unnoticed livestreaming platform testing has been going on at Meta.


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SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook quarterly profit more than doubled as its ranks swelled during the past year to a mammoth user base of nearly 1.6 billion, it said Wednesday.
CALIFORNIA: LinkedIn Corp's quarterly revenue and profit handily beat analysts' estimates as the world's biggest professional networking website operator earned more from its recruitment services business and from advertisements and paid memberships.
TOKYO: Japan's Honda Motor Co sliced 6.5 percent off its core annual profit forecast as it set aside hundreds of millions of dollars in extra cash to cover an extended car recall to replace potentially faulty air bags made by Takata Corp.
SEOUL: Samsung Electronics, the world's largest smartphone maker, posted its first drop in annual net profit in three years Thursday, days after arch-rival Apple reported the biggest corporate profit in history.
TOKYO: Japanese videogame giant Nintendo said Wednesday its April-December net profit soared six-fold to $504 million as a sharply weaker yen boosted its bottom line and helped offset slowing sales of its 3DS system.