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Waiting for days to get delivery of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG or cooking gas) cylinder may soon be a thing of the past. Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) is planning to roll out a Tatkal LPG Seva in a bid to ensure that consumers get cooking gas cylinder on the day it is booked.
“Every state/union territory should identify at least one prominent city/district were Tatkal LPG Seva can be rolled out for LPG SBC (single bottle cylinder) consumers in that area. Under this scheme, we will ensure delivery of LPG cylinder to our consumers within a span of 30/45 minutes from the time of booking,” a note from IOCL’s top management said.
The initiative, while still being finalised, is a part of IOCL’s efforts to improve its offering and improve the ‘ease of living’ in line with the motto set by the Centre.“This service will act as a differentiator as compared to our competitors and will greatly enhance IOCL’s customer centric approach,” the note added.
According to officials in the know, the service is like to be soon rolled out and the initial target for it was as early as February 1. IndianOil markets its LPG cylinders through the Indane brand. It serves around 14 crore (of the total 28 crore) domestic LPG consumers in the country.
“The existing delivery network of dealers will be utilised for this tatkal scheme. Some finer details of the project are yet to be worked out such as a premium, if any, that will be charged from consumers for this single day delivery service,” the official added.
SBC or single bottle cylinder consumers just have one LPG cylinder and face the most challenge when it runs out. The other category is of DBC or double bottle consumers, having two 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinders that can be alternated when one runs out. According to a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), the delay in delivery of cylinders is a significant challenge of their adoption as the primary means of cooking.
“It was observed that out of 3.662 million refills, 594,000 refills were delivered with a delay of more than 30 days. It was further observed that 1209 LPG distributors supplied more than 100 refills (ranging from 100 to 9154 refills) with a delay of more than 30 days to 500,000 beneficiaries. As majority of PMUY beneficiaries are having Single Bottle Cylinder (SBC), delayed delivery of refill is a deterrent to the main objective of the scheme of transferring the Below Poverty Line (BPL) households from unclean to clean fuel and may force PMUY beneficiaries to return to unclean fuel being used earlier,” the CAG report from December 2019 had said.
The scheme by IOCL is not completely new. in July 2010, the then Oil minister Murli Deora had launched a Preferred Time LPG Delivery Scheme. Under that scheme, a customer could demand for refills supply in between 7 AM to 9 PM. Charges under the scheme were ranging from ₹ 20 to ₹ 50 per deliveries. “In the beginning many customers started opting this, especially working couples. But the scheme did not take off because of lack of publicity,” an LPG dealer said.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — Smithfield Packing Co. is recalling about 38,000 pounds of pork sausage that may contain small pieces of plastic, likely from gloves.
The Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service reports that the Virginia company recalled certain containers of a product called "Gwaltney mild pork sausage roll."
The sausage was produced on Jan. 11 and was distributed in:
- District of Columbia
- North Carolina
- New Jersey
- New York
The problem was discovered after the company received two consumer complaints. There have been no reports of injury.
Consumers with questions about the recall should call 877-933-4625.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Those receiving the 2013 White House holiday card will see a design made by a Grand Rapids artist.
Republican Gov. Rick Snyder has condemned GOP National Committeeman Dave Agema's statement that gay people are seeking health insurance for same-sex partners because they are dying of AIDS and want free medical care.
The Republican-controlled Michigan Legislature has passed a law banning almost all abortion coverage from health insurance plans unless an additional policy is bought.

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When people drive by the Donald Trump pop-up store on U.S. 231 at the Interstate 59 exit near Ashville, many of them honk.
When they stop, some are surprised to find the vendor running the roadside store is an African-American woman who is an avid Trump supporter.
Angel Hill, 54, of Sarasota, Fla., has been selling Trump merchandise since Trump announced he was running for president on June 15, 2015. Trump won the election over Hillary Clinton just over a year ago, on Nov. 8, 2016.
"Most people think I'm doing this for the money, and I am making money," she said.
But she also believes Trump is good for the country.
"I like his bluntness," Hill said. "It makes me think he's truthful. I think he's a good businessman and I think he's going to bring jobs to this country. I think he's got guts. I think this country needs somebody who cares about America."
Hill works for Political Buttons Too, which she said has been selling licensed political merchandise since the Reagan era. The company sold merchandise related to Obama previously, which was very popular during his first campaign in 2008, she said.
But nothing has topped the popularity of Trump merchandise, she said. "Absolutely," she said. "They hadn't seen anything like it."
She runs the stand at Trump rallies, and has done two in one day in different states. "It was hard to keep up with him," she said.
The Trump T-shirts, caps and buttons sell like crazy at her company's booths, she said. "They almost have to leave the rallies in a Brink's truck," she said.
Anything people see Trump wearing, such as the red "Make America Great Again" baseball caps, they want, she said. "If he puts one on his head, you can't keep them in stock," Hill said.
Most of the T-shirts sell for $20. The designs that weren't that popular sell for $10. "You can't get any of this stuff at Wal-Mart," she said.
She was at a Trump rally on the National Mall a month after the white nationalist rally to protest the removal of a Confederate statue in Charlottesville turned deadly when one marcher drove into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing a woman.
When people ask why a black woman would support someone they think is racist, Hill takes exception. "He does not hate black people," she said. "He does not hate women. That's said to slander his name. He does not hate immigrants. His wife is an immigrant. He has no problem with immigrants. It's illegal immigrants he has a problem with."
Hill said that while Trump has been traveling overseas, she chose to sell in Alabama because it's the hottest market for Trump merchandise.
"We travel all over the country," she said. "We always come back to Alabama."


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(Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories Inc (ABT.N) plans to split off its pharmaceuticals business into a separate publicly traded company to increase Wall Street’s focus on the remaining diversified medical product line, lifting its shares 2 percent.
The new company will be run by Richard Gonzalez, the top drugs lieutenant to Abbott Chief Executive Officer Miles White, who will head the diversified products business that includes medical devices, diagnostics and nutritionals.
Abbott is the latest U.S. company to announce break-up plans, following giant energy company ConocoPhillips (COP.N), manufacturing conglomerate Tyco International Ltd TYC.N, Kraft Foods Inc KFT.N, credit rating agency owner and book publisher McGraw-Hill Companies Inc MHP.N and defense and industrial conglomerate ITT Corp (ITT.N).
Abbott’s split may increase pressure on other diversified healthcare companies, such as Medtronic Inc (MDT.N), to examine potential separations.
White said Abbott has always believed in the diversified model, but that many investors now identify it as a pharmaceuticals company.
“We’ve become so successful in our proprietary pharmaceuticals business — it’s grown quite large,” White told analysts on a conference call.
Abbott shares have been held back for years on concerns the company is too dependent on its flagship rheumatoid arthritis drug Humira, one of the world’s top-selling medicines at more than $8 billion a year. Humira, an injected drug, is facing growing competitive threats, including possible cheaper generic versions and a pill being developed by Pfizer Inc (PFE.N).
Abbott’s earnings grew 12 percent in 2009 and 2010 and are on track for double-digit growth this year. Despite being at the industry’s top tier of growth, many analysts say Abbott shares are undervalued due to Humira’s perceived vulnerability.
“That problem hasn’t gone away; it’s going to be worse in the pharma spin, but at least the rest of the company can now be valued on its own merits,” Nuveen Asset Management healthcare analyst Tim Nelson said.
White denied the move was about lacking faith in Humira.
“This split is not around confidence in Humira,” White said. “It’s about the identity of the businesses.”
The new pharmaceutical company is likely to be an attractive acquisition target “within the next round of industry consolidation, which we expect to occur in the 2012-13 timeframe,” Jefferies analysts said in a research note, naming Merck (MRK.N), Roche ROG.VX, AstraZeneca (AZN.L) and Bayer (BAYGn.DE) as potential buyers.
Abbott also reported a 66 percent drop in third-quarter net profit on Wednesday, due to a $1.4 billion after-tax litigation charge. The charge relates to the company’s attempts to settle a U.S. federal investigation into marketing of its Depakote anticonvulsant drug. Excluding the charge, third-quarter results slightly topped Wall Street forecasts.
The new pharmaceutical company would have nearly $18 billion in annual revenue. Aside from Humira, its medicines include HIV treatment Kaletra and prostate cancer drug Lupron.
Humira “has plenty of runway left,” said Gonzalez, who is currently Abbott’s executive vice president of global pharmaceuticals. He noted the drug is being tested for new uses that could continue to propel sales.
Gonzalez, 57, first joined Abbott in 1977, and previously served as the company’s president and chief operating officer.
The diversified products company to be run by White, 56, who has led the suburban Chicago company since 1998, will retain the Abbott name.
That company has about $22 billion in annual revenue and includes its market-leading Xience heart stent as well as generic medicines — low-cost copies of drugs that have lost patent protection that Abbott sells in emerging markets.
The diversified company will target double-digit ongoing earnings-per-share growth, while looking to expand in emerging markets, Abbott said.
White said both companies have potential for higher profit margins, especially the diverse products company. He added that Abbott has been considering such a split for a few years, but had ruled out selling off its businesses.
Pfizer is exploring whether to sell or spin off its nutritionals and animal health units, while other pharmaceutical companies, including Eli Lilly (LLY.N) and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (BMY.N), have divested medical device and other non-pharmaceutical units in recent years.
Abbott itself spun off its hospital products business into a separate company, Hospira Inc HSP.N, in 2004.
Several drugmakers, particularly in Europe, have sought to diversify as they face patent expirations to top medicines, while Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N), to which Abbott has often been compared, consistently touts the benefits of diversification.
Abbott’s new pharmaceutical company, yet to be named, will be created from a tax-free distribution to Abbott shareholders, but the expected stock distribution ratio has not been set.
It is expected that the two companies will each pay a dividend that, when combined, will be equivalent to the current Abbott dividend at the time of separation. The company expects to complete the split by the end of 2012.
Morningstar analyst Damien Conover said portfolio managers often prefer more focused companies so they can diversify their holdings on their own. He said the split may increase clarity on the businesses.
Abbott net earnings dropped to $303 million, or 19 cents per share, dragged down by the Depakote charge. That compared with $891 million, or 57 cents per share, a year ago.
Excluding special items, Abbott earned $1.18 per share, a penny ahead of the average expectation of analysts, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Global sales rose 13 percent to $9.82 billion, above Wall Street expectations of $9.64 billion.
Abbott shares rose $1.05 to $53.49 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange, where they earlier touched $55.55.
Reporting by Lewis Krauskopf and Ransdell Pierson in New York, additional reporting by Ben Hirschler in London; Editing by Dave Zimmerman, Maureen Bavdek


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Technical Help in Engineering and Marketing (T.H.E.M.) has announced the opening of its new 20,000 square-foot facility dedicated to non-food contract packaging. Expected to be operational in October 2016, it is conveniently located in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, only minutes from the T.H.E.M. Marlton headquarters. The facility will be featuring Snapsil production along with a variety of single-dose, easy-open packaging formats.
“We are very pleased to be expanding T.H.E.M.’s capabilities in response to the growing demand for innovative non-food, flexible packaging solutions,” says Neil Kozarsky, CEO and president of T.H.E.M. “The establishment of a standalone facility will best serve the needs of our growing customer based involved with non-food product formats.”
T.H.E.M.’s new contract packaging facility will support a variety of single-use packaging formats for a broad range of categories including household, automotive, industrial, lawn and garden, adhesive and other similar products. The centerpiece of the Mt. Laurel facility will be Snapsil, the easy-open portion pack technology. Developed by the Australian-based Snapsil Corporation, T.H.E.M. introduced the technology to North American-based consumer packaged goods (CPG) customers. Snapsil semi-rigid containers feature a patented audible “snap-opening” function that allows consumers to open the package with one hand. Snapsil has developed a range of creative dispensing designs, enabling simple and controlled product release for a variety of unit-dose and single-serve consumer products. With a comprehensive array of configurations, Snapsil packaging is catching on quickly, prompting the need for the single-serve packaging facility dedicated to non-food and beverage applications. The company also has a comprehensive array of other packaging technologies and partnerships to facilitate a cost-effective, sustainable solution for every project.
“T.H.E.M. has always been defined by its ability to bring the best technologies forward to solve a vast array of packaging challenges,” Kozarsky says. “Our new dedicated facility is another opportunity to provide our North American customers with the best packaging solutions for today’s global market.”


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Speake-Marin Goes Denim with the Limited Ripples Blue Jeans
In 2022, independent Swiss luxury watch brand Speake-Marin introduced the Ripples, an integrated stainless-steel watch which offered a completely new design that combines sporty elegance with an unconventional aura. Adding to the collection this year is the Ripples Blue Jeans. This three-hand watch is distinguished by its textured dial, which evokes the shape of ripples...
Read the article
May 8, 2023 by Sabine Zwettler


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We’ve been following rumors surrounding Samsung’s upcoming mid-range phones, the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35. Well, we just got a big leak of the Galaxy A55 with live images showing this device in the flesh. Unsurprisingly, the design will look quite familiar.
At this point, we’re still dealing with leaked information, as Samsung has yet to officially announce these phones. So, you’ll want to take this news with a grain of salt. Any bit of information can change between now and the official launch date. So you’ll want to keep that in mind.
New live images of the Galaxy A55 leave very little to the imagination
The Galaxy A Series has been the next best thing to the Galaxy S series of phones… Well, that was until Samsung started releasing its Galaxy S FE phones. In any case, you’re still getting a compelling device with the Galaxy A series phone. Right now, we’re following links and rumors regarding the Galaxy A55. This is going to be the next premium mid-range phone from the company, and people who use the Galaxy A phones will be excited.
In the leaked images we have pasted below, we see that this phone is taking on the design aesthetic of the Galaxy S Series phones. So, we see the camera lenses extending individually from the body of the phone rather than being held within a camera bumper. This is the design aesthetic first introduced with the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Now, pretty much every phone, with the exception of the Galaxy Z Fold phones, has launched with this design.
This includes the Galaxy S24 series phones. The Galaxy S24 Ultra (Review) is the most powerful Galaxy phone today, and it comes with a ton of AI features. The Galaxy S24+ (Review) is also an extremely powerful device, and it comes with most of the AI features that come with the Ultra.
For the Galaxy A55’s specs, they’re still rumored. However, they seem pretty accurate. They come from @stufflistings on X. According to the rumor, the Galaxy A55 will come with a 50-megapixel main camera accompanied by a 12-pixel camera and a 5-megapixel camera. Up front, we’re looking at a 16-megapixel selfie camera.
For the internals, we only have one spec, and that’s the fact that it could have up to 12GB of RAM. That’s very significant for a mid-range device. That’s more than the RAM in the base Galaxy S24.
One differentiator in terms of the design will be the new “Key Island”. This is a raised section of the frame that will house the power and volume buttons. It doesn’t really serve much of a purpose other than making the phone look slightly different.
Other than that, we see that this phone will have a flat frame, which is reminiscent of the Galaxy S24 phones. The frames on the Galaxy S23 phones were slightly rounded. However, the flat frame may make the Galaxy A55 feel a little bit more refined.


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Economic think tank GKI's consumer confidence index rose to -64.3 points in June from -68.3 points in May, climbing for the third month in a row after plunging since October.
The index, which GKI prepares with European Union support, reached its highest level of the year.
More households said they could make short-term savings in June than in May. Their assessments of the economic situation of the country, unemployment and their own financial positions also improved, though within the margin of statistical error. Fear of unemployment subsided slightly, at the same time, inflation expectations grew. (MTI-ECONEWS)


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Beijing Capital Land to speed up retail outlet expansion
Developer is teaming up with fund houses to cut its debt ratio while improving profit margins
Hong Kong-listed Beijing Capital Land plans to speed up retail outlet expansion on the mainland's prosperous southeastern coast and along the Yangtze River to boost sales revenue and help the developer weather an industry downturn.
Outlets that house top global brands such as Armani and Gucci often drive up prices of adjacent homes, said company president and chief executive Tang Jun.
He told the that cities including Nanjing, Wuhan, Hefei, Xiamen, Chengdu and Chongqing are now on the company's radar, after openings in Beijing, Kunshan near Shanghai, Huzhou in Zhejiang province and Wanning in Hainan.
"We are looking at cities with GDP of over 200 billion yuan [HK$252 billion] and population of bigger than five million," Tang said after the company reported an 18 per cent rise in net profit to 661 million yuan in the first half.
The next two months will be crucial for Beijing Capital Land and other mainland developers. The firm said its January-August contracted sales rose 33 per cent to 12.5 billion yuan, while its full-year target is 28 billion yuan.
Its first overseas project, in Sydney, contributed 6 per cent to sales, the fourth-largest behind 41 per cent in Beijing, 21 per cent in Tianjin and 10 per cent in Chongqing.
As overall monetary policy remains tight in China, despite an expected mortgage loan relaxation in the next few months, developers are increasingly taking a minority stake in projects by partnering with fund houses who take the majority share - a pattern that has long been widespread in other countries.
Beijing Capital Land is teaming up with Citic Capital and some foreign funds to cut its debt ratio while also improving profit margins, as it can charge partners management fees as well as commission for better-than-expected investment returns from projects, Tang said.
More importantly, developers can make more flexible use of such funds, including those from insurance firms, although they may cost more than bank loans, which have to go directly to third-party suppliers and cannot be used to pay land premiums.
"Bank loans are often idle, for example for three months in a year while you still need to pay the interest," Tang said. "Insurance funds cost slightly higher but their use is more flexible and the maturity is often longer."
Tang Jun shares his views on the company’s strategy and plans to expand overseas in C-Suite


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Monday 21 August 2006 An updated version of seminal sports game California Games has been confirmed for release on Wii, DS and PSP next year. California Games will also include bonus features from Winter Games and Summer Games. A refreshed Impossible Mission will also be released. California Games was a huge success for original developer Epyx in the late '80s, spanning over 10 platforms including Atari's doomed Lynx handheld and Sega's Mega Drive. The new game aims to preserve the magic of
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ADVISORY, Jan. 22, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Viacom Inc. (Nasdaq:VIA), home to premier global media brands and Comedy Central’s “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore,” will visit the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square. “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore” premiered this week on January 19.
In honor of the occasion, Larry Wilmore, Host, Executive Producer and Writer of Comedy Central’s “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore,” will ring the Closing Bell.
Nasdaq MarketSite – 4 Times Square – 43rd & Broadway – Broadcast Studio
Friday, January 23, 2015 – 3:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
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Viacom is home to premier global media brands that create compelling television programs, motion pictures, short-form video, apps, games, consumer products, social media and other entertainment content for audiences in more than 160 countries and territories. Viacom’s media networks, including MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, CENTRIC, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr.,TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick at Nite, Comedy Central, TV Land, SPIKE, Tr3s, Paramount Channel and VIVA, reach approximately 700 million television subscribers worldwide. Paramount Pictures, America’s oldest film studio, is a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following Viacom’s blog at blog.viacom.com and Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/Viacom.
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Back in February 2015 indie studio Rosebud Games announced a new videogame to serve as a spin-off to its upcoming virtual reality (VR) compatible horror title, Death in Candlewood. That videogame is House of Caravan, a first-person exploration title set in the same universe which is also planned to support the Oculus Rift head-mounted display (HMD) in the future. Recently the developer has revealed when the initial, non-VR version of the experience will arrive.
House of Caravan has already passed its Steam Greenlight campaign, meaning it will arrive on Valve’s digital store on 16th April 2015. The Oculus Rift edition of the title will then launch shortly’ afterwards, as will support for both Mac and Linux. The developer has also teased that a new promotional video will be arriving in the near future.
In House of Caravan, players are cast as a young boy named Lester Barnard who awakens at the start of the title in the titular mansion. Barnard can vaguely remember his kidnapping, but otherwise has no explanation for his whereabouts. Players will explore the mansion, uncovering the lore of its evil family and solving its puzzles. The title will feature a number of hours’ worth of narrative to uncover as Barnard desperately searches for an escape route, eventually revealing his own role in the fictional town of Candlewood in which Rosebud Games’ original project is set.
While House of Caravan nears launch, it’s not yet clear just what Rosebud Games has in store for Death in Candlewood, which failed to find Kickstarter funding in 2014. VRFocus will continue to follow both projects, reporting back with the latest updates on either.


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Jack Ma's Ant Financial grew to become one of China’s largest fintech platforms by providing e-wallet services and online investments to hundreds of millions of consumers. But amid mounting regulatory pressure, Ant has sights on a new market.
Ant’s president of advanced technology business group, Geoff Jiang, told FORBES ASIA in an interview that the operator of the popular Alipay e-wallet wants to offer Chinese banks a wide range of technology products and services. Although the company spent years competing with them in payments and wealth management, it now plans to sell in-house expertise to the same banks and help them digitalize their operations with tools such as cloud computing and data analytics.
Many banks are just starting to build their presence online, noted Jiang, but may not have the tech know-how. “Banks still work in very traditional ways,” he said. “We have done a lot of work to help them go digital and reach out to more customers in this era of the internet.”
While there are few details regarding how Ant will work with its former competitors, a partnership could involve the banks using Ant’s data technology to process loans, design tailored products or combine diverse sets of data to assess risks and creditworthiness. For example, Ant helped the Bank of Nanjing, in the eastern Jiangsu province, build a cloud-based finance arm that include insurance and lending, and is capable of processing over 1 million transactions per day, according to the companies. Ant currently works with 200 banks, but it is aiming to work with 1,000 banks—about a quarter of the banking institutions in China—by end of 2020.
More On Forbes: China’s Alipay And Bitcoin Exchange Giant Binance In Shock Clash
The shift comes as the company is reportedly considering a dual listing in Hong Kong and mainland China, and might eventually lead to an overhaul of revenue streams down the road. Valued at $150 billion after a June 2018 funding round, the private company envisions generating as much as 65% of its revenues from selling financial technologies by 2021, up from 34% in 2017, according to local media reports. The rest will come mostly from its better-known products, like Alipay, where it charges payment processing fees.
Jiang declined to comment on Ant’s listing plans or reveal financial figures, but said growth of such enterprise services have been “very satisfactory.” “We are starting with banks that have a stronger demand [of our products],” he said. “Then we will gradually provide different products and services to different market segments.”
But the pivot may be as much about staving off regulatory pressure as business opportunities. Since Ant (then known as Alipay) was launched in 2003 as a mobile payments platform of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, the company’s e-wallet has grown to dwarf state-run rivals, grabbing 53.6% of China’s 52 trillion yuan (about $7.6 trillion) mobile payments market. Its massive Yu’E Bao money-market fund—which manages about $150 billion worth of assets and has attracted almost 600 million investors—was labelled a “blood-sucking vampire” and accused of siphoning away deposits during a 2014 Chinese state television program.
Worried about potential financial risks and paving the way for much tighter oversight, regulators have imposed a series of restrictions that are slowing down the once rapid growth of Ant’s consumer-oriented businesses. In recent years, along with other major companies such as Tencent, Ant has been asked to direct all payments through a central clearing house, put limits on fund inflow, and is one of the five firms that are being tested with new requirements on capital reserve and risk control as part of a pilot government program.
“There is certain pressure from the government for them to be technology focused instead of financially focused,” says Zennon Kapron, founder of Singapore-based research firm Kapronasia.
More On Forbes: Ant Financial Raises $14B To Fund Global Expansion
Analysts say a lot of work still needs to be done before Ant can pull off the transformation. Competition, for one, remains fierce as arch rival Tencent also wants to sell its technologies. Jason Ekberg, a partner at consultancy Oliver Wyman, noted some banks have extra incentives to work with Ant as they seek to lower cost amid a slowing Chinese economy and rise of non-performing loans.
But others may have second thoughts about using products provided by internet firms, said Zhu Ning, deputy dean at Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. “Large banks want to have their own systems and technologies,” he said. “They will have reservations about deeper cooperation because they want to keep a close watch over data.”
Jiang noted Ant’s technology beats many others in terms of safety and reliability, and he envisions more cooperation down the road. He is especially optimistic about the future applications of blockchain, saying this underpinning technology of digital currencies will help banks limit fraud, trace assets better and lower the cost of cross-border remittance.
“We provide the technology and banks can use it to develop products,” he said. “We do what we are good at and they do what they are good at. This isn’t a zero-sum game, and together, we can grow the industry bigger.”


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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Global Decentralized Identity Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report 2022-2028" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
The Global Decentralized Identity Market size is expected to reach $8.9 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth of 78.5% CAGR during the forecast period.
Data breaches and the unauthorized access of personal data have destroyed trust in the absence of an identity layer. A decentralized identification method based on distributed ledger technologies (DLT) is gaining traction, backed by businesses like IBM and Microsoft and standardized by W3C and the Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF). The distributed ledger system that underpins it might be utilized to allow asset exchanges.
Numerous experts believe that password-based logins are insecure, and that multi-factor solutions add friction to online interactions, reducing user uptake and productivity. Providing reliable identification of a person's identity whereas complying to new data privacy rules and regulations is a costly and ineffective maze of security and customer experience challenges. Several businesses have discovered that two-factor authentication is a band-aid solution.
Passwords have long been regarded as insufficient by security experts, but blockchain technology is finally providing some feasible alternative authentication techniques that businesses may explore to keep their data safe. Using identification instruments to interact with the world is a part of daily existence, yet today's digital representations of identities are far from safe. But, the realm of self-sovereign identification today allows people to live a digital existence that is safer, simpler, and more intuitive.
Companies are working on decentralized identities that will comply with 'know your customer' and anti-money laundering requirements in general. Decentralized identifiers are, in that sense, the correct solution at the right time. Businesses address fundamental issues that the tech press has been covering for years.
Decentralized finance assets and cryptocurrencies, for example, are frequently referred to as servicing the unbanked or underbanked, or persons who have struggled with existing centralized banking systems and the upkeep of conventional check and savings accounts.
COVID-19 Impact Analysis
The digital ecosystem has become increasingly important around the world. COVID-19 has resulted in significant advancements in decentralised identity technologies. Many firms have started offering online services since the onset of COVID-19. As a result, online consumers' fears about their identity security have grown, which has created demand for various digital security of data as well as people in the market.
Decentralized identity is important for confirming user identities and securely storing them. Furthermore, enterprises all around the world have increased their efforts to implement decentralised identification systems. This is expected to increase overall demand for decentralised identity technology.
Market Growth Factors
Increasing cases of security breaches and frauds
As the globe continues its digitization journey, data being posted to the web is becoming increasingly vulnerable to dangers. Personal information about each customer is stored on hundreds of servers around the world, increasing the risk of identity theft.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), identity fraud incidents worldwide increased by around 45 percent in 2020, resulting in massive financial losses. The rise in cyberattacks is credited to technologies like machine learning (ML), which allows attackers to create several various variants of malicious code each day.
Rise in applications of blockchain identity solutions in banks
Blockchain identity management technology offers a lot of potential in sectors like banking, cybersecurity, and the Internet of Things. This technology has the potential to change the world by overcoming the myriad issues in traditional banking operations and ensuring that banking services are available at all times.
Low transaction fees and a shorter transaction time is expected to enhance the effectiveness and security of commercial transactions. The data is less likely to be hacked or changed without consent because blockchain technology is built on distributed ledger technology and the blocks are encrypted utilizing powerful encryption.
Market Restraining Factors
Changing regulatory status and an absence of a unified set of guidelines
Regulatory agencies have a difficult time keeping up with technological advancements. Regulatory agencies must assess what gaps exist in current legislation and how they may affect overall technological applications as technology advances. Within that decentralized identity market, regulatory uncertainty continues to be a source of concern.
The lack of rules and the related uncertainty are now one of the most serious obstacles to the widespread implementation of blockchain technology across industries. Financial companies from all across the world are collaborating to establish a number of standards for blockchain technology.
Identity Type Outlook
Based on Identity Type, the market is segmented into Non- biometrics and Biometrics.
Biometrics segment garnered a significant revenue share in the decentralized identity market in 2021. Biometric identification is primarily combining with other kinds of data, data systems and communication technologies like metadata, smartphones and social media and since the main security features on smartphones and by expansion, social media accounts, online identity and profiles.
Based on Vertical, the market is segmented into BFSI, Telecom & IT, Real Estate, Retail & Ecommerce, Government & Public Sector, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Media & Entertainment, Transport & Logistics, Travel & Hospitality, and Others.
Retail & E-Commerce segment recorded a substantial revenue share in the decentralized identity market in 2021. Decentralized identity offers numerous advantages separate of the greater identity autonomy it delivers to customers. In addition, decentralized identity is expected to enable customers to engage in the same activities & transactions without really transferring data. Owing to this, the growth of the segment is expected to witness a surge over the forecast period.
Organization size Outlook
Based on Organization size, the market is segmented into Large Enterprises and SMEs.
SMEs segment procured a significant revenue share in the decentralized identity market in 2021. It is owing to the various benefits offered by decentralized identity solutions to small enterprises. Since SMEs have limited budget, they are widely adopting solutions that are low in cost and offer more benefits to secure their data. In addition, rapid pace of technological advancement is expected to surge the growth of the segment over the forecast period.
End user Outlook
Based on End user, the market is segmented into Enterprises and Individual.
Enterprises segment garnered the highest revenue share in the decentralized identity market in 2021. A decentralized identity framework helps companies the capability to maintain their own identities, without being affected by the issuer. In addition, enterprises are getting advantages of the decentralized identity in order to gather and store data in the place.
The major strategies followed by the market participants are partnerships. Based on the Analysis presented in the Cardinal matrix; Microsoft Corporation are the forerunners in the Decentralized Identity Market. Companies such as Accenture PLC, Wipro Limited, Civic Technologies, Inc. are some of the key innovators in the Market.
Key Market Players
- Accenture PLC
- Microsoft Corporation
- Ping Identity Holding Corp. (Vista Equity Partners)
- Avast Software s.r.o.
- Wipro Limited
- Persistent Systems Limited
- Civic Technologies, Inc.
- Nuggets Ltd
- R3 LLC
- Validated ID, SL
Scope of the Study
Market Segments Covered in the Report:
By Identity Type
- Non- biometrics
- Telecom & IT
- Real Estate
- Retail & Ecommerce
- Government & Public Sector
- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- Media & Entertainment
- Transport & Logistics
- Travel & Hospitality
By Organization size
- Large Enterprises
By End user
- Rest of Europe
- North America
- Rest of North America
- Rest of Europe
- Asia Pacific
- South Korea
- Rest of Asia Pacific
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
- Rest of LAMEA
For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/95mfbl
Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager
For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470
For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630
For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900


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(Caption L-R) Hobart Airport Executive General Manager Planning and Delivery Will Davies, Link Logistics Tasmanian Managing Director Chris Fox and Hobart Airport CEO Sarah Renner check the progress of the Hobart Airport commercial precinct construction.
In a significant boost for the Tasmanian export economy, Link Logistics has signed on as the first tenant of the new Hobart Airport freight handling facility and commercial precinct, bringing the airport a step closer to the international market.
An initial $13 million-dollar investment is set to unlock enormous opportunities for local producers, allowing them to freight their produce directly from Hobart to export destinations following completion of the first phase of the project in December.
Hobart Airport CEO Sarah Renner said unlocking markets for local producers looking to meet the growing demand for Tasmania’s world-renowned produce around the country and further abroad was the driving force behind the project.
“Currently Tasmanian producers of goods for export are required to have their freight delivered to the north-west coast by truck, from there it is loaded onto a ship and taken to Melbourne or Sydney, before being transferred onto an aircraft and delivered to the country of destination by air,” Ms Renner said.
“Once the freight handling facility and commercial precinct are operational, Tasmanian export businesses have a very attractive and efficient option. Growers of high-value, high quality produce will truly be able to put their best foot forward in delivering to market.”
Link Logistics Tasmanian Managing Director Chris Fox said the company was building a state-of-the-art cold store to take advantage of the direct export markets set to open up from construction of the facility.
“Link Logistics is investing more than $3 million in the new freight forwarding and cold store facility,” Mr Fox said.
“It will be the only one in Tasmania with 1000 square metres of freezer and 735 square metres of chiller space.
“The new cold store will enable planes to land, be filled with Tasmanian produce and be sent directly to their destination allowing market-sensitive produce such as fresh seafood, meat and fruit to be sent quickly and directly.”
Mr Fox said the state-of-the-art cold store is extremely environmentally friendly and will see a significant reduction in greenhouse gases, compared to current conventional systems.
“The movement of perishable cargo is not just a transport transaction. Maintaining product quality and maximising shelf life is paramount. Link Logistics can also ensure quality control, product grading and sorting, racking, cooling, branding and labelling.”
In addition to the construction of three warehouses, Phase 1 of the project will set up the precinct for further growth by establishing a road network and opening the rest of the land for the construction of more warehouses in the future.
Tenancies of up to 2000m2 in size are available in the precinct, located approximately 800m south of the main terminal access road, providing exporters with airside access and multi-purpose storage and packaging facilities, significantly reducing the time from harvest to market for producers.
Ms Renner said Hobart Airport will remain in discussions with local producers, freight forwarders and freighters throughout the development of the freight and commercial precinct to ensure the creation of a facility which best services the needs of all parties involved.
“This is only the beginning, we believe this addition to Hobart Airport will open many future opportunities for Tasmanians,” she said.
“While international flights are not currently part of our service offering at Hobart Airport, we continue to work closely with airlines and the State Government to investigate potential international flight and freight opportunities.”
Freight handling facility and commercial precinct at a glance:
- $13 million-dollar investment for Phase 1 of the project
- Expected completion date: December 2018
- To be located approximately 800m south of main terminal access road with access off Grueber Avenue
- Total area of entire project: 7.5 hectares (approx.).
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While DVB-T signals are no longer in use in the US, Freeview in the UK is transmitted using the vulnerable signals. The demo was carried out on two recent Samsung models and it was explained that the code could be altered to compromise other web-enabled TVs. For the codes to work seamlessly, the targeted TV needs to both be tuned into a DVB-T channel as well as have the TV connected to the internet.
Yossef Oren, co-author of research paper 'From the Aether to the Ethernet –Attacking the Internet using Broadcast Digital Television' told Ars Technica: 'This research is significant because TVs are used by a fundamentally different demographic than computers. People who use TVs don't know/care about security, they aren't used to getting security prompts from their TVs, they don't have the discipline of installing security updates, and so on.'
Scheel had a parting shot- he told Ars Technica that this type of a breach would allow hackers 'attack further devices in the home network or to spy on the user with the TV’s camera and microphone.'


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GM Board to Meet Friday for Renault Alliance Discussion
The General Motors board of directors will meet on Friday in order to discuss the proposal to join the existing Renault-Nissan Alliance. Kirk Kerkorian, GM’s biggest shareholder, had proposed that they immediately begin exploring the potential for such an alliance.
“The board was going to meet anyway on July 7, before any of this became an issue, but I’m sure that this will be among the topics,” a spokeswoman for the company said.
Carlos Ghosn has already expressed Renault-Nissan’s interest in including GM in their existing alliance, but any specific proposals have yet to be made.


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We said that 2014 was set to be a superb year, and so far it has done nothing but exceed expectations. The last few months have seen us flying all over the world, bustling about the UK and buzzing through London to take part in some fantastic events with some of our favourite authors. It’s been a whirlwind journey and we’ve been lucky enough to see and experience some truly special moments; kids dressed up as Hilda for Luke Pearson’s book launch at Gosh, a congregation of designers and illustrators from across the world giving talks at Dublin’s expertly curated Offset festival (talks by all our authors and co-founder Sam Arthur soon to go online, make sure you check it out), we’ve had an exhibition of original artwork by Thibaud Herem at RIBA, launched Big Mother 4 by Raymond Lemstra and Nobrow 9 Magazine at Facing Pages in the Netherlands, and, most importantly, published some beautiful new titles!
But wait, isn’t there more to come?
Of course! This weekend, Luke Pearson, Andrew Rae and Kellie Strom along with Nobrow’s co-founder, Sam Arthur, are setting up an exemplary exhibition showcasing works by the three artists and a large scale fresco of all we’ve published. The Cube London gallery in East London has just launched a Neurocomic exhibition which includes workshops and talks over the next 5 months (a Mad Scientist’s Tea Party, Mapping the Brain with Philip Loring and more…). Plus Alex Spiro and Nobrow US are preparing for TCAF where they will be launching Forming II with Jesse Moynihan. As for the rest of the year, check back for updates and round-ups!
Nobrow preparation for Fumetto 2014


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SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia said on Thursday, to technology giants like Facebook Inc’s (FB.(O) and Google (GOOGL.Will have to agree to the new rules, in order to ensure that they do not abuse their market power and harm to competition, and the government will have to impose new controls on them.
FILE PHOTO: Attendees walk past a Facebook logo during the Facebook Inc. F8 developers conference in San Jose, California, united states, April 30, 2019. REUTERS/Stephen Lam/File Photo
The prime Minister, Scott Morrison, said the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to create a code of conduct to deal with any complaint that the technology companies have had a stronghold on the advertising is the main source of income, a generator of the local media sites.
The guidelines will help to ensure that the smp is not used to reduce competition in the media and on the advertising services market.
“I want us to be the model and jurisdiction in the world, how we interact with digital platforms, social media platforms,” Morrison told reporters in Melbourne.
In a move which tightens the regulatory screws in to the online platform, which is the government of the United States of america to Europe is scrambling to address concerns, ranging from anti-trust issues in the dissemination of “false news” and hate speech.
Australia’s government has said technology companies need to have in order to comply with the new rules in November, 2020, or it will be put.
“The companies have been informed. The government is not messing around. We will not hesitate to take action,” the Australian Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, told reporters.
Google and Facebook both said that they will be beneficial to competition and will work closely with the ACCC.
“We are in support of a sustainable news ecosystem, which is why we are working with publishers to help them reach new audiences,” Mia, the Garlic, the director of policy, Australia and New Zealand at Facebook, said in a statement via e-mail.
Google and Facebook have opposed the stricter rules, while the traditional media owners, including Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp (NWSA.(O) to back the reform.
“It’s great that the government should make a serious effort to address the deep-rooted dominance of the online tech, streaming, giants,” said Paul Anderson, chief executive of Australia’s Network 10.
Australia has for months signaled its intention to crack down on the technology giants.
In July, Australia became the first in the world to establish a special branch within the ACCC, tasking, critical of how the company uses algorithms to match advertisements with the viewers, giving them a stronghold to be the main revenue generator of the operators.
In march, Australia passed new rules that may be fine in social media, and web-hosting companies up to 10 per cent of their annual turnover, and locked up the managers for up to three years for violent content will not be deleted “without delay”.
Editing by Jacqueline Wong


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Businessmen grow more bullish
America's recovery is becoming broader, and optimism is rising in company reports. That's the verdict of a quarterly report of the National Association of Business Economists, Monitor correspondent Richard L. Strout writes.
And though Edgar R. Fiedler, president of the group, said deep concern continues over the size of federal deficits, the latest poll of business economists shows that most of them want the cut in federal income taxes, scheduled July 1, to proceed. ''The basic message of this survey comes through loud and clear in every sector of the economy,'' Mr. Fiedler said; ''the economy outlook is becoming more optimistic.''
Business economists take regular polls of fluctuations in sentiment in sensitive areas. Typical finding: Three months ago only 37 percent of economists reported rising demand in manufacturing and 42 percent from all sectors of the economy. Now, 59 percent report rising demand in general and 65 percent in the key figure of manufacturing.
How about the future? Mr. Fiedler, who is also vice-president of economic research at the Conference Board in New York, analyzed the figures as follows: ''Developing recovery'' is increasing corporate profit margins; forecasters have raised their estimate of gross national product from 3.3 percent last November to 4.1 percent; housing start forecasts are up. He said the improvement hadn't stimulated inflation, with only about a 3.9 percent jump in the consumer price index expected.


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This is one of those science stories where it gives to show that even scientists can be biased and, most of all, that it’s only when you stand-up and become willing to contradict yourself that you come closer to the truth. Peter Gibson, a professor of gastroenterology at Monash University and director of the GI Unit at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, published in 2011 a paper that suggested gluten triggers gastrointestinal distress in patients without celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder unequivocally triggered by gluten. Since then, a whole frenzy around gluten-free diets has risen and, of course, a multi-billion dollar industry. Three years later, Gibson concludes that gluten isn’t the likely culprit, but a combination of psychological factors and other food stuff (preservatives, poorly absorbed carbo-hydrates, etc).
Non-celic gluten sensitivity: myth and fallacy
The gluten-free mania has grown to tremendous proportions in the past few years, with 30% of Americans stating they’d like to eat less-gluten. Consequently, sales of gluten-free products have soured to the point they’re expected to reach $15 billion by 2016 or 50% more than in 2013. Clearly, people care about their health. It’s unclear, however, that gluten is the culprit.
When Gibson and his team first reached their conclusions they were pretty strict about their experiments, performing them double-blinded, randomized, and placebo-controlled. Still, the research was unable to come up with tantalizing clues as to why the gluten was causing these observed physiological changes. This bugged Gibson, so he set out to perform an even stricter study, one where less variables are at play.
He recruited 37 subjects, all of whom self-professed having gluten sensitivity and who were confirmed to not have celiac’s disease. For two weeks they were fed a diet low in FODMAPs (poorly absorbed short-chain carbohydrates), then were given one of three diets for a week: 16 grams per day of added gluten (high-gluten), 2 grams of gluten and 14 grams of whey protein isolate (low-gluten), or 16 grams of whey protein isolate (placebo). Each subject shuffled through every single diet so that they could serve as their own controls, and none ever knew what specific diet he or she was eating.
Again, Gibson and team want to be really strict this time, so the researchers asked 22 of the original study participants to shuffle through the three different diets for three days each.
The researchers found that each treatment diet, whether it included gluten or not, prompted subjects to report a worsening of gastrointestinal symptoms to similar degrees. In other words, it was all in their heads! In their minds they were expecting not to feel good, so their body acted accordingly. Even in the second experiment, when the placebo diet was identical to the baseline diet, the subjects still reported pain, bloating, nausea, and gas when in fact nothing of the sorts should have happened. The finding led Gibson to the opposite conclusion of his 2011 research:
“In contrast to our first study… we could find absolutely no specific response to gluten.”
If this is the case why do so many people report feeling much better after changing to a gluten-free diet? Jessica Biesiekierski, a gastroenterologist at Monash University and lead author of the study alongside Gibson, noted that when participants consumed the baseline low-FODMAP diet, almost all reported that their symptoms improved!
“Reduction of FODMAPs in their diets uniformly reduced gastrointestinal symptoms and fatigue in the run-in period, after which they were minimally symptomatic.”
One of the most important sources of FODMAPs are bread products which are the first to be removed under a gluten-free diet. This means that coincidentally when people chose a particular diet for a particular reason (no-gluten), they were actually feeling the beneficial effects caused by some other reason (no-FODMAPs).
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Marketing Briefing: Marketers continue to move dollars to retail media as returns improve
This Marketing Briefing covers the latest in marketing for Digiday+ members and is distributed over email every Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET. More from the series →
Maintaining a popularity that only seemed to rise in the pandemic, marketers are still finding value in their retail media investments.
Sabra’s CMO Jason Levine went so far last week as to call retail media its “number one media investment” given its power in “improving purchase intent and conversion.”
Sabra is one of a number of brands finding success in retail media as media buyers say they continue to see a “significant shift” of ad dollars to the channels. That said, retail media still has a way to go: it is generally up around 20% year-over-year for many brands and accounts for roughly 15-25% of the total media mix for brands investing in it.
“Retail media spends continue to increase exponentially (2x-4x) as retailers merge to omni-commerce ways of working, versus silos of in-store merchandising and online digital marketing,” said April Carlisle, evp of commerce at Spark Foundry in an email, of retail media’s continued growth.
The channel, an early winner in the pandemic, has two driving factors behind its continued growth, according to Jason Colon, head of commerce and growth marketing at OMD. With people still turning to e-commerce and shopping more online, there’s more of a need to be where people are shopping. At the same time, retailers have continued to beef up their retail media offerings to “meet modernized programmatic standards,” said Colon.
Buyers expect brands to continue to invest in retail media with some shopper marketing dollars moved from in-store marketing to retail media channels.
“Search is typically the biggest bucket of spend (40-60%) within retail media budgets, given the shopper search for products has moved from multiple feet of shelves in-store to products ‘above the fold’ on desktop computers to, now, inches of products visible on mobile sites,” said Carlisle. “Search during Q4 will never be more important as shoppers look to meet their holiday needs and wish lists, while product availability may be unstable.”
Of course, marketers’ interest in retail media is nothing new. The channel has been growing in recent years with more retailers building up retail media arms (in the hopes of competing with Amazon for more ad dollars, of course) and more major marketers interested in investing there (the draw of access to more first-party data has only become more intense as the death of the third-party cookie nears).
That being said, some buyers caution that retail media networks will still feel the impact of third-party cookie depreciation and that marketers need to be careful of investing too heavily into retail media as the capabilities of each retailer will be different and managing where ads show up across the various retailers can be difficult.
3 Questions with Sesame Workshop CMO and evp Samantha Maltin
How do you choose brand partners for Sesame Workshop’s iconic characters?
Sesame Workshop’s mission is to help kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder; that’s always our first filter, across the content we produce and the partners we engage. We then consider how each opportunity can shine a light on our social impact work — not everyone knows there’s an independent nonprofit organization behind their childhood favorite. We think about how we’re uniquely qualified to help in a given situation, how our characters can thoughtfully deliver an important message in a way that no one else could. The Sesame Street Muppets can spark deep, personal, and often immediate connections with kids and families across three generations. And we don’t take that trust for granted.
So how do those brands work with the nonprofit?
Collaborating with mission-aligned companies and leveraging our partners’ platforms broadens our reach and impact. Our partnership with Doordash in their Super Bowl campaign this year helped us elevate our mission with an audience of almost 100 million people, and their donation of $1 for every order to Sesame Workshop raised $1 million to support our ongoing global work with vulnerable children and families. Through partners’ buy-one-give-one efforts, the Sesame Street x Bombas collections have helped drive the donation of more than 900,000 pairs of socks, and during our 50th celebration, every sale from a Sesame Street x TOMS collaboration provided a pair of shoes to the people who needed them most.
Our partnerships are also about amplifying a message. When we introduced our COVID response initiative, Caring for Each Other, Champion helped get that content to its 7 million followers across email marketing and social media channels. We leverage our research and audience insights to ensure that our partnerships continue to help keep our brand relevant and for various segments of our audience.
With Sesame Street moving to HBO Max, what has changed (or is changing) for the brand?
The partnership gives us the flexibility to create new Sesame content and formats, and develop new IP to expand our audience alongside our flagship series. Animated Sesame Street specials, like the recent Furry Friends Forever introducing Elmo’s new puppy Tango, will debut each year. We have four new series including the Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, and Mecha Builders and Bea’s Block coming soon. For the first time, fans can find nearly all 51 seasons of Sesame Street in one place. — Kimeko McCoy
By the numbers
Since the start of the pandemic, Americans have been watching increasingly more television. And while many advertisers still have most of their ad dollars in digital and social channels, linear and connected television is seemingly making a comeback — at least that’s the case for fashion advertisers. New research from digital marketing agency Croud suggests that more than 40% of U.S. shoppers would buy clothes after seeing a shoppable television ad. Ahead of the holiday rush, see more key findings on how people are shopping from the report below:
- 41% of US shoppers have said they would consider buying clothing and footwear from a shoppable TV ad in the next six months.
- 25% U.S. shoppers said they use Instagram to start their journey when looking for clothing or footwear online, followed by Facebook (21%), TikTok (9%), and Snapchat (8%).
- 65% of U.S. respondents said they expect to purchase clothing online more in the next six months, higher than the average of the global respondents (60%). — Kimeko McCoy
Quote of the week
“In this digital-focused world, it has become more challenging for brands to stand out from the crowd.”
— Katie Kotsbak, associate vp of media at Good Apple ad agency, when asked why a brand would lean more heavily into OOH now.
What we’ve covered
- ICYMI Google’s got a new policy to prevent advertisers and creators from making money off of climate change misinformation.
- Here’s how TikTok transformed this drink brand’s approach to influencer marketing.
- For some employers, the vaccine mandate could be polarizing and tricky to manage.
More in Marketing
If X has its way, 2024 will be the year it hits the long, twisted trail back to advertiser land, according to the platform’s pitch deck.
To some extent, the mainstream success of the “Fallout” series is a reflection of the massive scale of the Amazon Prime machine. But the consensus among viewers and critics is that it’s a damn good show, too.
The New York Times is not becoming a gaming company. But as it continues to diversify its editorial offerings for the digital era, the Times has embraced puzzle gamers as one of its core captive audiences, and it is taking ample advantage of its advantageous positioning in the space in 2024.


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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — It's that time of year again.
HanesBrands is holding it's 29th Annual Mega Warehouse Sale.
The sale kicks off on Tuesday, August 13th and runs through Saturday, August 17th at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Education Building from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Each day, shoppers will be able to purchase a number of brands.
That includes Hanes, Champion, Playtex, Bali, Maidenform and more.
All of the items will be tagged $10 or below.
Only cash and credit cards will be accepted, and all sales are final.
"This will be our biggest sale yet," said Missy Sage, vice president of retail operations. "And with new items available every day, shoppers may consider stopping by more than once."
Shoppers can also follow the flash sale on Facebook.
During the sale, HanesBrands will post information about new items as they drop, great deals, and other information.


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- Tesla CEO Elon Musk has had a lot of different cars over the years.
- His first vehicle was a 1978 BMW 320i — he paid only $1,400 for it.
- At one point, a McLaren F1 was his daily driver, but he totaled it on Sand Hill Road in Silicon Valley in 2000.
- More recently, he's been driving Tesla cars, like the Model S and Cybertruck. He even sent his Tesla Roadster into space.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Elon Musk has had quite the car collection over the years.
Some got totaled, others inspired certain design elements in the cars Tesla makes today. Either way, each says a little bit about what Musk looks for in a car.
These days, Musk is usually seen cruising around in a Tesla Model S — unless, of course, he takes the upcoming Tesla Cybertruck out for a spin.
Here's a closer look at Musk's car collection over the years.
Danielle Muoio contributed to an earlier version of this article.
The first car Musk bought was an old 1978 BMW 320i that he got for $1,400.
Musk said in a Forbes video that he bought it in 1994 and fixed it up himself. He had it for two years when one of the wheels fell off, an unfortunate incident that happened when one of his interns from his first company, Zip2, was driving it.
When Musk got an initial bonus for Zip2, the web software company he and his brother cofounded, Musk used the money to buy a 1967 E-Type Jaguar.
Musk explained in the Forbes video that when he was 17 he was given a book of classic convertibles. The convertible he liked best from the book was the Jaguar E-Type, so he told himself if he ever could afford it he would buy one.
When he got an initial bonus check of $40,000 for Zip2, Musk bought the car.
"That one was like a bad girlfriend — it kept breaking down on me and causing me all sorts of trouble," Musk said of the car in the video.
After Musk sold PayPal, he bought a McLaren F1 — which he later totaled.
"I had it for several years and I put 11,000 miles on it and I drove it from LA to San Francisco. I had it as a daily driver," Musk said of his McLaren F1 in an interview with Pando Daily seven years ago.
New, the car sold for nearly a million dollars.
Musk was driving with Peter Thiel, who cofounded PayPal with Musk, in 2000 when he wrecked the car.
Musk was driving with Thiel on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park to see Michael Moritz, a venture capitalist with Sequoia Capital.
In this video, you can see Musk getting his McLaren delivered.
"Peter said 'so what can this do' and like probably on No. 1 on the list of famous last words I said 'watch this.' So I floored it and did a lane change on Sand Hill," Musk said about that day.
Shortly thereafter, Musk hit an embankment, launching his car in the air where it kept rotating "like a discus." When it hit the ground again, the glass and wheels were shredded and the car had suffered massive body damage, as you can see above.
The car wasn't insured.
In 2013, Musk bought the Lotus Esprit submarine car that's used in the James Bond movie "The Spy Who Loved Me." Musk paid $920,000 at auction.
"It was amazing as a little kid in South Africa to watch James Bond in 'The Spy Who Loved Me' drive his Lotus Esprit off a pier, press a button and have it transform into a submarine underwater," Musk said in a statement to Huffington Post.
"I was disappointed to learn that it can't actually transform. What I'm going to do is upgrade it with a Tesla electric powertrain and try to make it transform for real," he continued.
Musk has owned an Audi Q7, which actually inspired him to include falcon wing doors on the Tesla Model S.
Musk said he wanted to make a car where the door could open in tight spaces and allow you to access the third row without putting the second-row seats down.
Accessing that third row easily is a problem Musk said he has had with his Audi Q7, which Forbes saw he owned during a 2012 walkthrough Musk's home.
"The Audi Q7 is particularly horrendous. Even in the best-case scenario, you need to be a dwarf mountain climber to get into the back seat," he said.
In 2007, Musk owned a Hamann BMW M5 sports car, a modified BMW that's slightly wider and has different finishes to look fiercer and more aggressive.
Source: Vanity Fair, TopSpeed
Musk had a Porsche 911 as of 2012.
Musk revealed on Twitter in 2017 that a friend gifted him a Ford Model T.
Musk obviously drives his own Tesla vehicles too. He owns a Tesla Roadster, but it's not currently parked in his garage — it's in space.
In 2018, SpaceX launched its Falcon Heavy rocket. Inside, Musk parked his own Roadster with an astronaut dummy named "Starman" at the wheel.
The rocket is orbiting the sun, passing by Venus and Mercury as well — researchers have predicted that the Roadster inside will orbit the sun for the next few million years. Musk said last year that SpaceX could launch another rocket to catch up with the car "in a few years."
Musk said in 2019 that he usually drives a Tesla Model S Performance.
He'll occasionally switch it up and drive a Model 3 Performance.
And if he's with his kids, he'll take a Model X.
In December, Musk was spotted driving to dinner in Malibu, California, in Tesla's new Cybertruck.
Source: Business Insider
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Use of counterfeit medication rises as outbreaks of cholera and Ebola proliferate
Hurd has something to sell customers at all levels of the cloud stack
The team that helped Microsoft's Bing predict the outcome of the Scottish election, World Cup games, and NFL matches wants you to "bet" on future outcomes -- and tell Microsoft loads of other personal details, too.
The indictment of the Pakistani man is the first focused on an alleged mobile spyware app, the DOJ says.
Adobe and Google launch a beta program for streaming software
Lenovo's new Yoga tablets will ship during the holiday season, and Ashton Kutcher has a hand in product development.
Maybe your shiny, new smartwatch will actually last a full day.
Its Exalytics in-memory appliance also gets an upgrade
Six new services are in the works, but no availability date was released
If you're looking to impulse-buy a smartwatch, now's the time.
- Show More


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by Maxim Svetlychev
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has urged the leaders of the country's regional authorities to abandon the use of Western payment systems Visa and Mastercard.
According to the Indonesian edition of Jakarta Post, Widodo stressed that such a measure is necessary to ensure the security of transactions against possible consequences caused by geopolitical processes in the world, especially Western sanctions.
The Indonesian president recalled the anti-Russian sanctions imposed by the American leadership, as a result of which the operation of the Visa and Mastercard payment systems for Russian consumers was limited.
The head of state noted that the restrictive measures introduced by the US government due to the Ukrainian crisis could cause certain difficulties, since payment systems are economic tools that can be used against countries, according to US leaders, which have something to do with the armed conflict in Ukraine.
Earlier, a representative from the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said his country was considering options to use Russia's Mir payment system for transactions.
Western payment systems VISA and MasterCard suspended cooperation with Russian banks early last year due to Russia's conduct of a special military operation in Ukraine, after which millions of Russian citizens faced the impossibility of using the bank cards of these systems outside the country.
Indonesia is not only the largest Muslim country in the world in terms of population (the total number of inhabitants is about 270 million people), but also a member of the G20, as well as the largest holder of map of American payment systems in the Muslim world.
source: top-war via The Enraged Sheep


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ING Belgium has launched a fast-track procedure for its business clients on crowdfunding platforms Seedrs and KissKissBankBank.
According to the company, this will enable entrepreneurs to diversify their funding sources and also to test their projects with a broad audience.
"For entrepreneurs who are driven by innovative ideas, a classic bank loan is not always the best or only solution.Both entrepreneurs and banks can benefit from a diversified funding combination. ING Belgium will now be able to offer projects that it believes will get added value from (partial) financing through crowdfunding," wrote ING.
The company said the fast track procedure can save the entrepreneur a lot of time and effort and improves the entrepreneur’s chances on successfully completing his crowdfunding campaign.
When one of the platforms receives a project via the ING fast track procedure, it is assessed within two days at most whether or not the project is suitable for the respective platform and what the chances of success are. If the project receives a positive appraisal from the platform, the entrepreneur can immediately kick off his crowdfunding campaign, supported by the platform.
Erik Van Den Eynden, head of midcorporates & institutionals at ING Belgium, said: "In our efforts to help our customers keep a step ahead in their business, we are going further than traditional bankers. Our partnership with KissKissBankBank and Seedrs is an example. Our aim is to strengthen our customer’s project and to support them in the growth of their business. Our role is therefore much larger than that of your classic lender: we are a collaborative partner and advisor."
Jeff Lynn, co-founder and chief executive officer of Seedrs: "We are very excited to be working together with ING in making equity crowdfunding more easily available to the Belgian business community. To our knowledge this is the first time that a well-respected, global financial institution like ING has partnered with a leading international equity crowdfunding platform like Seedrs, and we think this relationship is very encouraging for the future of business finance. We’re proud to have been chosen as ING’s partner for this venture, and we see our selection as further validation of our "equity crowdfunding done properly" approach."


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RBL Bank ties up with Bajaj finance for co-branded credit cards
Free Current Affairs to Your Email
Posted on:29 Nov 2016 09:31:56
29 November 2016 Current Affairs: Private sector lender RBL Bank, has tied up with non banking finance company Bajaj Finance, to launch a series of co-branded credit cards for Indian customers. The first of these credit cards is proposed to be launched in the fourth quarter of FY17.
The co-branded cards are targeted at the large segment of people in metros and non-metros who have no credit cards. These will have many customer-friendly features, including no-cost EMI options, easy borrowing rates, digital payment solutions and more. The cards will also boast attractive offers and deals .
With this partnership RBL Bank hopes to strengthen its scale of operations in the credit cards business, and also enable Bajaj Finance, to expand its EMI network, especially in the consumer finance space.
RBL Bank will use digital and API banking technology to offer a flexible and seamless product to customers. On the other hand, Bajaj Finance will offer the co-branded cards to its sizeable base of 18 million customers, which the company said is growing at 25-30% annually. The co-branded credit cards will be available to both existing and new customers of the NBFC.
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Direct sales on the way as eBay-owned service rolls out toolbar-free browsing and partner program.
Social discovery engine StumbleUpon has one of the more original ad models in the Web 2.0 set. For every 20 or 30 Web pages users turn up when they click the "Stumble" button on the toolbar, they get one page that is a paid result.
Now the eBay-owned service plans to extend those ads to a wider audience by offering a toolbar-free way for people to use the service. It's also ushering in a partner program to allow individual Web sites to offer StumbleUpon on their properties. That program launches this fall with four partners: HowStuffWorks.com, HuffingtonPost.com, National Geographic.com, and Rolling Stone.com.
The changes are part of a push to expand StumbleUpon's active audience -- currently about 6 million -- as well as its year-old ad offering.
Ad enhancements over the next year will include making recommendations on specific categories where an advertiser's content may do well. (Most StumbleUpon advertisers are media and entertainment companies.) Improved analytics will show how that content is being received.
Additionally, the company will hire in business development and direct ad sales. The self-serve ad system was launched a year ago without fanfare, and has grown organically to date.
StumbleUpon currently has "tens of thousands" of individual ad buyers delivering paid page placements into the browsers of toolbar users. While that list includes silverbacks like Condé Nast, Scientific American, and Forbes, the majority of its advertisers and revenue comes from the long tail -- including sellers of desktop wallpaper.
All advertisers pay a flat five cents per impression ($50 CPM), and the minimum bid is in the $20 range.
StumbleUpon says users display a high degree of satisfaction with its paid results, with approximately 75 percent drawing a thumbs-up rating, compared to an overall favorability rating of 85 percent for its non-paid "Stumbles." Even so, the company's disclosure policy may raise the hackles of some consumers, because a person has to roll over a small icon on the toolbar to learn whether a page is sponsored or not.
The new partner program, called Partner StumbleThru, will let Web sites working with StumbleUpon to offer a private version of the service on their domains. It launches today on HowStuffworks.com and HuffingtonPost.com and will appear on other sites in the coming weeks. StumbleThru is a cross-promotional program between StumbleUpon and its site partners, and therefore doesn't involve ads or payment of any kind.
"We hope a number of those users become registered users," said Michael Buhr, general manager of StumbleUpon.
StumbleUpon's other offering allows Web users to experience the service without a download, which it hopes will convince some privacy wary users to give it a try. To use the beyond-the-toolbar version, people must first visit the company's redesigned Web site.
StumbleUpon says it has experienced inventory growth of 250 percent this year, with a total of 350 million pages delivered in August.
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June 10, 2015
12:00pm ET/9:00am PT


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DEVENS — Gillette has announced that it will close a small packaging operation in Devens, eliminating roughly 100 jobs typically filled by temporary workers.
The “pack to order” operation, which caters to retailers that need special packaging or displays for promotional reasons, will be relocated to Greensboro, N.C., said Gillette spokesman Eric Kraus.
The closure, scheduled to be complete by October, is part of an ongoing consolidation effort between Gillette and Procter & Gamble, the Cincinnati company that bought Gillette last year.
Kraus said P&G has a packaging facility in Greensboro, said Kraus.
The company has not made a decision regarding a larger packaging center in Devens that employs about 1,000 people, he said, most of whom are temporary. The larger operation is run by subcontractor Sonoco Products, of Hartsville, S.C.
”We are trying to optimize the packaging and distribution system,” Kraus said. “There’s a possibility that nothing happens. There’s been no decision made about the packaging operation.”
Meg Delorier, of MassDevelopment, the quasi-public agency charged with developing Devens, a former Army base, said the organization is “obviously very interested in what Procter & Gamble’s plans are.”
However, she said the state’s executive office of economic development is the point of contact with the company.
Joseph Donovan, a spokesman for that office, said state officials haven’t been in touch with P&G lately.
Both the state and MassDevelopment were apparently unaware of any plans to close the packaging facility until a story on the decision appeared yesterday in the Boston Globe.
Gillette is one of Devens’ largest employers, said Delorier, but pointed out that nearly all of the over 1,000 jobs are filled by temporary workers.
Kraus summed up the impact of the move by saying “it is jobs, but it’s not people.”
The Rev. Jim Dukowski, of St. Patrick’s Church in Lowell, disagreed.
”We are angered at these announced job cuts that will deprive over 100 workers and their families of their livelihood at a time when our community is reeling from massive flooding,” he said.
Dukowski works with the Merrimack Valley Project, a coalition of religious and community groups that has been trying to improve conditions for workers at Gillette’s two Devens facilities. He estimated that more than 300 workers might be affected by the closure.
The 100 figure is an estimate, said Kraus, and “at any given time, you could have one or a couple hundred people working there.”
MVP will fight to restore the jobs lost and to maintain the jobs at Gillette’s larger plant, said Dukowski.
”That would be more disastrous” if it closed, he said.


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Plans are under way for another tenant to move into the Hub-Bub Building downtown. The Hub City Cooperative plans to open next to Brasserie Ecosse in the spring of 2010.
Plans are under way for another tenant to move into the Hub-Bub Building downtown.
The Hub City Cooperative plans to open next to Brasserie Ecosse in the spring of 2010. Ashley Campbell, the co-op's co-founder, started dreaming of the building housing a co-op a few months ago. She shared the idea with friends and started a Facebook page before hosting a June meeting that attracted about 100 people.
Campbell has done her research on co-ops and found that it usually takes two years from the time someone thinks of starting one until it opens. If the co-op opens as scheduled, between March and April, she will have shaved about a year off that time table.
"It's a pleasant surprise and shows how Spartanburg is really excited," Campbell said.
Co-ops are jointly owned enterprises that often unite people with similar economic and social visions. The Hub City Cooperative's plans include selling local produce, art and other items made locally. Campbell also is considering a coffee shop and deli in the co-op.
The co-op will be in a 7,000-square-foot space that's been vacant since the building was renovated three years ago. The building, which is the former Gilbert Shoe Co., will be completely occupied once the co-op opens.
Greg Atkins, who owns the building with his father, Robert Atkins, and Callis Anderson, said the group talked to people over the years interested in opening restaurants, offices and retail stores in the space. He said downtown needs what Campbell has envisioned.
"It's a great fit for downtown," Atkins said. "Downtown needs this grocery store element."
Campbell said now that a site is selected, the next major challenge is fundraising. She said at least $300,000 will be needed to cover the cost of equipment and inventory before opening. Campbell said four people already have been selected for the co-op's five-person board of directors.
"It's exhilarating, and I know the community and board are behind me," Campbell said. "We need a lot of support. We need financial support and volunteer support as we get closer."
Campbell said the co-op hopes to have its Web site up by the end of the month. Next month, she's planning another community meeting to explain co-ops, and she would like to start accepting members by the end of September.
Campbell's Saturdays often include going to farmers' markets around the Upstate and Western North Carolina to meet potential vendors. She also stops at roadside stands.
Hub City Cooperative has about 300 friends on Facebook.
"I think the whole local movement has really helped people get interested in having a co-op downtown," said Angie Shuman, the co-op's other co-founder."
Shuman also thinks people's desire to move to city neighborhoods such as Hampton Heights, as well as downtown condos and apartments, is driving interest in the co-op. She also senses more interest in stimulating the local economy.
"If you spend your money in the community that you live, it's going to make the community a better place," Shuman said.
The Hub-Bub building's upstairs houses Hub-Bub, which includes an art gallery and performance hall.
The downstairs includes Brasserie Ecosse, which will celebrate its two-year anniversary in November. The co-op's neighbors in the building are excited about having a new tenant.
"This has been the dream of Hub-Bub since the day we moved in this building that we would have a neighbor that was a community market," said Betsy Teter, chief staff officer of HubCulture. "I think it will do more for downtown than anything we've seen in a long time. We have an emerging hip entertainment district, and this fits in."
Steve Leitch, who owns Brasserie Ecosse with his wife, Michaela Leitch, likes seeing another empty space being filled. "I want to see every building in downtown Spartanburg filled with some type of retail or office," Leitch said. "The more stuff to do downtown, the better for everybody."
People interested in learning more about the Hub City Cooperative or wanting to volunteer can e-mail email@example.com.


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The Electric Vehicle Network (EVN), a leading independent electric vehicle charging infrastructure development company, has announced the expansion of its successful public charging “infrastructure-as-a-service” model to fleet operators for the first time.
The company is responding to growing demand from its existing and new client base looking to speed up the transition from traditional fuels to electric vehicles (EVs).
EVN is offering a comprehensive solution, to design, build and fully finance the charging infrastructure at operators’ exiting depots or new strategic business-to-business (B2B) hub locations.
Working with fleets to understand their geographic requirements and sourcing suitable locations for charging hubs for all EV vehicle types including energy management, battery and solar solutions as required.
EVN also offers land sourcing and its infrastructure services for “sponsored hubs” where multi-fleet organisations need dedicated on-the-go locations to supply their customers.
In addition to its £300 million infrastructure fund, the company has recently completed a further £100 million raise for its property division to focus on freehold opportunities across the UK.
Reza Shaybani, The EV Network co-founder and chief executive, said: “This is a natural progression for EVN to support the fleet operators in their transition to EVs.
“Our investment portfolio has been extremely successful in the public charging sector and is seeing a growing demand from fleets for support with infrastructure costs and growing congestion at public charging areas.
“Depot infrastructure services are key, but an increased number of large logistic and operational companies are seeking to deploy private hubs to ensure their vehicles have a dedicated in-transit bases to charge at.
“On-the-go charging and dedicated private B2B hubs are a key part of keeping the fleets charged and in service.”
EVN’s latest site (pictured below) at Silk Road, Macclesfield, brings a great charging experience with reliable Ultra-Rapid 300kw chargers and incredible on-site facilities. bp pulse were the selected partner for this site enabling drivers to pay-as-you-go using any major credit or debit card or download their app for reduced rates.
Sam Shaybani, EVN co-founder and COO, said: “With the rising demand of public charging, the fleet operators equally have mounting pressure from all sides of their businesses to make this a success, depot charging on its own is not enough.
“The difficulty many fleet operators are finding is the ‘double whammy’ of cost – not only a new fleet investment but also large capital requirements for a completely new infrastructure.
“We can remove a lot of that up-front expenditure requirement and smooth out the funding requests to support budgeting over a longer term.”


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As large car manufacturers seek to reinvent themselves as ‘mobility companies’ in an effort to compete for global leadership in the growing autonomous driving sector, a Ford Executive has predicted that self-driving cars will only last four years.
Just as the new ‘Apple Card’ is launched in the US, Apple has listed several surfaces and materials that could damage and discolour the coated titanium card – including denim and leather.
Google has already been criticised by some for not calling out China over disinformation about Hong Kong, but despite disabling 210 YouTube channels with suspected Chinese state links, Google’s new move to label Hong Kong YouTube videos hasn’t gone down well.
The Amazon-owned producer of spoken audio entertainment ‘Audible’ is facing a lawsuit from the Association of American Publishers (AAP) on the grounds that its new “Audible Captions” speech-to-text subtitles feature may violate copyright law.
Google has announced that it is rolling out new real-time, AI-powered spelling and grammar correction capabilities for G Suite users and personal Gmail accounts.
If you’d like to be even more productive and be able to multi-task while using your iPhone or iPad, the ‘Split’ web browser app allows you to run two browser tabs side by side.


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AkzoNobel introduces Sustainable Repair Network in Europe
- July 26, 2023
- Posted by: Salih Tahir
- Categories: IBIS News, Press Releases
AkzoNobel has launched the Sustainable Repair Network, a new program to help bodyshops reduce their carbon footprint.
By certifying the operations of its customers, AkzoNobel will partner with them to help measure, monitor and improve CO2 emissions. It will leverage its leading position in sustainability to deliver the tools, knowledge, support and experience for its vehicle refinishing (VR) coatings business to make a tangible, meaningful and measurable difference to a bodyshop’s drive to reduce its carbon footprint.
In line with the objectives of the Automotive OEMs, insurance companies and the bodyshops themselves, AkzoNobel is aiming to reduce carbon emissions by up to 50% across the value chain until 2030 and is actively engaging with its customers and partners to support them on their sustainability journey.
A key element of the support will be a new Certification program for bodyshops. In a three- step process: measure, monitor and improve, AkzoNobel will analyse the bodyshop’s CO2 footprint, identify the steps it can take to reduce emissions across its operations and partner with the customer to support its execution.
A key enabler for this new program is the digital tools that AkzoNobel has developed specifically for this purpose. These deliver clear insight into the CO2 footprint of a bodyshop by converting gas consumption, electricity consumption, driven kilometres, and all relevant parameters from Scope 1, 2 and 3 into CO2 equivalents according to the latest emission factors. They enable bodyshops to set goals, calculate the effect of emission mitigating measures and monitor progress.
These innovative new digital solutions add to the first certified CO2eRepairCalculator in the industry, that is focused on optimising the refinish system to reduce emissions, energy cost and save valuable process time.
A sustainable repair is looking at all the steps of the repair process and the overall bodyshop operation to identify where emissions are created and how they can be reduced. This might include both changes in equipment, process and choice of products. Critical to any recommendation is a holistic understanding of the bodyshop’s baseline.
Ignacio Román Navarro, Regional Commercial Director Vehicle Refinishes of AkzoNobel for EMEA, whose VR brands include Sikkens and Lesonal, says the new initiative helps to align AkzoNobel’s own sustainability goals with those of its customers: “All of us in the value chain, including the OEMs and the insurance companies, are focused on sustainability, and we will deliver on our targets by creating true partnerships with shared ambitions.
“In joining the new Sustainability Repair Network, and becoming a partner, our customers will be creating and promoting a more sustainable workplace that brings genuine financial and environmental benefits to all.”
AkzoNobel plans to roll out the program in the coming months in key markets in Central Europe.
Go to https://www.sikkensvr.com/en/Rethink to find out more.
About IBIS Worldwide
Since the first IBIS conference in 2001, the International Bodyshop Industry Symposium (IBIS) has become firmly established as the leading global conference and networking provider for automotive collision repair industry leaders and influencers. The inaugural conference was held at the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales and hosted 120 delegates from 12 countries. Since then, IBIS events have been held at venues on five continents, reaching more than a thousand influencers each year, with the Global Summit annually attracting more than 350 delegates from around 30 countries. IBIS continues to spread its world-class conferencing in new territories and has recently visited markets across the globe including Ireland, USA, India, South Africa, China, Brazil, Mexico, the Middle East and Turkey.
For general press enquiries please contact:
Simon Wait, Head of Editorial, IBIS Worldwide and bodyshop magazine
t: 01296 642836 m: 07936 902142 e:[email protected]
For future partnership enquiries please contact:
Suzie Scott, Head of Sales, IBIS Worldwide and bodyshop magazine
m: 07545 068455 e:[email protected]
AkzoNobel supplies the sustainable and innovative paints and coatings that their customers, communities – and the environment – are increasingly relying on. Their world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. They are active in more than 150 countries and have set their sights on becoming the global industry leader. It’s what you’d expect from a pioneering paints company that’s committed to science-based targets and is taking genuine action to address globally relevant challenges and protect future generations.
Contact for media
Global Commercial Marketing
T +31 (0)611640520


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A lucky person from Alaska has got his first Rift from Oculus Founder Palmer Luckey. After thorough testing for a couple of years, the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is going to be in the market on Monday, but before that Ross Martin was the first person from Alaska who formerly pre-ordered to get the Oculus Rift which was worth $599.
Surprisingly, to give a huge thank you to Martin, Luckey made a long journey from California to hand over the first Rift box signing with his and his Oculus team where Martin lives in Alaska.
“We are both big gamers, and we were both homeschooled as kids. The biggest difference is that I grew up with surfboards while he grew up with sled dogs.” Luckey posted the video of his Facebook page, taking note of that he and Martin have a great deal in common.
You can watch the video by following this link.
The Oculus Rift is one of the impressive and futuristic pieces of technology to surface in recent years, and gamers and consumers had been eagerly waiting all this time to get their hands on the device.
Just like Martin, many more people will start to get their Rifts in due time.