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It’s been a long road since Fire on the Rock kicked off the first-ever Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series in January. Since then, 64 chefs from some of the state’s best restaurants have gone head-to-head in regional competitions in Blowing Rock, Wilmington, Raleigh and Greensboro.
Each region hosted a single-elimination bracket series featuring 16 area chefs. Two chefs competed in each round and prepared a six-course meal using two secret local ingredients revealed to them less than an hour before the competition.
“The response for this event has been overwhelming,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “I think it speaks volumes about the growing interest in N.C. food products and chefs who use them.”
Four chefs remain and will face off in the Final Fire to determine who is the top chef in the state. The Final Fire will be held tomorrow through Saturday at the Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel.
On Thursday, Michael Foreman of Bistro Roca in Blowing Rock will compete against George C. Neal of 1618 Seafood Grille in Greensboro. Friday’s competition features Andy Hopper of Chefs 105 in Morehead City and Ryan Payne of Weathervane in Chapel Hill. The winners from each night will cook off in a grand finale on Saturday.
Foreman, winner of Fire on the Rock, summed up the importance of the competition in a video interview earlier this year: “This is just a really good opportunity for all of us to come together and share everything we’ve learned and developed over the year, and put it out there one time, one chance for everybody to see what we try to achieve all year long.”
The finale is sold out, but you can follow results from the competition on Facebook and Twitter. You also can find more information about the participating chefs and their restaurants online at the Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series website.


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OVER 500 VENDORS AND 70 CMPs WILL WORK WITH TCF v2.0
12th August 2020, Brussels, Belgium: IAB Europe, the leading European-level industry association for the digital advertising and marketing ecosystem, today shared the market adoption figures for the Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) v2.0. 517 vendors including Adobe, Google, GroupM, Magnite, The Ozone Project, The Trade Desk and Xandr will implement TCF v2.0 on the 15th August, as well as 70 Consent Management Platforms (CMPs).
Commenting on the positive market update of the TCF v2.0 ahead of the switchover date, Townsend Feehan, CEO IAB Europe said “TCF v2.0 takes the standard to the next level with respect to consumer transparency and choice, publisher control over data processing for advertising and content personalisation, and cross-industry collaboration. We set a target of 500 vendors to give the market the confidence that v2.0 would be fully integrated within our ecosystem by 15th August. We’ve spent the last year providing support and guidance to CMPs, publishers and Vendors, and are confident that we have a robust framework in place that can continue to evolve in light of European Court case law and regulatory enforcement”.
IAB Europe, in partnership with IAB Tech Lab, announced on 21 August 2019 the launch of the second iteration of TCF v2.0. It followed a 12-month review period which included market feedback from all sectors of the digital advertising industry, notably publishers, and nine meetings with Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) throughout Europe. Consumers will see an increase in controls in TCF v2.0 with the more comprehensive inclusion of the functionality within the TCF for a consumer to exercise and signal the “right to object” (RTO) to processing based on a legitimate interest legal basis.
Commenting on the TCF v2.0 switchover Stevan Randjelovic, Director, Brand Safety and Digital Risk, GroupM EMEA said “We are very pleased to see TCF 2.0 implemented as it brings greater transparency for users, and increased accountability for vendors. It takes a true industry effort and collaboration to create a standardised approach which allows companies to operate seamlessly across Europe, and which provides users with consistent information across publishers. We hope that the improved framework will bring more publishers and vendors on board”.
Businesses were given until the 15th August to adopt the new standards and successfully switch across from TCF v1.1 to TCF v2.0. Post this date it will not be possible to create new v1.1 consent strings although existing v1.1 consent strings will be supported in absence of v2.0 consent strings until 30 September 2020. The introduction of TCF v2.0 also welcomed many new Vendors and CMPs who were waiting for the updated policies before joining the only privacy compliance solution that was built by the industry for the industry.
Chetna Bindra, Google Senior Product Manager, User Trust and Privacy: "We are delighted to launch our integration into the TCF v2.0, in line with the switchover from v1.1 by IAB Europe. This marks the successful collaboration across our industry for a standardised framework that combines both ease of use and interoperability and will give users greater control over how their data is used, as well as provide publishers with greater flexibility to work with a range of technology partners."
Magnite’s Vice President of Product Management Garrett McGrath also commented on the market uptake of TCF v2.0 adding "Since deploying support for TCF 2.0 in March, Magnite has seen a steady increase in the presence of 2.0 signals across the exchange. We are looking forward to a full switch later this month and the greatly increased flexibility 2.0 offers end users, publishers, and the industry at large."
The support for TCF v2.0 has also been seen from National IABs like IAB UK. Gold Standard 2.0 will require companies to adopt the TCF as part of certification. Commenting on the role the TCF v2,0 will play for the Gold Standard, Tim Elkington, Chief Digital Officer, IAB UK said “TCF v2.0 prioritises consumers’ choice, control and privacy – principles that are central to creating a responsible and sustainable future for the digital ad industry. By incorporating the framework within Gold Standard 2.0 – following a recent consultation with members - we are evolving the criteria for certified members to keep pace with wider industry developments and improve the overall digital experience for consumers.”
Registration to TCF v2.0 is open to all Vendors and CMPs. To join the hundreds of industry stakeholders working with TCF v2.0, please visit https://stg-iabeurope-iabeuropeold.kinsta.cloud/join-the-tcf/.
For more information please contact:
Helen Mussard, IAB Europe (firstname.lastname@example.org / +44 7399 919 594)

domain: news


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UK: Prime Minister Sunak Goes Live on LinkedIn to Push Growth Plans
Over 200 of the UK's highest-profile CEOs and business leaders gathered in London for the first Business Connect event to hear directly from Rishi Sunak.
London: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday joined a live question and answer session with a range of UK businesses as part of a new Business Connect programme, which he says will promote his economic growth priority and optimise the conditions for businesses in the country to thrive.
Over 200 of the UK's highest-profile CEOs and business leaders, representing key growth sectors, including tech, life sciences and advanced manufacturing, gathered in London for the first Business Connect event to hear directly from Rishi Sunak.
It came as Downing Street released the latest figures to show that 1,800 jobs a month have been created since October 2022 - the month Rishi Sunak took charge in the wake of a disastrous mini-Budget which resulted in predecessor Liz Truss being deposed as Prime Minister.
"Since taking office, I've spoken to over 1,000 business people - because they are the innovators and change-makers at the heart of our economy, supporting jobs, attracting investment and driving growth," said Mr Sunak.
"Business Connect provides the next fantastic opportunity to demonstrate how we are growing the economy. We are bringing together some of the UK's biggest companies and investors for meaningful dialogue - and I'm a prime minister passionate about working with business to unlock opportunity and progress," he said.
The British-Indian leader said the UK should be proud of its business credentials and pointed to the creation of 162 tech unicorns, smarter regulation and world-leading universities as the "right ingredients" to double down on growing the economy.
Alongside, Mr Sunak also unveiled new GBP 100 million in initial start-up funding for a new task force responsible for accelerating the UK's capability in the rapidly-emerging types of artificial intelligence (AI). The Foundation Model Taskforce, modelled on the success of the COVID-19 Vaccines Taskforce, will develop the safe and reliable use of AI across the economy and ensure the UK is globally competitive in this strategic technology.
"Harnessing the potential of AI provides enormous opportunities to grow our economy, create better-paid jobs, and build a better future through advances in healthcare and security. By investing in emerging technologies through our new expert taskforce, we can continue to lead the way in developing safe and trustworthy AI as part of shaping a more innovative UK economy," added Mr Sunak.
As part of long-term plans to create a more innovative UK economy, the UK government added a new "innovation" category at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, to be hosted by UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt at Downing Street on Monday evening. The new award will recognise bright and innovative ideas that deliver new products and services and can drive our economy forward.
"It's absolutely vital that we're listening to - and working with - industry leaders, innovators and disruptors as we deliver on our priority to grow the economy," said Mr Hunt.
The government also referenced plans for new trade deals, including a free trade agreement (FTA) being negotiated with India, as part of this economic growth strategy.
"By securing high-quality trade deals, scrapping market access barriers around the world and cutting needless red tape that holds businesses back, I will ensure the UK remains one of the best places in the world to start and grow a business," said UK Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch.
Several British businesses have expressed their support for the government's Business Connect initiative, designed as a platform for businesses to discuss the UK's growth plans and the role of technology.
"The UK continues to be a prominent financial centre that sits at the heart of global capital markets, and Barclays continues to support the UK government's ambitious plans to drive prosperity and economic growth for people and businesses here in the UK and beyond," said C.S. Venkatakrishnan, the Indian American Group Chief Executive of Barclays.
Original News: World News | Agence France-Presse
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Scrabbl staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)


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Chris discussed Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane’s latest court appearance, the latest of Vice-President Joe Biden’s bid for President, and CBS 3 Meteorologist Katie Fehlinger’s response to criticism of her pregnant body.
Starbucks says it is adding real pumpkin and getting rid of caramel coloring.
Starbucks is raising prices again starting Tuesday, with the increases ranging from 5 to 20 cents for most affected drinks, the company said.
Red velvet, cotton candy, cinnamon roll…they sound like dessert, but they’re now available in drink form at Starbucks.
Fans of Starbucks took to social media to express their delight at the announcement.
Rich discussed the HBO documentary the Jinx and the arrest of Robert Durst, the resignation of Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock, and Starbucks encouraging their employees to engage in conversations about race with their customers.
With freezing weather across the country, Starbucks is introducing two warm winter lattes.
A new study finds home buyers looking for a solid investment should look around their nearest Starbucks.
Veterans Day is when we remember and honor those who bravely fought for and defended our freedom. The following organizations are showing their thanks by offering “freebies” for active and non-active military members.
Unhappy employees and consumers took to social media to protest an implied engagement ring ban at the coffee retailer.
After reporting disappointing quarterly sales Thursday, Starbucks said it will offer a delivery option on its mobile app in select areas of the U.S starting next year.
For many, Starbucks’ Gingerbread and Eggnog lattes are a harbinger of the holiday season – the equivalent of Santa and Christmas lights showing up in department stores.
How would you like to get a free Starbucks coffee everyday? The coffee chain has announced a new promotion that could make that a reality.
Starbucks is reconsidering its policy that requires workers with tattoos to cover up.
Here are some helpful tips to keep costs down while enjoying a safe and enjoyable trip over the Labor Day weekend.


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- President Donald Trump attacked Harley-Davidson on Twitter on Monday after the company announced it was shifting production out of the US because of Trump's trade fight with the EU.
- "Surprised that Harley-Davidson, of all companies, would be the first to wave the White Flag," Trump said.
- Trade experts say that Harley's move is likely the first of many production moves by US companies.
President Donald Trump late on Monday went after iconic American motorcycle company Harley-Davidson after the company announced it was moving some production out of the US.
Harley announced Monday that because of the European Union's new tariffs on US motorcycles — which came in retaliation for Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs — the company was shifting some production to non-US plants.
In a tweet later in the day, Trump said he was disappointed with the decision.
"Surprised that Harley-Davidson, of all companies, would be the first to wave the White Flag," Trump said. "I fought hard for them and ultimately they will not pay tariffs selling into the E.U., which has hurt us badly on trade, down $151 Billion. Taxes just a Harley excuse - be patient!"
The Harley move represented a slap in the face for Trump. The president had hosted company executives at the White House and repeatedly praised the company for building its motorcycles in America.
According to the company, the EU's new tariffs will increase the cost of a motorcycle shipped from the US to Europe by $2,200. To avoid this cost, the company will shift to countries where there are lower or no tariffs. Harley maintains facilities in Australia, Brazil, India, and Thailand.
"To address the substantial cost of this tariff burden long-term, Harley-Davidson will be implementing a plan to shift production of motorcycles for EU destinations from the US to its international facilities to avoid the tariff burden," Harley said in a statement. "Harley-Davidson expects ramping up production in international plants will require incremental investment and could take at least nine to 18 months to be fully complete."
Republicans also used the Harley announcement to take a shot at Trump's recent trade attacks on the EU, Canada, and Mexico. GOP Sen. Ron Johnson, who represents Harley's home state of Wisconsin, said the company's move was evidence the tariffs were a bad idea.
"Unfortunately, this confirms my concerns and is a far too predictable outcome of policies that give companies like Harley-Davidson incentives to make their products elsewhere," Johnson said in a statement. "We need to hold China accountable for its trade abuses, but that does not need to come at the expense of American workers and businesses."
Economists said Harley's decision to shift production outside of the US is an expected result of Trump's increased trade restrictions and likely is a sign of things to come.
"I expect many other companies will be forced reluctantly to move production as Harley has done in order to maintain their viability," Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, told Business Insider.


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If you're going to the post office, get ready to wait in line.
It's the busiest shipping day of the year for the United States Postal Service. On Monday alone, it's expected to process 640 million cards, letters and packages, according to the USPS on Facebook.
That's 33 million more pieces of mail than the busiest mail day last year, and more than 100 million above what the USPS handles on a typical day (528 million), according to a news release.
But it's not just the busiest day of the year for the Postal Service – it's the busiest season. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, the USPS expects to deliver 12.7 billion pieces of mail, CNN Money notes, including 475 million packages – a 12 percent increase over last year, the Star Tribune said.
And it doesn't end after Christmas. An additional 3 billion pieces of mail are expected to be shipped between Christmas and New Year's Eve, CNN Money says.
Because of this, the USPS is delivering mail seven days a week in major cities, including several post offices in the Twin Cities, KARE 11 says. However, lines at the post office are still slow moving around the country because of cuts to staff the Postal Service has been forced to make over the years due to falling profits, the Star Tribune noted.
Get your packages delivered on-time
If you haven't shipped packages or sent of your holiday greetings yet, the Postal Service says Dec. 20 is the deadline to make sure they're delivered in time for Christmas, according to a news release. However, last-minute shoppers have until Dec. 23 to ship packages using priority mail express. (Click here for a guide to mailing this holiday season.)
The increase in online shopping has meant more business for the Postal Service and other shipping companies, WCCO notes.
FedEx expects to handle 22.6 million packages Monday, and projects to make 290 million deliveries this holiday season, up roughly 9 percent over last year, CNN Money says.
UPS, however, expects Dec. 22 to be its busiest day, where it'll handle a projected 34 million packages. It's planning to deliver 585 million packages this month, according to a news release. UPS delivers approximately 17 million packages on an average day.


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Rahimkulov raises stake in BorsodChem to 25.16%
Megdet Rahimkulov, the head of ÁÉB Bank Rt and reportedly Hungary's richest man, has raised his direct and indirect stake in chemicals company BorsodChem Rt to 25.16% with the purchase on May 24 and 25 of more than 806,000 shares on and off the stock exchange at an average price of Ft 2,271 per share, according to an announcement in capital markets gazette Magyar Tőkepiac.
The purchases were made by Rahimkulov's company, UK-based Firthlion, raising its direct stake in BorsodChem to 22.69%.
Rahimkulov is the largest shareholder in BorsodChem, ahead of Austria's VCP Industries, which holds 21.52%, according to the company's ownership structure at the end of March.
In September 2005, Rahimkulov said he planned to buy a 15%-16% stake in BorsodChem, then later sell the shares at a 50% profit.
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This FRIDAY the SMILE CLUB is hosting a colorful, spring time dress down day. When students give their homeroom teachers a donations they will get a sticker to wear on Friday that allows them to dress down. All money raised will go to purchase mulch, flowers, plants and possibly bird feeders and bird food for the middle school.
Check out our
Weekly School News


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FAO sees Jan food prices close to record highs
MILAN Jan 31 (Reuters) - World food prices in January are expected to be close to record highs seen in December, an economist at the United Nations' food agency said on Monday ahead of the release of the agency's monthly food index.
"FAO's expectation is that the January index would be very close or slightly below December," Abdolreza Abbassian, UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) economist, told Reuters in a telephone interview.
The FAO Food Price Index, which measures monthly price changes for a food basket composed of cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar, hit a record high of 214.7 points in December, above 2008 peaks which triggered riots in several countries.
According to preliminary estimates, prices of sugar, some grains and oilseeds in January were slightly below levels seen in December, Abbassian said adding the FAO uses spot and physical prices to calculate the index and does not use futures prices.
The FAO is due to publish its Food Price Index for January on Feb. 3. (Reporting by Svetlana Kovalyova; editing by James Jukwey)
- Washington, DC city council raises minimum wage to $11.50/hr in 2016
- Winning ticket sold in California for Mega Millions lottery: official |
- UPDATE 5-Mega Millions lottery winning tickets sold in California, Georgia -Officials
- China confirms near miss with U.S. ship in South China Sea
- India removes barriers to U.S. embassy as anger grows over diplomat's arrest


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E. coli outbreak sickens 17 people; 75K pounds of packaged salad sold at Target, Walmart, other stores recalled
More than 75,000 pounds of packaged salad is being recalled after seven people were hospitalized with E. coli and two of them developed kidney failure, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday.
A New Jersey company, Missa Bay, issued the voluntary recall, worried that the romaine lettuce may be contaminated with the bacteria following an investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On Tuesday, the CDC issued an updated safety alert advising consumers to not eat any romaine lettuce harvested in Salinas, California and said it was continuing to investigate an E. coli outbreak that has infected 67 people from 19 states.
Related to the recall announced Nov. 21, the CDC reported 17 people have been infected with E. coli in eight states. No one has died.
E. coli outbreak alert:Do not eat any romaine lettuce from Salinas, California, CDC says
Cheese Nips recall 2019:Select boxes recalled because they may contain plastic pieces
The more than 30 packaged salad products with the tainted romaine were produced from Oct. 14 through Oct. 16 and were shipped to 22 states including Florida, Ohio and Virginia. Salads were sold in Target, Walmart, Sam's Club, Giant Eagle and other stores.
The affected recalled products have use-by dates between Oct. 28 and Nov. 1, the company said in a statement Thursday.
"The safety of our consumers is our number one priority. This voluntary recall is intended to address any product that may remain in consumers’ possession," the company statement said. "As always, please follow any use-by dates and dispose of any products that have exceeded these dates."
People who became sick in Maryland reported eating Ready Pac Foods Bistro Chicken Caesar Salad, but ill people in other states have not reported eating that salad, according to the CDC.
As part of an investigation into the outbreak, the Maryland Department of Health collected a package of the Caesar salad from a sick person’s home and found the lettuce tested positive for E. coli.
People usually get sick from E. coli three to four days after ingesting contaminated food. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps.
To prevent E. coli infection, the CDC recommends washing hands and cooking meat thoroughly to kill harmful germs, among other things.
A complete list of the recalled products is available online. For questions about the recall, call 1-800-800-7822.
Contributing: Kelly Tyko


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Block N Load Launch Trailer
Block N Load officially launches on Steam.
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Recently shared on the Community Blog that Google is tracking more than 120 games coming to Google Stadia in 2020. They are also looking at more than ten games in the first half of this year that will be only available on Stadia when they launch.
Plus, support for wireless gaming on the web, more Assistant functionality and additional Android phones are right around the corner. As for the latest updates, read on for what Google was up to in January.
You’ll receive notifications of your achievements when playing on desktop, laptop and TV, and you’ll get credit for those achievements. You can view your full list on the web, including all the hard-won achievements you’ve earned since you began playing the Google Stadia.
Strategic Collaboration with BT
Google has also announced a strategic collaboration with BT who became the first European distribution partner for Stadia. Together, they’ll work to continue moving the cloud gaming industry forward.
Verizon Partners with Stadia
Google is partnering with Verizon to give new Fios Gigabit internet customers a Stadia Premiere Edition (starting January 29), with a promotion for Verizon 5G Home customers coming soon.
New content coming to Stadia
- Red Dead Online: Moonshiners
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint–Raids and Terminator Event
Stadia Pro updates
- New games are free to Stadia Pro users in February: GYLT and Metro Exodus
- Existing games still available to add to your collection: Destiny 2, Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Edition, Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration, SAMURAI SHODOWN and Thumper
- Ongoing Stadia Pro discounts. Check out the web or mobile Stadia store for the latest.


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A mum on a Thomas Cook holiday says she will run out of vital food supplies for her tube-fed disabled daughter unless they can be flown home in days, following the travel firm's collapse.
Two-year-old Aubree Warner is vision impaired, has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, and needs to be tube-fed milk through her stomach.
Now her mum Demine and dad Lance are hoping that they they can fly home before supplies run dry following the shock closure this morning.
Currently they are stretching out the milk - which the two-year-old relies on for all her hydration and nutrition - by giving her dioralyte between feeds.
But Demine, 25, says she has heard nothing from the axed travel firm.
The mum and daughter flew out to Almeria, Spain, along with partner Lance Coericius, 30, just over a week ago, for their first family holiday.
But now they are waiting to hear about when they may return home to Harlow, Essex.
She said: "We still haven't heard anything. I'm worried about my daughter as she is on medical milk and cannot eat the food here.
"So I'm hoping we will able to come home on Wednesday because she will run out of food.
"We are waiting to hear about our flights."
The family flew out on September 18 and are set to leave this Wednesday on September 25.
Now the parents are keen to ensure they can travel back then in order to ensure Aubree is unaffected.
Demine said: "We spoke to the Dutch rep this morning and she said to wait until the morning and see if there is any news about our flights.
"Otherwise we will have to either take her to the hospital or phone a doctor to get her some medical milk.
"Luckily, I brought enough medication for two weeks. I'm glad I did because I didn't know anything about this before we left."
If the family are forced to stay beyond the original date, they will be forced to rely on alternative supplies, said Demine.
The mum-of-one said: "I'm not sure how easy it is to get over here, back home we just get it delivered.
"We have been told that we should be able to get an alternative for it.
"It just won't be the same as she has back home but anything is better than nothing and her having food is the main thing."
The collapse of Thomas Cook put 20,000 jobs at risk, including 9,000 in the UK, and resulted in all of the company's flights and holidays being cancelled.
Last-minute talks to try and save the world's oldest travel firm failed last night as more than 600,000 customers were on trips abroad.
The CAA will work with the Government to bring the 150,000 Brits currently overseas with Thomas Cook back to the UK.
The repatriation process will take place over the next two weeks, from September 23 to October 6, with the help of a fleet of aircraft from around the world.
Customers who booked a package with Thomas Cook , will get their money back thanks to ATOL protection.


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Latest Blow Falls on the 'Scourge of Passwords'FIDO Alliance Director Andrew Shikiar on New Deal With Google, Apple and Microsoft
The FIDO Alliance has been on a 10-year mission to eliminate passwords, an effort that just got a major boost from major platform vendors Google, Apple and Microsoft, which in May embraced Passkeys for authentication.
Passkeys use a biometric instead of logging in with passwords on each new device. The news is a major boost to the open industry association's mission of promoting authentication standards to help reduce the world's over-reliance on passwords, says Andrew Shikiar, executive director of FIDO Alliance. He predicts the general public will be using Passkeys within two years, completely supplanting passwords within six years. "This announcement is basically extending that paradigm, building on the collaboration of the industry at large to bring the passwordless capabilities to consumers worldwide," he says.
In a video interview with Information Security Media Group at RSA Conference 2022, Shikiar also discusses:
- When users will see a difference in logging in to accounts;
- Plans by Apple and others to commercialize new authentication technology;
- Details on the upcoming FIDO Alliance authentication conference.
Shikiar serves as executive director and CMO at FIDO Alliance, a global consortium working to create open standards and an interoperable ecosystem for simpler, stronger user authentication. He has worked in identity management since 2001 and also has deep experience in multi-stakeholder organizations, having previously led market development efforts for Tizen Association, Liberty Alliance Project and other industry consortia. Shikiar also serves as an industry adviser to identity consultancy Liminal and digital identity VC firm 1414 Ventures.


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Veritonic, the industry’s comprehensive audio analytics and research platform, announced that they have been approved as an audio attribution partner by Spreaker, a multi-faceted podcast platform and global leader in podcast ad technology.
As a result, the 50,000+ creators and brands that use the Spreaker platform to distribute their podcast content can elect to utilize Veritonic’s full-funnel attribution capabilities to optimize and further increase the ROI of their audio campaigns.
“At Spreaker, we remain committed to providing our users with the tools they need to make smarter and more informed decisions around the audio they create and share,” said Francisco Baschieri, CEO and co-founder of Spreaker. “The performance data that the Veritonic platform provides is indispensable for planning, executing, and enhancing current and future audio campaigns. We take pride in this partnership as we collectively work to further the growth of the audio landscape through insightful and actionable data and analytics.”
“We are pleased to support Spreaker in providing their publishers and creators with the comprehensive data and analytics they ned to meaningfully connect with their audiences and increase ROI,” said Simon Simonelli, Chief Executive Officer of Veritonic. “Our built-for-audio attribution and brand lift capabilities provide incomparable, full-funnel audio campaign lifecycle management and measurement in one easy-to-use, intuitive platform.”
Veritonic’s Attribution solution enables users to glean actionable insights from top-of-the-funnel branding initiatives through bottom-of-the-funnel conversions & transactions. Through an intuitive and interactive dashboard, brands can determine which publisher and specific ads had the highest impact and use that data to optimize ad performance.
Veritonic’s Attribution solution is available now via self-serve or managed service. For more information or to get started, visit www.veritonic.com or contact firstname.lastname@example.org.
ARN’s iHeart has shared new data from Magellan AI, which has revealed the top 15 brands advertising for Q3, 2022 across the podcast landscape nationally.
Using the latest in artificial intelligence technology, the report is based on analyzing thousands of episodes from 400+ of Australia’s most popular podcasts for Q3 2022 to determine which brands are advertising in the rapidly growing medium.
Overall, spending on Australian podcast advertising grew by 33% year on year compared to Q3, 2021. Advertising spend across the TV & Film category grew the most rapidly by 285% from this time last year. Other podcast genres to exponentially grow in investment year on year are History (up 115%), True Crime (up 91%), and Sports (up 62%).
The Q3, 2022 list of the top spenders across podcast advertising once again features brands from a broad range of categories including online retailers, finance and entertainment.
Australian Top 15 Podcast Advertisers – Q3, 2022:
- Monash University
- Budget Direct
- Macquarie Bank
- Sleeping Duck
Magellan AI, the podcast advertising analytics and attribution platform with the world’s largest database of podcast advertising data announced that they have been validated as a third party partner by Spreaker from iHeart, the leading podcast platform for monetization, globally. This integration will allow all advertising campaigns run on the Spreaker network to use Attribution by Magellan AI, which delivers accurate and in-depth campaign results and attribution analytics.
“We are dedicated to enabling the podcasters on Spreaker to have access to industry-leading data and analytics,” said Matt Verzella, Head of Partnerships and Enterprise Sales at Spreaker. “We are happy support Magellan AI as they continue to grow the podcast space through valuable third-party attribution and metrics.”
“We are excited to empower Spreaker users to utilize Attribution by Magellan AI to gain access to in-depth information about advertising campaigns,” said Jim Ballas, Head of Publisher Partnerships at Magellan AI. “By connecting attribution data with the robust data that we are already aggregate, advertisers and brands will be able to gain even greater insights into the power of podcast ads.”
Attribution by Magellan AI enables advertisers to access third party delivered impression verification and full-funnel attribution data, from views through conversions and transactions, allowing advertising to optimize and increase ROI on their podcast campaigns.
Attribution by Magellan AI is currently in beta, with plans to make it widely available in Q1 2023. Publishers and podcasters can currently onboard at no cost. Sign up for the beta program today by visiting https://www.magellan.ai/attribution


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It’s one small scoop for 50 women, one giant sundae for womankind.
In a playful stand against the well-documented 20-percent pay gap afflicting women in the workplace, a Kips Bay ice cream parlor — known for liquor-infused flavors like vanilla bean bourbon and strawberry white sangria sorbet — will serve 80-cent scoops to its first 50 female customers on International Women’s Day.
The smash-the-patriarchy deal means men who show up early at Tipsy Scoop Barlour this afternoon will still pay the full $4.90.
“Women’s rights are really important to us,” says 30-year-old Tipsy Scoop founder and CEO Melissa Tavss, whose ice creamery is women-owned and mostly women-operated and whose Manhattan shop opened to long lines in May 2017. “For International Women’s Day … we wanted to just draw attention to the gender gap in the best way we could — by giving an additional treat to our female clientele.”
According to the New York City Department of Small Business Services, male New Yorkers own 1.5 times the number of businesses as women, employ 3.5 times the number of individuals and generate 4.5 times the amount of revenue. That’s in spite of the fact that New York’s more than 200,000 women entrepreneurs contribute about $50 billion annually in revenue.
Tipsy Scoop saw its sales rise 400 percent year-over-year in 2017, and the five-year-old company is profitable, Tavss says. Its first eight employees — including Tavss and her business partner, COO Lyz Levy — are all female. Since expanding from wholesale retail, catering and online sales to a brick-and-mortar shop, Tipsy Scoop’s staff has added nine more, and “we do have three men now, but we like them,” Tavss kids.
An all-woman workforce was never the conscious intent, says the former marketer for liquor brands. “It just kind of worked out that way, and we all got along really well,” recalls Tavss, who’s worked with mostly female co-workers and bosses her entire career. “Then we looked around one day, and we’re like, ‘Wow, this is an all-girl company.’ And we were all doing everything, like lifting this crazy heavy ice cream, delivering.”
Not that everyone who walks into the shop on East 26th Street can picture that, Tavss notes. “People often come into the store asking me for the owner, ‘Can I speak to him?’ They cannot imagine that the owner would be a young woman. We get calls and inquiries like that every day.”
Running a small business leaves Tavss’ team less time than they’d like to engage in politics, she tells us, but a contingent of six staffers did attend the Women’s March in midtown this year.
“We really wanted to do something for [International Women’s Day] because we’re so swamped all the time and we can’t participate as much as we want to,” says the ice cream maker.
For women claiming their 80-cent scoop in the name of gender equality today, all 15 flavors are on the table, but Tavss recommends the cake batter vodka martini flavor as “fun and good for celebrations,” and mango margarita, “depending on how warm it is.”
Ladies, no matter the weather, bring your ID. You have to be 21+ to enjoy this boozy taste of feminism.
The Tipsy Scoop Barlour is located at 217 E. 26th St. (between Second and Third avenues). It opens at 2 p.m. Thursdays.


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Starbucks and PepsiCo expand joint venture
September 27, 2007
by FoodBusinessNews.net Staff
SEATTLE — Starbucks Coffee Co. and PepsiCo International announced they have expanded their partnership, known as the North American Coffee Partnership, beyond North America.
The joint venture between the two companies first launched bottled Frappuccino in 1996 and has made numerous ready-to-drink (R.-T.-D.) coffee beverages available to North American consumers. The companies now plan to make this partnership international, and China will be the first country to benefit from the expanded relationship. Starbucks currently has more than 540 stores in China.
The partnership will allow for the companies to bring Starbucks products to consumers via PepsiCo’s distribution channels, which include grocery and convenience stores.
"We are very excited about building on the success of the North American Coffee Partnership between PepsiCo and Starbucks, which essentially created the ready-to-drink coffee market in the U.S. and Canada," said Michael White, chief executive officer of PepsiCo International and vice-chairman of PepsiCo. "As we look ahead, we see opportunities to bring outstanding Starbucks ready-to-drink coffee products to consumers in many more countries."
Starbucks already sells R.-T.-D. coffee beverages in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan through other companies, and the news of the expanded partnership with PepsiCo will not change these relationships.
"With our coffee expertise and PepsiCo’s extensive sales and distribution network, this joint venture will allow us to provide an authentic Starbucks coffee experience to millions more consumers around the world anytime and anywhere they want it," said Gerry Lopez, president of Starbucks Global Consumer Products Group. "This could include countries that may not currently have Starbucks stores."
In 2006, the N.A.C.P. represented 93% of total volume sales and 93% of off-trade value sales in the R.-T-.D. coffee market, according to Euromonitor International.
"The category is dominated by the partnership of Pepsi and Starbucks," said Gary Hemphill, managing director of Beverage Marketing Corp., New York. "So as they go, so goes the category. Their portfolio of products accounts for about 90% of the category."
Starbucks and PepsiCo offer the Frappuccino, DoubleShot espresso, Ice Coffee and other beverages through the partnership.


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Last week members of our client services team, Donna Smith and Rosie Bailey, attended the UK Complaint Handling Awards where CitySprint were nominated as finalists in two categories. The awards showcase the companies that focus on putting customer experience at the heart of their business.
Complaints from customers are part of business and at CitySprint we welcome these valuable opportunities to review our business and improve our processes as well as having the chance to ensure we change our customer experience for the better by recognising and dealing with their concerns effectively.
CitySprint were nominated for the ‘Most Improved Complaint Handling’ and ‘Team of the Year’ awards. We presented the story of how CitySprint have listened to our customers by creating the National Customer Care team to manage any post-delivery issues or queries on behalf of our service centres. The team have published standards and SLAs; their aim is to efficiently respond to the customer whilst enabling service centre staff to focus on live bookings and requests.
The awards were attended by big teams from the banking, utilities, travel and logistics industries and we are delighted that CitySprint were awarded SILVER for the ‘Most Improved Complaint Handling’ category. The eventual winner for this category was Virgin Money so we are extremely pleased to be recognised alongside a brand that has both a fantastic reputation for customer care and immense resource to invest in their customer management teams.
This award recognises the skills and approach of our National Customer Care team – they are here to help you, our customers, and we hope that we continue to develop our service and processes even more throughout 2018.


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Oh Boy! While you turned you back for a moment the horse got out of the stable, jumped a fence and is running wild. Just a few days ago we learned a new hedge fund was issuing its own digital tokens to reward and incentify AI contributors and now a venture firm is going to do an ICO (Initial Coin Offering) to raise money for a fund to invest in fintech startups. Blockchain Capital is looking to raise $50M by partly issuing its own digital tokens. See a trend beginning? This way of raising capital is going to profoundly change capital markets if it continues (say bye bye “penny stocks”)
Blockchain Capital, which backs start-ups that use the technology best known for supporting bitcoin, plans to raise a new $50 million fund partly by issuing its own digital tokens, becoming the first venture fund to do so.
The San Francisco-based company seeks to raise a portion of its third blockchain fund through an initial coin offering, or ICO, of tokens and the larger part from traditional venture-capital investors who typically contribute a minimum, Managing Partner Brock Pierce, who is also chairman of the Bitcoin Foundation, said in an interview.
The ICO could take place “in the next month or two,” he said. The company will more fully describe the tokens, which are expected to trade on secondary markets, in an upcoming offering memorandum, which will be issued through TokenHub in about a month. The company is talking with several exchanges but hasn’t confirmed which it will go with.
Up to now, ICOs have been limited to start-up entrepreneurs, who raised about $270 million last year from coin offerings and crowdfunding, according to blockchain researcher Smith & Crown. Their popularity isn’t surprising: Even small investors typically can afford a single coin. Buyers can trade them on secondary markets, instead of sticking around long term…..”
Read Full Article at Business-Standard


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Most UK businesses have no interest in or understanding of the government’s flagship “Brexit freedoms” plan to scrap EU regulations, according to a survey of bosses.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said nearly three-quarters of business executives were unaware of the government’s plans or did not know the details. Across all business sectors, about half of the survey of nearly 1,000 companies said deregulation was a low priority or no priority at all.
William Bain, head of trade policy at the BCC, which represents thousands of companies of all sizes across the country, said: “Companies have not asked for this bill, and as our research shows, they are not clamoring for a bonfire of regulation. because of it.
“They don’t want any deviation from EU regulations that would make it harder, more expensive or impossible to export their goods and services.”
Rishi Sunak’s government is under increasing pressure from business leaders, unions and political critics to repeal the EU’s Preserve Law, dubbed the Brexit freedom law.
The plan to remove a wide range of EU laws from the British legal code was a major policy reform introduced under the short-lived premiership of Liz Truss, promoted by her business secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The BCC said only 4% of companies fully understood the Brexit freedoms law and its possible impact on them. When asked which regulations they would keep, change or completely scrap, more than half (58%) said they had no preference.
The survey, first reported by the New Statesman, also asked companies whether deregulation was a priority for them in the areas of employment, health and safety, environment, planning and product safety regulations.
The results contrast sharply with comments from senior government officials who suggest widespread regulatory changes could help UK businesses and restart the UK economy.
The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, argued last week that “Brexit freedoms” could help pave the way for growth in key sectors. He compared the plans to Nigel Lawson’s ‘big bang’ city reforms in 1986, telling MPs on the Treasury Committee: ‘We have a huge Brexit opportunity to set our own rules.
“You can build long-term plans for growth sectors such as life sciences, technology and green industries, which will attract people to the UK, as we use our Brexit freedoms to make things happen with forward-looking regulatory structures that you can’t in other countries.”
Business groups have previously experienced tensions between their members’ views and leadership on Brexit. Ahead of the 2016 referendum, the BCC’s then director-general, John Longworth, was suspended after suggesting that Britain would be better off outside the EU, despite two-thirds of members favoring staying. Meanwhile, Lord Bamford, the chairman of JCB, withdrew his company’s membership of the CBI over the lobby group’s anti-Brexit stance.
The BCC said there was little appetite among businesses for UK rules to deviate significantly from EU regulations, warning that too many differences would increase business costs at a time when businesses were already grappling with high inflation and other trade barriers with the EU.
The UK copied EU laws to facilitate its formal exit from the EU on January 31, 2020. According to the bill, several thousand EU laws would automatically expire by the end of 2023 unless they had already been revised, amended, renewed or deleted.
The BCC urged ministers to extend the deadline for the bill to the end of 2026 to allow more time for consultations with businesses.
William Bain said: “The most important thing is that businesses and government need to focus on the pressing issues we are facing right now. With a tough 12 months ahead, we cannot afford to take away resources that companies need to stay afloat in the coming year.”


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You can now explore a 2,500 year old shipwreck
Greece has opened its first underwater museum off the coast of Alonissos. Attendees can explore the remains of an Athenian merchant ship by sea or by virtual reality.
1 day ago - CNN
The abandoned town in Cyprus where celebrities used to frolic
The Cypriot town was abandonded in 1974 due to ongoing conflicts between Greece and Turkey but it may open its doors again to tourists
4 days ago - Mail Online
Crewed Yacht Charters In Greece: Destinations With Private Airports
Travel plans for many have been turned on their head this year due to COVID-19, but as borders begin to open up, we look at the best and easiest places to head on a crewed...
12 days ago - Luxury Travels
Southern Europe Opens Its Doors to Tourists. Not Many Are Coming
Most tourist beds are empty in Spain's Canary Islands. Bookings are down in Italy despite government incentives. And ferries to the Greek islands are carrying less than half...
16 days ago - NY Times
From passport applications to holiday refunds, the Holiday Guru solves traveller queries
The Holiday Guru is always on call to answer your questions. This week issues tackled include holiday refunds, passport applications and booking hotels in Greece.
17 days ago - Mail Online
Celestyal, Fred. Olsen pick up Carnival Corp. ships
Greece's Celestyal Cruises bought Costa Cruises' NeoRomantica, and U.K.-based Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines purchased two Holland America Line ships.
19 days ago - Travel Weekly
News: easyJet expands summer schedule across Europe
The airline will resume flying to more summer destinations from the UK, including across Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, Greece, Montenegro, Croatia, the Balearics and the Canary...
19 days ago - Breaking Travel News
Small Travel Umbrellas That You Can Bring Everywhere
There's nothing worse than being saddled with a bulky umbrella when you've got a full day of museums, restaurants and sights to see ahead of you. Full-size umbrellas also take...
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Focus: Tips for sailing holidays in Greece
Greece is the most attractive and most popular yacht charter venue in the world. It is the perfect country for Bareboat Sailing Holidays. Greece boasts of over 3,000 islands...
22 days ago - Breaking Travel News
6 Top Destinations in Europe
From breathtaking architecture to cultural heritage, natural beauty and nightlight, Europe has it all. Here are 6 top destinations in Europe to visit.
24 days ago - Go World Travel
The headlines of Very International People
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An annual event in Wisconsin is under scrutiny after photos and videos showing large crowds surfaced over the weekend on social media.
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A park guest posted a video of a log flume boat sinking under water at Disney World's Splash Mountain.


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Billingsgate Market in London said its 42 traders had seen demand rise for alternatives to cod, salmon and tuna like coley, pollack and mackerel following the launch of Channel 4's Fish season last week.
Tesco said following the coverage, led by chefs Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Jamie Oliver, Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay, it sold between 25pc and 45pc more "fresh sardines, coley, brown crab, whiting and sprats" compared with the week before.
Marks & Spencer said it had its biggest ever week of fish sales, up 25pc on the same week last year and it expected to sustain the rise this week. "Line-caught tuna with soy and ginger dressing" was up 94pc, it said.
Sainsbury's recorded a 12pc increase in pre-packed fish and a 7pc rise at its fish counters. Pollock, an alternative to cod, was up 167pc, it said. Independent fishmongers also saw a spike in demand.
Steve Herbert, who runs WJ Herbert & Sons in north London with his brother Graham and father William, said: "Lots of people have been coming up asking about the TV show. There's been a hell of a lot more coley sold. That had been dropping off."
Other alternatives like monkfish and turbot were too expensive for most customers, he added.
He said he had catered for surges in demand in the past, most notably during the BSE disease crisis that peaked in 1992. "We have seen a rise in sales after TV shows before as well and then it drops away," he said.
Don Tyler, chairman of the London Fish Merchants Association, said: "Retailers I have spoken to have had a very, very good week. There's no doubt that the publicity has led the public to be more adventurous."
He added: "We were very concerned about the publicity over fish getting thrown overboard but the campaign has attracted favourable attention to the trade."


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VAI Reinforces Company Success with Record-Breaking Conference Attendance in 2018
Ronkonkoma, N.Y. - December 18, 2018 - VAI, a leading ERP software developer, announced that it has experienced record-breaking conference attendance and unprecedented year-end activity to close a banner year in 2018. This activity is attributed to increased customer interest in the company’s cloud-based offerings, analytics, and mobile-optimized applications, and a comprehensive suite of business solutions. In its 40th year of business, VAI has seen substantial growth in its global clientele, employee base, and expanding product line, while also earning multiple industry recognitions and collaborating with strategic partners to enhance its software technology.
VAI continues to focus on and invest in its cloud-based solutions with the launch of S2K Marketing Cloud Powered by ActiveCampaign, and with the expansion of its cloud data center in 2018, VAI has shown that its cloud-based technology continues to be a top priority for its customers. VAI also released the 6.1 upgrade for its flagship S2K Enterprise ERP solution, featuring a simplified user interface and the addition of new efficiencies to S2K Warehouse, S2K Suggested Purchasing, S2K Mobile, and S2K Analytics applications. These solutions offer customers scalability, and also play a part in making VAI’s technology truly comprehensive to meet its customers’ unique business needs.
“Each year, we focus on the various needs of our customers by developing new solutions that truly encompass all aspects of their business and provide unparalleled support,” said Bob Vormittag Sr., founder and CEO of VAI. “With the addition of new partnerships in 2018, such as SAP Concur, Vertex Inc., and ActiveCampaign, we continue to tailor our various solutions to meet our customers’ evolving business challenges. As a result, customers have further increased efficiencies and have shown tremendous satisfaction with the ability to choose the solutions that best meet their business needs.”
In 2018, VAI saw an increase in mobile technology adoption from long-term and new customers alike, particularly in VAI’s S2K Mobile Warehouse and Order Processing solutions. These offerings allow customers to leverage inexpensive mobile devices in the warehouse, conduct work in the field, and gain access to real-time data through the cloud, ultimately saving precious time and resources.
VAI was recognized by various industry leaders for its commitment to advancing enterprise technology:
- Food Logistics named VAI’s Vice President of R&D, Food Division to its Food Logistics Champions: Rock Stars of the Supply Chain
- CRN named VAI to its 2018 Solution Provider 500 List
- Supply & Demand Chain Executive selected VAI’s CIO as a 2018 Pros to Know
In addition to overall growth as a company, VAI’s employee base grew by 10 percent and its global customer base grew across all verticals in the distribution, manufacturing, and retail industries. Reaching a decade’s worth of being a cloud provider in 2019, VAI anticipates further growth and product advancements in 2019.
VAI is a leading independent mid-market ERP software developer renowned for its flexible solutions and ability to automate critical business functions for the distribution, manufacturing, retail, and service sectors. VAI's software solutions are backed by a wealth of experience and a reputation for excellence that countless companies rely on. With specific ERP solutions for Hard Goods, Food, and Pharmaceutical companies, VAI has helped some of the most recognized companies address key industry requirements and deliver bottom-line results. VAI continues to innovate with new solutions that leverage analytics, business intelligence, mobility, and cloud technology to help customers make more informed business decisions and empower their mobile workforce. VAI is headquartered in Ronkonkoma, NY, with branch offices located in Florida, Illinois, and California. For more information, visit www.vai.net, follow @VAISoftware on Twitter, vai_software on Instagram, and “like us” on facebook.com/VAISoftware.
For more information, please contact:


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Just last month, a 50-year-old ban on the U.S. import of many Italian salumi was lifted. The ban was initially instituted to protect Americans from swine vesicular disease, but the once-prohibited cured meats were declared safe for consumption in May.
As foodies everywhere eagerly await the arrival of delicious Italian pancetta and salami, we decided to scope out what other foods remain restricted in the United States.
Your local market’s stinky cheeses got nothin’ on casu marzu, a Sardinian sheep-milk cheese that’s literally infested with live maggots. It’s actually considered unsafe to eat when the larvae have died, so get it while it’s fresh, people!
Casu marzu is made by leaving Pecorino cheeses outside and allowing cheese flies to lay eggs inside of it. Once the eggs hatch and the cheese becomes soft — even liquid in some parts — it’s time to chow down!
Why it’s banned: According to Travel & Leisure, the live maggots can actually burrow into your stomach lining and cause vomiting, diarrhea and serious cramps.
Named for its four main ingredients — caffeine, alcohol, taurine and guarana — Four Loko hit the U.S. market in 2005 and gradually became the drink of choice for many partiers who craved both the energy and buzz it offered.
Why it’s banned: The product earned a bad rap over the following years, with a group of U.S. state attorneys general accusing the company in 2009 of marketing the drinks to teens and expressing concern that the caffeine effects masked the feeling of intoxication. The Food and Drug Administration finally sent warning letters to four manufacturers of caffeinated alcohol beverages in 2010, insisting they change the formulations. Four Loko released a reformulated version of its drink — containing no caffeine, taurine or guarana — in December 2010.
“Raw milk” — which many proponents have dubbed “real milk” — is the unpasteurized, unhomogenized version of what you see at your local grocery. Currently, 28 states do not prohibit the sale of raw milk.
Why it’s banned: John Sheehan, director of the FDA’s Division of Dairy and Egg Safety, compared eating raw milk or raw milk products to “playing Russian roulette with your health.” The pasteurization process is credited with significantly lowering the number of milkborne disease outbreaks due to pathogens like salmonella and E. coli. On the other hand, advocates argue that raw milk contains enzymes and other substances that can benefit one’s health but can’t survive the pasteurization process.
Considered the national dish of Scotland, haggis is a pudding — not the sweet, after-dinner kind — made of the heart, liver and lungs of sheep. The meat is minced with oatmeal, onion and spices, encased in the sheep’s stomach lining — or, more likely today, a sausage casing — and cooked for about three hours.
Why it’s banned: Haggis has been prohibited in the United States for more than 40 years due to one ingredient: sheep’s lung. Despite Scotland’s attempts — the Scottish regional government even invited USDA officials to come taste the real thing — the U.S. has remained stubborn on the issue, most likely concerned about bacteria in this type of offal.
This pricey delicacy has divided food lovers across the country because of the way it’s produced. Foie gras is a fancy term for cooked duck or goose liver and is made by force-feeding the animals until their livers enlarge to about 600% their natural size.
Why it’s banned: Though not federally banned, the sale of foie gras was prohibited in California by a piece of legislation known as SB 1520 that went into effect on July 1, 2012. As you may have guessed, the reasoning behind this law was the inhumane process of producing the food. However, various media outlets have reported some California restaurants are continuing to serve the delicacy in protest.


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UK’s biggest collaborative approach to recycling on-the-go arrives in Swansea, the second UK city to join the nationwide campaign backed by industry giants.
Following on from the success of the pioneering #LeedsByExample campaign which saw on-the-go recycling rates increase from 17% to 32% in just six months, brightly coloured bins and a huge art installation are now appearing in Swansea city centre.
Swansea #InTheLoop is a five-month pilot scheme with the aim of increasing levels of recycling of plastic packaging, cans, glass bottles and coffee cups across the city. As the second city to join the movement, Swansea will be joined by Edinburgh later this year.
Whilst Wales ranks second in the world for recycling at home, with figures showing that 63% of general waste collected by local authorities is reusable, recyclable or compostable, on-the-go recycling is still an area that can be improved. This is indicative of a wider problem with on-the-go recycling, with less than half of local authorities across the UK providing on-the-go recycling facilities.
A range of new measures to improve on-the-go recycling
Swansea #InTheLoop will see a range of measures designed to increase on-the-go recycling, including new look bins across the city centre and new recycling points in local offices, shopping centres, universities, hospitals and transport hubs. An art installation of a giant wave made of recycled plastics has also been created by South Wales eco-artist Wren Miller to raise awareness of the issue.
A central focus of the campaign will be to improve public access and awareness of coffee cup recycling. Cups can be recycled and a number of coffee shops in Swansea will now offer in-store recycling, regardless of the brand of cup people bring in. To help increase cup recycling rates, Swansea City Council will also introduce new bright orange bins in the city centre to collect coffee cups.
The UK's biggest collaborative approach
The #InTheLoop initiative – which is the UK’s biggest collaborative approach to boost recycling on-the-go – is being backed by Starbucks, Ecosurety, Asda, Bunzl, Caffè Nero, Coca-Cola GB, Costa Coffee, Danone - owners of the evian and Volvic brands, Highland Spring Group, Innocent Drinks, Lucozade Ribena Suntory, Marks & Spencer, McDonald’s, Nestlé, Pret a Manger and Shell.
The Swansea campaign is also being supported by local partners, who collaboratively have made the initiative possible. As well as Swansea City Council, these include the Environment Centre, Swansea University and Keep Wales Tidy – pioneers of the Love Wales recycling initiative.
James Piper, CEO of Ecosurety commented "We are absolutely thrilled to see that the legacy of #LeedsByExample extends far beyond the improvements made to that one city. The #InTheLoop movement that is kicking off in Swansea is testament to the power of collaboration by major producers and stakeholders."
"We look forward to seeing the results from every new city that joins #InTheLoop as each presents a unique set of challenges and objectives."
Take recycling a step further
Gavin Ellis, Co-founder and Director of Hubbub commented “We’re really excited to see our second on-the-go recycling initiative introduced in Swansea. The impact our pilot campaign had on the city of Leeds far surpassed our expectations and with Wales already having an impressive track record on recycling, we are looking forward to seeing if the people of Swansea can take things a step further."
"Through our eye-catching bins, to the businesses taking part in raising awareness among their employees and customers, we will give residents and visitors to Swansea a better opportunity to recycle while out and about.”
Cllr Mark Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment & Infrastructure Management at Swansea Council commented “Recycling does not involve only recycling household waste in your own home. Clearly people consume items on the move while they are out and about."
"We already work with many local businesses in Swansea to provide commercial waste recycling services so businesses can recycle more in the workplace. Anything more that can be done to capture more waste for recycling and divert it away from landfill should be welcomed and taken advantage of.”
Philip McDonnell, Manager of the Environment Centre, Swansea commented “We see through our public engagement activities and environmental projects how keen people in Swansea are to do the right thing, so it’s great that Swansea #InTheLoop gives everyone the opportunity to recycle more when they’re out and about. We hope that residents and visitors alike will get involved, as the combined small actions of each individual can add up to create a big change.”
If you would like to find out more about how you can support the #InTheLoop initiative, please contact our team.
Marketing projects specialist
Ben joined the team at the beginning of 2015 and helps drive marketing communications and projects for Ecosurety, including project managing the launch of the Ecosurety Exploration Fund and website content development.


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According to The Times, a supplier then owned by Walgreen Boots Alliance, BCM Specials, charged extortionate amounts to the health service for 500ml tubs of skin cream in 2016.
A swathe of similar cases has been revealed whereby the NHS has been charged excessive prices for drugs dubbed “specials” which are often available elsewhere for a fraction of the price.
Specials are custom-made treatments for patients requiring non-standard medications, and their prices are unregulated, allowing the supplier to dictate their price.
This leads to the NHS paying varying prices for the same products from different suppliers.
In October 2016, it allegedly paid £45.47 for preservative-free eye drops to Unichem, another wholesaler owned by Boots.
A larger quantity of the same product was reportedly bought for £1 at a different time, though Boots disputed this figure.
These are reportedly a drop in the ocean and the exploitation of the loophole in price regulation is understood to be rife.
Walgreen Boots Alliance has denied the allegations, stating that it complied with all regulations.
A spokeswoman told The Times: “Specials are unique items ordered at short notice. They are made by highly trained technicians in dedicated laboratories in the UK that source ingredients, produce and quality-check often on the same day, and as a single item.
“This process incurs high overheads, reflected in the final cost, which is set in line with the sector to reflect the bespoke nature of the products.”
The British Association of Dermatologists chairwoman Deirdre Buckley said: “For many dermatology specials the ingredients aren’t expensive and it’s inexplicable why they cost so much.
SEE ALSO : Boots to launch in Korea
“It is not right. We have a duty to conserve the resources of the taxpayer so that the money is used to actually care for patients.”
The Department of Health and Social Care said that from April the law will be changed to put suppliers and pharmacies under greater scrutiny.
(Source: Retail Gazette )


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Side-scroll through Mailchimp’s illustrated world of facts from 2020
In its annual report, readers journey through brightly coloured high streets, offices and stores led by an animated guide, to discover some enlightening stats about the year gone by.
- Jenny Brewer
- 16 December 2020
It’s the time of year for retrospective lookbacks, and Mailchimp has forgone the traditional static annual report, instead creating a vibrant and immersive illustrated world peppered with stats about 2020. Titled Against All Odds, the report created by the company’s in-house illustrators, designers and writers reflects on a tumultuous year via a side-scrolling interactive platform, which users traverse together with a cute animated character. The whole report is set in Mailchimp’s brand typeface Means.
The character walks through brightly coloured offices, high streets, stores and more, drifting off and impatiently tapping his foot if you linger for too long. Here, users can explore the world and its many fascinating statistics from 2020. For example 333,635,013,935 emails were sent by Mailchimp customers in 2020; while 14,606 new users across 178 countries signed up for the marketing platform every weekday. As you come across certain ‘districts’ in the illustrated world, the character expands on certain details in the report, acting as your guide.
Earlier this year, Mailchimp acquired London-based media company Courier, including its bi-monthly magazine and newspaper, making its first move into print. This pops up in the report presented aptly via a newsstand, brandished with stats about its year in review, such as the fact it published 157 articles and 90 podcast episodes, and revealing which of those articles were among the most read.
Overall, the report is split between insights into Mailchimp itself and its small business customers. It dedicates entire buildings in the illustrated world to specific companies such as New Belgium Brewing and pottery manufacturer East Fork, surveying their year gone by. The report also focuses on its customers’ and its own philanthropic efforts during the pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement. For example, East Fork raised $262,800 for eight western North Carolina causes during Covid. Meanwhile the report also states that Mailchimp committed $1.1 million to 19 organisations advancing racial equality, and provides links to some of those organisations for further support.
Explore the full report here.
GalleryMailchimp: Against All Odds (Copyright © Mailchimp, 2020)
Mailchimp: Against All Odds (Copyright © Mailchimp, 2020)


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A survey by analytics firm Canalys shows that global sales of electric vehicles increased by 39% in 2020. As a result, the electric sector has reached the mark of 3.1 million units sold worldwide.
The result is considered extremely surprising to analysts. That’s because the overall car market dropped 14% in 2020.
“In a difficult year for the automotive industry like 2020, the strong demand for trams has been a really bright spot. This will continue worldwide in 2021, despite the economically adverse conditions ”, says Chris Jones, chief analyst at Canalys.
The document shows that trams represent almost 5% of new car sales in 2020. For 2021, the number is expected to exceed 7% worldwide. An additional 66% growth to exceed 5 million units sold.
The survey projects that the number of sales of trams is expected to increase to 30 million a year by 2028. Analysts also predict that they will represent almost half of all cars sold globally by 2030.
“Rapid growth will continue as more electric vehicles are launched and governments will define and maintain policies to stimulate the production and sale of these models,” says Sandy Fitzpatrick, vice president of Canalys.
China and Europe as the main markets
According to Canalys’ research, about 1.3 million electric vehicles were sold in China and Europe alone in 2020. This is four times more than the number of sales in the United States.
“Electric sales represent only 2.4% of new cars sold in the USA. Even the policies of a more supportive American government will not change things overnight, ”says Jones.


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President Trump continues his pointless campaign against Colin Kaepernick.
On Tuesday Trump called Nike’s new ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick a “terrible message,” one day after the shoe and apparel company rolled out the advertisements.
Kap’s face was front and center with a quote “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt”. The message to believe in something obviously has the President in his feelings.
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 3, 2018
“I think it’s a terrible message that they’re sending and the purpose of them doing it, maybe there’s a reason for them doing it,” Trump told the Daily Caller, “but I think as far as sending a message, I think it’s a terrible message and a message that shouldn’t be sent. There’s no reason for it.”
Trump tried to clarify his stance. “It is what this country is all about, that you have certain freedoms to do things that other people think you shouldn’t do, but I personally am on a different side of it” said Trump.
What is there to be on the other side of? Let us know what you think.


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The economy may be sluggish, but for small publishers and independently published authors, the news is very positive. My blog post last week on “Self-Publishing has Become Main Stream” reported that 40% of all books published in 2012 were self-published. Today’s post is full of more good news for you.
BISG’s latest Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading study (the study BISG is discontinuing at the end of this year) found that readers are interested in paying more for ebooks if they got more in return. The study found:
- Consumers are very interested in “bundling” print and digital versions of a book, with 48% of survey respondents willing to pay more for bundles.
- Just over half of survey respondents would pay more for an ebook if it could be given away or re-sold.
- Consumers do not distinguish between ebooks published by traditional houses and independently published options when making buying decisions.
While there is not much small publishers and independently published authors can do about making it easier to give away ebooks or allow readers to resell ebooks, the other findings from the study are actually good news for those who produce books.
This study showed that almost half of the respondents were willing to pay more for a bundle—buying both a print and ebook together. That means you should be offering this option to your potential customers. Offer the print book alone, the ebook alone, and a bundle of the two together. Also, make use of Amazon’s new Matchbook service to sell bundles via Amazon.
If you are unfamiliar with Amazon’s new Matchbook service, you can do the research and find out for yourself—or better yet, just join Christian Small Publishers Association (CSPA). CSPA’s member publishers were informed all about Matchbook and how to access and use the service when it was launched. Join now and you can use our article index to find out about this new resource.
The other really good news in BISG’s ebook study was that the study found that customers do not tend to distinguish between traditional houses and independently published options when making buying decisions. We can conclusively say that there is little sigma left in self-publishing. Hoorah!


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[Funding alert] Fintech startup Nium raises equity round from new investors Visa, BRI Ventures
Global fintech startup(InstaReM earlier) announced that it has raised a new round of equity funding, joined by new investors Visa and BRI Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Bank BRI of Indonesia.
Nium said it will be using the funds to further build its diversified payment infrastructure offering that includes outreach to consumers, SMEs, large enterprises as well as banks and financial institutions. The newly raised corpus will be largely directed towards product development and tuck-in acquisitions that compress time to market, the company added in release. For the latter, Nium will also focus on vertical expertise in markets like Europe, India, UK, and the US.
Prajit Nanu, CEO and Co-Founder of Nium, said,
“We are interested in tech infrastructure players with capabilities in issuance, local payment rails etc, which complement our own and can help us ship faster in markets we are bullish on.”
Nium is a global financial technology platform redefining the way consumers and businesses send, spend and receive funds across borders. It is currently licensed in Japan, Indonesia, EU, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, India, and Singapore, and claims to operate in over 90 countries, 65 in real-time, and in 63 currencies. Formerly known as InstaReM, the company rebranded into Nium in October last year.
As part of its own consumer and SME remittance offering (InstaReM) and remittance as-a-service capabilities, the startup claims that it now reaches millions of customers across 10 licensed jurisdictions with Japan and Indonesia being the latest additions. On the enterprise front, the company serves clients across six continents. Through a fully micro-service driven model, Nium solves inefficiencies that plague traditional payment processes across industries like eCommerce, large corporates to SMEs, from services such as payroll disbursement to travel and expenses management etc.
“Nium and Visa’s collaboration began in early 2019 when Nium joined the Visa Fintech Fast Track program in Asia Pacific. We’ve worked together on new commerce experiences like instant remittances for consumers and businesses in Southeast Asia,” said Chris Clark, Regional President, Asia Pacific, Visa.
"We have been working closely with Nium since their InstaReM days when they were processing consumer remittance, and are excited to witness their growth as they expand their service offerings to include financial institutions and corporates. The potential of financial technology is limitless and we look forward to supporting Nium on their path of growth as they expand their presence into Indonesia and beyond,” shared Nicko Widjaja, Chief Executive Officer of BRI Ventures.
Nium previously raised a total of $61 million in funding, which includes the closing of its Series C round at $41 million in March 2019.
Edited by Javed Gaihlot


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New anti-monopoly rules announced by China over the weekend — but that’s not likely to have much impact on the market for now, according to one market observer. “The new regulation is still, you know, slightly sketchy in details,” Hao Hong, managing director and head of research at Bank of Communications International, told on Monday.
China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has tightened restrictions on China’s internet giants such as Alibaba and Meituan, and introduced new guidelines on Sunday to curb monopolistic behavior. The new rules formalize a draft that was released months earlier.
Still, the development appeared to have little impact on stocks of China’s internet giants, with most of them still in positive territory by Monday afternoon in Hong Kong: Tencent was up 0.82%, Meituan jumped 1.54% and JD.com gaining 1.14%. Only Alibaba bucked the trend, dipping by about 0.16%.
Monday’s market moves were in sharp contrast to the volatility seen in November, when Hong Kong-listed shares of China’s tech giants plummeted after the regulator’s initial announcement. Billions of dollars in market value were wiped out after the anti-trust guidelines were first proposed.
Hong said the market needs time to digest the details of the latest anti-monopoly guidelines, adding that China’s internet giants have been operating for years and already have “very solid” market positions. “The regulation, you know, is starting with a very good intention,” Hong said. “The actual fact is that … the market position … of these big internet platforms are very difficult to encroach for now.”
While Hong acknowledged that the new rules will “make it easier for the smaller guys to grow,” he also added that a lot of the large internet players, like Alibaba and Tencent, have also “put their own money into many of the internet startups.”
Some noted examples of such investments include Alibaba’s stake in financial technology giant Ant Group and Tencent’s backing of short video firm Kuaishou, which saw strong investor interest on Friday during its $5 billion public listing in Hong Kong.


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Facebook has announced the launch of Marketplace, a convenient destination where people can discover, buy and sell items from others in their local communities in Nigeria.
Previously available in South Africa, Ethiopia and Kenya, Nigeria joins the growing list of countries where people can simply tap on the Marketplace icon or visit www.facebook.com/marketplace to browse and search for items, sort based on distance or category.
Commenting on this new development, the Head of Public Policy for Anglophone West Africa, Mrs Adaora Ikenze said, “The launch of Marketplace in Nigeria further highlights our ongoing efforts in helping to boost buying and selling in Nigeria and connecting communities.
“This comes at a crucial time as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact people and businesses, and with many people buying and selling on Facebook, this will provide people with a convenient destination where they can discover new products, shop for things they want or find buyers for the things they are ready to part with.”
According to the social media giant, “When a seller lists an item on Marketplace, they create a public listing that can be seen by anyone on Facebook. This includes people on Marketplace, News Feed, Facebook search, Facebook Groups or search engines. Sellers can simply take a photo of an item, enter a product name, description and price, confirm their location, select a category, and post.”
Facebook explained that buying and selling responsibly on its marketplace include “Commerce Policy: Items, products or services sold on Facebook must comply with our Community Standards, as well as the Commerce Policies.
It also explained that sellers and merchants who use the service are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations.
“Verify the item: For high-value items (example: watches, luxury bags), consider requesting a certificate of authenticity or proof of purchase. If you’re not satisfied with an item’s condition or have doubts about its authenticity, you can decline to complete the purchase.
“If the seller offers to ship the item rather than exchanging it in person, keep in mind that you may not have the opportunity to verify the item before completing your purchase.
“Meet in a public location: If you are meeting, ensure this is in a public place. Don’t invite buyers or sellers into your home. Before going to the agreed location, tell a family member or a friend the exact location where you will meet, bring your cell phone, and consider asking another adult to come with you.
“If the value of the item you intend to buy or sell requires a significant amount of cash, you might consider using a person-to-person payment method. Please follow local guidelines for how to stay healthy and help prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) while buying and selling.
“Use cash, COD, or person-to-person payment methods: Buyers and sellers may offer or accept cash, Cash on Delivery (COD) or person-to-person (P2P) payments. If you choose to pay electronically using bank transfer or money order solutions, avoid payment links and log in directly through the payment method’s website.
“Keep in mind that personal checks or bank drafts can be counterfeit. Transactions are between the buyer and seller only, and no third-party guarantee should be involved.”


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Head over to our on-demand library to view sessions from VB Transform 2023. Register Here
Creatio, headquarted in Boston and founded in 2013, has carved out a niche among the competitive global enterprise software market by offering a customer relationship management (CRM) platform built around the idea of letting users easily deploy apps and automations. Its no-code approach means you or your company admin don’t need extensive software or computer science experience or even training — simply select the apps offering the capabilities you need, hook up your data, and you’re off to the races.
Now, the company is hoping to stand out even further as the CRM-of-choice for businesses of all sizes by releasing a new update to its platform: Quantum, which offers customers a completely “composable” experience for designing and deploying CRM apps.
The Quantum update means that not only can Creatio’s customers deploy hundreds of CRM apps with no code, they can do so with a simple drag-and-drop user interface, customizing even the apps themselves and what capabilities and functions they offer.
“What this means is that when using complex apps and products, you can take these elements and components, and you design the app you actually need,” said Katherine Kostereva, Creatio’s CEO, in an exclusive video call interview with VentureBeat.
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Creatio also integrates with more than 600 existing outside applications through its Marketplace, including popular solutions such as DocuSign, Workday, and SAP.
Futureproofing clients with composable no-code app architecture
Among Creatio’s 700 clients in more than 100 countries around the world are Hershey’s Ice Cream, Virgin Media/O2, Pacific Western, and many more in banking, finance, retail and other industries.
Little wonder market research firm Gartner has put Creatio among its top CRM providers in its annual “magic quadrant,” especially in sales force automation — Kostereva says Gartner’s analysts value Creatio’s “creation with technology so much.”
Kostereva pulled up a demo of Creatio Studio with the Quantum update running for VentureBeat, showing how a sales team could create different applications — and only those they needed — for example, apps for lead and opportunity management.
“Each and every element that you see here, every draw box, every timeline, like every element on the screen was not coded,” Kostereva narrated. “Nothing is coded on the screen — this whole screen was built by a no code creator — using components and blocks that they combined together.”
Futhermore, Kostereva firmly believes Creatio’s approach with Quantum is the correct one for futureproofing both itself and its clients.
“Composable no-code, in 10 years ,is going to be a status-quo for the enterprise market,” Kostereva told VentureBeat. “This is the only type of the platform that enterprises will be using.”
Yet right now, “literally no one on the enterprise software market is doing anything like it,” Kostereva told VentureBeat.
What the advent of generative AI in enterprise means for no code
With surveys showing most enterprises already experimenting with generative AI — tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude 2 or even open source or specialized models that can automatically produce text, imagery, video and other content based on their algorithms interpretations of training data — how does Creatio plan to cater to this burgeoning trend?
“Generative AI is embedded into Creatio through the Quantum update,” said Kostevera.
Specifically, generative AI integrations allow a Creatio user to simply type a description of an app they want to have deployed in their CRM stack, and Creatio will go about building it through the Quantum update.
This takes no-code to the next level: now, users don’t even have to do the manual process of selecting the features and capabilities they want and dragging them into the Creatio Studio app maker screen — they can just ask the AI to build the app for them and it will do so.
“You can put the description out there as to what kind of application or what kind of solution you have in mind, and that’s it,” Kostevera said. “Creatio will build this product or application for you.”
In addition, she noted that Creatio continues to support the reporting and compliance needs of its customers — including with regulations such as GDPR and HIPPA in the U.S. — and offers tools for auditing.
Creatio offers a “governance app” built directly into its software platform to help customers comply and track their compliance.
VentureBeat’s mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.


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Coca Cola UK truck tour cancelled for 2020 due to pandemic
The iconic Coca-Cola truck tour has become the latest annual event to fall foul of the coronavirus pandemic. The soft drinks company has announced that for the first time since its UK journey began in 2010 the Coca-Cola truck will not be touring this year. The bright red truck is famous for its appearances in its ‘Holidays are Coming’ adverts and has become almost as famous as Santa Claus himself – with hundreds of people flocking to take a picture with the vehicle every year and snap up a sample.
The 32ft, 10-wheel machine first appeared on our screens in the winter months of 1995 showing a fleet of twinkling Coca-Cola trucks making their way across a snowy landscape. The advert is yet to air on TV this year with many saying that Christmas can’t really begin until they’ve seen it. Under normal circumstances the Coca-Cola truck visits more than 40 locations up and down the UK every year and usually starts touring at the end of November.
A spokeswoman for the company said: “In light of further Covid-19 restrictions announced around the country and in line with Government guidelines, unfortunately, we can’t go ahead with our annual Coca-Cola Christmas Truck Tour this year. “We know this will be disappointing for many people, but our priority is the safety of our consumers and employees. “We really look forward to welcoming people back next year when the Truck Tour returns.”
However, this isn’t the first time we’ve had to go without a visit from the famous truck in the region.
(C) Sallie Ehlen The Coca Cola truck at Cheshire Oaks
In 2017 and in 2019 the truck failed to cross the border into Wales and last year only travelled as close as the Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet Village at Ellesmere Port, much to the disappointment of North Wales fans.
The company cited being “unable to visit every country in the UK” as their reason.
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FINAT will hold its annual conference this year in Paris, France, the site of its first conference 50 years ago. The theme of this year’s conference is “Rendezvous with the Future,” and it will take a close look at the future of decoration technologies and pressure sensitive labeling. The conference will also examine FINAT’s history and current status.
At the conference, delegates will hear about the state of the industry in France in the context of European label market developments, which in turn will be put into the macro economic perspective.
FINAT and its co-host, UNFEA, the French label association, have secured a range of speakers including label industry watchers Mike Fairley (Labels & Labeling) and Corey Reardon (AWA Alexander Watson); packaging specialists Robert Opie (Museum of Packaging) and Frans Boumans (ING Bank); and association leaders Jan Frederik Vink (FINAT president), Dominique Durant des Aulnois (UNFEA president) and Jules Lejeune (FINAT director). These experts, well known to the label industry, will be complemented by external keynote speakers Marc Touati (ACDEFI), Ben Bensaou (INSEAD) and Cathy O’Dowd.
Also, the program will feature as its moderator innovation specialist Hans van Grieken (Capgemini), while Mans Lejeune, the former FINAT secretary-general and the association’s historian, will introduce the FINAT 50th Anniversary Book commemorating the occasion.


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5 Simple Techniques For CPAP Supplies in San Diego CA 92127
H2o left for extended periods may well boost germs advancement. Steer clear of using drinking water in the tap; this will frequently leave mineral deposits on the inside from the drinking water tub. Some products of CPAPs provide cleanable tubs that should last longer with good servicing.
Besides our offer record, we also have an extras website page that contains cleaning supplies and journey extras to accompany essential supplies. All goods are suitable for Free Shipping, and therefore are supplied at the lowest allowable costs, creating resupply effortless and reasonably priced.
CPAP Supplies in San Diego, California 92127
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