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© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and Nutritional Outlook. All rights reserved.
Navigating the branded-ingredient partnership
What’s in a name? To hear suppliers of branded ingredients tell it, you might think it’s the key to a supplement’s very success. And while that may overstate the case by half, there’s no denying that nutritional ingredients with a recognizable brand name bring a lot to the table-not the least being their enthusiastic suppliers, who offer everything from premarket concept development to postmarket support.
But the benefits of branding don’t come without conditions. Hitching your own brand to that of your supplier means entering into a professional and legal relationship that requires extraordinary give and take. “The strength of a successful formulation comes down to the partnership between the branded-ingredient supplier and the supplement marketer,” says Shaheen Majeed, marketing director, Sabinsa (East Windsor, NJ). “A clear understanding of the marketer’s expectations and the deliverables for the ingredient supplier is necessary to walk this tightrope.”
What’s in It for Suppliers
It’s a balancing act more manufacturers are attempting as they turn to the branding advantage in a crowded marketplace. And at the topline level, their expectations run from “finding the best in quality to easing movement in the market and being well noticed among other brands,” Majeed says.
The branded-ingredient supplier, on the other hand, wants “a reasonable margin on the profits from the formulator,” he continues, as well as the visibility that comes from being the marquee player in a commercial supplement. “Ingredients get noticed more widely with more formulations on the market using them,” Majeed says. “An ingredient supplier knows that his brand gains recognition only when he finds the right supplement marketer to carry it forward.”
It’s in narrowing down those candidates that the supplier/manufacturer relationship dynamics really come into play. David Hart, vice president of marketing, Qualitas Health (Jerusalem, Israel), whose algal-source EPA-rich omega-3 oil branded as Almega PL debuted in its first commercial launches late last year, looks for “strong cooperation and collaboration” with formulator and retail partners. Coordinating R&D, marketing, and supply-chain efforts while leveraging distribution channels and marketers’ retail audiences will all help expand the company’s market reach and provides stability for both parties, he says.
Laying the Groundwork
But stability is only the start of what supplement makers get from the deal. As the number of moving parts needed to put a product on the shelf multiplies apace, a branded-ingredient supplier can act as a sort of Virgil to its marketer-partner Dantes, guiding the marketer through the various circles of development as they travel toward the daylight of a full-scale launch.
In the absence of such a guide, contemporary supplement makers face a more complex commercialization task than they might be prepared to assume. As Majeed notes, just bringing an ingredient-let alone a finished product-to market is a Herculean feat. “It involves the selection of raw materials, innovation in process development, scientific validation, regulatory guidelines, formulation compatibility, and the creation of an image as an effective nutraceutical.” Determining safety and efficacy while making sure proper doses are practical in finished formulations is another “intellectual challenge” the supplier takes on, he says.
By dispatching all this groundwork before the marketer even enters the scene, a brand-focused supplier makes it easier for a marketer to “establish scientific parameters for a final product,” Majeed says. Simply defining nuts-and-bolts parameters like solubility profiles and optimal storage conditions “saves a huge amount of time for the marketer.”
Mike Bush, senior vice president, Ganeden Biotech Inc. (Mayfield Heights, OH), has probably saved his customer-partners years’ worth of toil. “We’ve literally worked with in excess of 1,000 companies worldwide,” he says. And in doing so, he and his company-known for its spore-forming probiotic Ganeden BC30 (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086)-have demonstrated that having a supplier with skin in the game subtracts significant guesswork from the development process.
For example, Bush says, marketers’ R&D staffs aren’t always as familiar with specialized functional ingredients as their suppliers are-and that’s particularly the case when the supplier is dedicated to promoting that specialized ingredient. As Bush puts it, “We’re a probiotic company and a biotechnology company, and that’s all we do.” So when his partners inquire about processing, temperature tolerance, cell viability, and the like, he’s ready with answers that “really cut lots of time off their cycles.”
Such was the case with The Cookie Department (Berkeley, CA), which uses Ganeden’s probiotics in its products. According to CEO Pam Marcus, “Any functional ingredient we use has to be able to take high heat and be baked without breaking down.” After collaborating on several test batches, lab tests, and formulation tweaks, they got the cookies’ probiotic dose just right and “were able to claim that by adding the probiotic, it could support digestive and immune health,” she says.
Giving suppliers this kind of inside peek at formulation details can be off-putting for marketers used to keeping such information under wraps. But when a supplier’s own reputation is inextricable from its brand’s, the marketer can rest assured that the supplier is looking out for the best interests of both parties and will share advice that’s candid, thorough, and honest. Carina Ayden, founder and executive director of EFFi Foods (Los Angeles)-another Ganeden partner-says “there is definitely an adjustment period as you become more trusting and dependent on your supplier, but there’s no mistaking the true value they can be as an asset to your company.” For example, when EFFi needed to find an organic carrier for its probiotic, Ganeden was able to “make that happen for us,” she says, leading her to conclude: “A supplier can make all the difference in the world.”
Even beyond the bench, branded-ingredient suppliers prove their value with marketing support and consumer outreach. Bush says that with some customers, his team is effectively “an extension of their marketing departments, so we’ll make media calls to help promote the products that they’re trying to promote themselves.”
He notes that a fringe benefit he’s seen accrue to his company’s marketer-partners is that working with a well-known branded ingredient like Ganeden’s has “made it much easier for them to get their products on shelves at retail”-where, not coincidentally, he says they sell.
Hart adds that his company’s “focused consumer marketing and outreach” aim to educate and “activate” consumers with programs that communicate the benefits of omega-3 supplements-and of Qualitas’s ingredient. “All of this creates value for the Almega PL brand and builds a win-win relationship with our partners,” he says. “At the end of the day, healthier and happier consumers are important for the retail brands, and we strive to provide them with support in all the areas they require.”
Rules of the Road
One more area to think about is that of safety and regulatory authorization. While never straightforward, it’s growing more convoluted as marketers set their sights on overseas markets. As Majeed points out, “Different parts of the globe follow different regulatory guidelines, and it would be a time-consuming task for a supplement marketer to get clearances from the various governing bodies. However, with a standardized ingredient supplier having received all the clearances themselves, the marketer is spared this process.”
Todd Johnson, director of marketing, Albion Minerals (Clearfield, UT), is keen to reassure his marketer-partners that Albion’s chelated minerals are made in the USA in cGMP, ISO 9001:2008, kosher, halal, and EFSA-compliant facilities. “Working with branded ingredients can help ensure quality, traceability, and regulatory compliance,” he says. “Formulating with proven branded ingredients helps manufacturers validate their high standards for sourcing and helps reinforce their commitment to quality.”
And how do you validate those high standards and commitment to quality-not to mention the actual functional benefits that a branded ingredient claims to deliver? By testing them. As Johnson says, “While branded ingredients are valuable, it’s essential to ensure that they’re backed by scientific evidence and research.” That’s why his company has collected more than 125 published research papers “pertaining to our properly chelated minerals, their absorption, and their effects on different body functions,” he says.
As Bush points out, “There’s a significant investment to bring these ingredients to market, and as part of that we want to make sure that the consumer understands that not only does this ingredient do what it’s supposed to do; it’s been well researched and studied and sets itself apart from others in the space, as well.”
He notes that it’s important to test the finished products that contain those ingredients. His company ran over 10,000 tests in its labs last year investigating everything from the effects of reformulation to quality of supplements already on shelves. And they’re sticklers about encouraging their partners to use qualified independent labs for their own release testing. “We’ve literally trained outside food labs on how to enumerate Ganeden BC30,” he says, adding that theirs was the first probiotic to get a United States Pharmacopeia monograph: “We actually published our enumeration and identification protocols” so that others could put them to the test.
Ganeden spot tests customers’ products, too, picking up items at stores and bringing them back to the lab to check that the numbers on the labels match the results of analysis. And he insists his customers appreciate it. If Ganeden uncovers a product below spec, it helps the marketer bring it back into line; alternatively, by alerting partners when it finds products above spec, it helps cut both inclusion rates and formulation costs.
Spot testing can also unmask “bad actors,” as Deanne Dolnick, vice president, Next Pharmaceuticals (Salinas, CA), explains. The company supplies a stress-reducing botanical ingredient branded as Relora, and when it found six years ago that a marketer was printing the Relora patent number on the label while including no apparent ingredient in the product itself, “we took this very seriously,” she says, “demanding that the product be taken off the shelves and restitution made.”
The response, she said, was in the interest of protecting consumers, which is a big part of what the brand advantage is about. As Bush says, “Launch one bad product,” and the blowback can be catastrophic. “We certainly don’t want one rogue company to go ruining that for everybody.”
Your End of the Bargain
Which, of course, brings us to the marketer’s end of the branded-ingredient bargain. Dolnick says that Next Pharmaceuticals requires its partners to sign a customer agreement establishing dosage requirements that “they must adhere to,” she emphasizes. Insisting on this provision “means that the manufacturer or marketer is going to be putting out an efficacious product” to the benefit of all. “We also require that our customers use our logos, trademarks, patent numbers, and so on,” she says, “to ensure that others don’t violate our trademarks and patents.”
Hart believes “we make it easy for customers to cobrand their products.” Qualitas uses a royalty-free trademark licensing agreement that spells out quality standards for any product that bears the Almega PL trademark. “This guarantees that the products including our branding are of the highest quality and enables our retail partners to be on a level playing field,” he says.
And who would argue with that? Apparently, not many supplement marketers. “We rarely get pushback,” Bush says. And if that pushback ever came to shove, he’d rather terminate the engagement than jeopardize the ingredient’s reputation or consumers’ trust.
Perhaps that’s because “the brand image that the ingredient carries speaks for itself,” Majeed points out, “particularly today when consumers have access to so much information right there in the store or on their smartphones.”
As occasional controversies roil the industry, that image assumes even greater gravity. “With the New York state attorney’s unprecedented actions and the resulting deluge of negative media coverage,” Majeed adds, alluding to the investigation of dietary supplements launched by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman this year, “now more than ever an emphasis on products with a track record of safety and efficacy is essential.”
Photo © iStockphoto.com/Warchi


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Tasty Indian Bistro is under construction on South Fraser Way in Abbotsford and it’s likely that the establishment will open sometime in 2024.
According to the restaurant’s website, the Abbotsford location will include a lounge, patio and private dining. They will also be offering delivery, takeout and reservations.
TIB currently has locations in Delta and Yaletown. The menu offers a number of options of Indian cuisine and they are known for their popular sauces which can be found at markets in Langley, North Vancouver and Vancouver.
The brand initially started off known as Tasty Sweets and Restaurant and was started by Avtar Saini, who moved to Canada with his family in 1994. Saini ran a chain of restaurants in India before arriving in Canada.
Saini wanted diners to enjoy his food and feel as though they are in the Taj Mahal while having a meal. He died in 2010, but his family is still involved in the business.
It was previously reported that the Abbotsford location was to have opened in 2020, but it’s likely that planning and construction had to be delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information, visit tastybistro.ca.

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By Logan Dubel
The Jellyfish Festival will return to Ocean City, Maryland to close out the busy tourism season over Labor Day weekend, September 4 and 5. From craft beer, live entertainment, sports, and shopping, the Jellyfish Festival promises to serve as the grand finale of the summer.
The Jellyfish Festival made its Ocean City debut in June 2019 and would have returned in 2020, but organizers were unable to work around remaining Covid-19 restrictions. Building on the success of the inaugural event, this year’s festival includes many new attractions and a stellar entertainment lineup in the hopes of drawing thousands of visitors to downtown Ocean City. Currently, the town expects an estimated audience of 20,000 people throughout the weekend.
Founded and produced by Brad Hoffman of Live Wire Media & Events, the event has the full support of the Town of Ocean City and its tourist base. The festival is located at the south end of the Boardwalk right off North Division Street and will run both days from noon until 9:30 p.m.
“It’s important to bring together music, craft beer, and beach culture for people to gravitate towards in our market and beyond,” said Hoffman. “We want to build a festival for our customers unlike anything before that allows them to enjoy an exciting weekend in Ocean City. Our interactive Jellyfish village will be lively and great for the family.”
Live entertainment for the weekend includes performances by skilled blues guitarist Anthony Gomes, the acclaimed folk musicians of the Derek Woods Band, and reggae rocker Ted Bowne of Passfire. Organizers plan to announce additional acts in the coming weeks but have already booked Ray Wroten, Never Ending Fall, Troll Tribe, Crosstown Walkers, and Rockoholics, in addition to the headliners. All of the acts will perform on stages constructed directly on the sand. Hoffman says that this is the biggest musical lineup to ever hit the beach.
Still, one name bigger than all the rest will take the stage in Ocean City over Labor Day weekend. Country star Brad Paisley will perform on Sunday, September 5, in a show promoted by Ocean City Concerts. Tickets go on sale Friday, July 30 at 10:00 a.m. online and the concert will seat 10,000 patrons.
Music is not the only feature of the Jellyfish Festival. Shore Craft Beer will host its first-ever Shore Craft Beer Fest: Beers on the Beach event on Saturday, September 4, from noon to 4 p.m. Organizers anticipate around 1,500 drinkers and craft beer fans will attend, enjoying offerings from Dogfish Head, Flying Dog, Heavy Seas, Crooked Hammock, EVO, Big Oyster, Fin City, Backshore Brewing, Tall Tales, Burley Oak and more. In total, there will be more than 25 types of beer from 12+ different local breweries. Click here to purchase Shore Craft Beer Fest tickets. General admission to the beer event is $45.
In addition to attendees of the beer festival, more than 3,000 people from the general public could stop by for domestic drinks and watch the live entertainment. You will need to reserve your free tickets to watch the shows on Saturday, however. Get them here.
Many believe that the expansion of the craft beer business is key to tourism and growth in Ocean City.
“This is the first time that people will be able to enjoy beers with their feet in the sand here in the resort,” said Ann McGinnis Hillyer, CEO of OceanCity.com, a proud sponsor of the Jellyfish festival. “We are excited to expand and make the shore a real destination for craft beer.”
In addition to craft beer, Jellyfish Festival staff will also be pouring domestic beer from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday and 3 p.m. until the conclusion of the Brad Paisley show on Sunday.
Sports will also be a prominent feature at the festival, with the debut of the East Coast Cornhole Championships, a joint venture with the Maryland Cornhole League. The contest, scheduled for Saturday, is open to professionals and amateurs with cash and other prizes available. The team entry fee is $60 and for more details, email email@example.com or call 443-867-4702.
Another contest open to the public is the OC Beach Ultimate Frisbee Tournament, which allows people of all ages and skill levels to compete as either individuals or pairs on the sand. Specifics about competitions and demo sessions are forthcoming.
Other activities include riding a fat tire bike on a beach course designed by the Eastern Shore IMBA, as well as partaking in a beach fitness challenge.
Tentacle village, adjacent to the festival, will include a variety of vendors and local goods with plenty of shopping opportunities.
No matter what part of the festival appeals to you, one thing is certain – this is the biggest summer finale ever in Ocean City, Maryland.
For more information about the Jellyfish festival or sponsorships, contact Brad Hoffman at firstname.lastname@example.org or 443-366-5944.
Free general admission tickets for the Jellyfish festival are available right here on OceanCity.com. Click here to reserve your spot. For those that do not reserve tickets in advance, they will be available on-site along the Boardwalk, but you will have to wait in line. We recommend you reserve your tickets in advance!


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With everyone and their uncle trying to get into eSports, we're now seeing industry juggernaut Activision-Blizzard enter the fold. Activision has just announced it has created an entire new division that is completely dedicated to eSports.
This new division is being led by Steve Bornstein (the former CEO of ESPN) and Mike Sepso (the co-founder of Major League Gaming), which gives some serious credit to eSports, on top of what we've seen from other companies and startups like Unikrn. The Director of Research and Consumer Insights at SuperData, Stephanie Llamas, told GamesIndustry.biz "This is major for eSports since they are the first publicly traded, multi-platform publisher to participate at this level".
Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter also chimed in, where he said: "I think it's analogous (on a much smaller scale) to Facebook buying Oculus. Whatever people thought about the opportunity before, they have to consider it much more seriously now that there is a commitment from a well-capitalized firm. Activision clearly sees a ton of potential to profit from eSports, whether from tournament fees/commercial sponsorship fees from events, selling tickets to events, televising events (and collecting ad revenue) or sponsoring skill based wagering on events. They clearly see an opportunity, and are apparently willing to make a large bet on the potential of that opportunity to drive future profits".
Personally, I think this is a great step in an exciting direction for eSports. As the analysts pointed out, it completely validates eSports to the world - with a publicly traded company throwing some serious weight behind it in the form of the former CEO of ESPN, and the co-founder of MLG. Imagine where eSports will be in 5-10 years time?
- > NEXT STORY: Sony's done making games for the PlayStation Vita
- < PREVIOUS STORY: COD: Black Ops 3 drops down to 30FPS on last-gen consoles


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While experts have often stated caffeine-based drinks dehydrate the body, new research suggests otherwise.
According to a team of scientists, the ‘eight glasses of water a day’ rule is misleading and drinks such as tea and coffee can hydrate the body just as well as water.
Researchers from La Trobe University in Victoria, Australia, claim that although our bodies need around two litres of fluid a day, this intake can come from sources apart from water.
“We should be telling people that beverages like tea and coffee contribute to a person’s fluid needs and, despite their caffeine content, do not lead to dehydration,” explains Dr Spero Tsindos in a statement.
In fact, fluids can also be obtained through foods such as lettuce (which is 97% water) as opposed to a ‘trendy’ bottle of water.
"Thirty years ago, you didn't see a plastic water bottle anywhere – now they appear as fashion accessories,” says Dr Tsindos.
"If you ate 100g of lettuce you've consumed 97g of fluid. If you think about it a cup is 250ml. If you eat two 100g bunches of lettuce you've consumed nearly a cup of water.
Dr Tsindos debunked the notion that water helps you lose weight in a report published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
"Drinking large amounts of water does not alone cause weight loss. A low–calorie diet is also required. Research has also revealed that water in food eaten has a greater benefit in weight reduction than avoiding foods altogether," Dr Tsindos said.
This research follows a separate study by Pennsylvania University, which found no real evidence that drinking eight glasses of water a day improved skin tone, weight-loss or headaches (except those induced by a hangover).
"Water is important for health, but the recommendation of eight glasses of pure water a day appears an overestimation of requirements," adds Dr Tsindos.
Keep your body hydrated with these clever ways to incorporate water into your diet...


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UK-based retailer the Carphone Warehouse will be shipping certain Android phones with the SparkXL custom launcher as standard, according to a press release from developer HipLogic. The ad-supported homescreen replacement includes feeds from social networks and news sites, along with weather information and an optional "deals" feed.
Some Android devices (Carphone has yet to announce specific models) will ship with SparkXL set as the default launcher. On other devices, the retailer will offer SparkXL to customers via its "Walk Out Working" in-store setup program. The full press release can be found after the jump.
May 5, 2011 (FREMONT) – HipLogic, today announced a partnership with The Carphone Warehouse with the launch of *Spark XL, a Real-time Home screen for Android. *Spark XL will now be available on Android phones via The Carphone Warehouse’s Walk Out Working service at its retail stores, will also come preloaded on select hand sets and tablets. The deal will launch in the UK with plans to expand to additional European countries.
*Spark XL is also available for free download by clicking here or at http://sparkxl.com as well as at www.carphonewarehouse.com. It is a modern mobile portal that streamlines content discovery and provides at a glance access to social media, content, sports scores and news. Android users can now stay connected to the things they care about most – right from their Home screen. From updating social status’ in both Facebook and Twitter, to discovering the latest breaking news and sports scores to feeding daily deals cravings, *Spark XL is the ultimate mash-up of content and functionality.
“We’re excited that so many customers of The Carphone Warehouse customers will benefit from the enhanced user experience on Android handsets provided by Spark XL.” said Mark Anderson, CEO of HipLogic. We believe that The Carphone Warehouse will benefit from an increase in customer affinity due to the enhanced discovery and engagement that Spark XL offers to their customers.”
As the UK’s largest independent mobile phone retailer, The Carphone Warehouse is dedicated to delivering the best mobile content and services to its customers. Increasingly, these customers are making the switch to smartphones and the *Spark XL app helps enhance Android operating system for customers. *Spark XL features a content rich, real-time interface that gives consumers access all the content, media, and functionality they want in a clean and organized format.
Rikesh Desai, Head of Digital Services for The Carphone Warehouse said, “We recently announced the launch of our Walk Out Working program, a service designed to help new smartphone users get the most out of their devices through in-store set up and training. We see *Spark XL as the perfect compliment to Walk Out Working – providing new Android customers with a clean, robust and content rich experience that facilitates content discovery and sharing.”
As part of the service, The Carphone Warehouse will offer to install *Spark XL onto customer devices and showcase it as a great way to interact with their Android device – connecting them to their social networks on Twitter and Facebook, delivering live news, entertainment, weather, sports scores and Groupon deals.
Pre-installation on handsets and tablets
*Spark XL will come pre-loaded as the default Home screen for select handsets and tablets sold at The Carphone Warehouse.


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Google today launched a native iPhone version of its Google Offers app. Unsurprisingly, the app is very similar to the Google Offers Android app, which the company launched last November. With the new iPhone app, Google Offers users in the U.S. will be able to buy deals right from the app and find nearby deals while they are on the go. They can also use deals they have already bought right from their iPhone without having to print their coupons. Google, of course, always offered a mobile web version of Google Offers, but using the native app is significantly faster and also offers a number of new features.
Given that Google just launched its Groupon Now-like free offers a few weeks ago, offering an easier way for iOS users to discover these free coupons will surely expand the reach of these promotions. Users can use these coupons right away or save them for later. While the mobile web version of Google Offers doesn’t seem to feature these free offers, they are front and center in the new native app.
iPhone users can now also opt-in to getting daily push notifications about new deals and alerts when deals they have already purchased or saved are about to expire.
Google, of course, has also been integrating Google Offers closer into its Google Maps for Android product in recent months. Now that Google will likely offer a stand-alone iOS version of Maps as well, chances are we will see a similar integration on Apple’s platform, too.
For the most part, Google’s app is obviously not that different from the ones its two biggest competitors Groupon and LivingSocial already offer. Google is still playing catch-up in this market and it’s actually a bit of a surprise that it took the company this long to launch an iOS version of this app.


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- Kristopher Fraser |
There's a new man in charge of Dior's digital game. Jens Riewenherm, the former head of marketing and branding at Neiman Marcus owned Mytheresa.com, has been tapped to be Dior's new chief digital officer. Riewenherm will begin in his new role immediately.
Prior to joining Mytheresa.com, Riewenherm was managing director of Value Retail, the value outlet shopping chain in Europe and China. The executive began his career at Payback where he worked his way up to head of brand management.
In a statement, Pietro Beccari, president and ceo of Christian Dior Couture, said, "I am convinced that his talent and experience will strengthen the digital strategy and growth of the Dior omnichannel environment. This represents a vital new dynamic in writing the future of the house, in which a completely seamless online experience aligns with our freestanding boutiques.”
Riewenherm joins Dior at an interesting time, as former menswear director Kris van Assche departed the brand to be the new creative director of Berluti, and Kim Jones, the former menswear director of Louis Vuitton, has been installed as Dior's new menswear head by parent company LVMH. As e-commerce becomes more important to luxury brands, Riewenherm will be spearheading the brand's digital growth and ushering it into a new era of digital first.


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law on Friday sweeping reforms that restrict credit card interest rates and fees, marking a victory for Democrats trying to help recession-weary consumers and a setback for banks seeking to retain sorely-needed revenues.
The law is expected to hurt profits of major card issuers such as Citigroup Inc, Bank of America Corp, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Capital One Financial Corp. Banks say the changes may cut the flow of credit to consumers because it will make it more difficult for issuers to set rates based on the risk their customers pose.
“With this bill we are putting in place some common sense reforms designed to protect consumers,” Obama said at a signing ceremony at the White House.
“We’re not going to be giving people a free pass and we expect consumers to live within their means and pay what they owe. But we also expect financial institutions to act with the same sense of responsibility that the American people aspire to in their own lives,” he said.
Enactment marks the crest of a backlash against the card industry after years of rate and fee hikes and aggressive marketing programs that have angered consumers, analysts said.
The law largely codifies a set of rules issued by the Federal Reserve last year and puts them into effect in February 2010, five months sooner than the Fed had planned.
It also represents the first major financial regulation reform completed by Obama as he tackles a rewrite of the rules of banking and the markets to better protect consumers and investors, and prevent another credit crisis.
The same day Obama signed the law, banks were also hit with a one-time $5.6 billion fee by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp to replenish its dwindling deposit insurance fund. The FDIC could impose additional fees later if needed.
A SIMPLER PRODUCT
The American Bankers Association, which represents the biggest credit card issuers, said the law will transform the credit card industry.
“It will be a very different product, a lot simpler product which is what people want,” ABA President Ed Yingling told Reuters. “It does change the economics. It’s now a longer-term loan, it’s not a short-term loan any more.”
The law sharply restricts credit card issuers’ ability to raise interest rates on existing balances, to charge certain fees and to slap cardholders with penalties. Cardholders will now get a 45-day notice before their interest rate is changed.
The industry could potentially lose about $15 billion in penalty fees each year, according to White House estimates.
The new law will also help consumers carrying card balances as long as they don’t fall behind on payments by more than 60 days. After 60 days, their rates may increase.
Americans owed more than $945 billion in credit card debt in March. The amount has fallen during the current recession but credit card indebtedness is still about 25 percent higher than a decade ago.
The reforms won wide backing among lawmakers, who said constituents were tired of hidden charges from card issuers -- especially from those U.S. banks that received billions of dollars in taxpayer bailouts.
“Today is the day we finally make credit card companies accountable to their customers and responsible for their actions,” said Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd who shepherded the bill through the Senate.
RATES MAY RISE
But banks say the reforms come at a cost.
Banks have repeatedly warned higher interest rates are likely to result because it will be more difficult to set rates based on the risk that customers pose. The higher rates mean less credit available for consumers, they say.
The industry is already experiencing heavy losses from the 90 million households that carry cards. The losses are expected to worsen as the year goes on.
“A lot of consumers have a false sense of security they’re going to get relief,” said Curtis Arnold, founder of CardRatings.com in Little Rock, Arkansas. “The average rate now is 13.8 percent, and I could see it going north of 15 percent by early next year.”
Issuers can try to make up lost revenue from customers who are new or have good credit -- about one-third of U.S. cardholders generally pay their bills on time.
Banks may also reduce credit limits, or make it harder to obtain card-affiliated rewards, Arnold said. And others may return to charging an annual fee, now charged by only one in five cards, he said.
Additional reporting by Jon Stempel in Chicago; Editing by Eric Walsh and Vicki Allen
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Esports is becoming so popular that the lines between the virtual pros and those who do it on the 3-D field of battle are becoming somewhat blurred. We can see that the tournament money for esports is soaring, as evidenced by The International 10, Dota 2’s grand championship, with prize money in excess of $40 million with $14 million going to the winning team.
And because of this booming video game economy, traditional sports franchises are teaming up with the heavy hitters who shape the virtual esports world and using their brands to get in on the action. It’s just another revenue stream for teams like the Chargers that gives them exposure to an entirely new demographic.
“The popularity of esports amongst our fans provides a great opportunity for our team to create deeper connections and meaningful engagements,” said Chargers chief revenue officer Jim Rushton. “We think the Chargers Gaming Tournaments will be very popular with our fans and a fun way to compete in an entertaining and social environment with gamers throughout our fan base.”
The NFL football games today are attracting worldwide attention and during the NFL season, Sundays are reserved for nothing but watching football in millions of homes across America. The National Football League has become a religion and SoFi Stadium, home of the LA Chargers and Rams, is one of 30 places of worship.
Moreover, the Chargers are not the only professional sports franchise to align with Esports Entertainment Group, as the Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Bucs, New York Rangers and Cleveland Cavaliers have also struck deals with EEG.
“We continue to gain strong traction among top-tier professional sports franchises with our industry-leading tournament platform,” said Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group. “We are delighted to expand our reach in the NFL through our partnership with the Chargers. Our robust tournament platform will help the Chargers strengthen connections with their fans while providing new avenues for engagement.”
Stock Rising on Esports Entertainment Group
EEG’s fourth-quarter numbers turned heads as they revealed revenue jumped a whopping 63 percent over the previous quarter with revenues soaring to $8.8 million while stockholders’ equity rose to $74.8M, up $63.4M over fiscal year 2020.
Those are staggering increases but there are several reasons why Esports Entertainment Group is a high-flyer and one generating a great deal of interest. Let’s take a look at the deals they have done and the moves they have made recently, generating a wave of new revenue and interest from potential investors.
- Completed acquisition of BetHard, the B2C business of Gameday Group, adding Swedish and Spanish gaming licenses and substantially increasing revenue base.
- New Jersey gaming license formally accepted by NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement in May 2021.
- Completed $35 million private placement of convertible notes with $17.50 conversion price.
- Partnered with Square, the world-leading point of sale and payment processing provider, to integrate its payment solution into ggLeap, a premium esports center management software.
- Partnered with Game Fund Partners to become a part of their venture capital arm and a new planned $300 million game fund.
- Partnered with Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company to become the official esports provider for the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls, joining Topgolf Swing Suites and Don Shula’s among others.
- Signed agreement with Associated Students of UCLA to launch state-of-the-art Helix eSports gaming facility inside Ackerman Union, located in the heart of UCLA’s campus.
- Launched crypto mining application at ggCircuit enabled LAN centers.
- Signed exclusive content partnership with ESTV EsportsTV, the world’s first 24-7 live linear video channel dedicated to esports.
- The Company’s SportNation brand was nominated for eGaming’s Marketing Campaign of the Year Award.
The above is just a snapshot of what Esports Entertainment Group has been up to recently and there is plenty more as well. However, it does underscore just how powerful these esports companies are becoming and the interest being generated in the industry as a whole.
It should be noted that esports has experienced a colossal boom since the global pandemic. While nearly all other forms of recreational activity were shuttered due to mandatory quarantines, social distancing protocols, and a ban against large gatherings of any kind, people began to wander over to the one activity they could enjoy in the company of others – remotely, of course – video gaming.
An entirely new demographic was now assuming virtual characters and getting in on an activity that they normally would have ignored. And what’s even more interesting is, as the pandemic restrictions began to ease, many of these new fans are still hanging around. Come to find out, they like it, and what’s more, they are now a part of the esports community. And that is good for business. Just ask EEG.


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Launched on 4 March 2017, the inquiry will focus on plastic bottles and single-use coffee cups, examining the actions that are being taken by the industry and Government to reduce waste generated by coffee cups and plastic bottles, and will investigate possible solutions.
Mary Creagh MP, the Committee’s chair, said of the inquiry: “Our throwaway society has given us a tide of litter on our beaches, dead seabirds and fish, and plastic in our food. We all enjoy a takeaway coffee or tea, but the cups they are served in are particularly difficult to recycle because they combine plastic coating and cardboard. Our inquiry will be taking a serious look at solutions like the use of different materials, behaviour change, better recycling and bottle deposit return schemes.”
The committee says that with the rate of household recycling currently at 44 per cent, the UK is falling short of the Government’s target to increase the rate of plastic packaging recycling to 57 per cent by the end of 2017. Plastic bottles and coffee cups are particularly problematic, with only half of the 35 million plastic bottles sold in Britain every day currently collected for recycling. Around 7 million cardboard coffee cups are thrown away each day, but only 1 in 400 are recycled, leaving over 6.98m going to landfill or ending up in the environment.
The committee welcomes submissions to the inquiry on how the committee can help increase recycling and reduce the amount of disposable packaging ending up in landfill or the environment. Specific topics for discussion include:
Written submissions must be received by 5pm, Wednesday 5 April 2017. Written submissions to the inquiry can be made online.
We work with companies that handle packaging, helping them to reduce their impact on the environment and ensuring they comply with current UK regulations. If your business is obligated under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations, our approved packaging compliance scheme can handle your producer responsibility obligations on your behalf, giving you peace of mind and saving you time and money.


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For the first time in a decade, the Edinburgh Interactive Festival is taking a year off.
Codemasters head Rod Cousens told attendees to this week’s Edinburgh Festival that Race Driver: GRID cost “about £6.8 million” to develop while forecasting it will generate £32 million in revenue. He also showed Operation Flashpoint to the crowd, saying the action game cost more than the celebrated racer but still fell short of the $20 […]
According to this DarkZero piece, Sony rep Sandy Spangler said at the Edinburgh Festival yesterday that EyeToy Hero – the EyeToy-based sword game shown at PlayStation Day earlier this year – will have 1:1 motion tracking and will release before Christmas. From the piece. As the game can track where the sword is at all […]


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Gelsenkirchen, Germany - In the first nine months of the year Masterflex SE, the global specialist in high-tech plastic hoses, generated revenue of Euro 42.0 million ($53.5 million). This represents a rise of 4.8 percent, with operating results (earnings) of Euro 5.9 million.
Polyurethane hose expert Masterflex said the corresponding gross margin of 14.1% is in line with the company's long-term route to growth.
"Our business in sophisticated connective hose systems is operating at unprecedented levels. We had anticipated a stronger third quarter, but the European market is still suffering from the current sovereign debt crisis" said ceo Dr Andreas Bastin.
In principle, Masterflex said, it is standing by its annual forecast for 2012, "although it is no longer possible to rule out annual sales falling slightly short for 2012 compared with the anticipated and ambitious forecast for sales growth of Euro 57 to Euro 58 million."
Profitability of the business remains high despite the up-front costs required for internationalisation. Bastin confirmed: "We are looking at an EBIT margin in the region of 14 percent, even when taking into account a slight shortfall in our sales targets."
Bastin pointed out that the company's internationalisation of "continues apace, with the focus currently on Asia. In China, assembly capacities are currently being established and the first significant new business has already been generated. Bastin said: "In the medium term, business in Asia and America should flow alongside the traditional
ainstay business in Europe so it can develop and become more independent from individual regions and sectors."


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HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – It won’t be long before children and adults alike end up in a candy-induced stupor, but people in Pennsylvania love a Swedish Fish sugar-high most of all, according to a national survey.
Influenster.com, a product review website, polled more than 40,000 “influensters” to find out the most popular Halloween candy in each state.
The candy of choice in the most number of states turned out to be Candy Corn, according to the website. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups pulled the highest number of votes, followed by Kit Kat and Butterfinger.
Louisiana is the only other state, other than Pennsylvania, to pick Swedish Fish.
Influsenster.com conducted the survey between September 20-29, 2015. The average age of the participants was 28.


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According to a Bloomberg report, Monde Nissin has tapped Citigroup Inc., Credit Suisse, JP Morgan Chase & co. and UBS Group AG to manage its stock market debut.
The final size of the issue and the timeline have yet to be finalized.
Monde Nissin -the company behind popular brands Lucky Me!, Nissin, Monde, Bingo and Voice – partnered with Indonesia’s largest bread products maker Nippon Indosari to jumpstart operations in the Philippines in 2016. It has grown significantly and has been consistently included in the top 50 corporations in the Philippines based on gross revenues since 2000.
Its subsidiaries include Monde M.Y. San, manufacturer of biscuit brands SkyFlakes and Fita; Monde Nissin Thailand and Monde Nissin Australia, comprising Black Swan, Nudie and Menora Foods.
Monde Nissin also distributes Mama Sita’s and Dutch Mill in the Philippines.
Ang is the 38th richest person in the Philippines with a net worth of $185 million.


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In order to make the savings more accessible, Amazon customers on government assistance will be able to get Prime for half price.
The move is not expected to lead to high profits or a spike in sales, but it cuts into Amazon’s number one retail rival, Walmart, by making one of Amazon’s biggest differentiators available to exactly the kind of customers fueling Walmart’s online success.
4. Enabling and Disabling Showrooming
At the same time it was announcing the acquisition of Whole Foods, Amazon also dropped a remake of its Dash device.
The Dash connects with your smartphone to allow you to scan a barcode in a store and immediately add that item to your Amazon cart. The new version, Dash Wand, incorporates Alexa voice recognition. So you can showroom without the inconvenience of waving your showrooming device around in front of potentially offendable store employees.
But wait! In a Hall-of-Fame-worthy moment of irony, Amazon has also patented techn that would allow it to shut down showrooming in its own stores! If you didn’t catch Melissa Ward’s blog post all about that yesterday, give it a read.
The Future According to Amazon
As Conor Sen said in a recent Bloomberg opinion piece, “Amazon’s real target isn’t Whole Foods, it’s everything you buy.”
And it’s not just about trying to make sure you do that shopping with Amazon, Amazon wants to remake how you do all your shopping into the format it’s best at: Online shopping from highly optimized distribution centers.
Sure, Amazon has launched an IRL book store experiment. But even these reflect the streamlined, algorithm-optimized, Internet-reliant experience Amazon does so well. CNBC likened them to airport bookstores rather than the library-meets-coffee shop vibe of Barnes and Nobles (which are closing at an alarming rate already).
Every company claims to look to the future, and most would say they’re shaping it. But few are imprinting their vision on the future to the extent of Amazon. That vision would bring almost all shopping into your home, enabled by connected devices, AI personal assistants and super streamlined logistics. And the effects of that would go beyond Amazon, forcing other stores out of business or to enable Amazon’s vision.
So if you think Amazon has changed the shopping world already, just wait, because this new salvo of innovation could change the way you do business forever.


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In the digital world, a lot more is happening in the East even if the West is home to many technology brands. The East lives in a mobile-first digital world, creating a significant difference from the West, and more importantly leading to a situation, where there is much that the East can teach to the West. In today’s day and age, when technology has changed human interaction itself, social networks may have increased the quantity of friends but not the quality, and the situation is constantly changing, courtesy the mobile-first digital world.
The year 2015 would be a defining year in that regard. The world already has 7.5 billion SIM cards, 5.5 billion phones, 3.2 billion smartphones, where the concept of smartphone has changed from a QWERTY keypad and space conversation to anything that the consumer can make of it. By 2018, 50 pc of the world would be on the internet. And for most brands, 85 per cent of its relevant consumers target would be on the net.
It was after building this background that Shiv Shivakumar, Chairman & CEO, PepsiCo India stated, “I don’t think any marketer can have a digital marketing department today because digital is everywhere. This is the year when tablets will overtake PCs, a category which is just under seven years old. The pace of the digital world is staggering, and the impact is far reaching.”
He qualified this with the caveat, “We are still in a situation, where the rise of a new force needs dedicated attention, and which is why you still see digital departments but I see that changing soon, simply because of the pace at which this medium has become omnipresent.”
The impact of digital is everywhere. At a basic level, 88 of 195 countries today are ‘free’ countries where citizens have the absolute freedom to express their opinion. Every individual is a citizen journalist, implying the most significant impact of digital being on freedom.
Different strategies for different markets
Data shows that for a market where the GDP per capita is below USD 2000, the average number of digital device per person is at 1.43 devices. Around 53 countries fall in this category. For markets, where the GDP per capita is at USD 50,000 – USD 1,600,000, this number is at six devices and only 17 countries fall in this bracket. Most fast growth markets in Asia are in the first category of GDP per capita below USD 2000. What are a marketer, publishers and media creates for these markets will be very different from others.
Digital is still the fastest growing medium in these markets, primarily because of its deeply personal nature. The next big trend in these lines would be in the wearables sector. In the last decade, mobile internet has seen 2134 per cent growth while fixed internet has grown by 406 per cent.
In a market like India, social platforms have more circulation than all newspapers put together. In these markets, a good mobile experience connects equally back to recommendation.
“The digital influence on consumers is very significant. Something that the West will also learn because the East has leapfrogged in consumption,” observed Mr Shivakumar.
Another big difference in the East is that aspiration and the role of brands. Unlike the West, where brands are ‘allies’, in the East, only some brands are allies to consumers, most are crutches. “That being said, brands will exist as long as there are emotions. They have a fundamental and central role to play. In bigger markets, this role is more significant. In East, it is still about aspirations,” Mr Shivakumar elaborated while speaking on the last day of Festival of Media Asia.
The ‘T’ Word
The fundamental of brand philosophy, where the consumer is king has not changed. However, today, the ‘king’ has a big voice and in most cases, is part of many common interest communities. Consumer generated content is one of the biggest realities today, and there is a significant increase in local content. Marketers, even in markets such as India, are seeing consumers create for brands.
However, trust is also one of the most critical things that brands have to pay addition focus on. “Trust can be earned and lost on a daily basis and this has a substantial implication on how brands would respond to consumers. The clock is reset every morning, and you have to earn trust back every day. If you are not able to do that, trust, and all associated with it, would be lost.”
Mr Shivakumar once again stressed on the importance of locally generated content in this aspect. He also quoted PepsiCo’ ‘Crash the IPL’ initiative to explain how marketers are giving control in the hands of the consumers to create on behalf of the brand.
He concluded his address, stating, “The future marketing department, in my view, would be humble, responsive and have more data scientists in it.”


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5 IoT Predictions Shaping the Global Market of Inter-connected Devices
The internet landscape is mushrooming and there is no end to it anytime soon. It has widened its horizon from just computers, smartphones, laptops, and tablets to a multitude of devices that are internet-connected. The non-ending list of “smart” devices like washing machines, door locks, robotic vacuum cleaners, and toasters are today interconnected over a network; thanks to the internet of things solutions. IoT is the smart umbrella term that connects anything to the internet. The wide range of existing and potential IoT devices is colossal. Users often use their smart devices especially mobiles to link with IoT devices, from a smart speaker to a home thermostat.
The global market of the internet of things is ever-increasing and each passing year witnesses significant upgrades keeping the technology in the hype. Here are 5 forecasts that will coax the Internet of Things solutions in the near future:
By 2025, more than 21 billion IoT devices will be installed
According to IoT analytics, the year 2016 accounted for more than 4.7 billion things that were connected to the internet. Fast-forward to 2021? The global market is estimated to reach over 11.6 billion IoT devices.
Cybercriminals will continue to use IoT devices to employ DDoS attacks
In 2016, the first “Internet of Things” malware was introduced to the world; a strain of malicious software having the ability to infect connected devices like security cameras, cable set-top boxes, printers, DVRs, and more. The Mirai malware infected over 100,000 IoT devices via default password and usernames. The attack resulted in flooding one of the largest website hosting companies in the world, resulting in a halt for hours among many major, well-known websites and services.
Increase in Smart Cities
The concept of moving towards smart technologies hasn’t refrained from only consumers anymore; cities and organizations have also jumped into the bandwagon. In the coming years, governments and companies of a multitude of countries will adopt smart technologies to save time, money, and resources. This will help cities to able to remotely manage, automate, and gather data through sources like video camera surveillance systems, visitor kiosks, bike rental stations, and taxis.
Securer and smarter routers
While numerous connected devices can’t be protected or secured, a router has the potential to facilitate protection during initial phases or to say at entry points. A conventional router includes significant security features like password protection, firewalls, and potentially configuring them to only permit legit devices on a certain network. In the near future, routers will be enhanced in new ways to boost security.
5G will drive IoT Growth
After so many years of wait, 5G is finally here. The fifth-generation cellular wireless network guarantees accentuated speed and higher chances to connect more smart devices at the same time. The faster the networks, the more data accumulation will be handled by the smart devices. In simpler words Internet of Things, Solutions can collect, analyze, and manage to a higher degree with the help of 5G fueling consumer demand for new IoT products.
AI will keep up to become a bigger thing
Smart home hubs, thermostats, TV, lighting systems, and even coffee makers gather insights on your habits and patterns of consumption. For instance, a voice-controlled device records whatever a person says and amasses those recordings in the cloud. This entire process is helping AI to “learn” without the need for programming devices. This can help the user receiving recommendations based on their preferences and choices while being adjusted accordingly.


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Taiwan FamilyMart Co (全家便利商店), one of the nation’s largest convenience store operators, aims to boost revenue this year by establishing more big stores with dining spaces and offering more fresh produce, a company official said yesterday.
The convenience store chain is also bidding to boost its standing in the restaurant sector this year, following its acquisition of a full stake in a Taiwan-based subsidiary of Ootoya Holdings — a Japanese operator of restaurant chains — in September last year.
“The company’s strong revenue performance over the Lunar Year holiday has allowed us to maintain an optimistic outlook this year,” FamilyMart chairman Pan Chin-ting (潘進丁) said at a media briefing.
FamilyMart posted record-high revenue during the Lunar New Year that showed a 10 percent increase compared with last year’s Lunar New Year holiday, indicating that improving sentiment about the global economy has been increasing the momentum in the retail sector, Pan said.
However, Pan said the company will have to carry out more expansion plans this year as this would be a major driver for revenue and profitability.
To achieve this, FamilyMart is planning to launch 200 new convenience stores, as well as aiming to remodel 300 existing stores to the more profitable outlets that offer large dining spaces, company president Chang Ren-dun (張仁敦) said.
The expansion is expected to bring the total number of FamilyMart stores to 2,900 from 2,850 by the end of the year, with the number of stores in the new style accounting for about 50 percent of all shops, an increase of 17 percent from the current 33 percent, Chang added.
The store expansion and refurbishing plan will cost FamilyMart an estimated NT$1.6 billion (US$53.86 million), which is nearly 70 percent of the NT$2.6 billion it has budgeted for its total capital expenditure this year, Chang said.
With an eye on the potential of the dine-out market, the company also plans to further its food business, hoping to boost revenue from its food and beverage unit by 20 percent this year from the NT$7.7 billion that it earned last year.
FamilyMart — which owns two restaurant brands, Volks and Ootoya — has also said that maintaining its multi-brand strategy will be part of its efforts to achieve long-term competitiveness.
The company launched its first Volks restaurant, a Japanese steakhouse, in 2011. The brand is managed by its subsidiary, Family International Gourmet Co (全家國際餐飲).
FamilyMart plans to open one Volks restaurants and two Ootoya — which offers Japanese set meals — venues this year. The expansion would take the total number of the restaurants to three and 20 respectively, Chang said.


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MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's Note: The video above originally aired on KARE11 May 25, 2022.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and City Council President Andrea Jenkins kicked off the city's second annual Black Business Week Monday.
The week-long event focuses on economic development and recovery within the Black community, the city said in a news release.
"The mission of Black Business Week is to authentically amplify, celebrate, strengthen, and support Black businesses in the City of Minneapolis," before National Black Business Month begins in August, the statement said.
Jenkins says Black Business Week is also about the city's initiative to recreate the Black middle class in Minneapolis.
“While Black Business Week is one strategy, the work doesn’t end here," Jenkins said. "With so many of Black businesses still recovering from the pandemic, our Black businesses need all of our help.”
Black businesses aren't the only thing recovering from the pandemic. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic caused Black Business Week to cancel in 2020 and 2021. The event is coming back for the first time this year since its inaugural run in 2019.
Frey said that “Black business owners and entrepreneurs are innovating the way to recovery, and Black Business Week has become an annual staple to showcase that innovation."
Activities and events like business roundtables and opportunities to network will be featured throughout the week.
But before any of that starts, Jenkins is hosting a kick-off event at Sabathani Community Center Monday night to outline the rest of the week for anyone who attends.
Yet, this isn't the first time the city of Minneapolis has announced economic recovery initiatives or programs.
In November 2021, Frey announced the Inclusive Economic Recovery Work Group, which strategized "inclusive economic recovery from the impacts of the pandemic and civil unrest of 2020," the release said.
For more information on Black Business Week, visit the city's website.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities in our YouTube playlist:


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Olympic Valley, Cal. and Alpine Meadows, Cal. (MyNews4.com and KRNV) -- Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows Ski Resort announced Tuesday that the two ski resorts are combining operations. The two resorts will now offer season passes and lift tickets that will allow for skiing and riding on both mountains.
The sale is expected to close before the beginning of the 2011-2012 winter season.
The two resorts combined will create over 6,000 acres of skiing across eight Sierra Nevada peaks. Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows are a ten minute drive from each other.
"In today's economic environment, skiers and snowboarders are looking for more -- more terrain and value. The all new Tahoe Super Pass and Tahoe Super Six which allow guests, with one pass, access to both of these incredible mountains provides unmatched value," said Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley.
The Tahoe Super Pass will provide skiing and riding at both resorts for winter 2011-2012. The new Tahoe Super Six will provide six unrestricted days of skiing and riding for the season. Both passes are for sale now.
As part of the sale, the investiment affiliate JMA Ventures will convert its ownership of Alpine Meadows into partial ownership of the new, combined company. KSL Capital Partners, LLC, the owner of Squaw Valley, will be the majortiy owner of the company.


text: (AGI) Rome, Sept 18 - There was a 12 percent growth in sales ofelectronic devices in Italy in 2013, of which 26 percent was oftablets and 23 percent in smartphones. The figures come fromthe report on the Italian telecommunications sector for 2014(Rapporto sulla filiera delle telecomunicazioni in Italia 2014)from Assotelecomunicazioni (Confindustria). In recording asignificant contraction of operators' revenue in 2013,amounting to 10 percent and a 14 percent drop in sales ofmobile devices, the report reveals a favourable trend in tabletsales, a sector for which revenue has increased 12 percent. . .


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Likkle Tea Launches Summer Flavors
In celebration of their second anniversary, Likkle Tea launched their latest summer blends at the Toyota Jamaica coffee house on Tuesday. Tea lovers were excited about the increase in the variety of blends from Likkle Tea and swooned in appreciation for their latest addition of dessert teas, which includes Blueberry Cheesecake and Banana Bread.
“Toyota Jamaica approached me to use my line of teas in their cafe. They currently get their blends from overseas and realised it would an easier process to get their blends locally,” said Likkle Tea CEO Patrique Goodall. Between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., loyal likkle tea customers travelled from near and far to indulge in the Likkle Tea experience. “I saw they were having a pop up shop on Instagram and I just had to come. I absolutely love Likkle Tea,” said certified darma therapist Zahra Warner
The new flavours Blueberry Cheesecake and Banana Bread were created with sweet treat lovers in mind who want to cut back on the calories from their guilty pleasures. “Blueberry Cheesecake is an ice tea blend made with black tea and blueberry cheesecake flavouring, some corn flower petals and some passion flowers,” explained the certified tea sommelier. Banana Bread is a limited edition to the Likkle Tea family that is only available for summer 2019. “What you see here, that is it for the summer. I do them in smaller batches and it depends on the season,” she explained.
In just two years Likkle Tea has evolved. “We started out with about 10 blends and now we are edging around 50 blends. We did a subscription box to see the types of teas people would want and the flavours they would be more interested in,” said Goodall as she explained the process of creating her blends.
“Jamaicans do not like boring. We like flavuor. A lot of persons do not want the traditional black tea, or lipton or red rose. Once Likkle Tea started to provide them with something different they actually have helped me to push the envelop in terms of what blends to add. Tiramisu is another flavour I created based on a customer’s challenge for me to create one.This is going to be available in September.”
Goodall is focused on expanding the Likkle Tea brand by opening her own tea room. “Everybody keeps asking where can I find you or saying when they buy the teas they don’t taste the same like when I do it. I like showing them different ways to enjoy the tea, and Likkle Tea is all about providing a different tea experience for its customers,” said Goodall.
The tea connoisseur is longing to change the local mindset surrounding tea. “When people think about tea they think about something to buss gas,” stated Goodal. Likkle Tea’s loose leaves is not your typical teabag. “You have to spend time to make your teas. It forces you to spend time on yourself. That is how it got started. It is that five minutes that you take to make your tea in the morning,” she continued.
Her next pop up shop will be on July 25. Stay tuned to Likkle Tea on Instagram for more details.


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S-tec 60-2 Autopilot With Auto Trim - Beechcraft Bonanza on 2040-parts.com
Duarte, California, United States
Manufacturer Part Number:0103-1
S-Tec 60-2 Autopilot System with auto trim & ST360 Altitude Selectorincludes STC ST-007(T) for the following aircraft Beechcraft Bonanza S35, V35, V35A, V35BPart# 0103-1Serial # 1517HList Price 60-2 $21865Auto Trim $5624ST360 $5824Total $33,313
This was removed in working condition from a 1973 V35B that was damaged in a hail stormCan be installed by Howard Aviation in La Verne CA in the above models for $6000 for most aircraft.
Flight Controls for Sale
Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0700
Ford plans to export the Mustang to Europe, and it will likely be the next generation of the famous pony car due within a couple of years. It has also shown redesigned compact and full-size vans it will sell in the United States by 2014. The automaker also showed a lightly restyled Fiesta and a high-performance ST model that go on sale in Europe later this year.
Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700
A limited-edition, high-performance Jaguar called the XKR 175 will debut at Pebble Beach later this summer in celebration of the historic brand's 75th anniversary. The name of this speed demon actually indicates the number of units that will be made for the United States. Jaguar says 175 will reach U.S.
Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Porsche has ramped up an even hotter version of its Panamera ugly duckling at the 2011 Los Angeles auto show. The new 2011 Panamera GTS made its world debut at LA, and will arrive at UK dealerships in February 2012 costing a stout £90,409. What makes the Panamera a GTS?


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Labatt employees mourn the end of beer-for-life era
Retirees will no longer get free beer until they die, says company
A free beer allotment for Labatt brewery retirees — which was part of the workers' pension benefit package for more than five decades — will soon go flat.
Labatt has announced the long-standing perk will be phased out by Jan.1, 2019 because it's too expensive. But workers call the cut petty when compared to the company's ballooning revenues.
Labatt said the allotment for existing retirees would be cut in half in 2018 and cut off completely in 2019.
"I just think it's nickel-and-diming of our retirees that put in a lot of work for many, many years," said local union president Jim Stirr. "In the cost of doing business, it's such a small, small thing."
Labatt, a formerly Canadian beermaker, is now owned by Belgium-based global super-producer Anheuser-Busch InBev. That's a publicly traded company that owns more than 400 beer brands worldwide and reported $55 billion in revenue in 2015 alone.
- AB InBev, SABMiller reach final deal for massive beer merger
- Labatt Breweries of Canada buys Mill Street brewer
"The reason for the change relates to the rising overall cost of maintaining a full benefits package, including health care coverage for retirees," Labatt vice-president Lindsay King wrote in a letter to employees dated Oct. 28.
"A recent comprehensive review of all the cost management options has led us to conclude that discontinuing free beer is the best course."
The union said a modest weekly allotment of free beer has been a perk of working at the Edmonton brewery since plans to open the facility were announced in 1962.
As part of the local union contract in Edmonton, each current employee gets a Labatt gift card loaded with the equivalent cost of 52 cases of 12 beers (one case per week). On retirement, that allotment continued for life — and then some. After a Labatt pensioner died, their spouse was then entitled to the same yearly free beer card.
- Trouble brewing? Union fears job losses in St. John's if trade deal changes
- Calgary Stampede deal with Labatt shuts out Alberta craft brewers
Stirr said the arrangement was as much about person-to-person marketing as it was about employee satisfaction.
"If I'm going to a barbecue, it's nice to bring a case or two of a beer I made, since we work hard to be the best of the best," Stirr said.
He explained it makes him and his coworkers feel like ambassadors for the brand. "It's a sense of pride. I'm a salesperson, basically."
More than 100 people work full-time at the Edmonton brewery with 30 temporary employees. The ones who worked there for decades remember what it used to be like when these factory jobs were coveted and paid enough to raise a family.
"We have a retiree that's been there since 1972. He's probably worked there longer than the majority of the members have been born," Stirr said.
Employees say that kind of loyalty was bred in the company's early days, when the brewery felt like a second family.
Back then, the business was owned by a Canadian family — and it was bubbling with success. In the 1950s and '60s, Labatt pursued its goal of becoming Canada's national brewer by opening facilities in B.C., the Toronto area, Montreal, Newfoundland and Edmonton.
While the assembly lines and overnight shifts could be mind-numbing and repetitive, worker morale was high. There were company parties to celebrate each new sale or production milestone, employee hockey and baseball matches after work, livable wages and benefits — and that free beer.
It's a sense of pride. I'm a salesperson, basically- Jim Stirr, local 250A Unifor union president
Stirr said employees tell him the atmosphere started to change after Labatt first sold to a foreign company in the 1990s. And pulling retirees' free beer is not the first cut.
Starting in 2010, new hires saw a $10 drop in wages. The new starting wage was $24/hour, compared to $34/hour for workers hired previously. New employees also have to pay into their own pension.
The company declined an interview with CBC.
Senior director Jeff Ryan sent an email statement saying: "We only came to this decision after benchmarking a range of Canadian beer … our benefits package continues to compare very favourably."
The statement did not make clear how much money cutting the retirees' beer allotment will save the company, which has 3,000 current employees across the country.
When Molson made a similar cut in 2009, siphoning off its beer allotment to 2,400 retirees, the company estimated it would save just over $1 million a year.


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SalvageMarket subscriber numbers surge
- Posted by: Alan Feldberg
- Category: News
e2e Total Loss Vehicle Management has reported a 25% increase in SalvageMarket’s subscriber base since it was relaunched with improved technology.
SalvageMarket is the UK’s premium online salvage auction with thousands of vehicles available through its weekly auctions.
Since relaunch three weeks ago, e2e has seen subscriber numbers surge by a quarter. Further growth is predicted next year as a result of the changing face of the UK car parc, and limited availability of new vehicles due to supply chain issues.
Jim Loughran, CEO of e2e said: “We worked closely with our existing bidders and network members in the run up to the launch to ensure a seamless transition from our old auction platform. We are delighted with the result and the demand from new bidders to sign up.
“Designed with an uncompromised focus on user experience, this is much more than a platform upgrade; we see it as one of a number of technology driven, strategic spring boards. Building our services around the latest technologies opens up opportunities; in this case to enhance our auction offering with new functionality and to explore wider possibilities for developing future integrated solutions that add even more value for our bidders and our network members.”


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At least the manufacturing sector is holding up.
On a day when retail sales posted a “big league” disappointment, factory production showed a 0.9% rise for December, the eighth consecutive monthly increase.
That was better than estimates, and, when juxtaposed with the malaise in leisure and hospitality employment as well as falling retail sales, one is left to ponder a bifurcated economy.
Overall, industrial production for December rose a better-than-expected 1.6%, topping even the most optimistic forecast from 68 economists.
That’s generally consistent with other measures of factory resilience, including, of course, ISM, which printed a scorcher for December.
You might recall that the best ISM manufacturing print in two years was accompanied by color that pointed to inflationary pressures. IHS Markit flagged similar dynamics.
With that in mind, note that the preliminary read on University of Michigan sentiment for January came packaged with a huge jump in one-year inflation expectations (red in the figure).
Longer-term expectations rose to 2.7%, matching five-year highs also hit in September, August, and May.
At the same time, sentiment slipped, albeit marginally. The headline gauge from the University of Michigan printed 79.2, a touch below estimates and down from December’s 80.7. Both the current conditions and expectations gauges posted modest declines as well.
As usual, the survey’s chief economist, Richard Curtin, was forthright.
“Consumer sentiment posted trivial declines in early January despite the horrendous rise in COVID-19 deaths, the insurrection, and the impeachment of Trump,” Curtin wrote, delivering a rather blunt recap of recent events. “Two offsetting shifts helped narrow the January loss in sentiment: The COVID-19 vaccines and a partisan shift in expectations due to the anticipated impact of Biden’s economic policies.”
Fingers crossed that both the vaccines and those policies work. Because, resilience in American manufacturing notwithstanding, mass joblessness, declining consumer spending, a deadly epidemic, and rising inflation expectations among consumers, is not a good cocktail.


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N Brown starts search for new chief executive
N Brown is commencing a search for a new chief executive following the news that current incumbent Angela Spindler is stepping down at the end of this month.
Steve Johnson, the company’s chief executive of its financial services business, will take on the role in an interim capacity until Spindler’s successor is appointed.
Matt Davies Chairman of N Brown Group, said: “We recognise that now is an appropriate time to search for a new leader who can take the business forward through the next phase of its development.
“I would like to thank Angela for her significant contribution as CEO. Angela has led the business with passion, energy and a relentless focus on building on the group’s industry leading fit specialism as well as building N Brown’s on-line capability and expertise.“
Spindler was appointed as chief executive in July 2013 after working in senior roles at Coca Cola, Mars, Asda, Debenhams and the Original Factory Shop.
N Brown’s portfolio of retail brands include JD Williams, Simply Be and Jacamo.
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Today Google CEO Eric Schmidt announced that he will resign his position on Apple's board of directors. This is significant because many felt that Google and Apple's businesses were beginning to overlap in too many areas for Schmidt to remain an effective and impartial member of Apple's board. Google and Apple both offer Internet browsers, mobile phone operating systems and many other similar products. Many of Google's products have been integrated with Apple's, especially on devices such as the iPhone, which uses Google's Maps product. Schmidt joined Apple's board in 2006, and will remain the CEO of Google.
I think that was the tipping point for him but from what I read its because Google is now in direct competition with apple. They have Android competing with the iphone and their Chrome OS going to compete with OSX.
With Schmidt resigning, this will allow Google to focus hard on it's emerging OSes (Android and Chrome), that way they aren't limited to please Apple (e.g. lack of multi-touch in current versions of Android) and releasing key services on iPhone before Android (update Maps, Google Search w/ Voice, etc.). I was also wondering why Google said they weren't going to initially include Multi-Touch in 2.0 (leaving it to the manufacturer to support it) to multi-touch being in the current 2.0 developer builds, but now it makes sense.
It does make sense. This is a good move(no a great move). As you stated, Google is positioning themselves to go the next level and with Apple constraints, Google could not move fcrword. Apple will slowly fragment their standing if they stay the curren... (continues)


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Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA) is to launch Xfinity Stream, a new app that will replace the Xfinity TV app. Comcast’s new app, which will roll out on February 28, will Xfinity TV subscribers to access live channels and DVR content on-the-go.
Xfinity Stream to accompany Xfinity TV subscription
The Xfinity Stream has very nice features. Users can switch between English and Spanish. Other notable features include favorite channel filtering and media ratings and reviews from Common Sense Media. The app will offer an “X1-like” experience on users’ laptops, tablets, and phones.
Matt Strauss, Executive Vice President of Video and Entertainment Services at Comcast, said, “We’re focused on creating the best entertainment experiences across platforms and continue to give Xfinity TV customers more choice in how, when and where they access content. According to him, the new app will give their customers access to the best content in and out of their homes. The mobile experience will be identical to the cable experience.”
Xfinity Stream features
Xfinity Stream will allow live access to more than 200 live channels via streaming- Internet access is mandatory. These live channels include, but are not limited to BBC World News, Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, Fox Sports, NBC Sports, ESPN, Nickelodeon Junior, Sprout, Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS) Disney Channel and 50 Music Choice Channels. Additionally, the app will allow access to over 40,000 movies and TV shows via streaming with an option to download for offline access.
Xfinity TV customers will access all their DVR recordings on the app, and download them for offline access. Also, the app can set the recordings remotely.
It seems everyone is interested in a piece of the mobile video market
This news comes as Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is working on something to give the likes of Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google YouTube and Vimeo a run for their money. Apple presented a preview of the show Carpool Karaoke, which will be available to Apple Music subscribers in April. Apple will roll out more shows to the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Apple Music customers in the near future.
The Xfinity Stream app is set to arrive on Android and iOS platforms on February 28th. For those who already have the Xfinity TV app, it will automatically update to the new Xfinity Stream app.
Comcast stock closed at $76.60, after registering an increase of $0.51 or 0.66% per share in last trading session.


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Blackberry smartphone maker Research in Motion (RIM) announced on Nov. 5 it would buy back $1.2 billion worth of its stock to prop up the sagging share price amid heightened competition.
The buyback of some 21 million common shares or about 3.6% of its currently outstanding shares would commence on November 9 and continue over the next 12 months.
RIM shares have plummeted more than 30% since late September, after management reported disappointing quarterly results.
The Canadian firm has struggled of late to come up with striking new consumer products to compete with Apple's iPhone and a plethora of new entrants in the booming smartphone market.
Still, with the help of a loyal business customer base, it reported in August having $2.5 billion in cash and investments on hand, and is expected to generate much more cash over the "next several quarters," RIM's board said.
The board said "a share repurchase program at this time is in the best interests of RIM and its shareholders, and will not impact RIM's ability to execute its growth plans, given the strength of RIM's balance sheet."
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2009


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By Michael Thorne
Consumer electronics vendor aims to streamline its regional inventory supply chain.
Consumer electronics and household appliance vendor Elekta has revealed plans to establish a major distribution hub in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone.
The new facility, which will cover 250,000 square feet, is set to open in July 2007 and will replace Elekta’s current network of six distribution warehouses in the UAE.
It will also include 10,000 square feet of office space to accommodate the company’s operations staff and senior management, establishing it as Elekta’s global headquarters.
“We are building the warehouse to a height of 12 metres to provide us with greater warehousing space,” Elekta Trading director Rohit Dev told ECN.
“In general, the height of warehousing space rarely exceeds six metres, however new developments in Europe, for example, are significantly taller.
“We’ve decided to adopt this latter approach as it will provide us with significantly more space despite the building boasting the same average footprint.”
Dev confirmed the new distribution centre would be located on a plot of land adjoining the existing Black and Decker head offices in the Jebel Ali Free Zone and have a capacity of five to seven thousand pallet positions.
“This will hugely benefit our channel partners in the Middle East,” Dev claimed.
“Elekta is one of the few companies that has close to 270 products in its range. We’re not only providing the service, new products and designs but we’re the best one stop shop for those businesses looking to distribute a comprehensive range of consumer electronics items.
“This new centre is set to create greater efficiencies in our supply chain and enable us to provide better service to our clients,” he added.
Elekta will invest around US$5 million in establishing the new warehouse and office facilities, Dev said.
He stressed the benefits of the new investment would provide significant returns for Elekta’s business across the Middle East and surrounding regions, including in India, where the company has enjoyed significant gains in recent years.
Elekta’s marketing activities for the Middle East, excluding countries where it has established a local presence, such as Saudi Arabia, will continue to be managed by the company’s existing Dubai office, which is located in Deira.
The company’s director also confirmed that Elekta was looking to expand further into the lucrative markets of Central and Eastern Africa.
Dev described these markets as potential commercial goldmines for his business, given the lack of international consumer electronics vendors currently operating in both regions.
He confirmed that Elekta is looking to sign distribution agreements servicing up to seven new markets although he was reluctant to reveal further details.
“We recently launched our range of products in Tanzania, a market we believe has enormous commercial potential,” he said.
“We’re currently negotiating further deals with partners targeting five to seven new markets.”


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Google is announcing a big expansion for its cord-cutting streaming service YouTube TV. The service is now coming to 95 new markets, expanding its reach in the United States. Google is yet to talk about a potential expansion for global markets, however.
The 95 new markets will make YouTube TV available to 98% of US households, according to Google. The service is now available in a total of 195 regions throughout the United States, though the availability of certain networks might vary depending on your location.
YouTube TV offers access to 60+ networks for $40 a month, with channels like ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNBC, E!, Disney, ESPN, National Geographic, etc. Users can also get access to other premium channels at an additional price.
YouTube’s expansion to these new markets is a big deal if you are in the United States and looking to cut the cord. “Just in time for the Big Game, you can now bring together some tasty game day snacks with the full experience of YouTube TV. That’s exciting news for living rooms, cord-cutters, and cord-nevers in neighborhoods far and wide, from Bozeman to Gainesville, Anchorage to Yuma, and Erie to Topeka,” the company said in a blog post, announcing the expansion.
You can check to see if YouTube TV is available for you on here.


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Italian gear maker Brevini has announced plans to locate its United States headquarters and its first North American gear design and manufacturing center in Muncie, Ind., creating more than 450 jobs by 2011.
The facility will serve as a hub for developing and manufacturing wind turbine planetary gear boxes used in wind farms across the country. The gear boxes, which transform kinetic wind energy into mechanical energy for electricity generation, are a critical component in furthering wind power generation in the United States, said Renato Brevini, founder and chief executive officer of Brevini.
Brevini will locate its North American headquarters and design center in an existing 60,000-s.f. facility and plans to construct an additional 150,000 s.f. of manufacturing space at the site in 2010 to manufacture planetary gear boxes for wind turbine energy generation and other low-speed, high-torque applications.
Brevini currently designs and manufactures its planetary gear boxes in Germany, Italy and China. The company will begin hiring engineers, accountants, customer service staff and assembly technicians in 2009 following the relocation of its existing U.S. headquarters from suburban Chicago.


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Electric vehicle owners are to pay vehicle excise duty from April 2025, the chancellor has said in his latest budget update.
Electric vehicles will no longer be exempt from vehicle excise duty from April 2025, the chancellor has announced in his Autumn Statement. Jeremy Hunt said the move was designed to make the motoring tax system ‘fairer’.
Mr Hunt explained: “Because the OBR (Office for Budget Responsibility) forecasts half of all new vehicles will be electric by 2025, to make our motoring tax system fairer I’ve decided that from then, electric vehicles will no longer be exempt from vehicle excise duty.”
Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is a tax levied on vehicles on UK roads. At present, EVs are exempt.
There are different rates of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) or road tax as it is more commonly known in the UK, depending on the vehicle. However, EVs are currently exempt.
Following today’s announcement, electric vehicles registered from April 2025 will pay the lowest rate of £10 in the first year, then move to the standard rate which is currently £165.
The standard rate will also apply to electric vehicles first registered after April 2017.
The chancellor added that company car tax rates for electric vehicles will remain lower than for traditionally fuelled vehicles.
Additionally, the Autumn Statement also revealed that the exemption for electric cars from the expensive car supplement had also been removed.
It means anyone buying a new car – electric or otherwise – priced at more than £40,000 will face having to pay £165 in tax plus a £355 expensive car supplement every year from the second to sixth year of registration.
Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said, “We recognise that all vehicle owners should pay their fair share of tax, however, the measures announced today mean electric car and van buyers – and current owners – will face a significant uplift in VED. The sting in the tail is the VED supplement which will unduly penalise these new, more expensive vehicle technologies. The introduction of taxes should support road transport decarbonisation, and the delivery of net zero, rather than threaten both the new and second-hand EV markets.
“With a ZEV mandate on the way for car and van manufacturers, we need a framework that encourages consumers and businesses to buy electric vehicles. We look forward to working with government on how to transition the market and ensure the tax framework on road users supports this objective.”
The sale of new petrol and diesel cars is due to be banned in the UK from 2030.
Find more info:
Gov.uk – The Autumn Statement 2022


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The North American smartphone market has witnessed a small 4 percent increase in shipments in the first quarter of 2022, as per a report by market research firm Canalys. Apple became the primary driver in this case, which grew 19 percent to achieve a 51 percent market share in Q1 2022, while Samsung secured the second spot. Motorola took third place in this stream, whereas TCL and Google managed to get into the top fourth and fifth positions, respectively during the quarter.
A report from Canalys says that the North American smartphone shipments reached 39 million units in the first quarter of 2022, marking a 3.7 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth.
Apple was the largest contributor to smartphone shipments in the first quarter of 2022 with 19.9 million shipments that helped it achieve a market share of 51 percent, the report states. Samsung shipped 10.5 million units taking the second spot with a market share of 27 percent. The South Korean brand saw a year-on-year growth of just 1 percent.
Motorola took the third spot in terms of smartphone shipments in North America. The company shipped 4 million products and recorded a 56 percent annual growth with a 10 percent market share.
“High inflation places an enormous amount of pressure on carriers in North America as rate increases will be necessary,” said Brian Lynch, Canalys Analyst. “Heavy discounting and high trade-in values are being used to lure in and retain customers for the region’s biggest telcos, easing pressure on the high-end smartphone market. Supply will remain a key bottleneck for the top vendors in the upcoming quarter, but North America will continue to be a priority and is likely to maintain healthy supply levels. The North American market is well placed to avoid any significant volatility in shipments despite the uncertain outlook of its economy,” Lynch further added.
The iPhone 13’s high performance is being considered as the powering background for the Apple’s strong shipment growth in the North American smartphone segment in Q1 2022, according to the report.


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Four designers, who are already established in their local markets, have won the opportunity to further their international growth plans for showing their collections during fashion week events. Italy’s Francesca Liberatore will present her collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. Turkey’s Hakaan Yildirim of Hakaan will showcase his designs at London Fashion Week. Henry Holland’s House of Holland will present at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Tokyo, and the duo Nicholas and Christopher Kunz of Nicholas K from the U.S. will show during Milan Fashion Week.
DHL Exported will sponsor a fully produced runway show for two seasons, along with covering the logistic costs of producing the collections. It will also ship the final looks to either New York, London, Milan or Tokyo.
“We were astonished by the amount of applications we received and even more so about the collections’ quality and designers’ creativity. Our juries in London, Milan, New York and Tokyo each had tough decisions to make and ultimately found some of the most talented designers out there. We’re confident to export their work with great success,” said Arjan Sissing, senior vice president, corporate brand marketing, Deutsche Post DHL.
Jarrad Clark, vice president, creative director of IMG Fashion and a panelist in each of the markets, added, “For us, it was about finding the right designers whose design aesthetic and businesses are ready to enter a new region. We needed to ensure they all have the proper infrastructure in place so that they are able to use their runway show and DHL’s logistic offering to its full potential.”
DHL and IMG Fashion received 150 applications from designers in 36 countries. Designers were asked to choose the market where their businesses’ objectives would benefit the most. For each show, a committee of regional experts reviewed the applications and chose the designer who displayed the most promise to succeed from the program.
The fashion shows will take place in September 2014 and February 2015 during New York, London and Milan fashion weeks and October 2014 and March 2015 during Tokyo Fashion Week.
My character, Dinah Madani, is just the coolest, [most] badass woman imaginable," says @amberroserevah. The actress stars in @marvel's newest series on @netflix, @thepunisher. To prepare for her role, Revah sat down with Homeland agents to get a real sense of with Dinah's day-to-day life is really like. Read our full interview on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: @jilliansollazzo)
A scene from the 91st annual @macys Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade, which boasts 50 million TV viewers and 3.5 million on-site spectators, is considered one of the largest and most watched parades in the world. (📷: Jason Szenes/EPA-REX)
The circus came to @bloomingdales 59th Street on Tuesday night and lit up Lexington Avenue with acrobatic dancers, death-defying knife throwing, sword swallowing and aerial acts with no net. The 45 minutes of theatrics built up to unveiling the holiday windows depicting @swarovski crystal-encrusted circus pieces and scenes from “The Greatest Showman” – songs from the soundtrack included. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdfashion (📷: Joshua Scott)
The psychedelic fashion that pervaded the ’60s is back with an exhibit at the @museumofcityny. “Mode New York: Fashion Takes a Trip” chronicles the changing styles from 1960 through 1973 and features designers such as @ysl, @oscardelarenta and more. The exhibition, which is on display through April 1, is organized into four periods: First Lady Fasion, Youthquake, New Bohemia and New Nonchalance. Pictured here is model Pat Bardonella during the Garvey Day Parade in 1968. (📷: @kwamebphoto) #wwdeye #wwdfashion
“People should be a lot more honest in expressing both the dark and light of themselves. We need to give each other the space to do that because it’s the only way we can grow and evolve,” says @noelwells of her new film “Mr. Roosevelt,” which is largely based on her own struggles. Unexpectedly leaving @nbcsnl in 2014 after just one season, Wells felt set back in her self-esteem and career trajectory. She quickly refocused her energy to more personal projects, which led to the completion of “Mr. Roosevelt.” Read the rest of WWD’s interview with the “Master of None” actress on WWD.com #wwdeye (📷: @jilliansollazzo)
@barbrastreisand is giving fans a chance to see her perform up close in a new concert series, which makes its debut on @Netflix today. From behind-the-scenes takes to her concert performance in Miami last December, the two-hour streaming special captures Streisand in her element. Pictured here is the singer/actress photographed for WWD in 1963. (📷: Palmieri Tony) #wwdeye #wwdarchive
@chanel and @pharrell dropped what’s being dubbed as the world’s most exclusive sneakers yesterday. The Adidas Originals NMD Hu, which Williams designed in collaboration with Chanel and @adidasoriginals, has a waiting list of over 120K people who pre-registered online at chanelatcolette.fr –– and only 500 pairs are on sale. The singer predicted the resale value of the shoes could reach $40K. Read the full interview on WWD.com. Link in bio. #wwdfashion (📷: Dominique Maître)
@imanshumpert is diving deeper into his creative endeavors and relaunching his clothing line, Post 90s, and is helping to raise money for the hurricane victims in St. Maarten with a jersey he’s designed with his brother. The Cleveland Cavaliers player talked to WWD about kneeling during the national anthem, working with fashion brands and how he wants to be more than an @nba player. Read the interview on WWD.com #wwdfashion (📷: George Chinese)


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To this point, virtual reality has remained relatively niche. Without a practical way of viewing content, and very little of that content to view, the techonlogies expansion has simmered, not exploded. Samsung VR Live Pass figures to change all of that.
According to a report on SammyHub, Samsung has some big plans ahead in terms of VR expansion.
In early June, Samsung will launch VR Live Pass, which will be accessible through their Samsung VR app. The app will offer an enticing array of options via use of the Gear VR headset.
It’s first streaming service could serve to bring in a number of people who have never tried the technology before.
That will include UFC 212, which will broadcast on June 3, from Rio de Janero, Brazil. Viewers will have a full, 360-degree view of all of the action. Those watching from the United States or New Zealand will not be able to stream the fights main card in VR, only the undercard fights.
In July, the service will stream all the action from the 2017 X Games, and a number of live performances in August.
While Oculus and HTC remain the big names in virtual reality, Samsung aims to take a significant bite of the market share with VR Live Pass.