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According to China's top economic planning body, some local companies are cutting back on their efforts to hire new university graduates.China Economyread more
Airbus recorded orders and options for 123 planes, according to the aviation consulting firm IBA.iQ.Paris Air Showread more
Markets in Asia were mostly higher in Tuesday trade as investors awaited the start of a closely-watched meeting by the U.S. Federal Reserve, set to kick off later stateside.Asia Marketsread more
Wall Street analysts think Facebook's cryptocurrency payments project will give the company a big boost.Marketsread more
Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea this week for a two-day visit, ahead of a possible meeting between Xi and President Donald Trump at next week's G-20...Politicsread more
The Pentagon said that the crew of one of the tankers, the Japanese Kokuka Courageous, found an unexploded limpet mine on its hull following an initial explosion.Politicsread more
Despite the popularity of companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, meat consumption around the world continues to rise.Food & Beverageread more
Electronic material that Infowars host Alex Jones turned over to families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims who are suing him contained images of child...Politicsread more
Facebook's reported move into cryptocurrency could amount to the biggest catalyst for digital assets in their decade-long history, some crypto investors say.Bitcoinread more
In a 7-2 ruling, over dissents from Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Neil Gorsuch, the justices affirmed the so-called "dual sovereignty" exception to the Constitution's...Politicsread more
Eleven banks that lend to shipping lines announced Monday that climate impact will be integrated into the criteria that determines how much shipping companies can borrow, an...Transportationread more
Donald Trump proved his marketing mastery Tuesday night with a news conference touting his steaks, water, wines and magazine. The trouble is, some of the products he promoted as proof of his business success have either folded or are not sold to the public.
In response to growing attacks on his corporate track record, the Republican presidential candidate held a news conference at his golf course in Jupiter, Florida, where he set up a display of Trump products.
The exhibition followed comments made last week by former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who when speaking about Trump, said, "A business genius he is not."
"Whatever happened to Trump Airlines?" Romney asked. "How about Trump University? And then there's Trump Magazine and Trump Vodka and Trump Steaks, and Trump Mortgage. "
Trump was quick to answer. After his primary victories in Mississippi and Michigan on Tuesday, he stood in front of a table loaded up with steaks, Trump water, Trump Wine and Trump magazines.
The candidate held up his water and said, "I mean, we sell water. And we have water, and it's a very successful, you know, it's a private little water company. And I supply the water for all my places, and it's good."
Romney never mentioned Trump's water ventures. And Trump failed to bring up the uncomfortable facts around Trump Ice, the retail water brand he launched in 2005 that has since folded. The Trump Natural Spring Water he held up is only served at his hotels, resorts, restaurants and golf clubs.
And, it turns out, it may not even be a Trump company. Reports say Trump Natural Spring Water is actually relabeled bottles from Village Springs, a water company in Willington, Connecticut, that offers its water for private-label use.
A spokeswoman for the Trump campaign did not respond to CNBC's request for comment.
Trump's red meat display was also more sizzle than steak. The candidate said, "We have Trump Steaks. And by the way, you want to take one, we charge you about, what, 50 bucks a steak?"
Trump didn't mention that Trump Steaks, which were sold through Sharper Image in 2007 and provided by Buckhead Beef, also folded. The CEO of Sharper Image at the time, Jerry Levin, told Think Progress, "We literally sold almost no steaks."
"If we sold $50,000 of steaks grand total, I'd be surprised," Levin said.
So what steaks did Trump have on display last night? Media reports say the steaks on the table were actually from a company called "Bush Brothers."
As for the wine, Trump is right — he still sells Trump Wine. And it's a good one, according to wine experts. Yet the quality and success of the wine may be owed as much to Patricia Kluge, who started the Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard, as Trump. Kluge plowed more than $100 million into the winery and business, creating wines that were critically acclaimed around the world.
When Kluge ran into financial trouble during the financial crisis, Bank of America foreclosed on the estate and Trump swooped in and bought it for less than $10 million — a fraction of the $60 million the banks had valued the property. Despite promises to keep Kluge in the business, in 2012, she got her marching orders from Trump: "You're fired."
So Trump's main business achievement with Trump Wine is more about his skillful negotiating than his fine wine making. Trump's son Eric now runs the winery, which the website says "is not owned, managed or affiliated with Donald J. Trump."
The Trump Magazine that Trump touted was also not quite as advertised. The official Trump Magazine folded in 2009. What Trump held up was Jewel of Palm Beach, a glossy, glorified sales brochure that's put out once a year and distributed at Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach resort, and other Trump properties.
This is not to say that Trump is a failed businessman. Yet his success comes more from his property deals, golf courses and financial negotiating than his skills as a master merchandiser.


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The new size triple zero trend is encouraging a scary state of skinniness, and social media could be to blame with apps and role models idealising skinny sizes.
A recent Grazia UK article puts a spotlight on the shrinking waists in Hollywood, claiming that “right now it’s in to be thin in Hollywood”. Double zero is not enough however as celebrities aim to squeeze into the new size triple zero with frames still getting smaller by the minute.
To put this into perspective, a size triple zero equates to a 23 inch waist and would be 5 sizes smaller than an AU size 10. According to medical measurement charts a 23 inch waist is considered normal for a 5-6 yr old girl.
To put this into perspective, a size triple zero equates to a 23 inch waist and would be 5 sizes smaller than an AU size 10
So why is thin back in? We all celebrated the new direction of the media when curvier models and celebrities such as Beyonce and Victoria’s Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio led the ‘strong is the new skinny’ and ‘fitspiration’ trends.
However, the good work done by these trends that encouraged a balanced and healthy lifestyle seem to be now undermined by the recent flourish of skinny selfies and social media activity that shows role models with rapidly dropping weights.
Social Media’s usual suspect sites of facebook, instagram and twitter aren’t helping the matter. Celebrities showing off their skinny frames to perhaps gain media attention are consequently promoting sticking out hip bones and pin thin arm sizes to their fan base, which often includes young adolescent girls.
Sarah Leung, Holistic Nutritionist, Accredited Practising Dietitian and founder of www.healthyenergy.net.au, says “If having a 23 inch waist is an unrealistic goal and you result in restrictive dieting, your behavior may result in serious cases, an eating disorder like anorexic nervosa and bulimia nervosa can develop”
These aren’t the only impacts of striving for an unhealthy weight goal, “If one takes a very restrictive or disordered eating as a way to achieve unrealistic body size, long term detrimental damages can result, both physically and mentally” Leung says.
Leung explains that these damages could include a slow metabolic rate, loss of lean muscle, dehydration, dry hair and skin, nutrient deficient and reduced bone mass, distorted body image issues, mood swings, depression and low self-esteem anorexic nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
The skinny selfies that showcase hollowing collarbones and jutting out shoulders have led to the rise of a range of apps that promise to slim down and un-blemish your typical selfie, turning innocent photos into a tool of propaganda for ultra skinny sizes.
Apps such as ‘SkineePix’ claim to have you looking ‘5, 10 or 15lbs (approx. 7kgs) skinnier’ in your selfies while ‘plump&skinny booth’ offers to slim down your face and thighs while plumping up your breasts. Both apps offer easy to share features that will have these transformed and generated images up on social media in no time.
Before and after images used as weight loss product promotions or personal achievements can also be a problem, “Some of these before and after photos are highly edited and unrealistic (often promoting rapid weight loss)” says Leung,” this can create unhealthy weight ideals and expectations for those who want to lose weight and have been looking for these ‘quick fixes’”.
By BB intern Dominique Tait
Copyright © 2020 Bondi Beauty, All Rights Reserved.

domain: news


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Gulf States Cold Storage has announced a 55,000 square-foot expansion at its facility in Savannah, Georgia. Upon completion, scheduled for the end of January, there will be 20% more blast freezing capability and a 100% increase in storage space for poultry and other proteins.
John Dean, the company’s vice president of sales, noted the additional infrastructure will double storage capacity to 28 million pounds of frozen product.
“Currently, we are blasting around three million pounds a week,” he said. “With the expansion, we will be close to five million pounds a week. We will be adding a dock with five new doors, to go with the 18 doors already in use.”
In August of 2013 Gulf States Cold Storage opened a 100,000-square-foot facility in Savannah, less than 10 miles from the Georgia Port Authority’s (GPA’s) Garden City Terminal. The refrigerated area is maintained at -12°F, while the blast cells reach as low as -35°. Most of the cargo is moved on racks, however the site also features a bulk staging area for transload operations.
“We want to grow with the Port of Savannah, which can accommodate more than 2,000 refrigerated containers at a time,” Dean said. “I think it is very important for businesses such as ours to keep up with the capacity that can be handled through the port [its throughput amounted to 8% of the US containerized cargo volume and 10.9% of the country’s total containerized exports in 2013).”
Gulf States handles the export of poultry, beef, pork and seafood, as well as some frozen vegetables – a growing business segment. Dean said the company anticipates growth in frozen imports. Produce such as onions farmed in South America – which has an opposite growing season from the United States – are brought in through Savannah to supply the nation’s Southeast during the winter months. The GPA is also participating in a US Department of Agriculture pilot program bringing in South American citrus, grapes and blueberries.
“I think that imports are going to be a big part of our future,” Dean said. “With the demand for export boxes in Savannah, I think you will see more and more imports coming in through GPA.”
Along with the new space, Gulf States Cold Storage will be adding 12 to 14 jobs. The site currently employs 35 people.
In addition to the Savannah cold storage facility, the company operates peanut warehouses in Andalusia, Alabama, and Blakely, Georgia, as well as freezing facilities in Americus and Columbus, Georgia; Dothan, Alabama; and Shreveport, Louisiana.


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Team GB athlete Samantha Murray opens new Aldi on Morecambe promenade
Olympic silver medallist Samantha Murray officially opened Aldi's new store on Morecambe promenade this week.
The Team GB star, who won silver in the Women’s Pentathlon at London 2012, cut the ribbon to mark the store officially open with the help of pupils from West End Primary School.
Samantha then visited the school to deliver an assembly to pupils on the benefits of healthy eating and exercise.
The assembly came as part of Aldi’s ‘Get Set to eat Fresh’ initiative, which aims to educate 1.2m young people aged 5-14 across the UK to develop a love of eating and cooking with fresh, healthy foods.
Samantha said: “I really enjoyed meeting the store’s first shoppers and also everyone at West End Primary School. I hope my assembly went some way to encourage the children to give even more healthy foods a try!”
Store Manager, Tim Robinson, added: “Today was a brilliant start for the store. The team and I were thrilled to meet Samantha – seeing an Olympic medal up close was something we’ll remember for a long time! Thank you to all of our shoppers and everyone from West End Primary School for coming down.
The new 1,254sqm Morecambe store replaces the former Morecambe Superbowl, which was demolished earlier this year.
Aldi Morecambe is run by a local team of 27 staff.


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Which inflation rate?
Even though many economists endorse some form of inflation targeting, there is no consensus about how inflation is best measured for purposes of such a policy. The Fed's tradition of focusing on a consumption deflator excluding food and energy is plausible, but it is only one of many plausible choices. As far as I know, this particular choice has never been fully justified over others. Some members of the FOMC may share Charlie's judgment on this question.
The US Federal Reserve is wrong to focus on core measures of inflation that exclude energy prices, Charles Bean, chief economist at the Bank of England, has suggested. It should focus instead on headline inflation, which is much higher, he argued. Including energy and food costs, US consumer price inflation is running at an annual rate of 4.1 per cent, against 2.7 per cent for core inflation.
Mr Bean told the Fed’s annual Jackson Hole symposium at the weekend that energy prices were rising for the same reason the price of many manufactured goods were falling: the rise of China and other emerging market economies. Since both price trends had a common cause, he said it makes little sense to focus “on measures of core inflation that strip out energy prices while not stripping out falling goods prices as well.”
The bottom line: This is yet another reason to think that for the foreseeable future the Bernanke Fed's commitment to inflation targeting is likely to be vague and informal. Monetary policy will remain more discretionary than rule-based.
Update: A reader calls to my attention an August 29 speech by Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher in which he addresses the issue:
In preparing for our deliberations at the FOMC, I have come to rely upon what is called the Trimmed-Mean PCE Deflator....The business of getting it right on inflation is not an easy task. I keep a close eye on all of the inflation measures.This statement can be seen as further confirmation that there is no consenus on which price index to use. Until monetary policymakers settle on a price index, inflation targeting cannot possibly become the rule-based monetary policy that some people would like it to be.


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LoveSeitan has launched what it claims is the UK’s first seitan pepperoni alternative available to retail.
Seitan Pepperoni is made from wheat-based seitan, which LoveSeitan said was “the perfect choice for meat alternatives” and was continuing to gain popularity.
It added that until now, pepperoni fans looking for a plant-based alternative have had to make their own at home.
The Seitan Pepperoni is vegan, soy-free and certified as Kosher.
It launched online today in two pack sizes – 100g (rsp: £1.95) and 300g (rsp: £3.95).
The product had been in development and testing for a year, with LoveSeitan saying it had “taken great care to ensure this new release satisfies the tastebuds of even the most dedicated pepperoni enthusiast”.
LoveSeitan co-founder Steve Swindon said he wanted to “make sure it fits the pepperoni taste profile and appearance as closely as possible” and the brand had tried “many different variants” before finding the “right recipe to satisfy pepperoni lovers”.
“There’s no denying that pepperoni is the world’s favourite pizza topping; now we can enjoy a plant-based version without the need to involve animals in the process,” Swindon added.
Waitrose launched a pizza with seitan pepperoni on it in January, but the pepperoni itself was not available to buy seperately.


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The big achievers of the Australasian cruising world have been named at this year’s annual Cruise Industry Awards.
Held by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia, the gala dinner and awards night attracted more than 500 guests to Sydney’s Star Event Centre on Saturday night and helped mark another year for the cruise sector.
A total of 20 honours were presented in an evening hosted by actor and singer Tim Campbell, including awards for travel agencies and individuals from across both countries.
CLIA Australasia managing director Joel Katz said this year’s awards had been among the most successful of the event’s 18-year history.
“We had a record number of submissions this year, which made for a heightened level of competition,” he said.
“It proves that travel agents are more engaged than ever and more dedicated to developing their cruise business, which makes them a key driver of the ongoing growth in the cruise industry.”
Top winners on the night included Australia’s Cruise Consultant of the Year, Gail Chapman of Dreamlines Australia; and New Zealand’s Cruise Consultant of the Year, Kiri Martin of YOU Travel Orewa.
Phil Hoffman Travel was named Australia’s Large Cruise Agency of the Year, while Helloworld Milford & Browns Bay was chosen as New Zealand’s Large Cruise Agency of the Year.
Australia’s Small Cruise Agency of the Year was itravel Carlingford, while New Zealand’s Small Cruise Agency of the Year was tied between House of Travel Kapiti Coast and Helloworld Rotorua.
A highlight honour was the induction of Crystal Cruises managing director and senior vice president of Australia and New Zealand Karen Christensen (pictured below) into the CLIA Hall of Fame, recognising her more than 30 years in the Australasian cruise industry and long association with CLIA.
Below is the full list of winners:
Agency Promotion of the Year, New Zealand
Bon Voyage Cruises & Travel
Agency Promotion of the Year, Australia
Network Promotion of the Year, Australasia
Helloworld New Zealand
#ChooseCruise Promotion of the Year, Australasia
Bon Voyage Cruises & Travel
Media Award, Australasia
Rising Star, New Zealand
Shelley Williams, Clevedon Travel
Rising Star, Australia
Peter Fotinis, Clean Cruising
Broker of the Year, New Zealand
Denise Fowler, The Travel Brokers
Home Based/Mobile Agent of the Year, Australia
Nicole Edgar, TravelManagers Australia
Cruise Champion, Australasia
Tim Faircloth, I Love Cruising
Cruise Consultant of the Year, New Zealand
Kiri Martin, YOU Travel Orewa
Cruise Consultant of the Year, Australia
Gail Chapman, Dreamlines Australia
Online Cruise Agency of the Year, New Zealand
Online Cruise Agency of the Year, Australia
Small Cruise Agency of the Year, New Zealand
House of Travel Kapiti Coast and Helloworld Rotorua (tie)
Small Cruise Agency of the Year, Australia
Large Cruise Agency of the Year, New Zealand
Helloworld Milford & Browns Bay
Large Cruise Agency of the Year, Australia
Phil Hoffmann Travel
CLIA Hall of Fame


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The truth lies in tea
Mark Twain once said, “If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.”
Did you know that there are companies who help and even encourage you tell lies? AlibiNetwork.com provides alibis and excuses for absences and “a variety of sensitive issues,” while CareerExcuse.com offers professional job references to help you get the job you want. Don’t get any ideas!
Last month, KHON2 News reported “Honest Tea tests Hawaii residents’ honesty.” They revealed that a company called Honest Tea set up an unmanned pop-up store in Honolulu to see if people would pay a dollar for a drink based on the honor system.
“Last year you guys did great — we did a downtown location and a Waikiki location and Hawaii was 93% honest overall,” said Kristin Duzmal of Honest Beverages marketing. This year, Hawaii came in at an amazing 99.9%.
Like the honor-back books at our public libraries, good Samaritans who return lost wallets, and donation boxes on store counters, some people and companies run on the belief that most people are honorable and fair.
Let’s challenge ourselves. Let’s live our lives expecting that people will be honest and deal with us fairly.
Are you an honest person? Has a random act of honesty affected your life?


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City of Calgary, October 1, 2020 –
September sales activity jumped to 1,702 units, the strongest September total since 2014.
New listings in September improved over last month, but levels remained comparable to the previous year. The increase in sales relative to new listings did prevent any monthly gains in inventory levels, but supply in the market is still down 12 per cent compared to last year.
"The recent rise in new listings, combined with low lending rates and softness in prices, has helped support some of the recent upward trend in sales," said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie.
"However, conditions vary significantly based on the price range and property type."
The adjustment in supply relative to demand has caused the housing…


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As well as considering health issues, retailers need to be looking at those products which provide parents with convenience.
Rosie Tapp of Bel UK says that busy parents mean busy convenience stores in the run up to the start of school. “The lunchbox opportunity for convenience store retailers is huge as many parents are time poor and seeking products that reduce preparation time,” she says. “Creating a back-to-school feature in store can help promote sales as time-short parents will be able to find all the goods they are looking for in one place.”
Tapp says that parents want a selection of products that combine health and convenience. “Lunchbox npd has been influenced by the continued trend towards healthier and more natural products,” she points out. “Consumers continue to look closely at the nutritional content of their packed lunch, seeking out products that contain natural ingredients.
“Mini Babybel Original caters for this trend and is perfect for the lunchbox as it’s individually wrapped, is easy to transport and has the added value of being portion controlled.”
Successful lunchbox products, it seems, are those that find the balance between taste and health. Helen Cridge, UK category insight manager at FrieslandCampina, which manufactures Yazoo, says that a product also needs to appeal to both parents and children if it is to be successful.
“Juggling the health concerns of parents and the taste expectations of children can be a tricky act, but if a brand gets the balance right it can prove lucrative for both them and the retailer,” she says.
retailer’s view Kishor Patel
“We see a lot more bread being sold when it comes to back-to-school time as parents want to make their children’s lunches themselves. Smaller snacks really sell well around this time, especially those that are healthy.
“We also have a meal deal selection that does really well with customers. It’s £3 and covers a wide range of products. The most popular choice is usually a sandwich, a packet of crisps and a drink, but we make sure that there is a variety. People get bored quite easily and you want to give them some choice.” Kishor Patel, Nisa, Bedfordshire
Products within the flavoured milk market seem to have got the balance just right, with overall sales increasing year on year by 16% and now worth £175m (Nielsen Soft Drinks Category Report April 2011).
In the impulse sector, Yazoo currently takes a 57% share of the market and Cridge says that its health credentials give it the edge. “All of the products in the Yazoo range contain less than 5% added sugar, making them eligible to be sold in schools,” she explains.
Cridge believes that promotions play a big part in generating sales for the back-to-school market. “The back-to-school period provides retailers with added sales opportunities that they should make the most of,” says Cridge. “They can do this by creating a clearly signposted ‘back to school’ category within the store, using all of the best lunchbox fillers.”
To help with this, the Yazoo after-school activities campaign will be returning for the start of the new term. From August, children aged between five and 11 will be able to claim tickets for activities such as tag rugby, cheer-leading and tennis, offering savings of up to £15 for parents.
“During the busy back-to- school period, it’s great to be able to offer parents extra value and give something back to them,” adds Cridge. “Offering additional value to consumers is at the core of all Yazoo activity, as well as encouraging children to participate in sports to remain active and healthy.”
To ensure they pass the health test, other soft drinks categories have been making changes. Panda Soft Drinks recently revamped its range to ensure that its products remain child friendly.
Top 10 Chocolate biscuit brands
(excluding private label) 1Kit Kat
4 Blue Riband
7 Tunnock Chocolate Wafer
9 Cadbury Time Out
10 Fox Bars
Source: Nielsen ScanTrack 52 weeks ending May 14, 2011
“This year Panda refreshed its range to reinforce its healthier credentials within the soft drinks market and to offer reassurance to mums purchasing soft drinks for their children,” says Panda brand manager James Nichols. “Panda Pops, the fizzy option in the portfolio, has been discontinued, leaving Panda Still Juice Drink and Panda Still Flavoured Water.”
Nichols says that Panda Pops wasn’t necessarily unhealthy, but rather it no longer fitted with what parents expected from a lunchbox soft drink.
“Despite Panda Pops having healthier ingredients than many of its competitors, Panda recognised mums’ concerns around fizzy drinks and the impact that having a fizzy drink in the portfolio had on the perception of the brand,” he says. “By removing Panda Pops, the Panda range can confidently promote the healthier credentials of its still juice drinks and flavoured waters, which contain no added sugar, artificial colours or flavours.
“The transparent bottle clearly highlights its health credentials to inform and reassure mums.”
One way that some brands are helping parents feel more comfortable about what their children consume is by providing portion-controlled packs.
According to Fox’s Biscuits senior business director Rachel Moffat, mini bags of biscuits saw a 7.2% growth in the past year and the market is worth £51.9m (Nielsen ScanTrack 52 weeks ending May 14, 2011).
Moffat says that the sector sees faster growth during the back-to-school period than throughout the rest of the year. She explains that there is a trust among parents for both the pack size and the brand.
“Portion-controlled packs are essential as children can have a treat, but mum knows exactly what her child is consuming,” says Moffat. “‘Retro brands can be very important, too for example, Mini Party Rings offer opportunities as a lot of parents remember them from when they were younger. They’re a trusted product.
Back to school
Earlier this year Pritt unveiled a new image for the product that highlighted its environmentally friendly credentials. It now has a new formula that is made up of 90% renewable ingredients and can be applied more smoothly than before. To coincide with this reformulation, the company also gave brand icon Mr Pritt a makeover to match and introduced him on to packs for the first time.
Pritt’s revamp couldn’t have come at a better time as it gears up for the back-to-school season.
“Back to school is a really key event for the glue stick category, and for Pritt in particular,” says brand category management director Baptiste Chièze. “The glue stick category was worth more than £13m in 2010 and just under 25% of that value was driven through two months during back to school (August and September), of which Pritt contributed 64%.”
Chièze adds that this share increases in the months leading up to the new school year. “This rose to 70% during back to school, making it the biggest event of the year for the Pritt Stick,” he says.
“Going back to school can be a stressful time for kids and their parents,” says Chièze. “It is important to focus on back-to-school products as there is an expectation from customers that these will be readily available. This gives the retailer an opportunity to increase footfall in their stores if they have the right offering.”
Chièze advises retailers to get in early with their stationery products to ensure that they make the most of the category. “We advise retailers to start promoting the back-to-school ranges early on in order to prevent missing out on any sales opportunities and also to raise awareness in advance of the critical August and September times.”
Cash in: Lunchbox - Healthy balance
Cash in: Lunchbox - Need the bread
Cash in: Lunchbox - Grown-up thinking
Cash in: Lunchbox - Ones to watch


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Nike sponsoring Chinese LoL League
More and more non-esports related brands are taking the plunge and investing in esports – the newest member among those ranks is sporting equipment giant Nike – the company has just partnered with the League of Legends Pro League in China, and all the way through to 2022 at that!
On Thursday, the company announced that they were going to be the exclusive and official apparel and footwear partner of the LPL. This means sneakers, casual clothes and even professional jerseys for the players! Made up of 16 competitive pro teams, the LPL is looking to explore new physical training programs for esports athletes.
Although it may not seem all of that important at first glance, even for esports athlete, a good fitness regimen is a must. The league itself is operated by TJ Sports, a joint venture between Tencent and Riot, the makers of League of Legends. The goal of the league is for one of the teams to earn a spot in the World Championship, as only one of the 16 can qualify.
Whichever team makes it to the Paris World Championship this year though, Nike is sure to get a sweet deal when it comes to exposure and coverage, not that the company really struggles when it comes to that. No, this is a mutually beneficial deal that will hopefully put a bit more focus on the health of esports pro players – a much discussed topic that led to Blizzard revising the setup of their own Overwatch League to reduce the stress on players for example.
Regular exercise and having the right equipment for it is another important step in staying healthy while gaming, and that is as important for esports pros as it is for anyone else. The fact that Nike is doing this in China makes a lot of sense too – going by the number of esports enthusiasts, China is the number one country in the world – over 75 million fans regularly watch esports competitions and the like.
“Since its inception, Nike has always believed that in all sports, a strong body and will make athletes better,” the company said. “As China becomes a new e-sports cultural center, Nike is pleased to support the next generation of athletes and establish a long-term cooperative relationship with e-sports to contribute to the future development of sports ecology.”
Though this is officially the first esports related deal the company has made, they did feature an esport athlete in one of their campaigns last year. With how popular esports are, it was high time for Nike to join other big names like Puma, Adidas, Jack and Jones, Hyundai, BMW and even Chipotle.
In addition to investing and producing gear for the LPL, Nike is also going to work with individual athletes in order to custom design training programs for them specifically, though further details on this (along with the financial aspects of this deal) were not made public at this point.


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Alphabet Inc's Google is in advanced talks to invest $4 billion for a stake in the digital arm of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
An announcement could come as soon as the next few weeks, according to the report.
Google declined to comment, while Reliance did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Investors, including Facebook and KKR & Co, have already poured in a combined $15.64 billion for just over 25 percent in Jio Platforms. The funding spree, which began late April, and a share sale by Reliance have helped make India's biggest company by market value net-debt free.
The report comes a day after Google said it would spend around $10 billion in India over the next five to seven years through equity investments and tie-ups, in its biggest commitment to a key growth market.
Shares of Reliance pared some losses to trade down 0.7 percent as of 0928 GMT, while the broader market was down 1.68 percent


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|By Business Wire||
|July 22, 2014 06:02 AM EDT||
SugarCRM Inc., the company that enables businesses to create extraordinary customer relationships with the most innovative and affordable CRM solution in the market, closes Q2 2014 marking 19 consecutive quarters of growth and 10 years of business leadership in CRM. Guided by a strong vision to empower the individual, buoyed by the industry’s most innovative and affordable CRM solution in the market and an ever-growing global customer base, SugarCRM is well-positioned to further capitalize on the fastest-growing sector in enterprise software in the coming years.
2004: CRM Industry Gets a Taste of Sugar
Ten years ago, SugarCRM Co-Founder and CTO Clint Oram was determined to fix what he saw as a fatal flaw in conventional CRM solutions: Sales and support teams did not like using them and they were too expensive to put in the hands of every customer-facing employee. SugarCRM was founded to help solve these critical issues and has always fundamentally believed customer relationship management is more than marketing, sales force or customer support automation.
The CRM industry got its first taste of Sugar in July 2004 with the launch of SugarCRM's flagship product and a $2 million funding round. The company signed its first customers later that same year — several of which still remain as valued SugarCRM customers. Today, SugarCRM offers a completely revamped version of its flagship product, and is known industry-wide for putting the individual — the "i" — in CRM and empowering employees at all levels of a customer-centric organization to better understand and connect with customers over their entire lifecycle.
"SugarCRM’s 10-year anniversary is a very special and exciting milestone, and without a doubt it’s been a thrilling decade of transformation,” said Oram. “As co-founder, I helped turn a new idea into a fledgling company, and now to a thriving business that empowers an entire market. We are proud of building a world-class team, innovative technology and an impressive list of marquee customers that welcome our disruptive value proposition. As we begin another decade, we look forward to a deeper focus on helping sellers to sell and customer service representatives to deliver extraordinary customer service."
Accelerated Growth, Strong Collaboration in a Thriving Market
Today, SugarCRM places the individual customer at the center of its solution—enabling highly personalized customer interactions and valuable customer insights that drive customer excellence and retention. SugarCRM's new iCRM movement has indeed gained traction in the market and drawn industry acclaim as well as new customers and alliances. Undoubtedly, the past couple of years have been especially favorable for SugarCRM. In Q2 2014, the company marked 19 consecutive quarters of growth and reported a 30 percent annual increase in annual recurring revenue (ARR). In the first half of 2014 alone, SugarCRM signed a record total of more than 1,000 new customers, bringing its current total to nearly 7,500 —with more than 1.5 million end users worldwide. Companies such as Reebok, Sennheiser, Wilson Sporting Goods, Mitsubishi Motors Brazil and Seguros Monterrey New York Life rely on Sugar to deliver extraordinary customer relationships.
"Congratulations to SugarCRM on this special corporate milestone,” said Martin Ruiz, CIO, Seguros Monterrey New York Life. “I look forward to ongoing collaboration with the team as the company continues to innovate and bring new thinking to the CRM space.”
Market Traction Fuels Stellar Growth, Industry Recognition
Gartner predicts that CRM will represent the largest segment of enterprise software spend by 2017, growing to a $36.5 billion worldwide market. The investor community recognizes that SugarCRM will claim a sizeable part of this opportunity, thanks to its unique value proposition. Nearly a year ago, Goldman Sachs led a $40 million funding round for SugarCRM that closed in August 2013.
For two consecutive years, Gartner named SugarCRM a "Visionary" in its Magic Quadrant in both 2013 and 2014— a highly coveted position and ranking from a leading analyst research firm. This year, Ovum Research lent further credence to SugarCRM's mission by proclaiming 2014 the year that company leaders will finally embrace the need for a new CRM customer strategy that includes each customer-facing employee. On the awards front, SugarCRM was honored with the CRM Excellence award by Customer Magazine in May 2014, and the following month was named to AlwaysOn's 2014 OnDemand Top 100 list as one of the most promising private companies in the on-demand, cloud and SaaS categories.
"SugarCRM was one of the first front-office application providers to build its business on top of a commercial open source model - but what makes SugarCRM unique today is that it is one of the few providers focused only on core CRM,” said Paul Greenberg, president of the 56 Group and author of CRM at the Speed of Light. “In the past 10 years, Sugar has grown into a comprehensive and flexible CRM platform, one that focuses on personalization and usability for individual users in an innovative manner.”
SugarCRM and the Decade Ahead
All of the significant technology shifts — from social, cloud and mobile to big data — have converged to create the most exciting time in CRM's history. With a strong market forecasted by leading research firms and continued company growth, SugarCRM is well-positioned for a successful decade ahead. The company's primary focus remains rooted in empowering every customer-facing individual and every business to successfully manage their customer life cycle by providing high-value customer insights and helping them deliver extraordinary customer interactions.
"SugarCRM's successes over the past 10 years can be attributed to a relentless drive to realize the full potential of CRM," said Larry Augustin, SugarCRM CEO. "We are laser focused on delivering an innovative CRM solution designed for every individual, not just the management team. Today, we can truly say we are delivering on the promise of CRM, helping businesses acquire, manage and retain customers throughout every stage of their journey—and positioning SugarCRM to make an indelible mark on the highest growth market in enterprise software.”
SugarCRM enables businesses to create extraordinary customer relationships with the most innovative and affordable customer relationship management (CRM) solution on the market. By placing the individual at the center of its solution, SugarCRM is putting the “i” in CRM and empowering people at all levels of an organization to better understand and engage with customers. Based in Silicon Valley, SugarCRM is backed by Goldman Sachs, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, NEA, and Walden International. More than 1.5M individuals in 120 countries rely on SugarCRM. To learn more visit SugarCRM or follow @SugarCRM.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 relating to, among other things, expectations, plans, prospects and financial results for SugarCRM, including, but not limited to, our expectations regarding our products, market demand, future revenue, and market share growth. These forward-looking statements are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of SugarCRM’s management as of the date of this press release, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date thereof, and SugarCRM disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
NOTE: SugarCRM and the SugarCRM logo are service marks of SugarCRM Inc. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
Too often with compelling new technologies market participants become overly enamored with that attractiveness of the technology and neglect underlying business drivers. This tendency, what some call the “newest shiny object syndrome,” is understandable given that virtually all of us are heavily engaged in technology. But it is also mistaken. Without concrete business cases driving its deployment, IoT, like many other technologies before it, will fade into obscurity.
Sep. 3, 2015 04:30 PM EDT Reads: 431
All major researchers estimate there will be tens of billions devices - computers, smartphones, tablets, and sensors - connected to the Internet by 2020. This number will continue to grow at a rapid pace for the next several decades. With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing IoT strategies, now is the perfect time to attend @ThingsExpo, November 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and ensure that your enterprise is as "IoT-Ready" as it can be.
Sep. 3, 2015 04:15 PM EDT Reads: 103
Containers are not new, but renewed commitments to performance, flexibility, and agility have propelled them to the top of the agenda today. By working without the need for virtualization and its overhead, containers are seen as the perfect way to deploy apps and services across multiple clouds. Containers can handle anything from file types to operating systems and services, including microservices. What are microservices? Unlike what the name implies, microservices are not necessarily small, but are focused on specific tasks. The ability for developers to deploy multiple containers – thous...
Sep. 3, 2015 04:00 PM EDT Reads: 141
The 3rd International WebRTC Summit, to be held Nov. 4–6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, announces that its Call for Papers is now open. Topics include all aspects of improving IT delivery by eliminating waste through automated business models leveraging cloud technologies. WebRTC Summit is co-located with 15th International Cloud Expo, 6th International Big Data Expo, 3rd International DevOps Summit and 2nd Internet of @ThingsExpo. WebRTC (Web-based Real-Time Communication) is an open source project supported by Google, Mozilla and Opera that aims to enable bro...
Sep. 3, 2015 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,604
As more and more data is generated from a variety of connected devices, the need to get insights from this data and predict future behavior and trends is increasingly essential for businesses. Real-time stream processing is needed in a variety of different industries such as Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Automobile, Finance, Online Retail, Smart Grids, and Healthcare. Azure Stream Analytics is a fully managed distributed stream computation service that provides low latency, scalable processing of streaming data in the cloud with an enterprise grade SLA. It features built-in integration with Azur...
Sep. 3, 2015 02:45 PM EDT Reads: 389
With the proliferation of connected devices underpinning new Internet of Things systems, Brandon Schulz, Director of Luxoft IoT – Retail, will be looking at the transformation of the retail customer experience in brick and mortar stores in his session at @ThingsExpo. Questions he will address include: Will beacons drop to the wayside like QR codes, or be a proximity-based profit driver? How will the customer experience change in stores of all types when everything can be instrumented and analyzed? As an area of investment, how might a retail company move towards an innovation methodolo...
Sep. 3, 2015 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 512
SYS-CON Events announced today that HPM Networks will exhibit at the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. For 20 years, HPM Networks has been integrating technology solutions that solve complex business challenges. HPM Networks has designed solutions for both SMB and enterprise customers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Sep. 3, 2015 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 962
SYS-CON Events announced today the Containers & Microservices Bootcamp, being held November 3-4, 2015, in conjunction with 17th Cloud Expo, @ThingsExpo, and @DevOpsSummit at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. This is your chance to get started with the latest technology in the industry. Combined with real-world scenarios and use cases, the Containers and Microservices Bootcamp, led by Janakiram MSV, a Microsoft Regional Director, will include presentations as well as hands-on demos and comprehensive walkthroughs.
Sep. 3, 2015 02:15 PM EDT Reads: 417
Contrary to mainstream media attention, the multiple possibilities of how consumer IoT will transform our everyday lives aren’t the only angle of this headline-gaining trend. There’s a huge opportunity for “industrial IoT” and “Smart Cities” to impact the world in the same capacity – especially during critical situations. For example, a community water dam that needs to release water can leverage embedded critical communications logic to alert the appropriate individuals, on the right device, as soon as they are needed to take action.
Sep. 3, 2015 01:30 PM EDT
WebRTC services have already permeated corporate communications in the form of videoconferencing solutions. However, WebRTC has the potential of going beyond and catalyzing a new class of services providing more than calls with capabilities such as mass-scale real-time media broadcasting, enriched and augmented video, person-to-machine and machine-to-machine communications. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Luis Lopez, CEO of Kurento, will introduce the technologies required for implementing these ideas and some early experiments performed in the Kurento open source software community in areas ...
Sep. 3, 2015 01:15 PM EDT Reads: 107
SYS-CON Events announced today that Pythian, a global IT services company specializing in helping companies leverage disruptive technologies to optimize revenue-generating systems, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 17th Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Founded in 1997, Pythian is a global IT services company that helps companies compete by adopting disruptive technologies such as cloud, Big Data, advanced analytics, and DevOps to advance innovation and increase agility. Specializing in designing, imple...
Sep. 3, 2015 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 370
Consumer IoT applications provide data about the user that just doesn’t exist in traditional PC or mobile web applications. This rich data, or “context,” enables the highly personalized consumer experiences that characterize many consumer IoT apps. This same data is also providing brands with unprecedented insight into how their connected products are being used, while, at the same time, powering highly targeted engagement and marketing opportunities. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Nathan Treloar, President and COO of Bebaio, will explore examples of brands transforming their businesses by t...
Sep. 3, 2015 12:30 PM EDT Reads: 288
In his session at @ThingsExpo, Lee Williams, a producer of the first smartphones and tablets, will talk about how he is now applying his experience in mobile technology to the design and development of the next generation of Environmental and Sustainability Services at ETwater. He will explain how M2M controllers work through wirelessly connected remote controls; and specifically delve into a retrofit option that reverse-engineers control codes of existing conventional controller systems so they don't have to be replaced and are instantly converted to become smart, connected devices.
Sep. 3, 2015 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 254
With the Apple Watch making its way onto wrists all over the world, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a staple in the workplace. In fact, Forrester reported that 68 percent of technology and business decision-makers characterize wearables as a top priority for 2015. Recognizing their business value early on, FinancialForce.com was the first to bring ERP to wearables, helping streamline communication across front and back office functions. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Kevin Roberts, GM of Platform at FinancialForce.com, will discuss the value of business applications on wearable ...
Sep. 3, 2015 10:45 AM EDT Reads: 102
SYS-CON Events announced today that Micron Technology, Inc., a global leader in advanced semiconductor systems, will exhibit at the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Micron’s broad portfolio of high-performance memory technologies – including DRAM, NAND and NOR Flash – is the basis for solid state drives, modules, multichip packages and other system solutions. Backed by more than 35 years of technology leadership, Micron's memory solutions enable the world's most innovative computing, consumer,...
Sep. 3, 2015 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 285
17th Cloud Expo, taking place Nov 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world. Cloud computing is now being embraced by a majority of enterprises of all sizes. Yesterday's debate about public vs. private has transformed into the reality of hybrid cloud: a recent survey shows that 74% of enterprises have a hybrid cloud strategy. Meanwhile, 94% of enterprises are using some form of XaaS – software, platform, and infrastructure as a service.
Sep. 3, 2015 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,603
While many app developers are comfortable building apps for the smartphone, there is a whole new world out there. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Narayan Sainaney, Co-founder and CTO of Mojio, will discuss how the business case for connected car apps is growing and, with open platform companies having already done the heavy lifting, there really is no barrier to entry.
Sep. 3, 2015 09:30 AM EDT Reads: 214
SYS-CON Events announced today that the "Second Containers & Microservices Expo" will take place November 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Containers and microservices have become topics of intense interest throughout the cloud developer and enterprise IT communities.
Sep. 3, 2015 09:30 AM EDT Reads: 654
As more intelligent IoT applications shift into gear, they’re merging into the ever-increasing traffic flow of the Internet. It won’t be long before we experience bottlenecks, as IoT traffic peaks during rush hours. Organizations that are unprepared will find themselves by the side of the road unable to cross back into the fast lane. As billions of new devices begin to communicate and exchange data – will your infrastructure be scalable enough to handle this new interconnected world?
Sep. 3, 2015 09:30 AM EDT Reads: 205
Manufacturing connected IoT versions of traditional products requires more than multiple deep technology skills. It also requires a shift in mindset, to realize that connected, sensor-enabled “things” act more like services than what we usually think of as products. In his session at @ThingsExpo, David Friedman, CEO and co-founder of Ayla Networks, will discuss how when sensors start generating detailed real-world data about products and how they’re being used, smart manufacturers can use the data to create additional revenue streams, such as improved warranties or premium features. Or slash...
Sep. 3, 2015 09:15 AM EDT


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Meizu is all set to announce the successor to the Meizu MX later this month but before we get the official announcement, a couple of hands-on images of the phone have been leaked.
The new phone ditches the iPhone-like design to a, well, less iPhone-like design. Gone are the physical controls below the display, which have been replaced by the now standard on-screen Android navigation controls.
The display aspect ratio is also visibly different. Meizu stuck with the 3:2 960 x 640 resolution (that Apple uses for the iPhone) for their past two models and it has now been chucked in favor of what looks like 1280 x 768.
The phone supposedly runs on a quad-core processor and will have Meizu's Flyme skin on top of Android (hopefully Jelly Bean).
The device will officially be announced in China on November 27.
this phone is not as good as lumia 920
What the fans from the Chinese BBS digged out from the above handdrawing UI: From meizu forum: 1: confirmed resolution for mx2: 1280*800; 2：The:return key at the bottom of the drawings proves that mx2 has no solid return key on the front panel....
Yup, Oppo is also putting out some great phones. I think within a couple years the Chinese phone makers will have their products go international officially, which is great for the consumer. They're packing comparable hardware into their products for...


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IBM targets sustainable fashion with latest blockchain partnership
IBM has emerged as one of the largest blockchain consulting firms in the world. Its next target: sustainable fashion.
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IBM’s foray into the blockchain ecosystem is deepening with a new partnership to track supply chains in the textile and fashion industries.
The Armonk, New York-based tech giant announced Monday that it’s teaming up with German textile manufacturer Kaya&Kato to develop a blockchain network that tracks the origin of fabrics used in the fashion industry. The new application will allow Kaya&Kato’s suppliers and customers to identify where their fabrics are processed, as well as understand each step of the production and distribution processes. IBM said:
“The network is designed to create transparency about the origin of garments, from the fiber used to the completion of the final product, and to provide consumers with the knowledge that their clothes are sustainably produced.”
Notably, the initiative is supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Development.
IBM has identified sustainable clothing as a promising growth venture, particularly among Europe’s younger demographics.
An IBM-commissioned study of European consumers by Morning Consult found that 75% of respondents say they are concerned about waste in the fashion industry. Sixty-four percent indicate a desire to buy garments if new technologies could verify sustainability claims.


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Electric Vehicle News Roundup-June 7
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The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and partners have launched a new initiative to engage local governments around Florida that have taken action to protect their coasts from the threats of offshore drilling. The ask is that they take the next step by advancing policies that will proactively accelerate the transition to clean electric vehicles. By supporting electric transportation options, coastal municipalities and counties will help their communities preserve and protect their coastal identity, reduce oil demand, mitigate climate change pollution, improve public health and save money. Learn more about the initiative here.
The 2019 Sustainable Fleet Technology Conference & Expo showcases the latest and greatest in advanced vehicles, fuels, and technologies — including data-driven solutions. This conference is a source of on-the-ground experience for increasing fleet efficiency and sustainability, while reducing emissions and costs. Join them on August 7-8, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. Come and learn from your peers and experts. Or, share your expertise — opportunities to sponsor, exhibit, and display vehicles are still available. Register and learn more at www.sustainablefleetexpo.com. Contact Allison Carr (firstname.lastname@example.org) at the NC Clean Energy Technology Center for additional information.
Consultancy IHS Markit projects that 43 brands will offer at least one electric vehicle option by 2023, including nearly all existing brands, along with new brands entering the market.
Nissan data indicates that LEAF batteries should last as long as 22 years. The carmaker monitors factors such as charging patterns and battery degradation on the 400,000+ LEAFs it has sold in Europe since 2011.
Check out this incredible video of EV model sales data over the years.
If completed, the merger would move the newly created automaker to the third-largest slot behind Volkswagen (VLKAF) and Toyota (TM) and help Fiat wade deeper into the electric vehicle market.
Following Lyft’s recent introduction of Green Mode, which allows riders to request an electric or hybrid vehicle, the ridesharing company will now offer free charging to eligible Portland EV drivers starting July 1st.
The North Carolina state Senate budget proposal would increase fees for electric vehicle owners by $100, to $230 starting next year. It would also add a new annual registration fee of $115 for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Support for electric vehicles spans the political spectrum, according to a new survey, with 84% of Democrats, 75% of Independents and 70% of Republicans viewing electric vehicles positively.


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Before the world shut down from COVID-19, the delivery industry was already booming. In any industry when something takes off rather quickly, it brings new challenges and changes at a rapid pace – often leaving companies struggling to keep up. With new variants of COVID happening, many companies are still trying to understand how to pivot into this new era and how to make delivery a standard operation for their book of business. The gig economy has grown to over 6 million workers in the past decade. With more Generation Z entering the workforce, gig platforms and freelance work are appealing to their lifestyle. Here are some trends we can expect to see in 2022 and beyond:
Technology is front and center in the delivery space. Companies in the transportation space, especially in last-mile delivery, are increasing their spend in technological developments around human behavior. With the increased use of smartphones, companies will be able to start tracking human behavior which will in return guide the user on what to purchase or extras to add to their cart. This will lead into data driven driver recruitment, drivers will be able to upload stats on their driver performance, share their profile to show MVRs and Background Checks and real-time feed from driver cams.
Not only will driver recruiting get smarter, but Drone Delivery will become a popular option. With more COVID cases coming into play, contactless delivery has become standardized. According to Commercial Drones in 2022 more than 12,000 fully autonomous drones will be shipped this year to the US. In 2016 the drone industry was evaluated at $1.3 billion, leading into 2022 it is estimated to reach $15 billion.
Lastly, Electric Vehicles will get their time to shine. With same day delivery and micro fulfillment becoming the new norm, electric vehicles will help gig workers cut out the rising gas prices that standard vehicles require. Gig workers look for ways to cut down on overhead, like gas prices, to keep their expenses down.
Worker Classification continues to be a polarizing issue across US politics, with many States seeking to make it more difficult for companies to classify workers as independent contractors, while some States, like West Virginia are easing the burden on businesses. In 2021, 27 States proposed new legislation to adjust regulations around 1099 work and workers. Anticipate more of the same in 2022.
Safety boards and independent contractors are pushing the importance of driver safety. While this has always been a priority for DDI, bigger companies like Uber or Lyft are updating their safety standards to attract independent contractors who didn’t feel protected before. Many apps will focus on driver safety like, automatically connecting to emergency dispatch if in a dangerous situation or companies mandating that drivers use real-time dash cam apps to track every delivery to mitigate risk while on a job. These safety tools are being created to help drivers in everyday situations.
This industry is on the move ~ literally. Mile to mile it’s changing. Micro fulfillment is here and so is the “have it in 2 hours or less” expectation. With compact fulfillment centers popping up, we will start to see brick-and-mortar stores use their facilities as pick-up points. This will lead to the increasing evolution of retail delivery. According to EY FCI, 28% of US consumers still said they were shopping online more than before the pandemic. Retailers are going to have to rethink their relationship with workers and partnerships with other retailers.
With delivery becoming a way of life, so is CryptoCurrency and digital assets. We are already seeing strategic partnerships with delivery companies and digital asset platforms who allow the payment of digital assets from their consumers and payouts to their workers.
Partnership & Beyond
2022 is a very exciting time to be in the delivery industry. More than ever this industry is focused on the workers and technology itself. At Delivery Driver’s, Inc. we are here to help companies navigate through the evolving changes. Let us help build, support and grow your business into the future of last-mile delivery.


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Aug 09, 2013 10:06 AM ET
Catlin revenues climbed but net declined. KPN received takeover offer from América Móvil for €7.2 billion. Nestle net profit increased 3.7% to 5.12 billion francs. Tesco signed merger agreement with China Resources Enterprise.
Aug 09, 2013 9:11 AM ET
Japanese government completed 456 billion yen 30-year bond auction that yielded 1.804%. The Nikkei index plunged 5.9% in the week as the yen strengthened. Nikon plunged 14% after quarterly net plunged 72% and camera maker lowered its fiscal year outlook.
Aug 09, 2013 8:31 AM ET
Australian market indexes struggled and Reserve Bank of Australia lowered its economic outlook to 2.25%. Australian dollar gained above 91.40 U.S. cents. Rio Tinto said it plans to go ahead with its $5.5 billion expansion at its Australian iron ore mines.
Aug 07, 2013 11:59 AM ET
Apollo Tyres net jumped. Emami net soared 30% as sales jumped 13%. Lupin profit surged 43%. NMDC net declined 18%. Tata Motors net declined 23% and company reported rising sales in emerging markets. Welspun net dropped 55%.
Aug 08, 2013 11:48 AM ET
U.S. weekly jobless claims drop to the lowest since 2007. China reported improving trade data. Tesla sold more than expected electric car sales. Rio Tinto net plunges after mining industry boom wanes. T-Mobile unit of Deutsche Telekom adds more than expected new customers.
Aug 08, 2013 11:11 AM ET
AES net jumped but revenue was flat. Beam Inc net plummeted 27%. Markel Corp net plunged 69%. Prudential Financial net swung to a loss. Scripps Networks net climbed 12%. Western Digital net plunged 40%.
Aug 07, 2013 10:33 AM ET
Ferrexpo profit plunged 14% and ING Groep net dropped 13%. Old Mutual profit for the first-half declined 49%. Natixis net surged 13% to €604 million. Ray Investment sold 10% stake in Rexel. Swisscom net declined 10%. TUI profit rose 3%.
Aug 07, 2013 10:27 AM ET
AOL net tumbled 97%. DaVita net climbed and EOG Resources net surged. Ralph Lauren dropped 6%. Sempra Energy net soared four-fold. Walt Disney increased 1% to $1.85 billion and Time Warner net surged 74% to $771 million.
Aug 08, 2013 10:24 AM ET
Aviva revenues slid but pre-tax profit climbed 96%. Deutsche Telekom net profit for the second quarter surged 10% to €530 million. Ladbrokes profit-after-tax declined 58%. Rio Tinto net tumbled 71% and agreed to provide bridge funding to Turquoise Hill.
Aug 08, 2013 10:03 AM ET
Nikkei index in Tokyo reversed early gains and closed down 1.6% and yield on Japanese bonds traded volatile ahead of 2.7 trillion yen bond auction tomorrow. The yen gained. Honda plans to build a new plant in Brazil. Sumitomo Realty reported strong quarterly results.


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CVS set to construct third Midland location
Published 9:53 am, Friday, April 22, 2016
CVS has announced plans for its third Midland location, to be built at the intersection of Andrews Highway and Midland Drive, where Taco Villa originally stood.
The new store is expected to open in late October, a company spokeswoman told the Reporter-Telegram Friday via email.
Midland’s newest CVS will cover more than 13,000 square feet and include CVS’ traditional drive-through pharmacy and the CVS/pharmacy ExtraCare Program.


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Wednesday, July 5, 2017
The Prohibition and Excise Department has given licenses to 3,000 liquor shops and 463 bars in the State on Wednesday in addition to 92 licenses to 92 new bars in tune with the new liquor policy.
According to sources, 4,380 liquor shops, 743 bars and 25 bars (located in clubs) are running in the State. The government has given 45 days time for obtaining new licenses. However, more than 50 per cent of wine shops and bars owners took license in just five days.
Joint Commissioner (Admn.) of Prohibition and Excise Department A.Chandrasekhar Naidu said that new license was expected to be complete by July 20 and the number of bars gone up to 835 with the government issuing lines to 92 new bars.
He said that notices have been served to 40 dealers as the local raised objections to running wine shops or bars in residential areas in the vicinity of places of worship or educational institutions. Director (Enforcement) Prohibition and Excise K.Venkateswara Rao said officials had booked 161 cases for running belt shops and arrested 169 persons in the last few days. He said that they are conducting raids to prevent belt shops and MRP violations.


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A Centers for Disease Control warning about an E.coli outbreak being linked to romaine lettuce has prompted some local markets to pull the product from their shelves.
The warning says 32 people in 11 U.S. states and 18 in two Canadian provinces were sickened between Oct. 8 and 31.
“Thirteen people were hospitalized, including one person who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. No deaths have been reported,” the statement said.
The alert advises consumers to throw out any romaine lettuce they may have in their homes and to clean refrigerator surfaces where the greens were stored.
Woody Foster at Foster’s Food Fair and Joe Thorne at Cost U Less said they were pulling the product from their shelves Tuesday afternoon. Workers at Kirk Market and Hurley’s supermarket said they were still assessing the situation.
The Department of Environmental Health did not respond to requests for additional information.


text: WWMT - wwmt.com - Search Results The following is an archived video story. The text content of that video story is available below for reference. The original video has been deleted and is no longer available. West Mich. prepares for stormPORTAGE, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - The possibility of all that snow has many rushing to the store, stocking up on things to get them through this storm.These pictures were taken at the Meijer in Battle Creek -- shelves empty, carts gone and the checkout lanes are never-ending.It's the same story at the Meijer in on Shaver Road in Portage. All 30 checkout lanes are full. The store manager says it's busier than it was during Christmas. This storm is bringing a one-two punch. After the snow comes extreme cold. Temperatures are expected to drop well below freezing across half the nation in the coming days.The Midwest could hit lows not seen in decades. The extreme cold can also freeze pipes, causing extensive damage.Michigan State Police have some tips on how to prepare for temperatures well below zero.First, stay indoors if possible. That goes for your pets too.If you must go outside, wear protective winter gear. Remove any clothing that gets damp or wet.Stock the car with a first-aid kit, blankets and warm clothing just in case you become stranded. Don't forget to check on family, friends and neighbors.


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Intel May Sacrifice Retail Supply to Please OEMs
Samuel Wan / 4 years ago
Intel Will Prioritize OEM Shipments
Since the start of Q3 2018, Intel has been suffering from a major CPU shortage. Intel’s 14nm supply has been oversubscribed due to problems with 10nm. After admitting to the problem, the company promised to do more to fix the problem. Despite that, the company hasn’t been able to fix supply. Furthermore, it looks like the shortage will even get worse, especially for retail non-OEM customers.
According to some new reports, the company is changing the makeup of their supply. To placate the OEM partners, the company will be diverting additional supply to them. The extra supply will come from retail, meaning fewer units for consumers to buy directly. This means the DIY boxed retail units will likely cost more going into the holiday season. On top of already high prices, this may make Intel an unaffordable option for certain price points.
Retail CPUs May See Price Hike
The move to supply OEM firsts makes sense from the comapny’s perspective. The OEM long-term partnerships are more important for the company. Furthermore, there is already growing discontent among partners about the inability to supply enough chips. If the OEMs were to decide on a shift to using more AMD chips, it would be a strategic shift, hurting Intel in the long run. Sacrificing direct consumer sales is a small price to pay for long-term OEM dominance.
With more chips going to OEMs, they will have less to worry about. Some Intel partners have decided already to use AMD a bit more. However, the impact will be muted with this new strategy. For OEM customers, this should hopefully mean more stable pricing for Intel-based units during the holidays. However, for most DIY builders and those without a supply deal, AMD may very well turn out to be the better deal this winter.


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Macy’s released its full-year sales results which showed revenue down 5.5% in 2023 compared to 2022. More concerning for the department store is that comparable store sales were down 6.9%, which is a performance comparison to the same stores open last year (comparable stores would not include new stores opened or closed within the year). In a move to focus on sustainable growth, the company announced its new strategy, called A Bold New Chapter.
Tony Spring Has A Bold Vision
Tony Spring, CEO and chairman-elect of Macy’s, started in his new role in February and is making moves to make sure Macy’s long-term profitability is a focus for the company. The decision to close 150 Macy’s stores over the next three years helps to reduce square footage among its least productive locations. The company stated that the stores being closed represented only 10% of the total sales for the company on 25% of the total square footage.
Macy’s will expand the store footprint for the Bloomingdale’s division with a projected 15 new stores. Additionally, Bluemercury, the Macy’s-owned beauty specialty store, will open 30 new stores. Last October, Macy’s said that it would accelerate the expansion of its small store format, tripling the number of these stores through 2025. The smaller store formats are located off-mall in neighboring shopping centers and closer to where the customer lives.
A Bold New Chapter For Macy’s
A Bold New Chapter will also focus on enhancing customer experiences in an attempt to reinvigorate relationships with customers, revitalize its product assortment, and focus on digital growth, according to the company’s earnings call presentation. “A Bold New Chapter serves as a strong call to action. It challenges the status quo to create a more modern Macy’s,” stated Spring. “Our teams are energized by the work ahead as we accelerate our path to market share gains, sustainable, profitable growth, and value creation for our shareholders.”
Department Stores Struggle In 2023
Department stores showed a 5.1% drop in sales in January and ended the fiscal year down 3.3%. Department store sales in 2023 underperformed pre-pandemic sales numbers. Large, oversized stores with layouts similar to that of department stores have been waning in terms of consumer shopping preference, especially with the younger generations. Many large format stores like Nordstrom
Digital Foot Forward
Retailers, including Macy’s Incorporated (including all of its nameplates), will continue to focus on the digital experience. For Macy’s, it will work to enhance its omnichannel experience with customers making sure there is a seamless experience across each of the channels it does business with consumers. The advancements in artificial intelligence will help all retailers build out stronger technological capabilities that impact the shopper journey including customer services, product recommendations, and enhanced product information availability. A Bold New Chapter includes many of these initiatives and will help Macy’s secure its future as part of the renewed retail landscape.


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Technology is taking a larger role in shopping as last fall giant retailer Nordstrom admitted to installing a new technology in stores to monitor customers cell phones to see their in-store shopping behavior.
Ironically, this trend was shown in a more open way in which Kate Spade recently launched a Virtual Store in New York City that was widely popular and required shoppers to use their cell phones to make purchases; while other retailers like Family Dollar, and specialty stores like Benetton and Warby Parker use tracking technology inside the stores.
Motivated to find similar information the online giant Amazon obtains when a customer browses through the site; Nordstrom installed a system in stores that followed Wi-Fi signals from customers own Smartphones. The idea of the program was to measure consumer sentiment by tracking the movements of each customer and determine what departments they were visiting and for how long they looked at an item. Video surveillance also provided additional information to track the ratio of male and female shoppers.
Nordstrom did post a sign telling customers about the surveillance. Despite consumer acceptance of online tracking tools such as cookies, and the popularity of sharing Social Media sharing sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Flickr; customers responded with numerous complaints forcing the company to end the test in May of 2013. As the online debate on privacy continues in the news, Pinterest responded to user requests for privacy by giving users an option to avoid being tracked online.
Personally, I find it very positive to see companies responding to customer requests for privacy, and I encourage everyone to be vocal on your feelings regarding invasion of privacy if it is online or in a store.


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A 20-year-old guy has been officially charged in a New York Supreme Court indictment over SIM-swapping identification and crypto robbery.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced Friday that Dawson Bakies, a resident of Ohio, is charged with stealing identities and the cryptocurrency holdings of over 50 sufferers around the U.S. from October to December closing yr by the use of SIM-swapping assaults. The indictment lists 52 counts of “identity theft, grand larceny, computer tampering, and scheme to defraud” amongst different fees, in keeping with the announcement.
“The indictment represents the first prosecution for SIM swapping by authorities in New York,” the Attorney’s Office stated.
It is claimed that Bakies fraudulently related sufferers’ cellular phone numbers to more than one iPhones owned by means of him, the use of them to avoid two-factor authentication (2FA) safety features to get right of entry to sufferers’ on-line accounts, together with Google and cryptocurrency platforms. Among the ones, he controlled to get right of entry to 18 on-line accounts belonging to a few Manhattan-based sufferers and stole about $10,000 in cryptos. He additionally tried to extort probably the most sufferers by means of tough a bitcoin ransom, in keeping with the Attorney’s Office.
Manhattan government recovered an iPhone 6 utilized in Bakies’ SIM-swapping fraud, which had “dozens” of textual content messages containing restoration passwords associated with the sufferers’ on-line accounts. They additionally recovered a computer that contained sufferers’ private data, together with the thee focused in Manhattan.
Sending a caution to SIM swappers, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., stated:
“We know what you’re doing, we know how to find you, and we will hold you criminally accountable, no matter where you are.”
He often known as on wi-fi carriers to “wake up to the new reality that by quickly porting SIMs – in order to ease new activations and provide speedy customer service – you are exposing unwitting, law-abiding customers to massive identity theft and fraud.”
SIM-swap crypto hacks are on the upward thrust. On Friday, a 20-year-old accused of stealing over $5 million in cryptocurrency by the use of SIM-swap hack reportedly pleaded accountable and was once sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Back in November, U.S.-based regulation company Silver Miller filed arbitration claims towards AT&T and T-Mobile on behalf of sufferers of SIM-swapping cellular phone hacks. It stated on the time that considered one of its shoppers had misplaced over $621,000 in cryptocurrency by the use of SIM-swap assault.
SIM card symbol by the use of Shutterstock
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Car dealers openly beg Biden to put brakes on electric vehicle drive
No one's buying these things. Just, uh, ignore the massive markups
Nearly 4,000 US auto dealers have signed an open letter urging the Biden administration to slow its plan to push electric vehicles (EVs) onto the populace – because demand is apparently low and the darn things just aren't selling that well.
The missive puts a dealer spin on what's been reported around America - that battery electric vehicles are sitting on lots unsold now that early adopters have snagged their electric rides. Even the price cuts, manufacturer incentives, and government rebates aren't moving inventory, so the story goes.
"While the goals of the regulations are admirable, they require consumer acceptance to become a reality," the signatories wrote. "With each passing day, it becomes more apparent that this attempted electric vehicle mandate is unrealistic based on current and forecasted customer demand."
Thus, car dealers say, "we are asking you to slow down your proposed regulations mandating battery electric vehicle (BEV) production and distribution."
The letter doesn't cite specific mandates, but does mention efforts by the White House to increase the number of EVs on the road by 2032, which implies that dealers are referring to rules proposed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in April. That proposal would create strict emissions standards for vehicles beginning with model year 2027, and while not a ban on internal combustion engines in specifically, the rules would mean BEVs or hybrids would be a much simpler solution.
Basically, the US government wants to use emissions limits to curb gasoline car sales and accelerate the uptake of EVs by motorists, and dealers aren't happy they're being forced into selling vehicles no one wants, or so that's the picture being painted.
That said, a White House spokesperson told The Register the EPA rules aren't a mandate at all since they don't force anyone to sell or buy an EV. Further, the agency didn't specify what automakers and dealers need to do to be on the right side of the EPA, though the administration did say EVs would be a suitable way to meet the clean air requirements. You don't have to sell an electric car, but it helps.
Won't someone think of the dealers customers?
The dealerships believe drivers think EV prices are too high, they lack space to charge the machines at home, and are worried about access to public chargers. Motorists are also concerned about EV range in bad weather, and truck buyers think electric driving ranges drop too drastically when towing a load.
"The majority of customers are simply not ready to make the change," the dealers noted, adding "current technology is not adequate to support the needs of the majority of our consumers."
However, the data suggests otherwise in some cases: According to the US Energy Information Administration, sales of light-duty EVs and hybrids rose to an all-time high in Q3 of this year, accounting for just shy of 18 percent of new vehicle purchases. The second quarter of the year also set a record for EV sales, per Cox Automotive, with nearly 300,000 new fully battery-electric vehicles sold over the three month period.
- Biden: I want standard EV chargers made in America by 2024 – get on it
- Biden administration to dole out $900m for electric vehicle infrastructure
- Wyoming's would-be ban on sale of electric vehicles veers off road
- Tenfold electric vehicles on 2030 roads could be a shock to the system
"More Americans are buying EVs every day—with EV sales rising faster than traditional gas-powered cars—as the President's Inflation Reduction Act makes EVs more affordable and helps Americans save money when driving," our White House spokesperson told us.
What's more, auto dealers have been reaping huge profits since the pandemic, hitting all-time highs in 2022, more than triple pre-pandemic levels. By the middle of this year profits had decreased due to high interest rates and inflation, but are well above 2019 levels.
If electric cars aren't selling, maybe dealers need to turn their gaze inward.
EVs are known to have ridiculously high markups, with models like the Chevy Blazer EV reportedly tagged with prices more than $10k over the manufacturer's suggested retail price. Korean automaker Kia earlier this month even asked dealers to not mark up its new EV9 electric SUV, priced by the company at $54,900, to pass savings on to consumers.
However, dealers tend to make most of their money from service, used car sales, warranties and accessories - not new car sales. EVs, with fewer moving parts and less bits to repair, need a lot less maintenance - in other words, cutting further into dealers' bottom lines.
The Register didn't get a response from the group of dealers that signed the letter. ®


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Foursquare is continuing to grow at impressive pace with now more than 3 million reported users. It took Foursquare a year to reach one million users, two million was quicker in just three months, and now it has reached three million users in just a month and a half.
There was speculation that Foursquare was doomed when Facebook rolled out it location based feature, Places, but it seems that Facebook’s roll out of Places actually helped Foursquare grow, as its co-founder Dennis Crowley reported that Foursquare had it biggest day of new sign ups after Facebook announced places.
Foursquare has recently raised $20 million in funding, which is being used to hire additional staff, and for product development, as well as opening new offices.
It will be interesting to see if Foursquare can keep up its rapid growth in the long term, and they are about to unveil a new version of the service which is bound to boost member numbers.
via Tech Crunch
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The investment platform announced it has poached an executive from Financial Simplicity as its new chief revenue officer.
In a statement, Integrated Portfolio Solutions said it had appointed Mark Papendieck to the new role, commencing on 2 August.
Mr Papendieck is currently chief revenue officer for wealth management platform Financial Simplicity, and had also held the role of general manager sales and marketing for CCUBE, which went into administration at the height of the COVID crisis last year.
The company said he would bring “a breadth of experience across the wealth management industry”, having worked on wrap platform Avanteos that was eventually sold to CBA, and Perpetual’s WealthFocus platform.
“Mark also has considerable experience in running ASX-listed companies. Having taken businesses from listing to exit, he has overseen successful corporate activity including purchases of strategic assets, the addition of institutional shareholders to share registers and a merger that resulted in the creation of a $280 million mineral development company,” the group said.
“With $8.42 billion in FUA at 30 June 2021 representing [prior corresponding period] growth of 41 per cent, Integrated has exceeded growth targets with minimal sales effort,” the company’s managing director Darryl Johnson said.
“We are genuine when we say we want to deliver a solution for wealth managers that allows them to do what they do best, save time on compliance and give them the tools they need to run an end-to-end wealth management solution for investors in every space, from retail through to ultra-high net worth and family office.
“Mark will help us deliver our solution to existing clients and the broader market and we look forward to working with Mark to help navigate Integrated through the next phase of its growth.”
The group said it would soon look to deliver new cash products and digital execution capabilities as part of its platform features.


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Feel a need for meteoric-like web experience on that mobile device? Here’s a possibility! Opera Software has recently released the new beta version of the most popular browser for mobile phone, Opera Mini 5, on the Android platform.
Opera Mini 5 beta for Android proffers a fast and cost-efficient web experience to any mobile phone built on the Android platform. Opera Mini enables web browsing on almost any device by compressing data by up to 90 percent before sending content to the phone, resulting in enhanced page loading and speed.
“Android users should not have to compromise when it comes to surfing the Web on their phones,” commented Dag Olav Norem, Vice President of Products, Opera Software. “Opera Mini will give Android users a fast and cost-efficient access to their favorite Web sites and services.”
The new version features a simple, easy-to-use interface, and ensures unprecedented performance. The software offers users a desktop-like web browsing experience on a mobile phone, with favorite features such as Speed Dial, tabbed browsing, password manager and bookmarks.
To download Opera Mini 5 beta, simply search for Opera Mini 5 in the Android Market.


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H.J. Heinz Co.'s global expansion efforts are paying off, driving its fourth-quarter net income up 16 percent. But the world's biggest ketchup maker said it needs to raise prices and cut jobs to continue its profitable path.
The company, based in Pittburgh, announced Thursday that it will shed up to 1,000 jobs globally in fiscal 2012 as it closes five factories. Heinz has 37,000 workers worldwide. I
The closings will include two factories in the United States, two in Europe and one in the Pacific region. It will shed approximately 800 to 1,000 positions and be left with 76 factories. Heinz did not further specify which plants would close.
Heinz has looked to emerging markets like China, India, Russia and Brazil to help fuel its growth. The company recently acquired a majority stake in Brazilian food maker Coniexpress SA Industrias Alimenticias, which makes the Quero brand of ketchup and other condiments. In November, Heinz bought Foodstar, a soy sauce manufacturer in China.
Emerging markets made up 17 percent of its revenue in the fourth quarter. Heinz estimates sales in emerging markets will make up more than 20 percent in fiscal 2012.
"This is where the growth is in the 21st century," Heinz CEO William Johnson told investors at its annual meeting Thursday.
Heinz earned $223.9 million, or 69 cents per share, for the quarter. That's up from $192.4 million, or 60 cents per share, a year earlier, but it was short of the 72 cents per share Wall Street anticipated.
Revenue rose 6 percent to $2.89 billion, above the $2.87 billion analysts polled by FactSet forecast.
Heinz also raised its dividend by 7 percent on Thursday and increased its full-year outlook.
Besides the factory closings, Heinz also said it will spend about $160 million to improve its manufacturing and speed up productivity in the fiscal year.
Among those changes is the creation of a European supply chain hub in the Netherlands to consolidate lead procurement, manufacturing, logistics and inventory control.
Heinz also said that commodity costs, which include everything from fuel and plastic to basic food ingredients, have become such a challenge that improvements in productivity alone will not offset. The company, like most food makers, has already raised prices on some items but will make more increases in the future.
Heinz now expects fiscal 2012 earnings of $3.29 to $3.39 per share, excluding the productivity investments. The forecast is based on projected foreign exchange rates. Analysts predict earnings of $3.33 per share.
For fiscal 2013, Heinz anticipates earnings between $3.60 and $3.70 per share on a constant currency basis.
Shares of Heinz rose 43 cents to close Thursday at $53.82.
Sarah Skidmore contributed to this report from Portland, Ore. Michelle Chapman contributed to this report from New York.


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“Baby Phat has always been designed by and for women,” says Kimora Lee Simmons. The feminine and sporty brand brought a lot of girls 2000s nostalgia when they relaunched the brand in 2019. Kimora Lee Simmons, founder of Baby Phat, took the brand and remade the collection for those same little girls who have now grown up into grown women. Baby Phat originally started their launch with a collab with Forever 21 in June 2019. Their success has pushed them to continue the trend by collaborating with Footlocker for its first ever women’s collection.
“Baby Phat has always been designed by and for women, and we’ve always bridged ‘feminine’ and ‘sporty.’ That’s what makes Foot Locker such a perfect partner,” exclaimed Kimora Lee Simmons, founder of Baby Phat. “They have their finger on the pulse of how women dress today because they’ve always cared about women. They understand that this is about lifestyle,” she said.
Although we are excited about the collection, the brand has also been doing great things for those affected by the Coronavirus. Kimora Lee Simmons and her daughters, Ming Lee and Aoki Lee, made a donation of 150,000 meals to Freedom Shield Foundation, with more donations planned in the future.
The limited edition collection is currently available at footlocker.com.


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Amid optimism that the incoming Trump administration will boost American manufacturing, officials of the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), formerly known as SPI, are pressing for at least five regulatory reforms.
- Timely development of regulations under the “new” Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The hope is that federal regulations will prevent “conflicting state-by-state rules which would make compliance impossible”.
- PLASTICS wants the Trump Administration to remove the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) control of hazardous energy or lockout/tagout (LOTO) standard (29 CFR 1910.147). The standard impedes application of newer, safer controls, in the trade group’s view.
- Administration resolution of environmental rules that could increase electric power costs.
- Withdrawal of the Department of Labor “Overtime Rule”, which could add “significant administrative burdens and greatly increase operating costs for all businesses in the US.”
- Review of OSHA’s Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illness rule, which requires employers to submit injury and illness data to OSHA.
In a Webinar yesterday, PLASTICS CEO Bill Carteaux said that the list was reviewed with the Trump transition team in December, and that there is a feeling among business people that there could be a return to the 1980s, when Ronald Reagan was president. Reagan famously took on unions such as the Teamsters and air traffic controllers and attempted to create a more business-friendly environment. Like Reagan, Trump also supports stimulation of the economy through large tax cuts.
Of course, there are some huge differences between the Reagan and Trump economic agendas, and the trade issue could be a tremendous problem for the American plastics industry, which enjoys a trade balance.
Reagan was a free-trader, and stated: “Our trade policy rests firmly on the foundation of free and open markets.” The Reagan administration launched the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations in 1986 that lowered global tariffs and created the World Trade Organization.
Trump wants to renegotiate or dump NAFTA, and slap a 35 percent tariff on products made in Mexico and sold in the U.S. He also wants to impose similar tariffs on Chinese imports, which could spark a trade war. He also opposed the Trans Pacific Partnership.
The American plastics industry has an $11 billion trade surplus with Mexico, and also has a trade surplus with Canada.
As Trump takes office, plastics manufacturing in the United States is in very good shape, particularly in comparison to 2008-9 when financial deregulation contributed to the worst economic meltdown since the Great Depression, and the liquidation of many plastics processors.
According to a report reviewed by Carteaux, the American plastics industry generated $418 billion in shipments in 2015. Another $153 billion was generated by upstream businesses. Employment in plastics manufacturing industry grew 0.3 percent annually from 1980 and 2015, while employment in all of U.S. manufacturing fell 1.2 percent per year during that period. That reflects growing penetration of plastics in transportation lightweighting, medical and other applications, as well as the beneficial impact of the shale oil boom.
No doubt PLASTICS has a case for what seems a modest regulatory wish list, and undoubtedly there was a federal regulatory overreaction since 2009, particularly in the financial realm. It’s hoped we can also expect good news on taxes, including on the R&D tax credit at the very least.
But the trade position of President-elect Trump could create dangerous consequences for all American businesses.


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Academic indie publisher Edward Elgar has launched its online platform with no digital rights management attached to the contents.
Elgaronline.com will hold 2,000 books, reference works and journals and allow users to access a range of materials including monographs, dictionaries, companions and journals.
Chairman of the company, Edward Elgar, said the launch of Elgaronline represented “a major milestone in our history” and added that it made the company “well placed to capitalise on the digital revolution in academic publishing".
The platform will offer free chapters to users and the material will not have any DRM inscribed on it. The company said: “With no digital rights management attached to the content . . . there will be no simpler or more advantageous way to access EEP’s internationally recognised research publications.”
It added that the platform will also offer librarians the capability to purchase tailor-made e-collections in business and management, economics, social and political science and law.
Tim Williams, managing director of Edward Elgar, said: “Elgaronline took over a year to research and develop, and we worked closely with university librarians across the US, Asia and Europe to ensure it met all of their needs for user experience, accessibility and reporting. Showcasing first-rate scholarly content and a market leading user-experience, Elgaronline is an easy choice.”