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Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) has announced plans to launch the National Business Portal next year, that will serve as a single online platform for major business activities in Jamaica.
The portal is to be developed in three phases.
It will house the business-to-government interface for government entities involved in the investment or business facilitation process.
The online platform will also focus on the business aspect of the broader GOV.JM online portal which was launched last year.
Phase one of its development will cover provision of business information and a back-end discussion forum for government agencies.
JAMPRO President, Diane Edwards, explained that the online facility will take some time to be developed, especially phases two and three, which will focus on creating an online transactional platform for specific business processes across select agencies.


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A Fylde coast family is set to open its sixth restaurant.
Seniors Fish and Chips open their new fish and chip restaurant and takeaway in Poulton town centre on Thursday at 11.30am.
The restaurant is in the Teanlowe Centre, adjacent to Queensway to the right of Costa Coffee.
The building has undergone an extensive period of refurbishment that’s seen a new shop frontage installed, a full fit-out and interior decoration.It has
also had new furniture and fittings to complete the transformation.
The new store has seating for 50 diners along with a takeaway counter and has created an additional 10 new jobs for the town.
As a new departure for the Seniors brand to add variety for customers, the Poulton store will also serve fresh, oven cooked chicken to eat in or takeaway.
Seniors is the family owned local chain of five fish and chip restaurants and takeaways, with stores at Normoss, Bispham, Lytham, St Annes, and Thornton which was crowned the UKs best takeaway in 2012.
Managing director Alastair Horabin said “With five Seniors shops here on the Fylde Coast we’re always looking at where the business could go next.
“This site at Poulton ticked all the boxes for us and we’re looking forward to being part of the town”.
Fish merchant Rick Horabin founded the business when he moved into retail fish and chips.
Now sons Alastair and Dominic Horabin are now at the forefront of the fish and chip empire, with big plans to drive the business forward for the future.
Winning the National Fish and Chip Awards had been an ambition of the family for many years.

domain: news


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Consumers looking for the safest small vehicles on the road should check out these two new-generation Subaru vehicles. The all-new 2018 Subaru Crosstrek crossover and 2017 Impreza compact have won the 2016-2017 Grand Prix Safety Award. Why is this so significant? Both Subaru vehicles have achieved the highest score ever for safety in the newest Japan New Car Assessment Program (JNCAP) crash safety evaluation tests.
The Subaru vehicles win the JNCAP five star rated vehicle award and both scored 199.7 points. This is a new record achieved by any vehicle in three years since the more stringent JNCAP safety testing has been conducted in Japan.
How did the two Subaru vehicles do it?
Subaru spent big money ($1 Billion dollars) developing their new Global Platform (SGP) that will underpin every new-generation model. The 2017 Impreza was the first to get it, and now the new 2018 Crosstrek rides on the new architecture. The new SGP underpinning the new Crosstrek and Impreza improves crash energy absorption by 40 percent over present models keeping occupants safer in the event of a crash.
Both Subaru vehicles can even survive an impact by an SUV weighting 2.5 tons at 66 mph. After an impact, the vehicle’s A and B-pillars will retain their integrity protecting the occupants. The platform it rides on now give the new Crosstrek and Impreza, the highest crash safety ratings ever in their segments.
JNCAP created the new award, (2016-2017 Grand Prix Award) to recognize a vehicle which adopts a new important safety feature. The two models also received the special award for having a pedestrian protection airbag as standard equipment.
The Subaru Corporation spent $1 Billion on developing their latest safety technology, and it’s paying off big on the new-generation 2018 Subaru Crosstrek crossover and Impreza compact. They both ride on the new Subaru Global Platform that gives the two vehicles the highest safety score ever in Japan.
Photo credit: Subaru


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EBay tells its users to change their passwords after hack attackMay 21, 2014: 10:18 AM ET
Warning comes in wake of cyberattack that affected the retailer's corporate network.
FORTUNE -- EBay Inc. (EBAY) is encouraging its users to change their passwords in the wake of a cyberattack that compromised some employee log-in credentials, which resulted in unauthorized access to the online retailer's corporate network.
"Beginning later today, eBay users will be notified via email, site communications and other marketing channels to change their password," eBay said in a prepared statement. EBay had 145 million active buyers at the end of the first quarter.
The company said there was no evidence the cyberattack resulted in unauthorized activity for eBay users, nor was there evidence that financial or credit card information was accessed. Still, eBay said users should change their passwords to "help enhance security."
"It is really common for fraudsters to try to exploit well-known brand names," said Amanda Miller, a spokeswoman for eBay. "We have robust global customer service and are taking steps to work with our customers to make sure their data is secure moving forward."
Cyberattacks are an increasing concern for companies and individuals, with billions of dollars lost every year to repair systems hit by such attacks. eBay is among a handful of companies, including Target Corp. (TGT) and Sally Beauty Holdings Inc. (SBH), to disclose an attack to their system in recent months.
In a prepared statement, eBay said the cyberattacks compromised "a small number of employee log-in credentials." The company, which is working with law enforcement and security experts, said the database that was compromised didn't contain financial information. The attack occurred between late February and early March, eBay said.
EBay also said there was no indication of increased fraudulent account activity on its site.


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Tesla reports big Q4 sales, but no SUV yet
Tesla Motors is focused on rapid growth, as outlined at the Detroit Auto Show. The company is making strides both here in the U.S., as well as abroad. VPC
The Model X wasn't shown at the North American International Auto Show this year
DETROIT -- Tesla Motors said today that it expects its fourth-quarter sales to come in 20% over its previous guidance, but executives here at the North American International Auto Show were hazy about when asked about deliveries of the electric car company's next product, a crossover SUV.
Tesla says it sold 6,900 vehicles in the fourth quarter, putting it above the pace it had needs to meet a goal of 20,000 for the year. Tesla, based in Palo Alto, Calif., sells only one model: the Model S luxury sedan. In midday trading, Tesla shares were up $13.35, or 9.6%, to $152.72.
But it was thought that Tesla might present production version of the Model X crossover at the press conference it had scheduled here at country's most significant auto show. But it didn't, and CEO Elon Musk didn't join the many automaker CEOs in attendance at the show. Asked about the Model X, Jerome Guillen, vice president of international sales, replied: "Model X is being worked on furiously." Production is expected to start this year and reservations for the gull-winged SUV are being taken.
Guillen offered an upbeat assessment of the status of Tesla and says the company welcomes all competitors. "The more electric vehicles, the better for us."
He says the Model S sedan will be continuously improved, but he stopped short of saying of talking about any improvements that might better protect the car's battery pack from being punctured by road debris. Federal safety investigators recently opened a probe into two U.S. cases in which the cars caught fire after striking the debris, neither of which resulted in injuries.


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Three retail giants to take part in a green supply chain scheme
On Tuesday, it was announced that more retailers are participating in supply chain sustainability schemes. Tesco, Target and CVS Health are the latest retailers to take part in a supply chain initiative run by CDP (formerly known as Carbon Disclosure Project). CDP runs a global disclosure system that enables companies, cities, states and regions to measure and manage their environmental impact. This program will help the retailers cut their overall carbon emissions, address deforestation and encourage water efficiency in their supply chains.
As companies have been successfully reducing their direct emissions, they are now focusing on and collecting environmental data from other parts of their supply chain operations. This way, CDP can monitor their overall environmental impact better, which enables the retailer’s whole supply chain network to operate more efficiently and make more sustainable choices. Outside of this initiative, Tesco has its own goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 and Target wants to source 100% renewable electricity for its operations in an effort to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2025.
Click here for more details.
Volvo and FedEx successfully showcase their platooning system in America
More and more companies have been investing in platooning technology to improve their logistics operations as it can reduce fuel usage, improve the driver experience and generate more efficient driving. After conducting tests on their platooning system for a few months, Volvo and FedEx finally exhibited their system on Wednesday using three twin trucks on a public highway in North Carolina. The North Carolina Turnpike Authority, that helps speed up the implementation of needed transportation improvements, was also involved in this collaboration and project.
In this showcase, professional truck drivers each towed double 28-foot trailers for 18 miles moving in and out of traffic, communicating with wireless vehicle-to-vehicle technology that Volvo describes as Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control. The trucks travelled at speeds of up to 62 mph with a time gap of 1.5 seconds. With this vehicle-to-vehicle technology, the driver in the lead vehicle controls the brakes of the following trucks; once the lead truck brakes, a command is simultaneously transmitted to the other trucks.
More information can be found here.
XPO Logistics to use augmented reality (AR) tool to reduce return rates
Returns can be a costly and time consuming process for retailers and third party logistics providers. Therefore, companies are trying to overcome this with technology. This week, XPO Logistics, the largest provider of last mile logistics services for heavy goods in North America, announced it is adding a new augmented reality feature to its consumer self-service platform – Ship XPO. The goal is to increase efficiency and reduce the likelihood of returns. This new feature will be accessible to customers nationwide later this year.
The AR feature will enable consumers to visualize how products will fit in their home so they can make a more informed decision before making a purchase. As a result, the risk of returns would decrease and could ultimately save retailers a lot of money by preventing returns. This new feature and the recent addition of voice integration technology to the Ship XPO platform, where consumers can track their purchases using Amazon Echo or Google Home, will also improve the shopping experience for consumers.
To read more about this, click here.
Have a great weekend!


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180 days that changed our world 180 degrees
Guest Column: Aditi Mishra, Chief Strategy Officer, Lodestar UM, shares insights on the top trends of 2020, based on the study that rests on 4 pillars, resist, retrograde, recreate & reglocalize
With lights, bells, fireworks, and a lot of hope - 2020 began like any other year. But little did we know that two and a half months into the year, something called “a novel coronavirus” would bring a tectonic shift across lives and businesses; causing an upheaval of a dramatic scale and bringing the world to a grinding halt.
The first COVID-19 case in India was reported, on January 30th. However, another month went by, before the seriousness of the issue began to trickle into public consciousness. Six months later, by the end of July, India ranked 3rd globally, in terms of the Covid-19 cases. As the pandemic hit, the central government enforced a 68 days nationwide lockdown – one of the most stringent ones across the world to control the spread. While the pandemic continues to ravage the world even today, with many parts of the globe facing a second wave; the unprecedented and paramount changes took the world by storm in the first few months. It put the entire world, into a tizzy, bringing unparalleled restriction to life as we knew it, and forcing everyone to adapt to the "new normal".
However, at Lodestar UM, we believe in tackling every challenge by its horns and turning it into an opportunity. It became pertinent to chronicle the impact of the initial months and map the shifts in consumer media mindscape, through the lens of our unique global framework – Remix Culture. We decided to initiate the research under the Wave X umbrella, which is a decade old and perhaps the longest-running advertising, media, marketing research report. The white paper ‘ 180 days that changed our world 180 degrees’ identifies the major consumer trends reflected during the first 6 months of Covid-19 by understanding the conversations, viewership patterns and engagements around specific themes, the changes in and/or reinforcement in user behavior due to the pandemic. This has today become a crucial input into crafting future strategies as we see the impact stretching forward effecting plans for the business in the coming year.
We were the first movers in India with some groundbreaking and never-seen-before media solutions for our clients, which gave us immense knowledge of the pulse and the beat of the market and consumers. In all our media deliveries, "brand purpose", became the central objective during this pandemic.
As people and businesses faced multiple challenges, we identified a plethora of opportunities as well. It gave them a chance to relook at priorities, change the perspective and adjust preferences, habits or consumption patterns. It has taught all of us Indians to stay strong, brought us closer as a community, made us look for solutions closer to home and respect life every moment. Some of the trends, that commenced during the lockdown, continued into the festive period in the second half of the year, even as governments across states grappled with restrictions in a phased manner. On the other hand, a few temporary adjustments are already in wane. Some others are possibly cultural shifts and are likely to stay etched forever across our lives.
This report reveals the key trends and culture waves, which emerged on the heels of the initial dramatic pandemic impact on India exploring the learnings for various marketeers and brands. The study rests on 4 pillars – RESIST, RETROGRADE, RECREATE, REGLOCALIZE. Let’s take a closer look at each pillar and how consumers and brands reacted under the Covid-19 lens.
RESIST: With the implementation of the lockdown there was an enhanced awareness of hygiene, the need to take precautions and to keep body and mind healthy. And consumers and brands voiced their thoughts and feelings using the power of the internet. We observed that this gave rise to 6 micro-trends - #RiseOfSafetyConcern, #ActOfDoGooders, #StayingPositive, #BeingThankful, #CleanInternet, #SanityUnderCheck. These reflected instinctive reactions to the pandemic and were strongly exemplified across both positive and negative narratives. With consumers getting used to the new normal, most of these early micro-trends have already slowed down. However, trends around mental well-being and hygiene/sanitation are still strong and on the rise. Some of these micro-trends like safety, positivity and being thankful led to brand partnerships as many jumped to promote this aspect to highlight their CSR focus or for their own businesses. Some of the others remain unexplored and possibly latent opportunity areas even today.
RECREATE: There was no facet of life or society, individually or as a community that the COVID-19 crisis did not touch. While India scrambled to seek solutions to every day, many individuals with a solution-centric mindset took this as an opportunity to improvise, learn and adapt rather than surrendering to the challenges. Under this bucket, we recognized, 7 key micro-trends - #LifeDigitized, #RiseOfHomeChefs, #Let’sGamify, #EventsGoingOnline, #AgileBrands, #IndianJugaad, #CovidWanderlust. Reflective of the power of human resilience, the micro-trends under this bucket are more personal, with lower brand clutter. Though relatively smaller in volume, brands which associated with these found it was easier to stand out. This cultural strand is probably the highest in potential and continues to grow and evolve as the world is seeing new response options to the situation. It offers many open spaces for marketers to explore a nuanced brand fit to match their high-value audiences and appropriate a strategic advantage for the long term.
REGLOCALIZE: In the initial phase of the lockdown, digital platforms were swarmed by people trying to adapt to the situation and expressing and sharing their thoughts, feelings and even actions. However as Unlock 1.0 started, the need to get business back on track intensified. With the loss of jobs and financial pressures strengthening the economy became a key focus. This was further escalated by the India-China armed forces skirmish and its geopolitical ramifications. The Prime Minister called out to the nation to support Indian businesses. These two events resulted in a shift in the narrative from immediate concerns like staying safe to supporting local businesses, supporting nation-building activities, and driving a feeling of nationalism. This led to 2 key micro-trends: #VocalForLocal and #BoycottChina. The macro-trend was led by topical issues rather than any long-term shifts. Today the narrative has moved beyond these quick spikes. Also, since these trends emerged out of negative emotions backed by geopolitical decisions, they limited the opportunities for brand associations in a direct manner. However, #VocalForLocal strengthens the narrative of Atmanirbhar Bharat and hence may hold long term potential as brands can build products and services around this to strengthen consumer connect closely aligned to overall business decisions.
RETROGRADE: With people under lockdown, waiting and wanting to return to normal, took comfort in the nostalgia and memories of the past. Sharing photos from the past, memories fed this craving. Many brands jumped on the bandwagon and brought back their retro ads- airing ads from the past to drive conversations. This was amplified as the national TV carrier Doordarshan aired popular shows like Ramayana and Mahabharat from the past to keep up the morale. And this gave way to 3 key micro-trends: #RetroShows, #RetroAds, and #Throwback. The retro shows and ads witnessed highly topical spikes; while we witnessed #Throwback slowly growing through the 180 days. The micro-trends under this bucket were high on the net positive score and leveraging these could have a positive rub off. Hence, heritage and established brands could explore and leverage these easily. However, newer brands should be more careful about mapping and evaluation.
Closely tracking and understanding the impact on consumers and business through this unique framework has not only offered us an opportunity to partner clients like Coca-Cola, BMW, Century Ply in the short term initiatives but also opened up avenues to tap into the underlying cultural shifts that we see moving forward for all clients. Leveraging some of the trends around digitization, DIY, commerce and connecting it with data across platforms, we are today able to craft newer approaches as we plan for the next year. As Maya Agnelou said ‘… now that I know better, I can do better ‘
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views of exchange4media.com
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Bellator MMA President Scott Coker, just hours before the opening bell at Bellator 241 back on March 13, shut down the entire production and sent everyone home — with pay — after the outbreak of coronavirus threw most of the world into chaos.
Roughly two weeks later, Coker and his partners at DAZN and Paramount postponed all events through April and May. As of this writing, the promotion is targeting a return to action in late June, even if it means holding events behind closed doors.
“If we get the green light at the end of June, we are ready to go,” Coker told Morning Kombat (transcribed by CBS Sports). “If we get the green light in July, we are ready to go. What we have done is map out a plan for June, July, or August re-entry, and each one of these plans has an execution of events with how many we need to do to catch up.”
Taking a less cautious approach is UFC President Dana White, who was trying his damndest to get the UFC 249 pay-per-view (PPV) event on the air for April 18. Instead, he’ll be forced to settle for a May 9 super show at yet-to-be-announced location.
It won’t be “Fight Island,” however, which is still under construction. That’s assuming it actually exists and is not just a fantasy of White’s imagination after the Las Vegas fight boss spent a weekend binge-watching classic Bruce Lee movies.
“Well listen, that has already been done in 1973 with ‘Enter the Dragon,’” Coker said. “Bruce Lee had to go to Han’s island and he had to fight Han and kill Han at the end and let all the prisoners go. That has already been done. You want to go to an island? Go ahead, knock yourself out. Give it a couple months and we will all be back to business, I believe, and we will start doing fights.”
Coker could wait a couple of months, or he could just go here.
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Haven's Carla Gran holiday park in Fleetwood granted extension to open until end of November
The Haven Cala Gran Holiday Park in Fleetwood will be able to stay open until the end of November this year.
The holiday park of Fleetwood Road, a brand of Bourne Leisure Group, submitted proposals in June for it to extend the holiday season.
Normally the park would close at the latest on November 8, a decision that was made by town hall officials back in 1988.
However bosses for the holiday park company said that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a need to open the park to 'benefit the local community.
In the application sent to Wyre Council officials, it says: "This application seeks to facilitate the opening of the park until November 30 this year. The mandated closure of tourism, retail and leisure businesses across the UK has had a stark impact, particularly upon communities that are heavily reliant on visitors to support the local economy.
"Provided that the necessary restriction are lifted, Bourne would like to open Cala Gran Holiday Park to guests for longer this year.
"This extension to the holiday season will have direct and important benefits for the local economy through the provision of jobs for the local community and through spending in Wyre."
The plans were approved by Fylde Council and a temporary relaxation of the regulations are now in place, however the closing date will return to November 8 for next year.


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Meeting app maker Match Group sued Alphabet’s Google on Monday, calling the action a “last resort” to prevent Tinder and its other apps from launching from the Play Store as they refuse to share up to 30% of their sales.
Match’s lawsuit followed ongoing lawsuits filed by Fortnite maker Epic Games, dozens of U.S. attorneys and others targeting Google’s alleged anti-competitive behavior with the Play Store.
Google said Match is trying to avoid paying the significant value it receives.
“Like any company, we charge for our services and like any responsible platform, we protect users from fraud,” Google said. It is said that his payment tool helps prevent fraud.
Match’s lawsuit, filed in federal court in California, accuses Google of violating federal and state antitrust laws and seeks to ban such behavior.
Significantly, some of Match’s apps have been exempt from Google’s policies in the last decade. Now, Google says it will block downloads of those apps until June 1 unless it offers only its payment system and shares revenue, the lawsuit said.
“This lawsuit is a last resort,” said match executive Shar Dubey. “We have tried, in good faith, to resolve these issues with Google, but their insistence and threats have left us no choice.”
At stake for Match is what he describes as hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue that would have to be paid to Google.
Most users of Match’s most popular app, Tinder, prefer its payment system, which allows for installment plans, bank transfers and other features not offered by Google, the lawsuit said.
Google said that developers can bypass the Play Store and that it has reduced fees and created other programs to solve the problem.
Dubey said a tour of Playa was impossible.
“It’s like saying,‘ you don’t have to take the elevator to get to the 60th floor of the building, you can always go over to the outside wall, ’” she said.


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BEEF worth more than £122 million was exported from the
UK in the year up to the end of April with around 70 per cent of
the total coming from England.
Latest figures show that exports of boneless cuts topped £53
million while sales of beef in carcase form - mainly used for further
processing and manufacturing - was valued at £29.5 million.
Top destinations for beef exports were: Ireland (£23.5 million),
France (£11 million) and the Netherlands (£9.9 million)
while our biggest customers for manufacturing beef were the Netherlands
(£11 million) and Germany (£5 million).
In particular, markets for premium quality beef are being developed
in a number of E U member states including Italy and in France with
the recent launch of the Rosbifs Club.
Andrew Garvey, Head of Marketing for EBLEX, said: “In recent
years a great deal of effort has gone into increasing awareness that
our beef is once again available and that our industry can meet a
wide range of specifications to satisfy varied markets.
“It seems that the message has already got through to many
importers and we will be continuing to get the message out to an
ever wider audience in the future.
“Exports are extremely important to help ensure we are not
totally reliant on the home market and to assist in efforts to keep
prices reasonably stable for home producers.”
Beef Supply Shock On the Way - NBA
Blondes are ‘Most Improved’ Herd
Beef Farmers Await Positive Price Signal


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"There is no doubt that there are still a ton of unsatisfied demand for a variety of the challenges that the pandemic created," McDonald said, speaking at the Reuters Next virtual conference on Thursday.
While there has been a boom in demand for 'athleisure' gear from increased remote working, McDonald predicted opportunities would continue to grow in 2021.
"I have seen a shift in what guests want, I believe it is sustainable, and we did not by any means satisfy the demand in 2020 that those shifts created," he said
"As people shift to more outdoor, going back to the office, which will happen in 2021, there is no doubt in my mind that the demand for our product and versatile apparel has a long opportunity of growth."
McDonald added that while it was down to individuals to choose, Lululemon's position was to "support and encourage" employees to be vaccinated.
CALVIN MCDONALD: Look at the overall growth of apparel in 2020, there is no doubt that there are still a ton of unsatisfied demand for a variety of the challenges that the pandemic created-- closing of stores, easy access to physical retail. And although online has done incredibly well, we know there are still a large number of guests that are physical store shoppers only. So I have seen a shift in what guests want. I believe it is sustainable. And we did not by any means satisfy the demand in 2020 that those shifts will create as opportunity.
And as people shift back to more outdoor, going back to the office, which will happen in '21, there is no doubt in my mind that the opportunity demand for our product and for versatile apparel has a long opportunity of growth ahead of us. And that is what we're continuing to lean in. I do not believe that there was a pull forward. I think there is a demand that even Lululemon wasn't able to fully satisfy. And we see a strong opportunity '21 and beyond.
Our position is we will support, we encourage our teams to be vaccinated. It is a choice, but we encourage it. And our health benefits ensures that in all markets, if it's not covered locally, then it's covered by the benefit program of the organization. So we're encouraging it and making sure that we are communicating so that our employees know what the available options are.


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As we bend the curve on the pandemic, biopharma businesses have started to reevaluate relationships with print suppliers to determine what’s working and what's not. Supply chain disruptions have infiltrated nearly every industry over the last 18 months—and print was no exception.
"Unplanned supplier sourcing shifts resulted in gap identification by many organizations, where the print suppliers they traditionally worked with have either had to temporarily or permanently close their doors due to the pandemic impact," says Christine Salamondra, National Account Manager at FedEx Office.
Even as office culture adapts and some biopharma professionals continue to work remotely, the need for printed materials remains. But we’ve already seen that printing materials from a personal printer in your home office isn't the answer. To attract—and keep—the attention of doctors, patients, and payers, materials must look professional and be consistent with brand standards.
Aimee DiCicco, Senior Vice President, Revenue Operations and Product Development with FedEx Office, notes that as the U.S. continues to reopen, many businesses are building new relationships with reliable print and distribution providers. They've learned the importance of reaching vast audiences at the right place and time through printed signage, clinical trial recruitment pamphlets, documentation and training packets, branded marketing collateral, safety-related graphics, and other materials. These relationships help biopharma organizations focus more on their core business and less on print-related logistics.
"This pandemic has provided companies with a window to reassess their print operations, and it has also presented new opportunities on how to manage the printed communications process,' says DiCicco. "And that's true whether you are a small startup or a very large player in the space."
For biopharma businesses that are reconsidering communication strategies as they navigate the new normal, here are five lessons on what the pandemic has taught the industry about the power of print.
1. Speed matters.
Developing new therapeutics and vaccines means recruiting hundreds of thousands of clinical trial participants, along with physicians and distributors. Printed materials are needed to reach each segment of potential patients upon approval, as well as to inform the general public about the efficacy and safety of immunization and medications in order to get buy-in in a timely manner. Finding the right supplier is key to reaching health care providers, patients and payers, whether you’re sending direct mailings, pamphlets, kitted materials, signs or other collateral. "Faster speed to market is the ultimate goal of product development," says DiCicco.
DiCicco says customers choose FedEx Office because it has thousands of locations across the country for printing, supported by a robust logistics and transportation network. Plus, if last-minute changes are needed to materials—whether it's because of new input for a clinical trial, or changes made by a federal agency— those alterations can be made quickly from anywhere. "We can pivot quickly and be responsive without increasing cost significantly and in a way that reflects the brand consistently," says DiCicco.
2. Print reaches customers where they are.
In today's world, it's not a matter of "either/or" when it comes to digital and print. Print remains a tried-and-true vehicle for reaching a diverse audience—including people who lack access to online resources, and people who are overwhelmed by their overflowing email inbox.
"These days, with the overload of emails, text messages, and digital communication clutter, we're finding that people are responding more to printed materials, for example, getting vaccine information from posters in the waiting room," says Salamondra. Those printed materials may also include mailbox fliers, workplace and event signage, pamphlets, or other collateral that disrupts the digital clutter.
3. Supply chains are vulnerable.
As offices and labs shuttered across the country because of the pandemic, biopharma business leaders scrambled to find ways to stay connected to customers. Many struggled because they weren’t able to access in-office print technology. Others faced challenges when their local print vendor closed.
For DiCicco, one important lesson learned from the last year is that there's enormous value in selecting a provider that has a large footprint and is flexible and capable of scaling. "Having a national print provider, like FedEx Office, with the footprint that we have that can produce and distribute variations of that communication means less transit time. It means less work and logistics planning behind the scenes for the biopharma experts, and it gives a sense of reliability of being able to print and distribute across that supply chain in a way that helps bring innovative ideas forward more quickly and can help keep costs lower by reducing those transportation needs," she says.
4. Security is important.
Hackers are continually finding new and faster ways to access sensitive information. In recent weeks, both oil and meat producers had to contend with destructive cyberattacks. When choosing a printer, biopharma businesses need to seek out safe, secure, dependable systems.
For its part, FedEx Office works directly with its biopharma customers to understand their security requirements. "We develop custom workflows to manage their sensitive data," says Salamondra. Additionally, the company has secured production locations away from consumer access as an additional means to help protect customer information.
5. Investing in print equipment is best left to the experts.
Biopharma businesses "are looking to be the first to solve a problem," says Salamondra. While they're focusing on these essential priorities, print and logistics experts should be trusted to do the work they do best.
"Outsourcing printing to a supplier can mean quality, consistency, flexibility, and cost control," says DiCicco. "Your expertise, your time, and your investment should be in the core of your business, and no matter what size you are, leaning into the experts in those print communications spaces can really help you make the most of the output," she says.
"Whether you’re a large corporation or a startup, every dollar does count. And you want every dollar working for you in terms of the patients," says DiCicco. "We truly believe that in today's world, the idea that a corporation should be overly invested in printing equipment is just flat-out outdated."
To learn more about how FedEx Office can help your biopharma business, visit fedex.com/businesssolutions today.


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CDM Smith proudly announces the launch of Trinnex, a wholly-owned subsidiary created specifically to help utilities and infrastructure owners embark on their digital journeys.
By developing innovative and powerful technology tools and products, Trinnex is focused on helping its clients achieve digital-first resiliency. The firm is led by President Amy Corriveau, who has assembled a team of industry technology
“There’s a renewed commitment in the infrastructure field to resiliency and sustainability, a passion for protecting public health and an inspired drive to replace aging infrastructure. It’s our responsibility to help our clients get that done in new and compelling ways,” said CDM Smith CEO Tim Wall. “Digital technology is an essential component to make that a reality. That’s why we’ve invested in creating Trinnex.”
Trinnex launches with software-as-a-service
“We’re focused on delivering digital solutions that enable our clients to solve their biggest challenges,” said Corriveau. “These tools are powerful while remaining accessible. We’re eager to get our products in the hands of our clients to help accelerate their transformations into digital-first, data-driven organizations.”
Trinnex will also serve as a digital strategy consultant to clients trying to gain their footing in the quest for digital-first resiliency,
“CDM Smith has such a longstanding reputation in the industry, and a history of being led by bold, passionate innovators. We expect Trinnex to have that same reputation in the digital space,” said Corriveau. “We’re honored and excited to carry that mission forward into this emerging marketspace.”
To learn more about Trinnex, visit the company’s website, www.trinnex.io.


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EastFruit analysts note that Russia’s purchase of an unprecedented volume of potatoes from Georgia in the 2021/2022 season, from May 2021 to April 2022, led to high prices at the beginning of the season in the Georgian market.
Given the adverse weather conditions that led to poor potato production in the Russian Federation in the previous season, Russia switched to a very active import. The country does not usually buy Georgian potatoes, but it had to buy record volumes in 2021-2022.
Data source: GeoStat – production, Ministry of Finance of Georgia
Note. The total supply in the local market in a season is measured as “Production + Import – Export”.
In the 2021/2022 season, Georgia exported 57 000 tonnes of potatoes, a record high volume driven solely by Russian demand. Such a high level of exports has led to the lowest supply in the local market for at least the last 8 seasons. The low supply, of course, led to high prices.
The use of the site materials is free if there is a direct and open for search engines hyperlink to a specific publication of the East-Fruit.com website.


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An outbreak of a novel coronavirus originating from Wuhan, China has gripped the world, as the death toll and infection count grow by the day. So, what happens when a completely unforeseen event shocks the world’s second largest economy? CNBC’s Uptin Saiidi explains some of the early economic impact.
What does it mean to be ‘Made in China?’ As supply chains grow increasingly global, the answer is rarely simple. CNBC’s Uptin Saiidi reports from the world’s two largest economies.
In Spain, the Ministry of Health revealed that 640,000 coronavirus tests that it had purchased from a Chinese supplier were defective. In addition, a further million coronavirus tests delivered to Spain on March 30 by another Chinese manufacturer were


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German trailer builder, Schmitz Cargobull, has been awarded the Trailer Innovation 2019 accolade for its SmartTrailer concept.
“This is a wonderful response to our vehicle concept,” said Schmitz Cargobull CEO, Andreas Schmitz, at the award ceremony at the IAA Commercial Vehicles in Hanover.
“We consider this prize to be a confirmation of our industry expertise,” he said.
Schmitz Cargobull’s SmartTrailer concept is based on a new generation of the telematics hardware, which also includes extra optional sensor equipment.
According to the trailer builder, customers benefit from the concept's ability to link up all the relevant sensors and monitor the associated trailer components directly via the telematics system. Previously, each individual component was generally treated as a stand-alone unit, dependent on its own sensor and transmission elements.
Every component in Schmitz Cargobull’s SmartTrailer concept is directly linked to the telematics control unit (tyre pressure monitoring system, door sensors, door locking system or temperature recorder). The temperature recorder in the new TrailerConnect system is a digital temperature recorder certified in accordance with DIN EN 1283.
The TrailerConnect is equipped with a wireless local area network (LAN) module, and there is also an option to equip a printer for standard temperature logs.
“Following the motto 100 per cent SMART, Schmitz Cargobull will now be equipping all S.KO COOL reefer semi-trailers with a telematics system as standard,
said Schmitz Cargobull Telematics Managing Director, Marco Reichwein. The standard telematics equipment creates a strong foundation for optimum control over an interconnected, integrated logistics chain, thereby helping to boost efficiency and reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO).”
The jury for the prestigious awards comprised journalists from 16 specialist transport publications in Europe. The 'Trailer Innovation' platform focuses on interesting innovations from the world of trailers and trucks. It showcases a wide number of trailer innovations, no matter how big or small they may be. Now in their ninth year, the awards honour trailer manufacturers in a total of seven categories.


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While Motorola gave India the first preference for the affordable Moto G, the company is now finally ready to launch its flagship Moto X Style in the country.
Flipkart, the official online partner of Motorola in India, has revealed that the Moto X Style would go on sale in the country from October 8. The company however, hasn’t revealed any details about the pricing. But keeping in mind the company’s pricing strategy, we can expect the handset to retail below the Rs. 30000 price point.
The Moto X Style flaunts a 5.7 inch display with Quad HD resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. The device is powered by the Snapdragon 808 processor along with 3 GB of RAM. It is also equipped with a 21 MP rear facing camera with dual LED flash and a 5 MP front facing camera with flash. We are awaiting the official announcement for more details.


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The first batch of expensive, new foldable phones with hi-tech displays will not hit the shelves for another two months.
But Chinese e-commerce retailer Suning.com has been quick off the mark, and already has a 399 yuan (US$60) insurance policy available on its platform to cover any technical failure on the new phones, which cost an eye-watering US$2,000.
Customers who pay 399 yuan for the insurance policy after buying a foldable phone from Suning will enjoy an extended two-year warranty on the folding screen if the display breaks or cracks due to everyday usage, Suning Mobile said on its official Sina Weibo account on Tuesday morning.
Just months after Apple’s lacklustre iPhone sales in China were blamed on their thousand-dollar price tags, Huawei Technologies smashed the record with its 5G-ready foldable Mate X model retailing at 2,299 euros (US$2,600), while Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Fold will start from US$1,980.
Smartphone vendors are offering models that are now powerful and big enough to challenge personal computers in functionality, with foldable phones being touted as a laptop alternative and with a price tag to match. The first of these new premium offerings, unveiled at this week’s MWC Barcelona trade show, will begin sales from the end of April.
Spending 10,000 or 20,000 yuan on the latest folding screen mobile phones is quite a financial commitment but demonstrates the belief and desire of many consumers to push the boundaries of smartphone innovation, said Gu Wei, vice-president of Suning.com
“Suning Mobile is willing to protect this belief [by introducing insurance],” Gu said in a post on his official Sina Weibo account.
Unlike earlier generations of flip phones or folding phones such as the Nokia Communicator, the new generation of foldable phones can fold like a wallet and fold out on a long edge into something like a mini-tablet. Royole, a Chinese technology unicorn that makes the world’s thinnest full-colour flexible display, unveiled a foldable smartphone in November called “FlexPai” with a top-end model retailing for 12,999 yuan.
Samsung says that it has designed a “sophisticated hinge system” hidden from view which can withstand the wear-and-tear of more than 100,000 folds, according to a Fortune report on February 20, citing Samsung senior vice-president of product marketing Justin Denison. More


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A meat packing plant in Utah remains open despite a recent outbreak of coronavirus that makes up one-third of the state’s new cases.
A JBS Beef Plant in Hyrum, Utah, had 287 employees test positive for coronavirus out of the 1,024 employees it tested, KUER reported. Utah has experienced a spike in cases over the last two weeks.
While the facility is still open, it is operating at reduced capacity this week, a JBS spokesperson told The Hill.
President TrumpDonald TrumpSanders calls out Manchin, Sinema ahead of filibuster showdown Laura Ingraham 'not saying' if she'd support Trump in 2024 The Hill's 12:30 Report: Djokovic may not compete in French Open over vaccine requirement MORE signed an executive order on April 28 to compel meat processing plants to stay open after coronavirus outbreaks sparked closures and led to shortages at grocery stores and fast food chains.
The JBS spokesperson said, however, they are keeping the plant open because they believe it is safe.
“We will not operate a facility if we don’t believe it is safe, and we are running the plant at the levels we anticipated due to testing,” the spokesperson said.
All Tyson Foods and Smithfield plants are also currently open, both companies told The Hill. Over 11,000 cases of COVID-19 were tied to Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods and JBS plants as of May.
“We recently partnered with the Utah Department of Health to provide mandatory testing of our Hyrum workforce. We are following CDC guidance to quarantine all team members who have tested positive and we conducted additional deep cleaning of the plant,” the JBS spokesperson said.
The company said it is also following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidance around safety and social distancing.
Some employees of the company protested on Tuesday, demanding the facility close, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
Trump said on May 19 that the food chain was ‘almost working perfectly again.’ At the time, JBS and Smithfield had no closed facilities but Tyson Foods had one closed poultry facility in Wilkesboro, N.C., that has since reopened.


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Tickets are now on sale for a fundraiser to support a Tri-City cancer support group for women.
Pink the Parkway is set for Oct. 17. Those who purchase a $25 ticket are eligible for a variety of door prizes, drink specials and shopping discounts. A silent auction also is planned.
All money raised at the Richland event will go toward the Warrior Sisterhood, a program of the Tri-Cities Cancer Center to provide emotional and financial support to women in the Tri-Cities who have been diagnosed with cancer or a BRCA gene mutation.
The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Richland Parkway, between Lee Boulevard and The Parkway.
Buy tickets at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation office, 7350 Deschutes Ave., Cheese Louise, 619 The Parkway, Richland, Pink Pearl, 705 The Parkway, Richland, or Paper Street Brewing Co., 701 The Parkway, Richland.
More information available on the group’s Facebook page.


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LOS ANGELES — The median price of a California home jumped 18 percent to a record $474,480 in December, capping what will likely be a record year for sales, an industry tracker has reported.
The median price jumped by double digits in every region of the state, according to the California Association of Realtors.
Last month sales inched up 1.4 percent from a year earlier to an annualized total of 645,860 units, the association said. That's the number of sales that would occur if the market matched December's record-shattering pace all year.
The final count is still being tallied, but sales last year are expected to be about 3 percent higher than the 2003 record of 601,770 transactions.
"Six months ago we had anticipated that sales in the second half of 2004 would slow down a bit and that certainly wasn't the case," said Robert Kleinhenz, the association's deputy chief economist.
In Los Angeles County the median price soared 22.8 percent, to $463,450. Sales increased an annual 1.5 percent.
Ventura County's median price increased 25.3 percent, to $612,460, and sales fell 11.2 percent.
The High Desert, which includes the Antelope Valley, had the second-biggest price jump in the state, 42 percent. The median price there is $244,410, the state's lowest. Sales there jumped 11.2 percent.
Supply tightened again, too, dipping to 2.8 months from 3.5 months in November.


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Since Michael Jordan first signed on with Nike, the sports apparel brand has paid him an estimated £1.1bn for his endorsements. The basketball icon was considered the undisputed greatest player of all time until LeBron James came onto the scene; the Liverpool fan and minority FSG stakeholder has challenged that status quo.
He is also well on his way to building up a business empire to rival Jordan’s, and Liverpool could be set to benefit from a collaboration that mirrors the project undertaken at PSG.
The team from the French capital have partnered with Nike’s Jordan brand since 2018, using the trademark ‘Jumpman’ logo on kits and other fashion merchandise. It has been a huge sales driver, opening up the market beyond traditional football fans and to a more style-conscious consumer group.
In the first week of the 2018 kit launch, the first time the Jordan branding was used, the specially-branded kits made up more than half of the PSG kit sales. Within a month, the club had earned an extra £12.8m revenue from the collaboration. Liverpool commenced a partnership with Nike last season — given the existing links between the club, the brand and LeBron James (who was a minority owner in Liverpool before converting that into a stake in FSG), a similar setup seemed as though it would only be a matter of time.
Sure enough, Liverpool chairman and FSG big-wig Tom Werner has confirmed that a crossover product line is in the works. While details are as yet unknown, “seven or eight products that connect LeBron with soccer” are being lined up by Nike, and Liverpool will be at the heart of it.
It is worth remembering that when Liverpool agreed the deal with Nike, they accepted a reduced fixed fee to the one on offer from New Balance, instead gambling on a greater percentage of sales revenue. The pandemic threw a spanner in the works when it came to that choice, but it could be about to pay off in a big way.
The exact proportion of revenue retained by PSG on shirt sales is unknown, but the typical deal offers between 10-15 per cent of sales income to the club. For instance, Michael Jordan reportedly made £5m on the back of Lionel Messi signing for the French club — and that’s just the cut he gets from licensing his brand to Nike, who retain most of the revenue themselves. Only a small chunk makes its way back into club coffers.
Liverpool negotiated 20 per cent of sales revenue when agreeing the Nike deal. If the James branding can have even a fraction of the impact that Jordan had for PSG, those figures could be about to shoot up. The pull of the two basketball stars should not be underestimated; there is a reason Nike have shelled out £1.1bn to Jordan to date, and why they handed out a lifetime contract to James that is reportedly worth a similar amount.
FSG have money to spend: that was made abundantly clear with their recent agreement to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins NHL franchise for £656m. The owners simply like to run their clubs in a self-sustaining manner. That means creating revenue streams in order to fuel spending — it’s why the biggest investments to date have been directed towards expanding Anfield (increased matchday revenue) and improving the academy (youth team prospects to sell).
The James collaboration could unlock a major new source of revenue, which could eventually lead to more money to spend in the transfer market. The basketball star’s lifetime contract with Nike, coupled with Liverpool’s own multi-year deal, means the new agreement will not be going anywhere soon: what is starting off as seven or eight products could rapidly grow into an empire, should there prove to be sufficient demand.
FSG took a calculated risk on the marketing power of Nike and its affiliated athletes when they signed with the kit provider, and Liverpool could be about to reap the rewards. PSG provides the blueprint for the LeBron James development — and with their shrewd negotiation of revenue retention, the English club could be set to benefit even more.


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In a report that quantifies what many in the industry have been feeling in their bones, online media-focused investment bank AdMedia Partners surveyed 3,200 U.S. companies in the advertising and marketing services sector and found that 2006 is very likely to be a big year for M&A activity for Internet marketing firms.
The study, available here, found that 85% of respondents who identify themselves as prospective buyers expect to approach a potential acquisition this year, while 54% expect to complete an acquisition during 2006. That’s up slightly from 51% who thought they would do so in 2005.
Among prospective sellers, 79% expect to be approached by a prospective buyer, and 42% expect to sell all or part of their businesses in 2006, compared with 25% who thought they would do so last year.
Not surprisingly, not a single respondent has plans for an IPO this year.
Despite the fact that it faces growing competition from Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, Google-owned YouTube is still one of the most popular ... read more
Amazon prides itself on being the most “customer-centric” company in the world, but according to investigative journalism non-profit ProPublica, Amazon’s algorithms are often anything but ... read more


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Delhaize should innovate faster and Ahold Delhaize CEO Dick Boer feels Albert Heijn CEO Wouter Kolk should show the Belgians how. He also talked about Amazon and bol.com in the remarkable interview.
Nice revival for AH, Delhaize could perform better
Innovation is key to supermarkets nowadays and Albert Heijn is doing well in that sense, but Delhaize is still not up to speed according to Boer’s interview with NRC Handelsblad. “Albert Heijn Netherlands has displayed a very nice revival over the past three years. We can easily see that Albert Heijn’s stores are innovative, which is very important to a supermarket nowadays”, he said.
Delhaize should be able to innovate faster, partially thanks to closer ties with suppliers. “They could come up with new ideas and you can get those on the shelf fast”, he advises. Is it a deliberate move to spark the flame in a highly tense situation within the company or just an unfortunate mediatized statement? No one should be too sentimental about it: “Delhaize is the most important brand in Belgium and it needs to do well. The merger has a sentimental side, but both the board of commissioners and the board of directors have said that the merger exceeds both Belgium and the Netherlands.”
Healthy convenience arrives in the US
Dick Boer also talks about much more than AH and Delhaize in the interview: the merger company is one of the largest supermarket companies in the United States and it obviously has a lot riding on that region. Fresh and healthy convenience products are the focus of its strategy, alongside its online grocery service Peapod. “The fresh and healthy trend is also slowly taking over the United States”, Boer said. “We are introducing a lot more convenience items in the United States, like sliced fruit and vegetables, something we transferred from the Netherlands.” Freshly-baked bread, right there in the supermarket, is also a new addition.
Boer also wants to “be able to create more volume” with its online supermarket Peapod, but that will bring it closer to Amazon and Walmart. “How can we better service a city like New York? If we want to create more capacity, we need to have growth, more than the rather small growth we have now.” The competition is getting more fierce, he admits, especially with omnichannel’s increased importance and the fact that online pure players realize they also need physical stores.
Nevertheless, the CEO is not afraid of Amazon: “There are many things that do not bother them, but they clearly struggle with fresh food home delivery, which is obviously harder to achieve.” Amazon can be “jealous” of Ahold Delhaize, which has a lead when it comes to knowledge and infrastructure regarding fresh food delivery.
Data also for customers
Ahold Delhaize is currently trialing same-day grocery delivery, both in Washington and Rotterdam. “I think the continuous retail evolutions are keeping us awake all the time. Where we found it completely acceptable to order one day in advance some ten years ago, consumers now think: I will get it tonight.”
Dick Boer thinks Bol.com’s acquisition was mainly interesting because of the way it deals with data, which is crucial in tomorrow’s supermarket world. Ahold Delhaize used to apply data for its logistics, but Boer also wants to use it for the customer’s benefit.
The CEO also believes in “nudging”, the subtle art of enticing your customers to buy something healthy. Supermarkets can help people do that, he feels. “You can buy a well-known brand’s ketchup, but that contains so much sugar. Besides, the Albert Heijn brand also has that issue. However, there is also an organic, non-sweetened ketchup and if you can point that out, you will help the customer to make a better choice. That is where there are incredible opportunities for us as a company.”


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Nufarm confirms $2.8b deal with Sinochem
Australian agriculture businesses are now on the radar of Chinese investors. Crop fertiliser company Nufarm has confirmed a $2.8 billion takeover deal with China's state-owned Sinochem.
TranscriptALI MOORE, PRESENTER: Australia's agricultural businesses are now on the radar of Chinese investors. Crop fertiliser company Nufarm has confirmed a $2.8 billion takeover deal with China's state-owned Sinochem. The announcement came as Nufarm revealed a 42 per cent drop in profits. Desley Coleman reports.
DESLEY COLEMAN, REPORTER: Chemicals business Nufarm is directly exposed to the seasonal ups and downs of farming, and this year ...
DOUG RATHBONE, CEO, NUFARM: The headline results are not pretty. They're a tough set of results.
DESLEY COLEMAN: While achieving modest gains in revenue, up seven per cent, the ugliness was in Nufarm's bottom line which sank 42 per cent.
DOUG RATHBONE: The major drivers in this '09 result was the dramatic reversal, as I've said, of the supply/demand balance in global glyphosate. That business had a major shift.
DESLEY COLEMAN: Glyphosate is the main ingredients of the company's weed killer Roundup. That portion of Nufarm's business was hit hard as competing products flooded onto the market.
PAUL JANSZ, ANALYST, AUSTOCK: They've lost around about a third of the profit that they thought they would make six months ago because there was a very low priced option that came out of China, and that lowered the cost base around the world, and Nufarm was caught with a lot of Roundup on their inventory.
DESLEY COLEMAN: But investors overlooked the disappointing financial result. Shares jumped seven per cent after Nufarm confirmed a $2.8 billion takeover offer from the Chinese state-owned Sinochem, China's fourth largest oil company and leading agri-chemical group. Analysts say Sinochem wants Nufarm's global distribution network, comprising businesses across Asia, South America and Europe.
PAUL JANSZ: That Sinochem is now looking to take equity positions and to take positions outside of China to improve their growth profile and own manufacturing assets and improve their distribution outside of China.
DESLEY COLEMAN: The Chinese company has proposed a full takeover by a scheme of arrangement at $13 per share and will start examining Nufarm's books in mid-October.
PAUL JANSZ: At this point today when there is some uncertainty over the recovery in a third of Nufarms business, we value Nufarm around about the $12.50, $13 level. So they're paying around the right value today, and - but, you know, on a three to five-year view, if they can recover that glyphosate margin and if they can grown into those new regions and new products, they may be worth a lot more.
DESLEY COLEMAN: Nufarm has been a takeover target since 2007 after a proposed $3 billion offer from another Chinese company fell over. But there are no guarantees this acquisition will happen either. The offer is subject to Nufarm shareholder support, Australian court approval and the blessing of the Australian Investment Review Board.
Doug Rathbone is confident the Sinochem offer will succeed, however, he says even without the takeover, the company remains on track for growth next year.
DOUG RATHBONE: What will happen for us is it'll be harder for us to do some of the things we see as opportunities. So we'll have a year or two seasons where we've just gotta drag the cash flow in, we've got to consolidate and tighten the company a bit. But the company's in good shape.
DESLEY COLEMAN: The exclusive negotiations between Nufarm and Sinochem will expire in December, when the full transaction details will be released.


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George Nabs A Golf Resort [VIDEO]
The King of Country plans to transform Tapatio Springs Golf Resort in Boerne, Texas, about 25 miles northwest of San Antonio into premiere golfing status. He says, "This may not be 'ocean front property', but it's the next best thing." He adds that he and Tom Cusick, his business partner, had always thought that Tapatio Springs could be a real jewel and took the opportunity when it came up. Strait isn't saying how much they paid. But the corporation they bought it from, had paid $4.5 million in a foreclosure auction last June. The resort, founded in 1981, offers 27 holes, a hotel, convention and meeting facilities, tennis, swimming and a fitness club. Here's a video of George's performance of "Ocean Front Property" in 2008 at the United Spirit Arena in Lubbock.


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SAN FRANCISCO — Online video marketing company TubeMogul will add new features to its tools in the coming months to make programmatic connections between an advertiser and publisher, and to make digital video buys more transparent, said Brett Wilson, CEO of TubeMogul, in an interview with Beet.TV.
“We want to make the tools easier to use since 90% of our users are self-serve buyers,” Wilson explains in this video interview. TubeMogul is also focused on its new offering, BrandPoint, that measures digital media on a GRP basis so that digital buying can be more akin to TV buying. “That’s opened up a new segment of buyers…who have never bought digital video before,” he said. Next up, TubeMogul wants to add features that let buyers import their TV plans to view their overall reach as well as additional targeting technology. “The road ahead is continuing to make buying digital video buying a lot like TV,” he said.
TubeMogul’s efforts are part of a growing industry trend to bring more aspects of TV buying to digital media. Earlier this week, GroupM’s Xaxis unit said that it’s aiming to layer in TV-style metrics to Web video via an offering called Xaxis TV.
For more insight into BrandPoint, programmatic buying and TubeMogul’s Viewability consortium to develop standards for viewability of ads, check out this video interview.
We interviewed Wilson last week in San Francisco at the Beet.TV networking party co-sponsored by TubeMogul.


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The proposals by the law committee of the GST Council, comprising central and state officials who advise its ministerial members, aim to tighten compliance measures and target restrictions on firms identified as risky, without affecting the convenience of doing business generally , said a finance ministry official.
The recommendations include the utilization of Aadhaar or Aadhaar-like biometric authentication for brand spanking new registrations, steps to spot businesses that pose a risk of revenue loss to the exchequer, use of tax returns to verify the credentials of entrepreneurs seeking GST registration, and restriction on using tax credits from the acquisition of raw materials to satisfy the ultimate liabilities .Not filing GST returns for 6 months could cost a business its registration. At the instant , there are 600,000 dormant GST-registered firms among the 12 million entities with registration.
Entities seeking GST registration would be profiled on the idea of their credentials and classified into trustworthy et al. .Trustworthy entrepreneurs are those that have a reputable tax payment history and have their identity authenticated by Aadhaar and haven't any history of getting their GST registration cancelled.These entrepreneurs will get GST registration within every week .
The others are going to be given the registration within two months of physical verification of business premises, said the ministry official cited above.Those that aren't trustworthy can also be asked to pay a neighborhood of their liabilities in cash rather than adjusting it fully against the decrease available to them.The proposals put together by the law panel at a gathering held last week are going to be further discussed before they're placed before the council, the official said, requesting anonymity.
The move signals a serious tightening of the three-year-old tax system leveraging GST’s ability to trace the whole supply chain using the system of input tax credits. Discrepancies will get flagged, because the system for filing GST returns becomes more automated with the utilization of e-invoices and auto-filled tax returns.
GST authorities are on a nationwide compliance enforcement drive this month, which led to the busting of an invoice racket and therefore the arrest of 48 people and three chartered accountants. As many as 648 cases are registered thus far this month.The government is best armed to enforce greater compliance with deep digital capabilities for automatically detecting evasion, leakages, defaults and delays, consistent with Rishi Agrawal, co-founder and chief military officer of Avantis Regtech Pvt. Ltd, a regulatory technology firm. “Sooner instead of later, India Inc. will got to specialise in accurate and timely compliance. Ignorance of the law won't be an excuse for non-compliance," said Agrawal.
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The Hyperledger Project, a collaborative cross-industry effort led by The Linux Foundation to create an enterprise-grade, open-source distributed ledger technology, announced that American Express has joined the project as a Premier Member. The global financial services giant joins more than 100 members across the technology, finance, banking, Internet of Things, supply chain and manufacturing industries.
Launched in December 2015, the Hyperledger Project is a collaborative cross-industry effort aimed at advancing blockchain technology by creating an open standard for “a new generation of transactional applications.”
“It’s always encouraging to see large, global organizations like American Express join Hyperledger,” said Brian Behlendorf, the executive director of Hyperledger. “As the project continues to grow and take shape, I believe support from leading organizations and their expertise will drive successful pilots of Hyperledger blockchain technology into production later this year. The aim is to then begin to repeatedly build new systems for this emerging industry and its various use cases and applications.”
American Express will be represented on the Hyperledger Governing Board by Senior Vice President of Technology Sastry Durvasula, who is responsible for leading enterprise-wide big data, blockchain technology, digital payments and partnerships. “We want to get closer to blockchain technology and further imagine its possibilities and use cases,” stated Durvasula in an interview, as reported by Bloomberg Markets. “We have the history and heritage of reinventing ourselves, and we are betting big on the blockchain.”
Durvasula added that American Express sees blockchain technology as a game-changer for banking and in particular for digital payments, with an importance comparable to big data technology.
“We’re excited to join Hyperledger, as we’re looking to take full advantage of blockchain to deliver new and innovative products for our customers and partners, while transforming existing business processes and applications,” said Marc Gordon, executive vice president and chief information officer of American Express. “As a Premier member of the project, we’re expecting our expertise and global reach to help advance this open source blockchain ecosystem.”
The Hyperledger press release doesn’t go into details about what exactly the credit card giant wants to do with blockchain technology, and the company itself hasn’t disclosed more information so far. Some indications could be found in previous moves and statements from American Express.
In a 2014 talk covered by the New York Times, American Express CEO Kenneth I. Chenault said that “the protocol of Bitcoin is going to be important,” comparing it to the P2P services that have driven disruptive change in the music industry. At the same time, Chenault cautioned against considering blockchain technology as ready to take over payments, and emphasized that credit cards still offer important advantages that meet consumer needs, such as the ability to defer payments.
“[The] work that Amex does, while it could be supported by distributed ledger, goes far beyond peer-to-peer. It involves creating a set of guarantees and a set of services for both consumers and merchants that they wouldn’t get if they were just trying to transact with one another,” said Neal Sample, president of Enterprise Growth at American Express, as reported by Bitcoin Magazine in 2015. According to Sample, payment is just one of many stages in the commerce cycles, and companies such as American Express provide a complete infrastructure for consumer protection. While bitcoin transactions are intrinsically irreversible, with no consumer protection against fraud, American Express will actively help its customers.
In 2015, American Express invested in Abra, a blockchain company that wants to take a slice of the $550 billion global remittance market. Combining an Uber-like peer-to-peer network with smartphone technology and the blockchain, Abra wants to be “the Uber of digital cash.”
“As people and businesses transact more globally, there’s a need for more convenient and affordable ways to move money, and we think the blockchain could play an important role in the evolution of money transfer and commerce, especially in emerging markets,” said Harshul Sanghi, American Express Ventures managing partner, in a statement reported by Forbes.
Perhaps these precedents could provide insight about American Express’s blockchain plans. To find out more, Distributed reached out to Hyperledger and American Express.
"Global payments networks were the first place where the power of blockchain technology became evident. With American Express joining Hyperledger, it brings its tremendous expertise in this area to the community. We are excited about the additional talent and use cases and implementation experiences that their involvement will bring,” said Hyperledger Executive Director Brian Behlendorf.
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Pret's chocolate chip cookies recipe is here
Shut shops should provide no barrier between your taste buds and unparalleled delight
It turns out that the strength of combined populations is overwhelmingly powerful and that the resistance of giant food companies is pitifully weak; the secrets of legendary products are now more commonplace than pots of gold at the end of rainbows.
Not only has Greggs announced its recipe for making home-grown sausage, cheese and beans melts, but McDonald’s has published methods for cooking its breakfast items (surely you just stick a plastic bag in a frying pan? Doesn’t seem too difficult to me). So, that’s the starter and mains courses figured out, but what about dessert?
Well, for that we now have Pret’s chocolate chip cookies!
The coffee chain has launched its #PretRecipeBook campaign, which has seen recipes for many of the firm’s most popular treats unveiled to the world. Quite what Pret is going to do once the lockdown ends and no one visits its shops because they’re all cooking things at home is anyone’s guess.
Regardless, the recipe is here:
Social media users have been showcasing their sweet attempts:
The recipe for the cookies has been posted onto Pret's website so that it will be eternally available for you to bake billions of biscuits and consume them off a conveyor belt of sugar during the long lockdown days.
Please could someone let me know when KFC starts releasing recipes? I'll need a bit of time to convert my whole house into a fryer.


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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Motor Trend magazine named the 2011 Porsche Cayenne as the winner of its SUV of the Year Award on Tuesday.
The Cayenne, originally introduced in 2002, was redesigned and re-engineered for the 2011 model year.
"Not only are the Cayenne's technical advancements compelling, but its increased fuel efficiency, high value rating, improved interior and exterior design features result in an unbeatable combination of performance and capability," said Motor Trend.
Motor Trend's editorial staff selected vehicles based on advancement in design, engineering excellence, efficiency, safety and value. Testing involves a week-long process including track tests and "real-world" driving.
Motor Trend noted that the Cayenne didn't win the award when it was first introduced but "the technical enhancements made between then and now are compelling."
The SUV's new design looks more compact despite being slightly larger than the previous version, the magazine noted.
"The judges agreed the Porsche Cayenne was a multi-talented crossover vehicle that drove like a Porsche on the road, yet with its height adjustable suspension and computer-controlled four-wheel drive system, was almost as capable as a genuine off-road SUV," the magazine said in its announcement.
The Cayenne is available with a V6 engine, a non-turbocharged or turbocharged V8 engine, or with an all new hybrid powertrain which includes a supercharged V6. The 380-horsepower Cayenne Hybrid gets EPA-estimated fuel economy of 21 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway.
A rarity among SUVs, the V6-powered base Cayenne is available with a six-speed manual transmission. All versions of the Cayenne, including the hybrid, are available with manually shift able 8-speed automatic transmissions.
Cayenne prices start at $47,675, but a fully loaded Cayenne Turbo can cost as much as $168,000, Motor Trend said. A typically equipped mid-priced Cayenne S recently tested by CNNMoney.com was priced at $82,000.
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This Brand's Sexual Resolutions Include a Game of Spicy Bingo
January is the month for resolutions. Lose weight, eat healthier, exercise regularly, finally admit that cheese is your kryptonite.
But what about sexual resolutions? Vella, a women's sexual wellness company, began the new year by normalizing and prioritizing a woman's sexual health with an Instagram bingo challenge. That's a b-i-n-g-Ohhh. The company manufactures a topical pleasure serum that's applied to the inner labia and clitoris, where it relaxes the smooth muscle tissue and increases blood flow.
"We wanted a brand name that was feminine and definitely had a V, given that we are a brand committed to bring science in service of women's sexual health," says Bulbul Hooda, CMO of Vella.
Suggestions on the #LeVellaUp bingo card range from talking dirty to leaving the lights on, sharing a fantasy, trying a new toy, an evening of oral only and using Vella.
Click the images to enlarge.
"We chose Instagram as our primary platform for the #LeVellaUp challenge thanks to the nature of 'new year, new me' conversations on the platform in January," says Paula Ersly, head of social strategy at Acadia, the agency that created the campaign. "There are 30-day fitness challenges, reading challenges, or cooking challenges constantly circulating on Instagram. But often, sexual health and wellness is left out of these conversations. We wanted to create a graphic that inspires users to share, save, or send the piece to encourage deeper conversation and engagement. Utilizing Instagram Stories, users can also choose to check their bingo card off as they participate and share it back with the world."
Anyone who comments or shares a post using the hashtag #LeVellaUp will be entered in a contest for free samples. An influencer campaign launches at the end of January, leading up to Valentine's Day.
"The Instagram algorithm isn't always the friendliest to content that speaks so bluntly and openly about sex and pleasure," Ersly tells Muse. "We're taking a risk by being as open as we are on our Instagram account, but we hope that our candor and honesty will reach the women who need it."
In the immortal lyrics of K7: "Come baby come baby baby come come."


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Novartis warns of skin issues with epilepsy drug
Some serious reactions may be life-threatening, company says
Updated: 3:05 p.m. ET April 20, 2005
WASHINGTON - Novartis AG’s epilepsy drug Trileptal has a new warning about life-threatening skin reactions reported by patients who took the medicine, the company and the Food and Drug Administration said.
“Such serious skin reactions may be life-threatening, and some patients have required hospitalization with very rare reports of fatal outcome,” Novartis said in a letter to physicians that was posted on the FDA Web site.
The problems, reported in both adults and children, included two serious skin disorders called toxic epidermal necrolysis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
The reported rate of those conditions among Trileptal patients was three to 10 times higher than what would be expected in the general population, the Novartis letter said.
“Therefore, if a patient develops a skin reaction while taking Trileptal, consideration should be given to discontinuing Trileptal use and prescribing another anti-epileptic medication,” the company said.
Trileptal is approved for treating partial seizures in adults and children ages 4 to 16 with epilepsy.
A “limited number” of other life-threatening reactions involving multiple organs also have been reported following the start of Trileptal therapy, Novartis said. Symptoms varied but included fever, rash and liver and kidney inflammation.
(ganked from epileptics)


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BitTorrent, the company who developed the infamous peer-to-peer sharing protocol of the same name, is now launching a music and video-streaming app.
BitTorrent is adding an ad-supported streaming option to its BitTorrent Bundle platform — which is now being rebranded as BitTorrent Now, according to Billboard Magazine.
The company, long associated with illegal file-sharing, is apparently trying to distance itself from that image and brand itself as a legitimate media distributor.
But BitTorrent Now will differ from mainstream platforms such as Spotify or Apple Music. Unlike those streaming services, BitTorrent Now will probably only feature content explicitly uploaded by artists, much like its BitTorrent Bundle predecessor, according to The Verge.
Similarly, the app will likely be populated with content from lesser known and independent artists. And BitTorrent Now will allow these artists a greater degree of control over their work.
BitTorrent Bundle was released in 2013 as a new file format. Artists who released an album on Bundle got to decide whether the album was a free download or not. The artist could then decide the price, or implement some other way of “paying” for the content.
For example, a creator could release three songs of an album for free. Fans could unlock other songs by liking the artist on Facebook, signing up for their newsletter, or sharing the album with friends or peers, according to VentureBeat.
From there, artists can create other types of “gates,” and reward listeners with other content or merchandise by completing various tasks, Billboard wrote.
Unlike other streaming platforms, who have historically paid artists very little, BitTorrent Bundle offered a 90/10 split for creators. BitTorrent Now’s streaming service will offer a 70/30 split on advertising revenue, according to Billboard.
BitTorrent hopes that the rebranding will draw in more people who are skeptical of torrenting, according to The Verge. The app is currently available for Android, with Apple TV and iOS versions on the horizon, the company said.


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iPhone 8 Price Revealed for 64GB, 256GB and 512GB Variants
Apple is all set to unveil its next-gen iPhone lineup in the upcoming media event on September 12. Meanwhile, prolific tipster Benjamin Geskin has tweeted the pricing details of all three iPhone 8 models to be unveiled at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino.
The leaked iPhone 8 pricing details have reportedly been sourced from an Apple insider who is a friend of Geskin's friend. The iPhone 8 has been tipped to release in three storage variants with the following pricing strategy: 64GB at $999, 256GB at $1099 and 512GB at $1199.
Earlier rumours have already confirmed that the iPhone 8 would launch with a starting price of $999. However, the latest leak has hinted at a price difference of $100 between each of the three iPhone 8 variants.
Although Geskin has a consistent track record with leaked product details ahead of any Apple launch event, this leak should be taken with a pinch of salt as the exact source of the leak is still unknown.
In related news, Apple will be moving the iPhone launch event to the new Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in Cupertino, wherein the company is expected to unveil two other flagship phones namely the iPhone 8 Plus and 'iPhone Edition' as per the recent report via Japanese Apple site MacOtakara.
If the ensuing rumours are indeed true, then we might get to see a bezel-less iPhone Edition with 5.8-inch OLED display, 4.7-inch iPhone 8 and 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus at the upcoming event.
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North American Meat Institute Applauds New Access for U.S. Beef, Poultry Exports to TunisiaThursday, April 18, 2019
Attribute statement to Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts:
Washington, DC – The North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) applauds the Trump Administration’s successful efforts to open the Tunisian market to U.S. beef and poultry exports. The agreement reached between the U.S. and Tunisia affirms the safety and wholesomeness of U.S. beef and poultry products, provides important growth potential for those product exports and adheres to international trade standards.
We are encouraged by initial estimates suggesting Tunisia would import annually $5-10 million of beef, poultry and egg products from the U.S., with additional growth expected over time. International trade is essential to the long-term viability of the U.S. meat and poultry industry, and this new access will help level the playing field for American farmers, ranchers and meat and poultry packers, processors and producers at a time when many countries are actively pursuing negotiations to cultivate robust global export markets.
The Meat Institute once again commends the Administration for prioritizing the opening of new markets for U.S. meat and poultry products. We also look forward to continuing to work with the Administration to further reduce trade barriers and improve access for U.S. meat and poultry exports in all foreign markets.share on facebook share on twitter