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The 2015 CRM Market Influential Leaders: Lowell McAdam, CEO, Verizon
Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam is in the middle of his biggest year yet. But tenure aside—McAdam has been at the company since 2000—he's never been one to embrace the status quo. "[McAdam] encourages change. He always says, 'We have to change or the industry is going to change us,'" says company spokesman Bob Varettoni. "There's always a higher gear, and he's always shooting for it."
Over the past several months, McAdam has doubled down on innovation, and his commitment to the future of mobile devices has resonated across industries. In early 2014, Verizon sealed the deal to purchase Vodafone, a longtime silent partner that controlled 45 percent of Verizon Communications. The strategic step not only gave Verizon control over its entire cash flow but also served as a prerequisite for the massive AOL acquisition that would eventually follow. "Back then, McAdam said, 'We're not just going to provide cell phone service. We're going to build something bigger on the wireless network that we have,' and it was a huge bet," Varettoni recalls. By 2015, the bet became bigger—in May, Verizon turned heads with its plans to acquire AOL for $4.4 billion.
To meet an ever-increasing demand for video content, Verizon plans to roll out a new video platform this summer, and AOL will play a key role. The company is working on a three-pronged product that will offer on-demand video as part of customers' standard data packages; a pay-per-view model that will facilitate streaming of live events such as the World Cup; and a third, ad-supported video model that will be free to viewers, according to Fran Shammo, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Verizon. That's where AOL comes in.
"We're going to bring a product to market where people can enjoy that product and they won't necessarily pay for it through their data bundle.... The piece that [was] missing was the ability to have an ad tech platform to insert the advertising," Shammo said at the JPMorgan Global Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference in May. "[McAdam] knew that there was a need for a video product that was free to consumers, and AOL is going to help monetize that product with the ad infrastructure," Varettoni adds.
The "revolutionary" video platform was still in the works at press time, but industry experts agree that McAdam's move should be applauded for its potential to disrupt the traditional on-demand video model with an entirely ad-supported offering. "What McAdam is doing is basically bringing the content, network, and technology together," says Ray Wang, founder and principal analyst at Constellation Research. "It's pretty powerful reassembling all these pieces, but it's what’s required for the future of media and customer experience."


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MINNETONKA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Datacard Group today announced that Tim Klabunde, director of product and solutions marketing for Datacard Group, will be speaking at the International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA) 2014 Expo taking place on April 6th-9th, 2014 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
As the industry’s only global card manufacturing and personalization event, the 2014 ICMA EXPO will feature a variety of presentations that will address industry trends, challenges and opportunities as well as innovative new technologies in the market that enable secure electronic transactions.
The session that Klabunde will be giving is titled “Electronic Benefits Cards – Best Practices and Future Trends,” which is scheduled on April 7 at 11:45 a.m. This presentation will walk through how the evolving demographics in developed countries and the increasing economic wealth of emerging countries is changing distribution of government benefits worldwide. Governments are now leveraging investments in more robust citizen identification services, payment technology, and partnerships with the financial sector to streamline the benefits distribution process, improve service, and reduce fraud.
“With the population growth, international migration and the aging global population, governments and private organizations are challenged with cost-effectively offering social benefits to citizens,” said Klabunde. “By offering electronic benefits cards, governments can reduce fraud and identity theft, streamline the enrollment and approval process as well as speed up the benefits delivery to citizens.”
Klabunde has extensive international experience in product marketing and development. While at Datacard Group, he has led initiatives in the company’s financial and government vertical markets, and has most recently been focused on public sector identity and security programs.
Every day, Datacard® solutions personalize and deliver more than 10 million cards, 5 million smart cards, and issue hundreds of thousands of passports worldwide. The company offers a Secure Issuance Anywhere™ platform, which offers the broadest portfolio of solutions that include best-in-class personalization, identity management software, supplies and service that have been implemented in more than 400 government programs in over 100 countries.
For more information about the event, please visit http://www.icma.com/meetings/annual-expo.htm for complete event details.
About Datacard Group
Datacard Group offers technologies for securing identities and safeguarding transactions in physical and digital environments. The company’s innovative portfolio now includes Entrust® authentication software platforms, bringing important new capabilities to tens of thousands of government agencies, financial institutions and other enterprises in more than 150 countries. Together, Datacard Group and Entrust issue more than 10 million secure identities every day, manage billions of secure transactions annually and issue a majority of the world’s financial cards. For more information, visit www.datacard.com or www.entrust.com. Follow us on Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

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- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term used to describe disorders that involve chronic inflammation of your digestive tract.
- Many diseases are included in this IBD umbrella term. The two most common diseases are ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
- The reasons attributed to this surge is the consumption of preservatives, additives, and highly processed foods
- Symptoms are: Diarrhoea, fever and fatigue, abdominal pain and cramping, loss of appetite and unintended weight loss.
The chemicals in the processed foods and additives can cause IBD, said doctors. Dr Gautam Bhansali, consulting general physician at Bombay Hospital said, “Generally, people in the age group of 40 suffer from it. But today, it is commonly seen in the school and college going students. Especially college students, as they tend to consume a lot of junk food and there is a lack of fibre intake. Lack of fibre food can invite constipation. Thus, they can suffer from IBD.”
He added, “A lot of youngsters visit me with this problem. There has been a 30 to 40% rise in the number of people suffering from IBD. So, follow a healthy and nutritious diet and eat high-fibre foods .”
Padma Shri Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Immediate Past National President Indian Medical Association (IMA), said “IBD can lead to number of complications including damage to the bowel and malnutrition. To avoid IBD, people must opt for natural organic foods which are a healthier choice. This will also help in avoiding complications in the intestine. Making better food choices will ensure that the gut has a combination of different good bacteria which help the body systems function smoothly.”
Dr Ankita Ghag, Clinical Nutritionist, Vacchan Aarogya and Diabetes Care 365, lists out the foods to avoid:
- Processed foods and consuming large meals
- Dairy products: Individuals with IBD are more prone to Lactose intolerance. On ingestion of Milk, cream or ice cream one can get diarrhoea, cramping and constipation. Yogurt and cheese are comparatively safe to be consumed. Instead, one can use soy, almond or groundnut milk
- Vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, onions and beans
- Spicy, and fatty foods
- Sugar and sugar substitutes
- Bread, cereal, and wheat products
- Citrus Fruits


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Hulu has become a hot commodity. The subscription streaming video pioneer is majority owned (67%) by Disney, with Comcast’s NBCUniversal owning the other 33%. The platform has nearly 50 million subscribers when combining the SVOD service with the online TV offering.
In 2024, Comcast has the right to sell its remaining stake to Disney for at least $27.5 billion. Disney CEO Bob Chapek would like to move up the sale window at a lower price (of course) to expedite melding Hulu within the Disney+ ecosystem.
But Comcast CEO Brian Roberts may have other ideas.
Speaking Sept. 14 at the Goldman Sachs + Technology confab in San Francisco, Roberts was asked about the pending sales date — a move that would seem in the cards considering NBCUniversal’s recent decision to begin pulling original content from Hulu to put on its own proprietary Peacock streaming service.
Roberts, however, recognizes a valuable asset in Hulu, and believes selling NBCUniversal’s stake could instead transform into an offer to buy Hulu outright.
“Hulu is a phenomenal business,” Roberts said. “Its scale is fantastic.”
The CEO said he believes Hulu’s content offering combined with brand value make the platform a prized commodity in an ecosystem that has gone all in on the streaming window. In addition, despite Roberts’ words of encouragement, the Peacock streaming service has failed to resonate with consumers. Less than 15 million people pay for the platform, which is offered free to Xfinity subscribers.
“I believe if Hulu was put up for sale, Comcast would be interested [in buying it],” Roberts said. “So would a lot of other tech and media companies. You would have a robust auction.”
Indeed, there never has been a bidding process for an established streaming player like Hulu, and such a process, Roberts contends, should not take place in private, rather than public markets.
Under the companies’ agreement, Disney has the right to acquire NBCUniversal’s stake, and Comcast has the right to a put, or the option, but not the obligation, to sell a specific asset at a predetermined price until a certain date.
“Of course, we are always happy to talk about it, and the value we structured into the [original operational control] agreement [with Disney] anticipates that a ‘robust’ auction for 100% of the company as a going concern and what would somebody pay for that, a third of the company’s equity value,” Roberts said.
In other words, Roberts contends Hulu represents “tremendous value,” a sentiment he believes Comcast shareholders are on board with. Whether the streaming platform and online TV service are put up for sale is Disney’s decision.
“Regardless, 100% value of Hulu is what we are entitled to,” Roberts said. “But if it were up for sale, we certainly, and I think others would want to get into that opportunity. I think our position [in Hulu] is very enviable for us and our shareholders. As a company, Hulu has done a spectacular job.”


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Say hello to Scope by 4C: audience intelligence in action
Apr 24, 2018 • Aaron Goldman
Today, we are proud to announce the launch of Scope by 4C , the industry’s only self-serve platform for audience intelligence, activation, and analytics.
Last week in New York, our clients were treated to a first look at Scope during our Modern Microscope event.
Scope represents the culmination of 4C’s investment in data science and marketing technology over the years and combination of all our assets into one unified platform.
The goal as our CEO, Lance, put it is to help marketers market the way consumers consume – seamlessly across channels and devices.
Terry Kawaja, CEO of LUMA Partners, shared thoughts on TV’s Digital Future and illuminated the value of content that connects audiences across screens.
To help audience-based buying scale across TV, Krishan Bhatia, EVP Business Operations & Strategy of NBCUniversal, announced that NBCU was joining the Open AP consortium with Fox, Turner, and Viacom.
Meanwhile, Marni Walden, former Global President of Media at Verizon and CMO at Verizon Wireless, discussed the importance of cross-platform distribution to drive engagement.
Susan Bidel, Senior Analyst at Forrester, took us through a model for customer-obsessed marketing that breaks down silos and sequences messaging to meet consumers where they are.
And Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, author of Everybody Lies, ran through examples of how data science can be applied to uncover non-intuitive insights such as how the size of a horse’s left ventricle an predict how good it will be at racing.
All these points served as a great backdrop for Anupam Gupta, our Chief Product Officer, who unveiled Scope by 4C as the unified solution to the many of these challenges.
What’s in Scope?
- Audience intelligence – visual tools to identify your most valuable customers and find more people like them
- Audience activation – integrated workflow to buy premium inventory across TV, digital, social, and mobile
- Audience analytics – closed-loop reporting to measure cross-channel interplay and bottom-line results
You can also explore audience insights for your brand or competitors through our Brand Compass portal.
We’re excited to change your perspective and change the industry at a time when brand transparency, safety, and performance are needed more than ever. It’s all in Scope!
Now it’s time to scope the rest of 4C’s Insights.
Read the rest of 4C’s Insights Volume 105 here.
Subscribe to our newsletter to get updates from 4C in your inbox.


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Hinduja Group, which has invested in MindMaze since its early stages, led the new round with participation from family offices.
MindMaze has developed a platform to build human machine interfaces combining VR, computer graphics, brain imaging & neuroscience.
The company has already commercialised the multisensory technology for stroke and brain-injury survivors and its existing regulatory approvals will allow it to speed up placement of devices in Europe and Asia.
MindMaze said its platform will become more widely available via licensing in the business-to-business and business-to-consumer spaces to drive VR-optimised products for mainstream experiences.
The platform, which is being expanded into fields of consumer health and technology, is due to be tested in several US centres later this year for both motor and cognitive recovery applications.
MindMaze founder and CEO, Tej Tadi said: "This funding round is the first endorsement of the investment potential for the MindMaze platform and supports our vision to build the Human Interface."
A Hinduja Group spokesperson said: "MindMaze’s next-generation human-machine interface is already proving itself in healthcare, games, and its potential for applications in transportation, defense and various types of media are now ready to be truly explored."
Bloomberg reported that MindMaze becomes the fifth virtual or augmented reality startup to attract about $100m.
MindMaze, which intends to expand its office in San Francisco, is evaluating headsets to support other injuries like amputations.
The company is still in negotiations with further investors, and the final size of the round is expected to cross $100m.
MindMaze earlier raised around $8.5m from angel investors and via Swiss government grants.
Researchers predict VR hardware will account for $20bn while software will reach $50bn.
According to TrendForce, the industry will reach $6.7bn this year and by 2020, the company expects a growth of 40% in the number of shipments to 38 million headsets.


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Hemp-derived cannabinoids are becoming increasingly popular. Hometown Hero CBD is a company that is at the forefront of this industry with its delta 8 stores performing a serious contribution to the popularization of natural hemp products from CBD oil to Delta 8 gummies. Last year, they announced the appointment of Cynthia Cabrera as their new strategy officer. But who is she? And what does her role in the industry entail? Let’s explore.
Before joining Hometown Hero CBD as its Strategy Officer, Cynthia Cabrera had already started to make waves in the hemp and medical marijuana industry. After establishing her own consulting and business management firm, the Cating Group, Cabrera quickly became a trusted advisor on a range of important topics, such as regulatory policy, compliance, and product development. Before that, she was president and executive director of the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association where her efforts to grow membership were highly successful — over 1,500 organizations had joined during her leadership. In fact, very few understand this sector better than Cynthia.
In her new role as strategy officer for Hometown, Cabrera is responsible for leading the company’s growth strategy and helping to develop its legal framework for cannabinoid production and distribution. She leads the team of professionals tasked with managing customer outreach programs, developing product lines that meet customer needs, building strategic partnerships with key stakeholders across the industry, and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations.
Cabrera brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her new position at Hometown Hero CBD which is essential in driving forward its mission to become a leader in the hemp-derived cannabinoids space. Her previous successes have been well documented and her unique combination of experience makes her ideally suited to help bring Hometown to the forefront of this dynamic industry.
COPYRIGHT_BER: Published on https://www.bernardine.com/what-is-known-about-hometown-hero-cbd-s-new-strategy-officer/ by Karen Reynolds on 2023-03-17T01:10:10.343Z
With her strong background in both business and healthcare combined with her knowledge of the cannabinoid industry, she has all of the qualifications needed to make an impactful contribution at Hometown Hero CBD and we look forward to seeing what she accomplishes next!
A few words about what Hometown Hero CBD is…
Hometown Hero CBD is a leader in the hemp industry that prides itself on providing high-quality, all-natural products to the public while supporting veterans.
Hometown Hero CBD is, above all else, known for its commitment to producing high-quality products that make life better for people who use them. Their range of products includes tinctures, oil, gummies, capsules, live rosin, baked goods, and more - all made with organic hemp grown in the United States.
The brand also stands out from other businesses by dedicating itself to supporting veterans through the Veterans Support Organization (VSO). The latter is an organization that offers financial assistance and other services to veterans in need. This organization provides housing assistance, mental health support programs, and suicide prevention training for veterans in need of help. It works with local agencies to provide additional services such as job training and education opportunities so that veterans can reintegrate into civilian life with greater ease. By partnering with VSO, Hometown Hero CBD shows its commitment to helping its community members who have served our country bravely.


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DC schools won’t profit from new stores either
Douglas County schools will see even less new money from the new Target and Home Depot stores than the county government.
Douglas officials pushed for the redevelopment district just south of the Carson City line as an incentive to get major new retailers to locate in the county. They hoped it would help generate huge amounts of new sales-tax cash.
But state taxation officials confirmed Tuesday that the added sales tax money won’t really change what the county government gets each year.
State formulas already guarantee Douglas and nine other small counties in the state more than they put into the local government revenue pot.
The one apparent bright spot was schools, which aren’t under the same formula.
But Deputy State Superintendent of Education Doug Thunder and Douglas Schools spokesman Rick Kester said Wednesday the school district won’t see more sales tax money either.
“It’s a wash,” said Thunder. “Every dollar they get more in sales taxes is deducted from the state’s (per pupil) guarantee.”
That system is designed to make sure every school district has about the same funds to spend on each student no matter where they live.
The schools are shut out of what they would normally get in property tax revenue from the new stores because it takes every dime of extra property tax money to pay for infrastructure within the redevelopment district.
“For 30 years, the only property tax we’ll get is the tax off the land value, none of the buildings,” he said.
“What we’ve done is given away property taxes to pay for infrastructure for private developers,” Kester said. “That’s why we were not in favor of it. It’s not good for schools.”
Kester said the schools will serve the children of employees drawn to the area by those new stores but won’t get more property or sales tax revenue to help cover the cost.


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The store will host sales in November and launch an Apple repair service in the spring.
By William A Peters
The new Tech Store at this college offers students discounts, technology workshops and an Innovation Gallery where visitors can demo 3D printers, virtual reality gear and other cutting-edge technology.
The store sits next to the Duran Welcome Center on North Main and West Park avenues.
It opened at the beginning of this semester. To purchase the laptops, computers, iMacs, Macbooks and iPads, buyers must be an Alamo Colleges student or faculty member, which they verify on site by checking enrollment status on the computer. Accessories such as headphones and phone chargers can be purchased by anyone.
It is Apple certified, which means the store can offer student discounts on the Apple computer products. This can add up to a $20 to $200 savings depending on the cost of the product.
Ana Ortega, manager of the Tech Store, said, “Not only is it convenient for them, we’re here to help the students, to help the faculty. We are more of a service. We aren’t here to make a profit; we are here to help the students.”
The store offers educational pricing on the laptops, computers and Mac products. It does not carry iPhones because they are not considered an educational product.
A popular item is the 13-inch MacBook Air because it is “lightweight (and) the price is just right being an Apple product,” Ortega said. The MacBook Air 13 normally retails for $999.99 but is available for $949 at the tech store.
Special ordering of Dell and HP computers and laptops is possible if students don’t find what they are looking for. Students should tell the staff what specs they are looking for and the employees will get back to them with a quote as soon as possible. Shipping to the store for pickup is free and estimated to take less than five days.
The store also offers technology workshops such as Skype for Business, Google Drive Basics and iMovie, which are all open to the public. Pre-registration is required to attend. To register, go to sactechstore.org, click the training tab, then select the date and workshop.
Renewable energies sophomore Gerardo Mauricio Garcia, who lives in the Tobin Lofts, said the store is “amazing,” while demoing the HP Virtual Reality with zSpace, which makes use of 3-D glasses and a stylus with feedback, allowing students to manipulate objects on a 3-D plane. It was the first time he had hands-on experience with such technology.
“Only in videos, like YouTube, have I seen something like this,” he said.
The Virtual Reality with zSpace is part of the Innovation Gallery, a way for students to see and experience new technology.
The gallery also includes Oculus Rift, 3D printers and a holographic keyboard. The current displays will be available until August 2017.
In the spring semester the Tech Store is expected to open the Tech Rangers, a repair service for Apple products and computers at a competitive rate.
“We are going to try and get the best price point for our students here,” Ortega said.
The Tech Store will be conducting a savings event Nov. 1-23. Older-generation iPad Minis 2 and 4 will be $20 off while supplies last for students.
There will be a faculty and staff appreciation event Nov. 18 for Black Friday. The iPad Pro 32GB will be discounted from $599 to $533 and the MacBook Air 13 128 GB from $999 to $873. Pre-orders are available for the holidays if placed by Nov. 10.
The Tech Store is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is closed weekends.
For more information, the Tech Store can be reached at email@example.com or 210-486-0942.


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Corsair has quite some plans for AMD’s next-generation AM5 desktop PC platform encompassing Ryzen 7000 Series CPUs and X670/E motherboards. Bringing the speed goodness of PCIe 5.0 to an AMD system for the first time, Corsair has released tasty numbers for the upcoming PCIe 5.0 MP700 SSD. How does 10GB/s sequential read sound?
Tantalising performance is teased on Corsair’s AMD-specific microsite, comparing sequential read and write performance to in-market solutions.
Current MP600 Pro XT is no slouch, but it roundly beaten by the 10GB/s read and 9.5GB/s write bandwidth offered by MP700. The drive is not yet listed for sale and may well be launched at the exact same time as AMD’s next-gen platform reveal. Intel, as you may know, has had PCIe 5.0 capability since the launch of 12th Gen Core Alder Lake processors last year, reserved mainly for graphics, as no Z690 board features an M.2 slot of that calibre. That will likely change with 13th Gen Core-supporting Z790 later this year, which we expect to have dedicated PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots.
Back on topic, Corsair has been a long-time partner of Phison, who builds PCIe controllers for SSDs. Incumbent MP600 Pro XT, for example, harnesses the Phison PS5018-E18 chip, and we’re reasonably sure MP700 will use upcoming PS5026-E26.
10GB/s sequential read is a large improvement over the best PCIe 4.0 x4 drives on the market, but it’s not where the story ends. Controllers from Samsung and Silicon Media promise loftier speeds still.


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In the mid 20th century, hunger was a major concern for America’s poor. To better support malnourished families living below the poverty line, the federal government created the Food Stamp Act in 1964 to help provide healthy food to people in need.
America’s nutritional landscape has changed a lot over the past 50 years. Malnourishment is still a big problem in America, but in a much different way than it was back then.
Because of their lower prices and mass availability, unhealthy foods and drinks have become a staple in the diets of millions of Americans. Obesity rates in this country have grown to epidemic levels, with impoverished communities being hit especially hard. In low-income homes across the country, overweight and obese children now outnumber underweight kids by a ratio of seven to one.
To combat this epidemic, many states are trying to change what type of items people can buy via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP-formerly know as food stamps). Because sugar-sweetened beverages have no nutritional value and have been closely linked with obesity, nine states, including Illinois, Nebraska, Texas and most recently New York, have tried to have these drinks barred from being bought with SNAP money. In each case the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has said no. …


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transport logistic 2017
New challenges in logistics
The business of logistics is moving ever faster and having to adapt to new conditions in the market. One example is the digitalization of shopping: The move is away from the high street and towards online sales. That steps up the requirements on the transport infrastructure in towns and cities and, as a result, also on transport policy. The two megatrends remain the digital transformation and, connected with this, the establishment of unified standards. The exhibitors at transport logistic, which takes place from May 9 to 12, 2017 at the Messe München exhibition center, will be presenting innovations that help master these challenges. Also at the fair, the supporting program, featuring 48 conference events, offers a valuable platform for knowledge transfer. All the facets of logistics, mobility, IT and supply chain management will be discussed in this pro-gram—for which over 200 experts in the field will be coming to Munich to ad-dress the trade audience. transport logistic 2017 is to be officially opened by the German Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Alexander Dobrindt.
Biggest showcase of the logistics industry
Robert Schönberger, Exhibition Group Director at Messe München, is pleased: “Unlike any other event, transport logistic manages to bring together the world of logistics, industry and trade, to discuss current events and to shape the future. With the events at this fair, the experts in attendance and the exhibiting companies, we offer our trade visitors a unique program.”
Over 2,000 exhibitors from 60 countries will be showcasing the entire spectrum of products and services in the field of logistics, on a total of 115,000 square meters of exhibition space at the event—that´s equivalent to around 15 football pitches! And, on the exhibition center´s own rail tracks, a part of the open-air site is turned into a railway station, where leading companies proudly display their locomotives and wagons.
transport logistic becomes even more international
The upcoming edition of transport logistic will also feature a record number of presentations by groups of exhibitors from both Germany and abroad. Among the country pavilions are ones from Austria, Bahrain, Belgium (Flanders/Wallonia), China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Greece, Latvia, Luxembourg, Morocco, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Spain.
Also featured at transport logistic this year are a number of joint stands of companies involved in port operations: Exhibitors from Italy, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain will be presenting their services and innovations in this area.
But Germany, too, is very well represented again at transport logistic: the different regions around the country—Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin-Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland and Saxony-Anhalt will all have their own joint stands at the show.


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Amazon.com has decided to shut down all of its pop-up shops in the US and pay more attention to trade at new bookstores, Reuters reported, referring to the company’s representatives.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the online retailer intends close 87 pop-up stores by the end of April 2019. For years, they have helped Amazon show new products, including the Echo voice speakers. From now on, the company will sell products in its large network of Whole Foods supermarkets and in Amazon Go cashless stores.
After a long search, the online retailer decided to shut down the temporal stores program and focus on the development of Amazon Books and 4-star stores where high-quality goods will be sold, a company’s employee stated.
The Internet company continues to develop a strategy for further expansion. Amid these events, Amazon.com’s stock price fell by 1.4%.


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Regional grocers H-E-B and Hy-Vee are bringing meals and groceries to customers during the coronavirus pandemic with additional online services.
H-E-B said yesterday its Favor e-commerce service has doubled its coverage area across Texas to increase access to delivery from restaurants and stores, as well as to support more seniors via the recently launched Senior Support Program.
Meanwhile, Midwestern chain Hy-Vee on Thursday kicked off a new free pickup service called Mealtime To Go at most of its 265-plus stores.
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Favor has launched in 75 new Texas markets and expanded its delivery areas in its existing markets. To support this growth, Favor also is looking to hire more delivery drivers, known as Runners, across all of its new markets. San Antonio-based H-E-B noted the expansion was executed in an accelerated one-week time span and comes on top of a recent expansion into 40 new Texas markets over 12 months.
Beginning this week, residents in Favor’s new and expanded markets will be able to get on-demand delivery daily from restaurants and grocery stores in their cities via the Favor mobile app or FavorDelivery.com. Runners will put all orders at the customer’s doorstep, and customers receive a notification when their delivery has arrived.
“With Texans relying on delivery now more than ever, it is our duty to support more of our communities across the state, as quickly as possible,” Favor CEO and H-E-B Chief Digital Officer Jag Bath said in a statement. “H-E-B and Favor joined forces in 2018 to better serve our Texas customers and communities together, and we remain committed to doing everything we can for our state during this crisis.”
The expansion means H-E-B and Favor’s Senior Support Program will now be available to customers age 60 and older from every H-E-B, Central Market and Joe V’s store in Texas. Rolled out on March 20, the service enables seniors to receive same-day, contactless deliveries of groceries and essentials from a curated shopping list, with the delivery and service fees waived for the first 30 days. Orders also include a $10 tip, which goes entirely to the Runner.
Favor has also introduced Easy Ordering & Delivery, a website that provides seniors with a simple, step-by-step process for ordering groceries online from their local H-E-B, Central Market or Joe V’s store.
“We’re excited that we can now reach more Texas seniors with this service, which is one of the safest, healthiest solutions in the marketplace,” said Martin Otto, H-E-B’s chief operating officer. “Since launching this program, the response from seniors and the community has been overwhelming. In just three weeks, we have delivered over 67,000 essential grocery orders to seniors across Texas.”
As most Americans remain hunkered down at home to ride out the coronavirus health crisis, West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee has launched Mealtime To Go, an on-demand service that enables customers to order hot, prepared foods and take-and-bake meals online and collect them via curbside pickup — without having to go into the store.
Mealtime To Go is now available at more than 200 locations, and meals are ready to be picked up in as soon as 30 minutes. Customers also can schedule a time to pick up their food in advance, Hy-Vee said. Upon arriving at the store, customers call a phone number provided in the order confirmation email, and an associate will bring the food to their vehicle.
Meal options vary according to available offerings at each Hy-Vee store, but selections include Asian (with dinners for one, two, four or six people), Hickory House (fried chicken, meat loaf, pizza and sides), sandwiches, breakfast, sushi and take-and-bake items (pizza and lasagna). Some meals come with one or more side dishes, and customers can add a la carte items to their orders.
Like H-E-B, Hy-Vee has enhanced its support of seniors during the pandemic via e-commerce. Last week, Hy-Vee began reserving one hour of its Aisles Online shopping time slots each day for customers considered high-risk for the virus, including people 60 and over, pregnant women and anyone with underlying health conditions. The designated Hy-Vee Aisles Online time slots are from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. daily, which coincides with the in-store hours reserved for these customers.
In addition, Hy-Vee has teamed up with DoorDash to waive delivery fees to these vulnerable customers. In communities where Hy-Vee Aisles Online delivery orders are fulfilled by DoorDash, users enter the promo code "SPECIALDELIVERY” at checkout when they place their online order. The code also is available on the Hy-Vee website. The promotion with DoorDash can be used for any available Aisles Online time slot and will cover 20,000 free deliveries across select locations, Hy-Vee said.
For our most up-to-date coverage, visit the coronavirus homepage.


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Brand bags Lagos Business School Africa Retail awards
Nigeria’s healthy food restaurant and provider of fresh, clean, and healthy nutrition, So Fresh, has been awarded ‘Best Retail Organisation in Sustainable Practice’ at the recently held inaugural edition of the Lagos Business School (LBS) Africa Retail Academy’s Africa Retail Awards 2022.
The brand joined other leading retail organisations and captains of industry from around the African continent to be celebrated at the maiden edition of the awards put together by the Africa Retail Academy of The LBS, one of the world’s top 50 business schools.
According to promoters of the Africa Retail Awards 2022, the criteria for selection for the category in which So Fresh came out tops were the successful introduction of new systems that supported sustainable practices; online and offline ordering systems; application of technology that has helped the business stand out in sustainable practices and collaboration with other partners to drive sustainability.
Commenting on the award, the Chief Executive Officer, So Fresh, Olagoke Balogun stated that the win, which puts So Fresh in the African spotlight, is a reward for the intentional efforts made by the business to provide Nigerians with access to fresh, healthy, and tasty meals.
“We are honoured to receive this recognition from the LBS Africa Retail Academy. It is even more satisfying that the recognition is for ‘Best Retail Organisation in Sustainable Practice’ which is a testament to our unwavering commitment to offering Nigerians unique, healthy, and fresh meals while prioritising sustainable practices in our supply chain and adopting environmentally friendly packaging for our products,” Balogun said.
He added that: “This win further fuels our vision to be the prime destination for healthy lifestyle in Africa and to meet the existing need for fresh better-for-you meals in an innovative way by improving quality management, hygiene assurance and offering value-added services to our customers and prospects.”
“Over the last 12 years, So Fresh has been at the forefront of pioneering the healthy lifestyle and wellness revolution in Nigeria through promoting healthier eating options and habits. The brand prides itself on the mantra that food should be fresh and close to nature as possible, hence the need to create and retail fresh, tasty, organic, hygienic, and healthy food alternatives.
Since 2021, the LBS Africa Retail Academy, has been nurturing the next generation of African retail professionals, practitioners, and captains of industry. Drawing upon the expertise of foremost academics and practitioners from around Africa, the academy paints a vivid portrait of the history, future, and present state of retail on the continent.


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Two international logistics specialists signaled their intention in 2017 to redirect part of the global food chain through Oakland. In 2018, their vision becomes reality. Dreisbach Enterprises of Oakland and Carson, Ca-based Lineage Logistics will open a $91 million refrigerated clearinghouse for U.S. meat products. Called Cool Port Oakland, the 280,000-square-foot depot could send 750,000 tons of beef and pork through the Port of Oakland annually. It could also make Oakland a focal point in efforts to meet Asian demand for U.S. agricultural products.
“This is a game changer for global trade and the local economy,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll. “We’ll connect U.S. producers to Asian consumers and in the process create hundreds of jobs in our own backyard.”
Dreisbach and Lineage have signed a 30-year lease to build and operate Cool Port on 25 acres at the Port’s waterfront. They hope to make it the gateway to Asia for meat packers from as far away as the U.S. Midwest. Both companies specialize in warehousing and temperature-controlled logistics. Lineage operates more than 50 facilities across the U.S. Dreisbach is concentrated in the western U.S. with a 63-year history in Oakland.
Cool Port Oakland broke ground in the summer of 2017. It will include refrigerated warehousing and distribution facilities and be fed by 11,200 feet of rail track. The temperature-controlled depot will be able to accommodate up to 36 rail cars at one time. Here’s how it will work:
- Packers will ship refrigerated cargo to Oakland in bulk, by either rail or truck.
- At Cool Port, the shipments will be transferred – or transloaded – into 40-foot-long ocean containers.
- The containers will then be whisked across the street to ships waiting at Port of Oakland marine terminals.
Oakland is already a hub for ocean transport of chilled and frozen meat products. Port officials expect Cool Port to significantly increase the volume of those commodities, as well as other perishable foods.
Cool Port officials said they expect to export the equivalent of 27,000 20-foot-shipping containers of meat to Asia annually. The project is expected to create 195 permanent jobs and 266 construction jobs, developers said.
Cool Port is expected to open in the third quarter of 2018.


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The perfume that promises to make you smell younger
The world’s first anti-ageing perfume will launch in London next month, with the promise that it will make the wearer smell eight years younger.
Ageless Fantasy will debut on the counters of Knightsbridge department store Harvey Nichols, and will cost £59 for 100ml.
Created by perfumer Harvey Prince, in conjunction with scientists at Rutgers University in the US, the scent was based around principals of natural biochemistry, to make the wearer smell younger.
The resulting scent, described as an ‘essence of youth’, is said to invoke happy childhood memories in anyone who smells it, from its formula of tropical base notes – pineapple, mango and leafy greens.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Kumar Ramani, president of Harvey Prince, said, ‘From the point of arriving at the fragrance we had to negate the body odour that comes with age, it is not enough to simply mask the smell of ageing.
He added, ‘Our goal was to find a fragrance that men and women would associate with youth.’
Body odour has been proven to increase as we age, so that when women reach 40-years-old they have more than double the nonanal pheromones of younger women. It is these pheremones that create an odour, which cannot be masked by normal perfumes.


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STAYING HUMBLE IN HUMBLE: @Pitmaker co-founders take working in Humble seriously. Although the company distributes globally, I’ll explain on @abc13houston at 5pm why they chose to stay humble in Humble as part of our #ABC13plus Humble series. pic.twitter.com/zA8ng0pxx6— Nick Natario (@NickABC13) October 31, 2019
A decade ago, you wouldn't recognize Pitmaker's current location in Humble. It started inside a small building with a used welding machine.
Now, the company is shipping its BBQ pits all over the globe.
"We have presence in over 40 countries," said Pitmaker co-owner Victor Howard. "We worked for presidents to CEOs to top 500 Fortune companies that use our barbecue pit."
Despite the growing demand, Pitmaker operates under a philosophy derived from the name of the city they're from.
"The race to be the best is daily grinding," Howard explained. "You have to hustle every day, but the most important thing is you have to stay humble."
Part of that involves giving back, he says. The company donates in many ways, including teaching students how to cook barbecue.
"It's just kind of in our industry and in our blood," said Pitmaker co-owner George Shore. "Giving back to the community is something Pitmaker has always wanted to be a part of."
The company went further than before when it came to giving back recently. After hearing Southern Smoke Foundation had its trailer stolen, Pitmaker donated a new one. It was used for the first time a few weeks ago.
"To see it in use, and to see our other pits in use, and to see the smiling faces enjoying the food off the trailer is amazing," said Shore.
Pitmaker recently opened its own restaurant called 1886 Humble Backyard on Manor Way. It's a new venture the company hopes will be embraced by the community that made them who they are.
"From humble beginnings, you have to stay humble," said Howard.
Want to see more from the heart of your community? Check out your town's stories through our ABC13+ Facebook page.
Follow Nick Natario on Facebook and Twitter.


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Brazilian payment application PicPay is shifting to cryptocurrencies by integrating a cryptocurrency exchange which provides services related to Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), according to Cointelegraph.
As stated by Cointelegraph, PicPay made the official announcement that clients are allowed to buy, sell and store two cryptocurrencies, which are BTC and ETH, directly on its application. The platform noted that its choice was due to the real use cases that users get from digital assets, which includes security and other benefits. Through a partnership with Paxos, a cryptocurrency company, PicPay will enable this facility and will allow customers to use Paxos-oriented United States Dollar (USD) backed stablecoin USDP. Paxos offers the features of acting as a broker and as a custodian, the company is known for cooperating with world’s traditional financial firms like PayPal and Venmo.
Based on information provided by Cointelegraph, this collaboration will mark the first move for PicPay to introduce to its 30 million customers with digital assets and help them understand the benefits from the potential of a growing asset class. The Brazilian financial technology (fintech) application is working on a feature to allow clients pay with cryptocurrencies as well. One of the biggest challenges associated with cryptocurrency is considered to be the elimination of complexity by expanding information about the technology for everyone to benefit from the new asset class.
Cointelegraph mentioned that cryptocurrency adoption in Brazil has taken off recently, with major local cryptocurrency companies such as Mercado Bitcoin expanding operations. Local lawmmakers have been working to introduce crypto-friendly regulations, through initiation of a bill to legalise cryptocurrency payments in June, 2022.
In accordance with Cointelegraph’s official website, it is a digital media resource covering news on blockchain technology, cryptocurrency assets, and emerging financial technology (fintech) trends. Their team believes in the deliverance of up-to-date news from both the decentralised and centralised worlds.
(With insights from Cointelegraph)


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News on Activision continually updated from thousands of sources around the net.
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Batman, Spider-Man, Superman, Thor, and many other pop culture characters could be seen roaming through the halls of the Sacramento Convention Center, as thousands of people came out on March 8 for the second day of the inaugural Wizard World Sacramento Comic Con .
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'If you play James Bond we're not getting married': What Natasha Richardson said to Liam Neeson who turned down the 007 role to make her his wife Liam Neeson was revealed he came within a hair's breadth of becoming James Bond - but gave it up for love.
One of the big things that went loose in the leak on Neogaf regarding the roadmap of software, updates, patches and content for the Xbox One was a Titanfall -themed livery for the Xbox One.
Art thou prepared for an epic quest of swords, sorcery, and aggressive avians? It seems Angry Birds developer Rovio is working on a mysterious new addition to their mobile games line-up.
"Devastation," the second downloadable content pack for "Call of Duty: Ghosts," debuts April 3, first on Xbox.
The infinite possibilities in Minecraft just got bigger. Minecraft: Xbox One Edition let's you create worlds from the comfort of your sofa.
A new Batman video game adventure kicks off what could be the last wave of major video game releases for the long-serving Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 game consoles.
As you'll recall, "Batkid" - aka leukemia survivor Miles Scott - charmed a city and warmed a nation last November when the 5-year-old spent a day running around the streets of San Francisco as the Make-a-Wish Foundation and hundreds of volunteers staged a citywide Batfantasy of adventure for the boy.
Alexandre "Zedig" Diboine currently works at Activision. If you think that means he draws army men all day, though, you couldn't be further from the truth.
Try nobody. Most people already have far too many in their home entertainment setup, from simple outlet wires to surround-sound connections to game console hookups.
Activision and Infinity Ward today revealed the content coming in the next Call of Duty: Ghosts DLC .
The PS4 surged into the lead thanks to a successful launch in its home country of Japan at the end of February.
Next Games and AMC today announced that the Finnish games company is in production of a mobile game based on The Walking Dead .
Revealing a new video, Activision has announced that brand new customization options are available now for Call of Duty: Ghosts .


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Today General Motors announced the 2014 Volt will receive a $5,000 price decrease to allow for a starting MSRP of $34,995 (including $810 destination fee).
The Volt is one of the top three best-selling plug-in electrified vehicles – the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla Model S being the other two – and has been on the market since December 2010.
With this move, Chevrolet has now followed Nissan’s lead set for the 2013 model year in lopping off from initial introductory pricing. Nissan launched the Leaf around the same period, and this year cut prices for the SV and SL trim levels, and introduced a lower-level S trim package which was $6,000 less than the lowest priced 2012 version.
In contrast, Tesla – which sells cars that can cost between $70,000-$133,000 generally increased its pricing on Friday last week.
GM notes that if a consumer is eligible to include the $7.500 federal tax credit, net pricing would start at $27,495. There are also state level and potentially local level incentives on a case by case basis for which the Volt is potentially eligible.
“We have made great strides in reducing costs as we gain experience with electric vehicles and their components,” said Don Johnson, U.S. vice president, Chevrolet sales and service. “In fact, the Volt has seen an increase in battery range and the addition of creature comforts, such as a leather-wrapped steering wheel and MyLink, since its launch in 2010.”
General Motors also notes its data shows that Volt drivers travel an average 900 miles between fill-ups and visit the gas station once a month.
The Volt uses premium gas and its tank is a little under 10 gallons to fill. The allowance of all-electric electric motive power means a very wide variance in actual potential user experiences.
On the more extreme end, Volt owners have been known to try and make a game of keeping the car in its all-electric mode – estimated by the EPA at 38 miles. If they do so and never or rarely dip into gasoline, they may extend the period between fill ups for months on end.
The Volt has a special steel pressurized gas tank and monitoring software to know how fresh the fuel is on board. If the owner stays in the electric zone the engine will fire up after several months to burn off gas before it becomes stale.
Where the Volt varies from pure electric cars is it is an “extended-range EV. On the positive side it has no “range anxiety” and can be refueled like a regular car at a gas station in addition to via an electric charger. On the less than positive side, its electric-only range is much less than the Leaf – rated at 75 miles with a 90 percent charge, or Model S – rated up to 208 miles for the 60-kwh version, and 265 miles for the 85-kwh version.
Volt sales have more or less lagged in recent months and it is hoped the price reduction for the car that’s been highly awarded will pick up. GM has not said when a “generation two” will be launched, but it’s generally believed it could be 2015 or 2016.


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(CBS Newspath) — The Paris Motor Show returned this week with flash and flair after a four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Automakers gathered in the French capital to reveal their latest and greatest.
“The world is changing rapidly,” says Denis Le Vot, CEO of carmaker Dacia, while referencing his company’s newest cars.
At this year’s show, it’s all about electric cars. Many companies are driving more battery-powered cars into the mainstream, like Jeep’s new fully electric SUV, Avenger, which premiered this week.
Steering the industry onto a greener road is a European Union regulation requiring all new vehicles to be emissions free by 2035.
Even the French president gave his seal of approval after jumping behind the wheel of a green machine. “What is key for our industry and our re-industrialization is also compatible with our objectives in terms of climate,” said President Emmanuel Macron talking about how the cars of tomorrow can be clean and create jobs.
Car makers know that for most people, electric vehicles can be prohibitively expensive. So the French company, Renault, designed a vehicle for sharing.
“So for most people, it’s easier to manage a budget if you just use the mobility means at the time you need, for the specific needs you have at that period of time,” explains Clotilde Delbos, CEO of Renault’s Mobilize brand.
But it’s not all about electrifying the future, newcomer NamX sees hydrogen powering the cars of tomorrow.
This year’s show, which ends on Sunday, also highlighted another sign of our times by what wasn’t on display. Some noticeable big hitters in the auto industry like Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen stayed home to save money.


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Interesting sidenote from Disney's Q1 earnings call: Management says that their Steamboat Ventures VC, an investor in text-ad network Quigo, notched a $37 million gain when Time Warner bought the company for $340 million last fall.
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Robino Films has posted a video which compares 1080p HD video samples captured by both the iPhone 4S and the Canon 5D Mark II side-by-side. The videographer said the iPhone 4S and Canon EOS-5D Mark II were set so that the frame rate, picture style, exposure and shutter speed were “as close as possible.” The Canon 5D Mark II was equipped with a 50mm lens, ISO was set to 160 ~ 640, shutter speed was set to 1/60th, auto-white balance was activated and the camera was set to record at 30 frames per second at 1080p. The iPhone 4S was simply set to AE/AF locked. The results are quite impressive and aside from some changes in color, the videos actually look quite similar. The Canon 5D Mark II with average lens runs around $3,000 and up. Be sure to catch the video after the break below. More →
Fresh on the heels of launching a client for the iPad, Skype released Skype version 5.3 for Mac on Monday. The update adds support for Apple’s latest OS X Lion operating system as well as HD video chat. Users will now be able to send and receive HD-quality video using their built-in Mac webcams or other HD-capable cameras. Skype says that the feature will work best for those with internet connections that can maintain at least 1.5Mbps upload/download throughput. The software is compatible with with OS X Leopard and later versions of Apple’s PC operating system. More →
We’ve already seen plenty of leaks and even a how-to video on Verizon’s upcoming Motorola DROID 3, but now full 360-degree images of the phone have been leaked. The images confirm what we’ve seen before: the DROID 3 will offer a similar design to the two DROID phones that came before it, including a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It will, however, get a hardware spec boost. We’ve heard the device will pack a 4-inch 960 x 540 qHD display, a dual-core processor, support for HDMI-out, and an 8-megapixel camera capable of recording HD video. The latest rumors suggest that the phone could be announced as soon as July 7th, but unfortunately it doesn’t look like support for Verizon’s 4G LTE network will be included. More →
We’ve already seen a few images of Motorola’s unannounced DROID 3 smartphone — expected to hit Verizon Wireless in the near future — but now a few new specs have surfaced, too. According to TechnoBuffalo, the DROID 3 could launch in June and it will offer a 4-inch display with 960 x 540 qHD resolution, a dual-core processor, HDMI-out, and an 8-megapixel camera that’s presumably capable of recording HD video. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that Verizon will outfit the DROID 3 with support for its 4G LTE network, so it’s going to be more of an incremental update to a family that’s already starting to feel a bit stale. More →
Verizon’s second 4G LTE smartphone, the Samsung DROID Charge, is finally available. Here’s a quick refresher of the phone’s spec sheet: it offers a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, a 32GB microSD card, and an 8-megapixel camera capable of recording 720p HD video. We recently reviewed the DROID Charge, and with data speeds that hovered regularly around 20Mbps in New York City, we called it the 4G LTE “phone to beat.” You can pick up the DROID Charge in Verizon Wireless stores and online for $299.99 with a new two-year contract. More →
I’ve spent more than a week living and breathing alongside the Samsung DROID Charge, Verizon’s second 4G LTE smartphone, and and it had some pretty big shoes to fill following Verizon’s first 4G LTE smartphone, the HTC ThunderBolt. The DROID Charge is loaded with all the trimmings you could ask for, including a huge Super AMOLED Plus display with colors that will blow your mind, an 8-megapixel camera that can shoot HD video, and of course, support for Verizon’s 4G LTE network. But do all of these features make it worth the $299 you’ll have to drop in order to own one? Hit the break for my full review to find out.
Qualcomm has released a few videos promoting its next-generation dual-core Mobile Development Platform, which includes its blazing fast MSM8660 Snapdragon processor. The video shows the platform’s Adreno 220 graphics processing unit chewing through 720p HD video. Similarly, Qualcomm’s single-core QSD8255 processor bests an LG Optimus 2X, powered by a a 1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, in a Flash load test. What’s so exciting about that? The MSM8660 Snapdragon chipset powers devices such as the HTC EVO 3D, headed to Sprint, and the HTC Sensation 4G for T-Mobile that will launch in the coming months. Hit the jump for two quick videos. More →
A recent Adobe Flash Player 10.2 update has spilled the beans on Android 3.1. The update says that Flash Player 10.2 supports “hardware accelerated video,” provided that a user is running the unannounced Android 3.1 operating system. This should drastically increase video playback performance, specifically with HD video, on Honeycomb tablets. Google hasn’t yet announced Android 3.1, but we expect to hear more it during Google’s I/O developer conference on May 10th and 11th in San Francisco. More →
T-Mobile introduced the world to its first Android 3.0-powered tablet at the Consumer Electronics Show this past January. Unfortunately for T-Mobile, however, the G-Slate was announced amid a flurry of similar announcements — remember, over 100 tablets were introduced at CES this year — so the LG-built tablet got a bit lost in the fray. What’s more, Motorola’s XOOM tablet was the star of the show, thus positioning the G-Slate as a second-class citizen at CES. Later this week, however, T-Mobile will finally embark on its virgin Honeycomb as it pushes the device out to market. It looks as though the launch will be a quiet one compared to the XOOM, but that doesn’t necessarily mean LG’s tablet is unworthy of some attention. I’ve spent a few days putting the device through its paces and while I must admit my expectations weren’t terribly high to begin with, T-Mobile’s tablet definitely managed to surprise me in a few areas. Does that mean you should consider stepping off one of those iPad 2 lines still forming outside retailers and consider the G-Slate instead? Read on for my full review.
While both phones were heavily leaked, today Nokia took the wraps off of two new Symbian-powered smartphones, the E6 and the X7. The E6 is targeted at the business bunch and sports a full QWERTY keyboard, a 2.46-inch 640 x 480 pixel touchscreen display, an 8-megapixel camera, GPS, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and a 1,500mAh battery. The X7 is no doubt the sexier of the two phones. It rocks a 4-inch 640 x 360 resolution AMOLED screen, is made of stainless steel and glass, has 8GB of storage, and offers an 8-megapixel camera capable of recording 720p HD video. The E6 and the X7 will both run Nokia’s updated Symbian “Anna” operating system which Nokia says offers a revamped user interface, new icons, improved text input, faster web browsing, and a new Ovi Maps application that includes public transportation and offers better search. Anna will also provide enterprise grade security with hardware accelerated encryption, and several new e-mail features. Both phones are scheduled to launch during the second quarter of this year; pricing information has not been divulged. If you’re looking for the X7 stateside, don’t hold your breath. AT&T has reportedly already killed its plans to launch the X7. Hit the jump for the full release. More →
We brought you the first hands-on with the BlackBerry Bold Touch yesterday, and now the devices’s full specs have reportedly been leaked. BGR exclusively revealed the device’s key specs back in January, but now N4BB has obtained a full specs for the phone, which show that it features a Qualcomm 8655 Snapdragon processor clocked at 1.2GHz, 8GB of on-board storage, a 5-megapixel camera capable of recording 720p HD video, and a 2.8-inch 640 x 480-pixel touchscreen display. The documents also reaffirm the Bold Touch’s 3G mobile hotspot feature we scooped, which will allow you to share its 3G connection via Wi-Fi. We’ve been told that RIM will announce the BlackBerry Bold Touch during BlackBerry World early next month and that the device will hit the market around June or July. Hit the jump for the full spec sheets. More →
Gaming Google isn’t just for hard up magazine publishers anymore, as cell phone retailer Wirefly tries to milk as much search traffic as possible with its new “HTC Evo Shift Review.” Coinciding with Sprint’s announcement earlier this morning, Wirefly has issued a lengthy video showcasing the new EVO Shift 4G. Available on YouTube in full 1080p HD, the video does a good job of going over the EVO Shift’s hardware and software. It also shows the device next to the original EVO 4G and a Motorola DROID 2 for size comparisons, and displays the impressive results of a benchmark test. The video doesn’t offer much in the way of revelations considering the extensive leaks leading up to the Shift’s announcement, however, but it never hurts to enjoy nearly 10 solid minutes of new phone porn. Hit the break for the full video. More →
Here’s the good news: the slide above depicts a possible upcoming Samsung handset that would definitely knock some socks off. The nameless Android kit apparently sports Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), a 4.3-inch or 4.5-inch sAMOLED2 (Super AMOLED 2) display, an 8-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, DNLA, GPS, full HD video recording and playback, and a 1.2GHz processor. This beast of a device is reportedly due in February of next year, and will be Samsung’s flagship phone for the first half of 2011. Sound too good to be true? Well, it might be.
Here’s the bad news: the image shown next to the “Revolution in Design” heading on the slide does not depict the Samsung phone we just described. In fact, it’s not even a Samsung product. Instead, it’s an old Apiotek SkyPhone. While that doesn’t necessarily mean the slide is fake — trust us; weirder things have happened in authentic documents — were not exactly sure why someone on Samsung’s marketing team would have an image of an old Apiotek VoIP phone sitting on his or her computer, or why one would be intentionally yanked off the Internet when this slide was being assembled. More →


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Dress Barn Inc. on Wednesday raised its guidance for fiscal 2010 profits by 15 cents and said it has been buoyed by consumers trading down from other retailers and better-than-expected performances at its Dress Barn, Maurices and Justice divisions.
“All three are value priced. They are not focused on premier or down-and-dirty budget prices,” David Jaffe, president and chief executive officer, said at the $2.5 billion company’s investor meeting in New York.
Hermès is launching a Laundromat pop-up shop in NYC - dubbed Hermèsmatic - where customers can bring their old scarves to be dip-dyed by an expert. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews (📷: @donstahl)


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Audi of America is partnering with Twentieth Century Fox for marketing connected to the upcoming animated film "Spies in Disguise.”
The automaker, in cooperation with Blue Sky Studios, released exclusive content in advance of the movie's premiere. The video, called “Lunch Break," features super-spy Lance Sterling (voiced by Will Smith) and scientist Walter Beckett (voiced by Tom Holland), in a high-speed car chase in the Audi RSQ e-tron, the first concept car by Audi created exclusively for an animated film.
The electric and fully automated RSQ e-tron concept car includes autopilot mode, as well as futuristic highlights including a hologram speedometer.
Audi will sponsor the world premiere of “Spies in Disguise” on Dec. 4,and the film hits theaters Dec. 25.
Earlier this year, Audi launched exclusive digital content tied to “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” The digital short, “Science Fair,” features the Audi e-tron GT concept car. The Audi e-tron SUV, Q8 and A7 also made appearances in the movie.
Audi previously partnered for another big movie premiere in 2016. The automaker joined forces with Marvel Entertainment for Marvel’s "Captain America: Civil War," which includes a fleet of 2017 Audi SQ7 police cars.


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21st > September > 2005 Archive
Oracle eyes logistics and transport with UK buy
Oracle has announced its second acquisition in two weeks with a deal that expands the vertical-sector expertise of Oracle's e-business software. Oracle has snapped up privately held G-Logic, a UK-based specialist in logistics and transportation management software. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
GoogleNet flickers into life
Five months after announcing its first Google-branded hot spots, covering San Francisco's Union Square and main public library, Google is enhancing the service. The ad giant briefly made a beta of a proxy server, Google Secure Access, available for limited download today before withdrawing the link.
Fewer chairs remain after Microsoft reshuffle
Microsoft has rejigged the company's reporting structure, collapsing the seven divisions created in 2002 into three new ones. It's a bid to deal with the process issues that have bedevilled the company, exemplified by the delivery of Microsoft Vista three years later than planned, and several features short.
Orange launches SPV M5000 3G smart phone
Mobile phone network Orange today launched in the UK, France and Switzerland its anticipated take on the HTC Universal clamshell form-factor smart phone, the SPV M5000.
Authors sue Google
The Authors Guild, along with a former US poet laureate, is suing Google for copyright infringement.
Korean regulator fines Samsung
South Korean regulators have fined electronics giant Samsung for obstucting investigators looking for evidence of price fixing and dodgy contracts with suppliers.
Christian rockers risk wrath of DMCA with DRM tips
The bassist of Switchfoot is teaching fans how to disable the copy protection measures in the San Diego rock band's own CDs, presumably upsetting Sony and perhaps unwittingly testing the anti-circumvention rules of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
IDC bumps up PC sales estimates for '05
The outlook is good for the PC market, with the market expected to stay strong in 2005 and long-term growth expected to remain stable at nine per cent.
UK VoIP service is 'child's play'
A Bristol company claims its VoIP service is so simple to use - "it's child's play".
ITN plugs in to web TV
News outfit ITN has become one of the first broadcasters to sign up to a new broadband TV service.
Market 'not ready' for UK.gov shared services push
Suppliers would be unable to cope if the UK public sector now made a wholesale move to shared services, says a key government figure.
Sony Europe boss quits
Sony Europe president Chris Deering is leaving his post after just 18 months. Deering, the man credited with the succcess of the Playstation, is retiring to "pursue personal opportunities in the US where his family now resides".
NPL offers support to inventors
Inventors and entrepreneurs are invited to apply for a new fund that can help them bring their ideas forward.
What's the future of email?
AnalysisMicrosoft's recent acquisition of FrontBridge Technologies, which was finally completed at the end of August 2005, will provide a much needed functionality boost to Microsoft Exchange. A minor surprise in this is that the functionality FrontBridge delivers was already on the Exchange roadmap. Microsoft has decided to buy rather than continue to build, probably for the sake of speed. It makes sense in the circumstances.
UK is nation of 'mobile download junkies'
UK mobile phone users are "download junkies" spending a whopping £740m on ringtones, games and pictures, according to research outfit Mintel.
Bagle blitz unleashed
Hackers have spammed out multiple new variants of the Bagle Trojan to millions of email addresses this week.
World of Warcraft plague 'swamps servers'
When Blizzard introduced the God of Blood - Hakkar to his mates - in a new World of Warcraft scenario called Zul'Gurub, little did it know it was summoning up the online equivalent of Ebola or AIDS.
EU GM maize impasse favours DuPont
The EU has failed for the second time to approve importation of a GM maize produced by DuPont Co. subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International and Dow AgroSciences offshoot Mycogen Seeds.
Women rule the internet roost
Suspension of internet privileges has become the new way to discipline a unruly children, AOL UK has found, following a six month anthropological study of five British families.
No2ID appoints parliamentary spokesman
Matthew Taylor, the Liberal Democrat shadow chancellor and MP for Truro and St Austell, has joined anti-OID card campaigners No2ID as the group's official Parliamentary spokesman.
Intel chipset shortage 'extends to high end'
Intel's chipset shortage is spreading, with supplies of high-end desktop parts becoming as increasingly hard to obtain as its low-end offerings.
Sex and drugs hit girls harder
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Nokia sells Nigerian its one billionth phone
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Linux users warned over Firefox flaw
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CONSUMERS CONTINUE TO DEMAND TRANSPARENCY WITH RETAILERS ON THEIR SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES
A recent Climate Council study showed that 80% of Australians admitted to being affected by an extreme weather event due to climate change, so it’s no surprise that retailers are feeling the pressure to reduce their environmental impact. However, with the rising cost of living and disenchantment around greenwashing, retailers have their work cut out for them when it comes to educating consumers, and earning their long-term trust.
Power Retail, a leading source for Australian e-commerce insights and intelligence, has for a second year running joined forces with The Purpose Agents, to publish a spotlight report that highlights the companies leading the charge on sustainability initiatives in retail. Despite the positive changes by many brands, the report makes a strong call to action for some Australian retailers to revamp their operations and rethink their business models to reduce their environmental impact.
Significant findings from the spotlight report include:
More than half of Australians (56%) take sustainability into consideration when making purchases.
Over 69% of Australians believe that the retail industry creates too much waste.
Whilst majority of Australians (54%) affirm they are willing to pay a premium for sustainable products, with increases in cost of living, unsurprisingly, there was an 8% rise of shoppers who aren’t willing to pay extra for an eco-friendly product.
Further, 49% of shoppers expressed the likelihood of shopping again with retailers that had sustainability practices they approved of, but 34% of shoppers are unsure of their future shopping preferences, a 5% increase from last year, showing further murkiness in consumer trust and interest around sustainability in retail.
When it comes to sustainable practices, the top three factors impacting consumer purchases were recyclable packaging, animal welfare and transparency.
Taking this a step further, this year’s Sustainability Spotlight showed that 46% of shoppers prefer retailers who are transparent about their sustainable practices, with 44% remaining neutral on the topic showing a growing trend where consumers either care deeply about sustainability or are quite indifferent.
With consumer disenchantment growing, what can be done to bridge the gap between consumer trust and retailer action and education?
This year, to delve deeper, Power Retail surveyed retailers to further understand their efforts in driving a positive impact for people and the planet. The questionnaire covered key topic areas including company ethos, business operations, value chain and business as an agent of change. To inspire further transparency, the report spotlighted a group of retailers who are making great strides in these avenues. The retailers include Modibodi, Michael Hill, Country Road, Adorn Cosmetics, Lenovo, Princess Polly, and Officeworks.
Rosalea Catterson, editor of Power Retail says, “We had a huge response to last year’s report and knew we had to follow it up with something that dives beyond traditional ideas of sustainability. We put out the call and so many brilliant businesses got in touch. This year’s report really showcases the variety of actions companies can take in this realm across a variety of industries. We hope this report can inspire retail leaders to make some positive changes and start thinking long term about their footprint and how to earn the trust of a mix of highly influenced consumers, as well as those who may be more sceptical or are limited by economic constraints.”
So, what does a sustainable retailer look like in 2023 and why should it be at the forefront of businesses’ minds? Through their extensive research and the steps taken by leading retailers in this area, The Purpose Agents and Power Retail have identified six key areas where changes can be made across the retail sector. These include:
Ethical Sourcing and Transparency
In times of rising global inequality and human rights issues affecting global supply chains, treating workers fairly is becoming increasingly and rightfully important. Due to the Modern Slavery Act introduced in 2018 in Australia, which requires businesses to thoroughly trace and report on their efforts to combat modern slavery, it is now a regulatory compliance matter and brands need to manage risks around human rights violations. .
As part of their commitment to having a positive impact on people and the planet, Princess Polly, as an example, has developed a framework called “The 5 A’s”. It guides their ethical sourcing through policies and guidelines, assessing risks to workers, addressing all uncovered risks, driving awareness of their ethical sourcing expectations. and accountability for the effectiveness of their program through monitoring and supplier engagement.
Reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities
According to Reconciliation Australia, “At its heart, reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples, for the benefit of all Australians.”
Businesses are encouraged to be a part of this journey and to commit to tangible outcomes across employment, education, and support for Indigenous communities, in development with the Reconciliation Action Plan.
Currently, over 2,400 organisations in Australia have formalised their commitment to reconciliation through a Reconciliation Action Plan, Modibodi being one of the standouts.
In their company RAP, Modibodi describes their focus to date as coordinating cultural awareness training for employees, inspiring and engaging others to share stories and become involved, and mobilising resources to deliver health and hygiene initiatives to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Around 50% of a product’s carbon footprint comes from creating new raw materials and production, with the end-of-life treatment that comes with a significant emissions impact. This is why, to reduce emissions, it is so important for individuals and companies to reduce waste and ensure the resources they use are being kept in use for as long as possible.
Michael Hill is leading this charge with their new initiative, the “Re:cycle” gold jewellery recycling program, which is part of their new sustainable jewellery ecosystem. This program will focus on the renewal and circularity of existing precious metals and products, and otherwise unused resources. By 2030, their goal is to have all their products 100% sustainable, responsible, or circular.
Driving Systematic Change
Recognizing the Australian fashion sector’s overall impact on climate change, Country Road has set their eyes on giving back. Last November, the company launched the Country Road Climate Fund to build positive outcomes in their value chain and beyond.
Country Road has now broached a critical area of sustainability that many companies are currently slowly starting to dip their toes in – driving system change in their industry that is larger than their own business. Examples include projects that improve energy efficiency in the production of textiles, or projects that provide consumers with accurate data on the emissions intensity of different fashion items, encouraging more sustainable shopping.
Every year, 5,000 to 11,500 tonnes of cosmetic packaging is being sent to landfill in Australia. It is traditionally a complex waste stream – often including plastics, glass, metals, foils, rubber, natural fibres, mirrors, foam, paper, and residual products.
This is where stewardship comes in. It is an environmental management strategy that means whoever designs, sells or uses a product must take responsibility for its environmental impact throughout all the stages of the products’ lifecycle.
This is gaining more traction in Australia, and Adorn Cosmetics is leading this charge, developing their own strategy for resources otherwise going to waste through their refill, return and recycling program. Most of Adorn’s bottles and pots can be refilled via ordering a refill sachet which, according to them, uses up to 90% less plastic than manufacturing more cosmetic packaging. Those refills require less space and therefore also need fewer packing materials for delivery.
Diversity & Inclusion
It is no secret that diversity and inclusion is a key focus for businesses right now and is strongly demanded by a customer base growing ever more conscious of social issues and inequality. While ambitious strategies are sprouting everywhere, the challenge remains taking ambition to action.
In this category, Lenovo has implemented strong action on diversity and inclusion across many aspects of their business, from their team to the product, to how they run their business and into their sphere of influence.
One standout initiative that fosters belonging in its workforce, is Lenovo’s “employee resource groups” (ERGs). In addition to driving education, ERGs form critical stakeholders in the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts and often advise on marketing campaigns that seek to authentically empower diverse audiences, e.g., around the education and use of preferred pronouns in the LGBTQ+ community.
Similar to product and material stewardship, waste reduction is high on the agenda of governments globally with regulation incoming on how to manage and reduce waste and emissions across a number of industries.
Officeworks has been a standout on waste management for years, having set an ambitious goal of becoming a zero-waste business by 2025 and driving several projects to achieve these goals.
Within their operations, since 2017, they have increased their recycling rate from 63 to 88 percent (and 90% in the store network), which is an impressive achievement, given most of the retail industry is still sitting around 65%.
Concluding the report, Power Retail and The Purpose Agents shone a light specifically on efforts around waste and emissions reductions, particularly Scope 3 emission.
Making up more than 95% of a retailers’ total emissions output, Scope 3 emissions refer to indirect emissions from a company’s value chain -- including impact from materials and production of goods, transportation, the use of products by customers, as well as product end of life.
Anna Forster, Co-Founder of The Purpose Agents speaks to this, “Managing Scope 3 emissions is crucial for retailers looking to reduce their carbon footprint and manage regulatory, supply chain and financial risk. Momentum has been growing in the industry around target setting and measuring of emissions, but action is still lacking.
“Working with supply chain partners, service providers, and other factors such as customers, is essential for achieving reduction goals, as it allows for a shared commitment to sustainability and increased accountability on emissions to enable the implementation of solutions that benefit everyone involved.”
For more information, visit https://powerretail.com.au/resources/sustainability-spotlight/
Power Retail drives success in e-commerce by offering online retailers and suppliers access to a range of critical intelligence tools.


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Cuomo Confirms ‘Historic’ Tax Cuts For Millions in New York
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Pine Labs on Wednesday said that after challenging the allegations of patent infringement and validity of generic patent grant and filing its counterclaim for revocation of the patent, the City Civil Court in Bengaluru has moved the matter to Karnataka High Court. The court also modified its earlier order to remove references of the Noida-based digital payment company’s product ‘Plutus Smart’ or to its dynamic QR codes.
Last week, Bengaluru-based payment technology firm Innoviti sued Pine Labs for infringement on its patent for technology enabling Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at point of sale terminals.
“While malicious rumours are still being circulated in the market, Pine Labs continues to adhere to compliance with the law of the land and shall ensure uninterrupted business for our customers,” said the company in a statement.
Innoviti had said it had filed the suit for infringement against Pine Labs before the City Civil Court, Bengaluru and had been granted an “ex-parte ad interim injunction” against Pine Labs with effect from July 16, 2019. This prevented Pine Labs from manufacturing, selling, distributing, exporting and dealing with this technology through its Plutus Smart or any other device in India, according to Innoviti. After that, Pine Labs filed its appearance before the court in Bengaluru on Monday refuting allegations of “patent infringement IN309274” and to confirm its non-infringing status in the matter.
Last month Walmart-owned online retailer Flipkart settled a legal dispute with preventive healthcare startup GOQii, which had alleged that it suffered losses because its products were being sold on the e-commerce platform at deep discounts. Ratan Tata-backed GOQii had taken legal action against Flipkart in a Mumbai court, alleging its smartwatch type health devices were being sold on the e-commerce platform at an unauthorised 70 to 80 per cent discount. This was in violation of its sales agreement with the marketplace. The court restrained Flipkart and its sellers from selling GOQii products via an ad-interim order.


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Coca-Cola Journey—the brand’s effort to break away from a static corporate website and flat press releases—celebrated its second anniversary Wednesday.
Coke’s PR team has learned many lessons over the two years of Coke Journey’s online life. Here are the top five, direct from Journey’s senior editor, Jay Moye.
1. Content is king, but only if you give it the throne.
The website is the responsibility of the company’s digital communications and social media team, which includes six full-time content creators. Two are dedicated to Journey’s editorial content and publishing.
“We really feel like it’s not just the responsibility of our advertising colleagues to produce great content,” Moye says. “It’s up to us, too.”
Since its launch, Coke Journey has published more than 2,000 stories and more than 10,000 videos. Though most of the content is branded, the team also realizes the value of other worthy content. As Moye explains:


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Google Set To Release New Pixel This Year
Google has confirmed it will release the next version of its popular Pixel smartphone later this year.
The company’s senior vice president of hardware, and former Motorola president, Rick Osterloh told AndroidPIT that Google would follow the “annual rhythm in the industry” with its flagship Pixel.
“You can count on a successor this year, even if you don’t hear a date from me now,” Osterloh said.
The Pixel, which has remained in short supply since its release in October last year, will remain a “premium” smartphone brand according to Osterloh.
Despite previous rumours, Osterloh said Google has no plans to release a cheaper version of the Pixel potentially aimed at emerging markets.
In response, 9to5Google clarified with its original source of the “budget” Pixel rumour that the device is simply being developed by the same team, and could be released outside the US through Google’s low-cost Android One line or under another name.


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With its Laguna Niguel, Calif. store now running partly on sun juice, Kohl's is well on its way to completing its switch to rooftop solar energy. The store chain is installing solar electric systems at 63 of its 80 California locations, which at completion, will represent 15 percent of the state's photovoltaic setups, to date.
At 25 megawatts, the total projected capacity of Kohl's solar arrays will outstrip that of the top five largest completed photovoltaic systems in the United States combined, says Clean Edge News.
Once completed in 2008, Kohl's estimated 138,000 solar panels will generate more than 35 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy per year, or the equivalent of powering roughly 3,087 California homes, while offsetting over 28 million pounds of carbon dioxide in its first year alone. ::Clean Edge News
See also: ::Safeway Sold on Solar


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Berns Communications Group has appointed veteran marketing and communications executive Lori Rhodes as global director, effective April 9.
Rhodes has been living and working in Dubai since 2015, where she will continue to be based.
“The pandemic-accelerated consumer shift toward e-commerce has prompted many brands in the U.S. and elsewhere to seek new avenues of growth by expanding internationally,” said Stacy Berns, president of BCG. “As brands navigate a hyperconnected global community, it’s imperative that we offer our clients deeper international market knowledge. Lori’s expertise in brand development, digital content creation and retail marketing and communications will be invaluable to us as we expand our international footprint. Lori will serve as our anchor in the Middle East to support our many clients in Europe.”
BCG’s current client roster includes Alibaba, Chargeurs, eShopWorld, Klarna and Wefox.
“Retail is borderless today and the industry has repositioned itself for a post-COVID-19 world that’s more digitally driven, customer-centric and both globally and sustainably oriented,” said Rhodes.
Rhodes was most recently principal, head of luxury and retail, for Red Letter MENA/OneCMG where she led marketing and brand activations for The Dubai Mall, The Galleria in Abu Dhabi and several emerging brands in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Previously, she led retail marketing for Al Tayer Group. Earlier, she was partner and managing director at Lividini & Co. and earlier, vice president of media relations and special events, at Saks Fifth Avenue. She began her retail public relations career at Cartier.
Rhodes is cofounder of Anqa, a holistic wellness and beauty app under development.