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Press Release (ePRNews.com) - RESEARCH TRIANGLE REGION, N.C. - Feb 18, 2019 - Netsertive, a marketing technology company that enables brands, publishers, and local business locations to execute multi-channel, localized marketing at scale, announced today that it was recently named Facebook Marketing Partner. This prominent designation recognizes companies that demonstrate excellence and technology capabilities to scale and execute programmatic marketing campaigns across the Facebook ecosystem.
With over 2.7 billion users, the benefits of Facebook’s ecosystem can’t be ignored. With brands averaging an organic reach of only about 2% of their followers, it has become critical for brands to close the gap on scaling and marketing campaigns that include Facebook.
“We are excited to deepen our relationship with Facebook and for what this means for our clients who require high-quality scaled campaign execution,” said Brendan Morrissey, CEO and Co-founder of Netsertive. “This is the culmination of years of work building a unique platform centered on our Scaled Localization™ solution, which enables large brands to scale localized marketing effortlessly across multiple channels, including Facebook. Our platform helps brands take back control of distributed local marketing and gain visibility into actionable insights across their network of locations.”
The Facebook Marketing Partner badge is awarded to those companies that meet Facebook’s highest standards for technology, expertise, and performance, following a rigorous vetting and testing process.
Netsertive has reimagined digital marketing by leveraging its team of expert strategists coupled with the power of its ground-breaking, data-fueled platform to create a unique solution for large brands and local business locations – at scale. Netsertive’s People + Platform approach gives businesses unprecedented agility, control, and insights that maximize localized ad dollars spent at scale. Netsertive is headquartered in the Research Triangle Region, near Raleigh, North Carolina, with an office in Seattle. For more information visit netsertive.com.
Ashley Freeman Source :


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Gov. Lee Announces Tennessee Business Relief Program$200 Million Available for Small Businesses Affected by COVID-19
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, and the Financial Stimulus Accountability Group announced a new relief program for Tennessee businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tennessee Business Relief Program will direct approximately $200 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Funds through the Department of Revenue directly to small businesses that qualify.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has created immense economic pain across our state and especially among small businesses that faced temporary closure,” said Gov. Lee. “As we responsibly steward our federal stimulus money we have worked to quickly prioritize our small businesses and I thank the work of the Financial Stimulus Accountability Group for their partnership in this.”
The Tennessee Business Relief Program amounts awarded will be based on the annual gross sales of the business. More details will be posted on the Department of Revenue’s website in the coming days.
“While the COVID-19 crisis started as a public health crisis, the economic crisis it triggered is in some ways even more devastating. The burden the virus has placed on small businesses has been substantial,” said Lt. Gov. McNally (R-Oak Ridge). “Jobs have been lost. Savings accounts have been drained. Credit has been stretched. Small businesses need this relief more than anyone. I was proud to be a part of formulating this plan along with my fellow Financial Accountability group members, particularly Sen. Bo Watson and Sen. Raumesh Akbari. I am hopeful this program will soon be expanded to include non-profits, trade groups and chambers of commerce. These organizations are critical to our economic revival and I look forward to seeing them included in the next phase. Our recovery from this economic disruption will be a slow process. But without small business, it doesn’t happen at all. I am grateful for this opportunity to put our most at-risk businesses on a path to stability and prosperity.”
Roughly 28,000 Tennessee businesses are expected to qualify, with more than 73% of those businesses earning annual gross sales of $500,000 or less.
“Our small businesses drive our local and statewide economies, and their success is critical to our continued, swift economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville). “I am pleased to join with Rep. Marsh, Rep. Love and members of the Financial Accountability Group to support all those businesses who have been adversely affected by these extraordinary circumstances through this program so they remain successful.”
The following types of small businesses are eligible under the program:
In addition, the following small businesses are eligible if their sales were reduced by at least 25%, as shown on their April sales tax returns (filed in May):
The Financial Stimulus Accountability Group includes Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, Speaker Cameron Sexton, Comptroller Justin Wilson, Sen. Ramesh Akbari, Sen. Bo Watson, Rep. Harold Love, Rep. Pat Marsh and Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Butch Eley.

domain: news


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Web series have been around for a while now, but for the most part, they’ve yet to reach the same level of esteem among audiences as their television counterparts. But as Internet-connected televisions and other devices continue to rise in popularity, the worlds of the Internet and television seem destined to collide: someday soon, all series might be considered web series.
This is why YouTube is putting $100 Million of their own money into the creation of original professional web video content–because they see the writing on the wall. In the future of entertainment video, it’s all online… the TV and the computer become the same device, and traditional production houses won’t have the built-in advantage of cable and satellite contracts to push their content to the top of the food chain.
There’s big news in the world of web series today, as Warner Premier and Machimina have released the first of nine original Mortal Kombat: Legacy episodes.
You might remember Mortal Kombat: Rebirth–a viral sensation back in June of 2010. Rebirth was originally suspected to be a studio-funded spec project, intended to gauge audience interest in new live-action Mortal Kombat content. And if that’s the case, then it definitely worked: audiences ate it up, especially the core demographic of young males.
However, there was also speculation that this was just another “video business card”–a demo reel created by a filmmaker with a vision in the hopes it will bring more attention to the artist. And if that’s the case… then it definitely worked, because now we have Mortal Kombat: Legacy, which reteams the filmmaker with the actors from Rebirth.
In fact, that is exactly what Rebirth was all about, at least according to one of the actors involved. From Joystiq:
Actress Jeri Ryan, seen in the short playing Sonya Blade, offered further comment about the project on Twitter. “It’s not a game trailer,” Ryan said. “Actually was made for the director to sell WB on his vision for a reimagined MK film.” She said she had “No idea yet what WB’s reaction to it was.”
I think it’s safe to say that WB’s reaction was positive, because they turned it into a web series.
Legacy is directed by Kevin Tancharoen, who brought the world the remake of Fame. It stars Hollywood actors like Jeri Ryan (Star Trek Voyager) and Michael Jai White (Dark Knight, Spawn). And its production values are off-the-chart good for a web series. Here’s episode one:
Mortal Kombat is a huge property, with legions of fans. And with a new video game on the horizon (no doubt timed carefully to coincide with the new web series), it’s primed for success in ways that a lot of web series aren’t.
Actually, it’s done better in a few hours than most web series do in their entire runs: the video was uploaded to YouTube yesterday morning, and had almost 300,000 views by mid-afternoon (and it’s still growing). That’s a 13 minute video too, by the way… far longer than the usual type of clip that sees viral traction.
This can only mean good things for consumers and for creators of online video. Every time something like Mortal Kombat: Legacy succeeds, it becomes a proof of concept for web video content. Whatever stigma the phrase “web series” has carried these past several years will continue to be lifted more and more if this is the kind of content we can expect. Stars and directors will flock to it, and audiences are proving they’ll do the same.


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Press Trust of India April 26, 2015 12:13 PM New Delhi: Even as it expects Internet users in India to double to 400 million by... ...http://m.ibnlive.com/news/smartphones-still-a-luxury-for-many-in-india/542133-11.html
The year 2014 could well be termed the year of flash sales. From footwear to electronics to kitchen appliances and even tour pacakges, everything... ...http://www.newindianexpress.com/business/news/To-Set-Sale-or-to-Drown-The-e-Commerce-Conundrum/2015/04/26/article2782986.ece
By David Streitfeld and Nick Wingfield SEATTLE: Amazon unveiled the financial performance of its powerful growth engine for the first time on... ...http://cio.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/cloud-computing/amazons-rivals-microsoft-google-cloud-wake-up-billion-dollar-potential-of-cloud-computing/47038604?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=ETRSS
A Ford Mondeo undergoes a quality inspection at the Ford Sollers assembly plant, a joint venture between Ford Motor Co. and OAO Sollers, in... ...http://www.automnews.com/?p=206941
MUMBAI: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) is paying around Rs 4.8 lakh each to two MBA students for a 10-week internship. Campus sources... ...http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/bill-melinda-gates-foundation-offers-two-mba-students-rs-4-8-lakh-each-for-internship-outside-us/articleshow/47045631.cms
Manoj Jain, MD MPH is an infectious...


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While fintech services remain the foundation of digital consumerism, neobanks are emerging as the next step to bring financial access to all
After its success with the credit-lending app MoneyTap, Freo is entering the neobanking space to offer a range of products, including savings accounts, QR Code-based payments, line of credit, debit and credit cards, BNPL and more
Ankur Maheshwari, group CFO of Freo, believes that a credit-centric model is the key to building a profitable neobank
Over the years, fintech players in India have ushered in a financial renaissance for consumers and businesses alike. They have brought around robust, integrated payment gateways and the ubiquitous e-payment/mobile payment solutions to virtual cards to digital lending and insurtech. This slew of services has ensured paperless solutions to meet the emerging needs of a country moving quickly to the digital sphere.
Thanks to fast-converging technology trends and the changing demand of digitally active consumers, the banking industry has embarked on its own transformation. It is no longer business-as-usual for legacy banks as the next wave of disruption is already here in the form of digital-only neobanks. India has as many as 27 operational neobanks like Open, Niyo, YeLo, Zeta, Jupiter and more, pushing convenience and customer-centricity to the next level and also servicing the unbanked.
One of the latest players to join the neobank sphere is Freo, India’s first credit-led neobank. Freo started its operations in India with the launch of MoneyTap and now offers a suite of multiple financial products.
Before we explore Freo’s journey in the neobanking space, it is important to look at the context of these innovative banking experiences. Also known as digital banks or challenger banks, neobanks are completely digital in nature without any brick-and-mortar presence. They offer a wide range of financial products and services (full-fledged banking services, instant personal loans, buy now pay later, or BNPL, and more) through their apps.
In India, neobanks do not operate independently as the Reserve Bank of India is yet to acknowledge them as a new category of banking intermediaries. Hence, each of them is backed by a regulated bank that partners with them in their operations, offering core banking facilities, loan disbursement, finance management, credit health analysis and more.
Neobanks also can offer a higher rate of interest on a savings account than traditional banks by partnering up with small financing banks and similar partners. Traditional banks also benefit from this association as the digital-first nature of neobanks enables them to onboard more customers that might be outside the physical reach of these banks.
For instance, Freo’s Credit arm, MoneyTap allows a user to get an instant line of credit of any amount up to INR 5 Lakh without asking a user to fill a physical form, visit a branch or provide collateral. The company assesses a user’s creditworthiness by checking all pertinent information, and one can access the line of credit upon confirmation of eligibility. Such swipe-and-go services often attract millennials and Gen Z’ers who were early adopters of digital solutions and prefer mobile-first services.
“Over the years, banks and their services have evolved to fulfil the needs of their customers. Neobanks are the logical successors of this process and come with the tech and data DNA to serve the end customer better. At Freo, we aim to bring financial access to consumers and make credit more affordable and convenient,” says Freo’s group CFO Ankur Maheshwari.
Globally, the market is booming. The market size of neobanks, an estimated $35 Bn in 2020, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 47.7% to hit $722.6 Bn by 2028, according to Hamburg-based market and consumer data analysis firm Statista. Apart from the steep growth projected for this sector, investor confidence has also remained strong as prominent players in India raised more than $500 Mn between 2019 and July 2021.
The Journey From MoneyTap To Freo
Launched in 2015 by Bala Parthasarathy (CEO), Anuj Kacker and Kunal Varma, MoneyTap was one of the early entrants in the mobile-based credit lending space. By then, India was looking for an alternative to legacy lending, and in sync with its needs, the founders wanted to usher in a customer-centric approach by keeping convenience at the forefront.
To begin its operations, this consumer fintech startup partnered with RBL bank, the first of the many banking and NBFC partners (non-banking financial company) in its portfolio. In the next few years, MoneyTap tied up with several financial institutions, including HDB Financial Services, Credit Saison, InCred, Fullerton, IDFC First Bank, and more.
Funding poured in as MoneyTap grew. It raised $70 Mn for a series B round in January 2020 that comprised debt and equity funding led by Aquiline Technology Growth, RTP Global and Sequoia India. A month later, the company made its first foray abroad and launched MoneyTap Credit Line in Vietnam where it has registered INR 7 Lakh customers so far.
Powered by its international stint and domestic operations, MoneyTap saw more than 15 Mn app downloads and has disbursed loans more than INR 4,500+ Cr in India and claims to have grown at a CAGR of more than 230% since inception. The company also launched an NBFC (called Tapstart) in 2019 with a license granted by the RBI.
“The singular focus of our move into the neobanking domain was so that we could focus on innovative products that would bring ease and flexibility into the user’s life. Right from the moment they wanted to start having a financial profile, conducting their own transactions and ease that would last them for their whole life,” says Maheshwari.
The latest offering from Freo Neobank is its brand new digital savings account, offered in partnership with Equitas Small Finance Bank, called Freo Save. Along with the provision of a higher savings interest rate to its users, the company claims that account holders can also improve their credit scores through these accounts.
With MoneyTap being a leader in its chosen space for years now, the company already had an established user base of close to 15 Mn that it aims to leverage to set the foundation for its Neobank.
The other products in the company portfolio include FreoPay, a BNPL service; Freo Cards, virtual and physical cards that allow customers to convert their bills into easy EMIs; Fit.Credit, a financial utility app that can check credit scores, share insights and recommend methods to improve it and SuperSplit, an expense management Indian vernacular app that allows users to split a bill among a group.
Freo is aiming to improve credit inclusivity for a larger population through all its services.
Understanding The Freo Model Through The Financial Lens
Globally, the world of neobanks presents opportunities to take financial services from legacy institutions to mobile devices and address the big gaps in the current financial model. However, experts express concerns over the new model and its long-term sustainability as annual reports of various neobanks reveal that they are in the red.
It is not certain whether the loss-making neobanks will hit the profit track soon. Most of them earn revenues from transaction fees when customers use debit or credit cards provided by partner banks. But this is just a tiny drop in the ocean compared to their operational costs. To bridge this revenue gap, some of these fintech firms are experimenting with a freemium model where many services are free but a few topline services require a subscription fee. But this may raise the customer acquisition cost as selling subscriptions to users adds to marketing overheads and diminishes net gain.
Maheshwari, however, remains confident of the startup’s success. In a conversation with Inc42, he acknowledged the challenge in revenue generation but said that there are chances that neobanks would not be profitable by providing innovative financial solutions as these products do not generate enough revenue. If the neobanks do not have a proper financial roadmap that eventually monetises their customer base, they will always struggle to hit profitability.
This is where Freo differentiates itself because it operates with credit as its core proposition. Globally, there are three types of Neobanks: payments-led, experience-led, and credit-led. The first category makes payments faster, the second makes banking simpler and these two categories already exist in the Indian startup ecosystem. Freo is a different breed of neobank being credit-led, which means it has a powerful and proven monetization model.
“We have continuously refined our credit underwriting system in the last six years and built a robust risk management infrastructure for our MoneyTap credit line business. Because of MoneyTap, we already have a strong registered user base and deep expertise in credit understanding, which will enable us to monetise our assets through various Neo bank products and reach profitability,” said Maheshwari.
Explaining the underwriting system, Maheshwari said that their scorecard is built with more than 3K input variables, and the data is segmented into two buckets — ability to pay and intent to pay — for a holistic risk assessment of every user. The entire credit assessment process is automated and uses machine learning models at the back end.
Freo also monitors user portfolios through a feedback loop to strengthen digital fraud checks. Although neobanks in India do not undertake defaulter’s liabilities, robust underwriting is essential in both partnering with banks as well as building strong market credibility. It has claimed to achieve more than 95% current bucket collection efficiency month-on-month through its creditworthiness checks and robust collection infrastructure.
With product launch plans already set in motion for 2021, Freo intends to expand deeper into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and cater to a broader demographic. Currently being present in over 80 plus cities in India, it aims to be present across 120 locations in India by 2022.
Similarly, the startup wants to venture out and take the Indian Credit Line to markets in South East Asia.
“For neobanks, the critical differentiator will be leveraging customer insights through technology. It is easy to bring a customer to the neobank ecosystem but finding out what the customer really wants and providing the customised solutions accordingly for their financial needs are key drivers for a neobanks’ growth,” said Maheshwari.


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Farming News - Bayer to Sell Animal-Health Unit to Elanco for $7.6 Billion
Bayer to Sell Animal-Health Unit to Elanco for $7.6 Billion
Bayer AG is selling its animal-health business to an American rival for $7.6 billion, part of the German drug-and-chemicals giant's plan to divest assets amid mounting legal liabilities from its Roundup herbicide.
The deal to sell the unit to Elanco Animal Health Inc., based in Greenfield, Ind., would create a new industry heavyweight in the business of preventing and treating diseases for pets and livestock. The combined company would have a market share of roughly 13%, making it the second-largest animal-health company by revenue behind U.S. rival Zoetis Inc. and ahead of German, family-owned Boehringer Ingelheim, according to Germany's Baader Bank.
Elanco was a division of Eli Lilly & Co. until the U.S. pharmaceutical company sold a minority stake in the operation in September 2018 through an initial public offering. The deal for Bayer's animal-health unit, which will double its pet business and strengthen its presence in emerging markets and in the cattle business, is Elanco's largest since going public.
Several private-equity firms had also expressed an interest in the Bayer unit, according to people familiar with the matter.
Bayer said it would get $5.3 billion in cash and retain a stake worth $2.3 billion in Elanco, which it plans to exit over time.
“I have tremendous respect for the Bayer Animal Health team and their shared passion for improving the health and well-being of animals,” said Jeffrey N. Simmons, President and Chief Executive Oficer, Elanco. “Combining Elanco’s strong relationship with veterinarians and Bayer’s leadership in retail and e-commerce will ultimately benefit all our customers. We look forward to joining our complementary portfolios and capabilities to build a fully focused animal health company, providing a sustained flow of innovation for farmers, veterinarians and pet owners.”
Bayer's share price has slumped since it lost a string of jury trials that argued that the Roundup weedkillers it bought as part if its acquisition of Monsanto cause cancer. More than 18,000 plaintiffs have now filed similar suits.
The German company said in December it was exploring options to exit its animal-health business, the smallest of its four units. The move is part of a wider plan to shed operations that are diverting resources and management time from its core and bigger drugs and agriculture divisions, save costs and bring down debt.
The sale will help the Leverkusen, Germany-based company chip away at its debt load of around EUR35.7 billion ($39.56 billion), which soared last summer with the acquisition of U.S. agriculture giant Monsanto.
The deal is also a crucial step in Bayer's efforts to regain investor confidence after a majority of shareholders signaled in April a lack of confidence in how the company is being run in the wake of its big bet on Monsanto.
Bayer Chief Executive Werner Baumann has come under intense pressure from shareholders, who have accused him of underestimating the legal and reputational risks of the deal. Bayer has said it acted conscientiously in its due diligence for that deal.
Bayer's share price has dropped roughly 30% since the acquisition. So far, Bayer has lost three jury trials, raising fears that it could face billions in liabilities.
Bayer is appealing the first verdicts and argues that Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, are safe. But shareholders have grown more frustrated with every loss in court, prompting Bayer in June to hire a prominent U.S. lawyer to help to advise its board on trial tactics and mediation.
Amid uncertainty over how much the lawsuits might end up costing the company, shareholders have said Bayer must deliver on its restructuring plans. The Elanco deal is the last of a series of asset sales to be completed and a deal was reached earlier than Bayer had forecast.
The Elanco deal is expected to close in mid-2020, pending regulatory clearance.
Bayer shares rose slightly on the announcement of the sale, trading up 0.9% mid-morning. Analysts say the Roundup lawsuits would continue to weigh on the company's stock until they run their course or Bayer decides to settle, allowing the market to put a price on the total liability.


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Model railway maker Hornby is pausing all international orders until January next year because of uncertainty around post-Brexit trade rules.
"We hope you can understand the difficult position we are in and remain patient with us until we can find a solution," the company said on Twitter.
Hornby, which also makes Corgi cars and Scalextric racing kits, said non-UK orders can resume on 4 January 2021.
The company said port congestion issues are also affecting its operations.
Due to the uncertainty surrounding Brexit & what it'll mean for our International customers, as of the 15th Dec, we will pause all non-UK orders until 4th Jan 2021.— Hornby (@hornby) December 15, 2020
We hope you can understand the difficult position we are in & remain patient with us until we can find a solution. pic.twitter.com/BbGaZ0zVck
It is still unclear what rules will apply to UK-EU trade after the transition period ends on 31 December, but talks negotiations are continuing this week after the two sides failed to reach a deal by an agreed deadline on Sunday.
However, time is running out and businesses say they need clarity.
If a free trade deal can't be done, tariffs, extra taxes, are expected to be added to goods imported from the EU, and on British products exported to the bloc.
Hornby boss Lyndon Davies said: "Within Europe people are already asking us: 'If I buy something, are those tariffs already included in your pricing?' Because we don't know what's going to happen, it's just a very difficult position."
There are also huge problems shipping products to the UK, because of bottlenecks at ports such Felixstowe and Southampton, Mr Davies said.
Some shipping firms have been bypassing UK ports and unloading cargo in continental ports instead, to avoid the congestion and delays.
"I had a ship that should have arrived three weeks ago with Batman vs Joker Micro Scalextric sets. They've travelled the world. They've been to Rotterdam, Rotterdam was busy. We couldn't get a truck," Mr Davies said.
"You've got a pandemic, you've got Brexit, you've got a container shortage. It's chaos."
'Shuffling deck chairs'
The Hornby boss said the political leaders engaging in trade negotiations "aren't living in the real world".
"We as a country, we're shuffling the deck chairs as the Titanic is sinking. People who are having these talks just don't understand how the real world operates. They think at the last minute they can come up with a solution. People are going to be losing jobs."
Many UK companies have spent the last few months stockpiling goods and materials imported from abroad to mitigate against possible disruption to trade and supply chains at the end of the year. Mr Davies said he began "over-shipping" Hornby products months ago.
But some business leaders say they don't expect much to change.
Alex Baldock, the boss of Dixons Carphone, which owns Currys PC World, said: "As far as Brexit is concerned, we're ready.
"We think there are about two days of supply delays that we're going to face and we can handle that. That's a reasonable worst case," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
'A perfect storm'
With so many firms stockpiling though, demand for warehouse space in the UK is in danger of reaching full capacity, according to the logistic industry.
"In the run up to Brexit... importers have been getting stock in just to mitigate the risk of any potential disruption come January, the end of the transition period," said Peter Ward, chief executive of the UK Warehousing Association.
"The danger signs at the moment are that we're running at full capacity, in a bit of a perfect storm."
Mr Ward said that while the pandemic is still affecting supply chains, firms have been preparing for Brexit and there's been huge shipments of PPE. Those factors have combined to create a backlog of stock in warehouses, just as the logistics sector reached the peak Christmas season.
"In addition to all of that, there's an exponential growth in e-commerce going on out there which is really bringing about transformational change in the logistics sector, which really started a long time before the pandemic but has accelerated over the last several months."


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Australia Post says it will not pick up parcels from e-commerce retailers in NSW, Victoria and the ACT for three days beginning this weekend.
- Post offices will remain open, deliveries will continue and post boxes will also continue to be cleared
- Collections from e-commerce retailers will be temporarily paused
- It comes as organisation is processed a record volume of mail in August
Post offices will remain open, deliveries will continue and post boxes will also continue to be cleared.
But AusPost collections from retailers in the three states will pause for three days from 7:00am on Saturday to 7:00am Tuesday September 7.
The temporary pause is designed to ease stress on the system to a "safe and manageable level".
The organisation processed a record volume of mail in August due to COVID lockdowns across the country.
AusPost said it delivered more parcels last month than during the Christmas period last year.
The organisation also has 500 staff in self-isolation as a result of the COVID-19 outbreaks in the three states.
AusPost executive general manager Gary Starr told ABC Radio Melbourne that recent flight restrictions and temporary facility closures had also put pressure on the network.
"It’s been quite an unprecedented period for Australia Post," Mr Starr said.
“While the network is working pretty well, we’re finding that we have 500 people a day roughly in isolation, less flights, zoning and split shifts in our facilities to make sure we keep our people safe — and of course closures from time to time when a facility does have a COVID case."
People who have ordered for Father's Day in "plenty of time" had a "good chance" to get their delivery by the weekend – but also acknowledged there was "already some delay" over the network, he said.
He said businesses would not receive compensation for the pause.
"We're not looking at compensation given that we'll continue to process parcels and deliver them, and we'll start picking up again from Tuesday," he said.
"[Businesses] will be able to take orders from the customers and prepare [for the week ahead].
"We're not stopping the delivery – just the collection for ecommerce customers."
Services provided for Express Post, Premium, Startrack Express and letters will also remain unchanged.
Last week, the business announced a hiring blitz of more than 4,000 new staff to cope with additional services prompted by high demand.
Weekend deliveries will continue until the end of the year.
AusPost estimates that up to 500,000 parcels will delivered every weekend until Christmas.


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It still remains unclear whether this campaign will be finished, yet many Liverpool fans appear to be looking forward to what their new kit will look like next campaign.
Of course, after five years with New Balance, the Reds made the decision to move over to Nike, and as such, the American company – one of the biggest sports entreprises on the planet – will be manufacturing their kits for the 2020/21 campaign. There have been plenty of efforts shared over the past few weeks, and it now looks like the home kit has now been leaked.
It was shared by the Anfield Watch, and it is mostly red with a splash of green down the sides. However, it is far to say the fans are from happy with the offering, and they have not been scared to share their thoughts – one fan even called it “awful”.
Would you have rather stayed with New Balance?
They have taken to Twitter to do so, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.
Nike should just stop producing football kit. What nonsense is this? https://t.co/b7fziFb54e
— The Greatest (@MillionMnisi) April 23, 2020
It looks like New Balance will be missed.
— trycort (@trycort1) April 23, 2020
Looks low quality
— Ady (@Adil_Usman26) April 23, 2020
Surely no one signs off on something like that. Don’t like.
— swampy marc (@swampymarc2801) April 23, 2020
Haaai, I give up,…. I’m not going to buy a horrible home kit like that,
— cool guy (@Leonard34634448) April 23, 2020
It were awful
— Josh (@joshisred) April 23, 2020
Let us know what you think!
Click here to comment on this articleor
Give us feedback on your Football Transfer Tavern experience


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ST. LOUIS -- Hurt by a punishing trifecta of weakening same-store sales, eroding margins and higher costs, and further nicked by store closing costs, fourth quarter profits at May Department Stores
tumbled 20.2 percent, falling to $626 million from $752 million last year.
Helped by the earlier acquisition of the Marshall Field's department store chain from Target Corp., overall sales advanced at a double-digit pace, rising 12.1 percent, to $5 billion from $4.5 billion last year. But the crucial gauge of same-store sales fell 5.2 percent.All of the damage to the bottom line was done by the core May Department Stores business, and the retailer said the new Marshall Field's business performed well, contributing 5 cents a share to total company earnings of $1.10 per share, even after start-up and integration costs tied to the acquisition.Costs climbed 200 basis points, or 2 percentage points, "largely driven by decreased sales leverage resulting in a 1.2 percent increase in costs such as payroll and finance," the company said. Almost half of the increase in costs stemmed from the expense structure at Marshall Field’s and start-up integration costs, the retailer added.Taking another bite out of profits, interest expense increased 37.5 percent, due largely to the Marshall Field's acquisition, to $110 million from $80 million a year ago.


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Toray Industries, Inc. announces the consolidation of its North American Carbon Fiber Composite Materials Businesses. Toray Composites (America), Inc., located in Tacoma, Washington, and Toray Carbon Fibers America, Inc., located in Decatur, Alabama have been consolidated into a single business entity – Toray Composite Materials America, Inc.
“This consolidation enables us to better integrate, better innovate, and better meet the demands of our customers,” said Moriyuki Onishi, President and CEO of the newly formed CMA. “Our partners in the Aerospace, Automotive and Industrial markets demand ever increasing efficiency and a simplified relationship,” said Onishi.
This consolidation will also include creation of Commercial Business Sectors – with Aerospace led by Tim Kirk, Vice President of Aerospace Sales and the Industrial Market led by Buster Tipton, Vice President of Industrial Sales. These commercial business sectors will align Toray capability across product lines to increase customer value, shorten time to market, and strengthen critical relationships.
CMA’s Tacoma plant was first established in 1992 as TCA – incorporating in Pierce County and adjacent to Boeing’s Composite Manufacturing Center [CMC] – to enable an efficient supply stream of Toray’s Carbon Fiber Composite Materials. First used on the Boeing 777, Toray’s Carbon Fiber Composite Materials are now incorporated into the 777 and 787 primary structure and will be used on the new 777X wing. CMA’s Tacoma plant supplies a diverse customer base both domestically and internationally and is a major exporter from Washington State.
CMA’s Decatur plant was first established in 1997 as CFA – incorporating in Morgan County. The Decatur area has been known for its history in the chemical industries and offers attractive conditions for carbon fiber production. CMA Decatur operates lines from precursor to carbon fiber and has a diverse base of customers in aerospace, industrial, and automotive. It manufactures Standard Modulus [SM], Intermediate Modulus [IM] and Intermediate Modulus (+) [IM+] fibers for a global customer base.
CMA’s Spartanburg plant, will be an integrated facility to produce precursor, carbon fiber and prepreg in a single manufacturing facility. This plant is a cornerstone of Toray’s growth in North America and provides critical supply chain redundancy and diversification.
The US State of New York is introducing two new bills to combat over-packaging, poor recycling rates and litter issues, including an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program requiring companies such as McDonald’s and Amazon to pay for the cost of packaging disposal and recycling.
The new organization’s mission is to redesign the critical steps of the plastics sorting and recycling system for post-consumer lightweight packaging (LWP) to speed up circularity, born from a need to meet the rising market demand for high-quality recyclates for use in high-end plastic applications.
Starbucks and Hubbub have launched a £1 million (US$1.22 million) “Bring It Back Fund” to increase the uptake of reusable packaging in the F&B industry. The funding will go toward innovative ideas that make it easier for customers to use alternatives to single-use packaging by supporting pilot projects that help shift consumption habits.


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Bitfxt, a Nigerian cryptocurrency startup, has raised $15M Series A funding from a UK syndicate of Hedge Funds and UK company, Payitup Clearinghouse Ltd (UK).
In a press release to African media platforms, Franklin Peters – CEO, Bitfxt expressed excitement and the possible benefit his startup could bring to the African ecosystem.
Bitfxt currently runs a hybrid exchange, cryptocurrency-powered ATM cards, and a global payment platform called Boundless Pay.
With the latest funding, Bitfxt intends to expand into new markets and improve existing products. According to the latest PR, users of Boundless Pay will have options of settling in the US dollar or Nigerian Naira through our portal and also earn in the US dollar locally moving forward.
Read more from source article: https://blocknewsafrica.com/bitfxt-technology-raises-15m/
Click here to subscribe for GetFundedAfrica Newsletters: https://getfundedafrica.com/pricing-plans/


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Print On in major new kit drive
Monday, February 8, 2021
Digital specialist Print On has invested more than £200,000 on a raft of new kit to enable it to manage increasing demand from new and existing clients.
In the last five months the Cheadle, Cheshire-based company has taken on three Mimaki JFX200 flatbed LED UV printers – joining one already in place at its 650sqm site – and a Mimaki JV300 roll-to-roll printer, which joins two existing JV300s on site. The additional machines are all refurbished secondhand models supplied by Atlantic Tech Services.
The business has also installed a Caldera colour management system and a new Mimaki UCJV300 printer-cutter from CMYUK, which has also supplied the company’s most recent investment, a new Kongsberg cutter which went in this month.
Managing director Alex Oldfield told Printweek: “We have an outstanding client base and we have managed to grow this further during 2020, so the new machinery is both helping us keep with demand and enables us to grow further with new clients.
“We like having capacity spread over devices rather than one large device.”
The company also considered EFI Vutek and Dyss machines before settling on the chosen kit. It already operates a Dyss X7 digital cutter, which was installed in 2017, a wide array of other finishing kit for small-format work, including laminators, guillotines and binders, and four Xerox Versant digital toner printers.
With 14 staff and a turnover of £1.5m, Print On serves print management companies and clients in retail, hospitality, events, health, construction, education and various other sectors.


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A local couple is preparing to put their company’s product up for a Dec. 12 offering as a QVC gourmet holiday selection.
Charlottesville-based Allens Scottish Shortbread, owned and operated by Laura and Anwar Allen, will offer its wares on the cable television shopping channel, company officials announced.
QVC had not announced as of press time what times the small batch, handcrafted Scottish shortbread will be offered on its “Gourmet Holiday” show.
Founded in 2014, Allens Scottish Shortbread is crafted from an old family recipe. It is now sold in 21 Whole Foods Markets and more than 40 other smaller stores across the region.
It’s also available in several Northern Virginia locations and in Maryland, Massachusetts, Illinois and California.


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Is your mobile phone number freely available on the internet? If so, then a hacker may be able to use that number to steal your wallet.
A new security report shows that a growing number of online attacks involve something simple and seemingly innocent: your mobile phone number. Many people post their mobile phone number online, or make it freely accessible to anyone who asks. However, hackers have taken advantage of this to take control of a victim’s phone.
Yes, it’s true: a skilled hacker can gain control of your phone and wallet simply by knowing your phone number.
How It Works
Here’s how it works: a hacker spots your phone number online.
Then, they call up a carrier like Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, or AT&T. The hacker asks the carrier to transfer control of a victim’s phone number to a device under the control of the hackers.
The hacker might say their phone has been stolen, for example, or their phone has been damaged and they need to transfer the number to a new phone.
If the carrier falls for the attack, then the attacker can get control of your phone number and reset the passwords on any account that uses your phone as a security backup.
Today, many people use two factor authentication with Google, Twitter, and Facebook, or use their phone as an SMS backup.
The attacks seem to be particularly targeted towards digital currency investors.
“My iPad restarted, my phone restarted and my computer restarted, and that’s when I got the cold sweat and was like, ‘OK, this is really serious,’” said Chris Burniske, a virtual currency investor who lost control of his phone number late last year, as interviewed by the Montreal Gazette.
Attacks have also been targeted towards members of the Federal Trade Commission and a member of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Thousands of Attacks Occur Every Month
Thousands of SMS spoofing / phone number stealing incidents are reported each year. However, a growing number are targeted towards individuals like Burniske, who lost $150,000 in virtual currency to the attackers.
Other cryptocurrency users echoed the sentiment. Another individual interviewed by the Montreal Gazette claims he lost about $1 million in virtual currency after hackers took over control of his phone number.
That individual claims he even contacted his carrier and requested additional security for his account – like the ability to prevent device changes. His wife and parents had recently lost control of their phones in similar incidents. Even with these additional protections, unfortunately, he still lost control of his phone number.
How to Prevent Attackers from Stealing your Phone Number
Ultimately, carriers are getting smarter about defending against phone number stealing attacks. Nevertheless, thousands of such attacks still occur every month.
Talking to your carrier might help – but it’s not a foolproof solution. The man who lost $1 million in bitcoin we mentioned above, for example, had previously called his carrier and warned that he was being targeted.
Fortunately, mobile phone carriers have announced they are taking steps to avoid these attacks. Some carriers allow you to add a PIN to your account. You’ll need to tell your carrier that PIN if you want to make any changes to your account.
The best way to avoid SMS spoofing attacks and phone number stealing attacks is to remove your mobile phone number from the internet.
Another way to avoid attacks is to avoid talking about the value of your phone on the internet – don’t advertise your cryptocurrency holdings, for example, or make yourself a target for other reasons.
Ultimately, there’s no foolproof way to prevent these attacks. You trust your carrier to safeguard your account – but in reality, carriers have repeatedly dropped the ball and allowed hackers to gain access to your account through a simple SMS hack.


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- On October 28, 2020
ASTA’s 60th Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference, Feb. 1-3, 2021, is going virtual, and registration is now open! Featuring a full conference session agenda, a virtual Trading Room, online business appointments and private, branded company meeting rooms, as well as a significantly discounted registration rate for participants over the live event, it’s never been a better time to attend.
“ASTA’s summer 2020 virtual event, the Policy & Leadership Development Conference, brought in more than double the usual attendance, with the ease of attending virtually,” says Jennifer Crouse, Senior Director of Meetings & Services. “We are so excited to continue the expansion of our usual ASTA audience with our series of virtual conferences, now in full swing with exhibitors and online appointments at our upcoming CSS & Seed Expo Virtual.”
The Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference attracts a global audience, and the virtual platform will make it easier and less expensive than ever before for seed professionals from around the world to attend and participate. In addition, companies can quickly and easily set up online company presences in our virtual Trading Room. Register today!


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During September our team of volunteers from SLU3A and MHU3A have been taking photos and recording information about retail premises in and around Market Harborough town centre. This represents our contribution to a national U3A research project which aims to capture changes taking place in high streets and shopping locations across the country. September’s snapshot will be used as a baseline from which to monitor changes over the next couple of years and it will be particularly interesting to observe the effects that current behavioural changes caused by the coronavirus pandemic, such as a rise in internet shopping and working from home, may have on our high streets. The final national project report will be used to help raise the profile of U3A in its 40th Anniversary year in 2022.
Geoff Woods (Group Leader)


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Retailers Face Hazards Of Debt and Low Demand
Failing consumer confidence has deflated many stores' sales expectations
THE turmoil surrounding R. H. Macy & Co. - which has been inching closer and closer to bankruptcy for months - is only the tip of the iceberg for the United States retail industry, experts say. Not only Macy's, but many of the nation's best retailers are facing bleak times, as consumers continue to cut spending.
Bankruptcies are on the rise, particularly among small and medium-sized firms. Many retailers are trimming staff, slamming the doors shut on marginal stores, deferring capital-spending programs, and reducing inventories.
"The situation is definitely very grim," says Janet Mangano, an analyst with Burnham Securities Inc., and the former publisher of the Johnson Redbook Service of Lynch, Jones & Ryan, a leading source of retail trade information. "There's very low consumer demand for just about any product, from retail goods to cars. Lower interest rates have not yet filtered down to consumers."
Macy's, one of the nation's largest retailers with 251 stores in the US, including the I. Magnin and Bullock's chains, is currently struggling to avoid bankruptcy. An offer to take over the chain - by Laurence Tisch, chairman and chief executive officer of CBS - has been rejected by Macy's largest creditor, the Prudential Insurance Company of America. A new offer by Mr. Tisch, or other potential buyers, is still possible.
Retail sales for 1991 were the flattest in three decades, according to the US Commerce Department, rising 0.7 percent, the smallest annual gain since 1961.
Still, a bad 1991 does not necessarily translate into an equally bad 1992, according to analysts such as Terence McEvoy, of Janney Montgomery Scott Inc. In a recent report he notes that interest rates are low, real income is slowly rising, and inflation poses no threat. He anticipates higher spending in the months ahead, as the economy rebounds.


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A federal court battle that broke out over claims that Samsung copied patented Apple designs for their Android line of products has heated up this week as a judge has ruled Samsung must hand over soon to be released prototypes.
Samsung initially claimed these to be secret models, but Apple was quick to point out several press releases announcing the products in question, as well as note that 5,000 Galaxy Tab 5.1s were handed out at the recent Google I/O Developer Conference. With this evidence in hand, speedy discovery was granted.
With the devices handed over as evidence, Apple hopes to build the case that by protecting their patents and the iconic iPhone style, they are helping ease confusion amongst consumers that aren’t familiar with the differences between the brands.
Samsung now has less than 30 days to hand over full product samples including packaging to the Galaxy S2, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Infuse 4G, and 4G LTE and the Droid Charge.
I find this case intriguing as smartphone designs have been on a path to convergence for quite some time. Personally, I’d like to see something shake it up to get people thinking outside of the box again.
Article Via: Courthouse News Service
Photo Credit: Tap to Start


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Home » Labor Unions
Category Archives: Labor Unions
LABSN editor note: This is hilarious. Have to watch the video.
Some may consider the charter school movement good for education, but it could lead to a very heterogenous society.
Here’s an interesting article from Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting or FAIR.
New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin has earned a reputation over the years for being friendly with the Wall Street giants he covers. If you read his bizarre rant against Senator Elizabeth Warren, it’s not hard to see why. Read more . . .
Walmart is hosting a manufacturing summit in Denver this week as part of its new program to supposedly invest in products made in America for its stores across the country. The retailer is claiming its new plan will invest $250 billion over the next decade and create 1 million jobs. We’re not buying it.


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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced today the $130 Billion Jobkeeper Plan – a wage subsidy to secure approximately 6 million Australian jobs
Italian novelist Francesca Melandri, who’s been under lockdown in Rome for almost 3 weeks, has written a letter “from your future” of what lies ahead.
Banish boring nights in through COVID-19 isolation with a cheeky, naughty and hilarious game of Cards Against Humanity online!
The Prince of Wales has returned a positive test for Coronavirus and is now said to be working from home with mild symptoms.
Woolworths stores across Australia will begin on Tuesday an hour dedicated for the vulnerable members…
US shopping giant Costco is becoming the latest retailer to turn to online shopping, making it even more convenient to save a packet buying big.
The winners of the 2020 IAPBP birth photography awards have just been announced and we can’t wait to share the winners with you.
A newborn baby has tested positive for novel Coronavirus just hours after birth, sparking fears the infection can be passed from mother to child in-utero.
Add a bit of pop and pizazz to every pic with these super easy family photography tips. They are so easy to do and will make a world of difference to your photos.


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The Global Wireless Microphone Market Forecast report by Fortune Business Insights cites that the wireless microphone market is expected to surpass USD 37.1 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 10.6%. The global wireless microphone market was initially valued at USD 1.72 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow from USD 1.82 billion in 2023 to USD 3.71 billion by 2030.
Such rapid growth can be attributed to the rising demand for wireless microphones from vloggers, content creators, live streamers, and more. The increasing advancements of technologically progressive wireless microphones also contribute to the growth and demand as these recording devices can be used in varied applications and locations.
From the report, wireless microphone applications in shopping malls, hotels, conference rooms, large retail, bus stations, education institutes, sports venues, concerts, and more were listed.
Aside from the market demand and applications, other factors contributing to the growth of wireless microphones can be traced to industry developments from leading players and drivers.
As per the report, leading players are the following: Harman International (Samsung) (U.S.), Logitech International S.A. (Blue) (Switzerland), Sennheiser Electronic GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), Sony Group Corporation (Japan), Saramonic (China), Shure Incorporated (U.S.), Shenzhen Jiayz Photo Industrial., Ltd. (China), Audio-Technica Ltd. (Japan), Røde Microphones (Australia), Samson Technologies Corp. (U.S.).
However, there are possible causes of restraint that can serve as a challenge to the potential growth of the wireless microphone market. The decrease in raw material accessibility for creating the voice coil, cable, magnets, and other parts can hinder the manufacturing process.


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Sony just announced the release of new cybershot and mirrorless cameras along with the release of a new lens. There has been a lot of buzz about some of the products they announced and we are happy to finally get the official announcement.
The a6000 was definitely one of the top conversations in all of the rumor forums and I think there are a lot of people right now very happy to finally see it available. Sony is showing that they are trying to stay on their "A-game" for 2014 in the photography scene.
With all of these new products being put out, what can we start to expect from Sony for the rest of this year? They have proven many times that they are a company that should not be counted out in the photography brand war. With these new products, it is just another reminder that Sony is here and doesn't plan on leaving. Let's take a look at the list of what is available.
New Sony Products:
- Sony 70-200mm f/4 G LENS $1,498
- Sony A6000 Mirrorless Alpha DIGITAL CAMERA (BLACK) Body $648
- Sony A6000 DIGITAL CAMERA Alpha Mirrorless with 16-50 LENS (Black) $798
- SONY DSC-H300 DIGITAL CAMERA (BLACK) $218
- DSC-H400 DIGITAL CAMERA - BLACK $318
- DSC-WX350 DIGITAL CAMERA - BLACK $318
- DSC-HX400 DIGITAL CAMERA - BLACK $498
- DSC-W800 DIGITAL CAMERA - BLACK $78
- DSC-W800 DIGITAL CAMERA - SILVER $78
The Sony a6000 was all the talk online throughout many rumor forums. The camera seems like it is definitely going to pack a punch and be the perfect anywhere anytime shooter.
- 24.3MP APS-C Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor
- BIONZ X Image Processor
- Tru-Finder 0.39" 1,440k-Dot OLED EVF
- 3.0" 921k-Dot Xtra Fine Tilting LCD
- Full HD 1080i/p AVCHD Video at 24/60 fps
- Built-In Wi-Fi Connectivity with NFC
- Fast Hybrid AF & 179 Phase-Detect Points
- Up to 11 fps Shooting and ISO 25600
- Multi-Interface Shoe and Built-In Flash


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Air Motion Systems
This week Julie Greenbaum highlights industry news about LSC Communications, Cimpress, Xeikon, Baldwin and Air Motion Systems, ColorDynamics and Superior Graphics, and NAPCO Media.
Baldwin Technology has acquired Air Motion Systems, the world’s leading provider of LED UV curing technology.
A quest for high-quality reproduction, quick turn times, pressroom cleanliness, led Carlisle Printing to embrace LED-UV technology.
Manufacturers and suppliers of products related to UV printing will once again unite at the annual Print UV conference in Las Vegas.
Marcus Wengerd, owner of Carlisle Printing, recently celebrated the two-year anniversary of using his Manroland sheetfed perfector.
NPES awarded its Harold W. Gegenheimer Individual and Corporate Awards to Thomas Saggiomo and Air Motion Systems, respectively.
Based in Mahwah, N.J., Starnet recently added a 40˝ Heidelberg Speedmaster perfector (set up for six colors, coatings and varnish).
A new line of LED-curable low-migration inks meet the world’s strictest regulations for inks intended for food-packaging applications.
The New Products Reference Guide offers an exclusive pre-show preview of some of the new products and services that will be on display.


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A bipartisan crackdown on Chinese forced labor has put Western corporations on notice—and could pave the way for Washington to finally support the International Criminal Court.
Forced labor has gotten new attention as part of China’s horrific repression of its Uighur minority in Xinjiang, which also includes cultural genocide, imprisonment, and torture. A number of investigations and reports from the region have shed light on state-sponsored forced-labor camps, with the number of camps only growing with time. Numbers are hard to come by, but human rights organizations estimate that up to 1.5 million Uighurs, Kazakhs, and other Turkic minorities are being detained in as many as 1,000 concentration camps across Xinjiang.
The beneficiaries of China’s abysmal human rights abuses include a long list of companies operating in the region, many of them suppliers to Western corporations. A report issued by the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China in March included a list of companies “suspected of directly employing forced labor or sourcing from suppliers that are suspected of using forced labor,” including Adidas, Coca-Cola, Costco, H&M, Kraft Heinz, Nike, and Patagonia.
With human rights in China one of the few topics on which there is bipartisan agreement in the United States, the U.S. House of Representatives in September passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act of 2020 and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act with almost unanimous support. Both bills seek to address the growing use of forced labor in global supply chains. While the first would require U.S.-based companies to provide quarterly reports of operations in the Xinjiang region, the second would expose companies to criminal proceedings should forced labor be found in their supply chains.


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MANHATTAN, NY – This past year, Google disclosed that an ad blocker will be integrated to Chrome to prevent intrusive or spammy advertisements.
As Google made the announcement, they also made it clear that not all advertisements will be blocked. They will only block ads that go against the standard of the Coalition for Better Ads.
Websites that have these ads will be notified if their ads are considered below the standard. Google will determine if ads are considered malicious through the Ad Experience Report tool. Selected websites will be given a period of 30 days to comply with the standards.
If they fail, Google will block all their ads, including the ones owned by Google itself. After their ads are completely blocked, they will be allowed to request for a manual review for reconsideration of bringing back the ads. However, the manual review will only do them good if they have already removed the malicious ads.
The reason behind the blocking of the ads is to prevent users from installing an ad blocker. According to Google, when one uses an ad blocker, all ads are automatically blocked, including the ones that aren’t considered harmful. This, in turn, can affect publishers and advertisers. With that, Google had decided that the best approach would be to curb website owners from using disallowed ads. That way, net surfers will not have a reason to use a blocker in the first place.
Google is also concerned about the overall user experience of net surfers. Because most people find advertisements annoying and intrusive, Google decided that it would be a good approach to block ads that are overly troublesome.
Apart from being the number one advertiser on the Internet, online marketing largely revolves around Google. With that, the other reason why Google is putting a stop to user dissatisfaction is because Google does not want to wait a day when users will be curbed from accessing websites or webpages due to overly intrusive ads.
Once people become discouraged from opening websites, it is not only one website that will be affected. Rather, the entire Internet marketing phenomenon will be affected.
Due to advancement in technology, almost every business in the alley depends on online marketing to boost their promotion and sales. If page views will be significantly reduced due to user dissatisfaction, even the business industry can be affected big time.
Google have plenty of theories about what is going to occur once people stop viewing websites. They do not just plan to watch and see what is going to happen. They want to take action. Thus, they went through with the ad blocking project.
As of this moment, Google has already started evaluating the ads of certain websites, and by February of the year 2018, they will begin introducing their ad blocking app to the public.
On the contrary, rising rumors suggest that the bigger reason Google wants to block certain ads is to gain control over the Internet, not to mention over the online advertising industry. These hypotheses resulted from the fact that advertisements blocking project would only be benefiting Google the most.


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Mr. Bamford was most recently an executive director of Vodafone's, a role he held for eight years. In his most recent role as Vodafone’s Global Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Bamford was responsible for all marketing and commercial activities including brand, global product development and content management. Previously, Mr. Bamford was Chief Executive for Vodafone’s U.K. business and regional Chief Executive of Northern Europe and of the Middle East and Africa region. At Vodafone he was also responsible for global corporate customers and the management and procurement of the global handset portfolio.
“I am delighted to be joining to the Board of Directors of Benefon”, stated Peter Bamford. “I am very impressed by the momentum the company is achieving and I am looking forward to the challenge of assisting Benefon as it repositions itself into the rapidly evolving mobile locations solutions market from its traditional focus on mobile hardware.”


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Lamborghini rolls out 20,000th Huracan since launch in 2014
- Lamborghini has hit a major production milestone with the roll-out of 20,000th Huracan model from its facility in Italy. The model was a Huracan STO.
Automobili Lamborghini has achieved a major production landmark of its flagship super car Huracan. The carmaker announced that it has rolled out the 20,000th model of the Huracan for a client in Monaco. Lamborghini took eight years to hit the landmark since the first Huracan was launched back in 2014. Lamborghini said that the 20,000th model was a Huracan STO.
Lamborghini manufactures several models under the Huracan brand. In India, the carmaker sells as many as six Huracan models which include the STO, besides Huracan EVO, Huracan EVO Spyder, Huracan EVO RWD, Huracan EVO RWD Spyder and Huracan Tecnica. Globally, Huracan has more family members including the Huracan Super Trofeo Omologata, which is the flagship model in Huracan family. In all, Huracan has 12 road and three racing versions on offer globally.
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Stephan Winkelmann, Chairman and CEO at Automobili Lamborghini, said, “At its unveiling we said that with the Huracán, Lamborghini is writing the next chapter in its great history. The Huracán has delivered an evolution of design, technological know-how, driving adventures, track records and sales records since its launch. It was designed as a car to provide super sports emotion in every environment, from daily driving to thrilling performance on track. Every iteration of the Huracán has stayed true to that Lamborghini philosophy, while in motorsport the Huracán is not only the protagonist of the Lamborghini one-make Super Trofeo series but has proved its dominance in GT3 series throughout the world."
Since its first launch in 2014, almost three out of four customers of Lamborghini cars have chosen the coupe versions of Huracan. Lamborghini's top markets include the United States where it sold more than 30 percent of all Huracan models in the last eight years. Huracan models have largely contributed to Lamborghini's record sales performance last year when it clocked 2,586 units globally..
In 2021 Lamborghini became the first carmaker to add complete vehicle system control by Amazon Alexa in the Huracan EVO. It was also first to adopt the what:three:words function for accurate navigation anywhere in the world.


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We now know why America is struggling to retain its dominance in the world: We are too slow at eating chicken wings.
Fortunately, just in time for the wing-eating bacchanal known as the Super Bowl, a new study shows that America can save 116 million hours in lost productivity — more than 4,800,000 days! — if we become more efficient at stripping meat from the appendages of birds.
“Imagine what America could do with those hours!” says George Shea, the chairman of Major League Eating, which oversees professional eating contests. It studied more than 100 gustatory gladiators over two years to determine that the typical consumer could save three minutes and 30 seconds for every dozen wings consumed.
By the way it is Hams Eating Chicken at Ryan’s tomorrow Thursday March 9. Come and join us!


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Bayonetta confirmed for Anarchy Reigns as pre-order DLC
- Posted March 21st, 2012 at 07:47 EDT by Mike Harradence
- 2 Comments
The latest issue of Famitsu magazine has confirmed that Bayonetta’s titular heroine will make a guest appearance in Platinum Games’ upcoming Anarchy Reigns.
According to the publication, the sultry pistol-wielding witch will feature as a pre-order bonus for Anarchy Reigns in Japan.
While no announcement has been made regarding western territories, it is expected details will be revealed later this week.
Anarchy Reigns is due out this summer for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
This will permanently ban this user and delete all associated comments. This action is irreversible, are you SURE you want to do this?!


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NHL 2K9 Announced for Wii
2K Sports' hockey sim slated to be first on Nintendo's console.
"It's our goal this year to bring the fun back to hockey video games," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. "NHL 2K9 for Wii includes the full feature set as available on other platforms, and added Wii Remote controls and other exciting features specific for the Wii console will allow dedicated fans the opportunity to fully enjoy and embrace NHL hockey in a brand new experience."
To commemorate the announcement, Nintendo icon Mario walked the red carpet at the 2008 NHL Awards in Toronto last night, greeting fans and spreading the word of the Wii. Washington Capitals winger Alexander Ovechkin, announced earlier this week as the cover athlete of the Russian version of competitor NHL 09, was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the MVP of the National Hockey League.


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A Caribou Coffee opened at Target Field Station on July 4.
The store is hosting a grand opening celebration on July 9, with a free coffee for a year for the first 50 guests in the store and giveaways like Twins tickets, Gopher tickets, Nice Ride passes and Caribou merchandise being handed out all day long.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held before the store opens at 5:30 a.m.
“Caribou’s original corporate headquarters was in the North Loop and we’re happy to be back in the neighborhood creating jobs and providing another community space in downtown Minneapolis,” said Megan Fraboni, public relations manager at Caribou Coffee, in a press release.
This will be one of the Caribou’s larger locations at 2,400 square feet, including a large patio and community room with AV capabilities for business meetings.
The store’s hours are:
Monday-Thursday: 5:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Friday: 5:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Saturday: 6:00 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday: 6:00 a.m. – 8 p.m.


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INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Dozens of employers hiring in Cleveland will be meeting with job-seekers at a job fair in Independence on Tuesday.
JobFairX is hosting the job fair at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cleveland, at 6200 Quarry Lane in Independence, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 16.
The event will give job-seeking the chance to meet face-to-face with dozens of employers for jobs including sales, hospitality, customer service, accounting, administrative, banking, finance, insurance, government, technology, restaurant, retail and more, according to a news release from JobFairX.
Some of the companies that will be at the job fair include Charter Spectrum, ScribeAmerica, Sprint and New York Life, according to the JobFairX website.
The company organizing the job fair recommends job-seekers dress professionally and bring multiple copies of their resume. Attendance for job-seekers is free.
Those looking to attend are invited to pre-register here and submit a resume that will be made available online to all employers at the event.


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Thursday, November 28, 2013
German labour market sends first gentle sign of warning
German unemployment increased by a non-seasonally adjusted 5,000 in November, bringing the total number of unemployed to 2.806 million. In seasonally-adjusted terms, unemployment increased by 10,000, leaving the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate unchanged at 6.9%. The Fall revival of the German labour market turned out to be softer than normal. In fact, the November numbers are the worst November performance of the German labour market since 2004. Clear signs of a bottoming out of the labour market. For the time being, the German labour market will remain an important growth driver. Record high employment combined with yet another increase in real wages (+1% YoY since the beginning of the year) bodes well for private consumption. And, indeed, German consumers seem to get into some kind of shopping frenzy, or at least some anticipation of Christmas shopping. Yesterday’s GfK index showed that the willingness to buy has reached its highest level since December 2006. The new coalition deal on a minimum wage as of 2015 should increase disposable incomes, thereby supporting private consumption. At least in the short run. Currently, more than 5 million Germans could see a wage increase from the introduction of a minimum wage. The longer run impact on jobs remains unclear. Historical evidence from other countries is unfortunately not straight-forward on whether minimum wages lead to job shedding or not. This historical evidence provides arguments for both opponents and supporters. Economics is not an exact science. In our view, however, one thing is clear: after the introduction of a minimum wage, it will be hard to squeeze additional positive effects out of the labour market. Today’s numbers send a clear warning that the labour market has reached its natural rate of unemployment. To continue the current job market miracle or start a new one, a minimum wage should be flanked by additional measures to create new jobs. Even children know that only redistributing the pie eventually leads to an empty plate.


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Police have released pictures of five men convicted of a series of raids on banks and shops across the region
An exhibition of children's book illustrations has opened in Cambridge.
Graduates from Anglia Ruskin University are showcasing their work after a successful exhibition in London. Some of the 60 students on the illustration course have already had their work published.
And as striking as some of the designs at last week's London Fashion Week may be, if you're over the age of 50, chances are you wouldn't want to wear them.
But in Essex, the designers of tomorrow are challenging the fashion industry's focus on styles and figures most people find unachieveable. Wesley Smith went to see the designs.
A landmark has been reached for space scientists who want to put Einstein's Theory of Relativity to the test. They've been working for more than a decade on a space module which is about to enter its final stages of testing before being propelled 1.5 million kilometres into space.
Known as the LISA Pathfinder, its job is to measure minute waves of gravity. It's said this will open a new pair of eyes for humanity and help us undertsand more about black holes and collapsed stars.
Wesley Smith put on his protective clothing at the lab in Hertfordshire to try to explain more.
Women who smoke during pregnancy should be given financial incentives like shopping vouchers to help them quit, according to research from Cambridge University.
The study suggests that one in five women would benefit from incentives, especially in socially deprived areas.
It's been a rollercoaster of a season so far, so we sent Donovan Blake to an appropriate venue for his look ahead to Sunday's big game...
Former Cambridgeshire Police chaplain Stephen Talbot is jailed for 15 months for possessing indecent image of children
Norwich City Manager Alex Neil faces the cameras ahead of Sunday's derby clash with Ipswich Town


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Santa Monica video game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc. announced Thursday it will bring SpongeBob SquarePants to gaming consoles.
Under the deal, Activision will develop and publish video games based on the cartoon character. The first release will be “SpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton’s Robotic Revenge,” which will go on sale in October, with versions for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii and other gaming systems and handheld devices.
The deal broadens the relationship of Activision and Viacom’s Nickelodeon channel, which has been SpongeBob’s TV home since the cartoon began airing in 1999. Earlier this month, Activision and Nickelodeon announced a video game based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
“We are excited to expand our relationship with Activision for brand new SpongeBob video games,” Sherice Torres at Nickelodeon Consumer Products said in a statement. "Plankton’s Robotic Revenge captures the fun and excitement of SpongeBob and his pals, and gives fans a new way to experience the under the sea adventures of Bikini Bottom and its citizens.”


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Vainglory and Samsung Partnership at E3 2016
Vainglory & Samsung announce a partnership that will bring players new benefits through the Samsung Vulkan technology.
This is a big week for games, with the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) taking place in LA, and we’re excited to one of the many great companies at the show!
This year, in partnership with Samsung, we’ll be hosting the Samsung Galaxy Vainglory Invitational, marking the first time that top professional teams from China (Hunters), Korea (Invincible Armada), North America (TSM) and Europe (G2 esports) share one stage in North America. The Invitational is part of a larger partnership with Samsung, as we work together to push device performance levels to their absolute limits. Samsung has chosen Vainglory as one of its featured games to showcase its new Vulkan technology.
Samsung’s new Vulkan graphics API is going to make Vainglory perform better for players on Samsung Galaxy S7 devices. This next generation technology provides:
30% faster performance
Incredible graphic fidelity as we can render more images on screen
Improved battery life while playing Vainglory
We’re also excited to showcase the newest and still unreleased Vainglory update at the Samsung booth. The. Scheduled to go live at the end of June, this update will kickoff the Vainglory Summer Season, which we’re expecting to be the biggest season yet! The update features a variety of new content, including:
An entirely new seasonal rewards system designed to provide meaningful progression and fun for all Vainglory players — regardless of game mode preference
New hero Lyra, who brings healing and protective magic and teleportation to teamfights
The Summer Halcyon Fold Map
Summer Party themed Skins
For those who won’t be at E3, The Samsung Galaxy Vainglory Invitationals will air live on Twitch on https://www.twitch.tv/
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Why the Price of Avocados Is About to Rise — And It’s Not Inflation
With inflation hitting 7.5% in January, Americans are seeing higher prices for virtually everything — including groceries. But not every price increase can be blamed on inflation. Prices of avocados could rise as the U.S. government suspends the import of avocados from Mexico, according to an Associated Press report. The suspension occurred after a U.S. plant safety inspector working in the state of Michoacan, Mexico, received a threatening cell phone message. The message was apparently from a member of a drug cartel in the region.
The suspension was confirmed Saturday, Feb. 12, according to the AP. This preceded the Super Bowl, which the AP said is the “biggest sales opportunity of the year for Mexican avocado growers.”
The Mexican avocado growers and packers association had taken out a Super Bowl ad to promote avocados and guacamole as part of a Super Bowl tradition. The suspension did not affect avocado sales prior to the game, as avocados had already been imported weeks ago — and were already in U.S. stores in preparation for the annual sports event.
However, because Mexican avocados account for 80% of U.S. consumption, prices could rise due to decreased supply as a result of the suspension. Meanwhile, avocado consumption in the U.S. has doubled between 2010 and 2020, up to 9 pounds per person per year. David Magana, senior analyst for Rabobank International, told Spokesman.com that per-capita consumption could reach 11 pounds per person by 2026.
Learn: Inflation Soars Above 7% in January, Hits Key Consumer Sectors Like Food and Electricity
Explore: Inflation Pushes Mortgage Rates to Pre-Pandemic Highs — How Has Consumer Sentiment Been Impacted?
This is not the first time that drug cartel members have threatened employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services. In Aug. 2019, the AP reports, a USDA inspection team was “directly threatened” in the town of Ziracuaretiro. At the time, the USDA issued a statement declaring, “For future situations that result in a security breach, or demonstrate an imminent physical threat to the well-being of APHIS personnel, we will immediately suspend program activities.”
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BestMVNO has learned through a website leak that Republic Wireless's rebrand will take aim at Consumer Cellular. New plans will likely start at $20/month. The website leak was shared with BestMVNO by Stetson Doggett of bestphoneplans.net.
Last week, Republic Wireless temporarily closed its website and stopped accepting new customers to work on rebranding itself. The website is due to come back online on December 1st.
A previous article from BestMVNO criticized Republic Wireless for seemingly not having a staging site to work on for the rebrand. This take ended up not being entirely correct. The website leak of what are potentially new plans and the rebrand does in fact come from a staging website located at the URL https://qc.republicwireless.com/.
Update: 11/26/2021, Republic Wireless has pass protected their staging site and you can no longer preview the upcoming changes.
The staging site highlights a potential new plan from Republic Wireless with bolded lettering that reads "Unlimited Wireless plans for two. $60/mo for two lines." The website also features numerous images of seniors. There are also new video tutorials featuring seniors. This seems to indicate that under DISH's ownership, the Republic Wireless brand will be used to target the senior market demographic that is currently dominated by Consumer Cellular. Consumer Cellular has had great success with that market to the tune of obtaining more than 4 million customers. It's not entirely surprising that Republic Wireless is moving in that direction. For many months, Republic Wireless's Facebook page has also been filled with images and videos targeting that demographic.
New unlisted YouTube Republic Wireless tutorial video. Update: 11/26/2021 - Republic Wireless has pulled its new tutorial videos that feature the senior demographic.
What Might Republic Wireless's New Plans Look Like?
Republic Wireless's staging website does show what may be their brand new plans. Note the use of the word "may." BestMVNO has received many tips in the past of new carrier and MVNO plans and promo launches that end up getting changed by the time the offers actually go live. So keep that in mind as you review the plans described below.
From the looks of it, a total of three plans will be offered with discounts available to customers that have two lines of service. Here's what may be coming:
- $20/month for single lines, $30 for two- unlimited talk and text with 1GB of high-speed data plus $5 per additional GB.
- $40/month for single lines, $60 for two - unlimited everything with the first 20GB of data available at high-speeds. Includes 10GB of hotspot and unlimited international texting.
- $60/month for single lines, $90 for two- unlimited everything with the first 35GB of data available at high-speeds before throttling. Includes 20GB of hotspot, plus unlimited international texting, unlimited talk and text to Canada, and unlimited talk, text, and 2GB of data in Mexico.
The plans will also come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Republic Wireless plans may be offered at a discount to customers that bundle their service with DISH. A banner on the Republic Wireless staging site reads "save up to $10/mo on Republic Wireless when you bundle with DISH." Previously, Republic Wireless's plans started at $15/month for plans with no data, with data available at a rate of $5 per GB. There was also a 14-day money-back guarantee.
It is unclear what network the new Republic Wireless plans will use at relaunch. Currently, their coverage map zip code checker is disabled on the staging site. A blue map is however shown, which is often, but not always indicative of coverage being provided on the AT&T network.
The DISH Network acquired Republic Wireless and its 200,000 subscribers back in March of 2021. The upcoming changes will be the first major ones for the brand under DISH's ownership. Republic Wireless has long run on the Sprint and T-Mobile networks. However, DISH signed an agreement with AT&T earlier in the year allowing for DISH's MVNO brand customers to use their network. DISH still has an agreement with T-Mobile and access to that network for several years as well.


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Smartphone cameras are getting better by the year, forcing camera companies to stay up to date with their products. Mobile engineers work hard to make these hardware and software improvements a reality. This race for higher specs has lead to some interesting developments. RED, a camera company known for building high-powered cameras, has entered the smartphone realm by launching a new age and somewhat bizarre smartphone.
According to them, the device will ship in Q1 of 2018. A smartphone with what it calls a “holographic” 3D display for VR and AR. There will be two editions, the titanium version with a price tag of $1,595 and a cheaper aluminium build at $1,195 aluminum. Customers will get some extra accessories for those prices, including a USB-C cable and charger and expandable Micro SD card slot.
For more information click here


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Dublin, 15th June 2022 – MiFinity, the secure iGaming eWallet, has today launched its affiliate programme with the highest revenue commission in the industry. Paying up to 35%, and with commission paid on all transfer to and FX fees, the MiFinity team has already attracted significant interest in pre-launch sign-ups from new affiliates. In addition to this, MiFinity Affiliates will be offering an additional 10% commission on all rev-share fees for affiliates that sign up before the 15th July 2022!
“We’re very excited to launch MiFinity Affiliates,” said MiFinity CEO Paul Kavanagh. “In the last 18 months, we have experienced rapid growth in terms of customers, transactions, operators, services, and market penetration. So, it’s the perfect time to launch the affiliate programme and add another great service to our offering”.
“MiFinity Affiliates is integral to our ambitious growth plans for 2022 and beyond. Our success is intrinsically linked to the success of our merchants and affiliate partners, which is why we’ve designed an affiliate programme that offers the highest commission rates, paying lifetime commissions, to help them achieve more.”
MiFinity Affiliates supports the growth of MiFinity’s merchants and industry affiliates, helping companies increase conversions and generate additional revenue. With the potential to earn more with MiFinity than any other eWallet provider, MiFinity backs up its impressive commission rate with rock-solid affiliate tools and marketing support.
Kieron Nolan, MiFinity’s CFO, explains, “Our dedicated affiliate marketing team has years of experience helping companies drive conversions and revenue through bespoke campaigns and their expert support. As well as investing in talent, we have also invested significantly in our enterprise affiliate platform to help our affiliate partners manage their programmes, track conversions and access payments. We think it’s a fantastic opportunity for our affiliate partners to accelerate their growth, along with ours.”
MiFinity’s eWallet has already disrupted the payment space by going above and beyond to lower transaction costs for its users. As well as super low fees for standard transactions, MiFinity provides users in the EU and UK with a free virtual IBAN that allows transfers to the eWallet with no fees to pay.
Paul Kavanagh said, “Our users are global customers who can use their eWallet at any of our merchants’ online sites, currently over 300 live iGaming brands. However, they can also use it to send money to almost anywhere globally with instant eWallet to eWallet transfers and via money transfer.”
The MiFinity eWallet is available in 20 languages and 15 currencies and has the greatest geographic reach of any iGaming wallet, with a global network of payment partners and over 40 integrated payment methods for fast and secure transactions.
Paul Kavanagh attributes MiFinity’s focus on user experience and innovation in the payment space to the company’s record growth. He said, “I’m proud to say that as well as seeing significant growth in new customer acquisitions, we also have the highest customer retention rate in the industry. I believe that’s because we’ve focused on making transactions easy and secure, and building great relationships with our user community.”
Meet the MiFinity team at iGB Live
MiFinity will be at iGB Live in Amsterdam, 6-7 July, on stand G-50. Book a meeting today if you want to learn more about MiFinity’s payment solutions and affiliate programme.
MiFinity, a global payments provider, offers a range of cost-effective and efficient end-to-end payment solutions. It has a growing network of international partner relationships and a best-in-class, highly secure and regulated technology platform.
MiFinity’s online eWallet targets the online gaming, travel, forex and eCommerce sectors. It is a fast, simple, and secure way for customers to perform transactions with multiple local payment options in different currencies. As a result, MiFinity is evolving into a genuine ‘omnichannel’ payment provider to the global online payment market.
MiFinity UK Limited (Registration Ref.900090) and MiFinity Malta Limited (Registration Ref. C64824), trading as MiFinity for the issuing of electronic money, are duly authorised and regulated by UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Malta Financial Services Authority, respectively (MFSA).
For PR inquiries, please contact:


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Making pizza is a skill to be mastered,
and despite the number of restaurants around the world boasting authentic Italian pizza, there’s only one place where making and eating it is worth traveling for:
Naples pizza makers are hoping the United Nations agrees,
which is why the World Heritage Committee has made pizza twirling in Naples a candidate to join UNESCO’s list of Intangible Heritage.
The Association of Neapolitan Pizzaioli has campaigned to add the culinary tradition to the UNESCO list after seeing how other cultures have appropriated pizza by adding non-Italian sauces, cheeses, and toppings.
Pizzaioli wants UNESCO to recognize the entire custom of Neapolitan pizza making, which includes spinning and twirling the dough, throwing it in the air to “oxygenate” it, and baking it in a beechwood-burning oven.


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The new dean of the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Gregory Dewey, is looking to gain insight from industry experts.
Crossmark announced the appointment of Steve Valentino as VP of the company's drug division.
Retail and consumer products veteran Brian Cornell was named chairman and CEO at Target to fill 2-of-the-3 roles previously held by the company’s former top executive, Gregg Steinhafel.
The American Pharmacists Association has announced the election of Jean-Venable “Kelly” Goode of Richmond, Va., as 2015-16 APhA president-elect.
As expected, former Procter & Gamble head Robert McDonald has been confirmed to serve as Veterans Affairs secretary.
The American Diabetes Association announced that Suzanne Berry, MBA, CAE has been named interim CEO until a permanent CEO is appointed, effective Aug. 1, 2014.
After 40 years in the beer business, Molson Coors Brewing Co. president and CEO Peter S. Swinburn is retiring from the company and its board of directors on Dec. 31.
PepsiCo on Thursday announced that James Schiro has resigned from the company's board of directors for health reasons, effective immediately.
Rite Aid has appointed former Roundy’s executive Darren Karst as EVP and CFO, effective Aug. 20.
Pharmavite announced Wednesday that EVP, sales, Timothy Toll had been promoted to the position of chief customer officer.


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It’s rare that one technology set could solve retailer woes related to both merchandise theft and in-store planogram stipulations, yet virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) offer promise in both arenas. Retailers are cutting shrinkage of high ticket-value items by displaying virtual versions that utilize mixed reality implementations, while other retailers are eliminating tedious planogram issues […]
From designing machinery in a collaborative VR space to avoid collision issues, to utilizing AR wearables to overlay information for technician repairs in real-time, the mixed reality space is filled with opportunity for innovative corporations seeking to empower employees.
5G — or “fifth generation” internet — is the catalyst industrial mixed reality technologies need for today’s primary use cases to take hold. With 5G’s promise of virtually eliminating latency, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) will finally thrive within the enterprise in instances when time is of the essence.


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The FDA in March slapped the Cook recall with a Class I label, denoting the risk of serious injury or death. It covers Cook’s single lumen central venous catheter sets and trays, single lumen pressure monitoring sets and trays, femoral artery pressure monitoring catheter sets and trays and radial artery pressure monitoring catheter sets and trays.
During a conference call with analysts yesterday discussing Merit’s 1st-quarter results, Lampropoulos sounded a note of regret in referring to the recall, calling Cook “a noble competitor,” but stressed that Merit stands ready to leap into the breach.
“In the 35 years I have been in the industry, I have never seen anything like this. It’s so unfortunate for a great company,” he said, according to Seeking Alpha. “It’s going to be, I think, a long time. Once you start pulling product you have to get it, of course, re-qualified. I do not want to speak on behalf of Cook, nor would be appropriate, but it’s going to be long and it’s going to be deep and it’s going to create a great opportunity for Merit.”
Lampropoulos, the founder, chairman and CEO at South Jordan, Utah-based Merit, said his company will have more comment on the recall’s impact after the 2nd quarter.
Merit hit the mark with its 1st-quarter earnings, meeting expectations on Wall Street despite a nearly -16% profit slide compared with Q1 2015. The company posted profits of $4.4 million, or 10¢ per share, on sales of $138.1 million for the 3 months ended March 31, for a top-line gain of 6.6%. Adjusted to exclude 1-time items, earnings per share were 19¢ per share, spot on target with the consensus on The Street.
“The first 3 months of 2016 were very eventful and we believe will have a positive impact on Merit for many years to come,” Lampropoulos said in prepared remarks. “We closed a transaction in early February with CryoLife to acquire the Hero graft product line.
“Our new facility in Mexico reached the point of break-even operations in March,” Lampropoulos said. “A few new product lines were transferred there in early April, which we believe will continue to support our plan of gross margin improvement.”
“Our new direct sales operation in Australia is performing ahead of schedule, and our new direct operation in Canada commenced April 1,” he said.
MMSI shares were up 1.7% to $20.01 in mid-morning trading today.


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Big four supermarket Morrisons has reaffirmed its environmental credentials by taking out 600 tonnes of unrecyclable plastic packaging from its own brand groceries.
The Bradford-based grocer has removed expanded polystyrene, one of the most widely used plastics, from all of its food and drink products.
Morrisons says it is making the move because polystyrene is not recyclable at kerbside services, lasts for hundreds of years and is often seen in the environment where it’s easily blown away by the wind.
Natasha Cook, packaging manager at Morrisons, said: “Polystyrene is a particularly difficult material to recycle – so we wanted to take it out of our products quickly.
“Taking plastic out of the environment remains one of our customers’ most pressing concerns so we continue to remove unnecessary plastic packaging or make it more recyclable.”
The move will prevent 600 tonnes of the material being disposed of every year. Morrisons said polystyrene will be present in a “small number” of home and leisure products before being phased out in the next 12 months.
The supermarket used polystyrene on its fresh food counters - for meat and fish trays - and as a base for instore-made pizzas. It has also been used to package some delicate frozen desserts and cakes.
Approximately 90 million meat trays, fish trays and pizza bases were used in Morrisons last year.
The supermarket will instead introduce cardboard bases for pizzas and frozen goods. At its butchers and fishmongers clear recyclable plastic trays will be used – which are made from recycled plastic bottles.
Morrisons new more environmentally friendly packaging will also tell customers how it can be recycled. For example, the clear meat and fish trays feature the wording ‘rinse and recycle’ on the bottom.
The Bradford-based supermarket has committed that by no later than 2025, all of its own-brand plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable.


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ZimTrade, the country’s export promotion body, has urged local companies to venture into the Zambian market and boost their businesses.
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
The body told stakeholders in Bulawayo on Friday on the dissemination of the findings of market research of the Zambian market that there were opportunities that needed to be explored.
“The objective of the market research was to generate information on business opportunities in Zambia as well as to gather relevant market-related intelligence,” ZimTrade chief executive officer Sithembile Pilime said.
“Zambia remains an important trading partner for Zimbabwe, ranking third in the region after South Africa and Mozambique. Total trade between the two countries was worth $283 million in 2014.”
Pilime added: “I implore you industry captains to take advantage of Zimbabwe’s cordial relations with Zambia and explore the opportunities that have been presented.”
Africa Corporate Advisors executive director Malvern Rusike, who presented the results, said the Zambian market had opportunities in sectors such as construction industry supplies, manufacturing inputs, agricultural implements/inputs and fast-moving goods.
He said there were opportunities for supermarket shelves, mining supplies and protective gear, professional services and hospitality sector, among others.
“Companies wishing to export should develop action plans for entry into the Zambian market. They should have links with distributors or associations in Zambia,” he said.
Rusike said companies needed to conduct further in-depth studies according to their specific areas of interest.
However, embassy of Zambia first secretary Zelipa Chitambo urged the government to remove trade barriers between two countries.
According to ZimTrade, Zimbabwe is currently exporting products such as farm implements, coal, packaging material, tobacco, fish, wood, furniture and tea to Zambia.