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July 09, 2019
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Today's Smart Brevity count: 1054 words, a <4 minute read.
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1 big thing: Age of the conformist trucker
For a century and longer, the individualist quality in U.S. workers has been falling away as Americans have moved to the city and labor become more about big companies and playing well in the sandbox. Now, some of the last loner purists are being forced to conform, too.
The transformation of some of the few surviving archetypal individualists — doctors, farmers and now truck drivers — is powered in part by three of the most potent forces today: automation, monopoly capitalism and the new surveillance economy.
The big picture: Earlier this year, we profiled the disappearance of the independent U.S. farmer as Big Ag companies have come to control virtually the whole sequence of raising hogs, cattle and chickens.
- Now, truckers — many of whom once proudly called themselves "asphalt cowboys" — are falling victim to a similar culture of strong management.
- Technology monitors long-haul drivers for how fast they are moving, how much fuel they are using, how long they have been on the road and more. Increasingly, cameras in the cab are watching them, too, checking for signs of drowsiness and their safety habits.
- This change comes to one of the most common professions in the country — there are 3 million U.S. truck drivers.
"This is what they are known for — an outlaw culture mentality," said Karen Levy, a professor at Cornell. "Many of them are deliberately in this profession to make their own decisions. There is a lot of resistance to being told what to do. That is what is slipping away."
Technology's push into trucking has not come suddenly: For decades, trucking has been open to trying out new automating technologies ahead of other industries, said Steve Viscelli, a professor at UPenn. This has included satellite tracking of trucks, GPS mapping and internet communications.
But looked at another way, this technological uninhibitedness has stripped skills from many trucking jobs, driving down wages along with shipping costs, two factors that help enable fast delivery.
- This has utterly changed the duties of dispatchers, whose core skill formerly was making complex judgement calls about how to get a shipment from one place to another on time.
- Now "technology is making the manager and dispatcher kind of unnecessary," said Michael Belzer, a professor at Wayne State University.
The instinct for the next best thing has pushed trucking into some of the most controversial new technology out there — 24-hour monitoring.
- As we have reported, Big Tech's drive for data has led to the monitoring of people throughout their day, and the creation of a new economy — surveillance capitalism.
- Levy, the Cornell professor, said this trend now includes the trucking industry, the subject of her forthcoming book, "Data Driven: Truckers and the New Workplace Surveillance."
- Data collection in trucking began as a law enforcement exercise — making sure that drivers were not working too long. "But now it takes on a second life, with use to insurance companies and marketers," she said.
The bottom line: A consequence of the working conditions has been one of the highest worker turnover rates of any profession on the planet. In some segments of long-haul trucking, 94% of the drivers quit or are fired each year, said Stephen Burks, a professor at the University of Minnesota.
2. The exodus to Vietnam
As the trade war with Beijing drags on, dozens of firms — from high-tech electronics manufacturers to apparel companies — have the same idea: relocate out of China to dodge the tariffs, Erica writes.
One seldom-discussed consequence of those moves is a potential labor shortage in places like Vietnam, Bangladesh and Cambodia, where many U.S. companies are fleeing.
What's happening: Clothing and consumer goods companies that require low-end manufacturing had already been leaving China in search of cheaper labor before the trade war. Now, tariffs and threats of intellectual property theft are pushing the higher-tech firms, like automakers and electronics manufacturers, out of the country as well.
- U.S. apparel and footwear companies like Hanes, Levi's and Nike have steadily shifted to Vietnam and Bangladesh as the third and fourth batches of tariffs, which largely target consumer products, loom, says Mike Zuccaro, a senior analyst at Moody's.
- HP and Dell are the latest electronics companies to go, and Amazon, Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are looking to leave as well, reports the Nikkei Asian Review.
- The impact: Together, HP and Dell make up around 40% of the laptop market, and they will move up to 30% of production elsewhere. Nikkei did not report where the firms intend to go.
The bottom line: "These countries are smaller, and the supply of land and skills and labor doesn't match that in China," says Joy Dantong Ma of the Paulson Institute. "And it's not just the labor but the roads, bridges and airports. It will take a while for the infrastructure to catch up."
3. The world leader in emissions
President Trump has racked up a staggering carbon footprint, Kaveh Waddell writes.
Last year, his plane emitted about 11,500 tonnes of CO2, more than 700 times of the average American, according to an analysis from AtoB, a flight booking company
- Trump flew nearly 81,400 miles in 2018, according to the report.
- Among the 15 world leaders studied, only Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe contributed more to emissions: His plane sent nearly 14,500 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere as it flew more than 128,300 miles.
4. Worthy of your time
Trouble for Walmart's e-commerce business (Jason Del Rey — Recode)
Why the migrant crisis is happening now (Stef Kight — Axios)
Driver photos are a gold mine for ICE and FBI (Drew Harwell — Washington Post)
Germany: the new scooter battleground (Tim Bradshaw — FT)
A threat to Amazon's dealmaking (Dana Mattioli — WSJ)
5. 1 ballooning thing: The cost of live music
In 1981, the average price for a concert ticket was $12. By 2017, it had jumped to $64, Erica writes.
If the price of tickets had risen alongside inflation, they'd cost about half as much, reports Quartz, citing recently released research by the late economist Alan Krueger.
- This is because while the productivity of industries like manufacturing and logistics has skyrocketed, pushing prices down, businesses like music and health care have not seen the same increases. And so they take bigger bites out of consumers' wallets, Krueger noted.
- One fix is the music festival model, where multiple performers can share the costs of sound, lighting and venue. Tickets for weekend-long festivals like Lollapalooza and Coachella go for around $400. That's for a few days of music featuring 120 or so artists.
P.S.: Speaking of the state of music around four decades ago, Sony's Walkman celebrated its 40th birthday last week.


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“The future of enterprise apps is social, mobile and connected,” said Leyla Seka, vice president, AppExchange and Partner Operations, salesforce.com.
San Francisco (PRWEB) November 18, 2013
Intuitive Control Systems, LLC today announced it has launched Devicify on salesforce.com's AppExchange, empowering businesses to connect with customers, partners and employees in entirely new ways. Devicify radically simplifies the process of designing, deploying and managing web-enabled devices so that companies can focus on monetizing that connection and building better customer experiences. Emphasizing the company’s philosophy that connectivity is a business process rather than a technology, Devicify delivers its turnkey device platform as a business application that fully integrates with the Salesforce Platform, providing a stable, reliable means to deeply integrate two-way interaction with your products into your entire business. The announcement was made today at salesforce.com’s Dreamforce 2013 in San Francisco. Devicify will be in booth N1020 in the Dreamforce Expo.
Built on the Salesforce Platform, the world’s leading cloud platform for social and mobile business apps, Devicify is immediately available for test drive and deployment on the AppExchange at http://www.appexchange.com.
Comments on the News
- “Devicify is designed specifically to bridge the gap between device and business platforms by unifying the two,” said Scott Johnson, Co-founder & CEO, Intuitive Control Systems. “It allows employees, customers, business systems and devices to simultaneously interact, creating new opportunities to improve efficiencies, increase revenues and build more meaningful customer relationships.”
- “The future of enterprise apps is social, mobile and connected,” said Leyla Seka, vice president, AppExchange and Partner Operations, salesforce.com. “Partners such as Intuitive Control Systems are leveraging the power of the Salesforce Platform to give companies the tools they need to create deeper connections with customers and accelerate their transformation into customer companies.”
- “As the provider of Ascent ERP, one of the most popular manufacturing and ERP apps on the Salesforce Platform, we are seeing a rapid increase in the number of companies looking to add connectivity to their products,” said Shaun McInerney, President, Precisio Business Solutions, Inc. “Devicify has both the ease and breadth of functionality to provide a great solution to these needs.”
Product Key Features
Devicify delivers the device-optimized infrastructure needed for your connected product line with the ease of use our customers have come to expect. More importantly, Devicify offers numerous native Salesforce objects to embed your device design, deployment, management and interaction right alongside your other business processes, making it much simpler to enhance any other business process or application by employing data directly from your devices.
Dreamforce 2013 is the world’s largest vendor technology conference, and expects more than 120,000 people to register to attend this year's 11th annual conference and experience the power of social and mobile cloud computing and connect with their customers in a whole new way. With more than 1,100 sessions and 350 cloud companies in the expo, attendees can participate in interactive sessions, hands-on training with cutting-edge technology, thousands of live demos and unparalleled networking. In addition, Dreamforce welcomes special guests Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook; Marissa Mayer, President and CEO of Yahoo!; and Deepak Chopra, Founder of The Chopra Foundation. Dreamforce 2013 offers attendees everything they need to accelerate their customer company transformation in four days, under one roof.
- Register for Dreamforce: http://www.dreamforce.com
- Become a fan of Dreamforce on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dreamforce
- Follow @Dreamforce on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dreamforce
About the AppExchange
The Salesforce AppExchange is the world’s leading business apps marketplace. With more than 2,000 partner apps and 2 million customer installs it is the most comprehensive source of social and mobile cloud apps for business. The Salesforce Platform is the world’s most trusted and comprehensive cloud platform for building social and mobile cloud apps, powering Salesforce CRM, and more than 3 million custom apps built by customers and partners. Apps built on the Salesforce Platform can be easily distributed and marketed through salesforce.com’s AppExchange.
Salesforce, AppExchange and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc.

domain: news


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Visitors test on a Ford Mustang Mach-E electrical car displayed at a launch occasion in Shanghai, China April 13, 2021.
Yilei Sun | Reuters
DETROIT – Ford Motor is mountaineering the beginning costs of its electrical Mustang Mach-E crossover by greater than $8,000 for some fashions, as it reopens order banks for the 2023 mannequin 12 months.
The firm on Thursday mentioned the markups – ranging between $3,000 and $8,475, relying on the mannequin and battery – are due to “significant material cost increases, continued strain on key supply chains, and rapidly evolving market conditions.”
The Mach-E is the most recent electrical car to expertise a price improve, as uncooked materials costs for batteries for electrical autos greater than doubled in the course of the coronavirus pandemic.
The beginning costs for the 2023 Mustang Mach-E will now vary from about $47,000 to $70,000, up from roughly $44,000 to $62,000 for the 2022 mannequin 12 months. Prices exclude taxes and transport/supply costs.
Ford earlier this month additionally raised the beginning costs of its electrical F-150 Lightning pickup by between $6,000 and $8,500, relying on the mannequin. The automaker cited comparable causes for these will increase, particularly associated to uncooked supplies such as lithium, cobalt and nickel which can be utilized in batteries for the autos.
Others automakers together with General Motors, Rivian, Lucid and Tesla additionally considerably raised costs on their latest electrical autos.
In addition to the brand new pricing, Ford mentioned it modified choices and elevated capabilities for some Mach-E fashions. It is also growing transport expenses on the Mach-E by $200 to $1,300 on all fashions.
Ford mentioned the upper costs will go into impact for brand new orders positioned beginning Tuesday, when order banks reopen.
Customers who’ve current, unscheduled 2022 mannequin 12 months orders will obtain a “private offer” to convert to a 2023 mannequin 12 months car, the corporate mentioned. It’s not instantly clear what price these clients can be supplied.


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Fashion face off! As Rebecca Judd copies Jennifer Hawkins in her Derby Day Alex Perry dress, a look at all the times the style rivals have clashed forces
They're counted among Australia's most stylish celebrities, each tossed piles of designer dresses to show off at public events.
And after years of competing on best dressed lists, Rebecca Judd and Jennifer Hawkins and collided sartorially.
On Saturday 32-year-old Rebecca slipped into the same Alex Perry dress as shown off by Jennifer earlier this year.
Scroll down for video
When fashion titans collide! Rebecca Judd (right) took style notes from Jennifer Hawkins (left) over the weekend as the copied the model's Derby Day look by wearing the same Alex Perry dress to another event
While the model opted for a candy pink hue, Jennifer stuck to crisp white while attending Derby Day in Melbourne in October.
It may be the first time the pair have clashed with their red carpet choices, with the duo normally careful not to show up in the same outfit to same event.
Here, Daily Mail Australia remembers a handful of other examples where the pair appeared to swap style notes.
Back up! While the model opted for a candy pink hue (right) Jennifer stuck to crisp white while attending Derby Day in Melbourne in October (left)
Bold Choices at the races
Neither Jennifer nor Rebecca is shy of eye-popping colour. Despite boasting contrasting hair colour and different complexions, both opted for scarlet red to attend the Melbourne Cup in 2014 and 2015.
Rebecca opted for a flirty balloon-sleeved number, adding a pretty embellished headband to her look.
Last year Jennifer opted for a similar colour but different silhouette, slipping into a figure-hugging red dress to attend the prestigious racing event.
Scarlet lady: Rebecca opted for a red dress to attend the Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse in November (left). Right, Jennifer in a similar colour at last year's event
Not so mellow yellow: At Crown Oaks Day in 2012 Rebecca opted for a yellow gown and nude shoes. Right, Jennifer in a similar outfit at this year's Melbourne Cup
In 2012, as she continued in her style evolution, Rebecca opted for a bright yellow dress to attend Oaks Day. She paired the Maticevski frock with a taupe Melissa Jackson headpiece, finishing the look off with some nude heels.
Fast forward three years and Jennifer was caught taking style notes from her fellow Myer ambassador in a neon frock by the same designer at the Melbourne Cup.
The blonde beauty opted for black accessories, adding a gothic flower crown to her race-day look.
At Oaks Day this year the pair opted for a similar palette, with Jennifer turning up in an icy blue Daniel Avakian dress.
Rebecca sported a grey and white off-the-shoulder number by Toni Maticevski frock.
Similar palette: At Oaks Day this year the pair opted for a similar palette, with Jennifer turning up in an icy blue Daniel Avakian dress while Rebecca opted for a grey and white Toni Maticevski frock
Red carpet rivalry
Both Jennifer and Rebecca are among regulars on the red carpet at the country's most prestigious showbusiness events.
While neither dare show up to the same event in similar looks, there's no mistaking their preened likeness and penchant for the same brands.
In 2014 Jen opted for a daring black Roberto Cavalli gown to attend the ASTRA awards.
Cutaway: Jennifer donned a Roberto Cavalli black gown to attend the 2014 ASTRA awards while Rebecca sported a similar pattern to attend the opening day of Fashion Week this year
Inspired by film noir, the sheer, black dress hugged her curves and flashed some of her most famous assets to the star struck crowd.
While Rebecca didn't attend the event, she was seen out and about earlier this year in a strikingly similar design.
The beauty wore a short black dress to attend the opening day of Fashion Week, opting for a very similar style of fabric as Jennifer had shown off weeks beforehand.
Al that glitters: For the Brownlow Medal this year Rebecca opted for a gold floor-length number. In August Jennifer was seen in a similar design at a Myer event
Taking the plunge
Both models and style ambassadors, Jennifer and Rebecca boast enviable figures.
The pair aren't shy of showing them off when it comes to their fashion choices and regularly sport plunging necklines when dazzling at parties.
Recently Jennifer opted for a daring neckline as she attended a Myer Christmas party, showing off her assets in an Alex Perry white gown.
Daring necklines: At the Logie Awards this year Jennifer dazzled in a plunging black gown. In 2008 Rebecca put on an equally busty display at the Brownlow Medal
Making a name for herself: Rebecca grabbed headlines in 2004 when she arrived at the Brownlow Medal in a cut-to-the-navel red dress
Rebecca is not shy of baring her skin either, regularly stepping out in off-the-shoulder, delicate silhouettes.
Perhaps her most infamously risque look came in 2004, before her marriage to husband Chris, when the then Rebecca Twigley grabbed headlines in a barely-there red gown at the Brownlow Medal.
Off duty style
Even at home Jennifer and Rebecca appear to share some wardrobe staples. Neither is far from their trusty sunglasses and both tend to stick to easy, breezy pieces when enjoying their private lives.
Recently the pair both took to Instagram to share snaps of casual outfits, unwittingly proving once again that they share more than party invitations.
Among favourite colours featuring often in both ladies' wardrobes are black and white while both favour ripped denim jeans when running errands.
Summer style: Both Jennifer and Rebecca sported lace white jumpsuits this year. Left, Rebecca attends Land Rover's Polo In The City and right, Jennifer cuts a more casual figure in an Instagram snap
Off the shoulder comfort: The beauties both opted for shoulder-bearing black designs while enjoying some down time, showing off their looks in Instagram posts
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Chocolate maker Elizabeth Shaw has struck co-manufacturing agreements with Bendicks, Magna Specialist Confectioners and Stollwerck, following the decision to close its Bristol manufacturing facility.
Richmond buy OK
The OFT has given the green light to Ruby Acquisitions' £182.2m purchase of ice cream manufacturer Richmond Foods.
Pasta King MBO
Sauce maker Pasta King has been acquired in an MBO from father and daughter team Rick and Sally Wheaton. The multi-million pound deal was led by directors Sue Davenport and Paul Haigney and financed by Matrix Private Equity Partners and HSBC.


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The old center of Benghazi suffered severe damage during Libya's civil war. Most people living there were more concerned with getting fuel and moving to safer areas than they were with buying brand-name clothing.
But new stores and eateries are opening along one street in the city center: Venice Street. And they have many people excited about shopping.
Imported goods to the country were limited between 2014 and 2017. Fighting between the Libyan National Army and its mostly Islamist opponents forced Benghazi's port to close.
Elsewhere around the city, some buildings still have bullet holes dating back to World War II. During that time, Benghazi changed control between British and German troops.
Former leader Muammar Gaddafi ignored eastern Libya during his 42 years in power as punishment for political opposition there. Venice Street was mostly undeveloped until Gaddafi's overthrow in 2011.
Today, newly opened clothing stores along Venice Street carry famous international brands.
People in Benghazi do have money in their banks. But a shortage of bank notes means they do not necessarily have physical money. However, some shops along Venice Street accept checks as payment for an additional cost.
Ahmed al-Orfy runs one of the new fashion stores there. He told the Reuters news service he has high hopes for Venice Street. He said, We have security and the ambition to be on the same level as the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
I'm Jonathan Evans.
1. be concerned with 关心，担心
We expect applicants to be able to solve routine problems as a matter of course. After all, that's what most education is concerned with.
2. Champs-Elysees 香榭丽舍大道
There were more than 100, 000 people everyday came and went in the Champs-Elysees Avenue.
但一些新开张的商店和餐厅在市中心的一条街上出现，这条街是威尼斯街道 。它们的出现让很多人对购物一事十分兴奋 。
2014-2017年间，进口到该国的货物十分有限 。利比亚武装力量与基本上由伊斯兰反对派组成的势力之间发生了冲突，冲突迫使班加西港口关闭 。
班加西附近的一些建筑物依然千疮百孔，这些创伤源自二战期间 。那时候，班加西改变了英军和德军的控制局势 。
前领导人卡扎菲执政42年间无视了利比亚东部，这是他对该地球政敌的惩罚 。威尼斯街道一直破败不堪，直到卡扎菲2011年被推翻 。
班加西人民银行里还是有些钱的 。但由于纸币短缺，所以他们可能没有纸币可以支付 。不过，威尼斯街道上的一些商店接受支票来支付额外费用的方式 。
艾哈迈德在那里经营者一家新时装商店 。他在接受路透社采访时表示自己对威尼斯街道寄予厚望 。他表示，我们有信心这里的安保情况可以与巴黎的香榭丽舍大道媲美 。
Jonathan Evans为您播报 。


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UPL Ltd and TeleSense have announced a collaboration which will help TeleSense strengthen its sales channel by introducing monitoring solutions for post-harvest commodity storage and transport to multiple stakeholders across the agriculture value chain.
California-based IoT (Internet of Things) innovator TeleSense works in modernising post-harvest grain storage and transport.
“Through our OpenAg Purpose, we collaborate with innovative partners to facilitate progress towards reducing food waste while enabling farmer resilience,” UPL chief executive officer Jai Shroff said.
“With around one third of global food production lost annually due to food waste, this is a problem our industry cannot ignore,
“Our partnership with TeleSense represents a new vision for how grain is stored, handled and transported by creating a more efficient, data-driven supply chain that will reduce food waste, improve food quality and increase sustainability.”
TeleSense uses scalable sensor technology on an artificial intelligence (AI) platform to monitor the temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide levels of stored grain.
It leverages fixed and portable sensors to monitor the current and future condition of stored grain, while automating the detection and mitigation of potential issues such as hotspots, excess moisture, or pests.
Machine-learning algorithms provide users with alerts needed to effectively manage and predict grain quality, ensure safety, improve operational efficiency, and increase profitability.
Adding TeleSense technology to UPL’s portfolio complements its range of gas monitoring, safety and detection devices as well as fumigants.
“Our partnership with UPL represents an unprecedented commitment to reducing food waste, ensuring food security, delivering supply chain sustainability, and increasing profitability for growers,” TeleSense co-founder and CEO Naeem Zafar said.
“The food value chain continues to evolve and become more complex.
The companies envisage UPL’s global footprint and TeleSense’s technology will provide new solutions to meet the requirements of both developed and developing countries.
The partnership aligns with UPL’s aim to support the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its mission to make every single food product more sustainable.
UPL Ltd. is a global provider of sustainable agriculture products and solutions.
As one of the largest agriculture-solutions companies worldwide, UPL’s portfolio includes biologicals and traditional crop protection solutions with more than 13,600 registrations.
UPL has a presence in more than 130 countries, and its Australian head office is in Adelaide.
TeleSense has offices in Europe and Australia.
Source: UPL, TeleSense


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Reviewing BIG HERO 6 from Walt Disney Studios directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams…
Hendo Hoverboards has just put up a Kickstarter campaign for the world’s first hoverboard. That’s..
In a bid to corner all levels of the gaming market in the Philippines, Asus..
Before Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters next year, Marvel is giving us an appetizer..


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On December 16th, Beijing time, a judge in New York ordered that Golf Nicklaus, who was sued by Jack Nicklaus, could use his name on the stadium design.
In May, Jack Nicklaus filed a lawsuit with 82-year-olds, condemning Nicklaus that “many malicious behaviors that were not in integrity and harmed the company’s maximum interests, including intentional and malicious destruction of the company’s behavior.”
The indictment includes Nicklaus to get cash compensation while promoting a event in Belgium, participating in the development of video games, and whether it is to play a certain role with the Saudi Arabic Public Investment Fund in Liv Golf.
Nicklaus sold the company in 2007, and counterattacking that these complaints were not facts, and they acknowledged that he had been evil with the company’s owners.
“Say better, our relationship is also quite difficult,” Nicklaus said. “I don’t have much doubt about the results, but I don’t want this to know about it all over the world, and avoid it.”
After a three -day hearing at the end of November, the judges of the New York High Court allowed Nicklaus to compete with former companies in the stadium design and other business, but advertising endorsements were exceptions.Nicklaus said he would provide design business through a new company 1-JN.
Nicklaus has designed more than 300 stadiums worldwide, and the classic works are Mushan Village in Ohio.The stadium is the place where he is a commemorative high game.
“I’m glad in my long life, more than one career. The first is the competitive career, and then the design stadium,” Nicklaus said. “Since I designed the first stadium, it has passed 50 years, butMy hot pillow is greater about the stadium design. I believe my thinking and creativity are better than before. I am full of pride and continue to create unforgettable and sustainable golf experience. These experiences in the next few yearsPeople can enjoy. “


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// Jack Wills suffers full-year loss of £7.5m
// Losses blamed on “highly competitive” clothing market
// Sales declined by 1.1% to £129.3m
Jack Wills has swung to a full-year loss in its latest trading update, laying bare the challenges it is facing amid wider a decline on the UK high street.
The fashion retailer suffered an EBITDA loss of £7.5 million in the year to January 28, 2018, compared to a profit of £6.3 million in the previous year, according files submitted to Companies House.
Meanwhile, sales declined by 1.1 per cent to £129.3 million thanks to a “challenging year”.
Gross margins decreased from 55.9 per cent in 2016/17 to 50.9 per cent in 2017/18.
The retailer blamed the downhill spiral on the “highly competitive” clothing market and “constrained” consumer finances.
Former Debenhams executive Suzanne Harlow was drafted in to lead the retailer after having been an advisor to the company.
A spokesman for Jack Wills said: “It is true that 2017/18 was a challenging year for Jack Wills but the business has moved on significantly since then. The improved processes and tighter financial disciplines we have put in place helped halve the EBITDA loss for 2018/19
“Looking forward, Jack Wills recently completed a significant refinancing, with continued support from our major shareholder, BlueGem. This puts us on a firm footing as we seek to return to sustainable growth by improving our product range and re-engaging with customers via the right channels.
“We have moved to a standard corporate structure where the only stat directors are the CEO and CFO.”


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The WNT-ROTOR Pro Cycling team presentation took place on Friday 9th February, riders, management, Spanish media, and sponsor representatives from WNT, the tooling experts from the Ceratizit Group, ROTOR, and Wolfpack, all gathered at the ROTOR headquarters in Madrid, Spain for a presentation streamed live across the world.
For 2018, the team sees some big changes, notably the new Craft Sportswear jersey, with a design which has evolved year upon year. The new design incorporates different types of WNT cutting tools, of which are used to make ROTOR components at the EDR factory in Madrid.
The second is the increased, unique partnership between WNT Cutting Tools and ROTOR meaning WNT-ROTOR Pro Cycling will be the only UCI registered team to wholly be using the first group set that integrates hydraulic technology from disc brakes into the drivetrain, the hotly anticipated ROTOR ‘UNO Hydraulic group set’. The complete group set, along with 2INpower power meter, Q RINGS and ROTOR RVOLVER® wheel hubs which are all CNC machined using WNT cutting tools, will make up the essential parts of the Orbea ORCA OMR racing machine.
WNT-ROTOR Pro Cycling will also become a development team for ROTOR products, which are CNC machined with WNT tools on DMG Mori Machines by EDR. The close link between WNT Cutting Tools and ROTOR will develop both ROTOR products and the team, who will be taking on the highest level of UCI racing throughout Europe.
Claude Sun, Managing Director WNT Germany and team manager of WNT-ROTOR Pro Cycling is excited about 2018 and said;
“It is the next logical evolution between ROTOR and WNT in our concept in investing in Women’s cycling with a pro cycling team. Together we hope to make 2018 our most successful year as a Pro Cycling team and continue to improve both ROTOR products and our riders.”
ROTOR CEO Jose Manuel Banqueri commented:
“We’re extremely proud to be associated with WNT-ROTOR Pro Cycling team, who have shown consistent growth and improvement year on year in the demanding world of women’s professional cycling. We look forward to working together in both product development and competition for the 2018 season.”
Wolfpack, a new tyre brand from Germany will join us in providing high quality tyres for the 2018 season whilst exclusive Swiss shoe brand, Suplest will be providing their distinctive, quality ‘Road Series Edge/3 pro’ shoes which won the ‘Design and Innovation Award 2016’.
The team will now travel to Cambrils for their ten-day training camp ahead of their first race, Setmana Ciclista Valenciana UCI 2.2 from the 22nd- 25th February.
Rider roster for 2018: Anna Badegruber, Lydia Boylan, Natalie Grinczer, Hayley Jones, Melissa Lowther, Elise Maes, Eileen Roe, Hayley Simmonds, Aafke Soet and Lea Lin Teutenberg.
You can watch our team presentation here:


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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a ripple effect on the food industry. Food businesses have had to adjust their business models, with many adapting to take-out and delivery models due to temporary shutdowns. Food businesses have also had to incorporate big changes such as physical distancing measures, personal protective equipment (PPE) and new cleaning and sanitizing protocols in order to adhere to COVID-19 safety requirements. But what food businesses may not be paying enough attention to is another big change: new types of customers that have emerged due to the pandemic.
The pandemic is having significant effects on the behaviour of customers, and food businesses need to ensure that they are catering to these new types of customers. This is the best way to ensure that customers are satisfied and keep coming back.
It's wise for food business owners and managers to spend time thinking about the different types of customers that are now frequenting the business during the pandemic. It is important to identify what the different types are, and make sure that all types are being catered to as they will have different expectations, needs and opinions.
Let’s take a look at the different types of customers:
Ready to dine-in again
These customers are the first ones through the door when food businesses are able to open for indoor dining. They enjoy the social aspect of dining out and may use restaurants to meet up with friends, family or even colleagues. These are supportive customers that are important for food businesses to cater to, especially during the pandemic when business is slower than usual.
Food businesses can cater to these customers by making them feel welcomed and valued. Providing special menu items or discounts on traditional favourites for only dine-in meals will help these customers see how much they are appreciated. Making these customers feel valued also comes from top-notch customer service. Front-of-house staff must ensure that indoor diners are welcomed warmly, seated promptly and served with care. These customers will continue to come back and dine indoors if they can see how much they are appreciated.
It is also important for food businesses to ensure that all COVID-19 safety protocols are implemented consistently and correctly. This demonstrates to dine-in customers that the food business is taking the pandemic seriously. These customers will appreciate knowing that they are in good hands and as safe as possible.
Excited but hesitant
These customers are the ones who enjoyed dining out before the pandemic and want to do it again but are a bit hesitant. These may be people who frequented the food business before, but they may have personal reasons for why they are not quite comfortable doing so again (e.g. high-risk family members at home, high-risk themselves, working with high-risk people). It's important for food businesses to cater to these customers by providing a clean, physically distant and comfortable atmosphere.
Even though these customers may be hesitant to dine indoors, they are likely comfortable supporting their local food business by dining outdoors. Outdoor dining options, like patios, are ideal for these types of customers and if permitted by local health authorities, is an option that should be considered. The pandemic has forced many businesses to get creative and even explore year-round outdoor dining options in order to continue outdoor dining during the cold winter months.
If considering outdoor dining as an option, food businesses should ensure that all COVID-19 safety measures are in place on patios and other outdoor dining areas as required by local health authorities. These customers will appreciate knowing that they can dine at the food business and still be as safe as possible. Food businesses can also inform these customers that the same COVID-19 safety protocols are in place inside, which may make them feel comfortable and entice them to dine indoors next time.
Only comfortable with take-out and delivery
These customers want to support their local food businesses but are not ready to dine out just yet. They are also probably the ones that have been ordering from the food business even during temporary closures. It is important for food businesses to recognize and acknowledge that even though these customers are not dining at the premises, they are still supporting the food business with their take-out and delivery orders.
Food businesses can ensure that these customers know they are valued by providing an easy ordering experience. Ensure that customers can order take-out and delivery effortlessly and be sure that they are acknowledged in some way that makes them feel special. Providing discount coupons to those ordering take-out or delivery is a great way to show that their business is valued. It is also essential that staff members who take the order, hand over the take-out meal or deliver the order to the customer have excellent customer service. These customers will continue to order from a food business if they have a pleasant experience with the staff members they interact with.
These customers will also be comforted by seeing that the food business is following COVID-19 safety protocols such as physical distancing between staff and customers, using contactless payment, zero contact pick-up/deliveries and using personal protective equipment. By letting these customers see that the food business is following protocols, they may start feeling ready to dine out again. Food businesses can also let these customers know that the patio or outdoor space is open for dining through promotional materials placed in take-out/delivery bags. These customers may be willing to try dining outside if they know it is an option.
Sticking to home-cooked meals
These customers are the ones that food businesses have lost during the pandemic. For personal reasons, they are not ready to order take-out, get food delivered or dine out at a food business right now. However, it is important that food businesses do not forget about these customers. Many of these customers are probably missing their favourite local eateries, but are unwilling to take the risk. Even though they are not dining from a food business now, it does not mean they won’t order from a food business in the future or partake in indoor dining again.
Food businesses can reach out to these customers by using their website, social media and traditional marketing such as fliers to keep them informed about the business. These customers will want to know that the food business is following COVID-19 safety protocols and what steps are being taken to ensure safety for staff and customers. Food businesses can reassure these potential customers by communicating the protocols that are in place for take-out and delivery, dining outdoors on a patio and dining indoors. If customers can learn and see what is being done in the food business to keep people safe, they will be more willing to try take-out, delivery or possibly even sit on a patio. The key is to demonstrate what is being done and put their minds at ease. It is also important to let these customers know that they are valued and important, even if they are not ready to eat out of the home just yet.


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Indian Mobile Phone Industry : Steady Growth
Though currently dominated by the Chinese brands, the Indian mobile phone market is staring at completely different dynamics in coming times on account of Covid-19, Indo-China border dispute and PLI scheme
India is the second largest smartphone market, just behind China, and among one of the fastest growing markets in the world. The sheer size of the market, more than 300 million untapped population and plethora of handset options are some major factors that are helping the nation posting impressive growth year over year. In FY 2020, the country shipped close to 283 million mobile phones including more than 150 million smartphones, and registered a Y-o-Y growth of 8%. And that too despite the Covid-19 related business lethargy in March. The deadly disease coupled with India-China border dispute in the following months are, however, turning out to be a blessing in disguise for the Indian mobile phone and electronics industry as many of global firms having manufacturing facilities in China are showing interest to shift their bases to India.
India’s smartphone market shipped 152.5 million units in 2019, according to IDC, with a modest 8.0% year-over-year (YoY) growth. The overall mobile phone market, with annual shipments of 282.9 million units, declined by (-12.3%) YoY in 2019 due to fewer 4G feature phones.
Online distribution channel, like previous years, registered impressive growth of 18.4% capturing a market share of 41.7% in 2019 as per the research firm. Many of the firms held back their online exclusive models to be sold in offline channels. This resulted in slow offline growth of just 1.6% in the year 2019. The reasons for online growth can be attributed to many factors including multi-prong offers and schemes, No cost EMIs, cashback offers etc.
Smartphone ASPs stood at $163 in 2019, registering 2.8% YoY growth with the sub-$200 segment still accounting for 79% of the market. The mid-range segment of $200-500 accounted for the strongest YoY growth of 55.2%, accounting for 19.3% of the overall smartphone market. In the mid-premium ($300-500) segment, vivo continued to lead the market with 28.0% share in 2019, on the back of the high selling vivo V15 Pro, followed by OnePlus at 20.2% share owing to the OnePlus 7 model. In the premium ($500+) segment, Apple surpassed Samsung for the leadership position with a market share of 47.4% in 2019, driven by aggressive price drops on previous generation models, bank offers on debit/credit cards, strong e-Tailer sales momentum, and a lower iPhone 11 launch price compared to the iPhone XR.
Of the entire year, the Q3 smartphone shipments were a record-breaking one. The country shipped 46.6 million smartphones in the three month period ended September 2019 registering a 26.5% Q-o-Q growth. This was driven by multiple online sale festivals, new model launches, and price corrections on a few key models by various brands. While the low-end price segment of $200 still accounted for 80% of the overall India smartphone market in 3Q19, its share dropped by five percentage points YoY at the cost of the mid-range segment of US $200-$500, gaining six percentage points to 18.9% in 3Q19. The fastest growing segment in 3Q19 was $300-500 with double the shipments YoY as key models like the OnePlus 7, Redmi K20 Pro and vivo V15 Pro had good traction. $200-300 was the second fastest growing segment with 47.8% YoY growth in 3Q19, with strong shipments of the Galaxy A50, Redmi Note 7 Pro and vivo Z1 Pro. The ASP for the overall smartphone market was $159, with 2.7% YoY growth in 3Q19.
In Q4, a total of 36.9 million smartphone units were shipped to the country showing a 5.5% YoY growth but a 20.8% quarter-on-quarter decline. Usually the third quarter sees heavy channel loading in preparation for the Diwali festive period, and the last quarter of the year sees a cyclical dip as channels focus on clearing leftover inventory. Owing to multiple rounds of sales by e-Tailers beyond the festive quarter continuing into December, the online channel registered 11.2% YoY growth in 4Q19 with a share of 43.3%. However offline shipments remained flat with 1.4% YoY growth in 4Q19.
The ASP for 4Q stood at an all-time high of $172, as shipments in $200-300 grew by 71.9% YoY on the back of fast selling Galaxy M30s and vivo S1, while strong shipments of the newly launched iPhone 11 series drove the $700 and above segment. In the mid-premium ($300-500) segment in 4Q19, OPPO surpassed OnePlus for the leadership position with a share of 26.8% and 24.4% respectively with the fast-moving Reno 2 series. In the premium ($500+) segment, Apple reached a record 75.6% market share.
In Q2, total shipment of 36.9 million was recorded, with a 9.9% year-on-year (YoY) and 14.8% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) growth. A total of 69.3 million mobile phones were shipped to India in 2Q19, which was up 7.6% over the previous quarter.
In Q1 India’s smartphone market got off to a good start with a total shipment of 32.1 million units, maintaining a healthy 7.1% year-on-year (YoY). High channel inventory from the previous quarter resulted in a sequential decline of 8.4%. Large shipments in the festival quarters of 3Q18 and 4Q18 led to high channel inventory, leading to flat YoY growth in offline channels in 1Q19. But new products still arrived in Samsung’s A series and online-heavy vendors like Xiaomi and Realme expanded to offline counters.
Chinese Dominance Continues
The Indian mobile phone market is primarily dominated by the Chinese brands and close to 75% of smartphones remained under the dragon’s hold in 2019.
Xiaomi registered annual shipments of 43.6 million units in 2019, the highest ever smartphone shipments made by any brand in a year, with a growth of 9.2% YoY. The Redmi Note 7 Pro and Redmi 6A were the highest shipped devices nationally in 2019. Xiaomi continued to dominate in 4Q19 with 15.9% YoY growth on the back of newly launched Redmi Note 8 Pro/8A/Note 8/8 series. The brand commanded a market share of 28.6% in FY2020, IDC reports.
Samsung shipped a total of 31 million smartphones during the last year and placed in distant second position with a market share of 20.3%. The company registered declining shipments amongst the top five brands with a (15.4%) YoY decline in 4Q19. The refreshed Galaxy As series was unable to sustain its momentum owing to a delay in launch time and a gap in phasing out the older Galaxy A clubbed with fewer channel incentives. However, its Galaxy M series and in particular Galaxy M30s performed well in the online segment, helping to revive its online share in 4Q19 at an all-time high of 16.6%. Despite the attractive cashback offers in the premium ($500+) segment, Samsung faced heat from offerings by Apple, leading to channel inventories.
Vivo, with annual shipment of 23.8 million in the last year, retained its third place in the Indian smartphone chart. The firm captured a market share of 15.6% showing year-on-year growth of 67%. During the last quarter of the financial year it also became the leader in the offline channel, ahead of Samsung on the back of multiple price drops across major models in Nov/Dec’19 to clear off inventory post-Diwali, clubbed with attractive channel schemes in 4Q19. The continued focus on its offline channel, despite the exclusive line-up in online channel and presence across price segments, led to this phenomenal rise in 2019.
OPPO shipped 16.3 million phones during the last year and was placed at the fourth position with a market share of 10.7% In 4Q19, the company posted a huge YoY growth of 88.4% on the back of its affordable A series and successful Reno 2 series. The offline channel remains upbeat with the incentives and offerings and spends on marketing initiatives.
Realme shipped 16.2 million smartphones in 2019 and had a market share of 10.6%. However, if compared the market share on a yearly basis, the company shows a growth of 264% over 2018. The realme C2 featured in the top 5 model list in the online channel in 2019. Further, its newly launched X2 Pro became the highest shipped device in the mid-premium $300-500 segment in 4Q19.
Transsion Group brands (Itel, Infinix, and Tecno) reached its highest ever market share during the last quarter of the year, registering 78% YoY growth. Transsion remained strong in tier 3, tier 4 cities, and rural India. Itel continues to be the number one smartphone brand in the entry-level sub-INR 4,000 (~$ 55) price segment, while Tecno and Infinix showed good YoY growth in the INR 6000-INR 10000 (~$ 80-$130) segment by bringing attractive features in budget level smartphones. Itel also remained the #1 feature phone brand during the quarter.
Poco that debuted as an Independent brand, got off to a good start by capturing a 2% market share during its first entire month of operations in March 2020. It was also among the top five brands in the INR 15-20K (~$200-$260) price segment.
Apple was one of the fastest-growing brands in the year 2019 driven by multiple price cuts on its XR device, thanks to local manufacturing in India. Yet, its market share is less than a percent in India.
The Indian mobile phone industry got its biggest jolt at the beginning of the financial year due to Covid-19 pandemic. The markets remained shut for the entire Q1 and there were some online sales started in June.
In the previous three month period, India’s smartphone market saw a relatively flat opening quarter with year-over-year (YoY) growth of 1.5% to 32.5 million units in 1Q20. Despite that, India was the only country amongst the top 3 to see any growth, as both China and USA markets declined YoY by (-20.3%) and (-16.0%) respectively in 1Q20. Inventories remained high throughout the distribution channels due to seasonally low demand in the first quarter, clubbed with the Covid-19 impact from mid-March 2020 onwards as the nationwide lockdown was announced.
The impact of the pandemic is expected to continue for another two quarter, experts believe and the market may shrink by 10-12% during this phase.
There is one more reason that would deepen the shrink – the China-India border dispute that is continuing Since June 2020.
If you look at the contribution of Chinese brands, their market share fell to 72% in Q2 2020 from 81% in Q1 2020. This was mainly due to the mixture of stuttering supply for some major Chinese brands such as OPPO, vivo and realme, and growing anti-China sentiment that was compounded by stringent actions taken by the government to ban more than 50 apps of Chinese origin and delay the import of goods from China amid extra scrutiny. This all resulted from the India-China border dispute during June.
However, huge opportunities lie ahead for India to become a manufacturing and export hub for handsets owing to the Indian government’s push. After the launch of the Rs 41000 crore. PLI scheme in April, OEMs are planning to set up production bases in India. For example, Lava, a homegrown brand is also planning to shift its handset production from China to India to leverage the PLI scheme. Apple is also planning to shift 20% smartphone production from China to India. Post announcement of schemes likes NPE-2019 and PLI, the Indian mobile phone industry is aiming at a revenue of $100 billion including $40 billion from exports by 2025.
This is going to boost the morale of local manufacturers including Lava, Karbonn and Micromax. Couple of the. Companies from the list have already waken up from their slumber and applied to the Government of India to take the benefits of the PLI scheme by commencing their smartphone production in India.
Further, Google’s partnership with Jio is expected to bring a highly affordable 4G Android smartphones to the Indian consumers. The ‘VocalforLocal’ sentiment will also have its play in coming times.
Feature phone is one more segment that might see some growth in coming times. India is home to more than 350 million feature phone users and the feature phone market was the worst affected segment as it declined by a massive 68% YoY in Q2 2020 as consumers in this highly cost-sensitive segment tried to save money by reducing discretionary purchases. In the near-to-mid term, this could actually boost the used and refurbished mobile phone market.
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Founding firms of the new marketplace, dubbed IntercontinentalExchange, include giants BP Amoco, Deutsche Bank, The Goldman Sachs Group, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Royal Dutch/Shell Group, SG Investment Banking and the Totalfina Elf Group. The companies said they expect to revamp the way the industry conducts business by speeding up the purchasing process. Historically, the bulk of wholesale energy and metals trading has been conducted via telephone.
IntercontinentalExchange initially will begin trading a variety of petroleum and precious metals-based over-the-counter products later this year, with plans to develop additional markets for other products, such as natural gas, electrical power and a variety of base metals, the companies said in a statement. Buyers and sellers do not need to pay membership fees or other dues in order to take part in the exchange, which will be open to all commercial market participants, the companies said.
Financial terms of the new venture were not disclosed.
Such business-to-business exchanges, or online marketplaces, typically match buyers with sellers in a specific industry or connect buyers to an individual company. Companies participating in online exchanges hope to drastically drive down the cost of doing business by buying in bulk, thereby increasing profits. In 1999, the commodities market for over-the-counter contracts was roughly $1.8 trillion.
A number of exchanges have popped up in recent weeks as more and more companies begin to throw their hats in the heavily touted business-to-business e-commerce field, a market that is projected to reach between $2.7 trillion to $7.3 trillion by 2004, according to leading research firms.
Last week, more than 50 consumer products companies, including Proctor & Gamble, Kraft Foods, Nestle USA, Bestfoods and Colgate-Palmolive, announced similar plans to participate in a new open marketplace in an effort to drive down purchasing and inventory costs for the consumer products industry.
Several giant manufacturers have recently inked deals to deliver industrywide trading exchanges, including giant automakers Ford, General Motors and Daimler Chrysler. Last month, they agreed to merge their separate online trading exchanges--GM's TradeXchange and Ford's AutoXchange--to link some 30,000 suppliers. That merger also will cut costs by eliminating the paperwork and time it takes to process thousands of transactions.
In addition to running a massive trading exchange, IntercontinentalExchange said it will provide a hefty back-office system that will automate the transactions and purchasing process conducted in the marketplace. The site will provide participants with global trading support around the clock and throughout the business week, the companies said.
IntercontinentalExchange will be based in Atlanta, Ga., and led by Jeffrey Sprecher, the former chief executive of Continental Power Exchange, which developed the trading system to be used by the new marketplace.


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KARACHI: Leaders representing traders and retailers have said the delay in issuance of notification for the removal of fixed sales tax of Rs6,000 in electricity bills is creating a lot of problems for small businesses.
They said some traders fearing power disconnection had paid the bill in June even though the sales tax collection through electricity bills was targeted to be collected from July.
Many traders had not paid the bill at the request of trade bodies which showed strong resistance towards the imposition of fixed sales tax in power bills forcing the government to withdraw it.
Markeze Anjuman-e-Tajiran Pakistan President Kashif Chaudhry told Dawn from Lahore on Thursday that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Aug 5 issued minutes of Aug 4 meeting presided over by Finance Minister Miftah Ismail in which various decisions regarding sales tax collection through electricity bills were taken.
He was of the view that the decisions included in the minutes of the meeting were enough instead of issuing any notification or any SRO.
However, he urged the government to issue instructions or any circular to the banks to accept the power bills without the sales tax and also delete the late surcharge fees as 70-80pc traders have not paid their bills due to countrywide protest.
The meeting decided that the fixed tax scheme introduced through Finance Act 2022 would be rolled back ab initio and the retailers would continue to pay taxes as per the previous mechanism and rates.
The previous tax rates would continue to apply to retailers from July 1 to September. The government would review the situation and would notify new tax rates effective from Oct 1. For reversal of the fixed tax scheme, necessary legislation would be enacted by the FBR as soon as possible, the minutes said.
All City Tajir Itehaad Association General Secretary M. Ahmed Shamsi said the finance minister on Aug 5 announced the removal of the Rs6,000 sales tax and assured the trade bodies that he would call upon KE head of billing in Karachi on Aug 6 to issue new bills without sales tax besides extending the due date by eight to 10 days.
Supreme Council of Traders chief Imran Baghpati asked the government to evolve a mechanism to refund Rs6,000 sales tax to all those who had paid their June bills.
Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2022


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Caledonia Park signs Cornish Bakery in Scottish debut – Retail News – A1 Retail Magazine
Railpen, the investment manager responsible for the safekeeping and administration of over £37 billion AUM for several pension schemes has announced the award winning, independent Cornish Bakery, will open later this year at Caledonia Park, Scotland’s premier design village, marking a national debut for the brand.
Cornish Bakery, which delivers a range of exceptional coffee and pastries, is set to open a 2,500 sq ft unit later this year. Ranked as one of the fastest growing bakery brands in the UK, the independent bakery chain continues to outperform rivals, and will become a key part of Caledonia Park’s growing F&B offer.
The Caledonia Park location will form a vital part of the independent bakery’s store expansion, with eight new locations set to open over the UK in the next twelve months.
Steve Grocutt, Founder of Cornish Bakery, commented on the signing: “Caledonia Park is the perfect location to launch our distinctive brand in Scotland, proving my mantra that bakery is the new coffee shop. We are continually looking to increase our estate as one of the fastest growing, independent bakery brands in the UK, and we are looking forward to making our mark in Caledonia Park alongside an impressively strong retail line-up.”
Matthew Howard, Head of Asset Management at Railpen, added: “As we look ahead to the future of Caledonia Park, one of our main priorities is to extend our F&B offer. We’ve experienced a wave of retail firsts over the last few months, such as Kate Spade New York and Animal, and we are keen to replicate this success within our culinary line-up. For outlet schemes to work successfully, the retail element must be matched with great F&B concepts that suit everyone’s needs. We are pleased to see the likes of Cornish Bakery choosing Caledonia Park to launch their Scottish debut site amongst a loyal and dedicated consumer base, as well as welcoming a classic brand, such as Lindt, that consumers around the UK know and love.”
Johnstone Property Consultants and Time Retail Partners acted for Caledonia Park.
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New Wines From Ancient Vines - The Armenian Wine Renaissance
Armenia is the oldest winemaking nation on Earth, yet contemporary Armenian winemaking is less than 20 years old. This juxtaposition of ancient and modern is what makes Armenian wine so exciting.
In Armenia’s Vayots Dzor Province archaeologists discovered the oldest known wine making facility. The same vineyards that produced grapes for winemakers in 4,000 BC are now farmed by a new generation of Armenians determined to put Armenia back on the world’s wine map.
To learn more, check out the Armenian Wine Homepage: kinihomepage.org


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Joined-up thinking – and the very latest in technology – means the ability to offer customers the exciting entertainment experiences they crave
Megatrends are making their mark in the video industry, affecting device manufacturers, content distributors and consumers alike.
These trends include the collision between over-the-top (OTT ) content distribution using the internet and pay TV business models, the blossoming of connected TV strategies and the increasing importance of social media in TV.
As these shifts occur, consumer electronics manufacturers, operators and media companies look to evolve new business models to profit from these trends, combining ideas to deliver new solutions which contribute to a mature and rich multiscreen, multiroom experience for consumers.
ACCESS understands and is excited about these megatrends. It will continue to use its experience of providing advanced software technologies for digital devices including mobile phones, games devices, TVs and set-top boxes to deliver solutions that rise to the challenge of these industry shifts.
In what is undoubtedly an increasingly fragmented digital market, standards to achieve uniformity and consistency in software development are of key importance. The flood of smartphones, digital TVs and tablets on to the high street means that consumers increasingly want to share the content they have purchased and created.
The Digital Living Network Alliance standard, for example, focuses on allowing customers to easily access, search and share digital content in the home. HbbTV, the new standard for interactivity, is also gaining ground fast throughout Europe and has been developed to provide exciting new TV experiences by merging the worlds of broadcast TV and broadband internet.
Dr Neale Foster, ACCESS vice president of Global Sales IA , says: “We believe in the power of standard-based technology and we draw on our experience of shipping our solutions in over one billion devices worldwide to deliver next-generation technologies. With these solutions we enable exciting features such as ‘swipe-to-share’, a consumer-friendly method of viewing video from a camcorder straight to your own or a friend’s TV, tablet, PC or smartphone.
“ACCESS offers device manufacturers, middleware companies and operators a tool kit of solutions in connected home, connected TV and OTT which they can use to fuel innovation and revenue by creating the funky experiences that consumers now demand.”


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The Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) has released the results of its latest survey, which shows that farmers can protect themselves against increases in feeds and supplement costs by choosing native breed livestock.
The RBST Commercial Trends Survey 2023 shows that, of farmers who keep both native and continental breeds or who have switched from continental breeds to native breeds, 69% said that overall costs with native breeds were lower than with continental breeds. This compares with 7% who said native breed costs were higher and 21% who said costs were the same.
On feed and supplement costs specifically, 59% of farmers who keep both native and continental breeds, or who have switched from continental breeds to native breeds, thought their feed and supplement costs were lower with native breeds than their experience or expectation with continental breeds.
The survey also shows that the opportunity for cost savings with native breeds extends to land and veterinary costs too, with 62% saying their costs related to the type of land required are lower with native breeds than with continental breeds, and 53% of respondents saying their veterinary costs are lower with native breeds.
RBST Chief Executive Christopher Price said: “The fact that our hardy native breeds generally require lower inputs has become even more appealing as costs such as feed and supplements have skyrocketed, and look set to stay elevated. The chance to insulate against higher input costs, coupled with the opportunity to sell native breed produce for a premium thanks to its high quality and provenance, creates a strong opportunity for commercial success not only in the current inflationary environment but looking at longer-term resilience too.”
Sally Lugg, who farms with native breeds in Cornwall and runs premium Cornish pork business The Primrose Herd, said: “Whilst native breed pigs take longer to finish we use a lower percentage protein feed which is cheaper than commercial diets. There is also less labour needed as we do not routinely use antibiotics, teeth clip, castrate or tail dock.”
When asked about barriers to growth, there is consistency in the new survey results with those of the first RBST Commercial Trends survey (2021) in identifying the lack of suitable abattoirs as a key barrier to future business growth. 35% of respondents consider the lack of suitable abattoir as one of the greatest barriers to growing their native breed business.
Mr Price said: “The survey results show a thriving and dynamic native breeds sector with strong levels of investment and positivity about future growth, particularly related to increasing consumer interest in the environmental impact, welfare standards, local provenance and quality of the meat they eat. However concern remains high that the lack of local abattoirs suitable for native breed farming is a frustrating barrier to growth.
“We have been drawing Government’s attention to this problem and suggesting solutions, and we welcome the Farming Minister’s announcement of the Small Abattoir Fund. Translating the announcement of the fund into positive action on the ground, and soon, is critical.”


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The six board members of the fraud-hit Satyam Computer Services met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Thursday and apprised them about the steps taken to revive the IT company.
"The government has been very very helpful and positive. . .it was a good day, we were all in town (and) so we just came to say thank you because we have reached a stage", company's chairman Kiran Karnik told PTI after meeting Ahluwalia.
The meetings with Singh and Ahluwalia have taken place just two days before the announcement of the results of the general elections for the 15th Lok Sabha.
Besides Karnik, the other nominees on the Satyam board are HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh, former ICAI chairman T M Manoharan, CII chief mentor Tarun Das, LIC executive S B Mainak and former presiding officer of Securities and Appellate Tribunal C Achuthan.
Following Satyam founder B Ramalinga Raju's disclosure of the accounting fraud in January, the government disbanded the then board of the company and appointed six nominees, including chairman Karnik, to run the company.
Satyam is in the process of being taken over by Tech Mahindra, which emerged as the highest bidder in the auction to acquire the IT company.Asked on how long the government nominees would continue on the board of Satyam, Karnik said, "It is up to Tech Mahindra to decide ... They are the new owners."
As regards the government-appointed board, he said, "We have finished our task and now we should move out ...We were appointed by the government to do a certain job. The company has now done well ... it survived. It got a new owner. We should be out of it."
While paving the way for the takeover of Satyam by Tech Mahindra, the Company Law Board allowed the new owners to appoint four representatives on the board of the company.
On the strategy of the company to deal with class suits in the US and a similar one being tried here, Karnik said, "It is up to Tech Mahindra (to deal with them). They are not too worrisome. I think they can be handled."
Consumer organisation Midas Touch Investors Association has filed a type of class suit before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission seeking compensation of about Rs 5,000 crore (Rs 50 billion) for the 300,000 retail shareholders of Satyam.
The case, however, was not entertained by the Commission on the grounds that it did not have adequate infrastructure to deal with such suits. MTIA is reportedly planning to move higher court.


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DNS cache poisoning bugs hits Symantec shops
Spyware served up by fiendish, widespread attack
Crackers are using a security vulnerability in Symantec's enterprise products to redirect surfers to websites hosting malicious code. The main vector of the DNS cache poisoning attack, detected by the SANS Institute's Internet Storm Centre on 4 March, has been traced back to a vulnerability affecting Symantec firewalls with DNS caching.
Symantec has issued a hotfix for its Symantec Enterprise Firewall and Enterprise Security Gateway appliance products. Even users who applied a July 2004 fix to correct a previous DNS cache poisoning problem are advised to revisit the issue. A few non-Symantec users reported similar issues, so the problem is not solely confined to Symantec firewall users. The SANS Institute, which is tracking the issue, has issued general advice on dealing with the problem.
As a result of the attack, enterprise users visiting popular domain names such as google.com, ebay.com, and weather.com were redirected to servers hosting malware (the ABX toolbar spyware). The spyware was loaded using an ActiveX-controlled blocked by XP SP2, but other Windows shops will have to clean up client machines as well as patch enterprise systems. ®


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Wednesday, March 02, 2011
MALLORCA TODAY - Alcúdia's fishermen snub annual cuttlefish fair
The annual sepia (cuttlefish) fair that takes place alongside the boat fair in Puerto Alcúdia, and which is scheduled for the weekend of 9 to 10 April, looks as though it will not involve the local fishermen who capture the sepia, or indeed their sepia. The fishermen's association has said that it will not participate or assist in any fashion as it gets no support from local restaurants which, rather than buying sepia from the Alcúdia fishermen, acquire it from wholesalers. The restaurants argue that they can get high-quality sepia at around half the price than that which it costs from the local fishermen.


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“You want a free ‘Watchmen’ poster?” asks Gordo as he sits in front a glass display case with about 15 stacks of different comic books at Hi De Ho Comics & Books with Pictures on Santa Monica Boulevard, a couple blocks away from 3rd Street Promenade. “Wanna free holiday issue?” he later asks a teenage boy eyeing the free comics.
The store participated in the international Free Comic Book Day Saturday, May 2, and Hi De Ho Comics co-owner Bob Hennessy says there’s been a noticeable number of people coming in for the event. At the time of this blogger’s visit, there was a steady flow of 30 to 40 customers at any given time in the 2,300-square-foot store.
“Comic books are a subgenre of literature,” says the 60-year-old Hennessy, who co-owns the Santa Monica store with his 59-year-old brother, Mark. “There are some things that the medium does that other media can’t,” says Bob, sitting in the store’s back office. “It’s enchanting.”
Now more than ever, he says, great comic book writers and artists are emerging. More recently, there have been some great non-fiction graphic novels. “It really is good story-telling,” he says, adding that many of the best writers who earn a living elsewhere and stray from comics eventually return to the art form, “not because of the money,” but because they truly love the genre, says Hennessy.
In addition to its bricks-and-mortar front, the store also sells on eBay (where they’ve had over 2,300 transactions) and just recently joined Twitter (“Holy moly, there’s a lot of people here for free comics” someone posted around noon on Saturday).
And despite the constant gloom-and-doom headlines about the economy, Hennessy says his business has managed to stay afloat.
“We have felt it…but not as heavily as the automobile industry,” he says. “When we first started reading the horror stories in September , I just assumed it would [affect business],” he says. Americans seemed to internalized the media’s message of “be afraid” when banks were failing and foreclosures were nothing new, and that fear began to take a toll on their business in the fall of 2008, says Hennessy. But after the smoke began to clear and people were “looking around…[seeing that there were] no bread lines around the corner,” comic book fans came back, he says. “It’s absolutely getting better.”
Hennessy and his brother grew up reading comic books back when the only means to buy them were through catalogs, before there were stores. Eventually, the brothers were buying, selling and trading books at conventions. Finally, they found a storefront in 1977 in West L.A., where rent was only $90 a month (A price the brothers were willing to take a chance on, Hennessy says). As business grew, the store relocated, and it’s called its current location – the third one so far, which is “as big as we’ve allowed it to get” – ‘home’ since 1982. Hennessy estimates the number of comics they’ve sold as in “the tens of millions.”
David Moreno, who is perusing the store’s south wall with his friend, Frank Cervantes, always noticed the store as he passed it on Santa Monica Boulevard, but never made time to stop. It’s his first time stepping into Hi De Ho, he says while clutching “A Death in the Family,” a book in the Batman series (He had always been meaning to catch up on parts of the series, he says). Rattling off names like Joseph Linsner, Frank Frazetta and other artists of which this blogger is oblivious, the 30-year-old lists just some of his favorites, adding that he usually never shops for anything specific, just “whatever I’m in the mood for.” He’s currently building his own portfolio, he says, because he’s “hoping to get into the comic business.”
Gordo, who has been working at the store for 14 years, says he hasn’t noticed fans shying away in significant numbers from collecting comics because of the economy. Many Santa Monica residents work in the film and arts industries and are regular customers, he says.
“It’s the right thing in the right place,” he says.
For more photos, click below.


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Apple Wins Trillion Dollar Company Race
The latest figures from Apple appear to show that it has beaten tech giants like Amazon in the race to become the world’s first trillion dollar company.
Amazon Pays Less Tax In UK While Profits Rise
The latest figures show that even though Amazon’s profits trebled last year, their UK tax bill has significantly reduced.
Forced Unbundling of Google Apps From Android
The European Commission anti-competition ruling against Google that will force it to change its OS by unbundling the Google Play store and native apps could help other phone makers, but could also make the new ‘P’ version of Android’s OS less interesting.
Google’s G Suite Will Warn Of State-Sponsored Attacks
Google has announced that it will be adding a feature to G Suite that will let businesses / organisations know if their users are being targeted by a government-backed cyber attack.
Half of Us Will Activate Our New GDPR Rights Within A Year
The results of a new survey by analytics, business intelligence and data management firm SAS indicate that more than half of UK consumers look likely to exercise their new GDPR rights within the first year of GDPR’s introduction.
Tech Tip – Set Preferred Folder View
If you’ve got a mix of display settings that suits your preferences and needs e.g. a certain thumbnail size, in Windows you can easily set this as the default for all folders of the same type. Here’s how:


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CHECK OUT THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF NOTORIOUS BIG’S “ME AND MY B*TCH”
THERE ARE ONLY A PRIVILEGED FEW WHO CAN SAY THEY PRODUCED FOR BIGGIE. JIV POS IS ONE OF THEM!
BIGGIE’S SENSELESS MURDER STILL REVERBERATES THROUGH HIP-HOP & OUR COMMUNITIES! READ THE EDITORIAL!
A NEW BIGGIE MOVIE?
(AllHipHop News) A legendary recording studio that is steeped in Hip-Hop folk lore will reopen this weekend in New York City. Quad Studios will reopen their doors to unveil a brand new recording studio next weekend, in a newly renovated space in Times Square. The recording studio is the site where legendary rap star Tupac… Read more »
EXCLUSIVE: DIDDY ISSUES STATEMENT OVER “MURDER RAP” BOOK!
(AllHipHop News) A lawyer for James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond has released a statement denying a report that his client paid to have Tupac Shakur robbed in 1994 at The Quad Studios in Manhattan. Dexter Isaac made the shocking confession to AllHipHop.com that he was paid $2,500 dollars to Rob Shakur on orders from Jimmy Henchman… Read more »


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With the German economy having shrunk by 0.1 percent in the second quarter and facing a real threat of recession, Lithuanian businesses exporting their products to the EU's biggest economy are presented with both new challenges and new opportunities.
Being an open and small economy, Lithuania is depended on exports, and the economic stagnation of Germany, which has become one of its key markets in recent years, is worrisome to exporters.
Vadimas Ivanovas, head of research and analysis at the government's export promotion agency Ente...
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Cable news channel Al Jazeera said it will shut down its US operations by the end of April, citing economic challenges in the US media market.
Al Jazeera America will cease operations by April 30, Qatar-based Al Jazeera Media Network said on Wednesday.
The company will instead expand its existing international digital services in the United States, as consumers ditch traditional media and move to mobile devices for news.
The network will provide more details about the expansion of its digital services in the United States over the coming months, the cable network said.
The company's US network was launched in 2013.


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Delegates attending the cyber security conference for the finance sector organised by ictQATAR’s Cyber Security Division – Qatar Computer Emergency Response Team (Q-CERT).
ictQATAR yesterday hosted a cyber security conference for the finance sector - fin.INFOSEC 2013, which focused on protecting sensitive data and enhancing security.
Representatives of the Qatar’s finance sector came together to address various issues as Internet commerce and banking continue to grow worldwide with consumers demanding more online and mobile services.
This, ictQATAR said creates tremendous opportunities for new business models and enhanced convenience, however for the finance sector, it also creates more challenges for information security. Additionally, as more consumer data is collected and stored, protecting the private information becomes another challenge.
The event was organised by ictQATAR’s Cyber Security Division – Qatar Computer Emergency Response Team (Q-CERT). “In the finance sector, cyber attacks impact large corporations and individual consumers equally. As the potential points for malicious and fraudulent activity increase as a result of advances in technology, it becomes increasingly essential for co-ordination among public and private institutions. Early warnings systems, information sharing mechanisms, applied research and situational awareness are at the heart of developing a safe, and resilient information services networks for the finance sector,” said Khalid al-Hashimi, executive director, ictQATAR’s Cyber Security Division/Q-CERT.
fin.INFOSEC 2013 covered a range of critical cyber security topics for the finance sector, including privacy protection, balancing usability and compliance, effective risk management, payment card security, ATM transactions and financial security awareness programmes. The conference featured both local and regional speakers, including experts from Q-CERT, VISA, HSBC Bank Middle East Qatar, BlackBerry and UBS.
Qatar’s planned Information Privacy and Protection Law was a major part of the discussions, with the law being praised for setting privacy standards for all sectors in the country and for making personal privacy its foundation.
Justin Kenny, HSBC Bank Middle East Qatar Chief Operating Officer said, “More data means more opportunities for businesses and governments to better serve their constituents, however it also brings greater responsibilities to protect personal information. Qatar’s pending privacy law provides a workable framework for the storage and usage of data to help citizens feel secure, while also allowing room for innovative uses of that data to create new opportunities and advancements.”
The second annual fin.INFOSEC conference supports the work being done by Qatar’s Financial Sector Information Risk Expert Committee (FS-IREC), which is a public private partnership group comprising regulators, and banks working within the financial services sector in Qatar.
The FS-IREC collectively addresses topics such as identification of risks in the finance sector, sector critical infrastructures, sector crisis management, standards and best practices, training and awareness, and areas for research and development.
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Global online payment giant PayPal is joining the Australian buy now pay later (BNPL) market, going up against local rival Afterpay (ASX: APT) with the launch of its ‘Pay in 4’ credit platform.
In an announcement on Wednesday, the Nasdaq-listed giant said its BNPL solution will be available to its 9 million Australian customers in early June, ready for use by the end of financial year sales.
PayPal launched its BNPL platform in the US market last September, and its entrance in the Australian market is a sign of the growing competition in the space.
PayPal’s biggest rival in Australia would be $33 billion Afterpay, which has grown swiftly since listing five years ago.
Next in line is $4.7 billion Zip Co (ASX: Z1P), which has also been rising up the ranks particularly in the last year.
Other players in the Australian BNPL space include Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL), Splitit Payments (ASX: SPT), Openpay Group (ASX: OPY) and Humm Group (ASX: HUM), plus a few smaller scale providers including ASX newbies Laybuy Group Holdings (ASX: LBY) and US-focused Zebit (ASX: ZBT), which hit the boards late last year.
PayPal’s merchants will not pay more for BNPL platform
As the name suggests, PayPal’s Pay in 4 scheme allows customers to pay off items in four equal instalments. Customers can borrow up to $1,500 in a single transaction, which is interest-free. Although PayPal charges fees for missed payments like other BNPL platforms.
The service is expected to be available at checkout as a payment option in the PayPal wallet and businesses will be able to show the option on their websites.
It will not cost merchants any more to offer Pay in 4, as the service is already accounted for in its existing fees paid to PayPal. This is what will likely make it competitive with other BNPL operators, which typically charge a bit more.
PayPal has posted rapid growth in the US BNPL market since launching last year and said this expansion is in response to strong demand from Australian customers.
“Our Australian business customers have been requesting buy now pay later functionality from us, and we’re excited that we can offer PayPal Pay in 4 to them at no additional cost,” PayPal Australia general manager of payments Andrew Toon said in a statement.
“During the pandemic we saw more than 2 million Australians start shopping online for the first time. We will continue to support Australian businesses of all sizes to adapt to rapidly changing consumer behaviours by evolving our service to meet their needs,” he added.
As well as the US, PayPal already offers payment instalment solutions in Germany, France and the UK.
Afterpay prepares for European launch
When PayPal first announced its BNPL products last year, Afterpay downplayed the threat with chief executive officer Anthony Eisen telling media that the two companies’ platforms were sufficiently different and that competition from traditional and newer players “will not change our strategy or diminish our global opportunity”.
The news is yet to dampen Afterpay, which was still trading 7.4% higher in afternoon trade on Wednesday on its announcement that it had completed its acquisition of Pagantis in preparation for its expansion into Europe.
Although, it is worth noting Afterpay shares had already fallen sharply in recent days seemingly in response to rising bond yields.
Pagantis was acquired by Afterpay’s European subsidiary Clearpay, which expects to go live with its services initially in Spain, France and Italy.
The Australian giant first announced its intentions to expand into Europe last August, to “capitalise on strong consumer and merchant demand and to increase its global footprint”.
“Entering into such internationally relevant markets like the US and the UK and seeing our growth outpace what we experienced in our more mature Australian market, validates the appeal of our product on a global scale,” Mr Eisen said at the time.
“Acquiring Pagantis provides us with the necessary regulatory licencing, resourcing and infrastructure to expedite the launch of Afterpay into key countries in Southern Europe and beyond.”


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Wayne Rooney's Range Rover is up for grabs - for just a quarter of what he paid for it.
The 2009 vehicle is for sale for an estimated £20,000 to £24,000, and it would have cost the former England captain around £80,000 when bought new.
The Range Rover Vogue 3.6 TDV8 Overfinch, which has done almost 77,000 miles, has been put up for sale by H&H Classics.
The car will come with the original book pack, handbooks and service book and is MOT'd until November 2019.
The maximum speed of the motor is 124 mph, whilst 0-60 mph was reduced to 8.6 seconds for a car with a kerb weight of 2.7 tons.
H&H Classics intend to sell the vehicle at auction on November 28, at The Pavilion Gardens in Buxton and everyone is welcome to attend.
The starting bid has been set at £10,000, and millions of people are expected to show interest.
Rooney, from Croxteth, is England's all time top scorer
He now plies his trade for DC United in the US.
After retiring from the England set-up - he was invited to make a special appearance last night as a substitute in the national side's 3-0 win over the USA at Wembley.
James MacWilliam, of H&H Classics, said: “This vehicle has an interesting provenance which will appeal to millions of football fans, besides being a very nice example of this Range Rover Vogue."


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Commercial video technology firm Haivision announced the continued expansion of its EMEA presence, reporting increased sales and channel support in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and France.
Haivision also recently expanded its headquarters in Germany and increased sales leadership positions in the region.
Haivision supplies powerful solutions for a broad range of video applications across the education, healthcare, corporate and government markets. In the last year, Haivision has seen significant growth in international waters.
“There has been tremendous demand for enterprise video solutions in the EMEA market,” says Mirko Wicha, president and CEO of Haivision. “With our expanded headquarters in Germany, we’re bringing increased sales support and research and development to give our customers the best support and experience so they can work better with video.”
The company’s newest customers in the EMEA region include Airbus, CAE, DNB Bank, Exact Software, London Metropolitan Police, Macmillan Publishers, Press Association, Nordia Bank, NPAS (National Police Air Service), RaboBank, Red Bee Media, RSM International, Sagem, Swedbank and UPM.
Haivision will be presenting its commercial media and streaming solutions at the upcoming Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) show in Amsterdam from Feb. 10-12. You can find the company at Stand 6-M174.


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How much will you spend?
Bringing home a new baby
feels so sweet, but your finances may not look as rosy. A recent study out of the U. K.
found that moms spent upwards of $7,000 by the time their child had his or her first birthday. And it's not all going to daycare and nanny costs: Much of the loot gets spent while baby is still in Mama’s belly. From high-ticket items like nursery furniture, strollers, high chairs, car seats and swings to everyday essentials like baby food, diapers
, clothes, pacifiers and monitors -- it all adds up… fast.


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Air Liquide, world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Airgas, Inc., one of the leading suppliers of industrial gases and associated products and services in the U.S.
Globally, the combined businesses will generate annual sales of more than €20 billion (more than $22 billion at current exchange rates1), employ approximately 68,000 people around the world, and serve well over three million customers and patients.
Benoît Potier, Chairman and CEO of Air Liquide, said: “We are very pleased to have successfully closed our acquisition of Airgas, which will contribute to our strategy of profitable growth over the long term. There is strong industrial and market logic to this acquisition, which ideally positions Air Liquide for future growth. The two businesses are highly complementary, and the transaction extends our customer base through a unique, multi-channel distribution network and a nationwide presence in the U.S. Since founding Airgas some 30 years ago, Peter McCausland has successfully grown the business into one of the premier industrial gas companies in the U.S., and I would like to thank him for his leadership, dedication and achievements. This transaction represents significant value potential for all Air Liquide stakeholders, and it is an exciting day for the Group as we welcome our Airgas colleagues and together begin a new chapter in our history.”
Peter McCausland, Executive Chairman of Airgas, said: “Today’s history-making transaction is the culmination of more than 30 years of growth and value that we have steadfastly delivered to Airgas shareholders – it is a proud moment. The future is very bright for Airgas’ more than one million customers and our talented employees as we join Air Liquide’s unrivalled global footprint and strength in technology and innovation, while remaining committed to Airgas’ product offering, service model, and entrepreneurial culture. Thank you to our customers, shareholders, and associates for believing in the Airgas vision, just as I have, for all of these years.”
Under the terms of the merger agreement, first announced and unanimously approved by each company’s Board of Directors in November 2015, Airgas shareholders receive $143 in cash for each share of common stock of Airgas. In connection with the merger, the Airgas common stock has been delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. Airgas will operate as a subsidiary of Air Liquide within the company’s U.S. operations and, commercially, will go to market as Airgas, an Air Liquide company.
Source: Air Liquide
Corteva (Indianapolis, Indiana) says it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Stoller Group (Houston, Texas), a producer of biostimulants and plant nutrition products, for $1.2 billion. Stoller is one of the largest independent biologicals companies globally, with operations in more than 60 countries and more than $400 million in annual sales.
OMV has announced its new corporate structure today, designed to fully enable the delivery of Strategy 2030. The new organization will be built on five distinct areas. In addition to the CEO and CFO areas, three business segments will be established: Chemicals & Materials, Fuels & Feedstock, and Energy.
The European petchem sector is readying for some tough quarters. It’s a different picture in the US. So is this the best time ever to find a new role in the chemical industry? If you are in Europe, you would expect me to say probably not. But actually, it depends. So let me give you four answers to this question.


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As baby boomers age and the 65-plus population expands, the need for healthcare services will increase rapidly. Heidi Culbertson, CEO of Marvee—a tech company that builds Alexa skills for aging adults—is among a group of healthcare providers and entrepreneurs betting that voice assistants can fill this need.
More Marketers Have to Get Real with Teens
Consulting and Behavioral Insights Lead
Center for Generational Kinetics
How Advertisers Can Capitalize on Esports Fandom and Reach Teens
Associate Professor and Co-Director, Center for Public Opinion
University of Massachusetts Lowell
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