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Sony is doing something unheard of in the consumer electronic space: It’s going to show off prototypes. Can you imagine Apple or Samsung doing that? Not really, no. For several good reasons, electronic companies like to keep products under wraps until they’re completely finished and the company can unveil it with many dogs and ponies.
Sony’s calling this program Future Lab and the first product in the program will be unveiled next week at SXSW. Called Concept “N”, Sony teases the device as “Free your ears, hands, and eyes. Enjoy your favorite activities to the full with a wearable device that never hinders movement.” So yeah, whatever that means.
Future Lab feels like a way for Sony to soft launch various gadgets and test consumers’ reactions. Sony needs this. Over the last few years the company shed much of its excess that was slowing it down and caused it to miss out on the mobile revolution. A generation ago, Sony was the market leader in several key areas. But while Sony was building a movie studio, Apple and Samsung and Lenovo started making gadgets. Future Lab won’t cause Sony to suddenly become the king of electronics again, though it could help it regain its soul.
So far the details of Future Lab are thin. It appears Sony will use it to show off new gadgets with the hope to get feedback from potential users. Kind of like Kickstarter.
In the summer of 2015 Sony launched a similar service in Japan called First Flight that offered a similar service. It’s a site were Sony gadgets could be crowdfunded, thus bring them to market. Sony put five gadgets on First Flight. It’s unclear if Future Lab will replace First Flight.
If done properly, Future Lab could be a big marketing win for Sony. The company might not have the market share it once did, but it’s hard to deny that its current products are not among the best designed products available. Sony clearly didn’t lose its affinity for good design. Future Lab could shed some light into Sony’s R&D labs. That’s exciting. Sony already releases some of the most wild products. I for one want to see what it doesn’t release.


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- Taxify, the European rival to Uber, is expanding into dockless scooters and launching them in Paris under the new Bolt brand.
- It marks an explosion of the scooter war in the French capital, where US startups Bird and Lime have already started to operate.
- Scooter startups are currently barred from operating in London, where electric scooters are illegal.
- Taxify CEO Markus Villig echoed rivals in saying that scooters made more sense for short city trips than cars.
There's a new front in the dockless scooter war.
European ride-hailing firm Taxify is to launch electric scooters for hire in Paris this week, expanding beyond private hire cabs for the first time and jumping on a major Silicon Valley bandwagon.
The company will roll out a fleet of dockless scooters in the French capital this week under the new brand name of Bolt. Passengers will be able to see Bolt scooters available for hire around the city through Taxify's main app, and hire them for €0.15 a minute, with a minimum fare of €1.
The scooters will come with inbuilt GPS, and passengers will be able to "unlock" them by scanning a QR code on the vehicles. Taxify said it would collect scooters every evening for recharging and maintenance.
Paris has become the primary jumping off point for scooter startups launching in Europe because electric scooters are currently illegal in the UK thanks to the Highway Act 1835.
Established US startups Bird and Lime have raised huge amounts of money from venture capital and flooded American cities with scooters before pushing into Europe in recent months, starting with Paris.
Taxify CEO Markus Villig said his firm has the advantage of 500,000 users in Paris already. He also said regulation didn't pose much of a challenge to launching.
"You need to have good relations with a city to deploy hundreds or thousands of scooters," he told Business Insider. "We have been in talks with the local mayor for months and they are essentially very welcoming of scooters."
Asked about the competition, Villig said the goal was to persuade rivals onto the Taxify app.
"Currently we own all our scooters, but we have an ecosystem where we can plug in other providers," Villig said. "At the end of the day, our goal is to be a transportation provider... giving passengers as many options as we can.
"The journey should start with 'Where do you want to go?' and we then offer them a range of options. But we don't have to do it all ourselves."
Uber, which is also expanding from ride-hailing into electric bikes and scooters, has already struck a similar partnership with Lime.
Taxify said it planned to launch scooters in other European cities, and Villig told Business Insider the firm was in talks with London's transport regulator about a British launch. The company is already barred from operating its ride-hailing service in London thanks to issues with its licence, and is currently fighting to relaunch in the capital.
Villig said: "We’re in talks with the city on both the ride-hailing front and on launching scooters. It’s quite obvious that in the long-term, small vehicles are much more efficient from a traffic point of view, [and] environmental impact, [and] ease of use... It's a matter of how fast cities will realise this and regulate."
Both Bird and Lime are currently lobbying for a change in the law to allow scooters in the UK.
Taxify eyes IPO
Taxify raised $153 million from auto firm Daimler in May to fund its expansion. Asked if the company planned to follow Uber and Lyft down the IPO route, Villig said a float would probably happen but the company was still in the building stages.
"Definitely, as we need further funding, an IPO is one of the options for us," he said. "We are currently still in the developing phase [and that is] a bit longer down the line."
He also said a long-term partnership with Daimler could involve exploring autonomous vehicles.

domain: news


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Mattel unveils new Barbie with Down syndrome
Mattel, the renowned toy company, has once again shown its commitment to diversity and inclusivity by unveiling a new Barbie doll with Down syndrome. This latest addition to the Barbie lineup is a remarkable step forward in promoting acceptance and representation in the toy industry.
The new Barbie with Down syndrome is part of Mattel’s ongoing efforts to create dolls that reflect the diverse world we live in. By introducing a doll with a disability like Down syndrome, Mattel aims to promote inclusivity and help break down barriers that people with disabilities often face.
The Barbie doll with Down syndrome features distinct characteristics that accurately represent individuals with this condition. The doll has almond-shaped eyes, a beautiful smile, and is dressed in trendy fashion, just like any other Barbie doll. By capturing the unique features associated with Down syndrome, Mattel ensures that children can identify and connect with the doll on a personal level.
This groundbreaking initiative by Mattel has received widespread acclaim and appreciation from parents, activists, and the disability community. The introduction of a Barbie with Down syndrome can help promote understanding and compassion among children who may not have had exposure to individuals with disabilities. It provides an opportunity for conversations about inclusivity, acceptance, and embracing differences from an early age.
Moreover, the Barbie with Down syndrome sends a powerful message of empowerment to children with disabilities. It shows them that they too can be represented and celebrated, that they are seen and valued. Seeing a doll that looks like them can boost their self-esteem and foster a sense of belonging.
It reminds them that they are not alone and that their dreams and aspirations are valid.
Mattel’s decision to create a Barbie with Down syndrome also highlights the importance of authentic representation in the toy industry. Children’s toys play a significant role in shaping their worldview and understanding of the world around them. By diversifying their doll collection, Mattel acknowledges the significance of representation and ensures that all children can see themselves reflected in the toys they play with.
The introduction of the Barbie with Down syndrome is a testament to Mattel’s commitment to making a positive impact on society. It is an acknowledgment of the beauty of diversity and an encouragement for children to embrace and celebrate differences. By creating a more inclusive doll lineup, Mattel takes a step towards a more inclusive world, where everyone is recognized, valued, and respected.
In conclusion, Mattel’s unveiling of a Barbie doll with Down syndrome is a significant milestone in the toy industry. It promotes inclusivity, representation, and acceptance while empowering children with disabilities. By creating a doll that reflects the diversity of our world, Mattel sets an example for other companies and reminds us all of the importance of embracing differences.
The Barbie with Down syndrome is not just a toy; it is a symbol of progress, compassion, and hope.


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How to buy QLine tickets
- Visit the QLine ticketing mobile site to purchase with a credit or debit card.
- Download the QLine Detroit mobile app for iPhone or Android.
- Daily and 3-hour fares are available for purchase at QLine stations with a credit or debit card.
- Cash purchases can be made on the streetcar for daily and three-hour fares.
- Annual and monthly passes are also available with a money order or check 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Penske Tech Center, 7520 Woodward Ave.
The QLine began charging passengers Tuesday after months of offering free rides as the Detroit streetcar system worked out the kinks, but it appears not all the kinks have been worked out.
Cari Williamson commented on Crain's Facebook page that she she tried to use her annual pass and it didn't work.
The transit line that runs a 6.6 mile loop on Woodward Avenue will have "ambassadors" stationed at kiosks through Sept. 17 to answer questions about ticketing and the QLine Detroit app.
Three hours of unlimited use of the streetcar costs $1.50, daily passes are $3, monthly passes are $30 and annual passes are $285.
The service from New Center to downtown runs 6 a.m.-11 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, 6 a.m.-midnight Friday, 8 a.m.-midnight Saturday and 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday, with extended hours for special events.
Rides on the $187 million streetcar system had been free since the service officially rolled out May 12, with fare implementation being delayed twice. Officials at M-1 Rail, the nonprofit that oversees the QLine system, expect a drop in average ridership — 4,800 riders per day as of late July — as it implements fares. However, ridership is expected to recover and reach the budgetary goal of 5,000 riders per day within a year.
During the two months of extended free service, wait time for the QLine, a major point of criticism, was reduced by 15 percent, M-1 Rail said last week. It has also implemented a new stop policy and reduced battery charging time.
More than 500,000 rides have been taken the QLine since its debut. Officials project an average of 8,000 riders per day after five years.


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May 15, 2017 07:08 AM EDT
Xiaomi Mi Max 2 smartphone rumors are at the peak when compared to that of any other Xiaomi smartphones. A fresh rumor hints that the device will be officially launched in China on May 23, 2017. The Xiaomi Mi Max was launched last year and until now, there are no details officially announced by the company on its successor.
According to GizmoChina, the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 smartphone is speculated to hit the tech market on May 23. It is reported that the publicity for the launch event would commence starting tomorrow. The company has not made any official statement yet on its upcoming device. However, there are chances of the leaks and rumors sometimes going true.
It is reported that the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 smartphone could sport the same 6.44-inch display with 1080p resolution as seen in the Mi Max. The device is speculated to run on an Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS with MIUI 8 and featuring a powerful 5000mAh battery.
It is also reported that the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 could be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 processor for the 4GB RAM variant. While it is speculated that 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant could be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor.
Whereas, the BGR cites that the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 smartphone's previous rumors suggested that the device could be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC in both variants having 6GB and 4GB RAM. The smartphone is tipped to feature a 12-megapixel primary camera with Sony IMX378 sensor and f/2.2 aperture. While the front face of the smartphone could sport a 5-megapixel selfie snapper.
The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 is speculated to feature USB Type-C port and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. It is reported that the smartphone could arrive with a price tag of between 1499 Yuan and 1699 Yuan. Xiaomi has not confirmed the rumors and leaks on the Mi Max 2 smartphone. Therefore, readers are requested to take all the details with a grain of salt. Stay tuned for more updates.
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NPB Announces Pork Industry Sustainability Goals and Metrics, Releases First Official Report
More than half of U.S. consumers have made some modest changes in their purchasing decisions to be more sustainable, according to the Global Sustainability Study 2021.1
Today, the National Pork Board (NPB) shared more about its industry’s aspiration to produce a leading sustainable protein choice, with an announcement of goals and metrics and its first official U.S. Pork Industry Sustainability Report.
Sustainability Goals Developed By Pork ProducersThe goals and report are part of the NPB’s sustainability efforts, which are led by producers and funded by their...
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Audi India will soon be launching the Q5 with the petrol engine on June 28, 2018. The company had already launched the diesel variant of the car in January this year and it was the first launch from the company in 2018. The launch of the petrol variant does not come as a surprise to us, as the company had already announced that it plans to add more petrol variants to its portfolio by 2020 in India. In a bid to achieve that, it launched even the Q7 in a petrol avatar in 2017. The Q5 petrol, then will add to the growing portfolio of the company's car in India. The second generation of the Q5 replaced the car which was first launched in India in 2011.The new Q5 is currently being assembled at the VW plant in Aurangabad and has received a good amount of updates.
The 2018 Audi Q5 is based on the flexible MLB Evo platform and mimics the design of the larger Q7. The new SUV is lighter by a good 100 kg over the predecessor and has also grown in dimensions sporting a longer wheelbase and height. The design is sharper with cleaner lines on the Q5. There's the new single-frame grille with Matrix LED headlamps and a sporty bonnet. The rear sports LED taillights, a roof mounted spoiler and a new bumper with a rear diffuser. Upgrades are extensive on the inside as well with the second generation Audi Q5 getting a completely digital 12.3-inch instrument console.
There's another touchscreen infotainment system on the centre console while the car will also come with a Heads-up Display (HUD) system. It also comes with smartphone integration, intelligent voice dialogue system, wireless charging for Qi-enabled phones, 10GB worth storage space for your music, navigation, three-zone climate control, cruise control, leather upholstery and electrically adjustable leather seats along with matrix LED headlamps. The tailgate is electrically operated as well. There's also the updated Audi MMI system, navigation with incorporated Google Earth and the Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system. The SUV will also come equipped with a host of electronic aids including adaptive cruise control, active lane assist, collision avoidance assist, pre-sense front and rear, park assist, blind spot warning and much more.
Also Read: 2018 Audi Q5 Review
Under the hood will be a 2.0-litre petrol engine, churning out 249 bhp. However, Audi has not yet announced the final specifications of the car to be launched in India yet, but it'll more or less remain unchanged. The company's famed Quattro all-wheel drive system will be offered too. Since the Q5's last outing, the premium midsized SUV segment is flooded with options and the new petrol Q5 will lock horns with a host of petrol offerings including the Mercedes-Benz GLC and the BMW X3.


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If you typically add a splash of milk to your teacup, you may have a new reason to smile.
Researchers from Canada found that adding milk to tea may prevent the drink from staining teeth.
"Tea is the second most consumed drink in the world, and the way it’s processed affects how teeth are stained, said lead study author Ava Chow, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Alberta’s School of Dentistry, in a press release. "The more the tea is processed or oxidized, the higher its staining properties are. But we’ve found that the addition of milk to tea reduces the tea’s ability to stain teeth."
Water-soluble compounds called tannins are responsible for tea-related teeth stains. Dr. Chow and team looked at whether the addition of milk would make a difference.
When added to tea, milk was found to have a similar effect as using teeth bleaching products.
According to these researchers, the protective effect comes from a protein found in milk called casein, which binds to the tannins
This binding process may help keep teeth pearly white and free of stains.
Dr. Chow and team looked at extracted teeth, determining their natural color with an instrument called a spectrophotometer before exposing them to the tea.
The teeth were then soaked in either a solution of tea of a solution of tea with milk for 24 hours, after which they were reexamined with the spectrophotometer.
"The results we found showed that casein is the component of milk that is responsible for the reduction of tea-induced staining," Dr. Chow said. "The magnitude of the color change observed in our experiments is comparable to the color change seen by vital bleaching products and more effective than whitening toothpastes."
This study was published in the November 2014 issue of the International Journal of Dental Hygiene.
The University of Alberta funded this research. No conflicts of interest were disclosed.


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Total 34 Posts
Europe's largest digital conference is set to take place in Accra for the first time.
For the first time in its existence, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) hosted its annual flagship event on Afrikan soil.
Akon, Tumelo Ramaphosa, and Ran Neu-Ner, are some of the speakers that have been lined up for the inaugural "Unlocking Blockchain Africa Conference" set to take place on 25 August 2018. The conference, which is going to take place at the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg, South Africa,
The Blockchain Entrepreneurs Club South Africa (BECSA), an organization which aims to grow the cryptocurrencies ecosystem in South Africa through education and networking, has announced a list of events that will see it embark on a South Aftica wide tour. First up is the #SurfingTheBlock event which is set to
At an event hosted in Johannesburg on 8 August 2018, Jack Ma launched the Netpreneur Prize which seeks to support and fund Afrikan startups and entrepreneurs. The Alibaba Group founder and Exexutive Chairman also explained that the prize will be looking for entrepreneurs who are working to address Afrika’s


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Walmart has entered in the Indian e-commerce sector and the retail giant has completed the due diligence process on e-commerce firm Flipkart this week. It is looking to control stake of 51 percent in the Indian e-commerce firm Flipkart.
Walmart has already offered a proposal and according to the sources familiar with the matter said, it’s looking to invest $10 billion to $12 million for the stake that would value at roughly $20 billion.
Third source said, “A deal is far from finalized, however. But the talks between the two parties and investors in Flipkart are ongoing”.
According to the reports, A stake in Flipkart would pit Walmart against Amazon.com in India and local media have reported that Amazon is exploring a rival offer for India’s largest home-grown e-commerce player.
As expected previously Walmart is now seeking a bigger stake. Reuters reported in February that it was in talks to purchase a stake of over 40 percent in Flipkart. It is worth mentioning here that it is the same 40 percent, which is backed by the likes of SoftBank Group, Tiger Global, eBay, Accel Partners, Naspers, Tencent Holdings and Microsoft Corp.
Walmart and Flipkart, both declined to comment on this. Reuters Report also says that Bengaluru-based Flipkart, started by two former Amazon employees, is fighting Amazon to grab a bigger piece of India’s massive online retail market. It could be worth $200 billion in a decade,according to Morgan Stanley.
Walmart’s investment would give Flipkart additional funds to fight Amazon. It will also give an extensive experience in retailing, logistics and supply chain management to Flipkart. Walmart has more chances than Amazon. A person familiar with the matter told Reuters that the probability of a Flipkart-Amazon deal was low. Such a deal may spark competition fears as Flipkart and Amazon dominate India’s e-commerce market.
Japan’s SoftBank has invested in Flipkart through its Vision Fund. Now it is rumoured that it may also consider selling a part of its roughly 20 percent stake if Walmart offers a good price. SoftBank last year invested $2.5 billion in Flipkart through prime and secondary share purchases.
What are your views on this? Tell us in the comment section below.


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Demand for luxury vacations grows during Covid-19; budget travel packages also stay in good demand for budget-conscious travellers.
Published: Sun 6 Feb 2022, 10:50 AM
Gone are the days when UAE residents would accumulate leaves to take a two-month vacation to go back to their home countries. Now, residents are travelling abroad for holidays also and many of them prefer their home countries.
Travel industry executives say that there has been an increasing trend among UAE residents to travel abroad for holidays as many new destinations have appeared over the past few years — within a span of four to five hours of flight. And these short-haul routes are mostly catered by local budget carriers, offering residents affordable holiday options.
Interestingly, residents now travel to their home countries not just to spend vacations with their friends and loved ones but allocate some time for holidays to hill resorts and other popular spots during their vacations.
As demand for luxury vacations is growing during the Covid-19 pandemic, budget travel packages also stay in good demand for budget-conscious UAE travellers.
“Currently, people prefer short-haul destinations like Georgia, Baku, Armenia. Over the past few months, we have even seen a lot of traction towards destinations like Russia, Serbia and Albania,” says Raheesh Babu, chief operating officer of Musafir.com.
People generally prefer shorter trips of 3-4 nights…as of now, says Babu, adding that with the changing nature of Covid-19 variants, people are sceptical about longer holidays as they don’t want to be stuck outside the UAE for long.
Mamoun Hmedan, chief commercial officer and managing director for Mena and India, Wego, says India, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Turkey are the top-trending markets for UAE residents for holidays.
While echoing Babu’s views, Hmedan says the length of stay for UAE residents’ vacations ranged between three to five days in January 2022.
Luxury or affordable vacations
Wego.com executive revealed that luxury vacations are on the rise, especially the all-inclusive deals because they give travellers more reassurance since they don’t need to expose themselves outside the resort during the pandemic, offering them security from both a health and safety standpoint.
Babu says Musafir has also received a lot of traction for luxurious Maldives holiday packages.
“Another popular luxury destination that we have received inquiries for is Greece. People are turning towards luxury cruise options as well.”
How much do residents pay for holidays
Babu revealed that over the past year, families have been spending a minimum of Dh10,000-15,000 whereas an individual’s average spending for holidays is between Dh3,000-Dh4,000.
According to Hmedan, a resident usually pays around $290 (over Dh1,065) for flights and hotels on average.
Buy now, pay later gaining currency
Hmedan noted credit and debit cards are the most common payment methods that are mostly used by the residents. “Buy now, pay later is on the rise. The adoption for it in the travel space has started and we are working towards offering it to our users very soon.”
Babu says credit card payments are the most common method among residents. “Once the payment is done, 10-15 per cent of customers opt for EPP (easy payment plan) with their banks,” he said, adding that there are multiple digital payment platforms that pay the travel operators and then provide them with EMI options.”


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Nikon is all set preparing for another camera – third in the row after making announcement of upcoming professional grade D4 and D800 DSLRs – another DSLR for launch this year – the 2012 seems a great huge year for the camera maker with atleast such huge product perspectives.
During an interview with Amateur Photographer, Nikon’s marketing GM Nobuaki Sasagaki mentioned that the company’s newest DSLRs range camera wouldn’t be the only but though he had not indicated the launch timings. Sasagaki said that each camera that Nikon produces must have a clear technological benefit to the end user. With the D800 it is resolution and with the D4 it is noise control and very high ISO settings.
Nikon is reportedly concentrating more on improving the quality in its range and not looking out to introduce new types – isn’t the main interest lies in a higher-end mirrorless camera, that eventually comes with a larger sensor or in an S-style range finder body – Sasagaki added. Sasagaki didn’t detailed-out much of this new camera specs.


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This was a little unexpected, but a Terminator anime series has been ordered at Netflix. According to Variety, the project is still in its early stages and plot details are being kept under wraps.
Netflix is partnering up with Skydance (Terminator: Dark Fate, Terminator Genisys) and Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045)
Terminator is one of the most iconic sci-fi stories ever created–and has only grown more relevant to our world over time. The new animated series will explore this universe in a way that has never been done before. We can’t wait for fans to experience this amazing new chapter in the epic battle between machines and humans.John Derderian, Netflix’s vice president of Japan and anime
There is no release window set for the new Terminator anime series yet.
Speaking of Netflix and its aggressive push into all things “anime”, there’s even one for Skull Island, DOTA, and Pacific Rim coming up.


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Pemex is a popular Mexican gas staion.
Americans who live near the border to Mexico, especially in California, have one advantage over the rest of us. They can easily go into Mexico to fill up their gas tanks for much less than what it costs in the U.S.
CNN.com reports that it only costs about $3.10 for a gallon of gas in Tijuana, Mexico, while the same gallon will cost about $4.60 just north of the border in the U.S. The savings amount to $30 on a 20-gallon fill-up.
While saving $30 or $40 on a tank of gas is fantastic right now, especially with the rising cost of groceries as well, there is a downside of filling up the tank in Mexico.
Mexican gas is made with a different formula which has more sulfur in it. This formula could hurt your car in the long run, according to Stephen Mazor with AAA’s Automotive Research Center.
Mexico’s fuel mixture can ruin the emission control equipment on American cars and cause them to fail emissions tests.
"Then (you) have to spend a lot of money to repair your car because of the effects of that gas," he said.
For many cash-strapped Americans though, doing anything to save money on gas right now, like filling up in Mexico, is their only option.


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Sun has set up a division dedicated to providing the underlying infrastructure for fostering electronic commerce.
The Network Security Products Group aims to offer customers an "end-to-end" family of Internet security software products. Sun claims it is the first company to set up such a group.
"To deliver security for enterprise systems is to deliver a key business enabler," said Guy Martin, European marketing manager for Sun's security products.
The group's goal is to transform Sun into the number one security software company. Its solutions will span client-server, the Internet, intranet and extranet-based systems.
The group will be responsible for marketing and developing products such as SunScreen EFS (encryption firewall system), SunScreen Skip and Solstice Security Manager.
EFS is a firewall which has built-in encryption and lets companies run their corporate intranets over the Internet as virtual private networks.
Skip is client software which runs on PCs, allowing remote users to log into the corporate intranet securely through a connection from a local ISP. Solstice Security Manager provides user authentication for heterogeneous networks.
According to Martin, the problem with network operating systems is that "each one has a different method of adding users". Solstice Security Manager is a security administration tool that provides centralised security via a gateway across 19 variations of Unix, Windows NT, NetWare and MVS. Martin said Solstice Security Manager was aimed at reducing the cost of network administration.
Sun said that as companies move towards web-based computing and a global Internet infrastructure, they will rely more and more on such systems being secure. It is this emerging market which Sun wants to win over.
Alistair Lamb, northern European marketing manager for Sun's software products, said: "Customers must be absolutely convinced of the security of the technology involved."
AI, VR and working on the morning commute - it's all to come
Development could pave the way for the next generation of rechargeable batteries
And Apple IS working on virtual reality headset
Indian bank falls victim to suspected cyber attack from North Korea's Lazarus Group


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Earlier this month we reported that some Nexus 6P owners were receiving new Pixel XL replacements under the warranty, which was apparently also afforded to those whose support has lapsed -- which then was unsurprisingly revised to only include those within the one year warranty period of these devices or those with an extended one, of course. However, those who did not qualify for this replacement can look forward to some added support after Google updated its update schedule for these devices.
It seems Google wishes to extend an olive branch to its supporters, by offering two months on top of the originally scheduled September 2018 security update end-of-support date. Although Android Oreo will be the final version of the operating system from Google either of these devices will get, with support ending this month, security updates were extended to November 2018. Generally, Google will support devices for at least three years after its launch according to the support page:
Nexus devices get security updates for at least 3 years from when the device first became available on the Google Store, or at least 18 months from when the Google Store last sold the device, whichever is longer. After that, we can't guarantee more updates.
The Nexus 6P, in particular, has had its fair share of issues, which ranged from random boot loops - which was unofficially fixed - to the phone having battery related issues, all of which has resulted in Google being hit with a class action lawsuit, alongside the manufacturer Huawei.
Source and image: WCCFTech
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Now a report by South China Morning Post indicates that the pair of iPhones that will make its debut this year will feature larger sapphire displays.
Citing sources “who have seen prototypes,” the publication writes that the smartphone will be available in two sizes screens, a 4.7-inch model and a 5.5-inch variant, with a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch (PPI).
By contrast, the current iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C come with a 326 PPI pixel density.
The report adds that the screen would be flat, not curved and that sapphire could replace the current Gorilla Corning Glass.
The next iPhone 6 models could arrive in September, South China Morning Post writes.


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The newly unveiled flagship phone from the Chinese manufacturer comes packing impressive specs, but is that enough?
Pricing not available
The Chinese handset maker's latest Android smartphone features a large dose of processor power and an ultra-thin bezel.
The spinoff of the Note 3 phablet boasts a hexa-core processor. That's two 1.7GHz cores for hard work like graphically intensive gaming and four 1.3GHz cores for more menial tasks.
Take note: the new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo packs six cores and a high definition 720p screen.
Both server and game box suppliers are deploying Intel's 6-core processor.
The new 6-core processor is designed to crunch through the most chip-taxing games out there.
The six-core "Dunnington" Xeon 7400 processor makes its official debut. Unisys is using it in a new server, though with a catch.
Woah -- Samsung is working on a phone called Neo. The Galaxy Note 3 Neo appears to be a cheap Note 3, with a weird six-core chip, according to a new leak.
If you're looking for serious computing power, this refurbished HP Envy has you covered.
HP's versatile EliteBook 8560w shows that a mobile workstation can be rugged and a solid performer and still look good.


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|The 2014 New York State Fair Butter Sculpture|
Sculptors Jim Victor and Marie Pelton have put together a piece that shows a dairy famer dropping off fresh gallons of milk at his local food bank. Dairy farmers, milk processors and Feeding America have joined forces to raise awareness and improve access to milk for families in need through the Great American Milk Drive.
And fairgoers will be able to help out too.
"We're encouraging fairgoers to make their own donations, either by visiting the website www.milklife.com/give or by texting MILK to 80088, to give $5 to Feeding America," said Rick Naczi, chief executive officer for the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council in Syracuse. "These donations will be converted into coupons for milk so that local food pantries can best manage their supply."
The state's food banks are able to provide only about one gallon of milk each year to the families they serve, according to statistics from the American Dairy Association. Feeding America, dairy farmers and milk processors -- through the Great American Milk Drive -- hope to bring more milk into food banks.


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Franny Tacy, the first woman to grow industrial hemp under North Carolina’s pilot program on her Leicester farm, is expanding her burgeoning retail business by opening Hendersonville’s first hemp dispensary. This new retail business was inspired by well known companies like pg group mi and has become very successful.
Franny’s Farmacy is celebrating its grand opening with events today through the weekend. The store is located at 128 Henderson Crossing Plaza, just off Four Seasons Boulevard. Tacy opened the first Franny’s Farmacy retail shop a couple of months ago on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville.
The openings are part of an ongoing, year-long trend of hemp dispensary openings in the Asheville area. Carolina Hemp Company is preparing to open its first dispensary on Haywood Road in West Asheville, and Two Moons CBD, which is already open on Merrimon Avenue, is preparing to open a second location on Tunnel Road. The openings follow the trend of growing interest in cannabidoil, a compound found in hemp plants.
When Tacy and her husband Jeff started growing industry hemp two years ago as part of a statewide test project, the focus was on using the plants for their fiber. That quickly changed as more and more growers realized the value growing the plants for their flower, and pressing the plants for their oil.
Industrial hemp plants in North Carolina include only a trace amount of THC, the compound that provides the “high” associated with its relative, the marijuana plant. But industry hemp plants do contain cannabidoil (also known as CBD or cbd oil), a compound that growers say offers healing, calming properties. There are now a wide variety of different CBD based health products that can be purchased from places such as https://www.cbdoilsuk.com/ that aim to provide a wide array of different health benefits.
At Franny’s Farmacy, visitors will find tinctures, topical oils and ointments and a rolled cigarette made from industry hemp grown by Tacy. She also carries a host of other products made under well-known and popular brands. The products range from CBD-infused gummies to CBD pet snacks.
For Tacy, the retail shops are the perfect avenue for her to bring a crop she grows to market. In addition, they offer a chance for another crucial part of a brand new industry: educating consumers about her products.
Tacy touts that the fact that, with her Franny’s Farmacy products, she works with experienced chemists and plant experts to make sure her products are of the best quality. She also notes that her expanding business is supporting others.
“From seed to sale, there are more than 200 people in this town that we are helping to fund their livelihood,” Tacy says during an interview Tuesday. “I really want to see if this can be a viable crop for small farms.”
The exploding interest in hemp and CBD has been a little head-spinning. But as she greeted an array of customers – from friends buying products for friends and family to newcomers interested in learning more – Tacy expressed excitement about what the future holds.
“All this in just in one year; you want to talk about building a dream,” she says.
Franny’s Farmacy in Hendersonville will celebrate its grand opening at 4 p.m. today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event will include hemp-infused appetizers, hemp beer, a DJ and more. Franny Tacy will be on hand to greet folks. The opening celebration extends through the weekend with other offerings, including free beer tastings on Friday and free massages on Saturday.
CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of more than 100 chemicals in cannabis. It does not have a psychoactive effect like marijuana, and therefore does not get the user high. CBD products are typically derived from hemp. CBD has become increasingly popular in the wellness world, and owner Frances Franny Tacy says she has seen those health benefits firsthand.


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INDUSTRY WATCH: January/February 2016
PioneerRx’s Managing Director Jeff Key was a panelist for the Health, Wellness, and Technology Summit during the 2015 Drug Store News Industry Issues Summit in New York City. One of the most discussed issues was improving inventory and personnel resources. Key proposed medication synchronization as a two-fold solution that would help pharmacists plan staffing and inventory according to schedule demands. Key was joined on the panel by Walmart’s Brandon Worth and Kroger’s Philecia Avery.
The company has also announced the integration of Polyglot’s Meducation into the PioneerRx pharmacy management system. Meducation offers patient education on prescriptions through personalized medication instructions in the patient’s preferred language and the use of pictograms for time-of-day dosing and medication techniques. The patient information is available in 21 languages, uses large font sizes, and prints automatically without interrupting the pharmacist’s workflow. It offers another step in improving adherence.


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Edo to Operate a Digital Government - Obaseki
Today, speaking to journalists in Benin City, I assured them that before 2025, Edo State will develop, grow its digital economy and operate a digital government, which we are building already, to plug into the new digital age and ensure efficient service delivery to all our citizens.
As a government, we remain committed to working for every Edo citizen and improving their wellbeing by ensuring that the state grows into a globally competitive economy enabled by technology.
Noting that the digital economy has become necessary amid the current socio-economic realities in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, I stressed that it was now essential for us to retool our workforce.
Once we can redesign the government and bureaucracy to focus more on providing services efficiently, we will unlock the innate energies, creativity and innovation of our people.


text: Shares of International Paper Co. IP, +1.13% rallied 2.7% in premarket trade Thursday, bouncing from a more than 2-year low close the previous session, after the packaging and paper products company reported third-quarter earnings and revenue that rose above expectations. Net income increased to $562 million, or $1.38 a share, from $395 million,o r 96 cents a share, in the same period a year ago. Excluding non-recurring items, adjusted earnings per share came to $1.56, above the FactSet consensus of $1.46. Sales grew to $5.90 billion from $5.52 billion, topping the FactSet consensus of $5.89 billion, while industrial packaging revenue rose to $4.03 billion from $3.82 billion and came up a bit shy of expectations of $4.06 billion. The stock has tumbled 25% over the past three months, while the S&P 500 SPX, -0.20% has shed 6.7%.


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LAS VEGAS— Taylor Swift didn't divulge any more new secrets about her forthcoming album when she took the stage at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas, but the crowd's enthusiasm about her bouncy new single, "Shake it Off," seems to bode well for the new record.» Read More
The music business has shifted toward downloads and streaming globally. But in Japan, the compact disc is still king. The New York Times reports.
NEW YORK— Clear Channel, the largest radio station operator in the U.S., says it has renamed itself iHeartMedia to reflect its transformation into a multi-platform media company that includes iHeartRadio, its digital radio service. It also owns part of Clear Channel Outdoor, an outdoor advertising company, and runs live music events.
NEW YORK— A CD/DVD featuring Whitney Houston's first public performance— and one of her last in 2009— will be released Nov. 10. Her mentor, Clive Davis, said the album will showcase her legacy. Davis, chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment, said it was hard going through videos to select the final track listing.
After receiving numerous complaints, Apple has made it easier for users to delete the U2 album it had given to iTunes subscribers.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand— The music publishers for American rapper Eminem filed a lawsuit Tuesday against New Zealand's ruling political party over the music it used in a campaign commercial. Detroit- based Eight Mile Style and Martin Affiliated both claim the National Party breached copyright laws by using Eminem's song "Lose Yourself."
NEW YORK— Apple Inc. says 33 million iTunes account holders have accessed U2's free album. Apple gave the album to 500 million iTunes account holders last week during the company's iPhone 6 unveiling news conference. Apple paid the Irish rock band for a five-week exclusive window during which the album is only available to its customers.
NEW YORK— Some iPhone users are not happy that U2's new album, "Songs of Innocence," was automatically added to their iTunes music library, free of charge. In response, Apple has released a special tool that lets people remove the album from their collections. Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the new album would be given to the company's 500 million iTunes users.
Since U2 stunned the music world by delivering a surprise album at Apple's iPhone 6 unveiling and making it available to a half-billion iTunes users for free, they've gotten an avalanche of publicity.
2. Beyonce/ Jay-Z; $6,001,611; $115.31. 5. Dave Matthews Band; $1,579,568; $74.56. 8. Zac Brown Band; $1,015,540; $47.17.
SEOUL, Sept 12- With big businesses like LVMH and Samsung for back-up, the South Korean music impresario who unleashed rapper Psy on the world in 2012 is laying plans to crack China's fashion and entertainment market- K-Pop style.
NEW YORK, Sept 12- Kenny G, the best-selling jazz musician who once played at President Bill Clinton's inaugural ball, wakes up every morning to Starbucks. Instead, the man whose real name is Kenny Gorelick obsessively checks the company's stock price.
CNBC's Mary Thompson speaks to Tony-award winning Idina Menzel, about raising money for Fred Gabler Helping Hand Camp Fund, Inc., to help commemorate the lives lost in the September 11, 2001, terror attack.
ALBANY, New York— Jazz composer Duke Ellington's grandson urged New York's highest court on Thursday to reinstate his lawsuit seeking half the foreign royalties from Ellington's music for his heirs.
Apple and U2 are teaming up to give away their new album. CNBC Julia Boorstin discusses their exclusive deal to give away 500 million albums to iTunes users.
LOS ANGELES, Sept 9- Veteran Irish rockers U2 pulled off the largest album release in history at Tuesday's Apple Inc event to launch new products, after making its latest record available for free on Apple's iTunes online stores to half a billion iTunes users.
LOS ANGELES, Sept 9- Veteran Irish rockers U2 pulled off a surprise at Apple Inc's event to launch new products on Tuesday, making its latest album available for free on Apple's iTunes online store. The Grammy Award-winning band performed at the Cupertino, California event, at which Apple unveiled two new iPhones, a smart watch and a mobile payments system.
MOBILE, Ala.— A music festival in Mobile, Alabama, is canceling an appearance by singer CeeLo Green following his online comments about sexual assault. Mobile Bayfest CEO Bobby Bostwick issued a statement Monday saying Green's performance scheduled for Oct. 4 is being called off.
LOS ANGELES— The star-studded Stand Up to Cancer telethon that aired on broadcast and cable networks in the United States and Canada raised $109 million. The hour-long broadcast on Friday featured performances by The Who, Dave Matthews Band, Ariana Grande and a closing number by Jennifer Hudson, Common and Lupe Fiasco.
Kevin Lee, Sol Republic CEO, discusses the next wave in music services and the launch of their new campaign with Olympian Michael Phelps called "Music Made Me Do It."
YouTube is still the big gorilla, but news feed has helped Facebook fuel its rapid growth in the video space. Just ask Beyonce's rep. The NYT reports.


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Toyota Will Spend $374 Million on Five U.S. Plants - Think Hybrids and Camrys
Toyota announced yesterday that its plans to invest $10 billion in the United States, revealed earlier this year, will grow by another $374 million with big spending at five different factories in five different states.
Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Alabama, and Missouri will all benefit. Though it’s unlikely the investments will directly translate to much in the way of new employment — Toyota promises 50 new jobs in Alabama — Toyota says “these investments will help to ensure the stability of the plants’ employment levels in the future.”
At the core of the investments? Toyota is spending money to enable greater production of the new TNGA 2018 Toyota Camry’s 2.5-liter engines and hybrid transaxles. Why America? “The investment is part of our long-term commitment to build more vehicles and components in the markets in which we sell them.”
Toyota sells 200,000 vehicles per month in the United States.
Full-size Sedan Faithful, Take Heart - Fifth-gen Toyota Avalon Due Next Year; Toyota Says "We're Committed"
U.S. sales of full-size, volume-brand sedans fell 17 percent in the first seven months of 2017, a sharp drop following noteworthy declines in each of the last three years. Despite the growth the market has seen since the auto industry’s collapse in 2009, big sedans have lost 37 percent of their U.S. sales volume over the last four years.
Compared with 2013, that’s 18,000 fewer sales for the segment every month. Even compared with 2016, that’s 6,500 fewer sales every month.
In what was historically a fleet-dependent corner of the passenger-car market, many automakers’ reduced emphasis on sales to daily rental companies plays a major role. Numerous players in the segment also attempted to move upmarket, further away from the midsize cars that now offer the requisite interior volume. It hasn’t turned out so well for some. Remember the Mitsubishi Diamante and Mercury Montego? We’ll soon forget the discontinued Hyundai Azera. The Ford Taurus is likely not long for this market, either.
Yet in a market that’s lost 17 percent of its sales this year, the Toyota Avalon has shed 28 percent of its year-to-date volume, a loss of 7,475 sales. With an all-new 2018 Camry set to generate more than its fair share of Toyota sedan sales, does the Avalon even deserve a place in Toyota’s 2018 lineup?
Indeed it does, as Toyota will launch the fifth-generation, TNGA-based Avalon in 2018. “We’re committed to Avalon,” says Toyota North America’s executive vice president for sales, Bob Carter.
All of the New 2018 Toyota Camrys Sold in America in July Were Japan Imports
We learned early in July that many of the early 2018 Toyota Camrys available in Toyota’s U.S. showrooms wouldn’t be built in Toyota’s Georgetown, Kentucky, assembly plant.
Through June, not a single one of the 2016 and 2017 Camrys sold in America were imported. But all of the 2018 Toyota Camrys sold in July came across the Pacific from Japan.
Granted, most of the Camrys leaving Toyota showrooms are still old new Camrys, not new new Camrys.
The Next Toyota Avalon Is TNGA, Assuming the Next Avalon Is
Stiffer structures, a lower center of gravity for improved handling, more shared components, and a 20-percent cost cut are all benefits of the Toyota New Global Architecture. Eventually, Toyota wants all of its front-wheel-drive vehicles to use TNGA as a starting point.
You first witnessed TNGA in the 2016 Toyota Prius, then in the 2018 Toyota C-HR, and most recently in the 2018 Toyota Camry that’s trickling into dealers now.
But beyond the ability to improve existing nameplates and spawn dramatically different new cars, TNGA is also intended to improve plant efficiency. Yet a massive shift at Toyota’s Georgetown, Kentucky assembly plant, detailed by Wards Auto, hasn’t yet resulted in the efficiency rewards.
“When we change over in the future with the Avalon, we’ll be able to pull that efficiency out of (the operation),” Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky president Wil James told Wards.
Ah yes, Avalon. How could we forget?
Toyota Truly Believes 2018 Camry Will Do For Midsize Sedans What Tacoma Did For Midsize Trucks; Kentucky Plant Employment At All-Time High
Excited at the prospect of an all-new midsize sedan despite a drastic decrease in demand for midsize sedans, Toyota is ramping up employment at the Camry’s assembly plant in Georgetown, Kentucky.
With 700 additional manufacturing workers helping to launch the 2018 Toyota Camry, employment at Toyota’s Kentucky facility grew to 8,000, more than at any point in the plant’s three-decade history.
Toyota also builds Avalons and Lexus ES350s in Georgetown. (The Venza, a former Georgetown wagon, is dead.) But it’s the Camry, especially this all-new 2018 Camry, that will bring glory to the Kentucky plant if glory can indeed be brought.
Jack Hollis, the Toyota division’s group vice president and general manager, strongly believes the Camry is the beginning of a pro-sedan wave in America. In an extended interview with Autoline, Hollis spoke highly of the 2018 Camry’s potential, and of the potential for the entire car sector once the Camry stimulates demand.
“I think you’re going to see the entire sedan market pick up,” Hollis told Autoline, before hedging only a bit. “We’ll see a year from now.”
Highway Star Rising, Act 2: Roadblock in the Bluegrass
Over a year has passed since my quest to regain my license began. A lot has happened since then.
TTAC News Round-up: Ford Soothes Investors, Dodge Gets Its DiCaprio Moment, and Kentucky Aims for Volkswagen's Center Mass
Ford is doing so well, you’d be a damn fool to ever think of not investing in Ford, says Ford.
That, hiring a crop of cranky old people paid off for Dodge, Kentucky joins the let’s-sue-Volkswagen party, Honda gets a Hoosier boost, and ethanol continues to suck … after the break!
TTAC News Round-up: Volkswagen Finished Second in China, Big Trouble for Takata, and Apple's Longtime Car Guy Gone
Volkswagen’s chief in China says they’re probably not retaking the crown from General Motors there anytime soon.
That, Apple’s lead car guy is gone, Takata’s in trouble and more … after the break!
Ford Spends $1.3B on Super Duty Plant in Kentucky So You Don't Have To Wait Again
Ford announced Tuesday that it would spend $1.3 billion to retool, update and build a new body shop for its Louisville, Kentucky plant, which produces its Super Duty truck and large SUVs.
The announced spending, which will create 2,000 jobs at the plant, is part of Ford’s new contract with the United Auto Workers — and part of the automaker’s last deal with the UAW, according to Automotive News.
The investment will create an all-new body shop for the aluminum-bodied truck scheduled to go on sale late next year. With an all-new shop, production of the outgoing truck can continue while the new shop gets online, which could help the automaker avoid another shortage when the redesigned truck hits dealers.
Chevrolet Finishes Work on 1,000,000th Corvette And It's Pretty Rad
Chevrolet finished work restoring its 1,000,000th Corvette after it was damaged in a Kentucky sinkhole that swallowed it — and other Corvettes — at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the automaker announced.
The celebratory 1992 Corvette had signatures on every part from auto workers at its Bowling Green, Kentucky plant. The restoration project included getting those signatures on refurbished parts, and on the two parts that couldn’t be saved, scanning and replicating the signatures.
The entire process took more than four months, and more than 1,200 man-hours to complete, according to Chevrolet. That works out to about two full-time employees working 40 hours a week, but it’s still very cool.
The details get better.
Beshear To Transplants: Kentucky Is Not Tennessee
Unlike his Republican counterparts down south, Kentucky governor Steve Beshear says his state is not like Tennessee as far as attracting transplants go.
Volvo Considering Three Southern States For New Plant
Volvo could soon join BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Kia in the Southeastern United States, as the Sino-Swedish automaker is seeking a home for a new factory.
Owner-Built Engine Program For Corvette Z06 Returns
Buying a new Corvette Z06 soon? Would you like to build its engine? Chevrolet has a plan to make that happen, if you got the cash and the time.
UAW Faces Right-To-Work Laws in Kentucky Counties
States with right-to-work laws are in green. Wikipedia graphic.
Organized labor has had setbacks as states formerly seen as union strongholds in the industrial midwest, Wisconsin and Michigan, have enacted right-to-work legislation that makes paying union dues voluntary. Now, the United Auto Workers, which has been trying to organize autoworkers at ‘transplant’ facilities operated in the American south by foreign automakers faces the prospect of dealing with right-to-work laws at the county level, in Kentucky. The new laws present the autoworkers’ union with a double whammy.
Toyota Putting The Brakes On Further Capacity In America
Toyota is not going to be expanding any plants in the United States, even as they are forced to absorb further production of the Toyota Camry as their assembly deal with Subaru winds down.


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In case you missed it, President Obama peeled back the layers of the onion this week, causing U.S. generals, Supreme Court Justices, and the Republican minority to week. The prez reaffirmed his belief in the necessity of health care reform but offered no concrete specifics about what it would take to actually get a bill signed.
Meanwhile the state of the biopharma union is decidedly mixed. Johnson & Johnson announced the first drop in sales since the Great Depression; Lilly’s earnings were less than stellar thanks to a lagging Effient launch; and AstraZeneca announced additional job cuts across its far-flung organization. (In case you are wondering, R&D will be hit again, as the company seeks to reduce its internal R&D footprint.)
Shareholder activism continues to be the rage in our industry, prompting WWCID moves from Genzyme. The Big Biotech announced it was changing executive compensation, backing away from salaries and bonuses only tied to operating income, and also strengthened the role of its independent director this week. Will such moves appease Icahn and other major institutional investors? It’s hard to say but you can bet Genzyme is paying close attention to events happening at its nearby neighbor Biogen, given Icahn is aiming to put another three members on that company’s board.
The state of biopharma dealmaking was decidedly light this week. Perhaps the flow of information related to the poorly named iPad distracted. Whatever the reason, IN VIVO Blog, in an effort to provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare, brings you another edition of Deals of the Week. (Domestic Tranquility is not, however, insured.)
Flexion/AstraZeneca/Merck Serono/Unnamed Big Pharma: Flexion Therapeutics raised its profile on Jan. 29, announcing it has licensed in four clinical-stage compounds from a trio of drug makers: AstraZeneca, Merc Serono, and an undisclosed drug maker. It topped off its $33 millions Series A with another $9 million from Pfizer Venture Investments. (Oh, corporate venture, how we love you.) According to CEO Mike Clayman, the various deals came together over recent months but the company decided to announce them all at once. Flexion's original model supposed that pharma companies would be more eager to part with their shelved compounds if they held "clawback" rights, but Clayman said only one of its four programs has such a provision. He was unable to disclose which of the candidates it was or any of the financial terms of the various deals. (Want more? Check out this January 2010 IN VIVO feature.) Founded in November 2007 with $3 million in seed funding, Flexion seeks to take advantage of large pharma's excess discovery capabilities by licensing potential high-value specialty compounds and developing them through proof-of-concept and beyond. It's no coincidence that the company's business plan resembles that of Eli Lilly's Chorus unit - Flexion principals Clayman and Neil Bodick founded Chorus before striking out on their own. The company is focused on specialty products so that it won't have to partner them to advance to market, Clayman added.—Joseph Haas
UCB/Sanofi-Aventis/Teva: UCB has slowly but surely been paring down its primary care activities in favor of specialty products, even garnering an IN VIVO Blog Deal of the Year nomination for its emerging markets deal with GSK. Today, the company announced it would accelerate that process by offloading US rights to its soon-to-be-off-patent allergy drug Xyzal to Sanofi-aventis and end its co-promotion around Teva’s albuterol ProAir. The future of UCB now rests largely on the emerged-market performance of its immunology and neurology franchises, dominated by Cimzia, Vimpat and Neupro. It will hang on to Tussionex, its cough remedy, but will cease using a sales force to promote the drug. UCB didn’t mention the terms of either the Sanofi agreement or the Teva deal cancelation, nor how many jobs would be affected by the move. It did note that these moves, along with previously announced restructuring in Europe, would result in a €70 million post tax charge that will lower 2009 earnings accordingly.—Chris Morrison
GlaxoSmithKline/Amgen: Split indications are a potentially messy reality for biologics with potential wide-ranging utility. Amgen knows that all too well given the fracas that ensued over Epogen. But the company seems willing to tread in those churning waters--as long as the partner is Glaxo. In in its second indication-specific deal with the Big Pharma in less than a year (Prolia for PMO was the first), Amgen this week announced a co-promote agreement with GSK's derm division, Stiefel, around its flagship tumor necrosis factor drug Enbrel. The agreement--a defensive move on the part of Amgen designed to help the company maintain its leadership position despite an increasingly competitive and crowded field--has Glaxo's sales reps promoting the drug to U.S. dermatologists. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. Importantly, the marketing relationship extends only to dermatologists and has no impact on Amgen's existing promotional agreements with Pfizer, which co-markets the TNF-alpha inhibitor with the biotech in the US and has sole marketing rights to the drug in other parts of the world. In the psoriasis market, Enbrel is now the elder statesman, facing stiff competition from other anti-TNFs such as Abbott's Humira as well as more novel agents, including J&J's recently launched Stelara, a first-in-class interleukin-12 and 23 blocker. It's not clear whether the move will be enough to bolster Enbrel's long-term market share, however. While Enbrel remains "the first-choice biologic" for now, Decision Resources analyst Irene Koulinska told "The Pink Sheet" DAILY that she "expect[s] Humira to continue to steal patient share.--Jessica Merrill
Bristol-Myers Squibb/Eli Lilly: Who says earnings calls can't be a source of deal news? (A pox on such cynicism.) In their same day earnings calls on Jan. 28, Bristol and Lilly revealed they'd reached a détente regarding ownership rights to necitumumab, a fully humanized version of the epithelial growth factor blocker Erbitux that has shown encouraging results in Phase II studies in lung and colorectal cancer. Specific details of the co-development/co-promotion agreement weren’t disclosed on the call, “The Pink Sheet” DAILY reports BMS will pay 55% of the costs associated with U.S. clinical studies and 27.5% of the price tag for global trials. Assuming necitumumab actually makes it to the market, BMS will book sales of the drug in the U.S. and Canada and keep 55% of the profits, with marketing costs split evenly between the two firms. In Japan, the two pharmas will split commercialization costs and profits equally as well. Necitumumab became a bone of contention back in 2008 when Lilly won bragging rights as the ultimate acquirer of ImClone Systems for $6.5 billion. Just how important will necitumumab be to Bristol, which is aiming to be a major oncology power house? Bristol didn't offer any guidance on the earnings call, but at least one analyst is predicting peak annual sales of $300 million by 2015. That's hardly a blockbuster.--JH
Sanofi-Aventis/Minsheng Pharmaceutical: Sanofi likey consumer health and emerging markets. And boy, when you can use those two phrases in the same sentence, it’s guaranteed to be a deal. On Jan. 29, the French pharma announced an agreement with Minsheng Pharmaceutical to create a new consumer health care joint venture in China focused on vitamins and mineral supplements. Financial terms of the deal, which has apparently been in the offing since Oct. 2009, weren’t disclosed but Sanofi will own a majority share in the J/V. Minsheng currently produces the most popular supplements in China, including the 21-Super Vita multivitamin-mineral tablets. But the Hangzhou-based firm is struggling to maintain its preeminent sales position, facing growing competition from foreign supplement brands, especially Amway’s Nutrilite and Pfizer/Wyeth’s Centrum. Sanofi’s rationale for the deal is pretty easy to understand: access to one of the fastest growing OTC markets in the world. Analysts estimate the Chinese OTC market, which is dominated by vitamin and mineral products, generated just over $10 billion in 2008. In addition, it is forecast to grow by double-digit percentages over the next 5 years. (That’s a whole lot of gingko biloba.) Moreover, Sanofi has clearly shown its commitment to the consumer sector as a way to diversify away from the development risks associated with its branded pharmaceuticals and the potential vagaries of health care reform. In December the company spent $1.8 billion to buy the OTC and personal care product specialist Chattem to gain a coveted toe-hold in the U.S. consumer space. Beyond Chattem, the company has also in recent months scooped up Medley Pharmaceuticals, Symbion CP Holdings, Laboratoire Oneobiol, Kernpharma, and Laboratorios Gramon in attempt to double its consumer product offerings via bolt-on acquisitions.—Ellen Licking


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Another set of rumors for the upcoming three new cameras from Fujifilm:
- The first camera may just be a Fuji HS20 replacement.
- The second will be a compact camera with a big sensor similar to the x100 but cheaper.
- The third camera will be a mirrorless system that will be launched with a set of new Fujinon lenses. There might even be two different mirrorless version announced at the same time.
Fujifilm recently confirmed in an interview with Reuters that they may re-enter the interchangeable lens camera market with a product that is fully developed in-house (mirrorless camera and lenses).


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Posted Mon Jul 20, 2009 at 11:30 AM PDT by Mike Attebery
It may be a while longer before consumers can purchase OLED technology from LG, with the company delaying 30 inch displays until 2012.
The jewel of the Consumer Electronics Show for the last few years, OLED technology is absolutely enrapturing. Sadly though, it may be a bit longer until everyone is able to get their hands on it, at least from LG.
The Korean based company will be ramping up this year, and hiring 1700 new employees specifically for work in R&D according to comments by CEO Kwon Young-soo, who said, "We plan to produce 30-inch OLED panels for TVs in 2012. The commercial success of OLEDs hinges on how it shows its superiority compared to existing liquid crystal display technologies."
Certainly consumers will only adapt if there is a clear difference between the OLED and LCD. Young-soo could in fact be alluding to the success of LCD that certainly had help from their brighter screens and ability to really ‘pop’ out at consumers in retail stores. OLED is a superior technology, but if it doesn’t look better than LCD from 10 feet away under bright Best Buy style lights, it may not see the adaptation rate it needs to take off.
So we have a three year wait instead of the two year wait we were anticipating. If it means the displays will be better and less expensive, and with an extra 1700 people on research this should certainly the case, it may be well worth the wait indeed.
The latest news on all things 4K Ultra HD, blu-ray and Gear.


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Cruze sales hit 212,019 for year
Year No. 1 of the Chevrolet Cruze officially came to an end today when General Motors Co. announced its September sales figures.
After a full 12 months of sales, including an 18,097-sale September, GM sold 212,019 of the Lordstown-built compact cars.
The Cruze, which launched in September 2010, registered more sales than its predecessor, the Chevrolet Cobalt, during the first 12 calendar months of sales.
GM sold 195,839 Cobalts from November 2004 to November 2005.
Read the complete story in Tuesday’s Vindicator and at Vindy.com.


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It's not the size of the dress that counts, it's the size of the plunge. Just ask Jasmin Walia.
The TOWIE babe, who recently revealed she wants a £1million wedding , attended the Sleek MakeUP 24K Gold Collection launch in London on Wednesday.
And amongst the star-studded guest list, the reality star made certain she stood out by wearing a tiny red frock.
It wasn't just that the devilish number stopped well-above her knees and easily managed to show off her perfect pins - although that did help.
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Finally, for those who haven't already found their way to GameSpy's excellent interview with Makoto Osaki, the Sega AM2 director also revealed that in addition to Virtua Fighter Cyber Generation, which he discussed at length, Virtua Fighter 5 is on its way.
"The VF series as you know it will definitely continue, and VF5 is coming," he stated pretty emphatically. "It will be what fans expect - a one-on-one fighting game. We do not intend for Cyber Generation to be a 'replacement' for the original VF series. It is something that will coexist beside the original series and hopefully introduce more people to it."
Those curious about Cyber Generation though would do well to take in the rest of the interview, where Mr. Osaki goes into detail about game mechanics, and also comments on the possibility of Cube/GBA link-up. "It's a possibility, and we've thought about it," he says at one point.
Although Mr. Osaki offers no clue as to Sega's plans for VF5, it seems safe to say it won't be that long in the making, particularly if his reaction to Duke Nukem Forever is anything to go by. Having revealed himself as a fan of FPS and gritty realistic shoot-'em-ups earlier in the conversation, the interviewer asks him for his take on DNF. "Oh? What's the latest on that?" he asks, before hearing that it's been in development for seven years. "Seven years?" he asks incredulously. "You know, Shenmue only took us five!"


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New Delhi,Nov 14 (UNI) Minister of State for Food Processing Subodh Kant Sahay today said his ministry was pushing for seven per cent rate of interest for food processing units and target a growth rate of ten per cent by the terminal year of the Eleventh Plan.
''Given the potential of this sector and the need to attract investors we are seeking an interest rate of seven per cent. In this connection, I have written to Finance Minister P Chidambaram,'' Mr Sahay said addressing the Economic Editors' Conference here.
He said the food processing sector which recorded a growth rate of six per cent last year, is likely to be seven per cent this fiscal.
The Minister said the food processing sector should be treated at par with infrastructure to give it a boost.
Mr Sahay said there has been a substantial enhancement in the Eleventh Plan outlay for the ministry from Rs 650 crore during the Tenth Plan to Rs 4,031 crore.
A National Wine Board and a National Meat and Poultry Processing Board will be set up by January 2008, he said.
The Minister said the sector has been attracting substantial FDI and is among the ten top sectors getting FDI equity. FDI up to 100 per cent equity is permitted under the automatic route in food and infrastructure like food parks and cold chains.
He said the concern of the government to protect the interests of small retailers and FDI in food retails, and also the farmers from the misuse of contract farming was being examined.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry have engaged an agency to make an indepth study on the impact of FDI in food retails on the domestic retailers. The report is likely to be published shortly.
The Agricultural Produce Marketing Act (APMC) is a major constraint in bringing the farmers closer to the market and in this regard appealed to the state governments to repeal the Act as earlier as possible.
He said the government was in the process of establishing 30 mega food parks in identified clusters, which will be pre-marketed and demand-driven with strong backward and forward integration.


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A coat worth £90 for 72p! Debenhams cancels orders after price glitch gives shoppers 99% off outdoor clothing brand
Debenhams has cancelled hundreds of orders after a price glitch meant that items of outdoor clothing were mistakenly sold at a 99 per cent discount instead of 20 per cent.
Erroneous offers on the Lands’ End range included a coat worth £90 for just 72p – but the retailer has said that as it was a technical error, it is not obliged to fulfil orders.
Anyone who bought a discounted Lands’ End item from the Debenhams website since last night will be left empty handed.
Error: Debenhams mistakenly listed items of Lands' End clothing at a 99 per cent discount. But the retailer says it won't be able to fulfill orders.
A spokesman for Debenhams said: ‘Hands up, we’ve made a mistake with the discounts on the Lands’ End range on our website.
'We will be contacting all customers who have ordered Lands’ End items to let them know that we can’t fulfill their order and they will receive a full refund.
'Clearly if this has caused any disappointment then it goes without saying we are sorry.'
Hundreds of shoppers posted on discount website HotUKDeals, boasting about their bargains but as more shoppers rushed to buy clothing the Debenhams website crashed.
User tony51013 said: 'Looks like the site is broken…keep getting proxy error...' and emma3752 added: 'Managed to place an order. Hopefully they honour it. Site has crashed now.'
Oops! The Debenhams website is now displaying this error message when you search for a Lands' End product.
This isn’t the first time that discounting errors have brought embarrassment to a big retailer.
In November, Play.com mistakenly gave shoppers a free £15 voucher to spend. The retailer angered users after it cancelled orders made using the erroneous vouchers.
And in October shoppers swamped Tesco stores after twin packs of 350g Cathedral City Mature Cheddar were selling at an 85 per cent discount.
Customers were able to snap up two packs for just £1, when the cheese was usually sold for £6.55 per packet.
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Just yesterday we reported on how the head Toyota”s North American operations, Yoshimi Inaba, said that spicing up its vehicle lineup is something Toyota needs to focus on. He said he would try to “figure out what is the next phase of Lexus.”
Well, it seems like that Toyota is already getting to work. According to AutoCar, Lexus has plans to unveil a 5-door compact hatchback concept at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The concept will hint at a future model that will compete with the likes of the BMW 1-Series and the Audi A3.
Insides say that the car was given the green light at the end of 2008 after European executives insisted that the C-segment was a market “too lucrative not to be in”.
Rumors suggest that the car will carry either a BS (we hope not because that would be pure BS) or CS badge. Other rumors suggest that the car will be front-wheel-drive and will carry the same hybrid drivetrain from the 2010 Lexus HS 250h, which produces a total of 187-hp from a 2.4L 4-cylinder engine.
– By: Stephen Calogera


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RIM is in a heap of trouble, but you wouldn’t know it from the attendance at BlackBerry World in Orlando earlier this month, where literally thousands of people packed a giant conference room to hear CEO Thorsten Heins’ keynote address, meet with RIM account teams, and attend developer events. These weren’t just holdouts from RIM’s government or enterprise base, either; RIM allowed BlackBerry World alumnae to skip some lines, and the “SpeedPass” lines were 20x shorter than the regular ones. RIM has been growing rapidly some global markets, and many of the attendees appeared to hail from these locales, where the BlackBerry brand – and BBM in particular – are hallmarks of upwardly mobile youth.
[Image credit: Simon Q]
The problem is that these new BlackBerry fans are buying cheap Curves that RIM makes little money on, and RIM is rapidly losing market share at the high end in developed markets like North America to Apple and Google. It is certainly possible that RIM will be able to defend its market share growth in locations like Indonesia, but cheap Android phones are decimating Nokia’s Symbian business in those same geographies, so it is clear that consumers at all income levels are looking to invest in app-driven mobile ecosystems (and when they do have enough money for an iPhone, they buy them. In droves).
Even if RIM’s unit sales rebound on the strength of BBM in emerging markets, the company needs to get higher margin devices to market that consumers want to buy. To sell a higher margin device, RIM will have to compete directly against Apple, Google, and Microsoft.
What RIM Showed Off
Kicking off his keynote address, Heins tried to dispel the notion that RIM is exiting the consumer market. The vast majority of smartphone sales – even those used for enterprise mobility – are to consumers at retail, so RIM has to compete for consumers if it wants to stay in business. However, RIM finally realized that it won’t win if it tries to be everything to everyone, so it is narrowing its focus to “BlackBerry People,” consumers who focus on personal productivity. This is sound strategy. Then, because RIM simply cannot help but shoot itself in the foot at every opportunity, it undercut that message by bringing a bunch of game developers on stage and highlighting a camera feature of its upcoming OS.
RIM demonstrated three aspects of BlackBerry 10:
• RIM briefly showed a glimpse of the new user interface, which resembles a cross between Windows Phone 7 (tiles on the home page allow quick peeks into the app) and what webOS 4.0 might have looked like (with smooth transitions been multi-tasking apps). It certainly appears RIM is developing a modern touchscreen user interface, but that is table stakes, and this was truly just a peek; there was no hands-on with the UI at the show. Even if the UI is amazing, it is unlikely to drive sales on its own. If people bought phones based on great user interfaces, we would all be using webOS and Windows Phones.
• RIM also showed off a virtual QWERTY keyboard with gestures which it claims is the best virtual keyboard available. If this is truly better than what Apple, Microsoft, Google, and several Android developers have created, this could at least keep BlackBerry users from leaving the fold. It certainly fits with RIM’s focus on productivity-oriented users. However, RIM has promised revolutionary virtual keyboards in the past that didn’t pan out, and Apple, Microsoft, and Google all have new versions of their OSs coming in the second half of the year. Apple and Microsoft are well ahead of where RIM is today on virtual keyboards, and all of RIM’s competitors could improve their keyboards further before BlackBerry 10 even ships.
• Finally, RIM demo’d a ridiculously cool camera feature, which combines elements of best shot (rapidly taking multiple versions of a photo), face recognition, and photo editing. If two people are in a photo, you can rotate an on-screen loop around their faces and create a photo that combines the best version of each of them. This is a great feature, and if consumers bought smartphones based on a single camera feature, RIM would be golden. (They don’t, but that doesn’t take anything away from how impressive this feature is.) [Ed: It’s worth noting RIM is using third-party Scalado tech for this camera feature]
The bottom line is simple: there is no way that RIM can catch up to Apple or Google in apps, entertainment, or cloud services. The competition simply has too big a lead. There is also no way that RIM can launch a version 1.0 of an OS that is as polished as rivals who have had years to hone the experience and add features. Therefore, RIM needs to create a platform that is so good in a few critical areas that a subset of consumers are willing to buy a BlackBerry 10 phone despite its obvious flaws in other areas.
RIM did not clear that bar with what it showed off in Orlando. When I pressed Thorsten Heins on this after the keynote, he insisted that there is much more to BlackBerry 10, and that he simply isn’t willing to tip his hand so far before launch. In other words, “trust us.” I would love to see RIM succeed both for personal reasons (I have friends at the company) and for professional ones (healthy industry competition is good for analyst firms — it means there is more to analyze and more clients to analyze for). Sadly, RIM has had a horrific track record executing over the past four years, and it is asking for a further leap of faith. Do you trust that RIM has amazing hidden features on tap, and that it will now be able to execute at a dramatically higher level?


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The internet has presented governments, businesses and families the world over with a major opportunity for global reach and instantaneous communication. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics…
86% of households in Australia now have access to the internet.
We use it not only for social networking activities, but also for news-gathering, banking and shopping. The internet has become central to the way we live. But while it offers limitless convenience and accessibility, it also presents great opportunities for those who wish to engage in criminal behaviour.
The range of ‘cyber-enabled’ crimes is myriad—from white-collar crime, such as fraudulent financial transactions, identity theft, and the theft of electronic information for commercial gain, to drug-trafficking, aberrant voyeuristic activities, harassment, stalking or other threatening behaviours. And while these have always been classified as criminal activities, they’re now so much easier with a computer.
A cybercriminal can inflict massive commercial damage using the internet. In fact, it’s now easier and safer for a criminal to disrupt a business by destroying its database through malware, than by throwing a Molotov cocktail through its front window.
We refer to this as ‘cyber-dependent’ crime. It was acutely felt across the world in May 2015, when Cryptowall 3.0 ransomware began attacking businesses. Using an exploit kit capable of attacking software vulnerabilities, Cryptowall 3.0 searched for files on the victims’ computers, encrypted these documents, deleted the originals, then alerted the victims that they needed to pay thousands of dollars in ransom money in order to get their files back. It has been estimated that these attacks infected hundreds of thousands of computers across the world, and caused close to US$325 million in damages.
Another modern manifestation of cyber-dependent crime is the work of
THE ‘HACKTIVIST,’ SOMEONE WHO PROTESTS AGAINST AN ORGANISATION’S ACTIONS OR POLICIES.
Perhaps the most memorable is the 2010 Anonymous hacktivist attack on Mastercard, Visa and Paypal in retribution for their ceasing to transact donations to the WikiLeaks group. Anonymous distributed denial-of- service attacks which bombarded the trio’s websites with requests until they were unable to cope and collapsed. Damage from this cyber-crime was in the millions (for PayPal alone, damage was estimated at US$5.5 million).
Possibly the greatest concern to governments, however, is the ability of cybercriminals across the globe to use the internet for purposes of espionage and terrorism.
The borderless nature of the internet, and hence cybercrime, means that Australians can be targeted from anywhere in the world, making law enforcement not only challenging, but, in some instances, almost impossible. Indeed, according to the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), a government agency opened in 2014 to counter the threat of cybercrime, the number of cyber-attacks in this country continues to rise, the types are proliferating, and the level of sophistication grows.
And it’s all too easy; today criminals can commit cybercrime without the need for high-level technical skills. In fact, the internet can assist, with ‘do-it-yourself’ malware kits, for example, available in online forums.
Fraudulent scams, too, need not be sophisticated. They can be set up using a hacking tool (readily available online) and a little imagination. This is of no little consequence: in 2015 it was estimated that Australians lost $75,000 each day to romance scams (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission). Such scams see lonely hearts swept up in false relationships, with the unsuspecting victims sending money to support the ‘unfortunate’ situation of their fraudulent ‘partner’.
Businesses, too, are vulnerable, and there is concern that they may not even realise their vulnerability. Earlier in 2016, the latest PwC Global Economic Crime Survey was released. It revealed that over a quarter of respondents said that they had been affected by cybercrime. Ominously, a further 18% were not sure whether they had been affected by cybercrime or not.
SO, WHAT IS TO BE DONE?
Surveillance by government agencies can be an effective crime deterrent at some level. But, in the short term, criminal justice responses are usually a case of ‘too little, too late’—assuming that they can detect the behaviour at all. It is rarely the case that they can thwart it ahead of time.
No, the prophylactic key is quite simple: the education of those who are most vulnerable, and the deployment of crime prevention tools more generally. There has been some success with victims of fraud and deception, particularly those people who have sent money overseas in the expectation of winning a heart or claiming a prize (neither of which ever existed).
Consider, for example, Project Sunbird, a joint initiative of the Western Australian Police and the Western Australian Department of Commerce. Officers employed by the Project use financial intelligence to contact people who are sending money to five West African countries. In 2015, Project Sunbird boasted a 26% drop in romance and investment fraud in Western Australia. Indeed, upon receipt of a warning letter, 72% of people stopped sending money immediately. Another half stopped upon receipt of a second letter.
There has also been significant success with raising the awareness of Australian businesses to their vulnerability, and the installation of crime prevention mechanisms. According to the ACSC’s 2015 Cybersecurity Survey, only 3% of respondents reported not having an IT security area, up from 16% in 2013.
Pleasingly, 77% of respondents have cyber security incident response plans in place, and 37% regularly review it. 100% of respondents reported using anti-virus software, and all but one respondent reported using network-based firewalls.
On 1 March this year Industry Minister Christopher Pyne foreshadowed the establishment of a new $30 million Cyber Security Growth Centre, possibly in Adelaide or Melbourne. Its stated aim is to promote the commercialisation of cyber security services in concert with universities and the private sector. There has also been a commensurate amount of literature on the phenomenon that is readily available for policy-makers keen to find the appropriate computer-scientific and social solutions.
We can safely conclude that individuals, businesses and governments alike are finally taking cybercrime and cyber security seriously, and putting appropriate resources into education and other prevention measures.
The federal government has now released its Cyber Security Strategy, with a commitment of $230 million over four years to improve our knowledge of threats, to help companies to protect themselves, and to work with other nations to root out the cybercriminals from their safe havens. When this strategy is in place, we will be in a better position to gauge the preparedness of the nation generally to withstand cybercrime and to thwart the activities of the insidious masterminds of its various incarnations.


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After nearly a year of a global pandemic, sustainability is still the hottest of topics, along with a wider range of environmental and social issues. As the digital revolution before it, the sustainability revolution is one of the most critical challenges and opportunities for businesses and economies in the decades ahead.
Consumers and investors are demanding a significant change. Business owners across all industries, ignore at your peril. No matter the industry, product or service being sold, customers are using their wallets to align with brands that share their values.
Some companies are grasping this change faster than others, and consumers along with investors are rewarding them (according to the Bangkok Post). Even before the Covid-19 economic slowdown, shares of lower-carbon energy companies were outperforming those of the oil and gas majors. Unilever’s Sustainable Living Brands portfolio is growing nearly twice as fast as other brands it owns.
A report conducted by Neilson shows that sustainability-linked consumer products now grow nearly six times faster than other brands. Coupled with 73% of global consumers stating they would definitely or probably change their consumption habits to reduce their impact on the environment.
As the world’s top countries accelerate towards the goals of Paris Agreement & the UNFCC, all eyes are on the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 1st – 12th November 2021, to see what measures and goals to get towards net-zero will be put in place by global leaders. With the US re-joining the Paris Agreement, spearheaded by US Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry, COP26 summit is set to be one of the most exciting yet.
“In the race to win net-zero, the world must achieve breakthroughs across the global economy” writes Alok Sharma, COP26 President, but this all starts at home.
Here are some top tips for BMA business owners to make sure you’re not left behind in the race to be more sustainable:
- Make bold strategic choices – as a business leader you need to be aware of emerging trends and should be staying ahead of your customer’s changing shopping habits.
- Innovate or reinvent products – have you considered how you can create new products produced using fewer carbon emissions, less waste or an emphasis on wellness? Procter & Gamble are making products in reusable containers and developing products that require customers to add water to use them (i.e. hand soap, shampoo etc). Dry products are lighter to transport and therefore, emit less carbon. Building material companies are following suit for low carbon steel & cement – what can the bathroom industry learn from this?
- Rethink operations – the day-to-day running of your business is often second nature and things like energy bills can often be overlooked. This is one of the best places to start your sustainable energy strategy.
In order to make an impact, evaluate your energy strategy so that it accurately represents your business goals. Whether that’s the way energy is procured or, looking to implement renewable or sustainable energy saving technology.
Is it possible to make some significant changes by upgrading to LED lighting or installing Solar Panels. Installing Electric Vehicle Chargers can also increase footfall to your business at the same time as increasing your green credentials. At Planet-U, we are experts in helping companies assess their energy strategies in a hassle-free manner.
- 4. Create partnerships – teaming up with like-minded businesses trying to achieve your sustainability goals will help tackle the broad and complex issues you’re facing and drive alliances across the industry.
Talking about sustainability won’t just solve the challenges businesses are facing, it requires action. There are no silver bullets, it’s a question of businesses doing as much as what can join the sustainability revolution facing our world today, in order to build a better future. At Planet-U Energy we believe there is a path to a future with more sustainable and renewable energy that doesn’t just have to be good for the planet, but it can be good for business too.
If you would like to find out more information or discuss how you can improve your business energy strategy, email Chris Thurling (Head of Renewables, Planet-U Energy) at: [email protected]


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Vodafone Make The Most of NZ Time
Vodafone’s newspaper advertising campaign, “Daylight Saving” won the “Could Be A Caxton” award for October/November 2008. On the last Sunday in September clocks are adjusted to give New Zealanders an extra hour in the evening, signalling the journey towards the season of summer. The ad continued the campaign launched with the Changing Times TV ad in 2007, and an earlier print advertisement aligned with Leap Day in February 2008.
“Yay! Daylight saving kicked in last night. So shake out the cobwebs. Dig out the jandals. Dust off the barbie. Lose the love handles. Trim your toenails. Shave your hairy bits. Find the chilly bin. Enjoy a picnic. Or do whatever. ‘Cos we’ve got an extra hour of daylight. Let’s make the most of it”.
Jandals – rubber sandals
Barbie – barbecue
Chilly bin – insulated picnic cooler
“Unlike the majority of the entries, this one’s genuinely built for newspapers – as opposed to a magazine ad that’s been unconvincingly re-sized,” said the Caxtons judge, David Nobay of Droga5 Australia. “It plays to the core strengths of the medium and is designed to explode out of the editorial surrounding it.”
The campaign was developed at Colenso BBDO Auckland, by creative director/art director Steven Cochran, art director/copywriter Nick Worthington, and art director Emmanuel Bougneres.
The same team put out the earlier Leap Day print advertisement for Vodafone, designed for February 29, 2008. The advertisement included the phone number of a real person, Oliver Woods, who at the age of 20, was celebrating his 5th birthday. He received 60 calls, 300 voice messages, and 700 texts, as well as featuring in four live radio interviews.


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James Bond is coming to Amazon Prime.
The streaming service greenlit a TV series called "007's Road to a Million," a reality series with a Bond-style twist. Britain's 72 Films will produce the eight-part series with James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
According to Variety, it has been in the works for about four years and when Amazon closed on an eight-billion-dollar deal with MGM last week, the James Bond franchise is believed to be a big reason.
The show will be filmed at iconic Bond locations and will test both intelligence and endurance. That means physical obstacles, and answering questions hidden in different locations around the world in order to advance to the next challenge.
If you want to apply to be a contestant, head to 72 Film’s application website. production begins later this year. The winner gets 1 million euros (1.3 million dollars).