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Dominique Faget/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Spike Jonze at a screening of “Where the Wild Things Are” in December.
Spike Jonze, objectively speaking one of the coolest dudes around, is mild-mannered and polite almost to the point of awkwardness. (We mean that in a nice way.) Mr. Jonze created a stir when he was at Sundance for a few days showing a 30-minute short, “I’m Here,” which he made with money from Absolut. It’s a robot love story with more human than computer-generated effects: square-headed Sheldon (Andrew Garfield) falls for sleek Francesca (Sienna Guillory), who’s quirky and fun but prone to losing body parts.
At an interview in a coffee shop, where he and his design team were working on a book related to the movie, Mr. Jonze said he was inspired by Chrysler K-cars.
“The biggest thing to realize,” said Sonny Gerasimowicz, who designed the costumes, “is that there have been millions of robots designed in movies. You’re not going to do anything new.”
Instead Mr. Gerasimowicz, who also worked with Mr. Jonze on “Where the Wild Things Are,” tried to make the robots as naturalistic as possible. “We did a lot of super-thinning down,” he said, “figuring out what’s going to not make it look like somebody’s obviously in a suit.”
The Bagger got the gamut of the Sundance experience on Friday – well, except for the whole skiing part. But there was the requisite media hype; the press room for “Howl” included folks from Vanity Fair and IFC and yes, the Bagger herself, all talking about a movie that seemingly fizzled out of the gate.
Then a quick jaunt through a gifting suite, where the conservationist pleas by the company giving out free water bottles were somewhat offset by the fact that they were landing in a place designed to ply you with as much as goods and services as possible, like free blowouts, makeovers and games on WiiFit. (Full disclosure: we took a pack of gum.) Then a brief chat with Spike Jonze, who was hanging out in a café, putting together a booklet for the DVD version of his short, “I’m Here.”
Eventually, finally, a movie: Nicole Holofcener’s startling “Please Give,” which has perhaps Sundance’s most attention-grabbing opening montage: shot after shot of breasts getting mammographed.
Mark Mainz/Getty Images Rory Kennedy, whose short film “The Fence” is at Sundance this year.
The buzzy shorts premieres on Sundance’s opening night Thursday included “I’m Here,” a feature about robot love by Spike Jonze – financed by Absolut – and a documentary by Rory Kennedy, “The Fence,” about the inadequate structure separating the United States-Mexico border.
In his introduction, Robert Redford, the Sundance founder, noted that the festival had been a supporter of shorts for many years, including through its Lab program. “And now with the advance of the new technology, and the shortening attention span, now there is a distribution marketplace for shorts,” he said, the sea of rolling camera-phones in the audience proving him right. Sundance has also announced a deal with YouTube to screen five of its films this month.
Also YouTube worthy: the ice furniture outside the party for the shorts program.


text: The world's leading provider of online classified advertising, eBay Classifieds Group, is expanding its operations in Hong Kong with the launch of a free bilingual platform, Kijiji. Part of the United States-based eBay's consumer-to-consumer e-commerce empire, eBay Classifieds has established eight different brands for general online classifieds sites in more than 1,000 cities in more than 25 countries. These sites provide more than 25 million live listings and receive almost 65 million unique visitors each month. Frances Chiu, general manager at eBay Classifieds Asia-Pacific, said Kijiji - pronounced 'kee-gee-gee' - was introduced this month to replace the outdated English-only Gumtree site that was set up in 2005, many years before the company opened its regional headquarters in Hong Kong. 'The old Gumtree site was quite vibrant among the English-speaking population, but we also want to capture the larger Chinese-speaking population with a brand they can connect with,' Chiu said. The company hopes to create with Kijiji (from the Swahili word for 'village') a close-knit online community for trade in Hong Kong. It aims to help local buyers find bargains by encouraging the growth of the second-hand market and bartering. 'People live incredibly busy lives in Hong Kong, so simplicity is key to Kijiji,' Chiu said. Kijiji offers categories including cars, jobs, professional services, pets, events and property. More will be added in future to meet users' needs. Chiu said paid advertisements are prominently placed on the first page of each category but declined to give an estimate of revenue from such premium adverts. 'We expect Kijiji to record at least 100 per cent growth by the end of this year, from the current 70,000 unique visitors per month,' he said. 'The Hong Kong online classifieds market today is fragmented, with sites catering to specific categories, like jobs. 'We see more opportunities for our general online classifieds site because everything is in one place for people to find.' Chiu said eBay Classifieds will also invest to build its technological capabilities in Hong Kong while expanding into other Asian markets. The group is also in Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. It also has a minority stake in Baixing, the top online classifieds service in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

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JN General Insurance takes flight!
JN General Insurance Company Limited (JNGI) formally came into existence on May 1, 2012, as NEM Insurance joined the Jamaica National brand family.
The transition was carried out with a formal ribbon-cutting by Rev. Dr. Garnet Brown, a customer of JN General Insurance (JNGI) Company for 54 years, followed by a tour of the newly refurbished building. In the afternoon a staff launch ceremony was held at the King Street office canteen.
“We are proud to formally rebrand our company as the JN General Insurance Company, and to launch the rebranding campaign, with you all, our most important customers, the JNGI employees,” said GM Chris Hind at the launch ceremony. “We will continue our development as one of the strongest general insurers in Jamaica, allied with one of the longest established and strongest brands in Jamaica.”
Discussing the name change, Maximilian Campbell, JN Group Human Resource Development Executive, and chairman of the function, told the gathering that, “we also want to recognize you, the staff members who will embody that change through your functions and interactions with your customers.”
JN General Insurance has been making steady progress towards brand integration for some time, Mr. Hind said. Products have been aligned with those of the JN Group, the JN branches serve as retailing platforms, and former JN Group subsidiary, the Jamaica Automobile Association, is now a closely aligned JNGI subsidiary.
“We will need your continued commitment and support, as we strive to provide the utmost in customer service, and to live up to our value proposition,” the General Manager told the assembled staff.


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Last year, Electric Car Maker Tesla had announced that they’ve purchased some Bitcoins. The company’s CEO and an avid Bitcoin proponent Elon Musk has regularly pushed for wider adoption of the technology. While he retracted from his statement due to Bitcoin’s energy consumption woes, his company hasn’t sold any Bitcoins that they’ve bought back then.
According to Tesla’s Q4 financial statements that were released yesterday, the company’s unaudited balance contains “net digital assets” worth $1.26 billion.
However, the company did not make any other purchases in terms of digital assets. Moreover, Tesla has only bought Bitcoin in the first quarter of 2021 at a total price of $1.5 billion.
While Tesla hasn’t stated how much Bitcoin it owns, Elon has hinted at the number at 42,000 BTC.
Besides purchasing Bitcoin, Tesla had also started accepting Bitcoin payments in March 2021. However, the company soon halted that due to Bitcoin’s environmental issues.
Although Elon stated that they’ll resume Bitcoin payments as soon as miners confirm clean energy usage in mining the crypto. Back then, he said:
“When there’s confirmation of reasonable (~50%) clean energy usage by miners with the positive future trend, Tesla will resume allowing Bitcoin transactions.”
However, as of now, Tesla hasn’t resumed accepting BTC payments. On the other hand, Tesla has started accepting DOGE for some merchandise. While Musk is a big crypto proponent, he is a bigger ‘fan’ of DOGE. Recently, Musk tried to tempt McDonald’s to accept DOGE to which the fast-food chain replied “will accept when Tesla accepts grimacecoin”.


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PHILADELPHIA (CBS.MW) SmithKline Beecham PLC said first-quarter profit rose 14 percent, driven by strong sales of antidepressants, antibiotics and vaccines.
The U.K.-based drugmaker SBH, +0.00%, one of the world's largest drug companies, said profit rose to $540 million, or 49 cents for each of the company's U.S.-listed shares, from $475 million, or 43 cents a share in the year-ago quarter. The company's U.S. headquarters are in Philadelphia.
Results beat the average estimate of 47 cents a share in a First Call survey of 18 analysts. Sales rose 9 percent to $3.4 billion from $3.1 billion.
Shares rose 3 15/16 to close at 66 11/16, rebounding from a sharp sell-off that has plagued the pharmaceuticals group in recent trading sessions.
"We are pleased with this performance, which was driven by increased volumes from our broad portfolio of products," chief executive Jan Leschly said in a statement.
The company also said it expects that cost-savings measures it implemented earlier in the year will yield 200 million pounds, or about $321 million dollars, in annual cost savings by 2002.
The company also said it's on track to meet its goal of increasing earnings growth by about 13 percent in 1999 and to achieve mid- to high-teens earnings growth in the years 2000 and 2001, excluding exceptional items
SmithKline Beecham's prescription drugs include the antidepressant Paxil and vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and hepatitis.
The company also makes over-the-counter products such as Geritol vitamins, NicoDerm CQ anti-smoking patches and Aquafresh toothpaste. It also performs over 100 million diagnostic tests annually as part of its clinical laboratory services and is a leader in workplace drug testing.
First-quarter sales of pharmaceuticals rose 10 percent and sales of consumer healthcare products rose 9 percent, SmithKline said. Operating profit increased 12 percent.
Sales of Paxil rose17 percent to $461 million. Sales of the antibiotic Augmentin rose 19 percent to $484 million, while sales of vaccines increased 12 percent to $297 million, helped by Twinrix, its hepatitis A and B vaccine, Priorix, its measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, its flu vaccine Fluarix.
The company also launched the first vaccine for protection against Lyme disease, which had $18 million in U.S. sales during the quarter.
In the first quarter, pharmaceuticals growth was also driven by new products, including Coreg/Kredex, for congestive heart failure, Hycamtin for ovarian cancer and small cell lung cancer, and Famvir, an antiviral, the company said. Sales of new pharmaceutical products increased 33 percent, the company said..
Sales at SmithKline's healthcare services division, including diversified pharmaceutical services which was sold April 1, and clinical laboratories, which is expected to be sold by the end of the third quarter, increased 11 percent.
SmithKline operates one of the largest independent clinical laboratory networks in the U.S. Its labs test blood, urine and tissue samples for physician, hospital, government and industry clients.
Last Friday, a SmithKline Beecham laboratory worker admitted re-using disposable needles for HIV and hepatitis testing, California health officials said. See full story.
Health officials said at the time that the risk of infection to anyone who had blood drawn by the lab worker was low, though they acknowledged that re-using needles in any way is unsafe.
SmithKline is in the process of contacting patients, testing them and then re-testing them, said Jeremy Heymsfeld, a company spokesman. He said the company can't speculate on the outcome of the situation, but "based on what we know now, we're not expecting it to have a material effect" on the company, Heymsfeld said.


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With growing attention on security, data sent by Internet of Things-enabled devices has not escaped scrutiny, and it is this link in the chain that is the focus of a new collaboration between Swiss cybersecurity company WISeKey and SAP.
Allowing the integration of WISeKey’s Managed Cryptographic Root of Trust secure IoT Edge Device with devices leveraging SAP HANA Cloud Platform for the Internet of Things (IoT), the collaboration will provide increased security when connecting to SAP solutions.
Gil Perez, SVP digital asset and IoT, general manager IoT security, SAP SE, said that securing data communications from edge devices to the SAP HANA Cloud Platform for the IoT and SAP solutions for the IoT is a prerequisite for any bidirectional enterprise IoT use case.
“By working with WISeKey, we are continuing to offer our customers options for ensuring the validity and scalability of sensor data powering SAP IoT platform and solutions,” said Perez.
WISeKey is currently using its Managed Cryptographic Root of Trust and NFCTrusted technology to integrate watches and wearable technology with secure authentication and identification, allowing them to be used as secure transactional devices.
Operating systems and applications recognise the Managed WISeKey Root of Trust to ensure the authenticity and integrity of online transactions, and IoT product manufacturers can use code-signing certificates and a cloud-based signature-as-a-service to secure interactions among and between objects and people.


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Apple has finally confirmed what the SE in its new iPhone’s name is for.
The new phone’s name stands for Special Edition, according to Phil Schiller, Apple’s head of marketing. The senior vice president confirmed the name to journalist Jason Cipriani.
The name might seem like an obvious guess, given that it is a special, smaller edition of the iPhone and that a range of other products have the SE name.
But Apple hasn’t disclosed the proper name of its products in the past — the iPhone 5c’s name was never elaborated on, and the S that is stuck on the name of its phone models every other year remains a mystery. It’s also possible that the name could be short for small edition, given the phone is like a shrunken iPhone 6.
The question had troubled many on Twitter after the announcement, and even before. Others had suggested that it might stand for “Super Encrypted” — a reference to Apple’s dispute with the FBI over security technology — smaller experience, or senseless edition.
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In Pictures: Derby Day devotees, Kenyan style
Photos of the Day: Photos of the day 05/16
In Pictures: Dazzle like Beckham
In Pictures: Weather extremes 2013
In Pictures: Covert commerce: smugglers' tunnels at the Egypt and Gaza border
Photos of the Day: Photos of the day 05/15
In Pictures: Duchess Kate's royal baby bump
Photos of the Day: Photos of the day 05/14
In Pictures: Keffiyeh is rebel chic
Under Hugo Chávez, big businesses endured threats of state takeover. This week, Chávez's successor reached out to the boss of Venezuela's largest privately held company.
Andrew Rosati, Correspondent /
May 19, 2013
In Venezuela, Hugo Chávez's successor seems to be turning toward big business for help in ending rampant scarcities of basic consumer goods and an almost 30 percent annual inflation rate.


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A few months ago, the MP Design Studio Gazelle for P3D and FSX saw the light of day. MP Design Studio has now released an update, with newer models, textures and some new features. Joe took her for a spin. Still no Blue Thunder, though.
It’s been a few years since Nemeth and Milviz released their UH-1C and H model Hueys for FSX. Recently, Milviz decided to release a revamped version of their offering of this iconic helicopter, the Milviz Huyey Redux, and HeliSimmer was lucky enough to get a look.


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Nvidia's Data Center business just logged $18.4 billion in fourth-quarter sales, underscoring how the computer chip giant continues to benefit from the current boom in artificial intelligence.
As part of Nvidia's fourth-quarter earnings that were released Wednesday, the company said its data center unit grew 409% from the $3.62 billion it reported during the same period in the previous year. Analysts were expecting Nvidia's data center unit to record $17.06 billion in sales for its fiscal fourth quarter.
Investors are closely watching Nvidia's Data Center business, which includes the company's H100 graphics cards that are widely used to power generative AI apps such as OpenAI's ChatGPT.
Since OpenAI debuted ChatGPT in November 2022, tech giants such as Alphabet and Meta and high-profile startups including Anthropic and Cohere have increasingly released more capable versions of their respective large language models that require enormous amounts of computing power.
Indeed, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in January that the social networking giant's computing infrastructure will include 350,000 H100 graphics cards by the end of 2024, indicating that Meta is spending billions of dollars on Nvidia's popular computer chips as part of its artificial intelligence efforts.
Nvidia's data center unit has blossomed, particularly over the past three quarters. It's the current market leader for supplying computer chips used for AI research and products.
Here's a look at Nvidia's data center unit sales since the company's fiscal third quarter 2023, which ended about a month before OpenAI released ChatGPT:
- Fiscal Q3 2024 – data center revenue of $14.51 billion, up 279% from the year prior.
- Fiscal Q2 2024 – data center revenue of $10.32 billion, up 171% from the year prior.
- Fiscal Q1 2024 – data center revenue of $4.28 billion, up 14% from the year prior.
- Fiscal Q4 2023 – data center revenue was $3.62 billion, up 11% from the year prior.
- Fiscal Q3 2023 – data center revenue was $3.83 billion, up 31% from the year prior.
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- Move over, Nvidia. There's a new hot AI play that has soared 960% in the past year
- Morgan Stanley's Slimmon names 3 stocks to buy right now: 'It's going to be a good year for equities'
- This little-known bank is offering one of the highest CD rates


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Thps 1 2 Nintendo Switch is a great skateboarding game that you can play on the go. The graphics and gameplay are amazing, and you can use the Joy-Cons to control your character. The levels are well designed and challenging, and the soundtrack is awesome. You can also play with your friends online or locally. Overall, Thps 1 2 Nintendo Switch is a great game that you should definitely check out.
Is THPS coming to Switch?
There has been no shortage of hype for the Switch since its release in March of 2017. Nintendo’s newest console has been a hot topic among gamers and the gaming industry alike, with many wondering if popular games such as “Skyrim” and “Fortnite” will make their way to the platform.
The topic of a potential “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” port for the Switch has been floating around for a little while now. There has been no confirmation from Activision or Nintendo as to whether or not the game is in development, but a recent listing on Amazon Germany has sparked new hope among fans of the series.
The listing, which has since been taken down, shows that a game called “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5” is set to be released on the Switch on December 7, 2018. This would be the first time a “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” game has been released on a Nintendo console in over a decade.
While nothing has been confirmed, the listing provides some convincing evidence that a Switch port of “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5” is in the works. The game was originally released in 2015 on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, so it makes sense that Activision would want to release it on the Switch as well.
There is no word yet on whether or not this is actually the case, but we will likely find out more in the coming months. In the meantime, we will just have to wait and see.
Will THPS 3 be remastered?
There has been a lot of speculation on the internet recently about a potential remaster of the classic Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 game. The game was initially released in 2001 and became an instant hit with fans of the skateboarding genre.
There has been no official confirmation from Activision that a remaster is in the works, but there have been some clues that suggest it may be a possibility. First, the game was recently added to the list of backwards compatible games on the Xbox One. This could be a sign that Activision is preparing to release a remastered version of the game in the near future.
Another clue is that the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 soundtrack has been made available on streaming services such as Spotify. This suggests that the rights to the game have been obtained by Activision and that they may be planning to release a remastered version soon.
The original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 game was released on the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Gamecube. A remastered version could potentially be released on current generation consoles such as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
The game would likely include updated graphics and textures, as well as support for online multiplayer. It would be great to see the inclusion of the classic levels such as the school and the Venice Beach skatepark.
There is no confirmed release date for a potential Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 remaster, but it would be great to see it released sometime in 2019. Fingers crossed that Activision decides to give us all a present for Christmas!
Does THPS have split screen?
Does THPS have split screen? This is a question that many gamers have asked, especially since the release of the newest installment in the series, THPS5. The answer, however, is not a simple one.
The first two games in the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series did not feature split screen multiplayer mode. However, the third game in the series, THPS3, did include split screen multiplayer mode. This mode allowed players to compete against each other in a head-to-head match, either playing as the same character or playing as different characters.
The fourth game in the series, THPS4, did not include split screen multiplayer mode, most likely due to the fact that online multiplayer mode had become more popular by that time.
The fifth game in the series, THPS5, once again includes split screen multiplayer mode. This mode allows players to compete against each other in a head-to-head match, either playing as the same character or playing as different characters.
So, does THPS5 have split screen? The answer is yes.
How do you make a skater Tony Hawk 1 2 Nintendo switch?
How do you make a skater Tony Hawk 1 2 Nintendo switch?
This is a question that has been on many people’s minds since the game was released. The good news is that it is actually possible to do. The steps involved are relatively simple, but they do require a bit of time and effort.
The first step is to create a new profile on your Nintendo Switch. This profile will be used to play as Tony Hawk.
The next step is to download the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 data files. These files can be found on the internet, and they are free to download.
Once the files have been downloaded, they need to be copied to the Nintendo Switch console. This can be done by connecting the console to a computer and transferring the files over.
The final step is to launch the game and select the new profile that was created earlier. Tony Hawk will now be playable on the Nintendo Switch.
Will Skate 4 Be on Switch?
Since the release of the Nintendo Switch in 2017, there have been many questions about which games will be coming to the console. One of the most popular questions is whether or not the upcoming Skate 4 will be released on the Switch.
In an interview with IGN, EA CFO Blake Jorgensen said that the company is “very excited about Nintendo Switch” and that they are “looking at other games” to bring to the console. However, he didn’t mention anything about Skate 4 specifically.
This isn’t the first time that EA has been coy about whether or not Skate 4 will be released on the Switch. In an interview with Game Informer, EA executive vice president Patrick Soderlund said that the company is “absolutely” working on the game, but he didn’t mention anything about a potential release on the Switch.
It’s unclear whether or not Skate 4 will be released on the Switch, but given EA’s history of releasing games on Nintendo consoles, it seems likely that the game will be released on the Switch at some point.
Can you play skate on Nintendo Switch?
The Nintendo Switch is a console that was released in March of 2017. It is a hybrid console that can be used as a home console or a portable console. It can be connected to a television or used as a handheld device. It has a 6.2 inch screen and allows players to use two Joy-Con controllers or a Pro Controller.
Skate is a game that was released in 2007 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is a skateboarding game that allows players to skate around a virtual city and perform tricks. The game was well-received by critics and has a score of 83 on Metacritic.
There is no word yet on whether or not Skate will be released for the Nintendo Switch. However, it is possible that the game could be ported over to the console. The Nintendo Switch is a powerful console and has the ability to handle games that were released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Why did they stop making Tony Hawk games?
Since the late 1990s, the Tony Hawk video game series has been a staple in the gaming world. The first game was released in 1999 and featured the professional skateboarder of the same name. The game was an instant success, and over the next decade, many sequels were released.
However, in 2009, the Tony Hawk series took a hiatus. Since then, there have been no new games in the series. So, what happened?
There are a few possible explanations. One is that the Tony Hawk games became stale and people were no longer interested in playing them. Another is that the developers ran into difficulty creating new games that were both innovative and profitable.
Whatever the reason, the fact remains that the Tony Hawk series is no longer being made. This is a shame, as the games were a lot of fun and provided hours of entertainment. Here’s hoping that the series will be revived in the future!


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Marketers are concerned about the impact of personal video recorders on TV advertising, but their uptake remains slow and research shows that PVR viewers still recall, and sometimes look for, ads
Online DVD rental company LoveFilm is on the hunt for agencies to handle its first television ad campaign (MW last week). It is perhaps a little ironic that a company whose very business might be perceived to be a threat to TV advertising – as viewers consume content without consuming advertising – is itself seeking to communicate with consumers via the medium.
The advent of the personal video recorder (PVR) has caused a stir in marketing. Increased consumer control over the traditional advertising medium of choice will have significant implications for both media planning and creative execution. Marketers are asking how much impact PVRs will have, and how they need to adjust to combat negative effects of time-shifting and fast-forwarding and whether television is still a viable advertising medium.
Ad avoidance has existed since TV was first invented – it came in the guise of making tea or popping to the loo. The concern with PVRs is that they make ad avoidance easier, potentially, and more prevalent than ever before. Are these concerns justified?
Research into this dilemma has focused on three key areas which may provide an insight into the scale of the issue. These are: PVR penetration (the number of households owning a PVR), the amount of pre-recorded, time-shifted viewing in those households, and the amount of ad-skipping when programmes are pre-recorded.
Confusingly, many different figures exist for current penetration levels and future estimates vary wildly. However, it is clear that PVR penetration levels are not rising as fast as many people had expected. Most TV programmes are still viewed live and, while a lot of ad-skipping does take place when shows are recorded, not all ads are skipped, indeed some viewers stop to watch particular ads which grab their attention.
BARB’s April 2006 UK Television Outlook estimates that just 10% to 20% of viewing in UK PVR households is time-shifted, and this proportion is not expected to change radically. This means that even as PVR usage increases, TV advertisers will still penetrate PVR homes.
Even taking a relatively aggressive set of assumptions that PVR penetration will reach 40% by 2010, 25% of viewing will be pre-recorded and that 80% of advertising will be skipped, less than 10% of potential exposure will be lost.
Research by Millward Brown adds two new perspectives. A survey in March with US broadcasters ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC shows no difference in ad recall and recognition between PVR owners and non-owners for ads aired during prime time. The survey was conducted online among 2,000 respondents between 48 and 72 hours after the ads aired to allow time to watch recorded programmes.
Among the PVR owners surveyed, 61% of prime-time viewing was live; programmes were recorded and viewed later just 39% of the time. The US study measured TV ad recall and recognition across multiple brands in four categories â cars, mobile phones, fast food and film. The findings were consistent across the four categories.
This research suggests consumers who own PVRs are more likely to pay attention to television during commercial breaks when viewing live, and are less likely to be distracted by other activities than non-PVR owners.
Millward Brown also conducted research to help TV advertisers understand the creative and media planning implications of PVRs. The research was conducted in both the UK and US among more than 5,000 consumers, and looked at 59 ads. The research confirmed that a lot of ad skipping does take place, and that more PVR owners (37%) than DVD recorder owners (27%) skip ads all the time. However, it is clear that the majority of respondents still watch some of the ads, some of the time. This research also shows that 17% respondents say they would be very likely to stop and play an ad and 21% very likely to use the remote control to access interactive services.
The range of response across ads was wide – likelihood to stop and watch varied from 2% to 30%. Millward Brown conducted a qualitative assessment of the 59 ads tested to understand which factors were making some ads more “PVR-resistant”.
The assessment found the likelihood of stopping to watch a specific ad is strongly influenced by having an interest in the brand and product category. This suggests that high-interest products and categories will have an innate advantage in a PVR world. Fortunately for other brands, however, the findings also suggest that enjoyable ads have the ability to stop people from fast-forwarding, over-riding the effects of low category and brand interest. Viewers are also more likely to both skip and stop-and-watch an ad if they have seen a similar ad in the campaign before.
The media challenge in this environment will be to expose people in a live viewing situation before the ad is viewed in fast-forward mode, to ensure single ad exposures are limited, and that the reach of multiple, complementary ads is optimised.
PVR usage will slowly change the nature of TV viewing for some people, some of the time. But there is little doubt that for TV advertising to be successful in the future, advertisers and agencies will have to become more sophisticated when it comes to developing and targeting creative ideas to maximise its effectiveness.


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US stock futures were off to a rough start on Wednesday, thanks to Apple’s premarket tumble following the iDevices manufacturer, the biggest firm by market worth, broke investors hearts with lethargic earnings data. The stock market is expected to receive a jerk in the afternoon, when the Feds latest policy declaration is yet to come. S&P 500 futures declined 5.65 points, or 0.3%, to 2,082.75, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures declined by 43 points, or 0.2%, to 17,876. Nasdaq-100 futures plunged by 48 points, or 1.1%, to 4,404.75.
The only center of attraction on Wednesday was Silicon Valley tech titan Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) whose stock was down to knees almost 8 percent at $95.80 in premarket session on Wednesday following the firm declared its debut loss in sales of smart phones. Experts believe that the future of the company lies within iPhone 7 success, (not all of them believes the same) which Apple is estimated to roll out in September. If iPhone 7 does not catches investors attention with up to date useful features, we fret that consumers would not upgrade, Macquarie expert Ben Schachter mentioned in a note to clients. And unluckily, nothing that we have observed regarding iPhone 7 so far hits us as chiefly innovative,” Schachter reported, who lowered his price target to $112 from $117 while keeping his “outperform” rating on the stock.
Goldman was in list of those 16 brokerages that sliced price guidance on Apple’s stock, lowering its target to $136 from $155 while keeping a “buy” rating.
Apple’s sluggish earnings were in line with other tech firms. Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Google owner Alphabet Inc (GOOGL) posted heart breaking earning figures. Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster reported that while there were few eye catching stuff was present in Apple’s report, he thought Apple’s shares would gain back in 2016 as iPhone sales start to recover in the Q4. Still there was a main question regarding the iPhone’s future growth and other issues that can drive revenue, he mentioned. That query stays unrequited following the March report.


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A Hy-Vee grocery store would replace the historic Terrace Theatre and part of an adjacent mall in Robbinsdale, should city leaders agree to their demolition.
Developers announced details about the store at a packed community meeting Wednesday. The store would be the seventh Hy-Vee in the Twin Cities for the growing Des Moines-based chain, and the first big grocery store in Robbinsdale in years.
“We think this is a good location,” said Phil Hoey, Hy-Vee’s director of real estate.
But the plans have divided the northwest metro suburb. While some residents are excited about the first grocery store in Robbinsdale since a Rainbow Foods closed in 2013, others continue to rally to save the 1950s-era theater from destruction.
The proposal goes to the city’s Planning Commission, which will hold a public hearing July 21, followed by a City Council review.
The council, acting as the Economic Development Authority, already has approved a tax-increment financing study for the proposal.
Under the plans by St. Louis Park-based Inland Development Partners, Hy-Vee would open a 91,500-square-foot store in place of the theater and the north side of the divided mall. The plans include a 4,500-square-foot convenience store and coffee shop, with gas pumps and a drive-through in a parking lot, on the 10-acre site off 36th Avenue and W. Broadway.
Construction on the project, which could cost as much as $30 million, could start by October, with the store opening in September 2017.
“It will move quickly,” Kent Carlson of Inland Development Partners told city leaders earlier this month.
Residents got their first look in years at the inside of the theater Wednesday when developers showed photos from a blight analysis done by a company, hired by the city but funded by the developer.
The theater, which closed in 1999 and is owned by a New York City-based investment group, has no remaining windows. Doors and seats are gone and the leaky roof is failing, Carlson said.
“It really became evident very quickly that redevelopment was the best opportunity because of the current conditions,” he told city leaders.
Carlson added that the theater was studied as a possible amenity for a multifamily housing development, but the idea was vetoed because of the structural issues. Asbestos in the old Rainbow Foods building also would have to be removed.
“I can see why somebody would make a great argument — that if it hasn’t been open in the 21st century, that hey, it doesn’t fit anymore or it’s deteriorated enough with snowdrifts and rainstorms — that it can’t be saved,” City Council Member Bill Blonigan said.
David Leonhardt, who heads a preservation group trying to save the theater, disagreed, saying the photos exaggerate the theater’s decay.
“Things are not as bad as they appear,” he said. “Our primary goal is to work with the developer to refocus so it could still include the theater. If we could have both the grocery store and the theater, everyone would be happy.”


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ACCC backs down on Spar as Franklins candidate
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has reportedly abandoned one of the two potential buyers of grocery chain Franklins it nominated in its court bid to block Metcash from buying the retailer.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday (7 April), The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission no longer puts forward Spar International’s Australian business as a competitive alternative owner of Franklins.
The ACCC told the court that it had abandoned its submissions that Spar was one of two potential purchasers that could bid for Franklins if the retailer’s sale to Metcash was blocked.
The moves are part of the ACCC’s attempts to prevent Metcash’s A$215m (US$226.6m) takeover of Franklins from South African operator Pick n Pay, after deciding that it would result in a “substantial lessening of competition” in the wholesale supermarket supply sector in New South Wales.
The ACCC said the other potential purchaser, the KKK consortium, remained a possibility. It is associated with a number of independent retailers and made a non-binding indicative offer for Franklins of $110m last year.
Metcash is set to present its closing statement on 20 April.
just-food is the world’s leading portal for the global pre-packaged food and retail industries. Its daily mix of breaking news, views, analysis and research serves over 100,000 food executives each month. http://www.just-food.com/


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Samsung is reportedly planning to cut prices for a specific category of its smartphones. In the future, the cell phones could become significantly cheaper. But buyers will have to live with a limitation.
With a price of 2,100 euros, the Galaxy Fold was anything but a bargain. Samsung then proved that it can also be cheaper, at least in comparison, with its second folding phone: The South Koreans announced a RRP of around 1,500 euros for the Galaxy Z Flip. In the near future, however, the foldable smartphones could become even more affordable.
Samsung’s foldable smartphones should be cheaper
Cell phone insider Max Weinbach on Twitter According to Samsung, it could launch a “Galaxy Fold e”, which is said to be significantly cheaper than the original at $ 1,100. Samsung followed a similar strategy last year with the S10 series, when the Galaxy S10e was marketed as a cheaper and slightly slimmed-down version of the group’s other flagship models.
Speaking of slimmed down: In order to keep the price as low as possible, the Galaxy Fold e should have a flexible display made of plastic and not be equipped with the Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG), which is installed in the Galaxy Z Flip, for example. In addition to the inexpensive folding smartphone, Samsung is also expected to work on two other foldables, which, however, rely on UTG.
The advantages of the Galaxy Z Flip in the video:
Small revolution: foldable and affordable folding smartphones
With a folding smartphone for $ 1,100 (the equivalent of around € 1,015), Samsung would make the promising technology interesting for the mass market. Many cell phone owners are already very interested in foldable smartphones, but are deterred by the still horrific prices. There are also technical question marks as to whether a foldable display really can last two or more years in everyday life.
If Samsung could really cut the price of foldable smartphones massively and at the same time be able to ensure that the devices are at least as long-lasting as regular cell phones, that would be a small revolution.


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You are here
PHOENIX -- The majority of the 550 Circle K stores in Arizona are in the process of being overhauled to increase convenience and one-stop-shopping for customers, the East Valley Tribune reported.
Updates include architectural improvements, interior renovations and a wider product selection that includes ready-to-eat foods such as sandwiches, fruit cups and salads. The company’s red and white logo will remain unchanged, officials told the paper.
The changes are necessary to stay competitive, said Larry Brueggemier, the company's director of marketing. "This is a thriving market," he said. "If we're going to remain competitive, we have to invest."
About 80 percent of the company's stores will incorporate the new look and format, according to Brueggemier. He expects to finish the remodeling effort in approximately four years, but would not disclose the amount of money that is being invested into the stores. To date, the remodels have been completed at about 180 stores, the report stated.


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Post Office Limited has recently announced proposals to close the Church Lane branch and replace it with a small counter in another shop or supermarket on a franchise basis as part of a national shake-up.
In total, 37 directly managed ‘Crown’ branches face the axe.
An online petition against the proposals says: “This is a busy, heavily utilised office used by a wide demographic of ages for parcels, currency, post, passports, making payments.
“If the branch was based in a franchise it would become dependent on another business.
“This would endanger long term postal service provision in Pudsey could lead to current staff losing their jobs.
“The nearest Crown post office if Pudsey closes is Leeds or Bradford town centre, which would have a significant cost, time and accessibility impact for all users, and especially older residents.”
Post Office bosses announced earlier this month that they would be “seeking partners” for 37 Crown branches.
Roger Gale, sales and trade marketing director, said: “We’re committed to maintaining the post office’s special place on the high street and the changes we are making underpin our continued commitment to give communities in every part of the country access to essential services.
“The vast majority of these branches are run with partners, and in the locations announced we believe this will also be a more sustainable approach for the long term. With consumer habits changing, and the high cost of maintaining premises in prime high street locations, franchising helps us to keep services where our customers want and need them.”
He added: “We will take time to identify the right partners over the coming months and all proposals will be subject to local consultation.”
Pudsey councillor Mick Coulson said he and his ward colleagues are “working hard” to try and find a solution.
“We have been in touch with the Post Office and they have told us there is no way back,” he said. “They won’t even franchise in the same building with new management. They want the building empty.”
The YEP understands discussions are already under way with at least one interested party which could take over the franchise and ensure the branch stays in a town centre location.


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TWO CENTS / Could you shop with your child without a cart?
Published 4:00 am, Monday, August 7, 2006
Margaret Chau, Millbrae
It's hard enough to shop with children in a cart. It is nearly impossible to do so without one, unless one shops with an army of caretakers.
Jan Johnston-Tyler, Mountain View
Clearly, no one from the American Academy of Pediatrics has been shopping with their children recently. Many of us do not have the luxury of a nanny or a partner to watch our children, and toting a cranky child through a grocery store while trying to do a quick shop is impractical.
Cee Cee Wu, San Francisco
Anything and everything is unsafe for toddlers. It is the parents' responsibility to train their children before putting them into shopping carts. I've always taught mine: "no touch, no buy, do not stand up" before we make our shopping trip. Otherwise, parents cannot shop without worrying.
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The bearish case for casual fast food chain Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) can no longer be justified given a lack of any clear near-term and medium-term negative catalysts, according to Wedbush.
Wedbush's Nick Setyan upgraded Chipotle from Underperform to Neutral with a price target lifted from $500 to $640.
Chipotle's recent momentum suggests a 6.5-percent comp growth in the first quarter and a sustainable mid-single digit rate beyond is a "realistic" scenario, Setyan said in a note. The company continues to see benefits from digital trends, which likely accounted for much of the 6.1-percent comp in the fourth quarter.
The company's loyalty program is showing signs of success as it offers consumers a compelling value and rewards customers with free meals. Setyan said this could help sustain year-over-year growth rates, which previously looked "unrealistic."
Consensus unit-level margin expectations of 19.6 percent look to be reasonable, the analyst said. Estimates of incremental margin on the second make line associated with digital sales suggest higher labor leverage than previously assumed and could offset other operating expenses from related fees. Assuming the company is seeing incremental sales from digital in the 80 percent range, a mix of in-app and third-party delivery orders would result in 20 percent or more incremental margins.
Shares of Chipotle were trading around $670 at time of publication.
Argus Says Chipotle Can Regain Its 'Formerly Strong Brand'
Chipotle Shares Are Soaring, But Some Analysts Remain Bearish
Photo credit: Mike Mozart, Flickr
See more from Benzinga
- JPMorgan Double Upgrades Lumentum Amid Stronger Telecom Market
- Experts React To Nike's Q3: Were Expectations Too High?
- Cramer Likes Levi's Stock, Just Not At Current Levels
© 2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Langham Hospitality Group has announced a new upscale global hotel brand, Cordis Hotels and Resorts.
A new generation of hotels devoted to wellbeing, the Cordis portfolio will be developed through a combination of new-build and conversion projects in key cities in Asia and North America, with the brand set to debut in Hong Kong in May 2015.
Introducing the brand, Langham Hospitality Group chief executive officer Robert Warman said: “Building on the successes of Langham Hotels and Resorts, we saw the need to create a collection of international upscale hotels and resorts that will deliver what our guests desire: personalised and efficient services, seamless technology, and authentic experiences in the best locations around the world.”
“Each Cordis hotel will be individual in style, architecture and design, all of which will be reflective of its location and culture, and tailored to the requirements of our guests, from the corporate travellers to honeymooners to multi-generational families.”
According to Warman, Cordis has already signed management agreements and letters of intent to open eight hotels in seven cities within the next three years, including five hotels in China, and one each in Bali (Indonesia,) Colombo (Sri Lanka.) Other cities targeted for future Cordis hotels include London, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Orlando, San Francisco, Dubai, Singapore, and Bangkok.
“We are very optimistic about the growth of this particular brand as there are financial, cost-efficient benefits to developing hotels in the upscale tier, the time is right for us to enter high density markets such as North America and especially in China where there is a rising middle class, increasing domestic and international travel, and higher consumption levels,” Mr Warman said.
The holistic concept behind Cordis (the Latin term meaning heart), focuses on the core pillars of intuitive service, connectivity, sophistication and a sense of community.
“Ultimately, it’s all about the devotion to our guests’ wellbeing during their stay with us. That will be interpreted through our service values and special offerings such as expansive meeting facilities, exciting restaurant social concepts, comprehensive kids’ programs, and tailored neighbourhood excursions,” Mr Warman said.


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NEW YORK (CNN) — Chicken made from cultured cells is officially on the menu at Bar Crenn in San Francisco. But you can’t just walk in and order.
About a week and a half ago, the USDA awarded two brands, Upside Foods and Good Meat, Approval to start production and sale of farmed chickens.Cultivated or lab-grown meat is Developed from animal cells and grown in large bioreactors With the help of nutrients like amino acids. This happened in a production facility that looked a lot like a brewery.
On Saturdays, Bar Crenn’s menu will feature cultured chicken tempura served with charred chili aioli and garnished with vegetables and edible flowers. According to the restaurant’s website, chef Dominique Crenn took meat off his restaurant’s menu in 2018 “because of the impact of factory farming on animals and the planet,” but he’s happy to sell farm-raised meat. chicken.
Upside Foods is running a contest on social media to see who gets to try the product at Bar Crenn, and the winner will be able to enjoy it this weekend. They pay a nominal $1 each to try the chicken. Competition winners will also be able to visit Upside Food’s engineering, production and innovation centers.
After Saturday, there are other opportunities to try farm-raised chicken at Bar Crenn, but not right away.
According to Upside Foods, a monthly dinner service of the product will begin later this year. Those who want to try it can register in advance on the Bar Crenn website.
Good Meat also plans to offer its products in a restaurant first, but has not disclosed a specific date. The company is working with chef and restaurateur José Andrés to bring the product to his China Chilcano restaurant in Washington, DC.
Bar Crenn’s debut follows a flurry of approvals from the USDA and Food and Drug Administration, the two agencies that together regulate the nascent plant-based meat industry.
In November, the FDA sent Upside Foods a “no doubt” letter, essentially saying the company had no further questions about the product’s safety and therefore believed the product was safe to eat. Good Meat received a similar letter in March. Then, in June, both companies received USDA approval for their labels, which must say “cell culture.”
Late last month, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service approved applications for “license to inspect” for Upside Foods and Good Meat. These types of applications are “approved through a rigorous process that includes an assessment of a company’s food safety system,” an FSIS spokesperson said. The grants gave the two companies the green light to advance sales.
Because cell-cultured meat is developed from animal cells, it’s not considered vegetarian by Upside Foods or Good Meat.
but it May appeal to ethical or religious vegetarians, because it is produced without harming animals (both companies claim the product is slaughter-free), or those who are vegetarians for environmental reasons. Large-scale farming of meat could use less land and water than traditional farming, experts say.


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Many details were sweated doing the Grand Wagoneer concept's interior.
Jeep says the Grand Wagoneer interior "exudes American craftsmanship and heritage."
Rotating shifter knob looks like jewelry Jeep says.
Jeep says it used premium materials throughout.
Jeep says the screens are "expansive" and easy to use.
The seats, center console, door and instrument panel surfaces are covered in PUR, a sustainable synthetic material.
Both second-row occupants have their own 10.1-inch entertainment touchscreens.
There's nearly 45 inches of total screen across the instrument panel, Jeep says.


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We're still a few days away from the Galaxy S9's big unveiling in Barcelona on Sunday, Feb. 25, which means you've got some extra time to start setting aside money to pay for Samsung's new phone. And you're going to need to start saving if a prominent leaker's revelation about S9 pricing pans out.
Evan Blass, who's been all over the rumored details of the upcoming S9, took to Twitter today to post about the new phone's price tag. According to Blass, the Galaxy S9 will cost €841 while the larger S9+ will go for €997. That's substantially higher than the respective €799 and €899 debut prices for the Galaxy S8 and S8+.
U.S. customers can take some comfort in the fact that a straight currency conversion of euros to dollars won't necessarily give you the S9's expect price tag in this country. Samsung tends to price its phones lower in the U.S. than in Europe, with last year's Galaxy S8 and S8+ debuting for $750 and $850, respectively.
Still, Blass's posted pricing for the S9 would likely translate to a price hike for U.S. consumers. That would be in line with earlier rumors about the S9's price, which predicted a $100 hike for the new phone over last year's models. That means we're potentially looking at an $850 Galaxy S9 and a $950 Galaxy S9+. For context, the Galaxy Note 8 debuted at between $930 and $960, depending on wireless carrier.
We'll have to wait until Samsung unveils the Galaxy S9 to see if the new features justify the rumored price tag. For its part, Samsung seems to be placing the focus on the new phones' cameras, promising that the camera will be "reimagined" with this release. Among the expected features are a rear camera with a variable aperture that will adjusts depending on the setting and super slow motion video improvements. The S9+ is also expected to add a second rear camera, just like the Note 8.
Even if the expected price hike comes to pass, the Galaxy S9 still wouldn't be the most expensive smartphone. That nod still goes to the iPhone X, and that phone's $999 asking price hasn't exactly scared away buyers. Still, expect would-be S9 customers to take a good long look at the S9's new feature set, especially with the price of the still-capable Galaxy S8 likely to drop after the S9 arrives.


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Bloomberg: Pakistan Set To Break Record Of Rice Exports This Year
The increase in exports is due to several factors, including Russia's recent lifting of ban on importing Pakistani rice.
The export of rice from Pakistan is forecast to reach a record level this year due to bumper production, a weaker currency, and Russia’s move to scrap the ban on importing Pakistani rice.
This was revealed by the major global distributor of financial data, Bloomberg.
Pakistan’s rice exports are expected to rise as much as 15% from the previous year to more than 6 million tons in 2021.
According to Bloomberg, this surge in exports will be beneficial for the Pakistani economy.
This comes as the incumbent government tries to revive the fragile economy with the help of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and aims to cut imports and boost overseas sales.
Syed Waseem-ul-Hassan, the Food Security Commissioner at the Ministry of National Food Security & Research, informed Bloomberg that the Russian lifting of the ban on importing Pakistani rice would help boost the South Asian country’s overall exports.
“We have got access to the Russian market, and our (rice) exports to that region will rise by as much as 200,000 tons,” he said.
The commissioner added that the total exports are forecast to increase by 10%-15% on a year-on-year (YoY) basis as the government aims to increase shipments to regions like those in Africa.
Meanwhile, Pakistan is also witnessing increased buying from other countries, such as Ukraine, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
It is pertinent to note that rice from Pakistan is considered one of the best globally, with the South Asian nation exporting rice to around 140 countries worldwide.
What are your views on this? Share with us in the comments below.


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Venkat Viswanathan is Founder and Chairman of LatentView Analytics, a marketing analytics and decision science company.
More than in years past, technological hype will largely take a back seat in 2021 to regulatory oversight and strategic shifts as companies look to move beyond the pandemic.
Tech trends pieces have been dominated for years now with promises of blockchain, AR/VR and AI/ML. While advances in these technologies have certainly been made year over year, businesses now face a long road to pandemic recovery and are looking to justify investments with tangible returns.
No one could have predicted the impact of a global pandemic on the acceleration of the digital transformation in 2020, but, as we prognosticate about the outlook for 2021, there are signals that indicate that this year may again be shaped by external forces beyond technological innovation itself. While the usual overhyped suspects will, as they do every year, dominate most tech trend lists, I believe several external forces will have a larger impact on the trajectory of technology for the coming year.
1. More Regulatory Oversight Is Coming
The Wild West era of big tech could be coming to an end. In late-October, the Justice Department filed an antitrust suit against Google that could rock the world of tech. The suit alleges that Google has been engaging in a series of illegal business practices that unfairly limit competitors and consumers alike, namely its partnership with Apple that makes it the preferred search engine on iPhones — which now constitute fully 50% of Google’s search traffic. The suit comes from Bill Barr’s Department of Justice but cries to break up powerful tech companies have come from both sides of the aisle; the next year could spell serious progress on that front.
In this environment, the entire tech ecosystem needs to pay attention, particularly to what regulators have in mind for enforcing data privacy. With the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) now well-established, we could also see more privacy regulations across the country. Europe has always been a bit more restrictive, but the U.S. is moving toward tighter controls. Enterprises need to begin thinking about proactive steps they can take to stay within the constraints that are likely to come.
2. Data Consortiums And Partnerships
While regulators look to limit partnerships in big tech, consortiums that share certain types of data are starting to gain momentum. Interestingly, though, with Apple and Google under antitrust scrutiny, their contract-tracing collaboration gave much-needed visibility to the spread of the virus in the early days of Covid-19. Beyond healthcare, analyzing customer online behavior has its quirks, and it is very challenging to track and target effectively. The diversity of channels through which a customer can interact adds more complexity and makes it all the harder to personalize effectively.
To be able to do that at scale, it is essential that organizations invest in future-ready technologies that help source customer interactions and observations, enable massive data processing and instantly target with a personalized message, ad, content, recommendation, price, etc. Building partnerships to get a better picture of customer interaction data will be a crucial element of this investment moving forward. In the case of Walmart, their strategy of forming alliances and partnerships have had a tremendous impact, and Walmart has slowly and steadily been chipping away at Amazon’s E-Commerce dominance. In fact, from 2017 to 2019, Walmart saw a 207% increase in its e-Commerce buyers, according to eMarketer. With this success, other companies are taking note and seeing the practical benefits of data sharing and a larger strategy of partnerships. Expect these consortiums, partnerships, marketplaces and ecosystems to explode in popularity in 2021.
3. Privacy And Federated Learning
With the external factors of more government scrutiny and an explosion of data sharing, data privacy is going to be key in 2021. Technologies that can help maintain privacy and decrease the surface area of attack will be crucial. One such specific technology is federated learning, which is becoming an increasingly popular method for aggregating insights across organizations while also limiting the actual amounts of data that need to leave an organization. It takes machine learning models that are trained on data sets from a variety of organizations and then federates them centrally to create a single, aggregated model. Importantly, the data never needs to be transferred, so organizations have fewer opportunities for that data to become compromised while still sharing insights from diverse data sources.
4. Accountability For AI
Enterprises have spent years hyping up AI, but, due to the pandemic, boards are likely questioning how investments in AI have been driving growth. Big new AI projects are likely not going to be as popular in 2021, replaced, instead, by better operations that streamline AI/ML initiatives and bring about real business objectives that are smaller in scale. When Gartner first coined the term AIOps in 2017, they couldn’t have known just how big AIOps and MLOps would become. These platforms help organizations regulate their IT operations by giving “proactive, personal and dynamic insight.” This can streamline and benchmark the success of an IT initiative, helping organizations track just how successful the initiative has been. As organizations look to hold AI accountable in 2021, AIOps will play a central role.
Moving Past Hype In 2021
As businesses step into a post-Covid-19 era, it is essential to gracefully transition from an offline to an online engagement model. Businesses that have long waited to take the plunge need to leapfrog into digital transformation, and businesses that have invested already need to strategically realign themselves toward evolving customer preferences. By considering the external forces that will shape technology trends in 2021, they can better predict and prepare for the customer preferences of the future.


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It’s May, and while many parts of the country have been rid of their winter weather for some time, in other parts, frigid temperatures have only just receded.
As we look around and start the process of rebuilding, taking stock of the numerous house pets and digits we’ve lost to the frost, we’d like to acknowledge a true hero who helped many folks in New England to push back the snow: the 2015 Ford F-150.
The New England Motor Press Association has named the 2015 Ford F-150 the “Official Winter Vehicle of New England,” thanks not only to all the available winter-specific options, but also to its all-weather driving competence and safety. The automaker boasts that the 2015 Ford F-150 is the only light duty pickup with an available snowplow prep kit for every body style.
Despite a growing mountain of awards since the truck’s introduction, this marks the first time that the F-150 has ever earned the “Official Winter Vehicle of New England” title from the NEMPA. NEMPA president Craig Fitzgerald remarked: “For years, the F-150 proved itself as a solid workhorse for New Englanders. But the all-new 2015 Ford F-150 puts it in another class completely.
“With outstanding fuel economy, a world-class interior and EcoBoost V6 engine, you’ve got a combination that beat the worst storms during the worst winter in New England’s recorded history.”


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A voluntary recall of certain expired bags of Hearts of Romaine salad was issued by Fresh Express due to the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
To this date there have been no reports of illness associated with this recall. The recalled items were distributed mainly in Northeast and Midwest of the U.S.
The recall involves 18 oz. Hearts of Romaine salad with a Use-By-Date of September 26, 2012 and Product Code H256808.
Consumers that have this product in their possession should discard it immediately. For more information, questions should be directed to the Fresh Express Consumer Response Center at (800) 242-5472.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found the tainted salad during a random test. The agency and company are working together to eliminate the risk of illness.


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Shop-goers pick goods in a Big C Vietnam outlet. (Photo: www.citypassguide.com)
French grocer Casino Group has just initiated the process to sell its retail chain Big C Vietnam, denying reports that the group had finished transferring to Thailand's TCC Holding, the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper cited a Big C Vietnam representative as saying.
The group is still seeking for a suitable partner for its Vietnam operations, the representative added.
Since Casino Group announced last December that it was seeking new owners for its assets in some countries as part of a deleveraging plan, the group has just agreed to unload its 58.6% stake in Big C Thailand to TCC Holding for $3.5 billion, according to this source.
The sale of the Thai retail chain will help Casino Group reduce its debt by EUR3.3 billion ($3.7 billion) and will be completed by March 31, the French retailer said in a statement.
Besides Central Group, Thailand’s biggest retailer, Singapore’s Dairy Farm International Holdings and South Korea’s Lotte Shopping have vied for Casino Group’s Big C Vietnam, which is valued between $800 million and $1 billion, according to Reuters.
A separate banking source said Casino Group was keen to sell both units to the same bidder.
TCC Holding last month finished the acquisition of Metro AG’s Cash & Carry wholesale business in Vietnam for EUR655 million ($735 million).
If TCC Holding acquires Big C Vietnam, the Thai group will surpass Saigon Co.op to become the largest retailer in Vietnam, according to the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper.


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The brand announced the news on Friday, with the deal allowing it to expand its offerings into other, equally delicious baked goods.
Insomnia will continue to act as an independent, stand-alone company and will be under the umbrella of European investment firm JAB Holding, which also owns companies including Keurig Dr. Pepper, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Pret A Manger and Panera Bread, building a veritable café empire. The firm acquired Krispy Kreme in 2016 for $1.35 billion.
A source said that the deal values Insomnia Cookies at less than $500 million and is set to close in the fourth quarter.
"At Krispy Kreme, we have an 81-year heritage of creating the most awesome doughnut experience imaginable, and today we are delighted to add Insomnia Cookies, a rapidly growing business with an innovative delivery experience and exceptional product that is beloved by consumers," Krispy Kreme's CEO Mike Tattersfield said in a statement via Business Insider.
Insomnia Cookies was founded in 2003 by then-University of Pennsylvania student Seth Berkowitz.
The company allows customers to satisfy their late-night sugar cravings, with its prime customer base consisting of college students, as its stores stay open and offer delivery until 3 a.m. and many of its locations are near college campuses. In addition to cookies, the chain also offers other sweet treats including brownies and ice cream.
"While we like to be near college campuses, it is not mandatory," the company's senior director of marketing, Megan Bruton, told CNBC in 2015. "After all, it isn't just college students who love warm, delicious cookies. As long as there is an active community that we can become a part of, then a market is potentially appealing to us as a brand."
Insomnia now has 135 locations throughout the U.S., and Berkowitz will continue to serve as the company's CEO.
"Mike and I share the same ambition for our brands: To be the best at what we do and delight consumers with the highest-quality sweet-treat experiences," Berkowitz said in a statement. "My team and I are confident that this shared vision makes Krispy Kreme the ideal partner to support Insomnia through our next phase of growth."
Photo Credit: Twitter / @insomniacookies


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PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc sends message on OECD’s 60th anniversary
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc has sent a message of congratulations to a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
It is not until 2025 that the local aviation sector can fully recover due to rising fuel prices and the slower-than-expected reopening of international markets, according to domestic airlines.
Motorbike tours around Hanoi and cooking classes in Hoi An have made it into the Top 25 Overall Experiences in Asia, as voted on by readers of TripAdvisor.
Vietnamese Minister of Justice Le Thanh Long and his Hungarian counterpart Judit Varga on June 27 signed a cooperation programme between the two ministries for the 2022-2023 period.
A joint venture between India’s Adani Group and Vietnam’s Anh Phat Investment Construction & Trading JSC has been approved by authorities of Da Nang to start studying the development of a major seaport in the central city.
HCM City will focus on helping businesses invest in the Saigon Hi-tech Park in Thu Duc City by addressing slow administrative procedures, a conference on facilitating investment heard on June 27.
The Korea Content Creation Agency in Vietnam will organise a series of cultural-entertainment events this year to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Despite newly-registered FDI dropping in the first half of the year, additionally-registered and share-purchased investments increased significantly on-year.
Vietnamese and French experts will join hands to renovate Hanoi City’s deteriorating Long Bien Bridge in the coming months.
Export prices have been escalating in all markets and hitting new records in the US. Vietnam’s catfish export turnover is expected to reach $2.6 billion this year, the highest in history.
The rapid growth in e-commerce is driving an unprecedented increase in demand for logistics services, including express delivery services, according to industry insiders.


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By Zander Frost, Chronicle Staff Writer
Owners of some bottle and can redemption centers in New York say they are in dire need of an immediate increase in the handling fee they receive.
“New York Legislators have failed the New York Bottle Bill,” headlined an ad that a Malone returnable bottle business took out in the Feb. 13 Times-Union.
The Chronicle phoned the business that placed the ad.
“My partner Travis [Pritchard] and I started this business back in 2010. So we’re 12 years old into the game,” said Tim Carter, of Tap Bottle Co, LLC in Malone. “And the last raise that the bottle handling business or industry received was in 2009.”
The ad said, “From 2016 till present, the minimum wage has increased 6 times from $9.70 per hour to $13.20, as the State heads to the livable minimum wage of $15.00 per hour.
“Labor IS the biggest expense to operate a Redemption Center. But have the centers received a raise In handling fees? NO!”
The ad concluded, “We were just told recently by an assembly staff member that we are getting a 1.5 cent raise, but it will not take effect until December 31, 2022….The redemption centers in NY need a 4 cent raise per container at the minimum, and it needs the raise to start RIGHT NOW!”
The ad also said, “The Legislators think that the centers just count containers, pay the consumer for the units, then TA-DA. We get 3.5 cents on top of the nickel we hand out. When in reality, we have to sort the units by brand, then further separate the type of container…Then we have to separate them further by size of unit…
“Now keep in mind that them [there] are over 42 different brands of water. Then we have to count each separated unite to a certain number count, and bag them before we can send them out for recycling. Sounds like a ton of work right?
“IT IS! I WISH THE STATE LEGISLATORS WORKED HALF AS HARD AS WE DO FOR PENNYS.”
The ad called out Assemblyman Billy Jones and State Senator Dan Stec by name. Sen. Stec did not respond by press-time to our text asking him about it.
Qby. redemption biz says ‘Business is great’ but it’s time to hike handling fee
Chronicle Staff Writer Zander Frost writes: Closer to home, Jade Eddy, owner of MT Returnables at 71 Ohio Avenue in Queensbury, said, “Business is great. It’s probably the busiest winter we’ve ever had.”
“I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that the company that picks me up, purchased a lot of the other places in the area.
“So the customer service for those places has gone down. And I’m getting a ton of customers, just looking for a place that’s open when they say they’re going to be open or nice,” she said.
Ms. Eddy adds, “Back in 2008, they [the state] added water [bottle deposits], and that accounts for a huge amount of what we take in…
“They increased the handling fee back then from two cents to three and a half cents. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but because of the amount that we process, it really does make a difference. I mean, we process at least like 4-million containers a year. So it adds up.
“But it’s time for something to be done, because unlike any other business, we don’t have the ability to adjust prices to keep up with rising costs…The only way that we can compensate for everything going up is for the state to do something about the law.”
Copyright © 2022 Lone Oak Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved


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Canada and China pledged to double agricultural trade by 2025 at the Economic and Financial Strategic Dialogue in Beijing on Nov. 12, co-chaired by Canadian Minister of Finance Bill Morneau and Minister of International Trade Diversification Jim Carr.
The passing of Bill C-79 on Oct. 16, an act to implement the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), by the House of Commons is an opportunity for the canola industry to increase value-added exports and benefit the entire canola value chain, according to a statement by the Canola Council…
U.S., Canada and Mexico agree to a new trade agreement, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement or USMCA, to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Cereal grains and other major food crops can become contaminated with mycotoxins, which are naturally occurring toxins produced by mold that grow in certain conditions. Some of the mycotoxins familiar to the grains industry include Ochratoxin A, Deoxynivalenol (DON) and others, which are not only regulatory and international trade concerns,…
Saudi Arabia’s main state wheat buying agency has told grains exporters it will no longer buy Canadian wheat and barley in its international tenders, European traders said on Tuesday, as a diplomatic dispute between the two countries escalates.
The Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) issued a statement urging the federal government to be more active in helping farmers maintain their businesses and minimize the effects of ongoing trade disputes with the United States.
July 20, 2018 - Japan resumes purchases of Canadian wheat after testing showed no evidence of genetically modification in imported wheat.
South Korea has resumed imports of Canadian wheat after testing and finding no evidence of genetically modified wheat in commercial shipments.
WASHINGTON - The leaders of the U.S. National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) in a joint statement today urged Canadian and U.S. officials to preserve the strong, longstanding trade relationship between the two countries.
Trade ministers from 11 Pacific Rim countries signed a sweeping free trade agreement Thursday to streamline trade and slash tariffs on the same day that U.S. President Donald Trump was expected to formalize new tariffs on aluminum and steel to protect U.S. producers.The ministers dropped key provisions that the Americans…
Pulses were high on the agenda during bilateral discussions between the Prime Minister of India and the Prime Minister of Canada on February 23. The two governments have released a joint statement committing to work closely together to finalize an arrangement within 2018 to enable the export of Canadian pulses…
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of International Trade today issued the following statement on the successful conclusion of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP):"Reaching this milestone on the CPTPP is great news for Canadian farmers and food…
Canada and the United States share deeply integrated economies and enjoy the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship in the world. As negotiations on a modernized North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) continue to progress, the Government of Canada is working hard to strengthen the Canada-U.S. trade relationship and create…
FarmLink Marketing Solutions senior market analyst Neil Townsend says shipments are ahead of last year at this time.
CropSmart Fri Jan 18, 2019 @ 8:50am - 05:00pm
FarmSmartSat Jan 19, 2019 @ 9:00am - 05:00pm
Manitoba Ag DaysTue Jan 22, 2019 @ 9:00am - 05:00pm
Ag Women MB - Ag Days Breakfast & PanelWed Jan 23, 2019 @ 7:30am - 09:00am
Women in Grains Business WorkshopThu Jan 24, 2019 @ 9:00am - 03:00pm


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KODAK FLEXCEL NX Technology Helps Victory Graphics and Caps Cases ‘Unbox’ Silver in Global Flexo Innovation Awards
“Delightful, beautiful, surprising, and exciting” — four adjectives the judging panel at the Miraclon-sponsored Global Flexo Innovation Awards reached for to describe the remarkable entry from tradeshop Victory Graphics and corrugated printer Caps Cases.
Produced for luxury fashion brand The Rake, the entry won UK-based Victory and Caps a Silver Award for its creative use of graphic design in a successful conversion to flexo from offset. Furthermore, Victory used a single KODAK FLEXCEL NX Plate to create the arresting black-and-white, photographic-quality image, with its hugely challenging mix of highlights and dark shadows,
The entry is a perfect example of the ‘unboxing’ phenomenon that has taken on an increasingly important role in retailing and packaging since the first ‘unboxing’ video — subject, the Nokia E61 phone — hit YouTube in 2006. Elaborate videos documenting products being unpacked and displayed are now a crucial component of consumer marketing campaigns by direct-to-consumer brands.


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Allure recently published an article on powdered sunscreen, noting the popularity of new products on the market. But is powder an effective sunscreen vehicle? How should you direct your patients?
For an expert opinion, I consulted dermatologist Steven Q. Wang, MD, director of dermatology and dermatologic surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Basking Ridge, N.J.
How does powdered sunscreens compare in effectiveness with lotion and spray sunscreen?
Powdered sunscreen is not as effective as lotion and spray sunscreen. In fact, in the latest 2019 FDA proposed rule, the FDA deemed that powdered sunscreen needs more data.
In what situations is powder the best sunscreen delivery vehicle?
Currently in the marketplace, powder sunscreen is only used in makeup. Powder sunscreen should not be the only or the first line of dosage form.
What guidance should dermatologists give their patients about powdered sunscreen?
Patients should consider using other dosage forms of sunscreen, such as lotion or cream.
Did you enjoy this post? Find more Patient Buzz articles here.


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On Oct. 30, 2018, Joshua P. and Miranda Teimeyer sold their four bedroom, two bathroom home at 4201 Clearwater Lane, Springfield to Christopher W. Lawton and Hilary A. Wilson for $171,000.
In 2017, the property tax paid for this property was $3,565.88, which is 2.09% of the sale price of the home.
The last time this home sold was Aug. 27, 2014. It last sold for $159,000.
In October 2018, 247 properties sold in Springfield.


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A $725 million settlement has been proposed between Meta Platforms, Inc., the company that owns Facebook, and plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California over claims the company shared users’ data without their consent.
The lawsuit, known as In re: Facebook, Inc. Consumer Privacy User Profile Litigation, Case No. 3:18-md-02843-VC (N.D. Cal.), alleged that Facebook violated consumer privacy laws.
Any member of the settlement class, which includes Facebook users in the United States between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, is eligible for compensation. You have until Aug. 25, 2023. If you want to opt out of the settlement, you have until July 25.
You’ll need some key information, including an email address, phone number or username or user ID to confirm your account. The form also asks you to share payment information so you can receive the payout. If you no longer have your account, you can note the years it was active to the best of your recollection. You may be able to find your old sign-up and cancellation emails to find the right dates.
If you’ve had multiple Facebook accounts over the years, you can file a claim for only one of them. Users are advised to make a claim for whichever account they had open the longest.
Like most legal settlements, the deal allows Meta to deny any wrongdoing and continue to dispute that it violated consumer privacy laws, but the agreement provides a significant financial payout for the affected Facebook users, totaling millions of dollars.
The exact amount of compensation for each user is yet to be determined and will depend on several factors, including the number of claims submitted.
In addition to the monetary compensation, the settlement agreement includes several changes to Meta’s practices regarding user privacy.
The biggest payout from the settlement will go to legal fees for the lawyers behind it.
Meta will implement new policies aimed at enhancing user privacy protections and increasing transparency regarding the use of user data.
The settlement agreement is subject to court approval, and a hearing is scheduled for later this year. In the meantime, affected Facebook users can expect to receive notifications about their eligibility for compensation.
Facebook has faced numerous privacy-related scandals in recent years, including the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which revealed that the social media giant had allowed a data firm to harvest personal information from millions of users without their consent.
The settlement could bring some relief to affected users, although it’s unlikely to fully address the concerns surrounding Facebook’s data practices.
As one of the world’s largest tech companies, Facebook has a responsibility to protect user data and ensure that its policies are transparent and ethical.
The settlement represents a significant development in the ongoing conversation about online privacy and the responsibilities of social media companies to protect user data, but it shows that America’s justice system continues to fail when it comes to holding giant companies accountable for their actions and the harmful impact they have on people’s lives.


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An agreement with Australia's Pan Pharmaceuticals will allow Forbes Medi-Tech to produce and market its cholesterol-lowering ingredient Reducol as a dietary supplement for the first time.
Reducol, which was the name given by Swiss group Novartis to Forbes' phytosterol-based ingredient, has been used in a number of food products such as margarine, but this is the first time that it will be used in tablet or soft-gel capsule form.
Forbes recently agreed to buy the Reducol name from Novartis after the latter group ended its licensing agreement for the ingredient. Although Reducol had failed to live up to the expectations of Novartis, Forbes believes that the name is now well known and that the potential for growth is still high.
The agreement with Pan will see Forbes supply Reducol for an initial period of three years, and will grant the Australian company the exclusive rights to sell the cholesterol-lowering product as a supplement in its domestic market as well as selected countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and three countries in Europe.
"This agreement will give Forbes tremendous exposure in several key international markets," said Charles Butt, president and chief executive officer of Forbes Medi-Tech. "Pan Pharmaceuticals has an intimate working knowledge of the cultures, regulatory systems and product preferences in these markets, which makes it an ideal partner for Forbes."
"Reducol is an outstanding product, which we believe has significant market potential worldwide,"said Jim Selim, managing director of Pan Pharmaceuticals. "We're looking forward to working closely with Forbes to expand their reach into new markets."
Pan Pharmaceuticals is one of the largest contract manufacturers of complementary medicines in the Southern Hemisphere, producing vitamin, mineral, herbal, trace element and nutritional supplement products as well as aromatherapy and homeopathic remedies


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- Siegwerk plans new blending centre in Bangladesh
- Ashland opens new application lab in Delaware, USA
- Litho Supplies announced as Sun Chemical Streamline distributor (Plus image if needed)
- Hardide Coatings awarded two major UK aerospace funding grants
- Wacker looks forward to sales and earnings growth for 2018
Kansai Nerolac Paints has announced that it is planning an investment of Rs400 crore (US$88M) for capacity expansion by September this year and is eyeing a double-digit revenue growth in FY2012, a company official said.
"We have lined up Rs400 crore to increase the capacity to 300,000t from the existing 205,000t by September,” the company’s managing director, H M Bharuka, said.
The company posted an approx 26.7% increase in net profit for the third quarter ended December 31, 2011. "Going by the trend, we expect a similar double-digit growth in revenue in the next quarter as well,” Bharuka said.
The growth mainly came from the decorative segment, which grew 25%, while industrial space grew 16%.
"The industrial segment did less business compared to the decorative segment mainly due to slowdown in the real estate and auto industries,” he said.
The industry is growing by 15% and Bharuka said he expects a similar revenue growth for the firm in FY2013.
The company has five manufacturing units and it might go for another one depending on the need, he added.


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3 April 2015
Yum! Brands, the company that owns KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, on Thursday announced a zero deforestation policy for its palm oil sourcing. The move came after aggressive campaigns by environmental groups that argued the chains weren't doing enough to ensure the palm oil they used to fry foods wasn't linked to human rights abuses, destruction of peatlands, and logging of rainforests.
The policy sets a December 2017 target for establishing safeguards for palm oil sourcing. Yum! says it will only source from suppliers who bar plantation development in high carbon stock and high conservation value areas, like rainforests and peatlands; have disputes resolution processes in place; offer traceability to the mill level; and avoid underage workers and forced labor. The standards apply Yum!'s global fast food business, meaning it applies to all of its restaurants.
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