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Another batch of warnings depressed techs at midday Tuesday. The Nasdaq shed 54.60 to 3,300.96. while the Dow Jones industrial average gained 11.83 to 10,580.26.
The Inter@ctive Week @Net Index fell 5 to 467.71.
Altera Corp. (Nasdaq: ALTR), down 12 to 28.88, and Xilinx Inc. (Nasdaq: XLNX), down 23.13 to 56, crumbled Tuesday on concerns that the market for general purpose semiconductor chips is waning. Salomon Smith Barney and Lehman Brothers both cut their ratings on the stocks Tuesday.
IBM (NYSE: IBM), down 2.38 to 115.56, will make capital investments worth $5 billion to support its semiconductor business around the world, expanding facilities in Vermont and Japan, and building a new chip-making plant in New York.
PanAmSat Corp. (Nasdaq: SPOT), down 0.69 to 28.44, said third quarter earnings were 6 cents a share, a penny less that First Call Corp.'s expectations, and much lower than the 23 cent-per-share profit the company reported for the same period in 1999.
Open Market, Inc. (Nasdaq: OMKT), down 0.69 to 3.25, said Tuesday that it expects third quarter earnings to miss estimates. The company also announced plans to restructure, laying off 150 workers, and attempting to bring it to profitability by the second half of 2001.
An affiliate company of Deutsche Bank Alex Brown has made a $1.02 billion offer for National Discount Brokers Group Inc. (NYSE: NDB), up 21.63 to 46.88, the firm said Tuesday.
Software maker Daleen Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: DALN), up 0.75 to 10.50, said its third-quarter revenue should exceed analysts' forecasts and its loss should be lower than had been expected as it continues to expand its customer base among telecommunications service providers.
BMG Entertainment, which represents artists including Carly Simon and Christina Aguilera, will sell digital downloads of songs and albums from its catalog through a number of online sites, the company said Tuesday.
Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) rose 0.53 to 30.59, AOL (NYSE: AOL) gained 0.97 to 58.07 and Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO) fell 1.38 to 84.38.
Among other leading tech issues: Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) dropped 0.31 to 53.38, Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) tumbled 0.69 to 38.38, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) rose 0.44 to 54.63, and Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) shed 2.03 to 64.72.


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WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Automotive replacement parts retailer AutoZone, Inc. (AZO) reported Tuesday that net income for the first quarter increased to $555.24 million or $25.69 per share from $442.43 million or $18.61 per share in the year-ago quarter.
Net sales for the quarter grew 16.3 percent to $3.67 billion from $3.15 billion in the same quarter last year.
On average, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report earnings of $20.87 per share on revenues of $3.37 billion for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.
Domestic same store sales, or sales for stores open at least one year, increased 13.6 percent for the quarter.
During the quarter ended November 20, 2021, AutoZone opened 15 new stores in the U.S., two stores in Mexico and one store in Brazil. At quarter end, the Company had 6,066 stores in the U.S., 666 in Mexico and 53 in Brazil for a total store count of 6,785.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
AUTOZONE-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de

domain: news


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The corporate regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), has reprimanded the country's largest insurance companies for recommending "disappointing" proposals for the overhaul of car insurance products on which many policyholders were not even eligible to claim.
The newspaper The Australian reported today that it had obtained a letter sent to the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) in May under the Freedom of Information laws.
In the letter, ASIC senior manager Emma Curtis said the corporate watchdog had a number of “high level” concerns about the sector’s proposals including the fact that the proposals were “too narrow in scope” and failed to “place sufficient emphasis on addressing root causes of the issue”.
She said the sector’s neglect in terms of setting a timeline for when customers who were sold useless insurance would be compensated “reflects poorly on the level of commitment or engagement by ICA members”.
“Where there are stated time frames, these are often unacceptably long, and there is no explanation as to why more speedy progress is not possible,” Ms Curtis wrote.
“Given the industry has been on notice for a significant period of time, this is disappointing and not indicative of industry commitment to making changes quickly.”
An industry-wide review in 2016 by ASIC found extreme rates of high-pressure sales tactics, inadequate information, sky-high commissions and conflicts of interest were used by dealerships to sell consumers credit, gap and walkaway insurance. The review found car dealers were receiving commissions four to five times as much as consumers received in claims despite an extremely low claims payout of less than 10 cents for every dollar charged in premiums.


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Dream Cruises to Announce Grand Prize Winners for Go! Super Seacation Sweepstakes on 6 August via Facebook Live Streaming
Dream Cruises will draw the grand prize winners of its “Go! Super Seacation Sweepstakes” via live streaming on Dream Cruises’ Official Facebook Account at 11:00AM on Friday, August 6.
Created as a token of appreciation for the overwhelming support Dream Cruises has received for its “Super Seacations” which began on 30 July and as an incentive to support the Hong Kong government’s vaccination program, Dream Cruises launched the “Go! Super Seacation Sweepstakes” on 10 June, with prizes worth close to HK$4 million in total to be given away for Hong Kong residents who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Since the start of registration, Dream Cruises has received over 851,000 entries before the deadline of 30 July. Dream Cruises will also be Hong Kong’s first company to announce its grand prize winners.
In the spirit of celebration, Dream Cruises will also gift each medalist of Hong Kong’s Olympic team with an All-You-Can-Cruise Annual Pass in a Deluxe Balcony Stateroom on board Genting Dream to recognize their brilliant performance and outstanding achievements at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Worth nearly HK$3.8 million, the passes will be presented at a future date to Fencing gold medalist, Cheung Ka Long, and two-time silver medalist in Swimming, Siobahn Bernadette Haughey.
Along with the rest of Hong Kong, Dream Cruises will be cheering on potential medalists Lee Wai Sze in Cycling, Grace Lau Mo Sheung in Karate and the women’s team in Table Tennis.
Go! Super Seacation Sweepstakes
Five winners will be drawn for fabulous prizes including the Grand Prize of an All-You-Can-Cruise Annual Pass in a Deluxe Balcony Stateroom for up to four guests, worth nearly HK$3.8 million. The second prize is a two-night cruise vacation for up to six guests in a Palace Villa, the luxurious duplex accommodations aboard Genting Dream in The Palace, the exclusive “luxury ship-within-a-ship” concept of Dream Cruises, worth over HK$100,000. Three lucky winners will receive the third prize of a two-night cruise vacation for up to four guests in a Balcony Stateroom, with total worth over HK$54,000.
In line with the Hong Kong government’s contest guidelines, the official list of grand prize winners will be published in The Standard and Sing Tao Daily on Wednesday, August 11 after the winners have been verified for eligibility.
Dream Cruises “Go! Super Seacation Sweepstakes” Live Lucky Draw
Date: Friday, August 6
Website: Dream Cruises Facebook Page
Dream Cruises officially re-started its cruise operations in Hong Kong on 30 July with Genting Dream’s maiden voyage of her “Super Seacation” high seas itinerary. Since then, Genting Dream has successfully completed the inaugural 2-night weekend sailing, as well as the 3-night sailing that departed on Sunday.
Genting Dream’s “Super Seacations” combine the multitude of leisure and recreation facilities on board the ship with engaging experiences that will keep guests of all ages entertained throughout their journey. In compliance with the stringent guidelines set forth by the Hong Kong authorities, Genting Dream’s enhanced health and safety protocols will safeguard the well-being of guests and crew to provide residents with a new and safe “staycation’ option that truly evoke the sense of a “vacation away”.


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Australia is slowly but surely transitioning into a digital society as businesses start accepting new payments platform to guarantee their customer satisfaction.
“The direct entry system is a great system, it works well, it is cheap, it is functional and it has done its job for the last 40 years but it is not the system that Australia needs to move through another 40 years of innovation in the payments industry and accounting and bookkeeping industry,” said Mr. Lovney.
“There are now more than 70 organisations live on the new payments platform and the last of the big banks, Westpac, is part way through their rollout,” said Mr. Lovney.
“We’re working with the tax office and organisations like MYOB to think about developing standards for different sorts of payments, for superannuation payments, for payroll and particularly for Single Touch Payroll.
“We also think the NPP will be used by the insurance industry, both the receiving premiums but also for making fast payments so the ability to receive a claim online, assess it and make a decision and make a payout to a customer's bank account is a real practical example of how, with digital technology and with a faster payments system, you can make more customers happier more quickly.”
“Australians will no longer have to wait for bank transfers and payments to arrive in their account,” he said at the time.
Without a doubt, moving to new-age systems --- eInvoicing helps every kind of organisations and not just businesses alone. It can serve as the catalyst for the digitalisation of Australia, leading it to success in the new, international, digital-first world of business.
Refer to news source.
AusPayNet Embraces the Pace of Industry Change as it Looks to 2019 and Beyond Posted on: 21-11-2018
Australian Payments Network (AusPayNet) aims to proactively embrace the rapid pace of industry change as it looks to 2019 and beyond - an interview with AusPayNet CEO, Leila Fourie.Read More
Paper-free Payments: Australia and NZ Work on E-invoicing Standard Posted on: 14-11-2018
Australia and New Zealand are planning to create trans-Tasman standards for electronic invoicing in an effort to save $30 billion over 10 years.Read More
BPAY Group’s Osko® Requests is Set to be a Business Game Changer Posted on: 24-10-2018
Osko Requests uses the power and speed of the New Payments Platform (NPP) to enable real-time requests for payment to be sent between individuals and businesses.Read More
Google Pay to Combine All Google's Wallet and Payment Solutions Posted on: 10-01-2018
Google has brought its various mobile wallet and payment solutions under a new umbrella - Google Pay. This includes Android Pay, Google Wallet, and the payments auto-fill feature in Chrome.Read More


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A French court has ordered online auctioneer eBay to pay nearly 40 million euros in damages to Louis Vuitton for selling fake luxury goods, in a ruling cheered as a victory for copyright protection.
The Paris commercial court ruled in favour of six LVMH brands and also barred eBay from selling four perfumes — Christian Dior, Kenzo, Givenchy and Guerlain — on its websites…
Describing eBay’s anti-counterfeit measures as “empty”, Gode said the court decision was “important for the creative industry” and that it “protected brands by considering them an important part of French heritage…”
The court issued a cease and desist order to eBay, barring it from running ads for the perfume and cosmetic brands or face a fine of 50,000 euros per day.
I can’t speak personally about the eBay experience. I must be one of the six people remaining in Santa Fe who doesn’t spend excess hours vested in the quest for scarce goods at auction.
Counterfeit goods are dross in the marketplace and only serve to reinforce profits based on fraud. eBay has a responsibility to do some serious self-policing if they wish to avoid further prosecution.


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Saatchi WellnessThe consumer arm of Saatchi & Saatchi Healthcare Advertising got new leadership and continued its efforts to expand into OTC and wellness brands in 2009. Jim Joseph left the agency to lead indie PR shop Lippe Taylor at the end of 2009. He was replaced by Ned Russell, who was previously head of client services at the Publicis shop; Russell had joined in June from Las Vegas Sands Corp., having previously worked on J&J brands at big consumer agencies including Arnold and DDB.
Russell says the agency has grown and “sort of found itself” over the past year, with more consumer-facing brands, a slew of awards and the launch of an annual survey of attitudes toward health and wellness in America. Aimed at establishing the firm’s “thought leadership” in the consumer health and wellness space, the survey, “Wellness & the economy,” aimed at getting into the heads of stressed-out consumers, and got good coverage in the trade and national press.
The shop has long been known for handling TV-and-print efforts on mega-blockbusters. Its current roster includes three of the top five best-selling drugs—Nexium, Plavix and Seroquel—along with Ambien CR, a top-10 advertiser. But, Plavix and Seroquel lose US patent protection next year, and Nexium in 2014. It won’t hit too hard, though, says Russell. “These things tend to wind down over time, so it’s not a real dramatic hit when they go off-patent,” he says. “And we’ve been given assignments at the same time with those clients that are ramping up. So, there’s a kind of natural watermark, and the trick is to raise that watermark carefully so you don’t get to where there’s huge rises and falls.”
Long-term, the shop is working to reduce its reliance on huge drug brands. Over the past few years, with many of those blockbusters nearing the end of their patent lives, the agency has sought to diversify its business out of prescription drugs, with some success. Last year Wellness landed the US integrated marketing account for Durex, including the launch of the brand’s new non-latex condom Bare. More recently, the shop picked up an assignment with Nestle.
“When we say ‘wellness,’ it’s really about proactive health stuff,” says Russell. “You talk about ‘health’ and people say, ‘Already sick, take this.’” About a third of the agency’s work is now in “wellness” brands, “and that’s a good balance,” says Russell. “We certainly don’t want to lose our consumer DTC Rx cred.”
The agency has also done a remarkable job of ramping up its digital and relationship marketing business, which now accounts for about two-thirds of its work, with general advertising down to a third of accounts. Russell expects that fully 80% of the shop’s work will be in the digital/RM space by year’s end.
Recent ads include a humorous Nexium print and TV effort answering Prevacid24HR and a striking effort on behalf of Seroquel XR for bipolar depression.
Revenue-wise, it was a positive year, though Russell is mum on the details, citing network policy and allowing only that the agency is “meeting our goals as directed by the company.” Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness didn’t lose any business last year, and headcount remained steady at around 125.
The firm’s biggest client is Sanofi-Aventis, for Multaq, Ambien CR and “a variety of oncology products.”


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?Little America’ Co-creator Lee Eisenberg Inks Apple TV Multi-year Overall Deal
Little America co-creator Lee Eisenberg is expanding his relationship with Apple. On the heels of the season premiere of the critically acclaimed series, Apple has signed an overall deal with the six-time Emmy nominee and WGA award-winning writer, director and producer. Under the multi-year pact, Eisenberg will create television and digital media projects exclusively for Apple TV+ via his new Piece of Work Entertainment banner. Additionally, Eisenberg has brought on Natalie Sandy, who was a producer on the first season of Little America, as a VP of Development at Piece of Work.
‘Little America’ co-creator Lee Eisenberg inks Apple TV multi-year overall deal
While Apple has set a release date for Little America on Apple TV+ and also renewed the show for a second season, it has also signed a multi-year content creation deal with its showrunner and co-creator, Lee Eisenberg.
That same month, Apple signed a deal with DHX Media (now WildBrain), and its subsidiary Peanuts Worldwide, to develop and produce original programs, including new series, specials and shorts based on the Peanuts characters created by Charles M. Schulz. One of the first productions created through the deal was an original short-form, STEM-related series featuring astronaut Snoopy. Also that month, Apple signed Justin Lin, and his production company Perfect Storm Entertainment, to a multi-year overall deal to produce original television content.
In January 2019, Apple signed Jason Katims, and his production company True Jack Productions, to a multi-year overall production and development deal to produce original television content. That same month, Apple signed a first look deal with Imagine Documentaries to develop non-fiction features and series. In February 2019, Harpo Productions hired Terry Wood as executive Vice President in which Wood will oversee Harpo's production of original programming for Apple as part of the multi-year agreement between Oprah Winfrey and Apple. In March 2019, it was reported that five television series commissioned by Apple had finished filming and six series would finish filming in the next few months.
In March 2021, Apple announced a multi-year programming partnership with Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. Apple also signed a multi-year, first-look deal with Imagine Entertainment's film division, in addition to extending its first-look deal with Imagine Documentaries. Additionally, Natalie Portman and production partner Sophie Mas signed a multi-year first-look deal with Apple for television projects developed and produced under their new production company MountainA. March also brought an overall multi-year first-look deal with Tracy Oliver, reportedly worth well into the "eight-figure range".
In June 2021, Sian Heder, the director of the Apple-acquired Sundance hit CODA, signed a multi-year overall deal to exclusively write and develop series for Apple, in addition to signing a first-look deal for any films written by Heder.
In July 2021, Misha Green, the creator and showrunner of Lovecraft Country, signed a multi-year overall deal with Apple to exclusively create and develop new television series for Apple TV+. In July, Apple also signed a first-look deal with Alexander Rodnyansky's production company, AR Content, for future Russian-language and multilingual television series. Additionally, Apple signed a multi-year, first-look deal with Adam McKay's production company, Hyperobject Industries, for upcoming scripted feature films.
Welcome to the group! You can connect with other members, ge...


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The Green Drone group, which is campaigning for legalisation of recreational cannabis in Israel, said the coronavirus lockdown requires “new ways of getting cannabis to consumers”
The people of Tel Aviv were shocked on Thursday afternoon when it rained cannabis in the city’s central Rabin Square.
The shower of weed – neatly packed in small plastic bags – was distributed by a group called Green Drone.
Shortly before the drug shower, the group made a announcement on its Telegram channel which read: “The time has come. Is it a bird? Is it a plane?“
No, it’s the Green Drone sending you free cannabis from the skies.”They added the stunt was a preview of their new drone -based delivery system which they planned to call “rain of cannabis”.
The group added: “We’re launching the ‘rain of cannabis’ project, that will include a weekly delivery to different parts of the country of 1 kilo of cannabis divided into free 2 gram bags.”
Source: The Star


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Vodacom Tanzania links voice recognition with M-Pesa
Company has launched SautiPass which is based on the use of voice as a password for customer authentication.Christopher Tredger
Kenya’s Mdundo secures millions for Africa expansion
Streaming service lists on Nasdaq Copenhagen and plans to extend reach on the continent.
Kenya's Mdundo reaches 1.5 million monthly users
The music streaming service hopes to combat illegal access of music in the continent.


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MLADA BOLESLAV: Czech automaker Skoda Auto
has delivered its 100th Skoda
Fabia R5 has been to a customer from the Netherlands. "Delivering the 100th Skoda Fabia R5
to one of our many customers in 2016 is another milestone
for this successful car,” said Skoda Motorsport
Director Michal Hrabánek
“This shows just how sought-after our latest rally car is all over the world, and confirms what a good job our Customer Racing department is doing. After all, the Skoda Fabia R5 has only been around for about a year and a half. Our works team and the Customer Racing department can benefit from each other, allowing us to consistently further develop the Skoda Fabia R5.”
The Skoda Fabia R5 is powered by a 1.6-litre turbo engine. This is a major difference to the two-litre induction engine in the car’s predecessor, the Skoda Fabia Super 2000.
Any customer who buys the Skoda Fabia R5, the basic version of which retails at 180,000 Euro, can count on technical support from Skoda and on the availability and supply of original parts. “Customers all over the world are racing with our Skoda Fabia R5 – whether in Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe or South America,” said Šárka Králová, Head of Skoda Customer Racing.
“And the Skoda Fabia R5 is enjoying great success everywhere, regardless of whether in searing heat or on snow and ice. Our order books, which are full again for 2017, show how happy our customers are,” Králová added.Skoda manufactures two million cars at Kvasiny
On the same day, the automaker built two million vehicles at its Kvasiny plant. The milestone vehicle – a Skoda Kodiaq
in the colour Moon White – rolled off the production line at the traditional Czech company’s site.
To launch the production of the brand’s first large SUV, Skoda’s East Bohemian factory had taken on 2,600 new employees by the end of last year. The production plant will be further modernised and expanded in the coming years.
“Kvasiny is a state-of-the-art production facility with a great tradition and an outstanding team. As an important cornerstone of Skoda’s production network, the Kvasiny plant will be making a key contribution to Skoda Strategy 2025,” says Skoda Board Member for Production and Logistics Michael Oeljeklaus.
“The site’s annual production volume will continue to increase over the coming years. To this end, we will be investing heavily into the location, expanding Kvasiny into a competence centre for the production of SUV vehicles among other things. We have recently reached an important milestone in this regard by launching production of the Skoda Kodiaq."
The first Skoda to be manufactured at Kvasiny was the Skoda Superb in 1947. Over the next few years, the production capacity of the plant will steadily increase to 280,000 vehicles annually. An additional 2600 employees had been added to the workforce by the end of 2016, and Skoda will be creating new jobs this year, as well.


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In a major development, a lawsuit filed in the United States has put the internet’s most profitable company at risk. The case, which was filed by a group of consumers, alleges that the company violated antitrust laws by engaging in monopolistic practices.
The company in question is none other than Google, which is currently facing intense scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers around the world. The lawsuit, which was filed in a federal court in California, seeks to hold Google accountable for its alleged anticompetitive behavior.
The plaintiffs allege that Google has used its dominant position in the search engine market to stifle competition and harm consumers. Specifically, they argue that Google has engaged in a variety of practices that have made it difficult for competitors to gain a foothold in the market.
One of the key allegations in the lawsuit is that Google has made deals with other companies to ensure that its search engine is the default option on their devices. This has effectively made it difficult for competitors to compete on a level playing field, as users are more likely to stick with the default option rather than seeking out alternatives.
The lawsuit also alleges that Google has engaged in other anticompetitive practices, such as promoting its own services over those of competitors and manipulating search results to favor its own products.
If the plaintiffs are successful in their lawsuit, it could have major implications for Google and the broader tech industry. Not only could Google be forced to change its business practices, but other companies could also be emboldened to file similar lawsuits against other tech giants.
Google has already faced a number of antitrust investigations and fines in other parts of the world, but this lawsuit represents a significant new challenge for the company. It remains to be seen how the case will play out, but one thing is clear: the tech industry is facing increasing scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers, and the consequences could be far-reaching.


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Google has pushed an update to its Chrome browser for iPhone and iPad, making it nearly 70 percent more stable as well as much faster. You can grab the latest update from the App Store now.
At Google I/O 2012 today, Google announced they'll be bringing their Chrome web browser to the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Today. Now in fact. Free - Download now
Google has announced that Chrome for iOS will join the Chromium open source browser project, alongside the desktop and Android versions of the browser.
There have been numerous reports, including our own anecdotal ones, about how much better Safari is than Chrome when it comes to battery life on MacBooks. Here's another.
Master your iPhone in minutes
iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!


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ZeniMax Media, parent company of Elder Scrolls developer Bethesda Softwarks, has reached an agreement with Mojang over ownership of the ‘Scrolls’ trademark. The suit, filed by ZeniMax, was in response to Mojang submitting trademark applications of ‘Scrolls’ for use in an upcoming strategy title. The settlement reached transfers all rights to ‘Scrolls’ to ZeniMax, who in turn has licensed its use to Mojang for their “digital card game and any add-on material it makes to that game.” However, Mojang cannot use the term for a sequel.
Mojang’s initial statement, found here, wrapped up with “For us this was never about a trade mark but being able to use Scrolls as the name of our game which we can – Yey.”
“We are pleased to have settled this matter with Mojang amicably,” said Robert Altman, Chairman and CEO of ZeniMax. “The Elder Scrolls is an important brand to us, and with this settlement we were able to protect our valuable property rights while allowing Mojang to release their digital card game under the name they preferred.”
Official Site: ZeniMax.com


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China's net gold imports via main conduit Hong Kong in December halved from the previous month, data showed on Monday, as the world's top gold consumer likely limited import quotas for its banks while the demand for jewellery waned towards end-2018.
Imports via Hong Kong to China, the world's top consumer of the metal, slipped to 19.22 tonnes in December from 37.871 tonnes in November, according to data from the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department.
Total gold imports via Hong Kong plunged nearly 42 percent to 24.149 tonnes last month, compared with 42.104 tonnes in November.
China already imported close to 200 more tonnes of gold in 2018, said Samson Li, a Hong Kong-based senior precious metals analyst, Refinitiv GFMS.
"The PBOC (People's Bank of China) probably noticed this, and was reluctant in granting import licenses in December."
In November, China's net gold imports through Hong Kong surged 28 percent from the previous month to their highest since July.
Spot gold rose about 5 percent in December, and is up 1.4 percent so far this month.
While investment demand did pick up as prices rose, jewellery consumption, which makes up a chunk of demand in China, "lost steam toward the end of the year and fell on a year-on-year basis," Li added.
China does not provide trade data on gold, so the Hong Kong figures serve as a proxy for flows to the mainland.
The Hong Kong data, however, might not provide a full picture of Chinese purchases because gold is also imported via Shanghai and Beijing.


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NFL Sunday Night Football!!! Check all options to listen or watch Chiefs vs. Ravens live stream for free on Reddit, Crackstreams & Twitch below. The Baltimore Ravens vs Kansas City Chiefs will be the big game of Baltimore NFL Week 2. It takes place at the M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, September 19, 2021.
Lets see below between NFL streams Ravens vs. Chiefs live where and how to watch free from any location.
It’s the Kansas City Chiefs vs Baltimore Ravens this week on Sunday Night Football. Live coverage starts at 7:00 p.m. ET with Football Night in America. Sunday night’s match-up will also be available via live stream on Peacock.
Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City Chiefs are coming off an impressive 33-29 win over the Cleveland Browns at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. Kansas City was down 22-10 heading into halftime. However, the Chiefs outscored Browns by 23-7 in the second period to win.
Mahomes finished the game with a record 27-of 36 passing for 337 yard and three touchdowns, including a 75 yard pass to WR Tyreek Hills. Hill caught 11 passes for 193 yards to lead the game. Travis Kelce had six receptions of 76 yards and two touchdowns.
Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens lost to the Las Vegas Chiefs in overtime on Monday night, 33-27. It was Baltimore’s first time losing a regular-season game when holding a 14-point lead, under head coach John Harbaugh.
The Ravens, who are coming off five consecutive wins, have the NFL’s longest injury list. J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill–the team’s top three running backs–are all out for the season. Jackson was 19-of-30 for 235 yard and a touchdown, as well as two lost fumbles. He was a Baltimore fumbler three times.
How to Watch
Game Day: Sunday, September 19, 2021
Game Time: 8:20 PM ET
Stadium: M&T Bank Stadium
How to stream Chiefs vs. Ravens live online
2021’s NFL Week 2 Kickoff Game is on FOX on Sunday, September 19, 2021, at 1 p.m. ET. You can stream the game live on a streaming service that carries NBC, such as Hulu, FuboTV or YouTube TV. You can also stream the game live using the NBC streaming site Peacock. Below, I’ll explain all the options.
Hulu Live TV
You can watch Ravens Vs. Chiefs through Hulu Live TV. They stream NBC live, along with other local channels and channels on cable TV. Live NBC is available in all 50 states according to our data. However, be sure to check Hulu’s Website for the latest channels in your area on this page: Hulu Live TV Channels by Zipcode.
FuboTV has rapidly increased the number of locations where they stream the live local NBC network. FuboTV carries NBC across all major US TV markets. This allows you to watch the Ravens play. Chiefs on NFL’s opening night.
FuboTV is available on all major platforms including Roku, Chromecast Fire TV, Fire TV, Apple TV and many more.
YouTube TV is another great option to watch the game as they offer NBC live. YouTubeTV streams live NBC in all US markets. Youtube TV supports Android and iOS, Apple TV, Fire TVs, Chromecast, and many other platforms. The YouTube TV app isn’t available on Roku. Roku users can still use YouTube TV via the YouTube app.
DIRECTV Stream also streams NBC live, so you can watch the Ravens take on the Chiefs. All DIRECTV Stream plans offer NBC. The most affordable is the “Entertainment” package for $69.99 a month, along with a ton of cable TV and other broadcast networks. NBC offers NBC in more than half of the US markets.
You can check AT&T’s Website to allow you to make sure NBC is offered in your area. You can also view our review on DIRECTV Stream.
Peacock will stream the NFL Opener and NBC Sunday Night Football every week live. To watch, you will need to subscribe to the “Peacock Premium” tier, which starts at $4.99 per month.
The Peacock app allows you to stream the game on your TV and mobile device. The streaming service works with Roku and Apple T.V., iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Roku. 4K and Apple T.V. HD, Xbox One S or Xbox One X, Playstation 4 and Android devices, Android TV and Chromecast, Chromecast built-in and Chromecast built, Xfinity Flex 4K as well as Amazon Fire TV and Fire Sticks.
Vidgo is a newer Streaming service that offers fairly competitive pricing over other Live streaming services. Only problem is that they don’t currently offer a DVR. They hope to change that in the near future.
NFL Network is available on Sling TV, so you can watch games branded as Thursday Night Football. The SLING Blue subscription costs $35 per month and includes NFL Network. Sling TV is available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and more, so it’s not a problem to enjoy it on a TV, tablet, computer, or other smart devices.
Our detailed review of Sling TV provides more information on compatibility with Sling TV devices. Sign up for Sling TV to receive regular promotions.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video will simulcast Thursday Night Football in weeks 5 through 15 (except for Thanksgiving day in week 12). The service costs $12.99 per month after a 30-day free trial, but you won’t be charged if you cancel before the trial expires. Amazon Prime subscriptions include access to Thursday Night Football and thousands of TV shows through Prime video. However, there are many other benefits such as free shipping on eligible prime purchases.
Learn more about Prime in our review of Amazon Prime.


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LONDON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - BMW has agreed to sell its Formula One team to Swiss-based Qadbak Investments, the Munich carmaker said on Tuesday.
“The contract was signed today,” BMW said in a statement, adding that Qadbak represented the interests of “certain Middle Eastern and European-based families”.
“A strong investor has therefore been found for the Hinwil-based team. Qadbak´s interest in the team will be represented by Lionel Fischer, a Swiss national,” it added.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ken Ferris
To query or comment on this story email email@example.com)


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Technology is providing tools for businesses in the hospitality industry to strategically communicate with smartphones and provide a platform to enable high touch customer service. Guests today not only want things just the way they envision them, but also expect to be known and served; they want to know where to go to avoid any lines/inconvenience. Julie May shows ways hotels, restaurants, museums, etc. can strategically place Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons to communicate with smartphones, to help enhance experience and send notifications or any information based on proximity/location. Furthermore, the experience can be fully personalized if guests choose to receive “push” notifications to their phones. Other technologies allow the company to create a mobile concierge, which will add many features such as:
• Transportation confidence: With BLE beacons, you just provide your preferences online and upon arrival at your destination terminal, your smartphone receives a message of the precise location of your rental car along with directions to get to it from your gate.
• Dining Experience: BLE hits a high point by offering you a spot on restaurants’ waiting lists before you even enter the restaurant, you can also order before arrival/request drink specials, or make note of food allergies.
• Travel tips: Push notifications can make recommendations for dining, the arts and activities, based on location and social profile
Read the full article at tennessean.com.
Technology is transforming not only the way athletes train for the game, but how fans follow their teams.Tech Startups are looking for ways to impact in many ways including: revolutionizing fan engagement, and creating smarter venues/stadiums. In this post Christine Magee describes how VCs are looking for tech startups that are impacting the intersection of sports, technology, and entertainment. In fact, investors have spent over $1 billion in venture deals for sports-related startups over the past year and everyone wants in on the action. Miles Clements of Accel says “sports tech is really all encompassing — initially you think sports is sort of a niche leisure activity, but the annual spend across all sports consumption is $145 billion”.
Read the full article at techcrunch.com.
Xerox, Duane Reade and Caesar’s Are no Longer Sponsors of the Baseball Club
In an attempt to raise revenue, the New York Mets have been seeking the help of many Tech Companies. In this article, Kate Kaye shares how Citi Field has adopted beacon technology to improve customer service. Citi Field partnered with Satisfi to provide next generation mobile customer service. Read the article to learn a little bit about us and the other tech companies the Mets are using to enhance their fan experience and raise revenue.
Read the full article at adage.com.
More and more people utilize connected devices, streaming services and social media platforms while following the teams and games they love. Cole Sletten describes environments where fans enjoy unprecedented immediacy, access, and insight.Fans want the latest news, the ability to watch there team anywhere on multiple devices, and a thorough understanding of what is happening and why.The article goes on to describe a few things enhanced technology in sports can lead to: elevated in-person experience, well armed analysts, and the creation of new perspectives. Furthermore, how in-stadium customer service can be used to improve attendance.
Read the full article at mediapost.com.
For all companies, customer service is a battle that must be fought daily. This article sheds light on the areas that often get overlooked when customer service is concerned. Micah Solomon points to key customer service points that must be made priorities:
• Recognizing the most important customer service moments
• Reinforce customer excellence standards
• Put customer service recovery plans in place
• Align delivery timetables to match what the customer wants/expects
• Make effort to see the company the way consumers do
Read the full article at forbes.com.
Here Nicole Leinbach-Reyhle explains how, although technology has changed customer service, the old-fashioned motives and intentions have remained the same. It is undeniable how technology has influenced how companies get the attention of potential buyers, how consumers make product decisions, and how they complete transactions; however, little has changed when it comes to how companies care about/for their customers. This article gives three tips to delivering high quality, “old fashioned”, customer service.
Read the full article at forbes.com.


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A potential escalation of the US-China trade war could significantly impact the US construction industry if no deal between the two countries is reached in the coming months.
The immediate impact of the tariffs imposed by the US government last year on a wide range of Chinese products – along with tariffs on steel, aluminium and Canadian lumber – is already being felt by the industry.
Tariffs on China goods
Many of the Chinese goods required to construct houses and other buildings in the US are still subject to 10% tariff imposed by the US government last September.
This 10% tariff added to Chinese goods was expected to increase to 25% on 1 March 2019, but in late February, President Trump delayed applying additional tariffs on Chinese exports citing “substantial progress” in trade talks between the two countries.
A failure to resolve differences in the coming months and a resulting rise in tariff rates will lead to higher costs of imported building materials. This could result in slower growth and job creation in the construction industry and affect infrastructure spending, disrupting supply chains and companies’ operations as well as reducing investment and putting more projects and construction loans at risk.
Chinese tariffs on US products could also curtail investment in new construction projects in the US. For example, in October 2018, the construction of a liquefied natural gas export terminal project in Louisiana was put on hold by Australia’s Liquified Natural Gas Limited after the Chinese government set a 10% tariff on US LNG exports.
Around half the value of US imports are made up of intermediate goods such as raw materials, machine parts, industrial inputs and capital equipment.
Most Chinese imports currently subject to tariffs fit this category. By increasing the tariff rate on these products, the US administration of Donald Trump is in effect imposing a tax on US contractors in the form of higher building materials costs. At present, local steel producers are not able to increase production to meet the demand that is being met by foreign suppliers; and as a result, contractors will experience delays in supplies if they switch to local producers.
At the same time, government efforts to remove burdensome regulations and to speed up construction procedures will not offset the delays experienced by the lack of key building materials. Reducing regulatory costs is expected to lower construction costs in the long-term but not sufficiently to offset higher costs for building materials.
A major concern for contractors is that they may be forced to find new suppliers and pay higher prices for materials if they cannot source what they expect from existing suppliers.
Contractors and subcontractors will have to incorporate higher prices and price risks into their bids, which could mean they lose out on work or end up working for less than their material and labour costs. To avoid raising costs to customers, contractors could also start to cut corners in the building process, comprising the safety and durability of projects.
Building costs and housing affordability
There are also concerns that higher building costs will eventually impact on housing affordability and slow down the construction of new buildings.
According to the National Association of Home Builders, tariffs on Canadian lumber have pushed up the cost of wood and added US$9,000 to the price of single-family homes in the US. Should tariffs continue and even increase in the coming months, the impact could be more severe for contractors and consumer alike.
While Trump’s recent announcement to delay additional tariffs on Chinese exports is welcome news, and there are signs that a trade deal between the two countries could be on the horizon, many challenges remain.
For example, there is no indication that the existing tariffs will be reduced any time soon, and the longer they remain in place and their effects go on, the more risk the construction industry will experience.
In addition, a significant degree of policy uncertainty is threatening growth, investment and productivity in the industry, as Trump has not yet specified what the new deadline for raising tariffs will be. Even if a trade agreement is reached in the near term, it will lack the required enforcement to ensure that Chinese officials will commit to the structural reforms that the US government is demanding, especially in terms of policies related to intellectual property in the technology industry.


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Samsung could be about to unleash some all-new TVs on the market this week and they may make watching movies and binging on box sets look even better than anything we’ve seen before. According to the ever-reliable team at SamMobile, Samsung is reportedly set to announce its plans for the release of some pin-sharp new goggle boxes in the coming days.
Unlike its current range of consumers sets, the latest screens will be powered by the very latest MicroLED technology which is able to offer even richer colours, brighter images and deeper blacks than standard backlit LED displays.
Samsung’s MicroLED tech has been a feature of its ‘The Wall” TVs for a while with those rich enough to own one able to get screen sizes of up to 150inches installed in their properties. The Wall is a modular MicroLED display which Samsung says is able to deliver a revolutionary viewing experience with pure black, true colour and Samsung’s AI picture enhancement.
These giant screens have mainly been targeted at businesses or those have money to burn but that might be about to change.
The reason MicroLED screens are so good is that each of the tiny pixels produces its own light which means they can be individually switched on or off for a more pin-sharp image.
Recent stats show that the MicroLED TV market will reportedly grow from $25 million this year to a whopping $228 million by 2026.
Express.co.uk will bring you all the news from Samsung just as soon as we hear more.


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China Lifts Bird Flu Ban of Poultry Imports From Minnesota
China lifted a ban on poultry imports from Minnesota imposed after an outbreak of avian flu, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said on its website today.
Poultry imports from Minnesota were banned in July 2011, according to the agency’s announcement from that time.
China’s Ministry of Commerce had separately in August 2010 imposed five-year punitive tariffs on U.S. broiler chicken and related products because the industry received what it determined to be subsidized soybeans and corn.
To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: William Bi in Beijing at email@example.com


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Three leading footwear companies reported quarterly financial results late last week for the three months ended September 30 that topped Wall Street estimates, with two of the three taking the news a step further and upping guidance for the current fiscal year.
Steve Madden (SHOO) reported a net sales increase of 5.5% to $413.5 million, driven primarily by a 15 percent increase in sales at its own retail stores to $56.4 million. Same-store sales rose by 11.2%. Net sales in the company’s wholesale business increased by 4 percent to $357 million.
Gross margin expanded 130 basis points to 36 percent compared to 34.7% in the same period last year. Wholesale gross margin increased 80 basis points to 32.1% due to improvement in the wholesale footwear segment. Retail gross margin increased by 150 basis points to 60.4% as a result of decreased promotional activity.
During the third quarter, the company opened two full price stores in Canada, one full price store in Mexico and one US outlet location. The company ended the quarter with 165 company-operated retail locations, including 120 full price stores, 37 outlets, four Internet stores and four joint venture locations in South Africa.
Net income rose by 9.4% to $42.9 million, or $0.70 per share, from $39.2 million, or $0.62 per share, in the prior year period.
However, based on lower-than-anticipated back half sales in its private label footwear business, Steve Madden has reduced its sales increase outlook for fiscal year 2015 to six percent over net sales in 2014 from prior expectations of a seven percent increase, and now expects earnings per share to be in the range of $1.85 to $1.95.


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Commercial cultivation of hemp in the U.S. ended after World War II under the federal 1937 Marijuana Tax Act.
On March 16 Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed a bill that authorizes Virginia Tech and Virginia State University to grow industrial hemp for research purposes. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will issue the growing licenses.
Virginia Tech will be able to begin research on growing industrial hemp in the commonwealth as a result of a new state law and the establishment of an industrial hemp research program by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.


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Following the successful launch in Singapore in December, Casio G-Shock and Darker Than Wax are bringing the party and launching 'New Times' in Jakarta, and introducing the specially DTW inspired model GD-100 to the city.
This launch will be celebrated at one of Jakarta's Safe House, featuring an all- Darker Than Wax line -up, with guests from Singapore and Bali.
DTW X G-Shock Media Preview: & Freeflow
8:00PM to 9:30PM
DTW 5 Year Anniversary Party
10:00PM to 03:00AM
Celebrate the launch of the limited DTW X G-Shock watch and our 5 year anniversary with an all-star Darker Than Wax lineup:
Archie Dennis Balfour
This event is supported by SCRUBS, SINDHÈN App, and CASIO G-SHOCK.
RSVP at 62 215 7904 545 or head straight to www.thesafehousejkt.com/reserve.


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Isle of Man Post Office (IOMPO) wishes to remind all interested parties there is still time to submit feedback on the proposed changes to postal services in Ballasalla, ahead of the consultation deadline of January 24.
The consultation, which started before Christmas, aims to consult with all key stakeholders on the review of Ballasalla Post Office following the incumbent sub postmaster’s decision to resign. IOMPO is recommending that the current counter service is superceded with a more sustainable and affordable self-service kiosk for bill payments and postal services, as well as a parcel drop off facility.
The Board of IOMPO were pleased to hear views and concerns of some Ballasalla residents at a coffee morning held in the village last Friday, and look forward to the public meeting in the Village Hall this Friday evening to explain the rationale for the proposed change and to listen to more feedback.
Simon Kneen, Chief Executive, of IOMPO said: “During this consultation period, we are keen to obtain as much feedback as possible from all key stakeholders such as residents, the commissioners, businesses in the area etc., to help inform the Board’s decision on the future of postal services in Ballasalla. In October, Tynwald approved our recommendation for a financially and socially responsible ‘demand driven’ retail network service modernisation strategy, on the understanding that the business would commit to a set of six guiding principles to reassure its valued customers that postal services will remain in local communities.”
The principles include ensuring IOMPO remains financially efficient, managing costs in line with revenues, supporting the overall aim of remaining financially self-sustaining; ensuring 96% of Island residents live within 3 miles of a service access point for postal services, with a postal service access point in each constituency; ensuring postal service access points are accessible, e.g. main bus routes, with ample parking and disabled access and where financially viable, IOMPO will continue to seek opportunities to provide new retail services.
He added: “From the outset, IOMPO committed to engaging with local stakeholders before changing an existing service which is the exercise it is currently undertaking in Ballasalla. Contrary to popular belief, the Board has not come to any decision on the future of Ballasalla and won’t until after the consultation period has ended. If any stakeholders still wish to submit their views, there is still plenty of time to do this via email Ballasalla.Service.Changes@iompost.com or by post: PO Box 82, c/o Ballasalla Service Changes, Douglas, IM99 1EB.”


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Airtel has refuted claims that it plans to exit the Kenyan market. Last week, reports emerged that the telco was likely to call it quits.
In a statement, Airtel Kenya CEO Prasanta Das maintains that the company remains committed to delivering quality and value for money products and services to all its customers in Kenya.
“Contrary to false online reports, Airtel is not leaving the Kenyan market. We remain committed to delivering quality and value for money products and services to all our customers whilst ensuring effective, uninterrupted communication is achieved across the entire country,‘’ he said.
‘’We continue to significantly invest in the enhancement of our network and distribution across Kenya. We are now rolling out approximately 600 new sites to expand our network using the ultra-fast 4G technology across the country. ‘’ Prasanta added.
In addition, across key cities, Airtel Kenya says it has upgraded its network to be 5G ready. This significant expansion and upgrade it says will improve coverage as well as customer experience in both urban and rural areas.
Airtel Kenya has been working with Nokia and Ericsson to upgrade its existing sites to be ready for 5G since last year. In October, the telco penned a deal with Ericsson, a Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications firm, to enhance and prepare its 4G network for 5G. A month later, it inked a deal with Finnish telco equipment maker Nokia to boost its 4G network’s quality and future-proof the network for 5G in Nairobi.
‘’Our investment in offering quality customer service and positively impacting our communities remains at the core of our business strategy.” he added.
Airtel Kenya currently has 16.8 million subscribers, translating to a market share of 27.2 per cent according to the latest industry figures (for the period covering October to December 2020) from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA). The telco is ranked second after Safaricom which has 39.069 million subscribers (or 63.6 market share) while Telkom Kenya has slightly over 3.8 million subscribers (or 6.2 per cent of the market).


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The next best idea in kitchen gadgets, manufacturing tools or business concepts could be brewing behind the doors of the house down the street or an apartment downtown.
Northern Illinois University’s EIGERlab is banking on that and wants to help budding inventors realize their dream.
The innovation hub has seen a lot of changes since it started in 2005 under the governance of the Rockford Area Ventures Board. Operated for a while by the Rockford Area Economic Development Council, the EIGERlab now is run by Northern Illinois University.
"NIU bought the brand to be better known in the area of innovation," said Dan Cataldi, EIGERlab's director. "The university also wants to help grow the regional ecosystem for entrepreneurs and innovators."
One of the most popular projects through EIGERlab, is the annual FastPitch Competition, where local inventors make a three-minute sales pitch for a product or concept that was their brainchild. The winner of the competition gets $5,000 in seed money to build their business.
But the EIGERlab isn’t the only place seeing great ideas. Even nearby Freeport is trying to help its residents formulate the next idea that could change the world, or at least our communities.
Here are a few gadgets, businesses and business concepts that were born in the Rockford and Freeport area. Some you may have heard about, others are only getting started, but all are making an imprint on the business world.
1. SockTABs — Glen and Tracie Burress
This invention is probably one of the most-publicized inventions in recent years in the Rockford area. These multi-colored pins were Tracie's idea. They help you connect socks so they never lose their match — or "sole" mate. She won EIGERlab's FastPitch competition in 2014 and has even pitched her idea on the ABC show "Shark Tank" in 2015 and HSN in February. Now you can purchase her invention at Bed, Bath & Beyond stores in Rockford and the Chicago suburbs, and at 510 Threads on East State Street.
2. NZ3 hair dryer attachment — Adrian Vasquez
After hearing his hair stylist co-workers complaining of back and neck problems, tennis elbow and carpel tunnel, Vasquez noticed that the way these stylists held their blow dryers, in order to get the best dry, was causing various maladies. He came up with an attachment — the NZ3 attachment — that allows the stylist, or you, to get the best angle without hurting your muscles or nerves.
That was 2012. A client suggested he contact EIGERlab for assistance. By 2013, he had a prototype that pushes out air about 60 feet per second, compared to 19 feet per second by standard blow dryers. That same year, Vasquez beta-marketed NZ3 in his salon and took second place at the FastPitch competition.
“Through EIGERlab, I was able to connect with some of the area’s top engineers, and some of them are friends of mine now,” Vasquez said. “It was quite an adventure for all of us.”
3. String Gator — Chuck Meyer
Meyer "mowed" down the competition, even Vasquez, in the 2013 FastPitch competition. His idea is the String Gator, a gadget that makes respooling an electric or gas weed cutter a lot easier. The product, which works like a cigar cutter, mounts onto the trimmer and, when you run out of string for the weedwacker, helps you quickly cut the string needed to get the machine going again.
4. RockfordBuzz.com — Jacob Bradt
Not all new ideas are tangible gadgets or contraptions. Jacob Bradt was a finalist in the FastPitch competition with his website that gives you the scoop on events, business and other cool happenings in the Rockford area.
RockfordBuzz.com also allows local advertisers to better target potential customers.
5. AdsOrTails — Brad Marshall
AdsorTails.com started because Marshall was frustrated over the cost and the ineffectiveness of advertising on the web. His frustration won him second place in last year’s FastPitch competition. He developed a website, AdsorTails.com, which helps advertisers link up with potential customers in the area, and helps customers play games to get discounts from businesses in their community.
6. Wall of Yarn — Dennis Rinkenberger and Jeffrey Wall
This business, 14 W. Stephenson St., Freeport, has been around since 2011, but was a new idea for the Freeport area. In the store, you can find yarn, needles and just about any other accessory you will need for knitting.
"I just think it is a really, cool idea. These types of stories are great for our region," said local developer Bill Green.
"We are starting to see the business make a profit — we now don't have to put everything we make back into it," co-owner Jeffrey Wall said. "But it was a lot of hard work getting here."
Wall said they've also had to be creative to lure more customers. The shop started opening for movie nights — twice a month — where people can watch classic flicks on a big screen while they knit or just sit back and relax.
7. Slimbooks — Casey Bankord
Bankord came up with the idea of SlimBooks, a publishing company, after his publicist asked him to add more content to an already thick book. Bankord, a former minister at Heartland Community Church, didn't think the manuscript needed anything else, and he wondered if other authors faced the same issues.
After some brainstorming, he and his business partner started Slimbooks, which publishes books that contain fewer than 100 pages. Bankord took second place at the 2014 FastPitch competition, and the business quickly took off.
8. and 9. Back massager and back roller — Adrian Vasquez
Based on the success of his hair dryer attachment, Vasquez said he’s not afraid to try other ideas. One of them is an item that uses wood chips to ease your back problems.
“I was on the playground with the grandkids and there were all these wood chips all over the place,” Vasquez recalled. “And I thought, these would work so good on my back.”
The wood chips would act as a bit of a mini-massage, body-scratching agent.
His other idea involves rollers on a car’s driver’s seat. The idea came to him as he noticed that the first thing drivers do is step out of the car and stretch.
“Because I do a lot of driving, I thought it would be nice to have rollers under your butt and on your back,” Vasquez said. “These rollers would move while you are in motion on the road. It could even go up and down on your legs.”
10. FishWithMe.net — Stacy McCaskill
McCaskill, a business professor at Rock Valley College, came up with her idea 24 hours before the 2014 FastPitch competition. She and her mother were driving back to the Rockford area from the Florida Keys, where her mother lives several months out of the year. Her mom loves to fish, but doesn't like to cast a line alone. McCaskill went on the internet to find a group or program that links fishing buddies.
"I started Googling it, and couldn't find anything. No one was doing it," McCaskill said. "I just thought it was a great idea."
Her business, FishWithMe.net, now links people all over the country with other people who like to fish. It doesn't matter where you live, where you plan to vacation — for $15 per 30 days, the site can "hook you up" just about anywhere.
And McCaskill said she could never have done this without the help of EIGERlab and its FastPitch competition.
"It was super fun, really easy, and there were no hoops to jump through. You just show up and share your ideas."
Maggie Hradecky: 815-987-1367; firstname.lastname@example.org; @maggiehrad


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The really amazing thing about China is that both the knee-jerk right-wingers who love to hate it and the idiot leftists who love to love it are both laboring under the illusion that it is Communist. The self-serving capitalist elite that run the country do so in the name of a “Communist Party.” But nothing is less Marxist than to assume that this, or the elite’s occassional bursts of anti-Western rhetoric, have anything to do with the fundamental economic structure—which is obviously, oppressively capitalist. This illusion is especially surreal in the face of growing, seemingly spontaneous and uncoordinated revolt by Chinese workers and peasants. The left in the West should be offering vigorous solidarity to the rebelling workers and peasants in China. Certainly not cheering on their oppressors. From Forbes via CorpWatch, July 27:
More than 1,000 workers rioted over poor working conditions at a factory in southern China which produces toys for McDonald’s and other firms, a US labor rights group said.
The incident began on Saturday last week when workers at the Hengli Factory in Guangdong province protested over meager wages, lack of public holidays and poor living conditions, the New York-based China Labor Watch said.
The protest in Dongguan city began in workers dorms and evolved into a riot that stretched into the night and Sunday, involving more than 1,000 of the factory’s workers, the labor watchdog said in a statement.
It took more than 100 factory policemen, riot squads and security guards to control the situation. Many people were injured and dozens of workers were arrested, according to China Labor Watch.
An official at the Hong Kong-based Merton Co Ltd, which owns the factory, told Agence France-Presse there had been an incident but refused to comment on the specific allegations.
‘It’s not convenient for us to reveal any information,’ said Yammie Chiu, a secretary at the company. ‘This type of incident has never happened before.’
According to China Labor Watch’s investigation, employees at the factory typically work 11 hours a day, six days a week, and rack up to 70 hours of overtime a month.
This violates China’s labor law, which stipulates workers shall not work for more than 40 hours a week and 35 hours of overtime a month, it said.
The factory deducts salary if workers refuse to work overtime and does not pay workers for taking national holidays, vacation or sick leave, according to the group.
Overtime is not paid 1.5 times the regular rate as required by the law, it said. There is no base salary for workers, who are paid at piece rate.
Salaries range between 600 and 800 yuan (75 and 100 usd) a month.
But workers told China Labor Watch’s investigator that they must pay 250 yuan for food and accommodation, and complained of the factory’s meals being of poor quality.
Merton also failed to provide workers with adequate medical insurance or pensions, according to the rights group.
According to the interviewed workers, 50 percent of Mertons products were manufactured for McDonalds.
According to Merton’s website, the factory has 10,000 employees producing plastic toys. The company exports to the US and Canada to companies such as McDonald’s, Disney, Mattel, Warner and DC Comics, the website said.
Carol Chan, a senior consultant for McDonald’s public relations company Hill and Knowlton, told AFP the fast food giant did not have an immediate response because its Hong Kong office had to check with its global headquarters.
However she confirmed Merton did supply products to McDonald’s and that the matter is being looked at.
‘The factory makes toys for McDonald’s restaurants not just in Hong Kong but also in other countries … McDonald’s is looking into this matter,’ Chan said.
Local police and the industrial park where the factory is located denied knowledge of the incident.
So what about China Labor Watch? Co-opted by the AFL-CIO or CIA or State Department yet? Their web site is certainly useful for those who want to know what is really going on in China…
See our last posts on China, and the growing wave of worker-peasant revolt.


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By Jean Christou
All-inclusive hotel holidays, especially in Paphos, have become a reality in Cyprus but pose risks for the sustainability of tourism, deputy director general of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation Annita Demetriades said on Tuesday.
Demetriades was speaking in Nicosia during the presentation of a study by PwC on the effects of all-inclusive deals in Paphos on the wider industry in the area. The majority of hotel beds in Paphos are all-inclusive.
“A large number of hotels are offering all-inclusive holidays but negative economic and social effects have been observed in the local community at entertainment establishments, supermarkets, souvenir shops and for excursions,” she said.
Tourists limited to hotels do not have the opportunity to wander around and enjoy the cultural wealth, to experience the diversity of the country and the real hospitality of its inhabitants, elements that give our country a very important competitive advantage that should be maintained.”
Demetriades said that after meetings with all stakeholders in Paphos it was decided to implement specific actions in collaboration with several hotels in the town, which she said were committed to supporting the effort.
“A key action will be the ‘Ambassador’ programme where each hotel will have an ‘Authentic Corner’ onsite with the logo ‘Destination Paphos’ which will be awarded to companies that meet specific criteria,” she said.
This area of the hotels will inform guests what is on offer outside of the hotel complex “with the expectation that the implementation of these actions will contribute to reducing the negative effects we have observed,” she added.
PwC representatives Giorgos Ioannou and Panayiotos Moiras revealed that one of the most important findings of the survey, carried out with the Travel Foundation UK, was that tourists staying in Paphos spend less money on activities or at shops outside of the hotel compared to other tourist areas in Cyprus.
To improve the above situation, the CTO, the Cyprus Association for Sustainable Tourism and the Travel Foundation UK, commissioned the Brighton Hospitality Research Group (BHR) from Brighton University, to further investigate the matter with a view to identifying incentives that could push tourists in Paphos to spend more money and time outside of the hotels.
According to the main conclusions of the study, it was found that among the tourists there was a lack of reliable information in relation to the activities they could engage in outside the hotel complex, and that businesses with something to offer found it was difficult to find a way of promoting what they had to offer.
The proposed logo ‘Destination Paphos’ is being designed with them in mind as tourists exposed to the logo in hotels can recognise and locate these businesses when they venture out.
Companies wishing to participate in this programme must however meet specific criteria developed for the purposes of the project after which they will receive the sign and logo to hang outside their place of business.
President of the Cyprus Association for Sustainable Tourism Philippos Drousiotis, in his address, said that recent developments in Cyprus made it clear that the importance of tourism to the island’s economy was now even more vital.
“It is now proven that tourists have become more demanding and seek experiences from their holidays that they will remember for a lifetime,” he said.
Through the project, he said, “we propose to develop and implement new initiatives that will encourage increased tourist spending in the local economy, increase customer satisfaction with the experience of holiday and increase repeat visits by helping to ensure the long term sustainability of Paphos as a tourist destination”.
He said 10 hotels had already joined up for the programme.
“The training included information about local products and activities that one can experience in Paphos, as well as an understanding of the importance of the destination,” he said.
“In Paphos, and all over Cyprus in general there is a need to ensure that tourists know the destination and what it has to offer them.”


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OOO Vneshtorg Pharma has obtained a drug manufacturing authorization license No. 00145-LS of October 2, 2015. The copy of the license can be found in the Regulatory documents section.
Drug manufacturing authorization license has been obtained
New by VTF – KidZ Multicomplex
A new addition to our healthy baby product range
VTF is a partner of the Green Cross Conference
Our company is a permanent participant in the annual meeting of pharmaceutical industry leaders
Hematosha brand gets a promotional video
It informs the consumers about the products included in our innovative hematogens line.


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If your office in the future dodges a spearphishing attempt in the future, you might be thanking a Girl Scout. The organization partnered with Palo Alto Networks to release 18 new cybersecurity badges for members to earn over the next two years, with the first slated to come out in September 2018.
— Girl Scouts (@girlscouts) June 16, 2017
They won't just be about minimizing hacking vectors: Younger Scouts will also learn about data privacy, cyberbullying and how to protect themselves online. Badges for older ones will focus on developing coding skills, learning about white hat hacking and creating firewalls. While preventative training has been erratically present in Scouting for some time -- the Boy Scouts, for example, have had the Cyber Chip youth internet safety certification since 2012 -- the Girl Scouts' new set of badges looks to span a respectable breadth of online issues and opportunities.
If you're surprised the Girl Scouts have a new badge teaching important tech literacy, you haven't been paying attention. Back in 2011, the organization added ones for Computer Expert and Digital Movie Maker followed by an attempt in 2013 to introduce one for video games. Following the release of a badge dedicated to nurturing science, technology, engineering and math interests in 2015, the Girl Scouts partnered with Netflix last October to encourage young members to pursue STEM careers.


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NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association and the Rural Wireless Association (RWA) today released at the 2014 Wireless Symposium and WiExpo a study commissioned to explore the use of smaller geographic area licenses in the forward auction of spectrum in the 600 MHz band.
The FCC initially proposed using economic areas as the basis for defining geographic area licenses in the forward auction enabling commercial use of spectrum made available through a preceding reverse auction and reorganization of the broadcast television bands. The FCC has since sought comment on whether it might instead utilize smaller license areas, known as partial economic areas (PEAs), in the forward auction.
The new study, prepared by NERA Economic Consulting and filed today by NTCA and RWA with the FCC, concludes there is a strong case for expanding the number of geographic licensing areas and makes several suggestions for how the Commission could achieve this result while balancing a number of important economic and public policy objectives.
Among the report’s key findings are:
- Through an expansion in the number of licenses based on an appropriately sized PEA structure, the Commission could address concerns about participation of small carriers and the role of the market in determining spectrum allocation.
- The adoption of a sequential forward auction approach with right-sized license areas may also reduce the risk of stranded licenses and address aggregation risks for larger bidders seeking a national footprint.
“NTCA’s members are dedicated to providing competitive modern telecommunications services and ensuring the economic future of their rural communities, and for many that means including wireless services within their portfolio,” said NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield. “But despite an increase in interest and available spectrum, just over 60% of NTCA’s members currently offer a wireless service or hold wireless spectrum. The Commission can take a giant step toward promoting greater consumer choice in this market by structuring spectrum auctions and licenses in a manner that does not lead to just big providers winning big blocks and rural communities going unserved after urban buildouts.”
“To ensure coverage to consumers that live in and travel to rural and remote areas, the FCC must correctly size the 600 MHz license areas and allow rural carriers a meaningful opportunity to participate in the forward auction. The two–phase sequential auction proposed by NERA does exactly that most efficiently and effectively, ” said RWA General Counsel Carri Bennet.
The full report is available here.
About NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 900 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovation in rural and small-town America. NTCA advocates on behalf of its members in the legislative and regulatory arenas, and it provides training and development; publications and industry events; and an array of employee benefit programs. In an era of exploding technology, deregulation and marketplace competition, NTCA’s members are leading the IP evolution for rural consumers, delivering technologies that make rural communities vibrant places in which to live and do business. Because of their efforts, rural America is fertile ground for innovation in economic development and commerce, education, health care, government services, security and smart energy use. Visit us at www.ntca.org.
About RWA – Headquartered in Washington, D.C., RWA – the Rural Wireless Association is a trade association representing rural wireless carriers who each serve fewer than 100,000 subscribers. RWA’s members have joined together to speed delivery of new, efficient and innovative telecommunications technologies to remote and underserved communities. For more information visit www.ruralwireless.org


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Next-gen BMW X3 to be lighter, offer M Performance trim
The redesigned 2018 BMW X3 will go on sale at U.S. dealerships in November underpinned by a new architecture and with a new M Performance model.
via Automotive News Breaking News Feed http://www.autonews.com
June 26, 2017 at 10:05AM
Royal Industry News
Top news stories about the automotive industry. And, news from around the world.


text: Michele’s distinctive approach to fashion, characterized by a blend of bold patterns, vintage inspirations, and gender-fluid designs, has garnered widespread acclaim and transformed Gucci into a cultural phenomenon. His appointment at Valentino has sparked excitement and intrigue among fashion enthusiasts worldwide, as they eagerly anticipate how Michele will infuse his signature creativity into the brand’s DNA. Valentino, known for its timeless elegance and romantic silhouettes, is poised to undergo a transformation under Michele’s visionary leadership. With a penchant for pushing boundaries and challenging conventional norms, Michele is expected to bring a fresh perspective to Valentino’s design language while honoring the brand’s rich heritage and legacy.Fashion insiders predict that Michele’s tenure at Valentino will usher in a new era of innovation and creativity, redefining luxury fashion in unexpected ways. As the industry watches with bated breath, the stage is set for Michele to leave an indelible mark on Valentino and shape the future of high-end fashion with his bold and imaginative vision.


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Surely we all know Michael Kaplan by now? Flashdance (1983), Fight Club (1999), Burlesque (2010), Star Trek (2009), and the biggest of the big, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Versatile is not a generous enough[…]
Piper Perabo chats to Clothes on Film about costume design for her role in Looper.
Costume designer Michael Kaplan took time away from Star Trek 2 to chat exclusively to Clothes on Film about Ghost Protocol.
Enjoyably daft fare with enough fast cars and desirable clobber to keep you cooing until the credits.
On Tuesday 13th September, Clothes on Film makes its television debut chatting about the amazing costume design of Boardwalk Empire.
For those of you lucky enough to live in LA, literally racks of costumes have just on display at The FIDM Museum.
The Costume Designers Guild (CDG) has served up their nominations for this year.
A brand new international trailer for Burlesque has pranced onto the internet.


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When Willie Walsh took over as CEO of British Airways in 2005 he was handed a poisoned chalice. The former “World’s Favourite Airline” was no longer the darling of the skies. And the company was surrounded by negativity and a hostile press. Add to that a powerful staff union, disgruntled pilots and difficult relationships with suppliers and you have the perfect recipe for the kind of dog’s dinner you might be served as an airline meal. Is it any wonder, that British Airways is in yet more difficulty? The company has fallen from grace and currently looks as though it is on a kamikaze mission. When you are “Number One” or you claim to be “The World’s Favourite” there really is only one way to go.
Imagine then, that you are half the age of Willie Walsh, without his experience and without the MBA he has. And then imagine that your company has just become “The World’s Favourite Website”. That’s the problem facing Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, which this week has beaten Google to the “Number One” slot in the USA – as well as a host of other countries, including The Phillipines, Indonesia and Malaysia. For most of the rest of the world, the 25-year-old billionaire has to settle for being second. But whichever way you look at it, there is only one way for Facebook – perhaps – downwards…!
Luckily, however, Mr Zuckerberg has something on his side that Willie Walsh can only dream of – internal harmony and a public that simply love his company’s products and services. Even with some detractors for Facebook – and the occasional negative headline – the environment in which Facebook operates is much more positive than the clouds of negativity that hang around Britain’s “flag carrier” airline. It means that any fall from grace is much less likely with Facebook than with British Airways.
And that’s important for your business too. New research confirms that Facebook is here to stay and has real value as a sales channel – even, perhaps, the Number One online sales channel. The study by iModerate shows that we actually love using Facebook to connect with companies, recommend their products and buy from them. The study goes further than previous research and shows that we sign up to become “fans” of businesses simply because we like them and their products. According to the research. we are more likely to buy from a company if we become one of their “fans” on Facebook. It’s even higher on Twitter, though, with two-thirds of people willing to buy from organisations they follow.
This study suggests that if you are not on Facebook you are missing out on an important sales channel. You are avoiding extending your relationships with your existing customers and making it less likely they will continue to buy from you. The traffic you are seeking for your website is actually now all over at Facebook. Instead of trying to drag them back, away from the place they enjoy, it’s going to be much easier for you to go visit them by establishing a presence on the social network itself.
And therein lies the real problem at British Airways. All their customers were over at the “no frills party”, while the bosses at BA were shouting “come over here, the Business Class is lovely”. What they really needed to do to stay as “the world’ favourite” was to do what the world wanted; they didn’t and that’s the basis for all their difficulties now. Facebook is clearly doing what the world wants. And that means if you continue to ignore Facebook’s business benefits you are going to be rather like BA, trying to distract people away from what they are enjoying and attempting to convince them that what you offer is much more enticing. Face up to it, Facebook dominates. Ride on that domination by putting your business on Facebook, rather than trying to fight against it with your own website.


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What just happened? Remember the Jamboard, Google's 55-inch 4K digital whiteboard that was essentially the company's take on the Microsoft Surface Hub? Unless your business or place of education uses one, you'd be forgiven if they'd slipped your mind. Now, Google has announced the $5,000 device and its $600-per-year fee is joining the tech giant's increasingly crowded graveyard of discontinued products and services.
Google announced the enterprise-focused Jamboard back in October 2016. The cloud-connected, Android-powered digital whiteboard was designed so teams could collaborate on projects even when people were in different locations. Not too surprisingly, the reveal came a few months after Microsoft's similar Surface Hub, which cost $8,999 for the 55-inch version and $21,999 for the 84-inch version, proved so popular that production had to be ramped up.
The Jamboard packed a quad-core Nvidia Jetson TX1 SoC, built-in HD camera, speakers, microphone, and Wi-Fi. Google boasted that it could recognize up to 16 simultaneous touch inputs, and its passive stylus (no batteries or Bluetooth connection required) may have looked chunky, but it could draw a line just 1mm thick. It also came with a round eraser, though it was possible to use a finger to remove content. Rounding off the specs were USB and HDMI ports, and you could even roll it around on the (expensive optional extra) mobile stand.
Probably the most important element of the Jamboard was its remote collaboration features. Teams from around the world could watch and contribute to "jam" sessions using their own Jamboards, and people could follow along and contribute using a smartphone app. It also offered tight Google Workspace integration.
In a Workspace post, Google writes that it will be winding down the Jamboard whiteboarding app in late 2024. Furthermore, the hardware will no longer receive software updates after September 30, 2024, the same day its license subscriptions expire.
Any companies or schools with an upcoming subscription renewal can remain subscribed until that date at a prorated amount. The Jamboard reaches its end of life on October 1, 2024. Google says it will work with educational institutions to compensate them for phasing out the $5,000 Jamboard devices.
"Over the coming months, we'll provide Jamboard app users and admins clear paths to retain their Jamboard data or migrate it," Google said, adding that it will help customers "transition" to third-party whiteboard apps like Figma, Lucid Software, and Miro. They will still need a new touchscreen such as the Google Meet Series One Board 65 ($13,999) or the Desk 27 ($2,000).
Google didn't just make $5,000 from the sale of every Jamboard; it also charged a $600 "annual management and support fee" and a Google Workspace subscription for every user. There was also the $1,350 wheel stand for those who needed it.


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Many fast food restaurants have been working overtime to make sure their menus are stocked with healthy choices. McDonald’s has added an array of salads, apple slices, grilled sandwiches and other low-calorie fare. And Subway has staked its reputation on providing a complete menu of healthy choices.
But, do aggressively advertised and available healthy food options actually lead people to make better choices? That was the question posed by veteran obesity researcher Lenard Lesser, MD, MSHS, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Clinical Scholar (2009-2012). “Our study did not focus on menus and what the restaurants offered. We wanted to look at outcomes. We wanted to find out what young people were actually ordering,” he said.
“I’ve been interested in the marketing environment and how that affects the food purchases people make,” explained Lesser, a family physician at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, whose previous work focused on obesity linked to billboard advertising. “We wanted to find out if advertising healthy food encouraged people to eat fewer calories.”
Testing the Healthy Options Effect
To get answers, Lesser and his team partnered with the Carson, CA.-based organization Youth Family Schools and Community Partnership In Action to create a community-based-participatory-research project incorporating the opinions of teens and young adults.
“The kids and their parents contributed ideas about study design and data collection methods,” Lesser said. “We asked ninety-seven 12- to 21-year-olds to purchase a meal at Subway on one day and at McDonald’s on another day. They used their own money and appeared to have a meal budget of about $5.” There was some sensitivity to price at Subway because the meals cost close to $6. They cost only $4 at McDonald’s.
The teens chose Subway as their local healthy choice, but their decision was also backed by the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for Restaurants (NEMS-R). The 25-question survey counts the number of healthy options available in a restaurant as well as environmental factors such as signs that promote healthy eating, combo-meal deals, pricing, and choices for side items. Subway’s NEMS score is 41. McDonald’s comes in at 22 (63 is the highest and most positive score).
When in Subway, people may experience a sort of halo effect,” Lenard Lesser, MD
The teens were allowed to select their own main menu items and sides. Lesser and his team then determined the mean nutrition content for the meals purchased at each restaurant. The results were published in the article “Adolescent Purchasing Behavior at McDonald’s and Subway,” published online in the May 6 Journal of Adolescent Health.
“After determining the mean nutritional content of the meals selected, we found no statistical difference between the calories in the meals selected at the two restaurants, though there were other small differences,” Lesser said.
At McDonald’s, the teens ate 1,038 calories a meal. At Subway, they ate 955 calories per meal. There were 45 grams of fat in the McDonald’s meal and 42 grams of fat in the Subway meal. The Subway meal also had a whopping 2,149 mg of sodium (the recommended amount for a full day’s food intake is 2,300). The McDonald’s meal had 1,829 mg of sodium. But that meal made up for the relatively lower amount of salt by packing 54 grams of sugar (recommended daily intake is about 25-35 grams). Subway did a little better with 36 grams of sugar.
Beware the Halo Effect
The take-home message, Lesser advised, is that even when healthy foods are available, we must order our meals with caution and common sense. “Research on adults has shown that when in Subway, people may experience a sort of halo effect. They underestimate the amount of calories they consume because they assume all of the food is healthy.”
Lesser’s research, which was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, did reveal subtle differences in the teen’s food ordering patterns that indicate where calories could have been saved.
“At Subway, the teens got more calories from the main dish. At McDonald’s, the extra calories primarily came from the side dishes, such as fries and large drinks,” Lesser said. “The teens ate more vegetables [the menu offers tomato, cucumbers, onions, peppers] at Subway and less sugar, but far more sodium. That salt may come from the processed meats.”
To get a healthier fast food fix, Lesser recommends:
- Slim the sides: “At McDonald’s, eliminate the sugary drinks and French fries,” he advised. “Study participants ate significantly more carbohydrates at McDonald’s and less protein.”
- Lose like Jared: “At Subway, opt for the six-inch sub, rather the foot-long. If the foot-long combo price is tempting, split it with someone. Also ask for half the meat and twice the veggies on your sandwich,” Lesser said. That last step should reduce the salt.
- Ignore the advertising: “Subway is trying to draw people in with healthy options, but on the day we were there, the featured sub was the meatball marinara—white bread and red meat.”
“If you put all of these results together, it is not clear that Subway is healthier than McDonald’s,” Lesser said. “Offering healthy choices and advertising them widely is fine, but until we have policies or initiatives that improve the outcomes of eating healthy foods, we will not succeed in solving the crisis of poor eating.”
RWJF Scholar examines neighborhood-based death rates from opiate-based painkiller overdoses, compared with heroin overdose deaths.
Unengaged patients can incur costs of up to 21% higher than patients who are highly engaged in care. This suite of materials from RWJF's AF4...
RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholar Jennifer Bellot writes about losing her grandmother to complications from a medical error.
This month the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health published a special issue of its magazine devoted to food.
This revolutionary concept gives patients the tools they need improve their own health and health care by transforming the doctor-patient re...
Learn how The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is dedicated to building a culture of health in Risa Lavizzo-Mourey's 2014 annual message.
The reconvened Commission to Build a Healthier America will provide new guidance in three key areas: early childhood, healthy communities, a...
Team members, grantees, and guests discuss breakthrough ideas that will allow us to move toward solving challenges in health care.
Adverse working conditions contribute substantially to the risk of depression for working-age adults, according to new research from a team ...
CDC: Reducing High-risk Antibiotic Prescriptions Could Also Reduce Deadly Infections - Poorer Women Most Likely to Be Caught in ‘Vicious’ Ca...
The RWJF DataHub tracks state-level data, and allows visitors to customize and visualize facts and figures.
Ronald A. Yee, MD, became chief medical officer of the NACHC last year. NewPublicHealth recently spoke with Yee about the mission of health ...


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Burger King Finland is at it again. The same QSR chain that brought us the “silent drive-thru” last year is now offering free delivery to Helsinki residents who are physically close to a McDonald’s but instead choose to order Burger King.
The so-called conquesting campaign uses out-of-home advertising and mobile technology to target McDonald’s users in an attempt to win them over to BK’s side of the fence. To do that, BK placed outdoor ads strategically near McDonald’s locations (see image above) and then partnered with local delivery service Wolt to turn these areas into delivery hotspots. The stunt was publicized with an influencer campaign, which ended July 1.
This isn’t the first time BK has employed tech to lure would-be McDonald’s customers away from the Golden Arches. In 2019, the chain used geolocation technology to prompt customers already inside McDonald’s to leave within a certain timeframe and get a 1-cent whopper. That promotion featured a whole tie-in with Pennywise the clown and the release of It Chapter Two, further gamifying the experience.
The Finland campaign comes at a time when many places in the world are just now easing up on their lockdowns. Prior to this, out-of-home advertising hasn’t been all that effective since everyone’s been at home. One research firm predicted a decline in out-of-home advertising over the next few years, since this particular ad type relies on places like subway cars and bus shelters. But on that note, Adweek noted in April that brands were shifting their out-of-home advertising spend to focus on areas still getting foot traffic. Given the uncertain trajectory of the coronavirus and the threat of another lockdown ever present, it remains to be seen how effective this style of advertising will be over the long term.
One thing that could have a major effect: dining rooms shutting down again. McDonald’s has already announced it is halting its reopening plans for another three weeks in the U.S. BK’s contesting campaign is only focused in Finland right now, and wouldn’t actually rely on in-restaurant foot traffic at McDonald’s to work. Nonetheless, it’s another example of the pandemic’s far-reaching effects on the restaurant industry, right down to its advertising tactics.
In the meantime, the Finland campaign is at least an amusing tactic to lift the spirits. It’s also a way for restaurants to promote delivery at a time when many dining rooms are still shuttered and customers are still wary about actually setting foot in a restaurant.
For information on OOH and DOOH advertising, and how can we help with your next campaign, contact us today at 210-610-5012 or email firstname.lastname@example.org
Source: The Spoon


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The purchase is the biggest move into electric vehicles by a rental car company.
Tesla’s value skyrocketed to $1 trillion after car-rental giant Hertz purchased 100,000 Model 3s from the electric vehicle manufacturer.
The news of the sale increased Tesla shares by 12.6% after the biggest-ever rental car order for battery-powered vehicles. Hertz ordered the Tesla Model 3, a sedan that is the cheapest available vehicle by the electric carmaker.
The unprecedented deal is considered to be a major marketing push and a major comeback for the rental company after recently filing for bankruptcy.
“Both companies are going to benefit from this in ways that no one else has imagined,” said Ivan Drury, a senior manager at the automotive information company, Edmunds.
Mark Fields, the interim CEO of Hertz and former CEO of Ford said: “Electric vehicles are now mainstream, and we’ve only just begun to see rising global demand and interest.
“The new Hertz is going to lead the way as a mobility company, starting with the largest EV rental fleet in North America and a commitment to grow our EV fleet.”
As concerns over pollution and climate change heighten worldwide, battery-powered vehicles have seen a major increase in demand as companies and governments mull transitioning to more eco-friendly alternatives to gas and diesel.
This is hoped to reduce the adverse impact of human-caused climate change.
Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Cox Automotive, believes Hertz’s deal could actually accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles as it offers a glimpse into the technology to more people.
“It exposes more consumers to EVs [electric vehicles] and Tesla specifically,” she says. “We know there’s reluctance by people to buy EVs because they have range anxiety … and this is an opportunity for them to get experience with EVs and with Tesla specifically.”
Customers are more likely to buy electric cars once they’ve actually driven one, she said.
The Tesla Model 3 is currently listed at around $40,000 on the manufacturer’s website.
Hertz said its Teslas will be available for rent as soon as next month at airports in major US markets and in some European cities.
“The cars will first be available in USA and European markets and will reach the Gulf region in a later stage,” a source at Hertz told Doha News on Tuesday.


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Instacart, the grocery-delivery company, announced on Monday that it has priced its initial public offering (IPO) at $30 per share. This falls at the top end of the expected range of $28 to $30 per share. With this pricing, Instacart will become the first notable venture-backed tech IPO in the U.S. since December 2021. The company will be listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbol “CART.”
However, Instacart has taken a significant valuation haircut, as the company’s worth has declined from a peak of $39 billion in 2021 to the current valuation of $10 billion. This drop in valuation can be attributed to the shift in investor sentiment towards less risk in the market.
Instacart, founded 11 years ago, has gained popularity during the pandemic by delivering groceries from major chains such as Kroger, Costco, and Wegmans. In order to make its IPO more attractive to public investors, the company had to dramatically reduce its stock price. Earlier this year, Instacart raised funds at a valuation of $39 billion, but has now priced its IPO much lower to generate interest in the public market.
The tech IPO market has been sluggish due to inflationary pressures and rising interest rates, which have led to a decrease in the prices of internet and software stocks. Therefore, the performance of Instacart’s IPO, along with other upcoming tech IPOs like Klaviyo, will be crucial in determining the appetite for billion-dollar-plus companies in the market.
Instacart has shifted its focus from growth to profitability and has been able to generate earnings. Although revenue growth has slowed down, with a 15% increase in the second quarter of 2022 compared to 40% growth in the same period last year, the company has managed to reduce costs and increase its net income.
Despite competition from the likes of Amazon, Target, and Walmart, Instacart remains a significant player in the grocery delivery space. The company’s largest investor is Sequoia with a fully diluted stake of 15%.
Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are leading the IPO deal for Instacart, which will float only about 8% of its outstanding shares in the offering.
– [Source 1]
– [Source 2]