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Ford to develop 40 new electric, hybrid variants by 2022
Search Driven for vehicles for sale
Ford says it's doubling its investment in electric and hybrid vehicles and plans to introduce 40 new variants by 2022.
Among them: A hybrid version of the F-150 pickup truck that is due out in 2020.
In 2015, Ford pledged to invest $4.5 billion (NZ$6.16 billion) to develop 13 electric and hybrid vehicles by 2020.
At the Detroit auto show Sunday, the company says it's doubling that to $11 billion (NZ$15.06 billion).
It plans to bring out 24 hybrids and 16 electric vehicles by 2022. Ford's global markets chief says many current Ford vehicles, like its best-selling F-150, will get hybrid or electric versions.
"We want to make a statement about the company that we're electrifying our iconic vehicles," Farley says.


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On the 4th of September, China order ICOs to cease.
More than 15 exchanges announced they will closed by the end of the month, thus bitcoins are purchased and being sold through messenger, peer to peer marketplaces or by traders with each other with the price of Bitcoin in China now trading at a discount to overseas exchanges.
Industry is almost impossible to be controlled by Chinese regulators as most of the users are anonymous, consequently they are difficult to truck.
Chinese bitcoin investors, who denied disclosing their personal details, say there is no way to intervene, tend is inevitable.
As result China Trading volumes more than doubled in the week starting from 16.09.2017.

domain: news


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Earlier today we reported that the rumoured layoffs at Activision Blizzard were in fact true, as the company looked to restructure in order to boost profits. That said, we now have the earnings report for Q4 2018 that we were all waiting on, detailing figures for the quarter ending on December 31 last year, and despite high numbers, these are still below the expectations of the company.
Net revenues sit at $2.38 billion USD, for example, marking an increase from $2.04 billion year-on-year, with digital net revenues also increasing from $1.43 billion to $1.73 billion in the same period.
When looking at net bookings though, this increase from $2.64 billion to $2.84 billion was below the company's expectations, with the net bookings for the year as a whole sitting at $7.26 billion as well, again sitting below expectations despite being an increase on the $7.16 billion for 2017.
Elsewhere at the year's end net revenues increased from $7.02 billion to $7.5 billion year-on-year, while digital revenues increased from $5.48 billion to $5.79 billion in the same period.
In short, these aren't bad numbers and don't represent a sinking ship by any stretch of the imagination, but with the layoffs and recent drops in share value (something other companies like EA are experiencing too), it's not entirely surprising to see Activision Blizzard restructuring. After all, they are assigning 20% more developers to key titles like Overwatch and Call of Duty throughout the year.
Bobby Kotick, Chief Executive Officer of Activision Blizzard, said that "while our financial results for 2018 were the best in our history, we didn't realize our full potential. To help us reach our full potential, we have made a number of important leadership changes. These changes should enable us to achieve the many opportunities our industry affords us, especially with our powerful owned franchises, our strong commercial capabilities, our direct digital connections to hundreds of millions of players, and our extraordinarily talented employees."
Is restructuring the right move for the company?
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Issue 51 | January 2020
In association with
Should governments introduce eco-taxes, or could so-called 'powerfuels' pave the way to a cleaner aviation industry?
A need for speed
With industry bodies calling for new standards on supersonic aircraft, what might their impact be in the future?
no documents required
IATA is developing an identity management solution that could eliminate paper-based travel documents forever
keeping passengers happy
A new study has found that customer satisfaction has stalled across many North American airports. But why?
How are flight crew affected by constantly changing time zones, and what can airlines do to help?
home baggage collection
Will consumers increasingly use home baggage pickup and delivery services?
Q&A: airport efficiency
We speak to thyssenkrupp Access Solutions CEO Mauro Carneiro about how airports can optimise their operations
start-ups to watch in 2020
From blockchain-based passenger verification to airport navigation, which seedling companies could thrive this year?
Boosting runway capacity
What are staggered threshold approach procedures, and how can they help air traffic controllers use runways more effectively?


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Survey: Business Owners Worry
Over 71 percent of Billings business owners are at least somewhat concerned about the welfare of their businesses this winter according to a survey conducted by the Billings Chamber of Commerce.
Almost a fourth are “concerned” to “very concerned” and almost half are “somewhat” concerned about having to close their businesses because of the current COVID-19 restrictions, according to the survey which had 274 responses.
Just under 30 percent said they were not concerned at all.
Current orders issued by Yellowstone County Health Officer John Felton requires all businesses to operate at 50 percent capacity, opening no earlier than 4 am and closing by 10 pm. The mandate reduced capacity level from 75 percent, and for many businesses 50 percent capacity isn’t enough to sustain the business and is basically a requirement to close. The order pertains to all places of assembly, retail stores, bars, casinos, churches, gym, and salon.
Exceptions include healthcare organizations and pharmacies. Restaurants may provide takeout and drive-through food after 10 p.m.
Felton is limiting all indoor and outdoor gatherings to 25 people.
His orders are for the most part the same as those issued by Gov. Steve Bullock a few days earlier.


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Wall Street brokerages expect Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT – Get Rating) to report sales of $977.68 million for the current quarter, according to Zacks. Nine analysts have provided estimates for Brinker International’s earnings, with the highest sales estimate coming in at $1.00 billion and the lowest estimate coming in at $955.02 million. Brinker International reported sales of $828.40 million in the same quarter last year, which indicates a positive year over year growth rate of 18%. The company is expected to report its next earnings results on Monday, January 1st.
According to Zacks, analysts expect that Brinker International will report full-year sales of $3.79 billion for the current fiscal year, with estimates ranging from $3.78 billion to $3.82 billion. For the next year, analysts expect that the firm will post sales of $4.03 billion, with estimates ranging from $3.93 billion to $4.15 billion. Zacks Investment Research’s sales calculations are a mean average based on a survey of research firms that that provide coverage for Brinker International.
Brinker International (NYSE:EAT – Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 2nd. The restaurant operator reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.21. Brinker International had a net margin of 4.11% and a negative return on equity of 48.95%. The company had revenue of $925.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $924.24 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.35 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 21.7% on a year-over-year basis.
In other Brinker International news, CFO Joseph G. Taylor sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.94, for a total transaction of $214,700.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.72, for a total transaction of $42,720.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 31,603 shares of company stock valued at $1,257,955 over the last three months. 4.21% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at about $51,000. CoreFirst Bank & Trust increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 100.3% in the 3rd quarter. CoreFirst Bank & Trust now owns 1,320 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 661 shares during the period. WASHINGTON TRUST Co acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at about $86,000. Finally, First National Bank of South Miami acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at about $124,000. 94.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
EAT traded up $1.48 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $37.68. 15,576 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,158,974. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.68 billion, a PE ratio of 11.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 2.47. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $37.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $38.96. Brinker International has a 1-year low of $30.20 and a 1-year high of $71.78.
Brinker International Company Profile (Get Rating)
Brinker International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership, development, operation, and franchising of casual dining restaurants in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Chili's and Maggiano's. As of June 30, 2021, it owned, operated, or franchised 1,648 restaurants comprising 1,594 restaurants under the Chili's Grill & Bar name and 54 restaurants under the Maggiano's Little Italy brand name.
- Get a free copy of the StockNews.com research report on Brinker International (EAT)
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STEPHEN Metcalfe, local MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, rose in the House of Commons today to stand up for constituents who have been defrauded by the horse meat scandal.
Mr Metcalfe’s comments come in the midst of great controversy surrounding the sale of ‘beef’ products which have been found to contain substantial amounts of horse meat. Supermarkets Tesco’s, Co-op, Lidl, Aldi have all stocked horse meat products while Findus beef lasagne was also found to a prime culprit.
The local MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock said to the Minister of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, David Heath MP: “Families in Basildon and Thurrock have been defrauded in the food that they have bought. Does the Minister share my anger that the retailers have allowed that to happen?”
To which the Minister responded: “We should all be outraged that people have been given meat that is not as described on the packet. The Government stand four-square with the consumer who goes into the shop and buys the product, and say, “This will not do.”
“It is unacceptable and those who have allowed it to happen, whether through insufficient checking or criminal activity, must be brought to book.”
Mr Metcalfe commented: “Whilst I must stress that there is no human health risk to this scandal, it is simply unacceptable that the people of South Basildon and East Thurrock have been so grossly mislead.”
“I welcome the Governments staunch position on this issue and hope that the perpetrators of this crime feel the full force of the law.”


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Greek Islands Voted World's Best
- by XpatAthens
- Tuesday, 15 September 2015
The Greek islands were announced as this year’s best in the world at the annual Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards held in London.
For the 18th year, the readers of the luxury travel magazine voted for their most favorite travel companies, airlines, destinations, spas and hotels worldwide.
The Greek islands received the votes of Condé Nast Traveller readers and ranked first in the “Favorite Islands” category.
“The islands of Greece, as a tourist destination, won yet another international award”, the Greek Tourism Ministry said in an announcement.
To read Conde Nast's top 20 world islands, please visit: Greek Travel Pages


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- Thousands sign petition calling for Bicester Village to close after larger crowds gather outside stores prompting worker safety concerns.
- Laura Wicks, who started the petition, wrote online that she was "disgusted to see the hundreds of people squashed into the street like Coronavirus never happened."
- The company behind the shopping complex outlined its new shopping protocols online. These include having your temperature taken on arrival, standing two-meters apart from other guests, and putting a limit on the number of people allowed in a store at any one time.
- It is not clear how these are being enforced, however.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Thousands of people have signed a petition calling for Bicester Village, the UK's well-known luxury shopping village, to close after crowds of shoppers gathered outside stores on Monday putting workers at risk, it said.
At the time of writing, nearly 4,500 people had signed the petition.
Bicester Village, which is home to over 160 brands including Gucci, Balenciaga, Versace, and Valentino, is a luxury shopper center where customers can buy discounted designer clothing and accessories that are usually from the previous season. The complex was able to reopen on Monday as per UK government guidelines after being closed for several months during the lockdown.
Laura Wicks, who started the petition, wrote online that she was "disgusted to see the hundreds of people squashed into the street like Coronavirus never happened."
"As a nation we are all still under the 2 metre guidelines and as a company, Bicester Village have a responsibility to keep its staff safe," she said. "It is horrendous that the people who work there are being forced into an unsafe environment when so many of them have family at home. SHUT THE VILLAGE UNTIL THEY HAVE A SOLUTION TO KEEP THEIR STAFF SAFE OR THE GUIDELINES CHANGE," she said.
Photos shared on social media show large crowds gathered outside stores with customers not adhering to the UK's government's two-meter social distancing rules, which stores are required to enforce.
Business Insider reached out to Value Retail, the company that runs Bicester Village, for comment but did not immediately hear back.
On its website, Value Retail clearly outlines its new shopping protocols, however. These include having your temperature taken on arrival, standing two-meters apart from other guests, and putting a limit on the number of people allowed in a store at any one time.
Two-meter floor markers have been placed inside and outside of the boutiques to show people where to stand, it said. In addition, it said that it would be monitoring the number of guests in the shopping complex at any one time.
"We may ask guests to wait outside the Village for a short moment in the interests of everyone's safety and well being. We expect to be able to manage this guest flow as fluidly as possible," it said.
Bicester Village opened in 1995 and has quickly become one of the most popular tourist attractions in England, reportedly becoming the second most-visited destination by Chinese tourists there.
Despite its name, it doesn't actually look anything like an English village. In fact, the immaculate rows of clapboard houses and manicured flower beds look more like something you'd see on the east coast of America.


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5 Stocks To Watch: July 29, 2020
July 29, 2020: In yesterday’s stocks to watch we picked out F5 Networks, Inc. (FFIV) after they reported positive Q3 results. However, FFIV dropped by 8.8-percent over the day’s trading, falling from $151.28 to $137.98.
The big question, were we wrong?
According to Benzinga: “With questionable short-term performance like this, and great long-term performance, long-term shareholders might want to start looking into the company’s price-to-earnings ratio. The stock is currently higher from its 52 week low by 76.59%. Assuming that all other factors are held constant, this could present itself as an opportunity for investors trying to diversify their portfolio with Software.”
Consider F5 Networks, Inc. (FFIV) as one of our stocks to watch long-term.
Another stock that caught our eye yesterday and that continues to look strong during today’s pre-market session is Eastman Kodak Company (KODK).
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the company landed a $765-million U.S. loan to manufacture drugs under the Defense Production Act. This news sent shares from $2.62 on Monday to $8.07 during today’s pre-market session.
KODK remains one of the stocks to watch today, and here are five others definitely worth keeping an eye on:
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) – $67.61
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) reported better-than-expected second-quarter revenue and earnings per share on Tuesday. Reporting revenue at $1.93-billion, and EPS at $0.18 each. In the report, AMD also issued a third-quarter sales guidance update which was above analyst estimates.
The positive report and Q3 forecast have created a bullish market, with after-hours trading seeing a 10.3-percent climb. AMD is definitely one of our stocks to watch today.
Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) – $76.46
Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) announced their third-quarter earnings on Tuesday and they were better-than-expected. Q3 revenue was reported at $4.22-billion, $162-million above estimate. Q3 EPS was reported at a loss of $0.46, $0.13 better than the estimate. The corporation also raised its guidance for the 2020 financial year. In after-hours trading, SBUX climbed by 5.7-percent.
We picked out Starbucks on Tuesday and we have done so again because it remains one of the stocks to watch.
PayPal Holdings (PYPL) – $176.27
PayPal Holdings (PYPL) will announce their second-quarter earnings today after the closing bell. Estimates put revenue at $4.95-billion, and earnings per share at $0.86 each. Shares rose during after-hours trading by 0.6-percent. Sentiment towards PYPL is 77.5-percent positive and not far from being bullish. So this is definitely one to keep an eye on.
QUALCOMM, Inc. (QCOM) – $91.45
QUALCOMM, Inc. (QCOM) will announce their third-quarter earnings today after the closing bell. The estimate has revenue for Q3 at $4.81-billion and earnings per share at $0.71 each. In after-hours trading, QCOM gained 1-percent and anyone looking at the trend since mid-March 2020, will see its value grow from $60.91 to $92.70. QCOM is definitely worth watching.
Seagate Technology PLC (STX) – $48.57
Last up today on our stocks to watch list is Seagate Technology PLC (STX). The major supplier of hard disk drives reported weaker-than-expected revenue and EPS during its fourth-quarter report yesterday. Q4 revenue was $2.52-billion, below estimate by $93-million. Q4 earnings per share were $1.20, below estimate by $0.09. During after-hours trading, STX dropped by 8.4-percent to $44.50.
Seagate Technology PLC (STX) makes our stocks to watch list because its value could head down further during today’s trading creating an interesting opportunity for investors.


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RiKarbon founder Basu Saha (middle), shown here with colleagues Bryan Feyock (right) and Chinmay Pawar, is among the tech-focused small business owners that have been helped by the Delaware Small Business Development Center (SBDC), which was recently recognized for its work by the U.S. Small Business Association.
Small Business Development Center recognized for tech-based business support
The Delaware Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has been helping Delaware’s technology-based businesses grow and thrive since 1984.
In that time, SBDC, a unit of the University of Delaware’s Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships (OEIP), has helped the First State’s research and small business community start more than 1,500 new businesses and create more than 5,000 jobs, and since 2010, raise over $300 million in capital. Over the last two years, SBDC has served over 2,300 clients, more than 50% of which were minority-, female- or veteran-operated businesses.
For these and other efforts to help grow Delaware’s economy, the U.S. Small Business Administration has awarded SBDC the 2020 Tibbitts Award.
Given annually, the award recognizes Delaware SBDC as a “model of excellence” that has made substantial contributions to the nation’s economy and society through its support of small businesses and companies with a focus on innovative research and technology transfer.
The award is named after Roland Tibbetts, who was instrumental in developing the SBA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which was initiated over 38 years ago.
“The Delaware SBDC has a long tradition of integrating technology with the small business community. The Tibbetts award is a well-deserved recognition of their success,” said John F. Fleming, district director of the U.S. Small Business Association’s Delaware District Office.
A pivotal role in small business success
SBDC is the only statewide, nationally accredited program that provides one-on-one consulting, training and information resources for innovators, startups and new and scaling businesses. A public/private partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the State of Delaware and the University of Delaware, the SBDC also is designated by the SBA as a first responder to assist with disaster relief efforts during economic crises and natural disasters.
“This award recognizes some of the great work the Small Business Development Center has been doing to support entrepreneurs in Delaware,” said Damian DeStefano, director of the Delaware Division of Small Business. “Congratulations to Mike Bowman and the whole team. The small business landscape in Delaware is made stronger by their work, and we are happy to call them partners.”
The unit has been particularly successful in helping Delaware’s entrepreneurial and technology businesses apply for and secure funding from the U.S. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Since 2016, 88% of all federal SBIR technology grant funds awarded in the state of Delaware have gone to current or previous SBDC clients.
SBIR/STTR technology funding is non-dilutive, meaning that the federal government provides the funding to small businesses developing groundbreaking, high-risk technologies while taking no equity.
“It is a crucial funding mechanism that can seed early stage innovations and fuel commercialization opportunities, ultimately advancing the global competitiveness of Delaware’s entrepreneurial and technology ecosystems,” said Michael Bowman, state director for SBDC and associate director of OEIP.RiKarbon, Inc. is a next generation technology company that grew out of UD research. Researchers at RiKarbon are working to engineer bio-based sustainable oil substitutes for petroleum-based resources used in everything from cosmetics to lubricants for shipping, agriculture and food processing.
According to Basu Saha, RiKarbon’s founder, working with the SBDC team has been transformational.
Saha credited SBDC with providing guidance on everything from business-strategy to initial market research to advice on developing the company’s logo and initial website design. Additionally, Saha said support from Louis DiNetta, an SBDC technology business development manager, was pivotal in the early stage startup’s successful application for federal funding.
“Lou’s assistance and advice on funding logistics, proposal strategy, proposal feedback and budgeting guidance in applying for funding from SBIR/STTR programs was critically important,” Saha said. “He was particularly knowledgeable about regulations related to government investment to small companies.”
Securing SBIR funding (phase I and phase II) allowed RiKarbon to grow and secure space at the Delaware Technology Park incubator located on UD’s Science, Technology and Advanced Research Campus (STAR) Campus, so the company could scale its research and business model, Saha said. The company is formulating its first renewable-oil lubricant product for environmentally regulated applications in industrial and household products. The company’s initial cosmetic oil recently passed toxicity assessment, formulation compatibility and efficacy profiles. RiKarbon is currently forming strategic partnerships with commercial manufacturing capability to bring these products to consumers, including working with a top global partner. The company is planning a pilot-scale of its first product in the first quarter of 2021.
In a new thrust, RiKarbon is developing technologies for producing well-defined plastics-waste feedstock for chemical upcycling, through a separate SBIR grant. Saha said he still meets periodically with SBDC advisors to discuss strategic business and product advisory services, including investment.
SBDC also co-manages the OEIP Spin In, a novel entrepreneurial program that partners entrepreneurs developing early-stage innovations with teams of UD students. The program’s interactive nature helps students gain critical understanding of business demands and technical skills to further develop innovations and move them down the commercialization pathway, all while learning to collaborate in teams.
(featured on UDaily, 01/28/2021)


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Let’s face it: everyone loves coffee and (particularly) donuts. So why not celebrate the opening of a new coffee shop in downtown Wilmington?
That was certainly the view of the throngs who came out to cheer on the arrival of the grandaddy of them all, the newly branded “Dunkin,” which opened its doors today at 701 Market Street, complete with Mayorial ribbon cutting, prizes, charity donations and, naturally, 99 cent coffee all day long.
Dunkin’ joins a robust lineup of coffee titans on Market Street that includes legendary local favorites LOMA Coffee and Brew Ha Ha, and Starbucks literally right next door.
This is the first retail Dunkin’ to open in the city other than three which serve limited audiences in downtown office buildings (Carvel, Hercules Plaza, Court House). The new Dunkin’ is located in a refurbished historic building at Seventh and Market streets and is owned by Bhupen and Falguni Patel of Chadds Ford, who also own eight other Dunkin’s in Pennsylvania.
“There has been a void for Dunkin’ Donuts in this area, and we have been waiting for an opportunity in downtown Wilmington long time,” said Bhupen Patel. “We believe that Wilmington is on the rise. The city or expecting 5,000 more residents in the city in the next year. So when we got this opportunity we decided to take it.”
The new Dunkin’ will be open seven days a week and will also offer free WiFi.
Patel says the space, which is caddie corner from Bardea, was vacant for the last seven years but prior to that was a shoe store. Dunkin’ representatives at the ribbon cutting said that because of the historic nature of the building, approvals for the signage were slow. So slow that the original sign erected on the facility said Dunkin Donuts, which the owner recently decided to replace with Dunkin’ to be consistent with the newest branding by the company.
In their first philanthropic gesture, the Patels generously donated $1,000 today to the Wilmington Library, which is located on Market Street at Rodney Square. They also had raffle drawings for an iPad and a new bike. “The city held an event about a month ago bringing lots of the business and nonprofit leaders together, and that’s when I met the Patels,” said Jamar Rahming, executive director of Wilmington Public Library. “Their generosity today is really amazing,” he said.
When TSD asked what the Library might do with the $1,000, Rahming said, “Food keeps people happy. We will probably use this money to regularly buy donuts for the staff!”
Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki said, “This means a lot that they’re investing in the city. And even though there’s a Starbucks right next door, there’s room for everyone. There are some folks who are crazy about coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts,” he said.


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AT&T has agreed to pay nearly $7.8 million to settle government allegations that the phone giant allowed scammers to charge some customers about $9 a month for a fake directory assistance service.
The settlement, announced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in August, is the latest action against the “cramming” scam. Cramming is when a third party bills you for unauthorized charges. Scam artists take advantage of complex telecom bills to hide fraudulent charges–usually less than $10 a month–among the other legitimate fees you receive on a monthly basis.
In the last five years, the FCC has taken more than 30 enforcement actions against phone carriers for cramming and unauthorized carrier switches. In this case, the FCC says AT&T received a fee from companies that added the charges to customer bills but never provided the services they promised.
Under the settlement, AT&T has agreed to cease billing for nearly all third-party products and services and it is required to obtain express consent from customers before allowing third-party charges on their phone bills.
AT&T will issue refunds, totaling almost $7 million, to current and former customers who were charged the fee since 2012. AT&T also agreed to pay a $950,000 fine to the government.
The company is working on a plan to distribute the refunds to customers who received the unauthorized third-party charges, according to an FCC statement.
This isn’t the first time AT&T has been in hot water with the FCC. In 2014, the company agreed to pay $105 million in fines and refunds to current and former customers for unauthorized third-party subscriptions and premium text messaging services as part of a global cramming settlement with the FCC.


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As the holiday season tailed off, 9-year-old Fort Thomas resident Jacob Violand came up with a “pawfect” way to spend Christmas money given to him by donating it to a no-kill animal shelter.
Violand donated $85 and four bags of items he purchased at a pet store including food, toys and treats with a $50 gift card to the The Pet Castle Animal Rescue in Florence the week after Christmas.
“There wasn’t anything that I really wanted to buy, and I just love animals,” he said.
Violand said he plans to donate money to help animals at least a few more times.
“It really makes me feel good about myself, and I think I made a difference,” he said.
The family has a yellow Labrador retriever, two cats, and a guinea pig, and all of them are from rescues, said Jacob’s mother Ellen Violand.
Jacob talks about wanting to become a veterinarian, and he’s always asking to bring another one home, but they have enough, she said.
He wasn’t prompted to donate the money, but his decision brought proud tears to her eyes, Ellen said.
“I’m just absolutely blown away that he came up with this on his own and just completely proud of him,” she said
Ellen said she even asked Jacob if he wanted to keep a small portion of the money for himself, and he declined, and said he wanted it all to go to animals.
After talking it over, they decided to search for a no-kill shelter, and when they took the money and four bags of donations to the Pet Castle, the staff talked to Jacob about how it will help prevent animals from being euthanized, she said.
“I think because he’s always grown up with animals in our house that he’s just very attached to animals,” she said. He has a lot of compassion to animals, and he just wanted to help out.”
Posted in: Catch a Star
Tags: Fort Thomas


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Watch VideoPlay Video
China's Finance Minister says the country will continue its proactive fiscal policy in the second half of this year, to speed up its ongoing economic restructuring.
Xie Xuren says local authorities should give more attention to quickening the pace of economic restructuring. He also says China will continue its efforts to boost domestic demand, especially consumption. He lists continuous financial support for agricultural production, technological innovation and energy saving, and emission cutting projects as being key to development.
China's fiscal revenue rose nearly 30 percent year on year in the first half of this year, and the total volume of social retail also shared the upward trend.


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Every year auto companies unveil new features on minivans attempting to one-up the competition. When Chrysler came out with a...
Ford's engineer and design teams have partnered for a unique one-off U.S.
Read This Article
The reverberations from Ford’s decision to abandon the mid-size truck market are beginning to be felt.
Sure, Ford's Sync lets drivers and passengers control their cars with voice commands.
Great news for the American laborer: Ford Motor Company is hiring.


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Local semi-industrial fishermen can gradually go back out to sea as export routes become available from June 1 when the Seychelles’ international airport resumed commercial activities.
The interim chief executive of the Seychelles Fisheries Authority (SFA), Cyril Bonnelame, said the authority is working with fishermen and exporters to help them find a market for their fish.
“We need to bear in mind that we will have limitations on what we can export. Some countries in Europe have started to reopen their borders and we are working closely with them to see how we can proceed with exporting our fish,” said Bonnelame.
Semi-industrial fishing targets swordfish, tuna and tuna-like species mostly within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean.
Bonnelame said that the authority is also looking at the price of freight, which has gone up, thus making the price of fish from Seychelles non-competitive in big international markets.
Since a travel ban was imposed to and out of Seychelles in March, some fishermen have been fishing and some not. Those who are doing so were able to have an arrangement with factory owners to sell their catch.
Bonnelame said the authority is working with fishermen and exporters to help them find a market for their fish. (Salifa Karapetyan) Photo License: CC-BY
The semi-industrial sector comprises of the monofilament longline fishery operating around the Mahe plateaux. On average these vessels remain at sea for 10 days, preserving their catch on ice.
According to the SFA, there are around 30 vessels that are involved in semi-industrial fishing in the island nation.
A boat owner, Gino Lespoir, told the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) recently that for two months now he has not been able to go fishing as there was no outlet to sell his catch.
“The factories were not buying our catch as they were not able to export it due to restriction measures as well as because they were finding it hard to get an outlet also,” said Lespoir.
However, Lespoir hopes that with the reopening of the airport “we would have some flights, and things would perhaps go back a little to normal so that those involved in semi-industrial fishing can survive.”
Normally the majority of the catches were sold mostly to hotels and restaurants while some species were exported.
Another boat owner, Gaetan Payet, said that “we have been told that we have a limit of 120 fish that we can catch per trip, but we do not have control over this. Last week my boat docked with 200 fishes, and the factories bought them all.”
Muditha Gunatilake, the owner of Marlu Seychelles, a fish exporter, said his company was depending a lot on flights by Etihad and Qatar Airways.
“Suddenly when the flights stopped we were not able to go fishing anymore as we could not export our fish. Then those countries importing our fish were affected as well and we saw many restaurants and hotels closing down,” he added.
Gunatilake said his company is competing in terms of price on the global market and there are alternatives for export but the price for cargo is too high.
Marlu Seychelles started its operations in February and is exporting fish to Italy, Spain and UK, the United States and Holland.
Source: Seychelles News Agency


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A post-pandemic clothing purge begins
Alina Clark is about as tired of her pandemic wardrobe as her comfort clothes are stretched and torn.
“I have four sets of jeans, seven shirts and five sweaters that I wear every week,” said Clark, co-founder of a software development company in Los Angeles. “They’re everything I’ve worn in the last two years. Me and my wardrobe are suffering from COVID fatigue.”
A wardrobe purge is on for some as vaccinations have taken hold, restrictions have lifted, and offices reopen or finalize plans to do so. The primary beneficiaries: resale sites online and brick-and-mortar donation spots, continuing a trend that’s been building for the last several years.


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This year marks the 20th anniversary since the first NBA […]
2K Sports already announced that Shaq will be the cover […]
He ain’t fraid of no curse!
It seems the format of Netflix is really taking over […]
This post is for all of our die hard Xbox […]
Now only if I waited a couple more months.
Halo is one of the biggest game series in the […]
I am very excited about the upcoming NBA 2K16 game.
I have been waiting for this game for as while.
Yesterday at E3 XBOX made some major announcements.


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IBM Jumps Aboard Blog Bandwagon
For those who chastised IBM for a lack of blogging tools and strategy, the company has posted a free download of its new Workplace-labeled blogging tools on alphaWorks.
The Weblog Preview promises application templates as well as integrated search, preview capability, rich text editing, comments, archiving, and permalinks, IBM said Tuesday.
The software will support both Atom and RSS syndication feed formats, IBM said. The tool will surface commercially next month in Workplace Designer 2.5, according to an IBM spokeswoman. Workplace Designer, the promised Eclipse-based IDE, will feature a full blogging component.
While IBMers like Ed Brill have long blogged—-the company claims 2,800 weblogs--IBM had not articulated a clear blogging product strategy per se.
Analyst Dana Gardner, who had been critical of IBM's blogging status till now, is encouraged. "This is a big step for IBM as well as for blogging and RSS delivery of collaborative content in general," said Gardner, principal analyst with Interarbor Solutions, Gilford, N.H.
"While blogging may be viewed by the public as a hobbyist's plaything, it is serious fro business productivity and IBM-like Apple, Yahoo, Google and Microsoft is on the bandwagon," he noted.
Late last year, software rival Microsoft started testing MSN blogging tools and more recently unveiled its RSS strategy.
On the Notes/Domino part of the house, IBM cites an open source Blogsphere project for those developers.
But both IBM and Microsoft are playing catch up in this game, observers say. Google has already stolen many hearts and minds with its free tools and that lead may be hard to beat, even some Microsoft partners say.
Asked recently if Microsoft should still be looking over its shoulder at the open source world and IBM, a long-time Microsoft Gold-certified partner shrugged and pointed out what he thought was the real threat.
Google, which earned street cred with its hugely popular Internet search and now desktop search tool despite the billions Microsoft has poured into both projects, is the real issue, said Paul Barter, vice president of sales and marketing at T4G, Toronto. "If you talk to a 25 year old, they have a gmail account, not an MSN account and if they blog, they're using Google tools," he said.
Bill Puts Spotlight Back On Data Theft
Several prominent U.S. Senators, including the leaders of the Commerce Committee, have introduced another bill that takes on the growing online menace of identity and data theft.
E-Greetings Pose Security Risk
Cyber criminals are increasingly using e-greetings to lure consumers into clicking on links that download malicious code into their computers, a security expert said Tuesday.
Blinkx Launches RSS Video, Audio Feeds
Multimedia search engine Blinkx on Tuesday launched a service that lets people choose and receive updates on audio and video content on the web.
Product-Search Engine Become.com Adds Comparison Shopping
Startup Become Inc. on Tuesday added comparison-shopping to its online product search service.
Yahoo Revenues, Profits Soar
Yahoo Inc. on Tuesday reported a surge in revenues and profits in the second quarter, as the entertainment portal increased ad sales and revenue from paid services.
RFID Beyond The Supply Chain
Radio-frequency identification technology is often thought of in a supply-chain context, with tags marking the movement of key goods from their suppliers to a major manufacturing or retailing site. Michael Stonebraker, the database guru and now chief technology officer at startup StreamBase Systems Inc., says RFID tags will serve many other purposes as well.
VoIP Market Projected To Hit $4 Billion
The North American voice over IP (VoIP) is on the brink of a phenomenal growth spurt over the next six years, driven by the pervasiveness of broadband Internet access and the availability of low-cost VoIP services, according to Frost & Sulllivan.
Vonage Offers Cordless VoIP Handset
VoIP provider Vonage has unveiled a cordless telephone that plugs directly into customers’ broadband connections or existing routers, facilitating the setup and usage of the firms' Internet calling service.
FTC Sues Seven Companies Over Porn Spam
The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday said it has filed lawsuits against seven companies for allegedly sending X-rated spam without the required warning meant to protect children and consumers from unwanted pornography.
Firefox 1.0.6 Release Fixes Flaws
The Mozilla Foundation late Tuesday updated both its Firefox browser and Thunderbird e-mail client for the second time in eight days to fix flaws that popped in last week's refreshes.


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Business Standard: March 19, 2014
At a time when Swedish furniture major IKEA is planning to roll out its stores in India, online retailers are becoming increasingly active in this segment.
German Rocket Internet-sponsored FabFurnish and Norwest Venture Partners-funded Pepperfry are among those who have entered the furniture segment. From Maharaja beds to wardrobes, these websites allow one to buy all furniture online.
It is expected leading e-commerce player Flipkart will step into the furniture category later this year.
The Indian home and furnishing market is pegged at about $20 billion (Rs 1.2 lakh crore), of which the furniture segment accounts for about half. As about 90 per cent of the market is unorganised, it is an attractive avenue for online players.
Also, margins stand at 10-25 per cent, making it competitive and on a par with the apparel space, say industry insiders. In relatively developed markets such as China and Brazil, the share of the home-and-furniture category in the overall e-commerce space is estimated at 15-20 per cent, encouraging numbers for Indian e-tailers.
Business models, products
Started in December 2011, Pepperfry works on a managed marketplace hub-and-spoke model. Most of its sellers are in Delhi, Mumbai, Jodhpur and Bangalore. The website hosts a range of local and international brands, providing designer made-to-order furniture. “Our target audience is the urban middle class aged 26-37 that is setting up homes,” said Ashish Shah, chief operating officer and co-founder of Pepperfry.
Apart from leading furniture brands such as Nilkamal, the website also hosts micro and small manufacturers and direct sellers and works on a zero-inventory model.
FabFurnish’s has a hybrid marketplace model, with both online and offline stores. “We think of offline as an experience, not as a sales point. Online is the way to reach the masses in every part of the country. Offline will also be an integral part of our aspirations to build customer trust,” said Vikram Chopra, co-founder of FabFurnish. The company hosts international kitchen brands such as Lodge, Stoelze, Alfi, Narumi, Noritake, WMS, HI and Nachtmann. Furnishing brands such as Espirit, Santas and Spread are also sold through its website.
Most companies in the furniture category promise delivery between three and 20 days. About 90 per cent of the orders are prepaid; for orders of more than Rs 10,000 (on an average), one cannot avail of cash-on-delivery.
As the delivery mechanism is stretched (first, products are brought from vendors to the warehouse; subsequently, these are transported to consumers, often through third party suppliers), ensuring products aren’t damaged becomes a challenge, says FabFurnish’s Chopra.
Pepperfry’s Shah says, “In the top seven cities from where we get about 70 per cent ofour orders, we have our own branded trucks. We send orders to these cities through a network of local suppliers and transporters.”
Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and NICCT is not responsible for any errors in the same.


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Handling cash is the bread and butter of convenience store operations, and the latest systems developed to make that process faster and safer do just that.
But not all quarters of the industry have been quick to embrace them by any means. For many operators, changes still lie in the future, and time-honored standard practices must suffice. For them, 2012 will see lots of training to ground employees in best practices and procedures.
Amir Wurzel, chief information officer for Dallas-based Southwest Convenience Stores, the largest licensee of 7-Eleven in the U.S. with more than 300 convenience stores in Texas and New Mexico, said he would like to see cash management practices advance to the next level at his company.
“We don’t do anything special today in our stores other than using the existing functionality of the point-of-sale (POS) system,” Wurzel said. Store safes are high quality, he added, but still not integrated into the POS.
The ability to dispense bulk coins and notes is a plus for employees and for the operator who needs to keep close track. Smart safes typically offer this feature. Another feature of smart safe systems that many operators are eager to add is one that allows check cashing, but eliminates the need to keep hundreds of additional dollars sitting inside the cash drawer. The same reason can be applied to lottery payments, which in many states must be given to consumers, at least in part, on the spot. Keeping money in the till for these occasions makes the store more vulnerable to theft.
For now, Southwest store managers handle cash the old-fashioned way—they are responsible for making all cash deposits to their local bank branches. Safes are kept under the counter, said Wurzel, who does not share the feelings of those who like to put their safes on display in the hopes of dissuading a criminal element.
“I don’t think it will work because the people who want to get the cash will try to get the cash regardless. Actually, most of the cash loss that we have had in the past was more when store managers took it out of the store, not necessarily a robbery within the store.”
Keeping employees safe around the clock while handling cash involves a combination of factors, noted Pat Zelechoski, pricebook and category manager for NOCO Express in Tonawanda, N.Y., which operates 32 c-stores.“For one thing, cashiers have a certain amount that they are allowed to keep in the register, and they’re not allowed to go over that amount. We carefully restrict them,” she explained.
As far as the safes go, NOCO uses a pair of safes, top and bottom. “In the bottom safe they can have coins that they can use throughout their shift,” Zelechoski said. “But if they need to get into the bottom safe they can open it up and get larger bills that the cashier is responsible for.”
Dealing with Retail Theft
The estimated amount of theft and loss experienced by retailers annually is staggering, according to the National Retail Federation. Retailers collectively lose more than $37 billion each year to internal and external theft. An NRF survey of retailers in 2011 found that 89% of retailers reported they had been victimized by organized retail crime within the past year. Nearly 60% reported theft is on the rise. The survey also revealed:
• Retail shrinkage as a percentage of sales in 2010: 1.58%, up from 1.44% in 2009.
• Total retail losses to U.S. retailers in 2010: $37.1 billion, up from $33.5 billion in 2009.
• Source of most retail shrinkage in 2010: employee theft, which accounted for $16.2 billion or 43.7% of total losses.
• Losses due to administrative error: $4.8 billion or 12.9% of shrinkage.


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Study: Sexy ads don't help brand recognition
Plenty of advertisers will tell you that sex sells, but is that long-held belief really true?
Plenty of advertisers will tell you, "sex sells." But is that long-held belief really true?
Whether on TV screens, billboards or in print, the average consumer sees thousands of advertisements every day.
Researchers at the University of Illinois looked at more than three decades worth of advertising studies. They found that sexy advertising is certainly attention-getting, but it may not be all that effective.
"I feel like it takes the attention off the product more so than actually selling the product," said Kelsey Mango of Fort Lauderdale.
Now researchers might agree. A new analysis published in the International Journal of Advertising shows people were more likely to remember those sexy ads, but they were not any more likely to remember the brands or the products they were trying to sell.
Earl Quenzel is a partner with Quenzel & Associates, a marketing agency in Fort Myers. He says the best ads do more than just grab your attention.
"To be effective, an advertising commercial not only must grab your attention, it must generate interest in the product. It must build desire in the consumer to purchase that product, and it must actually call the consumer to action," he explained. "They're using sex for the first part of the equation, which is to grab your interest, but really failing to address an important consumer need."
He says by not meeting those other requirements, sexual advertising isn't likely to translate to sales.
"You have about four seconds for somebody to understand, 'Do I know you? Do I understand what you're talking about? Is it relevant to me? And can I trust you?' And the gratuitous use of sex in ads fails on all those points, and people tune out."
What's more, researchers noted a gender divide in how the ads were viewed. Males tended to like sexual advertising, whereas females had a negative view.
When people did remember the brands associated with sexier advertising, they tended to have a negative view of that brand.
So researchers warn, companies that go for "sexy" could be falling flat in sales and giving themselves bad PR in the process.


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VE Commercial vehicles saw a growth of 157.6% in April. The company had sold 5,525 units in April 2022, up from 2,145 units registered in April 2021.
On Sunday, May 1st 2022, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd., a joint venture between Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, announced a 157.6% increase in overall sales in April 2022. The company sold 5,525 units in April 2022, up from 2,145 units in April 2021.
Eicher registered 4,766 units of its trucks and buses in the domestic market in April 2022, with a growth of 206.5% against 1,555 units in the year-ago period.
The total exports of Eicher trucks and buses stood at 650 units last month, registering a growth of 20.1%.
Are you looking to buy or sell a new truck or a used truck, get a truck loan, Select your truck according to category and other facilities Truck Junction with just one click and download the Truck Junction Mobile Application to know the latest news related to the truck industry.


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The New BusinessMVP
Business Coverage of the top Companies
KIRKLAND, Wash., February 19, 2015 – Truck Enterprises Hagerstown in Maryland was named Kenworth’s Parts and Service Dealer of the Year for the second consecutive year for the United States and Canada, while Worldwide Equipment was selected as Kenworth’s TRP All-Makes Dealer of the Year. The awards were announced at the recent Kenworth Dealer Meeting. […]
KIRKLAND, Wash., February 18, 2015 – MHC Kenworth – Kansas City received Kenworth’s 2014 PACCAR Engine Dealer of the Year award at the recent Kenworth Dealer Meeting in Phoenix. It marked the third time in four years that the dealer took home Kenworth’s highest honor for PACCAR Engine support for the United States and Canada. […]
DENTON, Texas – February 17, 2015 – Peterbilt Motors Company is bringing its best in fuel economy to the TMC Annual Meeting with its aerodynamic flagship Model 579 EPIQ – which includes the PACCAR MX-13 engine – and a separate MX-13 standalone display so attendees can get a closer look at the ground-breaking engine. “The Model […]
KIRKLAND, Wash., February 17, 2015 – For the third time in four years, Rihm Kenworth was named Kenworth’s Medium Duty Dealer of the Year for the United States and Canada. The announcement came at the recent Kenworth Dealer Meeting in Phoenix. “To win the Kenworth Medium Duty Dealer of the Year Award for 2014 – […]
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Medical | May 29 – June 2, 2015 | Chicago’s McCormick Place | The ASCO Annual Meeting brings together more than 25,000 oncology professionals from a broad range of specialties, making it an excellent venue for exploring the theme of the Meeting—”Illumination and Innovation.”
Travel | May 30 – June 3, 2015 | Orange County Convention Center | IPW will have more than 1,100 exhibitor booths held by U.S. Suppliers of USA travel products and destinations and more than 5,000 attendees who are international travel buyers, domestic travel buyers and international journalists representing more than 70 countries.
Retail, Internet | June 2 – 5, 2015 | Chicago’s McCormick Place | The unmatched 250,000 square-foot exhibit hall at IRCE presents more than 600 companies in the e-commerce solutions industry. Representing nearly 90% of the e-commerce solutions market, IRCE’s exhibit hall is the largest display of services and technology found under one roof. An education in itself, vendors cover categories including eCommerce platforms, marketing, social, SEM, fullfilment and merchandising. Find industry leaders and the newest technology around, all at IRCE.
Waste, Recycling | June 2 – 4, 2015 | Las Vegas Convention Center | The verdict is in—attendees and exhibitors alike LOVE going to WasteExpo in the always dazzling Las Vegas. So, join us in 2015 as we bring back the solid waste, recycling and organic’s leading event in full force.
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Hong Kong box throughput soars 26% in February
Hong Kong's container volume surged 26% to 1.44 million Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) in February compared to 1.14 million TEU in the same month last year, according to statistics from the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board.
Most of Hong Kong's volume is from the container terminals at Kwai Tsing that handled 1.14 million container in February, an increase of 16.8% over the same month last year.
Export containers totalled 518,000 TEU, a year-on-year increase of 9.4%. Imports totalled 618,000 TEU, 23.8% higher than in February 2016.
The port of Singapore handled 2.3 million TEU last month, while the world's busiest port, Shanghai, handled 2.65 million container units.
Tag Keyword: Container Volume , Hong Kong Port , Import & Export , Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board


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Bringing Brake-less Solutions For New Founders
Velocity brings fast, flexible and non-dilutive source of capital for founders
A friendship from college soon blossomed into a business partnership. “Me and my co-founders met at IIT-Bombay and also worked together at my previous startup TaskBob. Post TaskBob, I went on to work with SAIF as a venture capital (VC) investor. My time at SAIF made me realize VC money is not always the ideal form of capital for founders. It leads to founder dilution which can be extremely expensive in the long run. I strongly felt the need for a fast, flexible and non-dilutive source of capital for new-age founders. That's what led to the genesis of Velocity,” said Abhiroop Medhekar, CEO and co-founder of Velocity.
“We firmly believe that it should not be so difficult for a healthy online business to get funded. Digital-first businesses will create substantial value in India in the coming years. However, the financing alternatives available to such businesses today are grossly insufficient. We want to build the future of business financing to empower thousands of new-age businesses in India,” he added.
So far, the company has raised a total of $30 million across its Seed and Series A funding. “Both our rounds were led by Peter Thiel's Valar Ventures, a New York-based VC fund that has historically backed leading fintech's across the globe. In addition to equity, we also have debt partnerships with some of India's largest NBFCs that further add to our capital base,” said Medhekar, adding that the company has made more than 250 investments across 175 companies till date.
The market for revenue-based financing has around three-four players at this point. As e-commerce continues to grow rapidly, there is a massive demand for scalable and flexible working capital financing options. “With so many companies getting funded, attracting top talent is a key challenge that we constantly keep solving for. We have been fortunate to be able to build a high quality core team so far. The opportunity to work on futuristic problems combined with our work culture has held us in a good stead so far. There is a lot of change in the market and the best way to invent the future is to let customer satisfaction be your guiding light,” said Medhekar.
Talking about the growth strategy, he said, “We have set our sight high and aim to deploy over INR 1,000 crore towards 1,000-plus e-commerce businesses. We are also launching multiple new products that make the day to day lives for e-commerce entrepreneurs simpler. Our recent product Velocity Insights, which makes it easier for founder's to monitor the pulse of their business on Whatsapp, is a step in this direction.”


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The Russian luxury cell phone firm Caviar has a new member of its Visionaries collection, which pays tribute to highly influential figures in the technology sector, such as Steve Jobs or the founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma. The personality joining the Visionaries collection is none other than Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of companies like Tesla and SpaceX.
Caviar pays tribute to Musk with an iPhone 13 Pro Max that costs $ 6,760, almost six times the price of the most affordable model sold by Apple. The reason? The chassis of the phone is made from the cast parts of a Tesla car.
Of course, in addition to the reused aluminum from the Tesla car, the Musk Edition iPhone 13 Pro Max (whose official name is “Tesla Electro”), part of the case is made of titanium and a small copper plate that highlights the Caviar brand. If you look closely, you see that the back cover is engraved with Musk’s face. Only 99 pieces will be made. We doubt that one of them ends up in the hands of Elon Musk.
But the eccentricity of Caviar doesn’t end there. If any Tesla executive wants to give a gift that is hard to forget (it’s up to you to decide if it’s for good or bad taste), Caviar offers a bust of Elon Musk, also made from the cast aluminum of a Tesla hood and doors. The base, by the way, is marble. The bust is priced at $ 3,220 and only 27 replicas will be made of this piece. It would definitely make a good paperweight.


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Recently, Huawei announced the Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro and Mate 10 Lite, and it has another couple of press events set for November 28 (in China), December 5 (in London), where the Chinese OEM is expected to announce new Android smartphones.
A mysterious handset bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Honor V10 might be the upcoming Huawei Nova 3 with an 18:9 display and a dual camera setup at the back, unless it is the rumoured P11 Plus, as some point out.
Either way, take this with a grain of salt, because it might not even be a Huawei handset after all, as there are no Huawei related markings or logos to indicate the brand or the name of the handset.
This particular phone (seen in these images here) has a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top, a speaker grill and a USB-C port at the bottom, as well as a physical Home button with maybe a finger print sensor embedded in it, right under the 18:9 display. The housing seems that it is made of metal with antenna lines at the top and bottom edges.


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IN SHORT: A job advert circulating on Facebook for East African Breweries Limited (EABL) vacancies is fake, says the brewer.
An advertisement posted on Facebook has announced job vacancies at various East African Breweries Limited (EABL) outlets across Kenya.
East African Breweries is a branded alcoholic drinks company based in Kenya. It also has operations in Uganda and Tanzania.
According to the post, the vacancies include accountants, technical staff, pharmacists, nurses, clerks, drivers and security guards.
Interested candidates should send applications to the email address provided, it says.
EABL, which is controlled by the British multinational Diageo, employs more than 2,000 staff and contractors, according to its annual report for the year ended 30 June 2023. As a listed company and a major employer, working for the brewery is attractive to many.
The ad has also been published here. But is it legitimate? We checked.
Signs the job ad is fake
On its LinkedIn page, EABL said the ad was fake.
“It has come to our attention that a deceptive poster is circulating, falsely promoting non-existent job openings. We urge the public to be vigilant against such schemes,” the company said.
“Please be aware that legitimate employment opportunities are exclusively advertised on our official website at https://lnkd.in/dVWYRhJ9, and we never require any facilitation fees.”
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Click on our guide for the steps you should follow.Publishers guide
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Africa Check is a partner in Meta's third-party fact-checking programme to help stop the spread of false information on social media.
The content we rate as “false” will be downgraded on Facebook and Instagram. This means fewer people will see it.
You can also help identify false information on Facebook. This guide explains how.


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Technology has been quickly evolving into many markets such as clothing, food, health, home, and hotels are certainly no exception. As the industry is disrupted by more privatized options such as AirBnb and VRBO, Bloomberg reports that technology has become “top of mind for hotels,” as they seek to compete by providing amenities and new services for luxury vacationers and business travelers. Many hotels are adopting technology that enables more engaging, customized and immersive guest experience; these systems have become a Trojan Horse for the hotel industry to embrace higher-tech sustainability practices.
Conservation is being increasingly embraced in hospitality, and it’s proving to be important to guests; a survey by Bouteco shows that “the youngest and oldest among us care most about sustainability when choosing a hotel.”
At the lowest level, eco-friendly practices in hotels show up as placards in the rooms asking guests to shower quickly and reuse their towels. But for years, few other resource-saving practices were visible to guests and often only implemented by hotels doing so for economic or brand mission reasons. New technology is constantly enabling hotels to further reduce and manage their consumption while also engaging guests to be active participants. Previously, hotels would have to choose between sustainability or guest amenity initiatives with regards to technology, because the systems had separate function, cost, implementation and ROI. (…)
Makalenin tam metnini http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/cleantech/bill_lally/technology_trojan_horse_hotel_sustainability adresinden okuyabilirsiniz.


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NEW YORK, Nov. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- In an industry first, three leading video advertising networks –YuMe, ScanScout, and BBE – teamed up to produce a comprehensive product launch case study that demonstrates how effective digital video is at driving brand awareness and purchase intent – two critical metrics that matter most to major brands. On August 3, the three networks, in conjunction with digital brand advertising effectiveness firm Vizu and Poptent, the leader in crowd-sourced video production, launched Jerry Leigh of California's HoodieBuddie™ – a patent pending innovation and the first hooded sweatshirt to feature machine washable headphones integrated into the drawstrings and a built-in MP3/iPod connector in the pocket – using no paid advertisements other than digital video.
In the crowded and competitive apparel industry, building a buzz among the brand-conscious 13- to 25-year-old demographic for an unknown product can be extremely challenging – especially for a product that is sold online. BBE, ScanScout, and YuMe saw this as a great opportunity to demonstrate and measure the branding capabilities and impact of digital video, and potentially bring about greater consistency regarding digital video metrics.
Can a brand be built online using nothing more than online video advertising? After one month, the results from the HoodieBuddie™ brand lift study conducted by Vizu imply they can. With the help of ScanScout, BBE, and YuMe, HoodieBuddie™ realized a:
- 205% increase in brand awareness, which is significantly higher than the average 18.7% seen in comparable Vizu brand lift studies
- 76% increase in purchase intent, far exceeding the 12.1% lift that Vizu typically sees in campaigns of this nature
- 62% increase in daily sales (when comparing pre-campaign sales to post-ad campaign sales)
In terms of creative format findings, it was discovered that the 15-second pre-roll ad generally out-performed the 30-second spot in driving brand awareness, but the 30-second spot generally out-performed the 15-second video ad in increasing purchase intent. There also appeared to be minimal ad fatigue among viewers – even after 10+ exposures – as evidenced by an increase in brand awareness as ad frequency increased.
"We are ecstatic over the successful launch of our HoodieBuddie™ line and were simply amazed that our partners were able to achieve such great success through the use of online video," said Andrew Leigh, President of Jerry Leigh. "This non-traditional approach was exactly what we needed to reach our target audience, and the experience has given me a new-found appreciation for what digital video can do."
The HoodieBuddie™ campaign generated tremendous brand lift, showing that these video ad networks are among the best in the game at moving the needle for brand advertisers," said Dan Beltramo, CEO of Vizu. "Given the wide swath of advertising we measure and help our customers optimize, I'm comfortable saying this campaign was an unmitigated success."
The experiment to launch an unknown consumer brand using nothing but in-stream video was conceived by ScanScout, YuMe and BBE, and was designed to showcase that the medium could be as effective as traditional broadcast media. Jerry Leigh agreed not to utilize other forms of paid advertising in order to isolate the results generated from the video ads. In addition to pre-roll distribution, ScanScout's Super Pre-Roll and Super Overlay along with YuMe's custom Triple Play ad unit were utilized.
"Some advertisers still view digital advertising as a direct response channel, but the reality is that there is so much more available," said Jason Krebs, Executive Vice President at ScanScout. "The HoodieBuddie™ launch case proves that digital video advertising can provide significant effectiveness for both online and offline marketers. Brands can safely acknowledge that digital video can achieve reach, scale and effectiveness for their target audience with the same manner of success that they have expected and applied through broadcast on behalf of their business for decades."
"From a marketing perspective, the HoodieBuddie™ campaign unequivocally demonstrated that digital video has the scale and measurability that broadcast advertisers desire, plus the ability to target specific audiences, build brand awareness and convert browsers into buyers," said Scot McLernon, Chief Revenue Officer at YuMe. "The experiment to see whether online video ads alone could move the needle among a desired demographic audience paid off handsomely for HoodieBuddie™, but it's also an eye-opener for major brands that digital video can achieve similar reach, scale and effectiveness of traditional broadcast TV ads."
"When creative is designed specifically with the web-video viewer in mind, in-stream pre-roll can be engaging and highly effective," said Joe Gallagher, executive vice president of Sales at BBE. "The HoodieBuddie™ initiative proves that marketers can build brand awareness and ultimately drive revenue by using online video in a smart and comprehensive way. BBE's work with YuMe and ScanScout to bring the initiative to fruition and see the results we did is exemplary of the collaboration possible to set industry precedent and drive innovation forward."
With no existing video assets available to launch HoodieBuddie™, Poptent created 15- and 30-second pre-roll video ads through an innovative production approach known as crowdsourcing. The top 50 producers from Poptent's network of 18,000 independent video creators were invited to submit their creative executions. Jerry Leigh reviewed the many submissions and chose two video ads they felt were the most compelling and innovative. The final ads can be seen online at http://www.hoodiebuddie.com/campaign/.
"Crowdsourcing is a cost efficient way of providing marketers with multiple quality video executions for use in online and offline sales initiatives," said Poptent President Neil Perry.
Come hear more details this week at the ad:tech NY presentation: Video Everywhere—Deep Brand Integration in Online Video Thursday November 4, 11:45, The Future Track
Vizu uses a concurrent test (exposed) and control methodology for measuring brand advertising effectiveness. In this approach, the same question is asked of two groups of individuals that are identical except for the presence (or lack) of exposure to the advertising from the campaign being measured. Since this is the only variable between the groups, the difference in how the groups respond to the question – Brand Lift - can be safely and completely attributed to the ad campaign. Survey responses are gathered evenly and randomly throughout the full campaign lifetime to ensure that the sample is free of any biases and is representative of the full campaign effect. Vizu also recruits survey responses directly from the actual campaign audience ensuring that the sample is free of any panel-based biases. Vizu's technology platform ensures that the control and exposed groups are identical and that the measurement is conducted in the classical experimental design approach.
ScanScout, the leading in-stream video advertising provider, connects advertisers and consumers while maximizing brand impact and delivering unmatched transparency and measurability. Utilizing proprietary technology that ensures precision targeting, real-time optimization and peerless brand protection, ScanScout delivers exceptional brand engagement throughout the entire video-viewing experience and is consistently ranked among the top five video advertising networks by comScore. Partners include more than 1,000 premium and niche sites, including Starz, Gannett, Marvel, and NBC Universal. For more information, please visit: www.scanscout.com.
YuMe is a video advertising technology company that makes professional video profitable for publishers and effective for advertisers. Its robust ACE™ technology powers both its premium ad network and its industry-leading advertising management solution, ACE for Publishers. YuMe's premium ad network aggregates the best video content, representing hundreds of premium publishers. As a result, YuMe gives publishers and advertisers unprecedented reach, brand safety, contextual relevance, controlled syndication, and consistent delivery across all digital media platforms–Web, downloads, mobile, and IPTV. YuMe is a privately held company headquartered in Redwood City, CA and backed by Accel Partners, BV Capital, DAG Ventures, Khosla Ventures and Menlo Ventures. For more information, visit http://www.yume.com, follow @yumevideo on twitter (http://www.twitter.com/yumevideo), or become a fan of YuMe on Facebook at www.facebook.com/yumevideo.
Since 2004, BBE has helped advertisers, content producers and content distributors navigate the constantly shifting terrain in the online video space. A one-stop-shop for video advertising, BBE enables brands to monetize, track and produce video across all devices. BBE combines a premium video ad network, innovative new formats, cross-network analytics and unparalleled service to maximize the ROI of video advertising for its clients. BBE also continues to set the standard for trust and transparency in the industry, having achieved accreditation by the MRC, as well as DoubleVerify and AdSafe certification. For more information, please visit www.bbe.com.
About Jerry Leigh of California
Jerry Leigh, established in 1962, is a family-owned clothing designer, manufacturer, and brand management company with a philosophy of designing fashion that reflects consumer's lifestyles, utilizing a wide range of brands and licenses. With over 750 employees worldwide, Jerry Leigh distributes to retailers at all tiers of distribution, from boutiques to mass market, and manufacturers apparel for everyone, from toddlers to adults. For more on Jerry Leigh, please visit www.jerryleigh.com.
Vizu Corporation (www.brandlift.com) provides a technology platform that measures and optimizes the effectiveness of digital media branding campaigns in real time. Vizu works with hundreds of brands, advertising and media agencies, online publishers and ad networks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the online brand building process. Vizu has replaced Click-Through-rates with Brand Lift as the metric of choice for online brand advertisers. With Vizu's Ad-Catalyst system in place, you can advertise with confidence.
Poptent is a video production platform that offers marketers a cost effective way to obtain high quality videos for their online and offline marketing. Through Poptent, brands can reach a community of more than 18,000 highly skilled independent video creators. Brands post assignments, receive numerous pieces of finished video content and then select and pay for only the content that best meets their marketing needs. Poptent has already helped dozens of major brand advertisers obtain fresh and effective video content, while enabling independent creative talent to earn money and gain exposure for their work. Please visit www.poptent.net for more information.


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lthough textile and apparel imports from all sources in the first half of this year rose
by a relatively modest 10 percent over the comparable period of 2004, Chinese imports were up by 47
percent, including a 125-percent increase in apparel. China currently accounts for 29 percent of US
imports of textiles and apparel.
Some of the increase was at the expense of North American Free Trade Agreement partners
Mexico and Canada, with Mexico showing a decline of 4 percent and Canada a drop of 7 percent,
including 22 percent in apparel trade. China’s growth also appeared to be at the expense of Hong
Kong, Taiwan and South Korea — each of which showed declines in apparel exports in the range of 33
percent to 37 percent, and similar declines in textile exports.
The Caribbean Basin countries showed a modest 7-percent increase, mostly in apparel; textiles
were off by 8 percent. Other Central American countries included in the recently approved Dominican
Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) also showed a gain of 7 percent. Textile
trade officials expect a much larger increase once the free trade agreement has time to take
Europeans Have Problems Too
Although the European Union negotiated an agreement with China earlier this year placing quotas
with annual rates of growth ranging from 8 percent to 12.5 percent on 10 product categories through
2007, that agreement quickly ran into trouble. It seems China quickly overshipped many of the
products that were placed under quota.
Although EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said he supports the original agreement, he is
seeking some way to permit some of the stranded products to gain entry. European textile
manufacturers that are represented by the Brussels-based European Apparel and Textile Organization
(EURATEX) are strongly opposed to any changes in the original agreement. EURATEX President Filiep
Libeert said, “No one should claim that they were unaware of the risks involved in placing orders
for huge quantities of Chinese goods for delivery in 2005,” although he said his organization would
support an effort to resolve the problem providing it is done “within the framework of the original
Under a special agreement, about half of the embargoed goods will be permitted to enter above
and beyond the quotas, and the remaining 50 percent will be charged against 2006 quotas.
Filiep Libeert, president, European Apparel and Textile Organization
Solutions To China Trade Problems Sought
Just about everyone involved — textile manufacturers, importers, retailers and governments — is
continuing to probe ways to resolve problems with US/China textile trade, but there clearly are no
easy answers. Importers are unanimous in their desire to get the respective governments to take the
steps necessary to ensure order and predictability to US/China trade. As one importer put it, “If
we place an order, we would like to know it can be delivered.”
Importers, who heaved sighs of relief when import quotas were removed last January, are
bitterly disappointed that some of the quotas have been restored and more are likely to come. They
say trade should not be restrained when there is no solid proof imports are disrupting the US
market, and they particularly would like to see import quotas end once and for all by 2008.
Above and beyond the quota issue, the Washington-based National Council of Textile
Organizations (NCTO) has a wish list that it hopes would lead to more of a permanent solution to
problems with Chinese trade. Saying that quotas are at best a “temporary fix,” the NCTO is seeking
action from the US and Chinese governments to combat what textile manufacturers view as an array of
unfair trade practices. These include such things as currency manipulation, subsidization of
industries, the use of non-performing loans to fund textile expansion, tax holidays and subsidized
freight and energy costs.
The NCTO cites United Nations data that show China’s exports of apparel are 58 percent below
the average for the rest of the world. There is not much hope at this time the Chinese government
will take any meaningful actions to control its export trade. It apparently will act only when it
feels enough pressure from the US government, importers and textile manufacturers to bring about
There is little hope China’s recent increase of its yuan against the dollar will have much of
an impact on what US manufacturers say is as much as a 40-percent subsidy for Chinese imports.
Legislation to impose a 27-percent tax on Chinese imports to help offset that subsidy is not likely
to be enacted. The best hope for US textile manufacturers lies in greater use of US antidumping and
countervailing duty laws that permit the US government to impose punitive tariffs on goods when it
can be shown they are being illegally dumped on the US market. At the present time, those duties
cannot be used against non-market economies, but there is legislation in Congress that would change
While the antidumping and countervailing duty process is expensive and time-consuming, it has
been used with some success in the past with market economies.
The NCTO also reported it will seek relief through the World Trade Organization (WTO), which
has the power to address illegal subsidies and other unfair trade practices. That process also is
time-consuming and uncertain, but it has worked on occasion.
The NCTO also will ask the WTO to extend the right to use a safeguard mechanism to impose
quotas on Chinese imports beyond 2008, when that authority currently is due to expire.
With the US government continuing to pursue bilateral and regional free trade agreements, the
textile association warned it will oppose any agreement that permits non-participating countries to
benefit from the special treatment and greater access to the US market under the free trade
The NCTO remains hopeful the recently negotiated DR-CAFTA will divert Chinese production to
this hemisphere, where it will be necessary to use some US-made textiles in order to qualify for
the duty-free benefits.
Federal Trade Commission Clarifies Thread Count Rule
In response to a recent request from the Boston-based National Textile Association (NTA), the
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a statement clarifying the way it expects textile
manufacturers to measure thread count in their advertising and labels. The request was made because
NTA member companies felt some companies are providing thread counts that are misleading. The FTC
agreed, and in its opinion said some manufacturers have inflated their thread counts by counting
each individual ply. In its statement, the FTC said that could be deceptive and misleading to
consumers because many consumers associate a high thread count with high-quality products.
count is the way many shoppers compare bedding products,” said Karl Spilhaus, president, NTA. “This
clarification by the FTC will help ensure consumers can shop with confidence when products are
labeled and marketed properly.”
The FTC said that if a manufacturer or retailer identifies a product manufactured with plied
yarns, the label and advertising should state, for example, “300 thread count made using two-ply
yarns.” To label a such a product as “600 thread count” would be deceptive.


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Troy Industries, an 18-year-old manufacturer of gun parts and shooting accessories, announced Thursday it will move its headquarters and manufacturing from West Springfield to Tennessee citing the “changing climate” for firearms manufacturers in Massachusetts.
The move involves 75 jobs and a $7.2 million investment in Clarksville, Tenn.
Neither the state of Tennessee nor the company said in its releases what, if any, subsidies, tax breaks or incentives Troy Industries will receive. But a state spokeswoman said information would be available within 30 days.
Nor did founder Steve Troy go into any detail and no one from the company responded to calls Thursday.
The company already said it has begun recruiting in Tennessee.
The only recent talk of new gun regulations in Beacon Hill is a proposal backed by the group Stop Handgun Violence and lawmakers including state Rep. Bud Williams, D-Springfield, that would ban the manufacture of firearms in Massachusetts that are banned from sale here.
“It’s unfortunate that they have taken that position,” Williams said. “I guess it is in response to the ban on making assault weapons.”
But Williams said there are simply too many mass shootings.
“Too many of these weapons are getting into the hands of the wrong people,” he said. “We are saying they could manufacture them. But sell to the police. Sell to the military. Sell to people who should have them.”
He predicted tighter national regulations anyway.
“Massachusetts always leads the nation,” Williams said.
But he would have wished for the opportunity to discuss the issue.
“I’m sorry they feel that way,” Williams said.
He also added that the proposed bill is in the early stages. It barely has a bill number There are no hearings even scheduled.
Three other states — California, New York and New Jersey — have a ban on the manufacturing of assault weapons.
There are at least 24 gun manufacturers in Massachusetts, including industry giant Smith & Wesson and Savage Arms in Westfield and the industry supports roughly 7,800 jobs in Massachusetts, according to state statistics. The gun industry here is largely the legacy of Springfield Armory and its century of innovation.
West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt said he hadn’t spoken with Troy about its relocation.
He said it is disappointing news. But he said there are manufacturers approaching him and his staff all the time looking for available space, so he is confident that another manufacturer will grow in the Troy Arms building on Capital Drive near Interstate 91.
“If they are leaving because of state politics they are not going to bother coming to the town hall,” Reichelt said.
Smith & Wesson with its 1,600 local workers is apparently unfazed, Williams said. He passed a sign Thursday advertising a hiring fair.
And there is no trend of gun manufacturers leaving blue states. Connecticut has a strong firearms industry and in New York. Remington Arms has reopened its plant in Ilion.
© 2021 Advance Local Media LLC
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


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Cosmetic product experts warn consumers that Face whitening creams can cause skin cancer. LGA, the UK’s leading product quality testing agency, has revealed the dangers of skin whitening creams.
According to the report, these creams may contain bleaching agents such as hydroquinone and mercury, which can be used to whiten the skin by applying a chemical that removes paint from the wall to the skin
British Skin Foundation Expressing confidence in the report, he said that many creams containing dangerous chemicals have been seized.
Consumers should stop using these creams immediately and if they feel inflammation, burning or any abnormal condition in the skin of the face after using the creams, they should immediately consult a dermatologist.
On the other hand, British health experts also say that bleaching products often do not specify the exact proportions of ingredients that can be dangerous to consumers.
For example, a chemical called hydroquinone is used as a natural substitute for a chemical that removes paint from the wall.
They are making creams by mixing more chemicals, the use of which has increased the incidence of facial skin cancer.
Affected countries include poor Asian countries as well as developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom.
Face Whitening creams can cause cancer | New Research


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MAGA Goop! Introducing the new far-right wellness website that sells $299 covid ‘treatments’ and says vaccines cause cancer
A group of far-right health experts and Trump supporters have backed a new Goop-style wellness brand that promotes bogus medical treatments.
The company, called The Wellness Company, features articles about the benefits of supplements such as dandelion greens – and sells Covid drugs that have not been proven to work.
The website, founded by entrepreneurs Dave Lopez and Foster Coulson, is celebrated by conspiracy theorists such as Laura Loomer – a young pro-Trump campaigner who previously described the Covid-19 vaccine as ‘unsafe and ineffective’.
Other famous people involved include author Naomi Wolf and anti-vax cardiologist Dr. Peter McCullough, the company’s Chief Scientific Officer.
Goop, a lifestyle brand founded by movie star Gwyneth Paltrow, is not affiliated with The Wellness Company.
The Wellness Company is selling a $299.99 ‘wellness emergency kit’, filled with medications like ivermectin and doxycycline, to combat Covid and a host of other ailments
Earlier this month, McCullough claimed on Twitter that the Covid-19 vaccine had ‘indeed created sick children’.
The American Board of Internal Medicine has named Dr. McCullough recently stripped of his board certification due to his outspoken and unfounded views on the Covid shot.
Other medical contributors include anti-abortion activist Dr. Richard Amerling, former Loveline host Dr. Drew Pinsky, who previously called the Covid-19 pandemic “press-induced panic,” and alternative medicine physician Hadar Sophia Elbaz, The everyday beast reports.
A video on Dr.’s website Elbaz claims to show viewers “how to detox the body from heavy metals.”
Like Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness empire Goop, The Wellness Company sells a range of health products, most of which are supplements.
But the two most advertised products are aimed at preventing and treating Covid-19, positioned as an alternative to vaccination.
Spike Support supplements containing dandelion root claim to help boost immunity
The Wellness Company prescribes a $299 “Medical Emergency Kit” containing eight medications, including ivermectin and the antibiotic doxycycline.
Both drugs have been tested as treatments for the Covid virus, but large-scale studies have not shown that the benefits of the drugs outweigh the risks.
In an article published in the prestigious journal Lancet in July 2021, experts from the University of Oxford in Britain concluded: ‘doxycyline should not be used as a routine treatment for Covid-19’.
Ivermectin is not an FDA-approved treatment for the virus due to a lack of supporting evidence for its benefits.
However, doctors can still prescribe the medicine ‘off-label’.
The emergency kit is said to combat nausea and vomiting, bite wounds, sinusitis, urinary tract infections, sexually transmitted diseases and Covid-19, among other things.
Relationship expert Dr. Drew Pinsky was criticized in 2020 when he called the Covid pandemic ‘press-induced panic’
The Wellness Company also sells a range of own-brand supplements, including ‘Spike Support’, which contain natural ingredients that some health gurus have previously praised as a Covid treatment.
This includes the enzyme nattokinase and dandelion root, which Dr. McCullough says they can help protect against the long-lasting effects of spike proteins – which sit on the outside of Covid cells and help the virus enter the body.
The Wellness Company has also formed an unlikely partnership with its “sister company”: a dating site for unvaccinated people called Unjected.
Launched in 2021, the website and app were positioned as a ‘platform of like-minded people who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19′.
In July last year, it was reported that the personal data of 3,500 Unjected users had been exposed due to a critical security flaw.
The following month, Apple made the app unavailable in the app store.


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Apple updates Siri to help those considering suicide to get help
GigaOM noticed that Apple quietly released an update to Siri that offers to put a user in contact with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, should he or she mention suicide. Should the person decline the offer, Siri then brings up area suicide prevention centers in a second attempt to provide resources.
As GigaOM notes, Google has had this search since 2010. Apple noted in its customer privacy statement on Tuesday that among the most common requests from law enforcement are ones from police hoping to prevent suicide.
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Now THERE’S a headline I didn’t think I would ever be writing.
Yes, scientists and cheesemakers at the London biolab Open Cell collected bacteria from celebrity armpits, ears, noses and bellybuttons which were then grown in the lab until suitable strains could be selected for cheesemaking.
So how does one turn the human microbiome into a chunk of cheddar? As a museum blog post explains, milk is transformed into curds by a unique starter culture or bacteria, which determines whether the cheese will ripen into a nice cheddar or a bit of gouda. It turns out that many of the bacteria used to make cheese are similar to bacteria encountered on human skin. That’s why sometimes the scent of stinky feet and stinky cheese overlap. Some of the bacteria on the human body also has the power to turn fresh milk into cheese, and that was used to make the “cheese selfies.”
And just who are these celebrities who made cheese from their bodily bacteria?
Suggs, the singer for the ska band Madness, best known in the U.S. for its 1982 hit “Our House,” chose to be immortalized in cheddar. Alex James, bassist for the band Blur chose Cheshire cheese and celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal went for comté. Great British Bakeoff runner-up and food writer Ruby Tandoh chose Stilton while Rapper Professor Green, who admitted he truly hates cheese, insisted his belly-button bacteria be turned into mozzarella, the only cheese he can almost tolerate.
No idea what the human cheeses actually taste like as the celebrity cheeses will not be sampled, but will be sequenced in the lab to determine whether the bacteria in them are safe for consumption. Until then, they will be displayed under glass domes at the museum.


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just For Subscribers - The week in drinks
The most popular items among just-drinks' subscribers this week
Here are the ten most viewed, subscriber-only items on just-drinks this week:
An analysis based on data from more than 110,000 subjects in the US, of whom 3,364 died during a follow-up period of up to nine years, was used to evaluate the relation of “heavy drinking” and “non-heavy drinking” to the risk of all-cause mortality.
Carlsberg will have the chance to revive its Russian volumes after authorities voted to ease back on beer taxes from 2015, an analyst has suggested.
Pernod Ricard will have QR codes on all products in China by next April, just-drinks has learned.
Diageo has been too heavily focussed on off-trade distribution in global markets in recent years and took its “foot off the pedal” in the on-trade, a senior company executive has admitted.
To coincide with the week-long Drinktec exhibition in Germany, this month's management briefing looks at the beverage packaging landscape.
Anheuser-Busch InBev is the best-placed global brewer to benefit from a rebound in the world's beer volumes next year, led by Brazil, an analyst has said.
Whyte & Mackay (W&M) has appointed the former head of Diageo's production business in Scotland as its new CEO, just-drinks can exclusively reveal.
What is one to make of this week's news that Scotch whisky producer Whyte & Mackay (W&M) has installed former Diageo man Bryan Donaghey as its new chief executive?
Earlier this week, analysts at UBS released their latest 'Beeronomics' research note, looking at the global beer landscape. Here, courtesy of UBS, is a breakdown of the top 25 beer markets around the world.
Earlier this month, The Coca-Cola Co announced the release of a new product in Japan. No major surprise there, but the product in question is a hot, carbonated beverage. Richard Corbett casts his eye over Canada Dry Hot Ginger Ale and weighs up its potential for success.
For further details on how to subscribe to just-drinks, click here.
- just The Preview - Diageo's FY preliminaries
- Analysis - SABMiller's Australian issues continue
- Focus - SABMiller's Q1 Performance by Region
- PepsiCo find stability but Peltz concerns linger
- NPD: Alcohol Beverage “Mash-Ups” Fuel Innovation
- Diageo silent over Shuijingfang writedown report
- Sales, profits fall at Moet Hennessy in H1
- Diageo's Captain Morgan Facebook ad banned
- Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte appoints new CEO
- Molson Coors CEO to retire


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If 2013 was the year of wearables and health apps, what’s on tap for 2014?
Here are five exciting health tech trends to keep an eye on for the new year.
1. Data in the Doctor’s OfficeAccording to Pew Research, 21% of Americans already use some form of technology to track their health data, and as the market for wearable devices and health apps grows, so too will the mountain of data about our behaviors and vitals. Next year, we may see more of this data incorporated into our day-to-day medical care.2. Smart Clothes
If a wristband or clip-on tracker isn’t part of your look, there’s hope for you in 2014, because a new wave of wearable smart garments will be hitting the stores next year. In fact, market research company Markets and Markets expects sales of smart clothes and fabrics to reach $2.03 billion by 2018.
3. Augmented NutritionOf course, if you want to fit into the latest smart fashion, you might need to keep better tabs on what you’re eating. We’ve already seen popular apps such as Fooducate make things easy by letting you scan the barcodes on packaged foods to gather nutrition data. In 2014, we’ll see new technologies that take even more of the guesswork out of counting calories. 4. Virtual House Calls
Virtual house calls also just got a big boost with the recent launch of Google Helpouts, a new marketplace for getting personalized help over live video chat. Although it’s still early days for the new service, you can already browse the Google Helpouts Health marketplace for medical advice, mental health issues, nutrition counseling, weight loss and more. You can even get wellness advice for your pets.
5. Health Rewards
If looking and feeling good isn’t enough of a payoff, how about getting paid for getting healthy?