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Cost-of-living crisis: Scotmid warns of 'substantial external challenges' as costs eat into profits
and live on Freeview channel 276
Chief executive John Brodie said the society would continue to invest for the long term despite warning that costs are likely to rise faster than income growth.
He said: “Businesses are facing a cost-of-living crisis just like households, with both rising costs and squeezed income. The prolonged war in Ukraine, Brexit friction, general UK inflation and rising energy costs have all had an impact.
“With consumer confidence slipping, the society faces substantial external challenges, with costs likely to rise faster than income growth.
“Scotmid will continue to invest for the long term and take considered action to mitigate the impact of these economic conditions,” he added. “Guided by our core purpose, this approach will help the society navigate through the challenging times ahead.”
The group delivered a £1.1 million trading profit for the 26 weeks to July 30, down by £1.9m on the interim result last year, which had been positively impacted by local shopping habits during the pandemic. Turnover was down by £4.8m to £204.2m.
Scotmid’s core food convenience business faced the most significant headwinds relative to its strong performance over the last two years. As expected, there was a reduction in local shopping as Covid restrictions eased but this was overlaid with supply chain issues, legacy Covid costs, low consumer confidence and “severe” cost inflation, the society noted.
The group’s Semichem retail business built back trade from the negative impact of the pandemic. However, this was dampened by a weaker-than-expected recovery in high street footfall due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Scotmid’s property business continued to grow rental income thanks to ongoing strategic investment and divestments. Its funerals business conducted fewer funerals but was able to provide a wider range of services.
Brodie said: “Our result was expected to be down compared to the 2021 interim result, which had the benefit of local food shopping during the pandemic. The main feature of these results is the cost-of-living crisis and the rising cost burden on our business.
“We have responded proactively by bearing down on controllable cost areas, maximising sales opportunities and investing for the long term, underpinned by a strong balance sheet.”
The group, whose trading roots go back more than 160 years, said its balance sheet showed net assets of £113m.
The society’s focus on long-term growth has led to a “variety of technological and operational changes” to support the development of its two retail businesses. In addition, it made two substantial property investments and has been closely managing its controllable costs.
Annual results published in April showed that the society delivered a £5.7m trading profit for the 52 weeks to January 29, which compared with a profit of £6.4m for the prior, slightly longer 53-week period.
Overall turnover of £403m was down £6m on the year before but the group’s net assets increased to a record level while net debt reduced by £7.4m.


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MELBOURNE, Australia (BRAIN)—Former industry publisher, David Priestley, after being away from publishing, is returning to the industry with the Web site, Bike Trade News. It officially launches Monday, February 15.
For the past 14 months, Priestley has been evolving a consumer Web site, www.comecyclingwithme.com, which had some basic industry news on its pages.
"I knew of course that industry news is quite specific, much of it has little interest to the general public, and much of it the general public shouldn't have any access to, so after a few weeks I stopped posting industry news on its pages," he said.
"Bike Trade News is free—industry insiders will need to register with their business name, and their name and their own unique password to be able to access the Web site, which will be updated regularly and will have a twitter aspect to notify subscribers as new stories are posted on the Web site," Priestley said.
The Web site will cover the Australasian bicycle industry, as well as major news items from industry around the world.
"This is similar to the format I pioneered back in the 1980s, and it must have been successful as it was quickly copied by other publishers," Priestley said.
"I'm still finalizing several matters appertaining to the site itself and will be in Adelaide from February 1-8 for the Australian Track Cycling Championships and will be calling on various trade members while I'm in the South Australian capital," Priestley added. "I'm looking forward to resuming friendships within the industry that I have missed over the past decade."

domain: news


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MFour made a big bet at start of this decade that mobile technology would revolutionize consumer surveys, just as it would dominate other realms in communications and information exchange. Everything that’s happened since has confirmed that wager.
More evidence of mobile’s impact on society arrives in the Pew Research Center’s recently-released report on the “State of the News Media 2016.”
Tracking statistics from 110 leading U.S. media outlets, the report found that “mobile traffic continues to gain prominence over desktop traffic across media sectors.” In 2015, the year studied, 99 of those 110 sites received more visits from mobile devices than any other method of access.
- Newspapers: of the 50 top newspaper websites, all but six drew more unique visitors on mobile than on desktops (including laptops, since Pew classifies all personal computers as desktops).
- News magazines: nine of 12 in the study had more visits from mobile users than PC users.
- National television outlet websites: all eight sites in the study had more mobile visitors.
- Digital-only news publications (Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, Salon, etc.): 38 of 40 had more mobile visitors.
Probing a bit deeper, Pew found that of the 40 digital-only news organizations it studied, 33 saw gains in mobile traffic over the previous year, while 27 experienced drops in visits via personal computers. The mobile increases were large (defined as 10% or more) for 28 of the sites. Twenty-three digital news sites had large declines in PC traffic.
What does this mean for the market research industry as it grapples with whether to move from still-prevalent but increasingly outdated online/PC methods to new mobile opportunities?
Good news if it embraces the accelerating shift to mobile that the Pew Center documents in the media, and which MFour epitomizes in the realm of market research. Bad news if it doesn’t.


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Guy Hands tries again to capture Novera Energy with improved £108m bid
British renewable-energy company Novera Energy said it was considering a sweetened bid by Terra Firma-backed Infinis Energy, valuing the company at £108million.
Novera said the new 75-pence-a-share offer by Infinis is substantially higher than the original offer of 62.5 pence a share.
The revised offer is at a 14.5 per cent premium to Novera's Tuesday close of 65.5 pence.
Guy Hands' wind farm firm Infinis bought a 3.9% stake in Novera at the same 75p price per share
Novera shares were up 16 per cent at 76 pence at 0857 GMT, touching a new 52-week high.
In a separate statement, Infinis said it bought 5.6 million shares of Novera on Tuesday from a single shareholder at 75 pence each.
With this, Infinis has about 46.7 per cent stake in Novera, representing 67.6 million shares, it said.
Novera has 46 landfill gas sites, 10 hydro power stations and two operational wind farms - Myndd Clogau in Wales and Lisset in Yorkshire.
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Target has found that carrying Barnes and Noble Nook tablets and e-readers to be very unprofitable. This has prompted the US big box retailer to suspend their relationship with the bookseller and Target will no longer stock Nook products.
Target is trying to dump all remaining stock for Nook branded tablets, e-readers and accessories. Big deals are to be had if your local shop, since all of the online entries have just been removed. You can pick up a brand new Nook Glowlight, Nook HD or HD+ for between $30 to $50.
The Barnes and Noble Nook line of devices is the latest causality in Targets bid to carry more recognizable mainstream products and not to be a showroom for companies that sell things online. In 2012 Apple approached Target to sell their complete line of iPads in their store, but they had to stop selling Kindles first. The retailer acquiesced and suspended their relationship with Amazon.
Michael Kozlowski is the Editor in Chief of Good e-Reader. He has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past ten years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times.


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Cbd producers in china
13 Jun 2019 Yooya would effectively start as an e-commerce, business-to-business platform connecting overseas Chinese with companies selling CBD China is the world's leading produceer of cannabis and cannabis investment in the words 'infrastructure should be built to service production bases for cotton, As the global hemp-derived CBD market exceeds 3,000,000 lbs in 2020 and 30 Oct 2019 These conferences are attended by companies and executives in China who are active in the industrial hemp market, like CBD Biotech, 20 Apr 2019 Whilst China quietly grows into a cannabis superpower … where does the production of industrial hemp, China also plans on producing CBD 27 Aug 2017 Plantations are flourishing thanks to Chinese-developed hybrid species that The growers sell the stems of the crop to textile factories to make
China is the world's leading produceer of cannabis and cannabis investment in the words 'infrastructure should be built to service production bases for cotton, As the global hemp-derived CBD market exceeds 3,000,000 lbs in 2020 and
30 Jul 2018 As of 2017, Chinese companies have 309 out of the 606 patents filed around the world that relate to cannabis. So while cannabis remains CBD Wholesale & Bulk 2019 Manufacturers and Distributors CBD Wholesale can be found at Global Cannabinoids the #1 USA Producer, CBD Water Solubles, CBD Cigarettes to Japan, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam,
How China is gearing up to fuel America's CBD craze - Inkstone 27 Sep 2019 Pan said he is expecting stiffer competition as more companies start building their own CBD plants, but he is confident his about his business. China's Hemp Industry is Booming Amid Global Demand 7 Oct 2019 With the recent rise in products containing CBD around the globe, Chinese hemp farmers and companies have begun to turn their attention to
e cigarette products & manufacturers - Made-in-China.com Cbd Oil Tank Cbd Oil Vape vaporizer C19 Empty E-Cigarette Cartridge. is one of the largest flavor producers in the Fishery Producers to Be Able to Take Part in Procurement Procedures This platform will provide Seafood Expo participants with all the information about cooperation terms, procurement policy and supply requirements for retail networks in a face-to-face environment
CBD Oil Manufacturers, Factory, Suppliers From China, To improved expand market, we sincerely invite ambitious individuals and providers to hitch as an agent. Cbd Isolate, Hemp Oil, Nmn manufacturer / supplier in China, offering Professional Manufacturer Supply Anti-Fungal Antimicrobial Agents Nystatin, Top Quality USP Grade Nystatin, Best Antifungal Powder Nystatin Nystatin A1 and so on. Where does our CBD come from – CBD Source. Our product comes from the most trusted suppliers in the industry who adhere by the laws and superior growing practices to ensure the best quality product. All growers must meet our supreme standards to be accepted and made into our final product.
All of this points to the crux of China’s argument for the widespread legalization of industrial hemp farming and CBD use in medicine: health. Many tout the benefits of CBD in treating conditions like epilepsy and Alzheimer’s, as well as providing pain relief, though research on some of these claims is as of yet inconclusive.
How China is gearing up to fuel America's CBD craze - Inkstone 27 Sep 2019 Pan said he is expecting stiffer competition as more companies start building their own CBD plants, but he is confident his about his business.
Chinese hemp companies see fortune behind tight controls
Daqing, China - World Energy Cities Partnership Located in the northeastern China, Daqing is the central city in the western Heilongjiang Province with a population of 2.3 million. The city has long read more About Us - Tyshen Tech-China Mouse,Keyboard Producer,Computer Mouse About Us, Tyshen Tech-China Mouse,Keyboard Producer,Computer Mouse,Computer Keyboard,PC Accessories Producer Buffalo meat exporter in India,Buffalo meat Manufacturer in India,


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French Apple blog ‘MacBidouille‘ reports that it has learned from a “commercial source” that Apple (AAPL)’s new iMac all-in-one PC models will not be ready for sale by the holiday shopping season. When the new ultra-slim profiles were introduced three weeks ago, Apple said the 21.5″ model would be released by the end of November, with the 27″ model shipping by year-end.
The blog speculates that Apple is having supply-chain difficulties, as its manufacturers are having a hard time with the new profiles which apparently require “an advanced welding technique” to produce, as well as a new method for producing the LCD screens. The new iMacs are quite an impressive feat of engineering. Being a mind-boggling 80% thinner than the line before them, the new super-slim profiles boast an edge that’s only 5 millimeters thick. The point is that it’s not surprising that they’re challenging to mass produce.
As noted by MacRumours, Apple CEO Tim Cook himself has already admitted during his company’s recent earnings call that iMac production delays are possible.
“In terms of general shortages on the iMac, we’ll be constrained for the full quarter in a significant way, part of that is that we’re beginning shipping the 21.5-inch iMac in November and the 27-inch in December. And so there will be a short amount of time during the quarter to manufacture and ramp those and I expect the demand to be robust. So we will have a significant shortage there,” Cook said.
In other words, what Cook is basically saying is that those prepared to have a new iMac under the Christmas tree this holiday season may be in for a disappointment. That said, let’s keep in mind that these delays are still speculative at this point since MacBidouille hasn’t released their source.
Hopefully, Apple’s online store will be updated with new info regarding the iMac soon.
Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase after clicking a link, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!


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In an effort to provide a further boost to electric vehicles in the country, the government of India made significant announcements on EVs in Budget 2022-2023. One of the important announcements made were on the EV battery swapping policy which is going to be a focus area for improving the EV scenario in India. In addition, as per a report by ETAuto, the Centre has increased its budgetary allocation of subsidies by over threefolds for EV buyers in the country.
The report mentioned that the EV subsidy allocation under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme for fiscal 2023 is now Rs 2,908 crore. This is over a threefold increase from the earlier Rs 800 crore.
Besides the increased subsidies, the rising fuel prices have also weighed on the push to shift to EVs. Further, what is interesting to note is that with the subsidies in place, the number of EVs registered in 2021 was 3,11,000 which is a noteworthy growth from the 1,19,000 EVs registered in 2020 in the country.


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Vapor Group, Inc. (OTC Pink:VPOR) (“the Company”) is successfully continuing to build up a high-profile list of clientele for its premium-bulk CBD products, this time receiving an order for $110,000 for its full spectrum CBD oil distillate. Since adopting a new corporate strategy at the beginning of the year, VPOR has brought in approximately $800,000 in revenues, a process which has slowly but surely placed it among the top-tier CBD manufacturers in the country and put the Company on a path towards steady and robust growth for the rest of 2019. The current deal comes just as VPOR begins to solidify partnerships with two of its largest clients, private-label manufacturing giant White Label Liquid, Inc. (OTC Pink:WLAB), and CBD industry leader Diamond CBD, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of PotNetwork Holding, Inc. (OTC Pink:POTN).
Private-Label CBD Manufacturer’s Repeat Business Shows Continued Success of Company’s Strategic Business Plan
Vapor Group, Inc. (OTC Pink: VPOR) (“the Company”) secured yet another order for its bulk CBD isolate, this time in a deal that brought the Company well over $80,000. To-date the Company has now earned nearly $600,000 in total revenues, due all in part to its reinvestment in the CBD industry, and it has now brought in over $500,000 in the first three months of 2019 alone. As noted in the Company’s first-quarter revenue reporting, several high-profile deals for bulk CBD isolate have been made with well-known businesses such as White Label Liquid, Inc. and GenCanna Global, Inc. Earlier in May, VPOR secured its largest purchase order to-date, a $210,000 deal with industry leader Diamond CBD, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. (OTC Pink: POTN).
Vapor Group, Inc. (OTC Pink:VPOR) (“the Company”) has had revenues top over $500,000 during the first three months of 2019 as the Company has secured several orders for its bulk CBD isolate throughout the industry. The new product focus targeting the emerging CBD sector has proved that the Company’s shift in strategy was the right one. In recent months the Company has made several high-profile deals for its bulk CBD isolate with well-known businesses such as White Label Liquid, Inc. and GenCanna Global, Inc. Earlier in May, VPOR secured its largest purchase order to-date, a $210,000 deal with industry leader Diamond CBD, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. (OTC Pink:POTN).
Vapor Group, Inc. (OTC Pink: VPOR) (“the Company”) secured a $210,000 purchase order for bulk CBD isolate from industry leader Diamond CBD, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. (OTC Pink: POTN). The deal, which is VPOR’s largest single order to-date, comes on the heels of a hugely successful April which saw the Company follow-up on their corporate restructuring initiative with nearly $300,000 worth of orders for the month. In total, new orders have brought the Company to over $500,000 in just a few months, with the current deal continuing to establish VPOR as one of the premier providers of high-quality CBD isolate to the sector.
Vapor Group, Inc. (OTC Pink: VPOR) (“the Company”) continues to grow its newly adopted business model that focuses on the emerging CBD industry, with the Company this week securing yet another $50,000 order for bulk CBD isolate. Following their successful corporate restructuring initiative earlier this year, Vapor Group has now sold almost $300,000 worth of orders for April, further establishing themselves as one of the premier providers of high-quality CBD isolate to the sector. Vapor Group provides highly-potent, premium bulk CBD isolate made from 100 percent industrial organic hemp.
Vapor Group, Inc. (OTC Pink: VPOR) (“the Company”) recently took delivery on 50 kg of pure CBD isolate from industrial hemp pioneer, GenCanna Global, Inc. (“GenCanna”), a 2014 inaugural member of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Industrial Hemp Pilot Program. The new batch of isolate offers businesses in the industry the opportunity to buy 99.8 percent pure CBD isolate from an FDA registered and inspected, food grade, “Good Manufacturing Practices” (GMP) compliant Kentucky facility, located in the emerging heartland for hemp production in the United States.
Vapor Group, Inc. (OTC Pink: VPOR) (“the Company”) continued its successful run this week, securing a purchase order for approximately $100,000 from White Label Liquid, Inc. (OTC Pink: WLAB), an industry leader in the CBD private-label manufacturing business. White Label Liquid has built itself up as the go-to manufacturer for many popular brands in the current CBD marketplace. The order is the Company’s largest for bulk CBD isolate to-date and represents the continued success of its new business model, one which has now brought in over $200,000 in total sales throughout the last few months.
Vapor Group, Inc. (OTC Pink: VPOR) (“the Company”) fielded its first order of the quarter for bulk CBD isolate. The $40,000 purchase order is a result of the Company’s newly adopted business model that concentrates on providing premium, bulk CBD isolate to companies selling into the rapidly expanding CBD market. With the signing of the farm bill late last year, more and more entrepreneurs are embracing the CBD industry, giving Vapor Group all the more reason to shift its corporate focus.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL / ACCESSWIRE / March 20, 2019 / Vapor Group, Inc. (OTC PINK: VPOR) (also known as ''the Company'') has launched a new streamlined website, www.vpor.com, that makes it easy for distributors and resellers to find the CBD isolate they need to compete in the burgeoning cannabis industry effectively. Vapor Group prides itself in providing only premium bulk CBD isolate made from 100 percent industrialized organic hemp that is produced by top growers in the U.S. from states like Kentucky, Colorado, and Oregon. The Company works directly with B2B businesses in the sector to stay up-to-the-minute on the latest consumer trends in the category.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL / ACCESSWIRE / March 13, 2019 / Vapor Group, Inc. (OTC PINK: VPOR) (''Vapor Group'' or ''the Company''), and its Board of Directors approved the relocation of the Company's headquarters and operations from its current locations in Aventura, and Hialeah, Florida to Daytona Beach. The move is part of a larger strategy to help Vapor Group integrate into the billion-dollar cannabis and CBD markets. The Company's new address is 495 Carswell Avenue, Unit A, Daytona Beach, Florida 32117.
MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / March 11, 2019 / Vapor Group, Inc. (OTC PINK: VPOR), announced Monday that its Board of Directors had approved a proposed restructuring of the company that eliminates its current subsidiaries and concentrates on providing high-quality, bulk CBD isolate for those looking to enter the growing cannabis industry. The American hemp-CBD market is expected to grow to $22 billion by 2022, with the overall global cannabis industry to be valued at $146.4 billion as early as 2025. "We're really excited about the company's new direction and confident that our new sales model will deliver the profits that our shareholders deserve and desire," said VPOR Group President and Chief Executive Officer David Zinger.
MIAMI, Feb. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vapor Group, Inc. (OTC Pink: VPOR), ("Company" or "Vapor Group"), today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed David Zinger as President and Chief Executive Officer. "These leadership appointments are effective immediately and follow the decision that Yaniv Nahon step down as President and Chief Executive Officer and resign as a director of the Company. Dror Svorai, Vapor Group's primary consultant, has also resigned and is no longer involved with the Company," stated Yaron Elkayam, its new Chairman of the Board of the Company.


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India’s Sahara TV chooses Tektronix
Tektronix's waveform 1740A Series NTSC, PAL and dual standard models in accessory 1700F02 portable cases.
India’s Sahara TV has purchased several Tektronix video test and measurement instruments for its eight new TV channels and new uplink earth station, located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. Sahara Television Network, one of the largest business groups in India, is adding seven more television channels, bringing its total complement of channels to eight.
Since Sahara TV uses both analog and digital video in its studios, monitoring solutions that support each standard are required. Sahara TV will monitor signal quality in post-production and program control throughout the facility using only Tektronix equipment, including the 1741A Analog Waveform Monitor and WFM601 Series Standard Definition Digital Waveform Monitor and SV970 MPEG Stream Analyzer.
Sahara TV will also use the Tektronix TG700 Signal Generator, a modular platform designed to provide test signals in a variety of analog and digital formats in its recently launched uplink facility in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, near Delhi.
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Rumor: Sazh Will Be DLC For Final Fantasy XIII-2
The word from Dengeki PlayStation, an unofficial Japanese PlayStation magazine, is that the man with the chocobo-‘fro won’t appear in the retail release of Final Fantasy XIII-2. The official phrasing from Square-Enix is that “Final Fantasy XIII-2 will continue after release, so look forward to later” which sounds an awful lot like “oh, please: That’s DLC.”
Well, Square-Enix has said it wants to adopt some practices widely used by Western developers lately, and this move — if true — would echo that sentiment. From what we’ve heard, Sazh isn’t integral to the story in the new game, so this might not be the biggest deal. And who knows? It might even mean we get post-release content where the man with the twin gats is actually playable, unlike the cameo Wakka and Lulu had in Final Fantasy X-2. So what do you think? If Sazh is really DLC for XIII-2, is it cause for concern?


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John Lewis Partnership has announced the appointment of Paula Nickolds as the group’s new managing director, making her the first woman to undertake this role in the retailer’s 152-year history.
She will replace Andy Street in 2017, who departs from the company to run as Conservative candidate for Mayor of West Midlands.
Nickolds, who is currently the partnership’s commercial director, joined the organisation in 1994 as a graduate trainee. She went on to hold a number of senior positions at the company and joined the board as the buying and brand director in 2013.
She said in a statement: “As a partner with 22 years service, I know just how special the John Lewis Partnership is.
“Driven by our unique business model, and with innovation in our DNA, I am immensely excited to lead John Lewis on the next stage of our journey.”
Last month the company revealed that plunging profits forced it to scale back expansion plans for its Waitrose supermarket chain. The group recorded a fall of 14.7 per cent in pre-tax profit to £81.9m, for the six months to the end of July, .
Sir Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, said: “At a time of transformation in the retail sector, Paula’s progressive and dynamic leadership is just what’s needed for the next phase of modern retailing.”
Dino Rocos, operations director, will oversee the group until Nickolds assumes her position next year.


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Marketing & e-Commerce on Metaverse From the day we met the concept of Metaverse, many of us have understood that big changes are waiting for us. For now, companies have started to accelerate their Metaverse transition processes to seize some opportunities and keep up with the change. So what are the brands waiting for in… Continue reading Message From CEO
When creating new projects, it is important to find the right blockchain network to support the team’s vision and development. We are proud to have formed an amazing partnership with Polygon Studios and Polygon. With its low fees and massive scalability, coupled with industry-leading security, Polygon was always the obvious choice for us. Polygon builds… Continue reading YachtingVerse is officially collaborating with Polygon Studios.
Hello, YachtingVerse fam! Meet us again with the latest IDO news. In our previous news, unfortunately, we have to delay our IDO and listing until further notice. Despite the bad news on delaying IDO and the crypto market condition, we have some good news on the table. As everyone knows, we recently received an investment… Continue reading New Partnership Announcement
YachtingVerse CEO Servet Kalmaz, YachtingVerse CTO Emre Karaca and Bitci Holding CEO Onur Altan Tan attended the Bosphorus Boat Show in Istanbul. The show took place in Pendik and lasted for 9 days. Many maritime products were exhibited such as mega yachts, motor yachts, sailing boats, catamarans, sports boats, speedboats, boats, boat engines, boat equipment… Continue reading YachtingVerse at the Bosphorus Boat Show!


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You may have seen news reports that the Marie Kondo tidying up craze has at time overwhelmed thrift stores with donations. But I recently reached out to a few of our local non-profit thrift stores and each manager told me “please pass on that we value our donors and we want their donations!”
HumanKind is excited to feature the art of the California Central Coast Pastel Society and the music of Sol Nectar at Art After Dark on July 5 from 6-9PM. Stop by to meet the artists, KC Caldwell and Sue Dunker, view thier art, and stay awhile to listen to the music of local band Sol Nectar. The art will be on exhibit at HumanKind for the month of July.


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The landscape of medical device development is shifting rapidly. And it’s not just balancing innovative gains with safety that medical device companies must worry about anymore.
In our opinion, there are three main challenges medical device companies will be facing in the coming years (if they aren’t already):
- The rise of connected, software-driven medical devices
- Increasingly strict medical device regulation
- New market entrants making a disruptive splash
Given that the medical device industry is slated to skyrocket to $800 billion by 2030, there’s obviously a lot at stake. Luckily though, there are some antidotes that we explain in our eBook, “Overcoming the Three Biggest Challenges in Medical Device Development,” which is available to download here.
Here’s a closer look at some of those big problems that need to be accounted for in modern medical device development.
Challenge One: The Rise of Connected, Software-Driven Medical Devices
Until fairly recently, software embedded within medical devices had limited functionality. Gradually, like so many products, software came to dominate the core features and functionalities of medical devices.
That combination of quality hardware and sophisticated software has made medical devices a lot more complex, which equates with increased development work for those building the products.
Add to that the element of connectivity which, while extremely powerful and convenient, can introduce a variety of risks — including malware and hackers — and the landscape of medical device development has expanded significantly.
Teams building modern medical devices must not only keep pace with the rapid rate of innovation and demands of the market, but also manage risk that only grows with the complexity of the product design. Managing the development of medical devices through documents and spreadsheets isn’t a path to long-term success, and companies must find new ways to develop their products or get left behind.
Challenge Two: Increasingly Strict Medical Device Regulation
The increasing complexity of medical devices is forcing regulators to take another look at existing rules and guidance, and for good reason. In the first quarter of 2019, the average size of a medical device recall was 823,126, which was the highest quarter since 2006, according to Stericycle’s Recall Index. And, among all recalls, quality issues were the main cause.
Whether it’s ISO 14971 or ISO 13485, compliance with government and industry regulations remains a constant weight for medical device developers, as regulatory bodies struggle to stay current speed of the market.
This is making medical device compliance increasingly costly and making regulatory standards harder to interpret. For instance, one of the most difficult and time-consuming aspects of proving medical device compliance is sorting through the documentation produced by the design and development teams, including outputs from multiple software tools. Even in a best-case documentation scenario, determining the right documentation to show FDA compliance and systematic management of risks is tricky.
Learn more about how Jama Connect helps teams improve medical device development.
Challenge Three: New Market Entrants Making a Disruptive Splash
When names like Apple and Amazon decide to start competing within your industry, there is ample reason to worry. These sorts of household names benefit from instant brand recognition, quick distribution, and seemingly unlimited resources.
For instance, Apple’s Watch Series 4 received a Class II de novo clearance from the FDA for both its electrocardiogram (EKG) and notification of irregular heart rhythm clearances.
Despite the intimidating nature of goliath companies getting into the medical device space, it’s important to remember most of them are still somewhat new to FDA regulation. This introduces new risks for those tech companies with nontraditional FDA-regulation backgrounds and creates fresh challenges for the FDA’s evaluation of each software solution, which has prompted an overhaul of that system.
For medical device companies, this situation sharpens the focus on an ongoing business problem: Evaluating how your processes are being executed and making sure you’re getting your product right the first time.
To see more information specific to the medical device development industry, we’ve compiled a handy list of valuable resources for you!
- Best Practices for Evaluating Product Development Tools for ISO 26262 Compliance - December 2, 2020
- Could Collaborating with Competitors Boost Autonomous Vehicle Development? - October 1, 2019
- How to Overcome Three of the Biggest Challenges in Medical Device Development - September 10, 2019


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Burger King is running a new ad campaign called Whopper Virgins. They’ve searched the world for people who have no knowledge of McDonalds, Burger King or even hamburgers and asking them to participate in a taste test.
Some critics are up in arms about the campaign calling it insensitive to these cultures, saying that the money spent on the documentary and campaign could have been better spent to end hunger in the communities that they were soliciting taste tests. But for BK, it’s just another viral campaign meant to spark such critique and questions.
BK’s last campaign, Whopper Freakout is another example of the BK’s ability to create viral campaigns. Burger King customers are told that the Whopper has been taken off the menu and camera’s capture the outrage.
Personally, I think it’s a really clever idea. watching the documentary made me think of stories from my grandpa about his memories of his first sip of coca cola in his early teens and how amazing that was for him. i would imagine that those BK taste testers did not feel exploited, but happy to have taken part in the project.
What do you think?


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|By Business Wire||
|November 6, 2012 10:00 PM EST||
MasterCard Worldwide, in collaboration with Standard Chartered Bank Singapore, has unveiled Singapore’s first interactive payment card, or security token card, using MasterCard’s Display Card technology, heralding the next generation of payment cards.
The MasterCard Display Card, manufactured by NagraID Security, looks and functions almost exactly like a regular credit, debit or ATM card, but features an embedded LCD display and touch-sensitive buttons which allow a cardholder to generate a One-Time Password (OTP) as an authentication security measure.
At present, banking institutions that necessitate a higher level of security for their online banking services require the use of a separate authentication token or device. The innovative 2-in-1 device, which combines the functionality of a standard payment card with a state-of-the-art security token, currently reflects the customer's OTP. In future, this card could incorporate additional functionalities and be able to indicate other real time information such as available credit balance, loyalty or reward points, recent transactions, and other interactive information.
From January 2013 onwards, all Standard Chartered Online Banking or Breeze Mobile Banking users will use the Standard Chartered security token card as a new personal security device for higher-risk transactions such payments or transfers above a certain amount, adding third party payees, or changing personal details.
V. Subba, Regional Head of Retail Banking Products, Singapore and Southeast Asia, Standard Chartered Bank said: “In Singapore, many customers bank with multiple banks. We brainstormed on ways to make it convenient and yet secure for customers. The question was: instead of sending customers another bulky token, could we replace something which already exists in the customer’s wallet? That was when credit, debit and ATM cards, immediately came to mind.”
“As a lead innovator in the banking industry, we believe this is what sets us apart from competition. Our online banking platform is multi-award winning. We have been awarded the best consumer internet banking platform for Singapore by Global Finance for three consecutive years. The new Standard Chartered multi-function token is another good example of our customer-centric innovation.”
Matthew Driver, president, South East Asia, MasterCard Worldwide said, “MasterCard continues to be at the forefront of payment technology. From launching the first ‘paper’ card in the 1950s, to introducing magnetic stripes and EMV chips for secure, digitised payments, we are pleased to have been able to support the launch of Singapore’s first Display Card by Standard Chartered. With the continued growth in online and now mobile initiated remote payments, consumers are naturally demanding increased security. The innovative features of the Display Card serve to address this need, whilst empowering consumers to do so much more with their payment cards.”
MasterCard Display Cards are being deployed in increasing numbers by innovative banks all around the world, with Standard Chartered Bank launching the largest deployment of Display Cards to date. All MasterCard Platinum and Bonus$aver credit cards as well as MasterCard Super Salary, XtraSaver, Bonus$aver debit cards issued in Singapore will now be Display cards.
Cyril Lalo, CEO of NagraID Security, said, “We highly commend the initiative of Standard Chartered Bank as this deployment once again highlights the increasing popularity of Display Cards. Earlier this year NagraID Security ramped up production capacity by investing heavily in equipment and human resources in order to meet the growing demand for Display Cards. The increased throughput, combined with the experience acquired during the past 2 years from the close collaboration with MasterCard and Gemalto, enabled the implementation and deployment of this scale in a record-breaking timeframe.”
NOTE TO EDITORS:
MasterCard Display Cards herald a new era in card payments, extending the payment card with interactivity. Display Cards feature a small display and one or more touch sensitive buttons in addition to all the traditional payment card features. Display Cards can be used as “Authentication Cards” for secure, portable and cost-effective remote authentication of online banking and e-commerce transactions by using the card to generate One-Time-Passwords (OTPs). Or they can be used as “Information Display” Cards enabling cardholders to access critical information such as account balance anywhere, anytime – enhancing payment or banking experiences in a number of ways. MasterCard first launched the Display Card in 2010.
About MasterCard Worldwide
MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a global payments and technology company. It operates the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Cashless Conversations Blog and subscribe for the latest news.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50467868&lang=en
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Out on 5th – the street closure on Fifth Street in the Oregon District from Patterson Boulevard to Wayne Avenue every Friday through Sunday – has returned and will host a grand opening this weekend, starting at 5 p.m. on April 2. The street closure allows for more room for Oregon District businesses to expand onto sidewalks and in the street with patios and outdoor sales, and includes entertainment for guests. Information, including where to park and how to drive around the street closure, is on the Oregon District’s Out on 5th webpage here.
This Saturday, a special Downtown Dayton Sidewalk Sale is taking place at businesses across downtown Dayton, including within the Oregon District. The Sidewalk Sale features expanded brick and mortar storefront on the sidewalks, local artisan vendors with booths, free activities and entertainment and special promotions and discounts from downtown businesses. Find a map and listing of event details at the Downtown Dayton Sidewalk Sale page here.
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no longer business as usual
We see it all around us these days—in NGOs teaching farmers sustainable agriculture methods, in community-based organizations engaged in ecotourism, even in for-profits producing organic soap or selling mountain rice to benefit a community.
This is social entrepreneurship at work in the Philippines, as practiced by for-profit or not-for-profit organizations born out of a cause or advocacy.
Tommy Hutchinson, who spoke at the recent Go Negosyo Youth Entrepreneurship Summit and facilitated a two-day workshop on starting a social enterprise sponsored by the British Council, notes that there is much opportunity to do good in the Philippines.
“I think Filipinos are naturally entrepreneurial,” Hutchinson says. This, as well as the size of recent related events such as the Youth Entrepreneurship Summit, underscores the potential for, if not the growing interest in, social entrepreneurship.
The Social Bottom Line
Social entrepreneurship has been defined in many ways, among the simplest of which is the use of entrepreneurial approaches—out-of-the-box thinking, for example—to solve social problems. Unlike business entrepreneurship, its bottom line is doing good and creating social change, and not necessarily profit.
It is Bill Drayton, founder and CEO of Ashoka, an organization that Philippinessupports social entrepreneurs, who is credited with coining the term “social entrepreneurship” some 30 years ago. But it is only in recent years that the concept has started to become better known.
“People recognize that we need to do business and run society in a different way,” Hutchinson says, citing the economic downturn as a trigger. “It’s been like an economic earthquake, forcing everybody to think of what we have been doing.”
Hutchinson, himself a social entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of i-genius, a network of social entrepreneurs around the world, points out that one of the issues we now face is whether we should start to combine society with the economy instead of treating them as separate. “The question now is: Do we go back to business as usual? Or do we take this possibly unique window to create a new economy for business primarily on delivering social and environmental benefits?”
It is the potential for creating social and environmental good that makes social entrepreneurship attractive, especially in these times. “It’s got universal appeal for anyone in this world who cares about something. And I think that can be quite a powerful drug,” Hutchinson says. “Not many concepts in this world have that universal appeal.”
And it would seem that, at their core, that is what social entrepreneurs are: people who care about something. Just like their more profit-oriented cousins, social entrepreneurs innovate, grab opportunities, and solve problems. But the line is drawn at the nature of the opportunities and problems. “A social entrepreneur,” Hutchinson emphasizes, “can spot an opportunity to do good and to do it in a way that is going to sustain them, their business, and their community.”
A popular way of looking at the work of social entrepreneurs has been through the old Chinese proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Social entrepreneurs have been traditionally thought of as teaching men how to fish. Ashoka founder and CEO Drayton took it a step further when he said, “Social entrepreneurs will not rest until they have revolutionized the fishing industry.”
But more than this, they are also revolutionizing the way they do business.
“One of the pieces of research that has been done is that [social entrepreneurs] tend to run their businesses in a more honest fashion,” Hutchinson says. “If you lend money or invest in a social business, you’re more likely to get your money back.” He credits this to social entrepreneurs’ tendency to follow an additional moral code in running their business. “It’s a very attractive thing for investors and for financers—and they should wake up to it,” he adds.
This “moral code” may very well equip social entrepreneurs to compete in the future. If in the past, economies have competed on the basis of how industrialized they were, and later, on how knowledgeable they were, the future might put a premium on the good they do and how they do it.
“I think the future will be the ethical economy,” Hutchinson says. “People will start to be able to compete locally, nationally, and world-wide, on the basis of how ethical they are.”
Bullish on Entrepreneurship
The development of social entrepreneurship in the Philippines would be greatly encouraged if the government were to take the lead. “I would really love one day soon to read, back in London, about President Aquino talking about social entrepreneurship—what social entrepreneurs can do for the Philippines, and how the government can help them,” Hutchinson says.
According to the 2006-2007 Philippine Report of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, which surveyed 2,000 adult Filipinos nationwide, 57 percent saw good business opportunities in their locality. This number gave the country a ranking of fifth globally and first in Asia among countries with perceived business opportunities. Eighty-three percent of those surveyed were considering actually starting a business, with 46 percent expecting to start a business in the next three years.
This bullish outlook goes hand in hand with the optimism and hope of having a new President at the helm. Social entrepreneurship can certainly harness both. Hutchinson says, “It’s a great creative expression that we can do something to make the world better instead of just being passive about how it affects us.”
While social entrepreneurs continue their work of improving living conditions in the country, a lot can still be done—from eco-friendly transportation to more parks, from organic shampoo to education for all. “There’s a lot of potential in the Philippines,” Hutchinson reiterates. “Will Filipinos really grab it?”
By Isabel L. Templo
Published: Business Agenda section of the Manila Bulletin


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As you might have heard that with Android 5.0 and with certain Nexus devices, Google will be introducing the Ambient Display feature which is basically a borrowed feature from Motorola’s Moto Display. For those unfamiliar, Ambient Display will turn your device’s display on when you get a notification or when you lift your phone up, thus making it easy to check the screen at a glance without having to press any buttons.
Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well as it turns out it can be a double-edged sword, especially for users who don’t have PIN codes or lock patterns that locks their screens. According to an observation made by Kellex at Droid-Life, it seems that Ambient Display is apparently sensitive enough to the point where even slight movement from your phone in your pocket is enough to light its display.
Notifications arriving will also light up the display which could inadvertently end up causing you to pocket dial people, send unwanted messages, launch apps, and so on, which is not only annoying but potentially battery draining as well. Is there a solution to this? Well yes – add a PIN or pattern to your phone that will lock the screen, thus preventing you from accidentally launching apps or pocket dialing anyone.
Of course there is the possibility that you could end up locking your phone by entering the wrong pattern or code many time, so that’s something to be aware of. Hopefully Google will come up with a solution to address this, but in the meantime have you guys any solutions to this problem?


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Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono has announced on Twitter that he has resigned from the Capcom’s Vancouver studio, Ono who has also worked on Dead Rising and the upcoming PS4 game Deep Down goes on to say “I resigned from the director position about CAPCOM Vancouver. Thanks good staff of CAPCOM Vancouver, and Dead Rising staff!”
Capcom producer Kazunori Sugiura has revealed in a livestream that upcoming free to play MMO won’t have any playable female characters. Without revealing too much, this apparently goes down to story details.
Capcom Producer Kazunori Sugiura has confirmed that their upcoming F2P online RPG has been delayed beyond the launch of the PS4 in Japan, which will be this coming February 22.
Anticipation was high for the game, as one of the new original IPs coming from Japan. As it stands, Final Fantasy XIV A Realm Reborn is the closest next equivalent, although people can already play it on PC and PS3. Following delays of Driveclub and Watch Dogs, which also tout online features Japanese PS4 fans have that less reason to get the console at the onset.
Capcom surprised eveyone last night when they decided to show off their new IP running on their next gen engine. The Phanta Rhei engine was … Read moreCapcom’s New IP ‘Deep Down’ Announced for PS4


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BELGIUM – Beer giant AB InBev has alerted wholesalers of its intentions to discontinue two of its canned drink brands, Babe Wine and HiBall, to “better focus and simplify” its brand portfolio.
The Belgium brewer has informed retailers they can finish selling excess inventory of products, but they will not get any more supplies of the brands.
AB InBev noted that it’s now pursuing an “unbiased, consumer-based view of category growth drivers and their impact on segments and brands,” and will adjust company strategy accordingly.
Anheuser-Busch, through its affiliate ZX Ventures, acquired the remaining stake in US canned wine company Babe Wine in 2019.
Babe, known for its lineup of canned wines, was founded in 2016 under the name Swish Beverages by David Oliver Cohen and Josh Ostrovsky. The brand was created with the mission to simplify the wine category by introducing a “fun, inclusive, and portable product.”
“We pride ourselves on putting the consumer first and evolving with them through innovation and cultural engagement, and Babe Wine is in a class by itself when it comes to understanding their drinkers and building brand loyalty,” Anheuser-Busch CEO Michel Doukeris said in 2019 upon the acquisition.
The deal saw AB InBev-owned Anheuser-Busch continue to expand its Beyond Beer portfolio as it looks to provide consumers with “winning brands for every occasion.”
The world’s largest brewer acquired Hiball, a San Francisco-based producer of energy drinks and owner of the Alta Palla brand of organic sparkling juices and sparkling waters in 2017.
The acquisition marked another step into the non-alcoholic drinks sector for the company and committed to transitioning the Hiball Energy and Alta Palla brands to its wholesaler partners.
“Hiball’s products target some of the most important trends in the beverage space today, including health and wellness,” the company said in a statement.
Anheuser-Busch InBev sells one of its acquired-craft breweries to founders
Meanwhile, AB InBev has also divested the Appalachian Mountain Brewery, an independent craft brewery located in North Carolina back to its founders.
Nathan Kelischek and Chris Zieber founded Appalachian Mountain Brewery in 2011, a modest-sized brewery that produced just 500 barrels of beer in 2013.
It quickly began to grow. In 2018, Appalachian Mountain was fully acquired by Portland-based Craft Brew Alliance (CBA), which at the time was partially owned by A-B InBev.
Following the AB InBev’s full acquisition of CBA in 2020, Appalachian Mountain Brewery became part of A-B InBev’s High-End division.
In a statement, the founders said: “We will be shifting our focus immediately on growing our local team, opening our new taproom in Mills River, NC, and continuing our investment in sustainability and philanthropy efforts that make a difference in our North Carolina communities. This all hinges on producing the highest quality products and delivering a unique experience for our customers.”


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Salmonella risk prompts beef recall
JBS Tolleson Inc., a Tolleson, Arizona, establishment, is recalling more than 6.5 million pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with salmonella, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The items, including ground beef, were packaged on various dates from July 26 to Sept. 7. The products subject to recall bear establishment number “Est. 267” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations and institutions nationwide.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service was notified in September of an investigation of salmonella Newport illnesses. The service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state public health and agriculture partners have now determined that raw ground beef was the probable source of the reported illnesses.
The investigation has identified 57 people from 16 states with illness onset dates ranging from Aug. 5 to Sept. 6. Products sold in Illinois and Missouri include Grass Run Farms Natural Beef.
Consumption of food contaminated with salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated product. The illness usually lasts four to seven days. Most people recover without treatment. In some people, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Older adults, infants, and persons with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a severe illness.


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BROWNSBURG, Ind. – Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing has announced its partner line-up and unveiled all-new looks for 10-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion, Donny Schatz and team owner and three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart.
The pair, both kicking off their respective campaigns with Arizona Speedway’s Wild Wing Shootout on Jan. 21-24, will embark on highly-competitive agendas during the new year, as Schatz will chase an 11th WoO championship and Stewart will battle head-to-head with the nation’s finest in “true outlaw” fashion.
Rush Truck Centers, the premier solutions provider to the commercial vehicle industry, will once again be a primary partner on Stewart’s familiar No. 14, also fueling Schatz’s title-proven No. 15.
Rush Truck Centers is the largest network of commercial vehicle dealerships in North America, boasting more than 100 dealership locations in 22 states.
Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider that serves both professional installer and do-it-yourself customers with over 4,800 locations across North America, will also be a primary partner on Stewart’s winged sprint car.
Working together to surpass an impressive 2019 win total for Stewart of 10 victories across 410c.i. and 360c.i. competition, the Rush Truck Centers/Advance Auto Parts No. 14 team will spend time with multiple sanctioning bodies this year, including the All Star Circuit of Champions, American Sprint Car Series, United Sprint Car Series, IRA Outlaw Sprint Series, and the Midwest Open Wheel Ass’n.
“We are proud to continue our partnership with Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing again in 2021 and to have the Rush Truck Centers brand on the winged sprint car entries of Tony Stewart and Donny Schatz,” said W.M. “Rusty” Rush, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Rush Enterprises, Inc. “Just like the drive our employees and customers possess, the TSR teams embody that same determination for success.
“We look forward to seeing Tony and Donny carry the Rush Truck Centers brand into victory lanes around the country in 2021.”
For a second consecutive season, Carquest, an American automotive parts distribution network owned and operated by Advance Auto Parts through independent retailers, will support Fargo, N.D., native Schatz as a primary partner.
“Teaming up with champions and fan favorites like Tony Stewart and Donny Schatz is a tremendous opportunity for our brands,” said Junior Word, Division President, Carquest North America. “We are proud to be part of the incredibly successful program that Tony has established while reaching our customers and sprint car fans across the nation.
“On behalf of our entire team, we look forward to cheering Tony Stewart Racing to many victories in 2021.”
In addition to Carquest, Ford Performance, the official engine provider for TSR, will also return as a primary partner on Schatz’ No. 15.
Owned and operated by the Ford Motor Company and headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., Ford Performance is responsible for the brand’s major racing operations globally as well as overseeing the development of Ford’s racing engines.
The 2021 season will see TSR continue its assistance in developing and perfecting Ford Performance’s 410c.i. engine, the FPS 410. In 2020, Ford Performance helped power Schatz to five WoO victories, ending the season third in the Series championship standings.
Of Schatz’s five victories, two awarded major paydays, including a $75,000 check during Schatz’ sixth National Open title at Williams Grove Speedway.
A win during Lernerville Speedway’s historic Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup scored Schatz $25,000; the seventh Silver Cup win of Schatz’ career.
Tony Stewart earned FPS 410’s first sprint car victory during IRA action at Plymouth Dirt Track in August of 2019.
The 2021 season will be Schatz’s 25th as a full-time WoO competitor and his No. 15 entry will also carry Ford’s Iconic Silver color to help commemorate the anniversary.
“We’re looking forward to taking what we learned about the FPS 410 engine last year and capitalize on the strong teamwork we developed to make 2021 even better,” said Christian Hertrich, Motorsports Powertrain Supervisor, Ford Performance. “Our goal is to introduce significant hardware updates that will ultimately provide Donny and Tony with a winning package, and the way we plan to do that is by optimizing the use of our Ford Performance analytical tools and testing facilities at both Ford Motor Company and Shaver Specialties throughout the season.”
Continuing an 11-year relationship with the Brownsburg, Ind. based motorsports operation, Curb-Agajanian Racing will again partner with TSR as a co-entrant for both Stewart and Schatz.
Partnering in 2010 for the first time, Curb-Agajanian Racing, Curb Records and TSR own a longstanding tradition of monumental success, acquiring not only victories but six Knoxville Nationals championships and six World of Outlaws championships.
On board for a fourth season at TSR is Sage Fruit, the sales and marketing firm for four grower/packer/shippers of Northwest Tree Fruits, as well as an entity that oversees the farming of several thousand acres of orchards throughout Washington and Oregon, will return in 2021 as a major partner for both Stewart and Schatz.
Working to expand its Shield Health Protection Product line as well as its body cameras for active law enforcement, Lenexa, Kansas’ Digital Ally will also return to TSR as a major partner for the 2021 season.
Specializing in the design and manufacturing of the highest quality video recording equipment and analytic software on the market, Digital Ally will celebrate two years as a TSR partner this year.
Absolute Automation & Security, empowering clients by integrating technology into their lives with customized automation and security systems that add efficiency, convenience, and peace of mind; and Hunt Brothers Pizza, the nation’s largest brand of made-to-order pizza in the convenience store industry with over 7,800 locations; will also return to TSR as essential partners for the new season.


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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- An upcoming 13-day trade mission to Europe will be an opportunity to thank the more than 80 companies with investments in West Virginia, as well as a chance to recruit new business interests, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said Tuesday.
Tomblin announced the trade mission to Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy Oct. 10-22, saying it will be an chance to meet with European investors and business interests "on their home court."
"We do have many European companies that are currently doing business in West Virginia, with several thousand West Virginians employed," Tomblin said.
It will be Tomblin's second foreign trade mission as governor. He noted that the previous mission, to Japan in June 2012, resulted in more than $100 million of new investment in the state.
Commerce Secretary Keith Burdette said the mission entourage will be fairly small, with the governor, an aide, three representatives of the state Development Office, and a security officer.
"We're very excited about this. The planning is still evolving. We're literally still scheduling meetings as we sit here today," Burdette told reporters.
In addition to more than 20 private meetings with company executives and investors, Tomblin will host trade seminars in Italy and Switzerland and will attend the K Trade Fair in Dusseldorf, Germany, the largest international trade fair for manufacturers of plastic and rubber products.
The state Polymer Alliance Zone will have a booth at the trade fair, Burdette said.
"We want to take the message that this is one of the largest ethane fields in the world," Burdette said, referring to the Marcellus Shale region. Ethane, a byproduct of natural gas fracking, is the primary component in ethylene, the main raw material in producing plastics.
While part of the mission will be to thank companies currently investing in West Virginia, Burdette said, "We have several prospects the governor will hopefully visit with that we think are in the final stages of decision-making."


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Let’s say you’re at a furniture store and see a couch you like. It has the number of seats you need for your living room and the cushions are comfortable. But the model in the store is cotton, and that just won’t do — you wanted leather. How are you supposed to know if you like how it looks in person?
At stores with Y Combinator-backed VizeraLabs’s projector installed, you can see what every fabric looks like on a display model instantly. The company wants to replace the books full of different fabrics you can look through at furniture retailers with a projector paired with Microsoft’s Kinect hardware and pretty much any device that can connect to its growing database of materials and patterns in the cloud.
Craigslist has come to be known as a modern take on the classifieds section of a newspaper, but Zachariah Reitano and Henri Stern want to go further and provide a real-time exchange service. That’s where Shout comes in.
Shout is a real-time classifieds that lets individuals exchange anything with others on the service. The iOS app lets users offer up something for sale, such as a ticket or a reservation, or make a request, such as a delivery. “Shouts” are linked to a location, a price and a short description and can either be free or cost a specific amount.
Kickstarter, Indiegogo and other crowdfunding platforms have been a big hit with product makers and creative types, but a new company called Local Lift wants to now bring the power of crowdfunding to those in the local, small business community, too.
With the Local Lift platform, business owners are able to raise funds directly from their customer base and the community at large by running 30-day campaigns for small amounts of funding, usually averaging around $7,000-$8,000, based on early trials.
The idea for the startup comes from a team with financial and business backgrounds, including former Harvard Business School grads, Broderick McClinton, who previously worked at BlackRock and spent time in New Orleans working on economic development issues; and Eric Sonnier, previously of Deloitte and mobile ad startup MdotM. Meanwhile, CTO Matt Christen’s background involves development work on high-frequency trading platforms.
Applications for Startup School 2014 are now open. Apply here.
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Trying to make access to the world’s largest cryptocurrency automatic for the people, BitAccess is looking to build a network of automated Bitcoin banking machines available worldwide.
The concept of a Bitcoin ATM isn’t new, with companies like Robocoin Technologies,GenesisCoin, Lamassu Bitcoin Ventures, and BitXatm all launching variations on bitcoin transaction hardware, but BitAccess touts an incredibly easy interface, a broader vision of how new hardware can be used, and the fact that it is the only player manufacturing its own transaction hardware.
“All you need is a phone number and a dollar,” to get a unit of Bitcoin says Haseeb Awan, one of the four co-founders behind BitAccess.
Over the last few years, technology has steadily worked its way into the concert-going experience. Apps make the ticket purchasing experience a simple affair, while the endless flood of social data gives promoters and bands the ability to target their marketing efforts at those most likely to enjoy their particular style.
Y Combinator batch company TicketLabs wants to make that technology affordable and accessible for smaller artists and venues. So far, most of these improvements have gone to the high end of the market — companies like Ticketmaster were able to use its lock on the space to invest in improving the experience while collecting social data through social check-ins.According to TicketLabs CEO Ian Roberts, the company put down its first lines of code on January 1 and brought in its first revenue on January 16. From there, the company expanded with the help of promoters in the Toronto area. By building for smaller players, it became obvious how to expand their product.
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In the San Francisco Bay Area and elsewhere in the world, 100 people are testing out a debit card that lets them pay with bitcoin and Ripple, and, in the future, regular money and loyalty points. These users are part of a pilot program run by the Y Combinator-backed startup called Shift Payments, a company working to make it as easy to spend digital currencies, cryptocurrencies and loyalty points as it is to spend regular, fiat money.
Shift was founded by Meg Nakamura, Eugene Otto, and Greg Kidd – a team with backgrounds in payments, telecom and regulation, making them an ideal group for tackling something as complex as bringing digital currencies and loyalty points into the offline world, where they’re attached to a “normal” debit card.
Sam wrote about this in his recent blog post, but I've found that important and seemingly obvious things often bear repeating. So with Demo Day approaching, I'd like to make the following point explicit:
Y Combinator has a zero tolerance policy for inappropriate sexual or romantic behavior from investors toward founders.
Don't even think about doing it. I will find out. Y Combinator will not continue to work with you.
News also travels fast around the YC community. Past and future YC alumni will likely find out about your actions and find them equally unacceptable.
Nearly all the investors we know are completely upstanding and professional, but even one inappropriate incident is too many.
At first, what Theorem does sounds like what a lot of other companies do: It’s an online marketplace for well-made, higher-end clothing and accessories. But Theorem comes with a very interesting twist: The price of each item is up for negotiation. Buying something on Theorem hearkens to the kind of back-and-forth haggling that’s been practiced in flea markets and bazaars for centuries, but brought online into the modern age and spruced up with a lot of smart technology.
At Theorem’s beta launch in April, the San Francisco-based startup had just two staffers — cofounders Ryan Jackson and Adam Roberts, pictured here — was completely bootstrapped, and only a handful of merchants had agreed to sell items through the site. But even in those early days, it was very apparent to me that Theorem had what it takes to be on to something big.
Once confined to research labs and science fiction, quantum computing is finally reaching a point where researchers aren’t simply trying to find out what’s possible, but looking at how they can actually work the technology into commercial hardware.
Rigetti Computing, a member of the current Y Combinator batch, wants to be one of the companies that leads the effort to create an ecosystem around quantum computing. Founded by a former high-ranking researcher at IBM and Yale, the company plans to bring consistent performance improvements to the field through an iterative, simulation-driven prototyping process.


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Techstars Los Angeles hosted its annual Demo Day on Thursday, featuring a cohort of 12 startups from around the world working in healthcare, space, e-commerce and more. The event capped a three-month acceleration program attended by all companies in person in Los Angeles, allowing a virtual audience to learn about start-up and pre-startup companies seeking funding and potential partners. .
As startups ranged from commerce to quantum computing, many of them had one thing in common: data collection. We all know what data collection means to consumers: spending a few days with my new cat owner roommate, for example, once turned into a deluge of cat litter ads every time I scrolled my phone. For startups, collecting data means opportunities to create solutions that can save companies money and help reduce bottlenecks.
Showcases like Demo Day typically feature the types of technology that investors believe will resonate in the market. The cohort’s health tech companies, for example, have been largely driven by the health system issues that have been exposed by the pandemic.
Matt Kozlov, managing director of Techstars LA and a longtime investor in these industries, told dot.LA that he’s specifically looking for companies that don’t need to raise as much money, either by seeding, becoming profitable right from the start or by combining the two. Startups leave the program with a $20,000 investment from Techstars; in return, Techstars gets a 6% stake in each company.
Rwazi, a Mauritius-based startup and Techstars LA’s first investment in Africa, was one of the showcasing companies to tap into the consumer habits of the developing world, which contributes $5 trillion to the economy every year. global, but lacks comprehensive data as many digital transactions are not traceable.
The seed-stage company aims to collect and share consumer data from regions that conduct a large portion of cash transactions. Using Rwazi, businesses can analyze customer data, such as the demographics who buy their products, and the company’s “mappers” collect this information from small and large businesses and share it through the platform. Rwazi, which currently operates in Africa, plans to expand into South, Southeast Asia and South America. Joseph Rutakangwa, CEO of Rwazi, called this region alone a “40 billion dollar opportunity”.
Then there’s Pear Suite, a Seattle healthcare startup serving seniors. Healthcare organizations lack data on patient behaviors that could allow them to provide preventative care before a grandparent gets sick or ends up in the ER, adding money to the economy already expensive health care. Pear Suite collects and leverages patient data that healthcare organizations can use to predict and prevent potential issues down the road.
Finally, San Francisco-based Squid iQ came on the scene after the pandemic upended the antiquated hospital system, where ventilators and beds couldn’t keep up with the demand for care, and doctors had to make tough decisions about who to treat. Poor medical equipment inventory has long plagued hospitals that deal with an array of emergencies and sometimes cannot locate a lifesaving device. Squid collects data on the type of technology, its duration of use as well as its location when not in use. The process can allow healthcare staff to spend more time caring for patients and help hospitals save money.
Overall, healthcare has lagged in optimizing data collection to improve care, reduce costs and save lives. Collecting data, in some cases, is a game-changer – and it will be interesting to see whether industries operating with archaic technology will adopt these startups, or whether these new companies will encounter the same bottlenecks as those that came before them.
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Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, has used Australia's falling OECD broadband penetration ratings as evidence that the National Broadband Network is needed.
A number of different technologies are being developed or improved to offer higher speeds for fixed and mobile broadband networks, as operators are preparing to compete with each other and carry video traffic in 3D and at higher resolutions, which is...
Almost three weeks after its rivals launched Samsung’s hyped Galaxy Tab Android tablet on Australian shores, the nation’s biggest telco Telstra has come to the party, launching the same device on a range of monthly plans.
Popular talk show host, Oprah Winfrey, has agreed to use Telstra's telco services while in Australia. The company claimed around 300 of Winfrey's viewers would get free access and infrastructure during the stay.
One-in-two telco customers have had issues with poor technical, customer service and complaints handling and one-third of them were displeased with their treatment, according to a new report.
Macquarie University has deployed “hundreds” of iPads to meet staff demand for the hyped Apple tablet — just a scant few months after the device launched in Australia in late May this year.
Six months after Google first released the 2.2 or 'Froyo' version of its mobile operating system, HTC has made the update available to Australian owners of its flagship HTC Desire handset – through its website, if not directly over the air.
Telstra has become the first carrier in Australia to release its own branded portable Android tablet, citing a gap in the entry-level market as a core reason behind its aggressive pricing.
The National Broadband Network (NBN) could get the Opposition's approval if a Productivity Commission study into the $43 billion project came back with a positive report, shadow communications minister, Malcolm Turnbull has said.
Telstra has raised data caps and increased expiry periods for its pre-paid mobile broadband plans. According to the telco, the move comes on the back of rising consumption of wireless broadband.
Telstra today started selling its upgraded mobile broadband modem to the wider consumer market, after several months of offering the device -- and its theoretical network speeds of up to 42Mbps -- to big business customers and the government sector.
The first three Australian internet service providers (ISPs) to sign up to Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) service FetchTV now face increased competition in the form of Apple's newly revamped Apple TV service.
Australian Broadband provider Internode this week launched a service that allows customers to keep their existing phone number when migrating to Naked ADSL2+ broadband plans
Australia's biggest telco Telstra has flagged plans to launch its own Android-based handheld tablet device into the midst of a market which is about to explode with options from Apple, Samsung, Dell and more.
Telstra has launched its Pre-Paid Mobile Wi-Fi modem, which will compete with Vodafone's Pocket WiFi modem and Virgin Mobile's Wi-Fi modem.
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Rainbow hair color and bold makeup are increasingly popular thanks to pop stars like Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Katy Perry, but high school students in Lake County, Florida attempting to emulate similar styles may be in trouble soon as the district is voting to ban the beauty looks.
According to a Fox 35 news report, the list of shunned style includes any "extreme" hairstyles, unnatural hair colors, and makeup that affects direct eye contact in the classroom. A school spokesperson named Chris Patton said these creative styles detract from learning. "When you have someone who has extreme hairstyles or different colors like pink or purple, it could be a disruption to the education happening in the classroom," Patton told Fox 35 News. "Kids start talking about it, they start teasing the kids with the different pink or purple color hair."
Do they really? We don't believe that purple hair dye would hinder a girl from working hard to get good grades or learning in the classroom. And what teacher would allow kids to tease each other about their hair during class while they're teaching a lesson? Furthermore, it seems confusing for the school to say pink hair dye is forbidden but red, black, brown, or blond are OK.
When asked for his definition of "extreme" styles, Patton said, "If you have eyeshadow that goes way off the side of your face almost like how a rock-star would have, that too is distracting." Fair enough, that sounds a bit like a Halloween costume, but again how do you draw the line? Patton elaborated saying, "Mascara, eyeshadow, and even the bangs if they are blocking the eyes-where you can't see a students eyeballs, that's even a safety thing." Has anyone ever heard of mascara or eyeshadow that blocks eyeballs? As for eyelash-grazing bangs, many girls (and boys like Justin Bieber) love the look, and we don't know how schools will be able to dictate haircuts.
Fox 35 tracked down students in Lake County who are upset about these proposed rules and find them unfair. "We want to express ourselves and sometimes we want to do it with our hair," said tenth grader Sigorney Schmidbauer. A ninth grader named Abagail Wilbaks told Fox 35, "I agree with the makeup, the hair I don't because it's a way to express yourself."
The final vote is set for August 22, the first day of school. If the beauty ban goes through, any students who wear prohibited styles could be banned from all extracurricular activities.
What do you think of this makeup and hair ban? Do you think the school district is being harsh, or do you agree with them that girls are going to far with their cosmetics and hair dye? How would you feel if your child was sent home and punished because her bangs were too long or her mascara was too "extreme"?
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Italian town bans miniskirts and low-rise jeans
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Officials said their companies are charging ahead with a flurry of new electric vehicle models, citing rising regulatory requirements globally.
Mercedes-Benz Mining News
NMC cathodes currently account for nearly 28% of global EV sales, forecast to grow to 63% by 2027.
Rising oil prices leading to fuel prices at four-year highs, which could turn consumers towards EVs.
Daimler said it will start building a battery plant as part of its planned $1 billion investment to upgrade its factory in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Mercedes-Benz, the world’s largest maker of luxury cars, is rolling out its first in a series of battery-powered models.


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Dunkin’ Donuts one of the world’s leading coffee and baked goods chains, today announced that it will open a new restaurant in Leeds at 92 Merrion Street (the Merrion Centre) on 12th August – the first restaurant in the north of England. As part of the grand opening, the restaurant will host a number of celebratory activities including a ribbon cutting ceremony, a live mural painting by artist Geo Law and in-store offers for guests. In addition, the Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant will act as a ‘combi-store’, stocking a full range of Baskin-Robbins ice cream flavours too.
The new restaurant will be open from 8am - 8pm Monday to Saturday and 10am - 6pm on Sundays, and will employ approximately 25 crew members. The restaurant will have comfortable seating and will provide a welcoming environment for guests to enjoy Dunkin’ Donuts’ food and beverages, Baskin-Robbins’ ice cream and free Wi-Fi.
The new restaurant in Leeds will offer a complete menu of Dunkin' Donuts’ internationally recognised coffee, lattes, donuts, breakfast sandwiches and bakery goods as well as a full selection of Baskin-Robbins premium ice cream flavours.
"Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins are two of the world’s leading brands, and they have also become favourites in the UK” said Maqsud Patel, Spring Petroleum. “We are proud to serve the people of Leeds and hope to become a popular destination for guests.”
Spring Petroleum is a Dunkin’ Donuts UK franchisee and the restaurant in Leeds is the group’s first to open. Dunkin’ Donuts opened its first UK restaurant in Harrow back in 2013 and there are currently nine Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in the following locations: Leeds, Baker Street (London), Harrow, Chelmsford, Hounslow, Cambridge, St Albans, Woolwich and Wood Green.
Published: 13 August 2015
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Basel III will drive banks to seek sticky moneyPUBLISHED: 06 May 2011 00:07:15 | UPDATED: 06 May 2011 04:00:44PUBLISHED: 06 May 2011 PRINT EDITION: 06 May 2011
Commonwealth Bank retail products head Michael Cant said the Basel III banking rules will lead banks to develop new deposit products to shore up their funding positions.
Commenting on the deposit “price war” that has occurred since the financial crisis, Mr Cant said the extra competition had “little impact on growing the overall deposit pool”.
“We saw massive growth in that deposit pool in the first 12 months of the GFC,” Mr Cant said. “That was actually before the price war broke out.” He said deposit pricing was likely to remain competitive, but would not reach the heights of a year ago.
The crisis caused banks to offer relatively more attractive interest rates for deposits, especially for online accounts and term deposits.
The Basel III global liquidity rules, including the liquidity coverage ratio and net stable funding ratio, would cause banks to chase “sticky” retail deposits, Mr Cant said.
“They will further reinforce the importance of stable retail deposits as a funding source for Australian banks. As a consequence I do expect to see some changes in product design to optimise liquidity requirements, with a focus on attracting more sticky money, rather than hot money.”
The Australian Financial Review


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The augmented reality and virtual reality market are poised for stupendous growth in the coming years, from the present USD 37 billion in 2022 to USD 114.5 billion in 2027, a new report by MarketsandMarkets has predicted. That makes for a CAGR of 25.3 percent, which is impressive by any means.
Much of the growth will come from increased uptake of AR devices in various sectors such as healthcare, travel and tourism, training and education, architecture, retail and e-commerce, and so on. Further, interest in AR and VR among the masses has been on the rise in recent times while telecom firms too are seen firming up partnerships with AR and VR device manufacturers with the aim to reduce latency to almost zero. All of this is expected to fuel the rise of the AR and VR markets in the coming days.
The research also revealed it is the head mounted AR and VR displays that were the most in demand in 2021, along with gesture tracking devices. However, AR and VR based hardware are expected to drive maximum growth in the coming days than software. Also, the Asia Pacific region is expected to witness the maximum growth for AR during the forecasted period. As it is, the VR market share in the region has been the highest in 2021.
Key players identified in the AR and VR markets that are expected to dominate proceedings in the coming years include the likes of Google, Microsoft, Sony, Samsung, HTC, Apple, Occulus, Seiko Epson, Lenovo and so on.
You can catch up with the detailed report here.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in the world of technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles as well, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. Motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot and maybe I’ll make a film sometime in the future.