text:
NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mediaocean, the leading software provider for the global advertising world, today announced the launch of its automated guaranteed media buying solution, Prisma Avails, to further simplify and enhance the digital ad campaign process for buyers and suppliers.
Mediaocean's Prisma provides agencies with a one-stop shop for managing their entire campaign lifecycle – from researching and planning, to measuring ad effectiveness and more. Mediaocean supports over 80,000 users across its systems, conducting 7 million transactions daily across all media channels. The new Avails feature adds another layer of campaign management efficiency and control to Prisma, without the need for separate systems or integration.
Traditionally, the digital media buying workflow for premium inventory has involved sending countless RFPs to a publisher over and over, an often time consuming and fragmented process, prone to errors and rogue spend. The Avails feature enables agencies to transact premium automated digital inventory at approved client and agency level rates, and repurchase thereafter with a single click, aligning agencies' workflow with their increasingly digital investment strategies.
Following a successful beta period with numerous agency clients, the general availability of Prisma Avails will allow digital media buyers to reach an ever growing percentage of the U.S. market by purchasing automated guaranteed inventory through Mediaocean's direct publisher and SSP partnerships, including AOL, CPX, iSocket, OpenX, PubMatic, Yieldex, and Yahoo. Agencies will have access to the largest aggregate supply of premium automated guaranteed inventory available.
"Prisma Avails is like the Amazon for digital media buying, one-stop shopping gets you instant inventory access without the ongoing hassle of confirmations and negotiations," said Anush Prabhu, Chief Channel Planning & Investment Officer, Deutsch NY. "We are always looking for ways to improve workflow so our planners can allocate their time for tasks such as research, strategy and optimization. We are excited about how Prisma Avails takes automation of premium inventory to a new level."
"Through Avails, agencies will be able to more efficiently harness the power and reach of Yahoo premium advertising for their clients," said Peter Foster, VP of Solutions Development at Yahoo. "Yahoo is constantly innovating with our partners to make agency and advertiser experiences more simple and effective. This automated guaranteed solution brings the operational efficiencies of programmatic to the world of the beautiful and inspiring ads possible with Yahoo's premium inventory."
"AOL's deep commitment to programmatic is also a commitment to agencies and advertisers to continue providing open solutions, from us and through third-party integrations, that greatly elevate the effectiveness and efficiency of their advertising," said Marta Martinez, Global Head of Video Sales at AOL. "Our pilot program with the Prisma Avails solution is another step in that direction, unlocking new opportunities for media buyers to reach audiences across AOL's world-class properties in a programmatic reserved fashion."
Mediaocean's Prisma for Sellers platform provides media buyers utilizing Prisma seamless electronic transactions with over 1000 of the nation's largest publishers, representing nearly 90% of the market. Prisma Avails is the programmatic evolution of this existing relationship, bringing buyers and sellers even closer together – and enhancing the level of data and analysis available post buy. Once a campaign has commenced, Avails inventory has unique identifiers so that agencies can track performance with precision throughout a placement's lifecycle across all campaigns – making purchasing and repurchasing decisions more intelligent.
"It's always a pleasure to partner with companies like Mediaocean that share our vision of the future of the industry," said Kirk McDonald, President of PubMatic. "Programmatic is more than RTB and this is another step forward in realizing the full potential inherent in the relationship between publishers, their audiences, and advertisers. As the efficacy of programmatic continues to be understood, we're thrilled to provide some of the foundational technology making this a reality."
"All the industry chatter around automated guaranteed does not reflect the true state of the industry," said Manu Warikoo, SVP of Product, Platforms, at Mediaocean. "Until today, it hadn't achieved its potential, largely due to lack of agency buyers participating. Mediaocean has developed the first platform that lets agencies tap into the big publishers they care about most, and makes programmatic buying a part of their daily workflow, rather than something extraordinary."
Avails is available on Prisma today.
Mediaocean is the leading software platform provider for the marketing world. Its open traditional and digital media platforms empower businesses and professionals across the global marketing ecosystem with intelligent automation, efficiency, and flexibility in their workflow – from planning and buying, to analyzing and optimizing, to invoicing and payments. With over 80,000 advertising professionals conducting 7 million transactions daily across all media channels and managing $100 billion annually through its platforms, Mediaocean drives the marketing universe forward. Mediaocean is headquartered in New York with six offices worldwide. Learn more at www.Mediaocean.com, or connect with Mediaocean on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
Vantage PR for Mediaocean
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140403/NY96922LOGO
LONDON, April 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mediaocean, the leading software provider for the global advertising community, today announced Sarah Lawson Johnston as Managing Director, Europe.
In this newly created role, Sarah will oversee all aspects of Mediaocean's UK, France and Germany offices with a particular emphasis on client retention and new business. Sarah will also be integral in leading the company's efforts to expanding to new regions in the European market. Sarah will also continue to manage the UK office, which is Mediaocean's second largest office.
"I am excited to take on this new role to streamline our processes for our European clients. Having Europe under one umbrella will enable us to utilise our resources more efficiently and effectively as we share the product offering, Prisma," said Lawson Johnston.
"We couldn't think of a better person to take on this role and expand our European business," said Bill Wise, CEO of Mediaocean. "I am confident Sarah will be a great leader, and her solid understanding of all areas of the business and key client relationships will help her in these new markets."
In her previous role as Managing Director, UK & Ireland, Sarah successfully oversaw all facets of the relationship between Mediaocean and its UK and Irish clients – from guiding the strategic partnership to account management to the delivery of Mediaocean products. She has been instrumental in shaping Mediaocean's UK and Irish client relations.
Sarah joined the Donovan Data Systems (DDS) account management team in 1994, and rose to become DDS' Director of Agency Relations UK & Ireland. From that time forward, she and her teams have been intimately tied with the major holding companies and large agencies in the UK and Ireland, and across the world.
Mediaocean is the leading software platform provider for the marketing world. Its open traditional and digital media platforms empower businesses and professionals across the global marketing ecosystem with intelligent automation, efficiency, and flexibility in their workflow – from planning and buying, to analyzing and optimizing, to invoicing and payments. With over 80,000 advertising professionals conducting 7 million transactions daily across all media channels and managing £60 billion annually through its platforms, Mediaocean drives the marketing universe forward. Mediaocean is headquartered in New York with six offices worldwide. Learn more at www.Mediaocean.com, or connect with Mediaocean on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
Vantage PR for Mediaocean
New York, NY – December 11, 2013 – Mediaocean, the leading software provider for the global advertising community, today announced the launch of its Connect Partner Platform. Connect allows ad servers, data solution providers, supply businesses, and technology providers to increase their revenue opportunities by easily deploying services on Mediaocean software used by the world’s largest agencies. Handling $100 billion in global advertising, Mediaocean helps 80,000 agency professionals worldwide manage their essential operations and day-to-day tasks.
Via open APIs, streamlined interaction consoles, a developer website, and related offerings, Connect makes it easy for agencies to discover, access, and orchestrate partners within applications and interfaces across Mediaocean’s platforms. By bringing partners in-application, in-workflow, they can easily showcase products to potential customers, and let agencies easily adopt solutions as components of their business-wide technology stacks.
“The ad tech ecosystem is rich with solutions that drive efficiency, intelligence, and targeted audience buying,” said Bill Wise, CEO, Mediaocean. “What’s missing is a single platform to help bring those solutions within agency tech stacks and operations, across digital and traditional media. Connect is that single platform. Connect is doing for ad tech what Apple did to the mobile space and what Bloomberg did for financial trading—bringing outside information and applications into core systems.”
Connect begins with partners spanning four core areas of Ad Servers, Data, Supply, and Technology:
- Ad Servers – Placing partner ad servers within the workflow that agencies use to deploy campaigns and manage reporting, Connect increases opportunities for ad servers to be more extensively utilized throughout campaigns. Connect Ad Serving partners include Atlas; eyeReturn; DG MediaMind; mobile ad serving provider Phluant; PointRoll; and first-party ad serving provider Trueffect.
- Data Solution Providers – Connect brings data, research, attribution, data visualization, and intelligence providers into the points in workflow where agency teams make their decisions. Connect Data partners include comScore; CPG media analytics provider Nielsen Catalina Solutions; media cost-analysis company SQAD; Triton Digital’s digital audio measurement; and marketing attribution software Visual IQ.
- Supply – Through research tools and streamlined buyer/seller interfaces, Connect makes it simple for agency teams to discover, find value in, and process the full range of inventory that Supply partners offer. Connect Supply partners include NCC Media and Pandora.
- Technology Providers – Connect brings third-party tools, in-house platforms, and brand-specific systems into agencies’ core platforms—positioning technology partners to become more critical components of agencies’ software stacks. Connect Technology partners include out of home buying platform ADstruc; Comcast AdDelivery; and video platform FreeWheel.
Partner Supporting Quotes
“ADstruc is excited to provide a truly unified planning and buying workflow for Out-of-Home agencies as a part of Connect. Connect removes barriers to integrating with agency workflows and provides direct access to billions of dollars of OOH media processed through Mediaocean each year,” said John Laramie, CEO of ADstruc.
“Through Connect, Comcast AdDelivery becomes an integral part of the Mediaocean platforms—and, by extension, an integral part of the advertising operations,” said Matt McConnell, Senior Vice President and GM, Comcast Wholesale. “Simply put, Connect is an incredibly powerful pathway into agencies.”
“MediaMind is committed to openness and automation and seeks partners who share this commitment,” said Andrew Bloom, SVP Strategic Business Development, DG. “The combination of a leading multi-screen media planning tool such as Mediaocean, together with our leading multi-screen campaign management platform is a win-win for marketers wanting to drive more effective and efficient planning, buying and campaign management.”
“As the market leader in CPG targeting and measurement, we have more than two years of historical, all-outlet and nationally representative consumer packaged goods sales data on more than sixty million households,” said Mike Nazzaro, CEO, Nielsen Catalina Solutions. “We’re thrilled to be able to deliver that first-in-class data and services efficiently and intelligently through Mediaocean Connect.”
“Connect means it’s easier for agencies to find our inventory that matches their targets—and, just as importantly, it’s easier for them to buy that inventory,” said Joanna Bloor, Pandora’s Vice President of Sales Operations. “That’s an incredibly powerful opportunity for any media seller.”
“Partnering with Mediaocean is a natural fit for Visual IQ,” said Manu Mathew, CEO and co-founder of Visual IQ. “Connect enables us to seamlessly integrate our attribution-informed metrics right into agency workflow, so that agencies can make much more accurate and impactful optimization decisions for their clients.”
To learn more about Connect and becoming a certified Mediaocean partner, contact email@example.com.
New York, NY — May 21, 2013 — ADstruc, the leading planning and buying platform for the outdoor advertising industry, and Mediaocean, the largest independent advertising technology company, with annual billings over $100 billion, partnered to provide the first fully integrated OOH platform for advertising agencies.
By integrating ADstruc’s platform with Mediaocean’s ad management system, Prisma, agencies will now be able to simplify the media buying process by automating their OOH billing process as well as purchase and measure multiple advertising mediums in a single environment. The integration will also enable agencies to leverage their historical purchasing data in Prisma and ADstruc (e.g., price, location, audience, etc.) to make better planning and buying decisions for future campaigns. Agencies have shown particular interest in being able to utilize past campaign data to better evaluate against proposed inventory. The ability to effectively leverage this data is a critical step forward for the outdoor advertising industry.
Ray Rotolo, the COO of Posterscope, said, “ADstruc & Mediaocean’s integration is the first step toward automating transactional processes. It enables us to draw meaningful insights that help us provide value in terms most relevant to our clients. I’m most excited because this paves the way for us to leverage data as an organizational asset. By allowing us to deliver fully informed operational excellence and business intelligence, it complements our superior understanding of consumers and the OOH space.”
John Laramie, CEO of ADstruc, said of the partnership: “Our core focus is enabling agencies to buy smarter and more efficiently by having everything they need, from planning, to RFP management, to buying, to processing payments in one environment. This partnership provides the necessary architecture agencies and holding companies need to operate entirely in one system. We are proud to work with Mediaocean to provide the most efficient end-to-end solution for the outdoor advertising industry.”
Fraser Woollard, VP of Business Development, Mediaocean, added: “Mediaocean promotes integration with technology partners who share our vision of truly efficient, scalable media planning and buying. The integration of ADstruc with Mediaocean’s Prisma fits perfectly within that philosophy. Connecting our systems brings digital intelligence to every form of out-of-home media–that’s a huge step ahead for the industry, and a tremendous benefit to agencies looking to push the boundaries of what OOH agencies can achieve for brands.”
ADstruc is the leading planning and buying platform for the outdoor advertising industry, including both traditional and digital out-of-home media. With an emphasis on data-driven planning, ADstruc helps agencies, national brands, and local businesses discover and efficiently purchase Out-of-Home media campaigns that deliver tangible and measurable results. ADstruc’s cloud-based solution also allows outdoor advertising operators to easily manage their inventory online and interact with new and existing clients in real-time. Learn more at www.ADstruc.com
Mediaocean empowers businesses and professionals across the global marketing ecosystem with intelligent automation, flexibility, and open platforms—letting its partners define their business and future, no matter where the landscape turns. With over 80,000 users conducting 7 million transactions daily and managing $100 billion annually through our systems—across all media channels, in areas from workflow to real time bidding—Mediaocean drives the marketing universe ahead. Learn more at www.Mediaocean.com.
New solution integrates Comcast AdDelivery system with Mediaocean media buying platforms to provide an innovative cross agency management solution
New York, NY and Denver, Colo, May 5, 2013 – Comcast AdDelivery, a cloud-based solution for delivering spot television ads via Comcast’s 100G fiber backbone, and Mediaocean, the largest independent advertising technology company processing more than $100 billion across holding companies and agencies globally, have created a fully integrated ad management solution “Mediaocean Optica.”
Comcast’s AdDelivery system — which delivers spots electronically to 98% of all media destinations in the US, including local and national broadcast stations, national cable networks and syndicators, will integrate with Mediaocean Spectra management systems for TV planners and buyers – which power media management across all six major holding companies in North America. The integrated system brings AdDelivery data into Mediaocean’s Spectra systems, automating formerly labor-intensive manual processes and closing key informational and operational gaps between media and trafficking teams.
Matt McConnell, Senior Vice President and GM, Comcast Wholesale, said of the partnership: “As one of the country’s largest media companies engaged in national and local advertising sales, and a major advertiser, Comcast has a customer-driven focus on the solutions that it provides to advertisers and their agencies. This solution combines our content management capabilities with Mediaocean’s vast experience and scope of advertising management services to provide a cost effective and efficient solution for ad delivery.”
Mediaocean Optica is designed to help bridge the divide between TV media teams—which are responsible for deciding which ads run on which stations—and the creative and trafficking teams, which create ads and work with networks to ensure ads meet technical specifications of agencies and broadcasters. The solution brings innovation and automation to a segment of advertising currently marked by manual work and disconnected data management systems to integrate it with wider agency operations.
Mediaocean Optica will enable agencies to execute advertising campaigns with more efficiency and intelligence, benefitting agencies and advertisers alike. Ultimately, it will promote the holistic management across agency units, laying a critical framework for targeted, optimized TV advertising.
Nick Galassi, President, Agency Systems, Mediaocean, added: “Creating technology to align systems across every part of the agency, and between agencies and broadcasters, is consistent with Mediaocean’s track record for bringing disruptive technology to traditional markets. And with Comcast AdDelivery’s wide reach across broadcasters, unparalleled technology infrastructure, and world-class AdDelivery system, I can’t imagine a better partner to work with to bring this solution to the industry.”
About Mediaocean: Mediaocean empowers businesses and professionals across the global marketing ecosystem with intelligent automation, flexibility, and open platforms—letting its partners define their business and future, no matter where the landscape turns. With over 80,000 users conducting 7 million transactions daily and managing $100 billion annually through our systems—across all media channels, in areas from workflow to real time bidding—Mediaocean drives the marketing universe ahead. Learn more at www.Mediaocean.com.
About Comcast AdDelivery: Comcast AdDelivery, a business unit of Comcast Cable, operates an automated video asset management system that utilizes Comcast’s 100G fiber backbone for cost effective, customizable and secure delivery of HD and SD television advertising spots with distribution to thousands of media destinations across the U.S. AdDelivery’s collaboration with media buying platforms integrates the ad distribution process into their comprehensive service offerings and provides advertisers, agencies and production houses a fast, efficient and reliable method for managing and distributing video assets from post production to broadcast.
Before the news announcement, a quick analogy.
Every day, millions of people go to product sites like Amazon or Overstock.com as efficient, convenient ways to find relevant data about the products you might want to buy—and then to purchase them on the spot.
That’s why, if you’re a vendor, you want your products featured in Amazon, Overstock, and similar shopping sites—so consumers have an easy way to find you.
And if you’re a shopper, you want Amazon and Overstock to feature a very wide selection of sellers and product types—so you get the best choice.
For the media buyers who spend their whole day researching inventory within our systems—and who take very seriously their duty to advertisers to work as efficiently as possible—we’re a little like the Amazons and Overstocks who make finding inventory information easier. And we want to make our system a place that’s as easy as possible to search for things to buy.
Radio buyers know that Pandora is a great place to meet consumers. But until now, the ratings data they needed to make a purchasing decision has lived outside of Mediaocean systems—which has made it prohibitively inefficient for them to research Pandora as a radio buying option.
To solve that problem, Pandora, Mediaocean, and Triton Digital have created a partnership to serve up Pandora audience data into Mediaocean’s radio buying platforms. So in the very system where they conduct their transactions with radio stations, radio buyers can find the Pandora inventory that might be right for them.
We’re rolling out the integration now with beta pilots across a few agencies now, and will make it available across all radio buyers using Mediaocean O|X and D|S systems soon. Stay tuned for updates on progress.
Move affirms commitment to mid-market
New York – Mediaocean has hired David Oliveira, a past executive at Demand Media and Yahoo, as its new SVP / General Manager of M|Buy — a Mediaocean division focused on bringing a suite of technology-based solutions to independent and in-house agencies. M|Buy offerings include white-label technologies such as a full service trading desk, as well as solutions for traditional buying and cross-channel reporting.
Oliveira brings 20 years of media experience to the role, primarily in executive capacities within leading new media organizations. Immediately before joining Mediaocean, he was SVP, National Sales at Demand Media. Prior to that, he held multiple Regional VP Sales roles in the Northwest and the Midwest at Yahoo.
“Mediaocean’s mission is to extend its impact across the full gamut of the marketing ecosystem,” said John Bauschard, President, Platforms at Mediaocean. “With very clear strengths in bringing game-changing, technology-driven media solutions to market, David has precisely the kind of talent we need to lead that change.”
Added Oliveira: “M|Buy’s goal is to bring best-of-breed tools and services that empower agencies and partners to move their clients’ business. We have an exceptional team and some of the most powerful marketing technology I’ve come across. I’m very excited to help put that technology to work for partners of all sizes."
About M|Buy from Mediaocean
Mediaocean gives the marketing industry power over technology in a changing landscape. Its offerings include M|Buy, a media management platform that combines the best in technology, data and services across digital and traditional media — to empower independent and midsize agencies to achieve world-class efficiencies in their media buying and planning.
Businesses join to create an open industry platform to tackle advertising industry challenges
NEW YORK and CHICAGO, September 25, 2011 - Donovan Data Systems (DDS) and MediaBank, two of the world’s best known advertising agency systems, today announced they are merging to form a new company called Mediaocean, with a mission to create a single, neutral and universal operating system (OS) for advertising technology. The new company will address dramatically changing industry needs at a critical juncture. Broad change caused by the movement to digital, fragmentation of audience, data, and technology—as well as the overarching trend of automation—are creating enormous challenges for the advertising ecosystem. Meanwhile, the software solutions needed to solve these mission-critical areas are becoming more complex. Finally, many companies trying to solve these problems are also selling advertising inventory, which may create conflicts.
An independent Mediaocean will continue to invest heavily in advancing its core applications, including national and local TV, print, out of home, and radio and digital, along with creative workflow management. DDS and MediaBank’s joint resources will develop a new, universal and fully open operating system for the advertising industry.
The mission to create the OS, called the Mediaocean OS Project, will encompass common standards, open platforms and universal APIs, to enable any agency, media seller or third party to seamlessly integrate with each other as well as with the Mediaocean systems. Mediaocean expects that the economies of scale from this merger will allow it to additionally invest in the building and supporting of new systems in the ever changing global market. This in turn will result in lower overall costs for Mediaocean clients. Mediaocean will be able to offer neutral, independent solutions to the entire ecosystem.
Mediaocean will be led by Michael Donovan, founder and chairman of Donovan Data Systems, as Mediaocean executive chairman; and Bill Wise, MediaBank CEO, as the new company’s CEO.
Mediaocean is focused on the industry worldwide. “Technology solutions must address the global advertising industry, enabling the coordination of technology across businesses, applications and data, media channels and geographic regions,” says Bill Wise. “Our goal is to give agencies the tools and control they need to realize their full value in a changing landscape, and to do so with complete transparency and neutrality.”
Michael Donovan, executive chairman of Mediaocean, is confident that the combined companies will enable clients to do their jobs effectively on a global scale. “The potential of the merger is enormous. It will enable the entire industry and inspire every advertising professional and system developer. It will empower agencies to embrace continuous change and keep their lead in a fast changing digital world—no matter what automation, digital media and new players in the advertising space may throw at them. After more than four decades in the media technology business, I can’t think of a more exciting next step.”
The merger is pending US government regulatory approval. LUMA Partners advised DDS on the deal.
Mediaocean will give the advertising industry the power over technology in a changing landscape. It will achieve this through the Mediaocean OS Project: a mission to empower buyers and sellers to configure any set of third-party technology tools into the precise stack of solutions they need. Mediaocean OS products will be global, neutral and open. MediaOcean also provides market leading media and creative workflow tools, born from the technology of Donovan Data Systems and MediaBank. Mediaocean has more than 800 employees in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, France and India. www.mediaocean.com.
Company officially forms March 1, goal to create universal operating system for the advertising business
Donovan Data Systems (DDS) and MediaBank announce that their merger is approved by the US Department of Justice.
The two firms become Mediaocean, effective March 1, with the immediate goal of creating the first global operating system designed specifically for the advertising industry: Mediaocean OS.
Mediaocean OS will be an open platform with universal APIs—enabling advertisers, agencies, media sellers, and third-party application builders to integrate with it seamlessly. That interoperability will enable limitless configuration of tools and customizable offerings for any advertiser or business need—empowering agencies to differentiate and remain nimble in the face of ever-changing media technology.
“We’re living through a revolution in communications,” says Bill Wise, Mediaocean CEO, “one we all want to take full advantage of. Imagine easily integrating campaigns across all traditional and digital media, so marketers manage brand resources around the globe in the same way they do within their home market today. Imagine applying the amazing data that’s captured on consumer preferences, behavior and location in real time, to individualized marketing efforts. With today’s proprietary, silo systems, this is almost impossible, but with an open platform, we can realize it tomorrow.”
Michael Donovan, Mediaocean executive chairman, believes an open operating system will unleash a new wave of creativity in the ad industry. “When I started DDS back in the 1960s, TV was coming into its own, and agencies were struggling to use it effectively. DDS systems made TV planning and buying much more efficient, freeing-up agency resources to focus on creative. The result was a renaissance of creativity in advertising messages. Now, digital media and changes in consumer behavior pose a completely new and different challenge—how to make effective use of all the data. We believe the open Mediaocean OS will help agencies and third-party developers quickly create innovative tools and systems to harness that data. Agencies are entering a new renaissance—this time built on information creativity.”
Mediaocean gives advertising agencies power over technology in a rapidly changing world. It achieves this through Mediaocean OS: a platform to empower agencies to configure third-party technology tools into the precise stack of solutions that will carry advertisers through market disruption. Mediaocean creates products that are global, neutral, and open. Through them, agencies can incorporate and connect directly with the tools and technologies they need. To learn more about how Mediaocean is changing the face of media, visit mediaocean.com


text:
MIT makes Hornet multicore simulator power aware
March 12, 2012 // Peter Clarke
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a software simulator, called Hornet, that they claim models the cycle-accurate performance of multicore chips and scales up to 1,000 of cores.
The research group reported on the Hornet simulator at the International Symposium on Networks-on-Chip in 2011 and won a best-paper prize, MIT said. The team presents an enhanced version of the simulator in the forthcoming issue of IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems that factors in power consumption as well as patterns of communications between cores, the processing times of individual tasks, and memory-access patterns.
To maintain accuracy of simulation and achieve reasonable run times researchers typically use models of processor cores implemented on programmable chips. To finish in a reasonable time software-only simulations have to sacrifice accuracy and precision.
Hornet sits between the two approaches, according to Myong Hyon Cho, a PhD student in MIT's department of electrical engineering and computer science (EECS) and one of Hornet's developers. It is intended to complement the other two approaches.
Although Hornet is slower than some predecessors it can provide cycle-accurate simulation of chips with 1,000 cores. Cycle accuracy is important to catch race and deadlock conditions. Hornet has already proved itself in the simulation of an architecture in which tasks are handed out to cores holding relevant data – rather than moving data to cores running particular tasks. Hornet found a deadlock condition. The researchers also proposed a way to avoid it — and demonstrated that their proposal worked with another Hornet simulation.
Hardware-based simulators cannot be reprogrammed so easily. Hornet could have advantages in situations where "you want to test out several ideas quickly, with good accuracy," according to Edward Suh, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Cornell University, whose group used an early version of Hornet.
However, because Hornet is slower than either hardware-accelerated simulation or less-accurate software simulation it does tend to be used to simulate small parts of an application.
Europe leads world in chip market growth
September 02, 2014
In July the European region showed the strongest year-on-year growth of all regions tracked by the World Semiconductor Trade ...
Radar-based blind spot assist to eliminate collisions during turning
German company wins bid to crash cars in China
European semiconductors sales up 14.9% this year
EE Times' annual salary & opinion survey report
Toshiba announces image sensor strategy
September 01, 2014
Toshiba Corp. has issued a press release detailing its strategy for the image sensor market.
DelfMEMS promotes CFO to CEO
Sensata to pay $1-bn for tire pressure sensor leader
ADCs for high dynamic range – successive-approximation or sigma-delta?
- Power Modules: The New Super Power
- Flexible Performance for Network Security Appliances
- Digital Power Management Reduces Energy Costs While Improving System Performance
- Using RF Recording Techniques to Resolve Interference Problems
InterviewA question of Europe
Sir Peter Bonfield sits on the board and has advisory roles in many international companies and universities. With more than 45 years of experience in electronics, computers and communications, here he ...
Filter WizardCheck out the Filter Wizard Series of articles by Filter Guru Kendall Castor-Perry which provide invaluable practical Analog Design guidelines.
Linear video channel
READER OFFERRead more
This month, Trinamic Motion Control is offering you to win one of four TMCM-1043 development kits for its highly integrated, NEMA 17-compatible TMCM-1043 stepDancer stepper motor module.
Offering designers an easy-to-use PC-based GUI that allows one-click modification of motor drive current, micro-stepping and other key parameters, the intuitive kits are custom designed and developed for...MORE INFO AND LAST MONTH' WINNERS...
December 15, 2011 | Texas instruments | 222901974
Unique Ser/Des technology supports encrypted video and audio content with full duplex bi-directional control channel over a single wire interface.

domain: news


text:
Vita sales slid to a level not seen since the barren post-launch wasteland of 2012 in Japan, with the machine selling 5,600 in the latest Media Create hardware sales figures.
Sales are definitely been caned by the Switch, which is selling every unit Nintendo can make in Japan, with Mario Kart to come in a couple of weeks. And with Minecraft coming to Switch soon, it should make an easy replacement for all those Japanese currently loving the blocky game on their Vita.
The only Vita interest on the chart, aside from Minecraft, is Entergram's new busty schoolgirl adventure RepKiss which managed to sell around 3,000 copies.
Still, things are looking up over the next few weeks, with Sting's Dungeon Travelers 2-2 out this week and Desire Remaster, Akiba's Beat and Exile Election on the 27th, but even that lot won't move Vita sales much, Sony needs new colours or a new model and fast to stay competitive, which seems less likely than ever, even as Switch gains steam.
While the small but loyal Vita userbase may continue to punch way above their weight in Japan, the power of the Switch launch will soon see publishers and developers switch focus if momentum continues.


text:
Forget the Apple TV, today Microsoft announced that its partners will launch 45 new apps for the Xbox One and Xbox 360, growing its catalog of content partners by 25% and giving users new reasons for picking up its console.
The company took to its Xbox Wire news blog to share information about the apps earlier today. According to Microsoft, users can expect the amount of apps available on the Xbox One and Xbox 360 to make huge strides over the next six months.
Users in the United States with an Xbox 360 can expect FXNow, KDrama, NHL, ShowTime Anytime, Sky News, Watch ABC, Watch Disney Channel, Watch Disney Junior and watch Disney XD to be available sometime this year.
These are important because it’s now the Xbox 360 that competes most closely with set-top boxes like the Apple TV. The Apple TV starts at $99 and gives users access to content they’ve purchased in the iTunes Music and Video Stores. By comparison the 4GB Xbox 360 costs $179.99 from the Microsoft Store.
Yes, that’s nearly double the Apple TV, but users also get a wider assortment of apps to use like the Verizon FiOS live streaming video app with the Xbox 360. Additionally, the Xbox 360 also allows users to play games on their television and watch play all the music, video they’ve purchased on their PC through Xbox Music and Xbox Video. Recently, Microsoft also ditched the pay wall that kept Xbox 360 users from downloading apps. Starting today, there’s no required Xbox Live Gold subscription for things like Netflix and Hulu Plus.
For those who want a premium next-generation experience Microsoft is adding some new entertainment apps to the Xbox One. In the United States that expanded line up of apps will include Comedy Central, Crunchyroll, ENCORE Play, EPIX, Frightflix, GoPro, HBO Go, iHeartRadio, KDrama, MLG, MOVIEPLEX Play, MTV, NBA, NHL, Popcornflix, Sky News, STARZ Play, Syfy Now, Target Ticket, TuneIn, USA Now, Vevo and VH1.
Though the entertainment apps are certainly interesting, Microsoft is also highlighting two upcoming social media apps for the Xbox One as well.
The first of these social media apps is Twitter. According to Microsoft, It’ll be integrating Twitter directly into the Xbox One’s OneGuide. Users will be able to see what shows their friends are talking about in real-time as well as check the hashtag for shows they’re watching directly through the OneGuide. Microsoft says “A commercial break [will turn] into a quick and easy opportunity to see what other viewers are tweeting about without pulling out your phone” with the integration. Presumably, users will be able to post status updates from this experience as well, but Microsoft didn’t confirm that so we’re left to wonder. The entire idea sounds a lot like what Microsoft tried to do with the Xbox 360 and Netflix Parties a few years ago. This app and the Vine video app that’ll allow users to watch their friend’s short clips won’t be available anywhere else but the Xbox One.
The Xbox One isn’t as competitively price against the Apple TV as the Xbox 360 is. It costs $499 today, but Microsoft is introducing a $399 model on June 9th. In addition to next generation gaming, the Xbox One also offers one extra neither the Apple TV nor the Xbox 360 has. Xbox One owners can pair their console with a cable box and watch live television directly through the console. If they do that, switching to a specific channel is as simple as saying “Xbox, Watch ABC Family.”
It’s also worth noting that the Xbox One no longer requires users to have an Xbox Live Gold subscription to use entertainment apps either.
Microsoft says that these new apps sound all launch by this holiday season.
4 Reasons Not to Install macOS Mojave & 10 Reasons You Should Install 10.14.1
The macOS Mojave update could completely change how you use your Mac. Many users will want to install the free update...
How to Take an ECG on the Apple Watch
This guide will show you how to take an ECG with the Apple Watch 4. This is a new feature...


text:
Cambodian customers eager to buy Apple Inc.’s newest iPhone are paying almost double the company’s asking price in other countries, phone vendors in Phnom Penh said yesterday.
At about a dozen phone shops near Phnom Penh’s Central Market, vendors were doing a steady trade in the iPhone 5 at $1,100 for the cheapest, 16-gigabyte model, which retails for about $200 with a mobile operator contract in the U.S., $770 in Singapore and $855 in the U.K.
“If you want to buy this in the U.S., you have to wait many days in line. Here, you can just walk into my shop and buy,” said Dy Leng, manager of Apsara Mobile, which is selling the iPhone 5 at $1,100 for 16GB, $1,250 for 32GB and $1,350 for 64GB.
Mr. Leng said he has sold mostly 64GB models since the smartphone went on sale at his shop on Saturday, though he declined to say just how many he had sold.
The iPhone 5 was released in the U.S. on September 21.
Apple has only six authorized resellers in Cambodia that distribute the U.S. technology giant’s products, but it is usually months after their initial release that new products find their way to those shops. But such products exclude the mighty iPhone, which has never officially gone on sale in Cambodia, and most iPhones purchased abroad need to be “cracked,” or unlocked, to be used with one of Cambodia’s mobile operators.
IPhones are locked when customers enter contracts with service providers in countries where the smartphone is purchased, and the only way to switch operators is by “unlocking” the phone’s software.
In addition to the U.S., Apple so far has only officially released the iPhone 5 in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the U.K.
Mr. Leng said that he got his stock of iPhones from the U.S.
“We got these iPhones from a distributor here who bought them in the U.S. They sell them to me and I resell them. They make a profit of about $400,” he said, though he declined to name the distributor. He added that local customer demand for the smartphone is “soaring.”
Even Prime Minister Hun Sen can’t wait to get his hands on one.
During a graduation ceremony speech Tuesday on Phnom Penh’s Koh Pich, Mr. Hun Sen asked his audience of graduating students, “Is the iPhone 5 in Cambodia yet? Does one of you have it? I want to try it.”
Of the 14 phone shops surrounding Central Market, all but two had the new iPhone for sale.
“I’ve owned every iPhone since the first one, and this one will be the fastest and the best,” said Khum Puth Sieha, 32, who paid $1,100 cash at Hakse phone shop for a 16GB iPhone 5 yesterday.
“I’m OK with paying the higher price because I don’t have to stand in line for days to get it.”


text:
Facebook is starting to approve additional "actions," verbs that let users go beyond Like. Developers can use Facebook timeline actions via the Facebook Graph API, but only if approved by the social network. Social shopping platform AddShoppers received approval for "want" and "own" and even has some Like-like buttons for those actions.
Pokémon Go has become a runaway hit and many developers are showing their enthusiasm for the game by reverse engineering the private, internal Pokémon Go API and creating unofficial third-party apps. The current situation of the Pokémon Go API exemplifies mobile API security concerns.


text:
Tesla denies that accident was caused by car’s autopilot mode.
Tesla refused the claims of the car being in Autopilot mode when a car was crashed on the Pennsylvania Turnpike earlier this month. Tesla said that logs from the car in the accident show that the vehicle took itself out of the autopilot mode, 25 seconds before the accident as the driver didn’t have his hands on the steering wheel. The car was owned and driven by 77-year old Albert Scaglione. This accident of Model X happened on July 1.
How To: Buy a Pokemon Go Plus
CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk said that the car crash would not have happened if the car would have been on autopilot mode. Tesla spokesperson also gave the description of what happened in the 40 seconds before crash.
According to Tesla after 15 seconds, Visual Warning and audible tones were emitted. The autopilot started to disengage at that time because the driver’s hand were not on the steering wheel of car.
About 25 seconds before the crash the Auto steer started to come to a graceful abort, in this case the music was muted, the vehicle began to slow down and the driver was instructed visually along with audibly to put his hands on wheels.
According to Tesla almost 11 seconds from the impact, the driver put his hands back on the wheel, turned it to the left and pressing on the accelerator. According to CNN, Tesla stated that after 10 seconds and almost 300 meters later, the manual steering control was working and the driver drifted out of the lane. It collided with a barrier on road, crossed both lanes of the highway and stuck the median barrier which rolled the vehicle.
Don't Miss: See the first leaked Black Friday 2016 Ad
The accident resulted in the injury and hospitalization of driver. After that NHTSA started its investigation to determine if the autopilot was in motion or not.


text:
It seems like Singaporeans are no longer kiasu (afraid to lose out) when it comes to luxury brands. They now prefer quality and aesthetics when deciding on a luxury purchase, instead of the prestige and status associated with the brands.
According to a survey conducted by Mediacorp and luxury market research firm Agility Research and Strategy, more than half (59 per cent) said they buy luxury brands because of their high quality while 51 per cent said aesthetics is the most important consideration when it comes to a luxury brand purchase.
The survey was conducted with 1,000 affluent individuals who are defined as Singaporeans and Permanent Residents with a monthly household income of at least SGD7,500 (USD5,273).
The survey also found that a most of the respondents said they buy based on what they like and not what others think. They felt that recognition is only meaningful when it comes from people within the same social circles.
However, there is still a small group of affluent Singaporeans who are still brand-conscious and use luxury brands as validations of their social standings. About 38 per cent of respondents felt that it is important for people to recognise the brand they are using while another 31 per cent would want people to know the luxury brands they are buying.
These groups of people are made up of mostly younger individuals with higher incomes who prefer instant gratification over long-term wealth accumulation.
In general, the affluent Singaporeans are moving away from conspicuous consumption and this is in line with the general trend across Asia. “There’s been a general shift among affluent consumers across Asia Pacific over the past two to three years, where we see people getting a little more interested in experiences, rather than just buying luxury goods,” Amrita Banta, managing director of Agility Research and Strategy told Channel News Asia.


text:
After granting a conditional class II used car dealer's license last month to the owner of a lot at 519 Southwest Cutoff-Route 20, which was the subject of several complaints under previous owners, selectmen granted a new class II license last night to Gilmar Bento DaVitoria of Worcester, who plans to operate the business as Victoria Auto Sale.
Mr. DaVitoria has owned two car dealerships for the last 14 months, at 245A Southwest Cutoff and 523-525 Park Ave., both in Worcester. He said he planned to move his current Southwest Cutoff business to the Millbury address because it's a better location.
Selectman E. Bernard Plante, board chairman, said he checked into Mr. DaVitoria's businesses and found no complaints.
As a stipulation of the license approval, Mr. DaVitoria is not to work in any way with either of the lot's previous two owners, Jairo Bicahlo or his brother-in-law, Felipe Josť Ribeiro, who had operated Integrity Auto Imports and Perfection Auto Imports at 519 Southwest Cutoff.
“I know them, but I don't do business with them,” Mr. DaVitoria assured the board.
Selectmen agreed to a request from Board of Appeals Chairman Richard Valentino that the license stipulate a limit on the number of cars allowed on the lot.
Selectmen also voted to award a new wine and malt license to XtraMart at 100 Worcester-Providence Turnpike (Route 146), which is operated by Drake Petroleum Co. Inc. The XtraMart will sell beer and wine in the convenience store.
Selectman Sandra Cristo questioned whether another liquor store was needed in that area, which already has eight.
Town Manager Robert J. Spain Jr. said the license had been owned by the Taft House, which closed several years ago, and no one else had requested it.
Mr. Plante said, “I honestly think if we deny it, they're going to win it on appeal.”
— Susan Spencer


text:
A baffling aspect about the alleged doping scandal that has engulfed two Jamaican sprinters and their Canadian trainer is that it involved a banned drug that takes little effort to expose.
Oxilofrine, also known as methylsynephrine, is a stimulant that can be found in weight-loss supplements, said Christiane Ayotte, head of the INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier doping lab, a facility accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
It has become more popular as an ingredient after another stimulant, ephedrine, which used to be commercially available, became a controlled substance, she said.
In recent years, oxilofrine doping cases have been increasing, from about five cases annually to 15 to 20, Dr. Ayotte said.
"It's ridiculously easy to detect," she said, adding that she was baffled why athletes would use it.
The supplements can be ordered online and oxilofrine itself can also be purchased in bulk from China, she said. "People shouldn't think they'll find it in their breakfast cereal or in regular food. You really have to look for it."
There have been civil suits that allege that supplement manufacturers failed to properly list oxilofrine as an ingredient.


text:
March 29, 2017
When I first started becoming aware of how sleazy, parasitic and corrupt the U.S. economy was, I only had expertise in one industry, financial services. Coming to grips with the blatant criminality of the TBTF Wall Street banks and their enablers at the Federal Reserve and throughout the federal government, I thought this was the main issue that needed to be confronted. What I’ve learned in the years since is pretty much every industry in America is corrupt to the core, more focused on sucking money away from helpless citizens via rent-seeking schemes versus actually producing a product and adding value. Unfortunately, the healthcare industry is no exception.
Today’s post zeros in on a particular slice of that industry. A group of companies known as Pharmacy Benefit Managers, or PBMs. Companies that seem to extract far more from the public than they give back. It’s a convoluted sector that is difficult to get your head around, which is why we should be thankful that David Dayen wrote an excellent piece on the topic recently. What follows are merely excerpts from his lengthy and highly informative piece, The Hidden Monopolies That Raise Drug Prices. I strongly suggest you read the entire thing.
Below are a few highlights from the piece published in The American Prospect:
Like any retail outlet, Frankil purchases inventory from a wholesale distributor and sells it to customers at a small markup. But unlike butchers or hardware store owners, pharmacists have no idea how much money they’ll make on a sale until the moment they sell it. That’s because the customer’s co-pay doesn’t cover the cost of the drug. Instead, a byzantine reimbursement process determines Frankil’s fee.
“I get a prescription, type in the data, click send, and I’m told I’m getting a dollar or two,” Frankil says. The system resembles the pull of a slot machine: Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. “Pharmacies sell prescriptions at significant losses,” he adds. “So what do I do? Fill the prescription and lose money, or don’t fill it and lose customers? These decisions happen every single day.”
Frankil’s troubles cannot be traced back to insurers or drug companies, the usual suspects that most people deem responsible for raising costs in the health-care system. He blames a collection of powerful corporations known as pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. If you have drug coverage as part of your health plan, you are likely to carry a card with the name of a PBM on it. These middlemen manage prescription drug benefits for health plans, contracting with drug manufacturers and pharmacies in a multi-sided market. Over the past 30 years, PBMs have evolved from paper-pushers to significant controllers of the drug pricing system, a black box understood by almost no one. Lack of transparency, unjustifiable fees, and massive market consolidations have made PBMs among the most profitable corporations you’ve never heard about.
Americans pay the highest health-care prices in the world, including the highest for drugs, medical devices, and other health-care services and products. Our fragmented system produces many opportunities for excessive charges. But one lesser-known reason for those high prices is the stranglehold that a few giant intermediaries have secured over distribution. The antitrust laws are supposed to provide protection against just this kind of concentrated economic power. But in one area after another in today’s economy, federal antitrust authorities and the courts have failed to intervene. In this case, PBMs are sucking money out of the health-care system—and our wallets—with hardly any public awareness of what they are doing.
Even some Republicans criticize PBMs for pursuing profit at the public’s expense. “They show no interest in playing fair, no interest in the end user,” says Representative Doug Collins of Georgia, one of the industry’s loudest critics. “They act as monopolistic terrorists on this market.” Collins and a bipartisan group in Congress want to rein in the PBM industry, setting up a titanic battle between competing corporate interests. The question is whether President Donald Trump will join that effort to fulfill his frequent promises to bring down drug prices.
Here’s how it works…
In the case of PBMs, their desire for larger patient networks created incentives for their own consolidation, promoting their market dominance as a means to attract customers. Today’s “big three” PBMs—Express Scripts, CVS Caremark, and OptumRx, a division of large insurer UnitedHealth Group—control between 75 percent and 80 percent of the market, which translates into 180 million prescription drug customers. All three companies are listed in the top 22 of the Fortune 500, and as of 2013, a JPMorgan analyst estimated total PBM revenues at more than $250 billion.
The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, the industry’s lobbying group, claims that PBMs will save health plans $654 billion over the next decade. But we do know that PBMs haven’t exactly arrested skyrocketing drug prices. According to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, between 1987 and 2014, expenditures on prescription drugs have jumped 1,100 percent. Numerous factors can explain that—increased volume of medications, more usage of brand-name drugs, price-gouging by drug companies. But PBM profit margins have been growing as well. For example, according to one report, Express Scripts’ adjusted profit per prescription has increased 500 percent since 2003, and earnings per adjusted claim for the nation’s largest PBM went from $3.87 in 2012 to $5.16 in 2016. That translates into billions of dollars skimmed into Express Scripts’ coffers, coming not out of the pockets of big drug companies or insurers, but of the remaining independent retail druggists—and consumers.
Why haven’t PBMs fulfilled their promise as a cost inhibitor? The


text:
Slyce Inc. recently announced that it will be using its image recognition technology with the retailer Shoe Carnival. Shoe Carnival sells a variety of footwear for people of all ages and has become quite popular. Mobile shoppers will be able to use ShoeCarnival.com to get a quick photo of any footwear they like and find it within the site. Users will be able to take real-world photos or use magazine pictures to search what exactly they’re looking for. Shoe Carnival will present them with matches and the user will be able to buy the shoes within minutes. According to the report on MarketWired, Shoe Carnival is one of the largest shoe retailers in the US and Puerto Rico, with 400 stores.
This partnership with Shoe Carnival will show the world the technology of Slyce and how efficient and beneficial it can be. Consumers will be delighted that all they’ll have to do is snap a photo to find what they are looking for, without having to input any other data into the search. Slyce will get revenues from use of the software licensing and service fees. Shoe Carnival Inc. carries moderately priced footwear for adults and children. The headquarters is in Evansville, Indiana and it is a growing retailer. To see the full article about this partnership, click here .
Slyce Inc. is based out of Toronto, ON and is run by CEO Mark Elfenbein. It is a visual search technology that helps consumers find products they are looking for in the most efficient way possible. Shopper will no longer have to sift through hundreds of search pages to try and find what they are looking for. Instead of typing in a general description of an item into a search bar and looking through results for long periods of time, they’ll be able to get instant results with the use of a photo.
So far, Slyce technology is being used by retail brands such as Home Depot, Neiman Marcus, Urban Outfitters, Tilly’s, and JCPenney. Users will be able to connect with new stores and brands quickly with the use of this technology, and retailers will be able to reach out to more consumers. The technology is extremely convenient and is going to change the way in which consumers shop throughout the world.


text:
Lenovo’s ThinkBook Plus Modernizes Multitasking with a new Laptop Category
e-Ink Cover Display Enhances Productivity with Essential Notifications and Quick Notetaking
Today, Lenovo unveiled the latest ThinkBook designed for the next generation workforce. ThinkBook Plus features an innovative e-Ink cover display that helps users be more productive when multitasking by improving focus, collaboration and creativity. Featuring a 13.3-inch FHD main display and a 10.8-inch e-ink display on the cover, on which users can create illustrations and diagrams with the integrated Lenovo Precision Pen and receive essential notifications when the lid is closed allowing them to stay focused during meetings.
Built for the new generation workforce
Nearly 60 percent of today’s workforce are millennials and Gen Z, and these digital native generations frequently multitask across multiple devices. However, established research1 suggests that we are often inefficient at multitasking, with the average worker losing 2.1 hours per day due to time taken to re-focus on tasks. We know that in today’s work environment multitasking is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean that organizations should have to suffer from the ill-effects of multitasking like the loss of productivity and decreased employee experience. We believe smarter technology should be designed to enhance focus and productivity, whatever your role, whatever the task.
Contact your Memory Bank Computers Lenovo representative today for more information.


text: In next week’s election, Oregon and Colorado will both put ballot measures before voters that would require mandatory labeling of GMO foods. Both measures say that a “yes” vote would satisfy consumers’ right to know about food composition, would allow them to make choices about their health and religious convictions, and is justified by scientific uncertainty about the long-term consequences of genetic modification of crops. Oregon’s measure has much more detail about other possible government objectives, such as safeguarding organic crops and supporting food tracing in the case of bacterial or other outbreaks. Currently, approximately 64 countries require labeling of genetically engineered foods. This map comes from the Center for Food Safety: Right now, it looks like voters will vote “no” at least in Oregon. You will remember that a similar ballot proposition went down in California in 2012 after opponent spent more than $45 million to defeat it, including large contributions by companies such as Monsanto, Kraft, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi. And in 2013, Washington voters narrowly defeated a labeling measure after another expensive campaign. Even if labeling measures are approved by voters, they face rough going in the courts. Vermont went a different route and passed a GMO labeling law through the legislature this year. Now, the State is fighting to defend it against a lawsuit filed a few months ago by the Grocery Manufacturers Assoc. The GMA claims that the law compels it to speak (that is to disclose the presence of GMOs) against its will in violation of the First Amendment. I’ve written about this tricky area of the law: compelled disclosure in the commercial speech context. It’s very tricky and courts have been falling all over the place on what the standard should be. For the most part and for a long time, courts allowed legislatures pretty free reign to mandate disclosure of purely factual information in the advertising context. And in the recent (July 2014) D.C. Circuit case regarding meat labeling, the court sitting en banc went this way, holding that it would not apply heightened scrutiny to laws that required this kind of factual information. At the same time, what courts find to be purely factual and uncontroversial in the labeling context has been changing and moving in a direction that favors corporate speakers. For example, in 2012, the D.C. Circuit found that graphic tobacco labels were not factual and uncontroversial in part because the government was trying to shock consumers with upsetting pictures. And in another case, in 2014, it found that SEC disclosure requirements about whether public companies knew if their products contained “conflict minerals” (from war-torn Congo) was not uncontroversial because it was so ethically-charged. The upshot is that even if Oregonians and Coloradans pass food labeling ballot measures, the ensuing court challenges could be tough. The issues will be whether the state interest in labeling GMO ingredients in packaged food is more or less the same as its interest in labeling the origin of meat or nutritional values. The questions will be whether a GMO label is too ethically-charged to be deemed non-controversial and whether “mere” consumer interest, without more specific health concerns, is reason enough to justify the mandate. Strangely – and paradoxically for a law about transparency – it seems that the less the state says about its rationales, the better. In this sense, the Colorado ballot measure may be better than Oregon’s because it throws fewer reasons out there to assail as controversial. This ingredient is a fact. Consumers are concerned. They have a right to know. Period.


text:
FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- State Rep. Brenda Kupchick (R-Fairfield) and state Sen. John McKinney (R-Fairfield) are celebrating the passing of a bill that attempts to stop puppy mills.
Kupchick and McKinney celebrated the final legislative approval in the House of Representatives to increase standards at Connecticut pet shops and breeders they source from to ensure the animals are treated more humanely, according to a press release.
Kupchick served as co-chairman of the Task Force on the Sale of Cats and Dogs from Inhumane Origins at Connecticut Pet Shops in 2013, and McKinney also served as a member. After multiple public hearings and meetings, the task force submitted recommendations for legislation to the full General Assembly, which formed the basis of Senate Bill 445.
“The task force listened to all the affected stakeholders and the public and put together recommendations," Kupchick said. "While the final bill didn't include the original intent of a total ban of the sale of puppies & kittens in retail pet stores, I believe the legislation will greatly decrease the volume of puppies and kittens from 'puppy mills' and increase awareness of the conditions of breeding dogs in these mills. My hope is people will choose shelter/rescue or local breeders for their pets."
"This bill goes a long way toward catching bad breeders. The proposal - though not an all-out ban on puppy mills - stops pet shops from selling animals purchased from breeders who have been cited for health violations by the federal government," said McKinney.
"Unfortunately, neither the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) nor the state Department of Agriculture has the manpower to monitor and inspect puppy mills regularly. We should protect the animals and unsuspecting families that purchase these pets. This legislation moves Connecticut in that direction."
Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.


text:
Lennox Industries will rebuild in Marshalltown. The factory which produces heating and cooling equipment was heavily damaged by last week’s tornado. Marshalltown Mayor Joel Greer made the announcement at last night’s city council meeting.
“They’re willing to rebuild and just think of the kind of money it’s going to take to get that plant back in operation,” Greer said.
The major suggested it could take $100 million to replace the Lennox factory, which is one of Marshalltown’s largest employers. Greer said the company’s decisions will have ripple effects through the community.
“To be telling their contractor to be buying supplies from the local people who have the supplies and using the local labor, including their own employees,” Greer said.
Greer and the governor met with the company’s executives Monday afternoon to discuss the company’s plans. Lennox Industries was founded in Marshalltown in 1895. About 1400 people were employed at the facility when the tornado hit.
(Reporting by Ken Huge, KFJB, Marshalltown)


text:
O’Reilly Auto Parts in Columbiana set to open Jan. 17
Published 3:35 pm Friday, January 9, 2015
By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer
COLUMBIANA–The finishing touches are being completed and the O’Reilly Auto Parts store on 222 W College Street in Columbiana is set to open on Saturday, Jan. 17.
O’Reilly coming to Columbiana has been met with a positive reaction from the community.
“I welcome them to town, I think they’re going to be a fine addition,” said Columbiana Mayor Stancil Handley. “I’ve had a lot of people with calls who are excited. People who work on their cars after hours and on Sunday are driving to Calera or Alabaster to get their parts. They’re really appreciative that they will be able to stay here now.”
O’Reilly Auto Parts is one of a few new businesses that has opened in Columbiana in the past few months.


text:
CEDAR KNOLLS, NJ - American Safety Razor Company LLC (ASR), an innovator in the production of blade products and currently the fourth largest manufacturer and distributor of wet shaving razors and blades, announced that it has received a refinancing proposal from a major financial institution working in conjunction with a large group of its second lien lenders. The transaction involves only the company’s U.S. and Puerto Rican operations; its other non-U.S. operations and entities are not borrowers under the debt that is being refinanced.
The company said that both its wet shaving and industrial businesses are performing well in 2010 despite challenging economic conditions. “We’re continuing to invest in innovations and new products to grow both our consumer wet shaving and industrial blades businesses,” says Andrew Bolt, chief financial officer and executive vice president. The company is currently making its largest investment ever to develop and launch its next generation shaving technology in early 2011.
The company said that its lenders have extended covenant waiver agreements that would allow the company to pursue the refinancing. The company is also reviewing a backup proposal from its first lien lenders should the second lien proposal not be consummated. Both alternatives would have no operational impact on the company or its stakeholders.
“We are very encouraged by the quality of these proposals and general direction of these discussions. We are fortunate that our lenders have the sophistication and resources to support the company and its future,” says Bolt. “We, along with our lenders, are particularly focused on ensuring that this process will have little or no impact on our employees, customers and trade suppliers. A key part of any deal would be that our employee and trade supplier obligations would be satisfied in full, and that we continue to deliver the high quality product and service our customers expect from us,” continues Bolt. The company said that it is and will continue to remain current with its trade suppliers, and has more than adequate cash reserves of over $30 million to fund ongoing operations.
Report Abusive Comment


text:
Wisconsin woman amasses collection of 23,632 Winnie the Pooh items
Written by Angie Sharma on July 27, 2023
A Wisconsin woman who has held the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of Winnie the Pooh memorabilia since 2008 said her collection now amounts to 23,632 unique items.
Deb Hoffman of Waukesha first earned the record in 2008, when she had 2,891 pieces related to A.A. Milne‘s fictional toy bear, and her record has now been updated by Guinness World Records after the organization confirmed she now has 23,632 different items.
Hoffman’s home is filled with Pooh paraphernalia including stuffed animals, toys, clothing, costumes, jewelry, watches paintings and more.
“I’m having so much fun collecting, meeting people, doing different things. Boy, I just don’t see an end in sight,” Hoffman told WTMJ-TV.
She said the recognition from GWR and previous features in news stories has led to her receiving hundreds of items from complete strangers.
“I am shocked and amazed how often the items are not duplicates,” she said.
Source : UPI news


text:
Deal secured between Lagardère Active Enterprises and Brand Machine Group.
Key names including Danilo, Hallmark, Studio by Gemma and more exhibiting.
YouTube and Strictly Come Dancing star lends voice to Cartoon Network show.
Baby product specialist reveals second brand collaboration after success with Joules.
Brazilian footballer collaborates on launch of new fragrance, Spirit of the Brave.
Agency to handle licensing in Benelux for classic brand and new animation.
Licensor is looking to grow its team by hiring a brand licensing officer.
Publisher unveils new story ahead of FIFA Women’s World Cup starring Rocky Race.
Deals secured span health and beauty, stationery, apparel and socks.


text:
Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said on Wednesday that the aircraft manufacturer
ue of 75 billion yuan, up 23 percent year-on-year. Its net profit totaled 34 billion yuan, jumping 25 percent over the previous year, its earnings report said.
上海千花网This year, Moutai aims to achieve sales revenue of 100 billion yuan, growing 14 p
ercent year-on-year, and reaching a net profit of 45 billion yuan. The company said it is strong and confident enough to drive further growth.
China’s electric car startup NIO recalled 4,803 ES8 vehicles, about one-third of the company’s first batch for delivery, Beijing Youth Daily reported on Friday.
The company also promised to compensate all property losses caused by accidents due to battery quality上海千花网上海品茶 according to law, the report said.
Starting from June 27, the company recalled the 4,803 ES8 electric vehicles with power battery packs manufactured between April 2, 2018, and Oct 19, 2018, a上海千花网上海品茶ccording to a notice from the State Administration for Market Regulation.
The power battery pack used in the vehicle within this recall range is equipped with a module of the specification model NEV-P50, which has the voltage sampling harness in an improper position, where it could cause a fire.
上海千花坊logue and consultation, but it will firmly safeguard its own legitimate interests.
US threats to impose more tariffs on Chinese imports cannot intimidate the Chinese people, Geng added.上海千花坊
In a recent survey, a majority of US and Chinese consumers expressed strong su
pport for bilateral trade due to a belief that both countries benefit from the exchan
ge of goods, said Mei Yan, senior partner and China chair at advisory firm Brunswick Group.上海千花坊
The online survey was conducted among 1,000 US consumers and 1,000 Chinese consumers in early June.
OSAKA, Japan- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with German Chancellor Angela Me上海419
rkel here Friday, with both sides calling for upholding multilateralism.Dur
ing a meeting on the sidelines of a summit of the Group of 20 major economies i上海419
n the Japanese city of Osaka, the two leanping shakes hands with German Chancellor Angela
While the direction of denuclearizing the peninsula should be upheld, Xi said, the DPRK’s legitimate concerns should be addressed as well.上海419品茶微信
S President Donald Trump and the DPRK’s top leader Kim Jong-un walk together during their summit in Singapore, JuneRecalling the visit, Xi said the overriding
He urged the ROK to work with China to step up efforts to push for negotiations between the DPRK and the US.
Moon highly commended Xi’s visit to the DPRK, saying the visit has made significant contributions to bu上海419


text:
Show to benefit from multi-million pound investment
Part of the investment includes the creation of a new building, known as Peterborough Exec, which will house some of the UK’s leading motorhome dealers when the show takes place next year.
Visitors will enter Exec through a glass-fronted atrium and be greeted by the 2008 MMM Award winners who were invited to showcase their winning products.
One plan for next year’s show is to hold a variety of talks hosted by industry heads, giving the thousands of motorcaravanners and caravanners who flock to the show handy hints, buying information and more – free of charge.
The show will be held on 25, 26 and 27 April 2008. On Thursday, 24 April the Exec building will be opened early exclusively for those camping on site.
Tickets for the show will go on sale in December via the www.nationalmotorhomeshow.co.uk website.


text:
EGYPT – Egyptian online grocery retail startup Tawfeer Market has raised US$500K in a seed round. Alexandria Business Angels Networks contributed to the funding round.
Founded by Ahmad Fasseeh, Mahmoud Salah, Mohamed Mansour, Tawfeer operates in Egypt’s second populated city, Alexandria, and became an established brand in the Alexandrian community.
The startup was downloaded on more than 100,000 devices, although it started delivering groceries to customers in 2020. Therefore, online grocery orders are increasing month-over-month rapidly.
Online grocery retail is expected to grow exponentially in Egypt, allowing many players to fulfill different needs.
According to Ahmad Fasseeh, co-founder and CEO of Tawfeer, the grocery retail market is enormous, exceeding US$50 billion in value.
Egypt’s online grocery retail market share is still way behind the global average and even behind other e-commerce sectors in Egypt.
Tawfeer Market will employ the investment to crystalize its market proposition and support its various product offerings.
Moreover, Fasseeh added that retail grocery consumers seek three main criteria: variety, convenience, and price.
Tawfeer Market tries to offer the right formula that fulfills consumer needs in most of their orders, offering the most commonly ordered 4000 SKUs, including fresh and frozen food at the lowest price within 60 minutes. Here came the name of Tawfeer, meaning savings in Arabic.
Co-founder and COO of Tawfeer Market Mohamed Mansour emphasized that Tawfeer Market relies on its fulfillment centers and delivery fleet.
At the same time, AUC Angels, UI Investment, and individual Angel Investors have invested in 3attar, an Egyptian health-focused tech/e-commerce platform.
The funds raised will be utilized to grow the company’s user base and improve its technology stack.
“We aim to become the dominant one-stop-shop for the whole health community in Egypt and expand into Mena regions; including chronic diseases and obesity by providing a holistic healthy lifestyle app,” Mohamed Ali, founder & CEO of 3attar said.
3attar is a B2C online platform that gives value to its clients by allowing them to order healthy meals and products online. 3attar also runs delivery and diet-consulting services. It also offers live-coaching programs and additional subscription and e-payment models.
“Since the huge growth in the global “health” community is reaching the Mena region rapidly, 3attar made a smart move to be the first & only platform to serve not only the health community in Egypt and Mena but also those who want to join this movement,” Tarek Roushdy, investor and board advisory member of 3attar said.
“I am glad to be part of this journey helping them to bring such value to that big market.”
During the COVID-19 crisis, the company expanded its product range from a few hundred to over 3,000, making it Egypt’s largest healthy-shopping destination. Its one-of-a-kind name and logo combo grew into its own private label, which now accounts for 20% of the company’s overall income.
“The specialized e-commerce space has witnessed an increased inflow of angel investments and venture capital this past year. 3attar not only satisfies this but also strives for impact in addressing the growing trends towards healthier living,” Mariam Kamel of AUC Angels said.
Read Original Article Here
From The GFA Team
Call For Applications


text:
A presentation that David Armano, global strategy director at Edelman/Edible, made at the Florida Citrus Mutual annual conference this summer focused on marketing via social media. His company is the Florida Department of Citrus’ (FDOC) consumer marketing agency. Following his presentation, he and FDOC Executive Director Shannon Shepp discussed the use of social media for marketing Florida citrus.
“We found that that’s (social media) the space that we can compete in today … We’ve noticed that the marketing environment has changed,” Shepp says. “It (social media) is mostly where folks are marketed to today.”
Armano says that about half of all people who are online use social media. He says audiences get some information through search engines such as Google. “And then the other way is the information coming to them through things like social networks,” he says.
Armano says people like to be told stories about products, and Shepp says the FDOC has been doing that. “We started with grower stories a couple of years ago, and we’ve started introducing our consumers to who actually grows what goes into their orange juice in the morning,” Shepp says. “They do want to know where it comes from. They do want to have that personal connection.”
Shepp adds that “it’s time now that we know that we’re going to have a stable crop and we know that we’re going to have plenty of orange juice to take a look at how we get back to the Department of Citrus that once was. And the actual mission was enhancing demand.”
For decades before HLB drastically reduced Florida citrus crops and the FDOC marketing budget, the agency marketed Florida citrus products heavily via television advertising. The FDOC now conducts most of its promotional effort via social media.
Hear more from Shepp and Armano:
Share this Post


text:
"We are looking forward to future opportunities, and Jan-Pro’s established brand and experience with international clients will help with that." - Tony Antoun, Jan-Pro Country Master Owner of Nigeria
Alpharetta, GA (PRWEB) November 12, 2013
Jan-Pro Franchising International, Inc. (Jan-Pro) signed commercial cleaning franchises with country master owners in India, Nigeria, and Peru in October 2013. The country masters will be breaking ground by bringing new employment opportunities and Jan-Pro’s branded cleaning processes to their markets.
Pulin Shroff and Ajeetav Nayak, the country masters of India, believe that the immense and growing population will be a driving force for commercial cleaning needs. Shroff states that the country is largely underserved in terms of commercial cleaning franchises. The pair aspires to shift buyer preference from average, contracted work to their organized Jan-Pro system.
“We’re talking about a billion people. In a typical 12 ft. by 12 ft. office, there would be four people sitting at a cubicle working. The hospitals, the offices, the restaurants all need cleaning,” said Nayak.
The collectivism mentality of work and the comforts of employment are some of the cultural hurdles Shroff and Nayak aim to jump over. “People here are used to employment because they are familiar with working under someone and receiving a fixed income, but we are trying to sell a new concept,” states Shroff.
Shroff and Nayak are projecting to have 15 client accounts and 20 unit franchisees by the first six months. Tony Antoun, the country master of Nigeria, is looking at a similar time frame to have his business running efficiently. In Nigeria, it is common to hire in-house maids because the labor is cheap. Antoun believes that hiring practices will evolve with the changing marketplace.
“Nigeria is at a stage where we are moving forward and modernizing. Franchises are coming in and people are looking for the modern markets. There will be a growing need and want for cleaning services. We are looking forward to future opportunities, and Jan-Pro’s established brand and experience with international clients will help with that,” Antoun added.
Jan-Pro typically functions on a two-tiered model, which consists of master and unit franchise owners, but the company is flexible to adjust to the needs of the international markets. “The franchising side will be very difficult for potential owners to comprehend [in Nigeria]. Because of that, we are going to have an employee-based side and also a franchising side,” Antoun states.
Brand recognition holds great weight among the new country masters. Both Nayak and Antoun stated that Jan-Pro’s selling proposition and logo in the international territories will help draw customers to the franchise owners. “Jan-Pro has also put a lot of effort into developing ethics and integrity. [They] are about helping their partners grow, which is important for cross-border businesses,” said Nayak.
“We’re delighted to be expanding our global footprint in all three of these hugely important countries,” says Richard Kissane, CEO of Premium Franchise Brands. “We are very fortunate to have found Pulin, Ajeetav, Tony, Luis, and Olga to represent the Jan-Pro brand in a first-class manner.”
The masters are joining Jan-Pro’s expanding global market, which has been named Entrepreneur’s “#1 Fastest Growing Commercial Cleaning Franchise” and one of Entrepreneur’s “Top Ten Global Franchises”. The Jan-Pro businesses of India, Nigeria, and Peru all aim to launch in the fourth quarter of 2013. They are currently attending training at the Service Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
For more information about Jan-Pro Franchising, please visit the company’s website at http://www.jan-pro.com.


text:
China Mobile reported a 3% increase in revenue for 2020 to 768 billion Chinese yuan (117.4 billion US dollars). Wireline broadband revenue increased by 17.4% year-on-year and reached 81 billion yuan, while revenue from applications and information services increased by 22.4% year-on-year and reached 101 billion yuan.
At the end of 2020, the number of mobile customers reached 942 million of which 165 million customers used 5G. The average handset data traffic per user per month increased by 39% to 9.4GB. However, China Mobile also reported a 1.2% fall in Internet of Things connections to 873 million.
In 2020, China Mobile said it invested 102.5 billion yuan in 5G, adding: "Our cloud-based and centralised standalone (SA) core network commenced operations in September 2020. Throughout the year, we built and put in use around 340,000 new 5G base stations, bringing the total number of 5G base stations to a cumulative 390,000, providing 5G services to all prefecture-level cities, selected counties and key areas in China." Source: China Mobile statements


text:
Paint attack on stall an outrage
I read with dismay your report "Stall paintbombed in Belfast protest" (November 17) which described how a group of cosmetics vendors were frighteningly attacked by red paint bombs while a doll was thrown which was allegedly daubed in red paint in order to protest actions in Gaza.
This 'protest' in CastleCourt shopping centre is an outrage and to target innocent Israeli people, businesses or shops over the actions of the Israeli government is no more justified than paint-bombing an Irish pub in Europe for unrest in the Republic.
I call on people to assure the vendors that not all Belfast people resort to such tactics by giving them a kind word or two of support, or simply say 'Shalom' which means 'hello' but also 'peace.'
To email your letter to the Editor click here


text:
BOXWAY News | E-commerce logistics event, Bailiwei won the double award
Recently, the 7th E-Commerce and Logistics Entrepreneur Annual Conference hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the China E-Commerce Association, hosted by the China Electronic Commerce Association Logistics Professional Committee and hosted by the China E-commerce Logistics Industry Alliance was held in Beijing. Wang Xuanqing, deputy director of the circulation department of the Ministry of Commerce, Wu Chuanliang, director of the logistics department, Xu Min, president of the China E-commerce Logistics Industry Alliance (formerly the circulation industry promotion center of the Ministry of Commerce), and Dawa, deputy director of the National Service Industry Standardization Technical Committee. Experts attended. The Bailiwei Group participated in the event with more than 600 representatives of the upstream and downstream enterprises of the e-commerce logistics, such as the rookie network, Jingdong Logistics, Xiaomi.com, COFCO, I bought the network, the US Mission Review, and Foton Motor.
At the meeting, Xu Min, president of the China E-commerce Logistics Industry Alliance, gave a welcome speech. Wang Xuanqing, deputy director of the Department of Circulation Industry Development of the Ministry of Commerce, said in an important speech: The new era should cultivate new kinetic energy for consumption; pay more attention to the development of e-commerce and logistics in the professional field; use standardization to promote the upgrading of logistics. In terms of comprehensive and profound interpretation of China's e-commerce logistics development status and future trends. Director Wang also said that China's e-commerce and logistics have the important task of promoting the high-quality development of the national economy and promoting the upgrading of residents' consumption. Therefore, enterprises must grasp new opportunities, take new responsibilities and make new contributions.
In addition, the two high-end dialogues also pushed the annual meeting to a new round of climax. Liu Jinshan, deputy general manager of Bailiwei Group and general manager of the northern region, was invited to participate in the dialogue session of “Energy Future, E-commerce Logistics Development under the New Situation”. General Manager Liu Jinshan and the guests of the e-commerce industry to develop the economic environment, combined with their own strategic development goals, empower the future, and make suggestions on how to deal with the future development of the e-commerce logistics industry.
At the annual meeting, Bailiwei Group won the honors of “2017 China Smart Logistics Service Demonstration Unit” and “2017 China E-commerce Outstanding Park Operator”.
Since its establishment in 1997, the Bailiwei Group has accumulated rich experience in providing one-stop supply chain solutions and professional, integrated and efficient third-party services for customers for 20 years. The business network covers Beijing, Shenyang and Xi'an. In Wuhan, Chengdu, and other cities, in 2017, Bailiwei steadily moved forward to the established strategic goals with a firm and vigorous pace. In the expansion of the e-commerce industrial park, it has settled in Guangzhou Nansha, Changsha, Chongqing, and further expanded Hainan. , Zhengzhou, Nanjing and other markets. In terms of integrating e-commerce service strategy, Bailiwei Group and US SEKO company will establish a strategic partnership. Bailiwei will actively select new business opportunities, and focus on the development of core business, and will also open cross-border e-commerce assistance. In addition to providing domestic e-commerce resources to customers, the value-added service chain will also integrate rich cross-border resources to meet the needs of customers' cross-border business development and help customers develop. Bailiwei National E-Commerce Industrial Park has a superior layout and high-quality customer resources. It is committed to becoming China's leading e-commerce one-stop service provider with its firm strategic goals.
In 2018, in line with the national strategy of the “Belt and Road” and the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Bailiwei is ready;
In 2018, in the face of the growing cross-border resource demand and accurate supporting services of e-commerce companies, Bailiwei is ready;
In 2018, in the face of the unpredictable competitive situation in the industry, Bailiwei is ready;
In 2018, in the face of opportunities and challenges in the new economic form, Ballywe is ready.
Ballywell, 2018, wait and see!


text:
Over the past 14 years, RAIN has reported to you from around the world — including publishing a week’s worth of early RAIN issues from an Internet-enabled café in Copenhagen, reporting on a popular new trend among young people in Prague called “texting” (way back in 2002), and producing an early cellphone-only version of RAIN in Tokyo, and more.
This week, I’m back in Tokyo, hoping for a glimpse of what our future is going to look like by visiting one of the most tech-savvy countries in the world.
Japan is a country where you can order sushi on your iPad and have it whooshed to your table within moments on an ultra-fast-moving conveyor belt, where robots (specifically, Aldebaran’s Pepper) are being advertised in subway stations, where some dining locations have coin-operated automated draft beer-pouring machines, and where certain vending machines display your possible beverage choices on a 60″ touchscreen monitor.
And the high-tech phone of the future?
It’s the iPhone 5s!
Even though Japanese electronics companies (e.g., Sony’s Xperia line, Sharp’s Aquos line, etc.) are all in the smartphone game and offer attractive, ultra-slim Android devices that are almost all screen and no bezel, it’s the iPhone that’s just overwhelmingly popular.
Actually, this makes sense: Japan has been a great market for Apple products at least as far back as the PowerBook 100. Apple products are both stylish and trendy, and that combination goes over well here.
By coincidence, at the Starbucks where I’m writing this piece, the two young people next to me have in their hands at this moment three iOS devices — two iPhone 5s phones and an ipod Touch.
What does seem more modern here than in the U.S. is how affordable 4G LTE access is.
For example, you can buy a WiFi router here and get 7 gigabytes of data per month for only about $35 per month — i.e., only $5 per gig.
And as near as I tell, data plans for smartphones are a bit more expensive, but still very reasonable.
As for online radio, on the other hand, despite the ubiquity of smartphones and afforable data plans, it’s virtually non-existent, meaning it’s a wide-open opportunity for somebody someday.
More reportage to follow, including a report on my visits to national tv/radio broadcaster NHK and popular FM broadcaster J-Wave, plus an in-depth study of the differences between various rooftop beer gardens.


text:
The African real estate company has successfully developed two new apartments in the heart of Lagos, Nigeria. The apartments promise the same comfort, striking design, and attention to detail that The Double H is known for.
The penthouse suites both come with 2 automated bedrooms, a private movie theatre, a fully furnished kitchen and a dining area. And a lounge area with entertainment, such as PS 5 gaming, pool table and built-in room speakers. Other services include private dining– courtesy of world-class chefs, spa treatments, uninterrupted power and internet services, concierge, chauffeur services and round-the-clock security.
The Double H is ideal for short or long vacations, private parties, movie screenings, business travels and meetings. Bookings can be made on the website or via social media. They will also now begin accepting the cryptocurrency, bitcoin, as a payment option.
The brand manager David Isaiah, in an interview, shared his excitement for the launch stating that The Double H was now, “two steps closer to redefining hospitality in Africa”. He also announced that as a “forward-thinking company merging technology and hospitality”, they’ve also added bitcoin as a payment option for their residences.
For more information about the new apartments and to make reservations, visit www.thedoubleh.co.
ABOUT DOUBLE H
Double H is a luxury real estate company in Nigeria that transforms regular homes into 5-star automated short-stay residences. The first Double H apartment launched in Lagos in 2020 and has since become the preferred short-stay apartment for those seeking opulence and comfort.


text:
For years, Boston native Collette Divitto had trouble finding work. Whether it was because of her disability, or something else, who knows, but she took matters into her own hands and decided to start a business on her own.
Divitto, 26, was born with Down syndrome, but wasn’t going to let that stop her from being a kick-ass cookie-baking boss.
She went from selling 100 cookies a week at a small Boston market, to now having to pump out 4,000 orders, totaling up to as much as 50,000 cookies.
After people became aware of Collette’s cookie business from a CBS News report, things really took off, as the support poured in, heavily. There has even been a Go Fund Me page started, where people can donate and really help get her business going.
Collette’s mother, Rosemary Alfredo, told CBS News that she believes Collette was driven by the job rejections, and turned a negative into a positive.
Collette doesn’t have to worry about job-searches anymore, as she is now baking and shipping out thousands of her chocolate chip and cinnamon “Amazing Cookies.” No, seriously, that’s what they’re called. How can you not want an “Amazing Cookie?”
Divitto seems to be fully aware that her business is getting worldwide attention, and hopes that others with disabilities will see what she is doing, and be inspired.