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Apple iPhone 4S review: The iPhone 4S may look identical to the iPhone 4, but it boasts several improvements under the hood
The Samsung Galaxy S III, for the first time, is the top-selling smartphone in the world, beating out both the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5, according to Strategy Analytics data for the third quarter of 2012.
The Commonwealth Bank has officially released a new mobile banking app for Apple iPhones, Kaching, almost two months after unveiling the software.
Apple iPhone 4S users can easily annoy people around them by talking to their handset when using the built-in assistant feature known as Siri.
Users of Apple's iPhone 4S are even more satisfied than iPhone 4 users last year, with 96 percent somewhat or very satisfied, according to a survey from ChangeWave Research. However, 38 percent of those surveyed said the phone's battery life is too s...
Who knew Apple's iOS 5 mobile operating system held so many secrets? Developers and sleuthing hackers have been hard at work since Apple released the OS in October unearthing a number of hidden features and tweaking the OS to do things it was never i...
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the first smartphone to run the latest version of Google's Android platform, 4.0 or "Ice Cream Sandwich". Naturally, its going to be compared to the popular Apple iPhone 4S. So, how does it stack up?
You won't be able to get your hands on Apple's iPhone 4S until Friday, but US based reviews of the newest iPhone have begun trickling through today, just two days before the official launch. So, how does the iPhone 4S stack up according to the expert...
Technology giant Apple recently unveiled the company's latest iPhone -- the iPhone 4S. Featuring an identical physical design to the previous iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S (like the iPhone 3GS before it) is betting on faster performance, a better camera an...
Apple unveiled its latest iPhone today, but it didn't unveil the iPhone 5, like many rumours suggested. It unveiled the iPhone 4S -- it looks exactly like an iPhone 4, except it has a faster processor, a better graphics engine and a better camera.
It may not be the iPhone 5 that everybody expected but Apple does have a new iPhone, the iPhone 4S.
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A shortage of immune globulin (IG) is forcing hospitals to ration the drug and prioritize its use for patients who need it the most. Hospitals are suspending its use in patients with non-life-threatening conditions, potentially putting them at an increased risk for infections.
According to Michelle Vogel, vice president of patient advocacy and provider relations at CSI Pharmacy, the shortage has reached an acute status.
Several factors have contributed to this shortage, including increased demand for IG related to higher rates of diagnosis of diseases traditionally treated with IG, as well as new uses for the medicine. While manufacturers say they are increasing production, ongoing supply issues, such as delays in shipments, have emerged.
Takeda, a manufacturer of IG, explained that plasma-derived drugs like IG take between seven and 12 months to produce and supply to customers, making it difficult to quickly produce new products based on demand. It takes more than 1,000 plasma donations to produce a one-year supply for one patient, the company added.
Plasma collection in the U.S. continues to rise, said Amy Efantis, chief executive of the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association. Some drug companies also operate collections centers that pay donors to provide plasma.

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H&M is pleased to announce that its new store in King’s Lynn opened this morning at 11am, covering in excess of 1500 sq. metres across two floors. The store opened to an enthusiastic crowd, with over 500 customers joining the queue from 6am to be the first to shop at H&M King’s Lynn.
With full Ladies, Divided, Kids and Men’s departments, this new store will provide great quality fashion, at affordable prices, in a sustainable way.
This morning the first 200 lucky customers in the queue received an exclusive goodie bag, and all customers who joined the queue before 11am received a 25% discount wristband to redeem against their entire purchase that day.
Across the course of the day, customers are able to peruse the available fashion collections whilst enjoying the latest tracks from an in-store DJ.
“We are really pleased to have opened our new store in King’s Lynn and can’t wait to share our fashion with our new local customers. We hope our customers will enjoy shopping with us for quality fashion at great value prices, and it was wonderful to have so many people join us today to see our new store open” says Toni Galli, Country Manager for H&M UK & IE.
Alistair Cox, Vancouver Quarter Centre Manager, said: “We are absolutely delighted to see H&M open their doors in King’s Lynn. It was great to see the buzz in town today with so many shoppers waiting to take a look around the new anchor store in town. This iconic brand not only increases the offering to our regular shoppers but also bangs the drum for King’s Lynn as a great retail destination.”
Founded in Sweden in 1947, H&M opened its first UK store in 1976. Forty years later, the UK and Ireland portfolio includes over 240 stores.
With sustainability at the heart of its business model, H&M offers a garment collecting service worldwide that is now available at the new King’s Lynn store.
The H&M garment collecting scheme was launched in 2013 and offers customers the chance to donate any unwanted clothes and textiles, by any brand, whilst shopping in-store. All donated items are recycled with 0% going to landfill. The H&M garment collecting scheme is just one example of the many projects H&M has implemented to lead the change towards 100% circularity.


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Forbes, in partnership with the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI), recently published a list of the top 20 companies across all industries with the best customer service. At the top of the list is Chick-fil-A. That’s understandable. It has a limited menu that it has mastered and invests heavily in training employees, which includes training on how to be courteous to customers. On this same list are more restaurants, automakers and even retail giant Amazon.
What do these companies have in common?
They make the customer feel special. The closest thing to a home cooked meal could be Cracker Barrel, #17 on the list. Nothing says welcome like warm, straight-out-of-the-oven biscuits and apple pie with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. They know their brand and customers love that brand.
Interacting with these companies is easy and efficient. Google and Apple are both on this list, #12 and #13 respectively. These are companies whose products are a blank web page with a search box and a near-buttonless phone. It can’t get more simple than that. FedEx, #19 on the list, provides rapid delivery, and if you want to know where your package is — just track it and know exactly when it will be at your front door.
These companies offer quality at a value and customers trust their products. The customer doesn’t feel like they’ve been had. LG is #15 on list and customers are quoted as saying “I’ve never had a problem…I have no complaints.” And at #11 Subaru, Kelly Blue Book’s “most trusted” car brand for 2018, offers a product known for its safety features and loved for its affordability.
When I took on my new role as chief commercial officer, I knew that I wanted all these things to be a part of the customer experience at ADESA. Every day, our customers should feel special, their interactions with us should be easy and efficient and they must trust that they are getting what they pay for. As a marketplace for vehicles, we are the conduit where buyers and sellers come together with the same goal — leave the auction satisfied that they are not being taken advantage of and they got the most out of their transaction.
But I want to take it a step further. So, not just meet these expectations, exceed them. Let’s help ADESA customers succeed in their dealerships. Let’s give them the products, tools and solutions to make their transactions at the auction seamless and efficient. Let’s fully integrate the full suite of KAR products to give them an end-to-end solution that helps them get the cars that will profitably, sell quickly on their lots. And let’s allow them to conveniently track their vehicles through the entire journey from seller to buyer and the ancillary services in between.
I’ve only been in my new role a few months, but I can say with confidence that the ADESA team is already working toward exceeding customer expectations. That’s the new “meeting expectations.”


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It’s officially May and officially spring, which means marketers are now turning their focus to planning for the next big consumer holidays, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. For decades, there hasn’t been a lot of fluctuation in audience purchase behavior around these holidays – flowers for Mom and a tie or tools for Dad (with cards and brunch for them both) – and brand marketing pretty much followed the same path.
As millennials aged into consumers, their gift-giving/purchaser behavior – especially via mobile – has irrevocably changed the marketer handbook. Savvy brands, who are leveraging a mobile-first strategy, have quickly realized that there is huge market potential in attracting the Mother’s Day and Father’s Day consumer.
In fact, 84 percent of Americans will be celebrating Mother’s Day this year and plan to spend an average of $180 per person. Unsurprisingly, given the influx of millennial purchasers, this Mother’s Day is expected to deliver the highest consumer spending to date. For Father’s Day, 77 percent of Americans plan on celebrating the occasion and, in 2018, consumer spending reached $15.3B. With nearly 50 percent of smartphone users leveraging their devices to make purchase decisions for Father’s Day, there’s a significant market opportunity here for the taking.
Despite this huge opportunity, marketers are still struggling to completely capitalize on it. Consumers are worried about how their personal data is collected and used, with a recent survey by IBM Institute for Business reporting that 81 percent of consumers have become more concerned over how companies use their data, and 87 percent think companies should be more heavily regulated on personal data management.
While these concerns might seem insurmountable, instead of relying on third-party data, marketers can plan their Mother’s Day and Father’s Day activations based on insights drawn from a holistic view of their consumer’s mobile user journey with quality consented first-party data. The benefit of understanding a consumer’s mobile user journey after they provide explicit consent, in addition to minimizing concerns over their data, is that it provides marketers with a clear path to purchase. Who is shopping for Mother’s Day? Who is shopping for Father’s Day? Where are they purchasing? When is it happening?
Not all gift givers are the same
Marketers should take a tip from Mom and Dad. Just like their children, each one of their consumers is special. There are no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to the Mother’s Day or Father’s Day shopper. While there are some shoppers who will do their gift buying at a retailer, a significant number will opt to spoil Mom and Dad with a nice meal. Great news for fast casual restaurants.
Holistic, consumer-destination views help identify your ideal shopper
We identified that a significant number of Americans plan on celebrating Mother’s Day and Father’s Day (84 percent and 77 percent, respectively). While it’s a big opportunity, it presents a challenge to brand marketers: how can they be sure that their brand or store is relevant to consumers leading up to these gift-giving occasions? Mobile user journey data is extremely useful in this case because it reveals intent.
Everyone has a routine on their phone, and those routines produce behavioral insights. Looking at Ogury Active Insights, we can see that Target app users also engage with cost-saving apps like Ibotta and Shopular, and they also engage with fast food apps like Little Caesar’s and Dunkin’ Donuts. By looking at users of the OpenTable app, we can see that they engage with travel apps like Fly Delta and United, as well as ticketing apps like Ticketmaster and StubHub. Data from those two profiles alone allows markets to make some educated decisions when trying to determine who may be attracted to their brand.
Looking at the insights on Target app users, we can deduce that their customers prioritize deals and value in their purchases, and that they are most active on Sundays. Whereas the OpenTable users might be making plans on the fly. This insight can help marketers determine the types of incentives to help attract customers.
Keeping planners and improvisers in mind, insight into the pace of purchasing can help marketers plan for a successful activation. Retail purchasers took more of a long tail approach when shopping around the holidays. Looking at the mobile journey data, retailers like Kohl’s and Target saw peak engagement on the weekend before Mother’s Day. Father’s Day saw a shorter window, with the Wednesday and Friday before the holiday showing peak engagement.
When compared with dining behavior, marketers get a clearer picture of the audience. For example, OpenTable engagement peaks on the Friday before Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, while NoWait peaks on the day of both holidays. Retailers can plan for successful activations in the days leading up to each holiday, while restaurant brands could feasibly run their most successful activations on the actual day.
While Mother’s Day and Father’s Day have traditionally been lower in priority compared to the second quarter holidays like Easter, fresh insights show that there’s a significant amount of opportunity for brand marketers to tap into. By clearly illustrating who these consumers are, where they are making their purchases, and when these purchases happen.
Ogury’s MJM Cloud helps refine these insights into actions, all while providing full data control to the user. Interested in leveraging quality consented first-party mobile journey data to reach your shoppers this Mother’s Day and Father’s Day? Reach out to me at Kevin@ogury.co.
Kevin Fitzgerald, Head of Insights, US
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The Scandinavian countries are present on several rankings on different subjects. Like happiness. Or gender equality. Or costs of living. But did you know, that the Scandinavian countries also dominate the list of the most coffee consuming countries? But why? The reasons are many and complex. The coffee consumption began to bloom as the taxes […]
The explanation of why coffee consumption in Norway – a modest country on the outskirts of Europe – is among the highest in the world per capita, is diverse and complex. One of the main reasons why this is so may well be that key players on the Norwegian coffee market have long focused on […]
Oslo has witnessed a steady rise in what are known as “coffee tourists” from all parts of the world in recent years. One of the reasons for this is that Norwegian baristas have made their mark with top placings in international coffee championships.


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Twisted Pixel announced LocoCycle for the Xbox 360 during last year’s E3 Expo and the bits and pieces they’ve unveiled since have shown that the game will surely live up to its name. But things are about to get even more crazy because the developer just confirmed that LocoCycle will also be available for the Xbox One at launch.
LocoCycle on the Xbox One will “take advantage of the big jump in horsepower by running in full 1080p at a solid 60 frames per second in addition to countless other graphical improvements.”
Twisted Pixel has released a new trailer to go along with their new announcement and the developer also plans to present the Xbox One edition of the game at this year’s E3 Expo.
We don’t have the PAX pox, but what if the entire convention center was put under quarantine because of some mystery illness? What would you do? What would you see? We’d endure the PAXpocalypse by spending all of our time with the 13 games (nine playable, three developer-guided demos, and one board game) below. Though it would have to be after pushing the hordes of undead off our doorstep. Because any pox affecting PAXgoers would almost certainly have to lead to a zombie uprising. (more…)
We only got a glimpse of Twisted Pixel’s LocoCycle before Microsoft moved on to the next game, but now the wacky developer is ready to reveal a bit more about their game. The titular LocoCycle is actually named I.R.I.S., a sentient secret agent motorcycle with a built-in machine gun that also knows kung fu.
Yeah, it’s that kind of game.
You can check out the first gameplay trailer above and you can listen to voice actors Lisa Foiles (as I.R.I.S.) and Robert Patrick (as her pursuer, the evil motorcycle S.P.I.K.E.) do their thing after the break.
LocoCycle is still on track for a 2013 release, exclusively on the Xbox Live Arcade. (more…)
Microsoft just dropped three trailers for three new games with 2013 release dates in quick succession.
Ascend: New Gods looks to be Microsoft’s take on Shadow of the Colossus as bizarre-looking knights battle even more bizarre-looking giants. It’s coming from Signal Studios, the creators of Toy Soldiers.
LocoCycle is being developed by Twisted Pixel, and while we didn’t get any gameplay footage, it looks to be a spy game starring a sentient motorcycle. From any other developer, that’d be weird, but it’s more or less par for the course when it comes to the Twisted Pixel guys.
Finally, there’s Matter. It’s designed by Gore Verbinksi (director of the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies) and made for Kinect. It looks like a sleeker, more modern version of Marble Madness.


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E-retail giant Amazon made an announcement that it is shutting down its Prime Now platforms. The users who wish to have a fast delivery for groceries and other goods will now have to order them from the Amazon App or website. The company has also said that the Prime Now and the website will be taken back from across the globe by the end of 2021.
Stephany Landry, the vice president of grocery at Amazon in a blog post said that the decision has been taken to make the experience of the customers even more seamless. Landry added that they are now moving from a different Prime Now app to the Amazon app and website. This arrangement has been made so that the customers can shop from everything that Amazon has to offer from one convenient location.
Here the customers will also be having the option two-hour delivery for the essentials and other products that are available in the website. The two-hour delivery slot will be available for the customers who order from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods and both of them are available on the app and website. Even the third party retailers and local stores that were being offered by Prime Now app will be removed and shifted to Amazon. These retailers include Union Square Wines & Spirits and the pharmacy chain Bartell Drugs.
Prime Now was launched in 2014 by Amazon and was mainly for the Prime subscription users who could get their toys, books and other household essentials delivered at home within two hours for a small fee. Earlier the service was launched in just a few cities but now the service is now available in nearly 5000 cities and the two-hour delivery is free of cost. Amazon has grown to different sectors in recent years and has made a lot of revenue since 2020 lockdowns as a number of people stayed indoors as a safety measure.
Photo Credits: Pixabay


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Two July 25 wire transfers totaling $2.6 million have brought the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians current on repaying its casino bonds, and each of two tribal factions are taking credit for the payment.
In prepared statements released July 25, both Nancy Ayala and Reggie Lewis announced they were
responsible for the payment being made.
"Our Tribe took a giant step forward by making a payment of more than $2.6 million and bringing the
Chukchansi Tribe current on our bond indenture for the Chukchansi Gold Casino & Resort," Ayala's
Chukchansi previously had made a bond payment of more than $10 million against the tribe's nearly $12 million bond payment in March.
"We are glad that this payment was able to be made to satisfy the tribe's debt obligation," Lewis' statement read. "Our tribal council is ecstatic that we were able to overcome the many obstacles put in our people's way by former council members determined to sabotage our tribe and our casino," said Ayala


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What percent of teenagers have sleep disorders? The percentage of ... What will
happen if insufficient elements are taken into your body? You get a deficiency ...
Most teens do not get enough sleep — one study found that only 15% reported
sleeping 8 1/2 hours on ... Lack of sleep can contribute to acne and other skin ...
Jul 1, 2015 ... Teenagers Who Don't Get Enough Sleep at Higher Risk for Mental ... Many
studies have examined the effects of sufficient versus insufficient sleep on mental
health. ... need about nine hours of sleep a night on average, according to the ...
This article was originally published with the title "Without Enough ...
Jul 24, 2015 ... 90 percent of teens are sleep deprived -- and the health costs could ... So That
Happened ... high school students are chronically sleep-deprived, according to a
2014 survey. ... surprise that teens who aren't getting enough sleep won't be at
their ... Generated from related, personalized and trending articles.
Sleep is essential for a person's health and wellbeing, according to the National
Sleep Foundation (NSF). Yet millions of people do not get enough sleep and
many suffer from lack of sleep. .... Teenagers, sleep problems and drugs.
Research has shown that teenagers don't get enough sleep at night and go to
school tired. Some experts ... This article will explore possible causes and
solutions to this problem. ... Lack of sleep affects teens' ability to function at
school. ... Sleep deprivation in teens may have biological causes according to
Nearly all adolescents (97%) have at least one electronic item – such as a ...
Lack of sleep is a dangerous thing, especially for adolescents whose brains are
still ... According to the National Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving
Sep 18, 2015 ... Find out how much sleep you really need, according to a new study, and the
health ... What Happens to Your Body When You Don't Get Enough Sleep ...
hours; Young adults, 18-25 years: 7-9 hours; Teenagers, 14-17 years: 8-10 hours
... Impaired memory: Lack of sleep can affect your ability to think and to ...
In doing a little research, however, I discovered surprising ways a lack of sleep
can be deadly. According to a 2011 survey by the Centers for Disease Control ...
Feb 16, 2015 ... Teens are losing hours of sleep each night and electronic devices aren't the only
... U.S. teens are getting sleepier: Many lack even seven hours of shut-eye ...
That's according to researchers who analyzed the University of ...


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“The next generation of storytelling” by Disney is Chapek for the metaverse. He wants to use data from theme park visits and streaming habits to help offer personalized entertainment services.
He says the company would create a three-dimensional, permanent world where people could work together. The company will be able to create an interactive world for people to work together, he adds.
Park division’s new chief executive is assembling electronics for animation studios. He is the one assembling the electronics for the studios’ new types of storytelling. The organization appointed a chief executive in media and technology, Mike white.
Chapek hopes this will be a catalyst for the next five to ten years. He is also thinking of methods that could be applied to create a new dimension of storytelling. Bob Greene: I think we are just in for that. He says we’re in for a surprise. Greene says he’s a good guy, but he doesn’t know what he wants to do.


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Weekly Roundup — April 19th, 2022
We’re coming back with another Weekly Roundup. Reviewing the events of last week — expanding the Metaverse with new partnerships and a bundle of new athletes coming to Lympo. Let’s dive in!
Last Week’s Recap
Lympo x Vanquish Partnership
One of the most exciting events of last week — our partnership with Vanquish.
We have entered into a partnership with Vanquish and together we’ll work on building stronger connections between athletes and their fans.
Vanquish — a sports and entertainment agency and a business developer is working on connecting top-class athletes with partnership and business opportunities.
This is an exciting partnership because we and Vanquish aim for the same — allowing sports fans from all around the world to connect with their favorite athletes.
With this partnership, we’ll introduce numerous world-famous sports athletes to our platform — starting with 11 brilliant female football stars.
The ”Navigating the Metaverse” Podcast
In other news, our CEO, Ada Jonuse, has been invited on the “Navigating the Metaverse” podcast where she shared her thoughts on Women in Web3 and The Next Gen Fans.
The Sandbox Partners with Design Egg
We weren’t the only ones with an exciting week. The Sandbox, one of our dearest partners, entered into multiple new partnerships last week. First of which — Design Egg, bringing the Pat a Pat Como into the Sandbox Universe.
Design Egg is a creative digital content company based in Korea. Together with Design Egg, The Sandbox will be building “Como Tiny World”.
In the virtual space, players will be able to explore magical places such as a toy castle and a pirate ship in the fishbowl, take action, solve puzzles and enjoy the metaverse.
CFDA Enters The Sandbox
The Sandbox has also partnered up with CFDA — The Council of Fashion Designers of America.
The aim of this partnership is to establish a web3 blueprint for American fashion in the metaverse with a mission to educate, innovate, and create a community in a digital world.
FlickPlay x The Sandbox
The Metaverse Social Platform, Flickplay is partnering with The Sandbox to provide the Sandbox community with the ability to own a Flicky and claim different Sandbox utilities tied to Flicky Traits.
Holders of a Flicky will be able to build the social status of their Flicky by flexing them in the real world and creating videos with them.
Animoca Brands Acquires Two Major Video Game Publishers
Animoca Brands, the parent company of Lympo and The Sandbox, has announced the acquisition of two major video game publishing companies — Eden Games and Darewise Entertainment.
Eden Games is a publisher of popular racing games including the Gear.Club and Test Drive series. The company has strong experience in developing award-winning racing games across the mobile, console, and PC platforms and over 13 million game boxes sold and over 60 million app downloads worldwide.
Darewise Entertainment is a Paris-based game studio founded by former Ubisoft executives and other AAA games industry veterans. Darewise is currently developing a new play-to-earn (P2E) massively multiplayer online role-playing game called Life Beyond.
Animoca hopes these acquisitions will enhance its gaming ecosystem, including the REVV Motorsport ecosystem of blockchain-based racing games on Polygon.
What’s coming to Lympo?
Coming back to Lympo, we are moving forward with the launch of the new token following the hacking incident in January. The New Token will be released very soon — stay tuned for more news.
But these are not the only plans we have. In the upcoming weeks, we’ll introduce more new partnerships, as well as more top-tier world athletes, added to our Athletes Pool.
Want to know more?
Follow us on Twitter
And while you’re at it, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to receive the latest Lympo news.


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Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Chelmsford grocery hunt for the week of March 12, 2013
St. Patrick's Day is coming, and Chelmsford's grocery stores are ready for your Corned Beef and Cabbage needs, at least from what we saw. After all, that's what you asked us to look for last Friday on the Chelmsford Patch Facebook page, along with Nestle's chocolate morsels and Kate's homemade butter. One caveat, there are multiple types of Nestle's chocolate morsels, but they all had the same price for the most part from this week's hunt. All prices were checked on March 11 between approximately 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. Prices and availability may change without notice. Prices may include additional taxes and fees not indicated on price labels. Aisle locations are in parentheses where applicable, lowest prices are indicated in bolded …
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Chelmsford grocery hunt for the week of March 5.
It's Tuesday, and that means it's time for the Grocery Hunt! Special thanks to Kristi Pasqual Grout and Merdith Gosende Trieble for their recommendations on this week's hunt, check out our Facebook Page this Friday to give us your suggestions. We'll take the first five we get! Here's what we found from Kristi and Meridith's suggestions. All prices checked on March 4. Availability may change without notice. Prices may change without notice. Prices may include additional taxes and fees not indicated on labels. NOTE: We couldn't find the Green Mountain strips at Stop and Shop, but we did see the Green Mountain salsa in aisle 3. Also, we were asked to look for organic milk, so we choose Stonyfield at random. Best prices in bold italics. And …
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Chelmsford Grocery Hunt for the week of Feb. 26, 2013
Hello Chelmsford! It's Tuesday, and that means it's time for another edition of the Grocery Hunt: our look at prices of certain grocery items in Chelmsford's supermarkets as requested by you, the readers of Chelmsford Patch. Last week, we got some free samples from Jeannine the Sausage Lady at Stop and Shop, and that may have impacted the requests for this week as the majority of the items were meat (two chicken, one fish). However, we asked employees and looked around for Belle and Evans Chicken Nuggets and could only find them at Market Basket on Chelmsford Street. Prices were checked on Feb. 25, prices may include additional taxes and fees not indicated on product labeling, item availability may change without notice. Items of …
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Chelmsford grocery hunt for week of Feb. 18, 2013
Last week we restarted the grocery hunt, and this week we continue with items requested by Chelmsford Patch's Facebook fans. So, yesterday (Feb. 18), we went to Chelmsford's three supermarkets and checked out who had the lowest prices for the items requested by our readers, as well as from free samples from Jeanine the sausage lady at Stop and Shop (pictured). All prices or availability may change without warning, prices may contain taxes or fees not indicated on labeling. Aisles are indicated by parentheses, the lowest price is indicated in bold italics. And here's overall scoreboard for times each store had the lowest price on an item so far combining this week and last week
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The return of the Grocery Hunt!
If you've been a long time Chelmsford Patch, no doubt you remember the Grocery Hunt: a column where we look around the area for the best prices on items you ask for in local grocery stores. A few months ago we stopped, but two weeks ago on our Facebook page we announced we're going to start it up again. We were all set to publish it last week, until we got delayed a few days due to that giant snow storm, and went back out a second time after the storm to doublecheck just to see if anything changed. So, without further ado, here is the rebirth of the grocery hunt, with five items on the list of Chelmsford Patch reader Jim Kender. All prices were checked on Feb. 12, prices may change without notice and do not necessarily include taxes or …
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Our second look at back to school grocery items in the Chelmsford area.
School is coming back soon, and we're now on Week Two of our back to school grocery hunt, this week taking some ideas from Patch reader Cee Virtue, or at least as close as we could get to them. All prices were taken on Aug. 20, prices may change without notice and include taxes and fees not indicated on labeling. .
Friday, August 17, 2012
Here's our first entry in our back-to-school grocery guides all this month.
School is almost back in session here in Chelmsford, and all this month we're using the grocery hunt to take a look at some items local Patch users have asked us to take a look at. Today's items come from Chelmsford's Andrew Weiner, who is a fan of Lunchables, Fruit2O and Peanut Butter Sandwiches. For folks looking for these items in local stores, Lunchables are generally in fridge cases near the bacon, peanut butter and bread are almost always in the same aisle and Fruit2O is usually, but not always, near the water. All Fruit2O prices were for six packs of 16 ounce bottles. All other weights are noted. Prices were taken on Aug. 14, prices may change without notice and may not necessarily reflect taxes and fees not indicated on labeling.
Friday, August 10, 2012
All this month, we'll be hunting for deals on back to school grocery items.
The kids are just about ready to head back to school, and that means its time for parents to start thinking about what their kids are going to be eating for lunch each day. If they're not eating cafeteria food, what are your thoughts on items they'll be putting in their lunches each day? And if you have any ideas, Patch is here to help! We'll be checking out grocery prices on back-to-school items you recommend all this month in the weekly grocery hunt, starting next week.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Welcome to the Grocery Hunt for the week of August 5.
Lobster has long been known for being a prestigious and expensive item at local grocery stores, but due to a glut of lobsters from Maine, prices continue to drop dramatically all over New England. On that note, we wanted to revisit our grocery hunt from two weeks ago on lobster prices as well as last week's grocery hunt on ground beef and see if the lobster prices have actually fallen below what you'll find for hamburger meat. Believe it or not, the prices everywhere we saw were fairly close between high end ground beef and lobsters, and if you look at pre-made 93% Angus patties at Market Basket, they're actually more expensive than lobsters now (pictured). Here are the results of what we found on Aug. 2. Prices may change without …
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Grocery Hunt for the week of July 25.
Last week Hannaford announced it will be recalling several brands of meatballs, following another contamination scare Hannaford had late last year. So this week, we decided to take a look and see if these announcements have had any impact on Westford area meatball prices. Unfortunately, premade meatballs are harder to find than you'd think. We saw them at Hannaford (pictured), but weren't able to find them anywhere else at the deli counter. So, we did the next best thing and took prices of ground beef to see if the recall impacted the stuff you use to make meatballs at home, particularly to compare it to the last ground beef controversy earlier this year. All prices were observed on July 23. Prices and availablility may change without …


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EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — The trading-card game Magic: The Gathering captured the imagination of Steve Davis almost 30 years ago and has held him captive ever since.
Once the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Davis, 47, of Galloway Township, spent some time working from home, but he also spent a period during the last 11 months unemployed.
With Davis’ extra time, he visited Nerdvana Tabletop Games in the English Creek Shopping Center, and based on a recommendation from one of the store’s co-owners, purchased the Splendor Marvel board game.
Davis plays Splendor at home with his wife, but he also plays traditional card games with her, such as rummy.
“I bought Splendor specifically because of the pandemic,” said Davis, who added it can be played with just one other person while other games need at least two other competitors. “It’s more of a distraction with everything going on in the world right now.”
Last spring, Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner told CNBC that his company was experiencing strong demand during the pandemic. At Nerdvana, game sales have almost doubled during the pandemic, Heiler said.
Families stuck at home have had a renewed interest in playing games, and that’s benefiting Hasbro and other game sellers. Hasbro, the maker of Monopoly and Magic: The Gathering, reported a 21% jump in gaming sales as the result of homebound people looking for ways to occupy their time, CNN Business reported.
DENNIS TOWNSHIP — The new comic book store, Symbiotic Comics, took a chance and decided to o…
Three years ago, Emily Sauerwald, 20, of Northfield, started playing the fantasy tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. She also began playing the Pandemic Legacy board game three months before the pandemic struck.
Sauerwald said she spent more money on games last year than she did in 2019 as she bought the Betrayal Legacy and SeaFall Legacy board games and the Warhammer tabletop miniature game at Nerdvana. She also developed an interest in the Marvel: Crisis Protocol tabletop miniature game, but that was mostly for painting the miniatures.
“Playing Pandemic Legacy felt a little weird” once the real pandemic started, said Sauerwald. “We said, ‘Let’s switch to something else.’”
Nerdvana is set up so people can play board and tabletop games inside the store. From what Sauerwald has seen, people have only felt comfortable during the last two months standing or sitting indoors at a board table and playing a game for hours.
Charlie Heiler, co-owner of Nerdvana, which has been described as a community center built around games, said her store was closed during the statewide stay-at-home order and closure of all nonessential businesses from March 21 to May 15. The store still did home deliveries from Vineland to Cape May when it was closed.
While the store was closed, Heiler, 30, of Cape May Court House, was in a quarantine group that played Dungeons & Dragons together in person.
Upon entering Nerdvana, customers see a map of the United States hanging on the wall to the left. Pins represent all the cities to which Nerdvana has mailed orders, spread across 48 of the 50 states.
Collectors visit websites such as tcgplayer.com to finds cards for games such as Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Magic: The Gathering, Heiler said.
People who play board games realize the sense of community the hobby generates at a time when everyone is separated and looking for community, she said.
“I was shocked. I thought we would be dead when we opened up,” Heiler said.
Contact Vincent Jackson: 609-272-7202


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If you’re worried about Valve’s goal of hitting 30 frames-per-second with games on the Steam Deck, don’t be. Experts say it won’t be that big of an issue on such a small screen.
The Steam Deck has had much of the gaming world’s attention since Valve dropped the official news earlier this month. Now all eyes are turning back to the massive publisher following news that it would be striving to offer 30FPS as the bar for what it considers “playable” on the Steam Deck.
There are some caveats to that bar, and experts say that even at 30FPS, most games should be more than playable on the Steam Deck’s smaller screen.


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SHROPSHIRE-based Griffiths Family Farms intends to build a novel Kipster barn egg system to supply carbon-neutral eggs to Lidl stores in the UK.
Subject to planning approval, the Dutch concept farm that utilises renewable energy, feeds birds by-products of food waste and rears male birds for meat will be operational from Spring 2025.
The first Kipster farm opened in the Netherlands in October 2017. While technically a barn system, birds have access to a naturally lit ranging area furnished with enrichments that mimic the bird’s natural woodland environment.
The system is stocked with 24,000 white layers whose diet is supplemented with processed food waste from within Lidl’s supply chain.
Planning documents submitted to Telford and Wrekin Council detail a barn egg-laying unit with 1,032 solar panels on its south-facing roof. A decision on the new unit is expected in November.
Lower carbon footprint
The system has a ‘significantly’ lower carbon footprint when compared with other types of farms, with any additional emissions offset with the purchase of carbon credits.
Ruud Zanders, founder of Kipster, said: “We are delighted to be working with British farmers who are keen to take the next step towards more animal welfare and environmental sustainability.
“We are immensely grateful to Lidl for the trust they put in us to get Kipster off the ground in the UK.
“With their support, we farmers can close the gap between what we’re doing and what people want and need, which is more ethically and sustainably produced food.”
Peter de Roos, chief commercial officer at Lidl GB, said: “When we first met with Kipster, we were instantly struck by their devotion and commitment to providing the highest welfare standards for chickens and roosters, whilst also doing right by the planet.
“At Lidl we want to give our customers the very best products at the best possible prices, which is why we’re so excited to be the first grocer to bring Kipster’s eggs to our stores across Great Britain.
“We would urge Telford and Wrekin Council to approve the plans to ensure that British shoppers have access to this industry-leading egg.”
Poultry.Network Sustainability Hub
The Poultry.Network Sustainability Hub is a project showcasing and supporting the UK’s poultry sector as it moves to a more sustainable future. Find out more here.


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The authorities of the EAC zone are stepping up measures and reforms with a view to further strengthening the commercial dynamism of the region. These reforms are proving effective and intra-regional trade has been on the rise for at least three consecutive years.
Trade within the East African Community (EAC) reached $10.17 billion in September 2022. The information comes from an EAC press release on Thursday January 12 on its website.
According to the organisation’s Secretary General, Peter Mathuki, this increase is mainly due to “the political goodwill of the members of the EAC Heads of State Summit and the easing of Covid-19 restrictions in the region”. Among the policy measures, the briefing note indicates the elimination of many non-tariff barriers (NTBs) that hampered intra-regional trade.
“257 non-tariff barriers have been eliminated cumulatively since 2007. This goes hand in hand with the bloc’s objective of increasing intra-regional trade volumes […] Since July 1, 2022, imports of products available locally in region, such as meat, furniture and textiles, are subject to a 35% tariff. This measure aims to promote local production, the creation of added value and industrialization,” the official explained.
The Community has also adopted a common external tariff (TEC) of 35% applicable to all products imported from the region. Moreover, still with the aim of further boosting intra-regional trade, the EAC official revealed that the bloc will have a single currency within the next four years. A decision of the Council of Ministers is also expected to this effect, as to the “location of the East African Monetary Institute, precursor of the East African Central Bank which will issue the single currency”.
The trade performance of the EAC, for this year 2022, represents a share of 20% of intra-trade in world trade. The zone’s trade curve has been on an upward trajectory since at least 2019. In that year, import-export in the seven EAC partner states reached a value of $7.1 billion, or 13% of intra-trade in global trade, before increasing to 15% in 2021 for a value of $9.5 billion.
Under its regional integration policy, Dr. Mathuki indicated that Somalia’s membership of the Community was under consideration. According to the official, “the long route of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, which connects Africa to the Arabian Peninsula” is a dynamic economic zone which “will bring immense benefits to the EAC”.
“The exploitation of Somalia’s blue economy resources, such as fish, and the expanse of its coastline are also expected to boost the regional economy,” he said.


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Amazon has announced plans to create over 5,000 full-time jobs this year. This hiring spree will take the e-tailer's total UK workforce to over 24,000.
Amazon will recruit for a range of jobs including software developers, engineers, technicians, as well as entry-level positions. Roles will be created at Amazon's UK head office in London, as well as in its customer service centre in Edinburgh, fashion photography studio in Shoreditch and regional fulfilment centres.
The new job positions will also be created to work on innovations such as Alexa, Prime Air, Prime Video, AWS and more.
It also plans to launch an apprenticeship programme offering hundreds of positions in engineering, logistics and warehousing roles in fulfilment centres across the country.
"We are creating thousands of new UK jobs including hundreds of apprenticeship opportunities as we continue to innovate for our customers and provide them with even faster delivery, more selection and better value," said Doug Gurr, UK Country Manager, Amazon commented. "We are hiring for all types of roles from flight test engineers, software engineers and corporate managers in our development centres and head office, to operations managers, supervisors, engineers, service technicians, HR roles and order fulfilment roles in our fulfilment centres. We are also proud to empower many thousands of others to work alongside Amazon in serving our customers – from Marketplace sellers to Flex delivery drivers to Kindle Direct Publishing authors."


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Apple Inc. said music executive Ian Rogers is leaving the company, a surprise departure coming a couple of months after the debut of a new service he helped create.
Rogers joined Apple with the company’s US$3 billion purchase of Beats Electronics in August 2014, and oversaw the online radio operation of Apple Music, including the station Beats 1. He is leaving for an unspecified job in Europe, according to a person with knowledge of the matter who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly and asked not to be named. Rogers didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, but tweeted out a link to the iTunes page for the band Europe.
Rogers was part of the team at Apple charged with grabbing a piece of the streaming music business, a growth area for the industry as physical and digital sales decline. Beats 1, a live, global radio station, has drawn praise from musicians and industry executives. Apple has no plans to replace him, said the person, who described the departure as an abrupt move that startled people at the company.
Apple Music began service in June. The company is offering a three-month free trial to the US$10 to US$14 monthly service, and told USA Today this month that 11 million people had signed up. Spotify said in June it has more than 75 million active users, and more than 20 million paying customers.
The Financial Times reported Rogers’s departure earlier Friday.


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JUNE 9, 2014
When it comes to designing high-tech cars, writes The Wall Street Journal(June 2, 2014), auto makers still depend on clay models sculpted by hand—a craft that goes back to the industry’s early days. Designs for a new car may start with a simple sketch on a cocktail napkin. Sketches get turned over to a digital modeler, who fits the lines of the drawing over a digital rendering of the car’s engine, suspension and other chassis parts. The idea then goes to a clay modeler to be transformed into a series of clay models, usually starting with sculpture 4/10 the size of an actual car. But despite use of 3-D imaging technology that allows executives to see a virtual vehicle, the top brass at Ford won’t sign off on producing a new car until they see full-size physical models.
The pressure to produce new designs more rapidly intensified when competition in the auto industry went global. During the 1990s, auto makers boasted about how quickly they could bring new vehicles to showrooms as they slashed product-development times from 5 years to under 2 years by relying more heavily on CAD tools. The rapid decline in the cost of computing power moved the auto industry closer to a world where the mathematical models of a car’s exterior and interior surfaces could go directly to computer-driven machines that cut dies and molds for production. The problem, says Ford’s design head, is “digital projections can’t accurately show how light will play on a car’s surface.”
Once designers have a model about 60% right, they use an optical scanner to translate the clay scale model into a package of digital data. Milling machine can produce a full-size clay replica in one day. The clay-to-digital, digital-to-clay approach is now common. Designs go back and forth between clay and digital renderings, and are integrated with digital representations of the car’s chassis and other mechanical components.
This post provided courtesy of Jay and Barry’s OM Blog at www.heizerrenderom.wordpress.com. Professors Jay Heizer and Barry Render are authors of Operations Management , the world’s top selling textbook in its field, published by Pearson.


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Fresno's Twee Boutique To Close
A downtown Fresno gift store that specializes in handmade and "indie" arts and craft products is set to close.
Store owner Melanie Davis announced that she plans to shut down retail operation on the boutique's Facebook page Tuesday morning. She says the shop will stay open through the end of March:
Thank you Fresno for supporting our storefront for three and a half years! We are moving on to new adventures. For the time being, Twee will be closing up shop at the end of March at the Tuolumne location. We will be moving to a more mobile business, with an online shop, as well as setting up at Farmers Markets. In fact, starting as soon as the first week of April, you will be able to find us at the Kern Street Market every Wednesday. Many of your most favorite products will be available there and other places TBA! On a personal note, all of you know that I have a passion for Fresno, and in particular Downtown Fresno. I am excited to have the opportunity to spend more of my time joining community organizations and fighting the fight... and who knows, maybe once we get Fulton Street back and have a bustling downtown on the horizon, you might just find the doors opening to Twee once again.
Davis opened the store on Wishon Avenue in Fresno's Tower District in 2009. The store moved to the Warnor's Theatre building on Tuolumne Street last spring. For a brief time, Davis also operated a second location at Fresno Brewing Company on the Fulton Mall.


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In a sea of hyper-experimental dressing, fast-changing trends and artistic silhouettes, sometimes the simplest designs make the biggest statement.
That’s exactly what Clevelander William McNicol aims to do consistently and thoroughly through his designs, whether they’re shown in his Rust Belt hometown or in the nation’s fashion capitol: New York City. McNicol, who was named one of Cleveland Magazine’s Most Interesting People of 2022, has caught the eye of New York Fashion Week for the second year in a row with his workwear-inspired designs and clothing focused on wearability and ease. After showing his designs for the first time last September, the designer showed a collection of pieces again for New York Fashion Week on Feb. 11.
When asked about the themes of the collection, McNicol’s response is much like the clothing he makes: unforced and organic.
“After our debut, we decided to not focus on a theme or story for future collections other than letting the clothing speak for itself,” says McNicol, who has launched various conceptual lines inspired by French new wave films and industrial design in the past. “In today's fashion landscape, and especially during New York Fashion Week, there is an overwhelming amount of design work driven by faux intellectual themes, which other designers have used as a crutch to distract from the lack of quality that exists in their product.”
During the 90-minute presentation, the designer showcased 16 looks and 35 pieces that were designed specifically for New York Fashion Week’s Men’s Day, a bi-annual event that focuses on showcasing emerging designers and contemporary menswear. Quality tailoring, easy styling and quality materials — all of which are in line with McNicol’s design philosophy — were at the forefront for this collection.
“It feels like less of an event and more like a natural continuation of what we have been moving toward over the past three years,” says McNicol. “The moment is more of a necessity than a celebration.”
The unnamed collection, which was shown alongside other prominent menswear designers such as A. Potts, Stan and others, included a series of wearable silhouettes that had echoes of classic menswear, genderless shapes and utility-style dressing. These elements, while classic, appeared in William Frederick’s collection reconstructed and styled for more casual wear through pieces such as a black and white checkered suit vest on top of a white T-shirt, a beige scarf draped over a deep green overcoat and a blue denim shirt and pants suit.
The other noticeable detail was the fabrics — which McNicol picks out and curates almost religiously based on comfort, texture and sustainable sourcing. The parade of neutral-colored fabrics featured everything from cotton corduroy, hemp canvas, Japanese denim, deadstock wool and flannel and others. While the materials speak volumes, so does McNicol’s continued commitment to simple fashion that prioritizes comfort and quality for everyone.
“From a communicative standpoint, the goal is to promote an aspirational identity for Clevelanders,” says McNicol. “The overall pursuit of a more aspirational version of Cleveland design, tastes, interests, and sensibilities.”


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NOTE: Cross-posted from Iffort’s Blog
Hindustan Times has published a story today which features our recent research on Facebook fan pages in India. The newspaper cites our research in the article titled, “Traffic cops get Facebook facelift”.
Quotes from the story:
A study conducted by Iffort, an India-based strategy and social media consulting firm, which was released on Wednesday, declared Delhi Traffic Police and MTV India as the most active and popular brands respectively.
Iffort recently conducted a similar study on brands, using Twitter, another popular social networking site.
Iffort Consulting selected and reviewed Facebook fan pages of 25 select brands from several industry verticals, including media, consumer durables and publishing for over a month.
We kept an eye on the posts of the brands for over a month and found average 13 wall posts from the administrator of Traffic Police in a day. This is really amazing,” said Daksh Sharma, director, Iffort.
To read the full-story please visit the online link on Hindustan times website. If you would like to read our study, you can download it here.
Our team recently made a visual presentation which talks about ‘Facebook’ and its penetration in India. We have tried to cover some interesting insights via the presentation.
We hope you would like it 🙂 If you have any questions about the presentation or running a business and wanting to explore the potential of ‘Facebook’ feel free to get in touch with us. We would be glad to help.
Technology Partners: itemperance consulting
Image Credits: Eric Parker
Filed under Facebook, Iffort
This is a statistical post, which collates data from various blog-posts, press-releases and news sites. The objective is to analyze the usage trends for one of the biggest sites on the Internet – Facebook and world’s second most populous country – India.
India has always been a vital country for Facebook’s growth plans. 8 million Indians are connecting on Facebook with their friends, family, and other people they know, both within India and around the globe.
Last month Facebook had announced the opening of their India office in Hyderabad. The critical aspect is that when it comes to India, there is a lot being said about the phenomenal growth demonstrated by us as a nation. However, by and large there is dearth of qualitative data which can be used by decision makers in the long run.
- YOY Growth – No. of Facebook users in India have grown from 1,561,000 in March 2009 to 7,809,800 in March 2010 marking an astronomical 400% rise.
- Monthly Growth – From February 2010 to March 2010, Facebook witnessed an 11.9% growth in India. (Numbers up from 6,342,800 in February 2010 to 7,095,760 in March 2010).
- Drop in an Ocean: These numbers at a global level constitute 2% of Facebook’s entire user-base approximately. (India’s 8 million is 2% of Facebook’s global user-base of 400 million).
- Facebakers.com: Additionally, a website called Facebakers.com presents the number of users on Facebook in India as 8,702,700. This website claims to be updated daily and that is why the numbers are higher than Nick Burcher’s study. The break-up has been made as follows: Number of male users on Facebook in India: 5,889,740 and Number of female users on Facebook in India: 2,589,600.
- Male Domination: As the website puts it 69% males access Facebook in India and 31% females access Facebook. 47% users in the (18-24) age bracket accesss Facebook and 31% users in the (25-34) access Facebook.
- Interestingly, according to Facebakers.com Facebook’s overall penetration in India is 0.76 % and the overall online penetration in India is 10.74 %.
- Californication: Number of Facebook users in California are 13,531, 540 almost 5 million more than India’s 8,702,700
- India Facebook Statistics Age Graph (via Facebakers.com)
What are the reasons that can be attributed towards Facebook’s phenomenal rise and Orkut’s epic fall? For how long do you think will this growth trend continue?
NOTE: This data has been referenced from various websites on the Internet and might not necessarily indicate the actual numbers.
Cross-posted at Iffort’s Blog
I was just reading an interesting news-story, published in today’s edition of Economic times. It compares Facebook & Orkut in India. The story which quotes data from Vizisense.com, predicts that inside 7 months Facebook should be able to overtake Orkut.
There was a time, when Orkut was a dominating force in India. If you trackback to 2005-2006, you hadn’t even heard about Facebook.
The article rightly compares the Orkut > Facebook transition to Hotmail > Gmail’s. Although it emphasizes Orkut’s rapid decline in India some of the comparison parameters are quite interesting:
Comparison table: Facebook & Orkut


text: The turbulent supply chain disruptions from the last few years such as the global pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have resulted in high inflation, recession, unemployment, and economic instability. The global corporate debt has dramatically risen to $86.1 TN, with nearly 27% of the global non-financial debt held by Chinese companies and 37% held by the US and EU companies. Now more than ever, purchasing managers are under tremendous pressure to maintain margins and increase purchasing power, amid high-interest rates. As a result, companies of all sizes from critical industries such as high tech, automotive, life sciences, and more are laying off thousands of employees to save costs during the economic downturn. However, with the turmoil expected to continue into 2023, the big question on everyone’s mind is, what immediate steps should companies take to mitigate their supplier’s financial risk?


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Astell & Kern's first "budget" player, the AK Jr marries classic design with class-leading sound, making it one of the best high-res players for the money.
Startup Lumkani is on a mission to end the rapid spread of fires in South Africa -- and beyond.
Microsoft has succeeded in building an operating system that's at home on PCs and mobile devices.
Motorola's new Android smartphone won't break the bank.
Moto X gets a bigger-screened, budget-minded follow-up. Get all the details here.
Motorola's latest Moto X packs a larger 5.7-inch display, a 21-megapixel camera and can be tailored uniquely to you.
Mazda takes a step back from the horsepower arms race and builds a pure roadster that's fun to drive.
The sequel to its runaway OnePlus One hit improves on design and hardware to give top-end flagships a run for their money.
In Titanium trim, the new Ford Edge could stand in for crossovers from premium German manufacturers, but the price hits high levels for the brand.
Nest Labs leans into its strengths with this follow-up to its famously recalled connected smoke and CO detector.


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Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) and Suzuki Motor Corporation (Suzuki) first announced their collaboration two years ago -- in February, 2017, to be precise. So far, under the purview of this collaboration, the two companies had agreed to exchange technologies and share specific models. But they have introduced an addendum to their agreement and will start evaluating definitive cooperation in other arenas as well.
In a joint press release sharing details about the aforementioned collaboration, the companies announced that Suzuki will supply the Ciaz sedan as well as the Ertiga MPV to Toyota in India and Africa. It must be noted that for Africa, Maruti Suzuki will also supply the Baleno hatchback and the Vitara Brezza compact SUV. They added that Toyota’s iteration of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza will be made at the former's manufacturing facility in Karnataka 2022 onwards. However, they haven't yet shared any information about when Toyota's versions of Maruti Suzuki cars will become available for sale.
Toyota and Suzuki also revealed that they will work together to develop a new Toyota C-segment MPV which will be supplied to Suzuki.
Besides that, the two carmakers will also focus on hybrid electric vehicles. Initiatives to that end will include local procurement of HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) systems, batteries, and engines. Additionally, Toyota will supply THS (Toyota Hybrid System) to Suzuki for global markets.
Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota, said, "When it comes to vehicle electrification, which is expected to make further inroads, hybrid technologies are seen as playing a huge role in many markets, as from before. Widespread acceptance is necessary for electrified vehicles to be able to contribute to Earth’s environment. Through our new agreement, we look forward to the wider use of hybrid technologies, not only in India and Europe, but around the world. At the same time, we believe that the expansion of our business partnership with Suzuki—from the mutual supply of vehicles and powertrains to the domains of development and production—will help give us the competitive edge we will need to survive this once-in-a-century period of profound transformation. We intend to strengthen the competitiveness of both our companies by applying our strong points and learning from each other."
Besides India and Africa, the two companies will collaborate in Europe as well. For this market, Toyota will supply two new electrified vehicles , namely the RAV4 and Corolla Wagon, to Suzuki. Furthermore, Toyota will adopt Suzuki engines for compact vehicles that will be supported by Denso and Toyota and manufactured at Toyota's factory in Poland.


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SEATTLE – Arranging recall repairs is easier for Toyota owners. The company has agreed to provide free pickup and return of recalled cars, as well as free rental cars or taxi fare, for car owners across the nation.
More than 8 million Toyota and Lexus cars have been recalled due to concerns about the risk of acceleration issues and other problems.
Toyota is advising its dealers to address customer concerns on a case-by-case basis. Additional services are being provided to customers concerned about driving their vehicle before the repair is completed and may include:
- Expediting scheduling of the repair.
- Picking up the vehicle from the consumer’s home and dropping it off when repairs are complete.
- Driving the customer to the dealership or workplace.
- Providing alternate transportation, such as a rental car, loaner vehicle or taxi reimbursement.
The company will reimburse dealers for the expenses.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regulates vehicle recalls. When New York’s attorney general announced that he had reached an agreement with Toyota to assist owners in need of recall repairs, the National Association of Attorneys General asked the company to extend the provisions to all states.
Consumers in need of recall repairs should first reach out to their dealer. Those who have additional questions can contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center, 1-800-331-4331, or the Lexus Customer Assistance Center, 1-800-255-3987. The centers are open 5 a.m.-6 p.m. Pacific Time Monday through Friday and 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Information is also online at www.toyota.com/recall.
Contact: Kristin Alexander, Media Relations Manager – Seattle, Washington Attorney General’s Office, (206) 464-6432


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Howard Schultz, the former kid from Canarsie, is now mostly known as the king of coffee, but last year, he set his sights beyond Starbucks with social initiatives for cutting the debt, creating jobs and healthcare accessibility.
Published on: Monday, May 07, 2012
Managing Vision and Culture: The Makings of a Global Brand
In just four years, Schultz took Starbucks out of a downward spiral and revitalized the brand, re-centering the focus on the core mission. In 2007, Schultz felt the Starbucks experience and the "theater" of the coffee shop were being diluted. The company was feeling the gravity from the impending financial crash, cutting 6,700 jobs and closing 800 stores worldwide.
Also in 2007, an internal memo was leaked that Schultz, then company chairman, sent to the CEO and management team, and within 24 hours, his life changed. In the memo, Schultz essentially pulled the rug out from under the company's "15-year magic carpet ride."
"I kinda smelled that growth, success was somehow covering up mistakes, and we had lost focus on our core reason for being," Schultz recalled at the 2011 World Business Forum, where ExecuNet exclusively reported. "For 40 years our mission and our business model had been to achieve the fragile balance between profitability and a social conscience. But as a result of our PE and the success of the company, we began to measure and reward the wrong things, and a virus, a disease, somehow infiltrated the company."
A year later, Schultz returned to Starbucks to restore the health of the business profitability but also to rekindle the core and guiding principles of the company. "It is important to exceed the expectations of your people first and then your customers," said Schultz.
"When we were about to lose 20 billion dollars in a year," the Starbucks CEO continued, "we weren't going to allow external forces to define who we are." He said the company did some unorthodox things, which others thought were courageous, but Schultz said they were just being transparent.
Among the risks the coffee company took:
The CEO of Starbucks offered three key insights on consumer behavior and the paramount changes in how people respond to products and make purchasing decisions:
- Closed every store in America and retrained 130,000 employees to make the best cup of coffee in world
- Took 10,000 store managers to New Orleans for extensive community service helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina
Schultz then focused in on his recent mission: the national economy, which he called an "emergency situation." He didn't place the blame on the 9.1 percent unemployment rate, the lack of access to credit for small businesses, or the 42 of 50 states in budget deficit. "It is the unbelievable dysfunctionality in Washington," he said. "Is this the best we can get? Don't we deserve more?"
- Consumer confidence is down worldwide. People are spending less money and scrutinizing what they spend it on. Companies must create value propositions that are authentic, genuine and real. There must be an entry point for customers to believe and understand the value. "You as a merchant, and you as a leader, are putting your feet in the shoes of customers; understand with great sensitivity the pressure that they are under."
- We live in a hyper-connected world now, thanks to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn. Social and digital media are overtaking our way of grasping, receiving and taking in communication. Traditional marketing and PR is subordinate to social and digital media. The rules of engagement have changed dramatically. The mistake companies are making is they think these channels are there to sell stuff; they are there to build a level of emotional engagement and trust — not commerce.
- Customer choice is not only based on price or convenience; there is an importance placed on the values of your company and its authenticity. "Those companies that are doing the right thing — and not sending out a press release — that are active in the community really helping people are going to attract and retain great people and build an enduring relationship with the customer. Those companies that reject a social responsibility as a main reason for doing business, in my view, are not going to succeed."
Our political process is fractured Schultz said, and Washington's leaders are unable to solve the country's problems. "We are on a collision course with time, and America is in trouble because we've allowed the vocal minority on both extremes to capture the voices of America and allow these leaders to lead us down a path we know is wrong! We need the vocal majority of America to speak up, and we need business leaders to recognize we can't wait for Washington to invest in the economy."
He asked whether the Marshall Plan would exist today in the US? He replied with a resounding "No" because it would require 61 votes to pass, and we wouldn't be able to make that happen! We've allowed the vocal minority to control leaders, and that has brought us down the wrong paths.
Schultz offered that Starbucks' efforts in Harlem and South Central Los Angeles were important because all the profits would be going back to these two communities. Additionally, Starbucks would help to create micro-funding for small businesses.
Social services are going to be cut US-wide in the very near future. Schultz implored citizens that if you hear or see something that isn't right, you must stand up. "We are better than us, we deserve more than us. Please do not be a bystander."
Robyn Greenspan is ExecuNet's Chief Content Officer, where she is responsible for setting and driving the editorial content engagement strategy across the private business network's publications and expert-led programming. She is also a Huffington Post blogger. You can follow her on Twitter @RobynGreenspan
Finding new ways to do business is always a challenge, but for success in an ever-changing world, business leaders today must be willing to try new things and remain extremely flexible. Read what some of the world's greatest innovators had to say in this ExecuNet exclusive.
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|Friday, December 16, 2011|
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission is proposing two major rule changes for the way alcohol is sold in the state.
One would allow far more liquor stores to become "non-exclusive," meaning they would be allowed to expand into beer and wine sales.
The other, which could have even broader consequences, would allow corporations to become liquor agents. The idea is to make it easier for big grocery chains, such as Safeway or Fred Meyer, to open "store within a store" liquor outlets. Buy the cantaloupe in the produce section, then head over to a separate area for the vodka or gin to make fruity martinis.
"We're trying to achieve a couple of things," says Merle Lindsey, OLCC deputy director. "We want larger stores. We want consumers to have more products to choose from. We want a great customer experience."
Read more at OregonLive.com.
Friday, June 27, 2014
BY JASON NORRIS | OB BLOGGER
Over the last several months we have seen a wave of cross-border acquisitions, primarily U.S.-based companies looking to purchase non-U.S.-based companies. There are a few reasons for this, but the main culprit is the U.S. corporate tax system. The United States has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world.
Monday, July 14, 2014
BY VIVIAN MCINERNY | OB BLOGGER
Some people think Amazon’s winking eye logo is starting to look like a hoodwink.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
BY ERIC FRUTS | OB BLOGGER
Last year, the housing market in Oregon—and the U.S. as a whole—was blasting off. The Case-Shiller index of home prices ended the year 13% higher than at the beginning of the year. But, was last year a blip, or a trend?
Monday, July 07, 2014
BY TOM COX | OB BLOGGER
Named after the 2010 experiment by Thomas Ryan, "Robin Sages" are fake social media profiles designed to encourage linking and divulging valuable information.
Friday, July 18, 2014
BY JASON NORRIS | OB GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Back in May, we shared a common Wall Street quote about investing, “Sell in May and go away.” Fast forward to July and the most common question we have been getting from clients is, “When is the market pullback going to occur?”
Thursday, July 24, 2014
BY LINDA BAKER | OB EDITOR
Remember the naysayers? Those who called the South Waterfront aerial tram a boondoggle? Those who rejoiced at the massive sell off of luxury condos at the John Ross and Atwater Place?
Thursday, July 03, 2014
BY TED AUSTIN & MIKE BAELE | GUEST CONTRIBUTORS
The Office of Economic Analysis announced that Oregon is currently enjoying the strongest job growth since 2006. While this resurgence has been welcome, the lingering effects of the 2008 “Great Recession” continues to affect Oregon businesses, especially with regard to estate planning and business succession.
|The Private 150: Bigger But Leaner|
|The Perfect Food|
|Powerlist: Staffing Firms|
|Taxis Uber Alles?|
Vigilant enters a New Year with a new president.
How George Fox has become one of Oregon's largest private universities.
Forest Grove sees growth in the burgeoning food and beverage scene.
Fifty-one Lane Powell lawyers were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® (Best Lawyers) 2015; of those selected, 23 lawyers are from the Firm’s office in Portland, Oregon.
Barran Liebman is proud to announce that Andrew Schpak, a Partner of the firm, has been named Chair of the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division for the 2014-2015 bar year.
Vanessa Sturgeon and Miller Nash LLP were selected as leaders in encouraging female advancement.


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Defective products harming 10 people a day
About half of Australian households are exposed to faulty products, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) warns. And at least 10 residents are injured every day using such items. “The number of Australians being injured by unsafe products is far too high,” ACCC Deputy Chairman Delia Rickard said. “Ten injuries a day due to defective products is alarming, but we suspect this is just the tip of the iceberg because many more consumers don’t report injuries to the product suppliers.” The ACCC issued 613 product recalls involving more than 4.5 million items last financial year. There were 591 recalls in 2016/17, a spokesman told insuranceNEWS.com.au. Car-related products topped the recall list with 171, followed by food and groceries on 68 and motorbikes on 36.


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TOP 10 RIGHT NOW
Read it at The Hill
On Tuesday, Dr. Mehmet Oz found himself being bashed by Senator Claire McCaskill for hawking "miracle" weight-loss products that don't have scientific backing. “I don’t get why you need to say this stuff because you know it’s not true,” the Democrat from Missouri told Oz during a Senate panel about businesses selling fake Oz-approved products. “The scientific community is almost monolithically against you in terms of the efficacy of the three products you called ‘miracles.’” Oz replied that he hopes viewers lean toward healthier choices. "When I can't use language that is flowery, that is exulting, I feel like I've been disenfranchised," he said.


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The public has become angered over people who have been littering gloves and masks all over supermarket car parks — which can pose a risk to others in the community, experts warn.
In several posts on local community pages, people have been branded by users as "disgusting" and "gross" after they discovered rubbish left behind by supermarket customers.
"It's good to see people in Rewa suiting up when going out to the supermarket. But the thing that p***es me off is looking through the car park at Clendon and there are gloves everywhere on the ground," Kasey Carter wrote.
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• Boxing: Joseph Parker's gloves change gets under Dillian Whyte's skin
"Why should someone else have to pick up your gloves and face masks? It's like we have to give step by step instructions to grown as Nasty Adult.
Put your s*** in the bin. Don't be dirty Kiwi's."
Carter also posted a photo of rubbish strewn across the car park.
"Did anyone else notice the Pak'nSave car park littered with peoples receipts and disposed of gloves just thrown on the ground?", another person wrote.
"I know this is a stressful time and what not but surely it's not that hard to buy a pack of rubbish bags to keep handy in your car and dispose of things that way rather than just throwing them where ever? Just a thought. On another note, take care everyone and be safe!"
Microbiologist Dr Siouxsie Wiles told the Herald people leaving gloves and masks behind at the supermarket was concerning as it poses a risk to those who have to clean it up, especially if the rubbish is contaminated with Covid-19.
CEO of the non-profit organisation Keep New Zealand Beautiful Heather Saunderson told the Herald that she also believed potentially contaminated items could put others in the community at risk.
"These are unprecedented times that we are living in and as we enter into our second week of a level 4 national lockdown due to Coronavirus (Covid-19), the safety of ourselves, our families and our communities is paramount.
"Whilst we strive to encourage and inspire people to reduce their dependence on single-use items, we understand that during these extraordinary times some single-use products are necessary to keep us healthy and safe.
"However, littered masks and gloves are not only detrimental to the environment and our ecosystem, but these potentially contaminated items also put others in the community at risk.
"We are all in this together, and Keep New Zealand Beautiful encourages New Zealanders to 'Do the Right Thing' and dispose of this waste properly and with care, to keep yourselves, your whanau and your community healthy and safe."
During the level 4 lockdown, the Keep New Zealand Beautiful team are continuing to work behind the scenes by providing virtual educational platforms and community pride programming.
The Herald has contacted Foodstuffs and Countdown for comment.