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Aluminium foil makers in the People’s Republic of China will be meeting tomorrow in Beijing under summons from the Ministry of Commerce to discuss Mexico’s recent anti-dumping probe against them. So said several anonymous sources who spoke to Reuters last week.
A trio of sources told the news agency that the meeting will be held to discuss responses to the probe, which began on Tuesday.
One source said that the probe’s timing by Mexico, which he characterized as a “big market” for Chinese aluminium goods, was “very interesting.” The source is likely alluding to the ongoing trade troubles between China and the United States.
The probe is in response to a complaint filed this spring by Almexa Aluminio claiming that imports from China of aluminium foil of a thickness equal to or less than 0.08 millimeters was harming Mexico’s domestic aluminium industry.
The investigation over importation of such foil, which typically finds use as household foil or flexible packaging, is focusing on imports from the entirety of last year, though damages will be determined by looking at import numbers as far back as 2015.
“We believe there are high odds for anti-dumping duties of at least 30 percent as a result of this investigation,” explained Harbor Intelligence in a note released shortly after the investigation commenced.
While Chinese producers of aluminium foil are obviously critical of the move, a North American aluminium trade group expressed its strong support of the move on Thursday.
“The Aluminum Association is pleased by the Government of Mexico’s decision to launch an antidumping investigation on imports of certain Chinese aluminum foil,” said Aluminum Association president & CEO Heidi Brock in a statement. “The North American aluminum market is highly integrated, and it is vital the region work together to combat unfair trade practices and enforce rules-based trade. The U.S. aluminum industry has already seen real results from targeted and durable trade enforcement actions, and we are glad to see trading partners like Mexico demonstrate their commitment to rigorous and timely enforcement of global trade rules.”


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Forced by an increasingly educated workforce, hackers are getting incredibly creative when it comes to phishing tactics. The latest in line is to pose as the Ministry of Justice, handing fake subpoenas to potential victims in hopes they’d panic and hurry to fix the issue without double-checking the authenticity of the email first.
Cofense Intelligence TM has spotted such emails going out to people working in insurance and retail companies. As one can expect, the emails look almost identical to what you could get from the Justice department, and in those emails it says the recipient has been subpoenaed and is required to click on a link to see more details.
Now the first link is benign – it’s a Google Docs file and as such, can be safely opened. But this is only to fool the victim into thinking the email is legit. The Docs file comes with a direct download link to a Word file sitting in a OneDrive folder.
That Word file has a macro which, once executed, downloads malware via PowerShell.
The malware itself, Cofense says, is a potent information stealer. It can gather information from most web browsers in use today, even those that aren’t as popular. It looks for browser information, cryptocurrency wallet data, FTP and email login credentials. It can also take screenshots of the infected device.
All the information it gathers, it stores in a file named information.log, which it then sends to its Command and Control server.

domain: news


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Focus Home Interactive has announced that it will be teaming with Lords of the Fallen developer Deck13 for a new unannounced RPG.
The game is a new premium action RPG IP set in a dystopian sci-fi future, according to the publisher, and features “innovative combat mechanics and an original character progression system based on modular upgrades gained through tight, visceral combat.”
“We are delighted to be working with Focus Home Interactive. Our relationship with the company over the past few months has created a lot of trust and confidence already,” said Florian Stadlbauer, CEO of Deck13. “During the past years, the Focus team has shown that they are extremely successful in marketing European titles worldwide.”
?We are ecstatic to announce this new partnership with one of the very best independent European development studios,” added Cedric Lagarrigue, Focus Home Interactive?s Managing Partner. “We?ve been excited by Deck13?s new project since our first exchange with them, and as we?ve just got through the pre-production phase, we?re fully convinced by their capacities to deliver one of the most exciting RPGs to come in the future.?
The unannounced RPG is in development for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and will be available both digitally and at retail in 2017.


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TEXT OF COMMENTARY
Scott Jagow: The checks are half-way in the mail. The House voted overwhelmingly yesterday to rush tax rebate checks to most Americans. Now, the Senate gets a hold of the stimulus package. Some Senators think it’s a bad idea. Others want to expand it.
Commentator Robert Reich says beyond the rebates to taxpayers, there’s an even bigger problem with this plan.
Robert Reich: Perhaps the silliest part of an already silly stimulus bill is a provision giving corporations big tax deductions this year on the costs of new machinery. These deductions are normally spread out over several years. The idea is to get businesses to invest in more machinery, which will stimulate the economy.
But accelerated depreciation, as it’s called, doesn’t work. Almost the same tax break was enacted in 2002, and studies show just about no increase in business investment as a result. Why? Because companies won’t invest in more machines when demand is dropping for the stuff the machines make. And right now, demand is dropping for just about everything.
This tax break exemplifies the illogic of what’s called supply-side economics. The thinking goes: If you reduce the cost of investing, you’ll get more investment. What’s left out is the demand side of the equation. Without consumers who want to buy a product, there’s no point in making it, regardless of how many tax breaks go into it.
Which gets us to the real problem. Most consumers are at the end of their ropes, and can’t buy more. Real incomes are no higher than they were in 2000, while food and energy and health care costs are all rising faster than inflation. And home values are dropping, which means an end to home-equity loans and refinancing.
Most of what’s being earned in America is going to the richest 5 percent, but the rich devote a smaller percent of their earnings to buying things than the rest of us because, after all, they’re rich — which means they already have most of what they want. Instead, the rich invest their earnings wherever around the world they can get the highest return.
Now add all this together and there’s just not enough consumer demand out there to keep the American economy going. We’re finally feeling the whirlwind of widening inequality and ever more concentrated wealth.
Supply-siders who want to cut taxes on corporations and the rich just don’t get it. Neither does most of official Washington.
Jagow: Commentator Robert Reich was Labor Secretary under President Clinton. His latest book is called “Supercapitalism.”


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Outlook for 2014 on the footwear market is positive
Even if 2013 was not brilliant the outlook for the German market in 2014 is good. In its half-yearly report, the German footwear association HDS-L announces that the euro crisis of the European Union has now been overcome, employment level in Germany is very high and consumers are again willing to go shopping. According to a recent survey of the Ifo Institute, German footwear firms have plenty of orders and good expectations for the coming months as regards both export and and sales on the domestic market.
The positive trend has already had an effect on footwear imports that in 2013 saw a growth of 6.2% for a total of 570 million pairs, 52% of which came from China. An increase also of footwear imports from Italy, growing by 10% in value with an average price of 27.25 euro (+2.5%) rising to 37.3 euro in footwear with leather uppers, the average prices of which increased last year by 2.23 euro a pair.
As to trends on the domestic market, according to BDSE the German retailers association, there was a sales increase of 1% despite a cold spring and very mild winter.
A more detailed analysis shows better results for big chain stores 8+2%) and a downturn (-1%) for smaller retailers.
The growth rate is decidedly higher for online sales (+15% in 2013) that see an increment of 12%.
A figure that continues to preoccupy retailers who, nevertheless expect progress in traditional sales of 2% for the current year.
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Spirent 8100 Location Technology solution was used by Signals Research Group (SRG) in the industry’s first independent benchmark study of the performance of location technologies in chipset platforms and leading smartphone models. The SRG report reveals significant performance differences in the Assisted GPS (A-GPS) receive sensitivity of leading smartphones. The report also highlights the incremental benefits of a multi-GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) approach, using signals from the Russian GLONASS satellite system in conjunction with A-GPS, when obtaining a location fix.
GPS Apple filed a patent related to syncing an iPhone with a car with the US Patent and Trademark Office in May 2012. The patent refers to sharing location information between the car and iPhone so that features like turn-by-turn navigation can be utilised. It includes the option of tracking your location using the vehicle’s GPS.
Google recently announced the availability of two new features for Google Maps in India: turn-by-turn voice-guided driving directions through Google Maps Navigation (Beta) and live traffic information for several major cities.
BhartiAirtel in India has launched a navigation application – SmartDrive – that enables users to view their location on a map and plan the route from one place to another. “SmartDrive is assisted by a voice based turn by turn navigation that gives real time information updates on traffic situation on roads around,” the company said in a statement.
Google is announcing the next step for Google Maps for mobile in the Middle East and North Africa- the availability of Google Maps with Navigation (Beta) for phones running Android 4.0 in nine countries across MENA. It is an Internet-connected GPS navigation or ‘satnav’ system that provides turn-by-turn voice driving directions as a feature of Google Maps for mobile.
The R&D center of Belarusian Railways is working on a pilot project to install electronic navigation equipment in locomotives. At present Belarusian Railways is busy installing satellite navigation means with an operator’s electronic key at 15 passenger electric locomotives operated by the Minsk Office. The rolling stock is used on the territory of Belarus and Russia.
Pole Star in partnership with the Wi-Fioperator, Hub Telecom, has extended coverage of the NAO Campus solution to all of terminals of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. The CDG Airport is the first venue in the world to offer indoor location service over such a large area and in such a complex environment. The Pole Star indoor location solution enables users to locate their position with an average accuracy of 5 meters and even up to 1.5 meters depending on the zone, while guaranteeing seamless indoor/outdoor and level transitions.
Russian search giant Yandex will power the mapping services for Apple users in the country when the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system goes live, according to a report published in the Wall Street Journal. Anyone using Apple’s mapping service on an iOS6 powered device inside Russia will receive information provided by Yandex, according to the report. In addition, anyone using mapping services about Russia but located outside the country will be fed information by Yandex.
According Berg Insight report, the number of active users of family locator services in Europe and North America is forecasted to grow from 16 million in 2011 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 34 percent to reach 70 million in 2016. In terms of number of users, family locator services is the largest segment for people monitoring and safety solutions based on either GPS-enabled smartphones or dedicated cellular/GPS location devices.
TechNavio’s analysts forecast the Global LBS market to grow at a CAGR of 48 percent over the period 2011-2015. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the increasing adoption of GPS-enabled smartphones and tablets. The Global LBS market has also been witnessing the increasing adoption of LBS across industries. However, the lack of wireless network coverage and bandwidth could pose a challenge to the growth of this market. http://www.heraldonline.com/
Tahoe RF Semiconductor has licensed the latest GNSS technology from Stanford University for the development of their next generation low-power, low-cost universal GNSS IC. The technology employs unique RF subsampling techniques that enable the receiver to support all the GNSS bands and be implemented on a single RF CMOS IC Technology


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Coastal Shipping Needs New Wave of Reform
18 September 2014
Australia began, and naturally evolved, as a maritime nation. Our geography demands it.
The importance of shipping to modern trade and our economy means keeping the industry afloat is a must.
While the ocean provides a natural highway that carries the vast majority of Australia’s international trade by volume, we need to use it more.
In 2012-13, Australian ports managed over $400 billion worth of international cargo and saw some 4,900 overseas cargo ships make almost 14,000 port calls.
At first glance, that may sound impressive but this is an industry sinking under the dead weight of red tape and uncompetitive costs.
Under Labor’s flawed, bureaucratic and protectionist permit system there were almost 1,000 fewer coastal voyages and almost two million fewer tonnes of freight moved by foreign vessels in 2012-13.
Figures released today in the Australian Sea Freight 2012-13 Report show that 49 million tonnes of coastal freight was loaded in 2012-13, but that five years earlier (2007-08) it was over 59 million tonnes. This represents an average 2.4% decline each year in the total weight of coastal freight on Labor’s watch.
Meanwhile, the Australian trading fleet continued its downward trend with the number of major Australian registered ships with coastal licences declining from 30 in 2006-07 to just 13 by 2012-13.
While the number of vessels has marginally risen since the period of the Report, deadweight tonnage has plummeted by 64% over the two years of Labor’s failed changes to domestic shipping arrangements.
Ill-considered knee-jerk protectionist dogma masquerading as Labor reforms did not save Australian jobs on the water and has cost Australian jobs on land.
Clearly, coastal voyages by international and domestic ships should be growing, not shrinking. These figures demonstrate two points.
Firstly, Labor’s policies have failed the industry, its employees and our economic growth and that, secondly, with the right policies, there is huge potential and upside for coastal trading unconstrained by needless red tape.
Between 2000 and 2012 shipping’s share of national freight plummeted from 27% to less than 17%. Making that tale of the sea even worse, over the same time the volume of Australian freight actually grew by 57%.
This will not get better by itself. Projections over 2010 to 2030 will see Australia’s national freight task grow by a massive 80%. While the national road and rail tasks are expected to double, coastal shipping movements will grow a mere 15%.
Higher freight rates and the loss of market share from shipping businesses to road and rail increase commercial pressures on Australian shipping. They also increase congestion and add financial pressures on our land freight infrastructure.
Operating costs, particularly labour arrangements, are uncompetitive when compared with operating costs for foreign ships. For example, Cristal Mining has submitted that the difference between using Australian and foreign ships costs their business an additional $5 million every year.
We need to fix all of this to build a competitive shipping industry.
Labor’s sop to the maritime union is costing jobs and has the potential to cost a lot more jobs in our manufacturing industries, aluminium and mineral sands processing, gypsum, cement and sugar to name a few.
It does not help our national cause when coastal shipping is bound by regulations where a ship has to wait idle in port for a day before loading can commence. Submissions to the Government’s Options Paper, including from Bell Bay Aluminium, tell us that this delay can cost foreign vessels around $10,000 a day—and more than $20,000 a day for Australian ships.
Bell Bay Aluminium saw a 63% increase in their shipping freight rate from Tasmania to Queensland in the first year of operation of Labor’s Coastal Trading Act—an increase from $18.20 a tonne in 2011 to $29.70 a tonne in 2012.
Compare that with freight rates offered by foreign vessels, which sat at $17.50 a tonne in 2012.
The Business Council of Australia estimates that Labor’s system has inflicted over 1,000 extra administration hours per year on the industry to comply with the new system.
Shippers tell me that container rates from Melbourne to Brisbane are almost twice the cost of those from Singapore to Melbourne; that bulk freight rates on the east-west route have reportedly doubled in the past year and that transporting sugar from Thailand is cheaper than shipping it from Queensland.
Why can’t half-loaded international vessels carry containers between Australian ports without incurring punitive wage cost penalties?
Enough is enough. It just doesn’t make sense.
Australia’s coastal trading sector is at a crucial way-point. There are problems, but, as a government, we also see great opportunities for growth and expansion once we get the regulatory monkey off the industry’s back.


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Is Usps Delivering Mail On Christmas Eve 2021
Is Usps Delivering Mail On Christmas Eve 2021 – Regular collections till 23 rd Dec. USPS will be open for business and mail delivery will continue as usual Monday Dec. Postal an executive order on December 11 declaring Christmas Eve a federal holiday this year. However USPS Blue Collection Boxes will be affected by the federal.
THE US Postal Service and FedEx will make deliveries on Christmas Eve despite their massive staff shortages.
Is Usps Delivering Mail On Christmas Eve 2021. Mail Will Still Be Delivered on Christmas Eve 2020 Even though Christmas Eve is a federal holiday for 2020 this isnt changing the mail delivery services. Postal Services mail supply and plenty of different mail supply providers. 2021 Post Office Holidays Below is a list of the 2021 post office holidays.
Post Office retail counters will be open until noon. USPS mail will still be delivered as usual on Christmas Eve and the holiday will not affect hours according to Newsweek. USPS is experiencing a huge backlog of delivery packages due to a widespread staff shortage because of the coronavirus pandemic but are promising to deliver as much as possible until December 25.
Postal Service will not be delivering mail to your home today since its a federal holiday. UPS will be delivering mail as usual on Christmas Eve. Blue collection boxes are not serviced on Sundays and that will be the case on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve this year.
Postal Service USPS logo August 2020. The Post Offices to remain closed on Christmas Eve 24 Dec. The USPS will not be open and the US.
The delivery service of UPS is available in all the areas on Christmas Eve. When we talk about. Mail is still being delivered today USPS.
Only Priority Mail Express packages will be delivered. The Post Office locations to remain closed on 25 th December. Does UPS Deliver on Christmas Eve.


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Verizon seems to be on a spending spree. After acquiring Yahoo for just shy of $5 billion, the major wireless company has bought Fleetmatics for $2.4 billion.
The GPS vehicle-tracking firm was bought in an all-cash deal at a premium of 40% over its stock price. The US company develops software that shows fleet operators vehicle location, fuel usage, and other information, including a driver behavior data.
Verizon, already America’s largest wireless company, continues to seek the addition of new revenue streams.


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Q. I recently moved to South Boston and got a trial membership at Gold’s Gym. I was told that if I did not like the facility, I could simply sign a cancellation form, and I would not be charged any money. I visited twice and found it too busy and told the girl working at the front desk that I did not wish to continue my trial membership. She took down my name and information and told me I was “all set.” A few weeks later, I noticed a charge for approximately $150. Gold’s charged me as a full member. I explained what happened several times and have since also been charged a monthly fee of $49.99. I have never experienced such awful customer service or complete lack of professional courtesy.
Colin McEvily, South Boston
A. This sort of dispute has soured a lot of consumers on the health club business. It is why consumer protection agencies produce brochures on the subject. Disputes over trial memberships and contractual obligations led some clubs to abandon the practice of the “we’ve got you” contract in favor of a month-to-month system.
Clearly, that’s not the case here. So, I appealed to the folks at Gold’s national offices. Corporate Vice President Dave Reiseman said it’s up to franchisees to handle these sorts of issues and offered no other insight.
The gym’s general manager, Lindsay Parker, explained that they have no record of a cancellation before the trial period expired and won’t honor your request. “We can’t just go by what someone says three weeks later,” she said. “I have policies the club owners put in place that I have to follow.”
This situation highlights the dangers of these sorts of arrangements. The “trial membership” comes with an obligation. You’re essentially taking a membership – and providing your financial information in the process – with the possibility of a cancellation during a one or two week “trial.” That’s if you follow their rules. Otherwise, you’re locked in for the contract period unless you meet specific criteria – like moving 25 or more miles away or being under doctor’s orders to stop exercising.
Given the cancellation confusion, you can also try to appeal to the Attorney General, state Consumer Affairs office, and Better Business Bureau to mediate the dispute.
The author is solely responsible for the content.
About the author
Mitch Lipka is one of America's leading consumer journalists and advocates. He is an expert in product safety, recalls, scams, and helping consumers get out of jams. He is a nationally known consumer columnist and runs TheConsumerChronicle.com. He lives in Worcester. You can find him on Facebook or reach him at ConsumerNews@Aol.com


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Marco Suvilaakso, Chief Strategy Officer at Polar, made the thrilling announcement which all fitness enthusiast in the audience enjoyed. The Polar Ignite Watch was launched live on the Wear It Innovation Summit stage two hours before the official world premiere. This proves once again that Wear Innovation Summit has developed into a platform which brings together industry leaders such as Polar, Microsoft, HUGO BOSS, H&M and many more under one roof, and the reasons are plenty – from innovating their own products, solutions or creating potential for their businesses.
With over 50 conference partners and exhibitors, attendees could accelerate their businesses, take value and have an impact on the future of wearables. “Our goal is not only to bring together the brightest minds in wearable tech, but create an industry!”, said Thomas Gnahm, Founder and CEO at Wear It Berlin GmbH. “This year we were proven right by Polar’s release of the Polar Ignite Watch at Wear It Innovation Summit, two hours before the world release.”
Wear It Innovation Summit addresses decision makers, Startups and game-changers and lawmakers alike. Its main goal is to change the daily life of every single person for the better.
Picture credits: Michael Wittig


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Band-Aid launches Muppet app to take the ‘ouch’ out of the ‘owie’
SKILLMAN, N.J. — Band-Aid brand adhesive bandages on Wednesday unveiled the Band-Aid Brand Magic Vision app featuring Disney’s The Muppets. The one-of-a-kind application and platform employs augmented reality technology to provide parents with an ability to entertain their kids during that moment they get hurt. By downloading the app, parents and children can scan any of the Band-Aid brand adhesive bandages strips and boxes featuring Disney’s The Muppets and view any of three distinct adventures and performances from the Muppets.
The Band-Aid Magic Vision app featuring Disney’s The Muppets uses AR technology to merge a child’s real-life surroundings with graphics displayed on the digital screen. Whether singing along to Kermit the Frog’s serenade, striking a pose with Miss Piggy or aiding The Great Gonzo on his daring act of lunacy, the AR app is designed to entertain and make Muppets fans forget about their "boo-boos." The free app is now available for iOS devices (iPhone 4/s or iPad 2+) in the Apple App Store.
"For nearly 100 years, parents have relied on Band-Aid Brand to help heal their kids’ cuts and scrapes, which means we have also become a part of those special, soothing and nurturing moments," stated Hugh Dineen, VP Johnson & Johnson Consumer Cos. "Whether through our fashion-forward bandages or through this new technology-forward app, Band-Aid Brand is committed to providing unexpected delight during the healing process."
To check out a visual demonstration of the new app, click here.
Cirrus Healthcare launches line of Hello Kitty antimicrobial earplugs
COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y. — Cirrus Healthcare Products earlier this month announced the launch of its Hello Kitty-licensed earplugs for swimming and sound protection. The earplugs are individually printed with the cartoon characters encouraging young children to wear ear protection while swimming.
The Hello Kitty ultra soft earplugs employs the same technology as the antimicrobial earplug BioEars — soft silicone earplugs which use ActivAloe. The earplugs are easily molded to the shape of your ear providing an airtight seal, resulting in ears being protected from water penetration and harsh noise.
Hello Kitty earplugs come in packs of three and six in a waterproof carry case, with a suggested retail price of $3.99 and $5.49, respectively.
Cirrus over the next 12 months will be releasing an additional 10 uniquely-printed themed ear care products, the company said.
Boehringer Ingelheim launches Dulcolax for women
RIDGEFIELD, Conn. — Boehringer Ingelheim last week announced the launch of Dulcolax Laxative Tablets for Women — tablets that are "comfort-coated" to protect a woman’s stomach so the active ingredient, bisacodyl, is released only in the large intestine — to correspond with National Women’s Health Week.
According to a new national survey sponsored BI, constipation ranks as one of the top women’s health issues that women are least likely to discuss. “National Women’s Health Week is the perfect opportunity for women to take charge of their health needs, including that unmentionable ‘c-word’ — constipation,” stated Jennifer Wider, medical adviser for Cosmopolitan magazine and the Society for Women’s Health Research. “Women are significantly more likely to suffer from constipation than men, but preventing and treating constipation is almost always simple if you address it like any other health problem.”
Additional national constipation survey findings show that:
Constipation and sex are statistically tied as the most uncomfortable topics for women to discuss (29% and 30%, respectively);
37% of women say they don’t talk about constipation with anyone;
34% of women confide in other women, compared to only 25% who confide in men; and
Only fertility (53%) and fibromyalgia (44%) rank higher than constipation (41%) for the least heard about or talked about women’s health issue.
Dulcolax for Women is available in 25-count packs at local retailers nationwide. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should always ask their healthcare provider before taking Dulcolax Laxative Tablets. Recent clinical research that studied 10 mg of Dulcolax (two tablets) showed that bisacodyl is not excreted in breastmilk, the company said.


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PlayStation has signed up Ben King to help lead its digital business, including the PS Store.
Search Results for apple
There are many different casino apps available for your phone, but which one is the best? It really depends on …
Check out the Fortnite update 3.70 patch notes (aka Fortnite v22.10) from Epic Games! Find out what’s with Fortnite PS4, PS5 here.
Mobile devices are an integral part of our daily lives. Many people can access numerous apps online and are easily …
You have one week left to grab six months free of Apple TV+ on PS5!
WWE 2K22 has debuted in second place on the UK All Format Chart, selling best on the PS5.
The PSVR 2 will begin shipping in Q2 2022, according to a well-known Taiwanese Apple analyst.
Apple Music is coming to the PS5 today, Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced. Get more details here.
PS5 could be getting Apple Music, according to new reports from Reddit. Nothing has been announced yet by Sony or Apple, however.
PlayStation continues to invest in their mobile branch, this time with the hiring of Nicola Sebastiani, the former Apple Arcade content lead.


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Nissan is finally ready to give us a look at the next-generation Z sports car.
The current Nissan 370Z model has been on the market for more than eight years and it has long been overdue for a makeover. According to a report from Japan’s Best Car magazine, the Japanese automaker will unveil a Z concept at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, the same place where Toyota will reportedly debut its Supra successor in concept form. And although rumors suggested that the new Z car would take the form of a crossover, it appears it will likely be a traditional RWD coupe with similar proportions to the current model.
In terms of design, the Z is expected to adopt a more aggressive style, pulling inspiration from the potent GT-R. It will also ride on a shorter wheelbase borrowed from the Infiniti Q60’s FR-L platform. We can also expect it to me much lighter.
SEE ALSO: Nissan 370Z Review
That means you shouldn’t be surprised to see it share powerplants, including the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine found on the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport, which could make more than 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque in the Z. The powerplant will be paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, but Nissan will likely offer a manual as well. There will also be an entry-level 3.0-liter V6 with 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, but what’s more exciting is a possible hybrid powertrain using the same engine and an electric motor to generate more than 500 hp.
The next-generation Z model should arrive by 2019 and check back with AutoGuide.com as we will be reporting live from the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show.
[Source: Car and Driver]
Discuss this story on our Nissan Z Forum


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Oct 28, 2013 Instagram wants to put ads into our social media feeds, but it promises those ads will mirror the "Instagram aesthetic."
Oct 28, 2013 A talk about 'Brand America' with Sir Martin Sorrell, marketing whiz and CEO of international advertising firm WPP.
Stacey Vanek Smith
Oct 25, 2013 Instagram has come up with an obvious way to generate revenue. It's going to start including advertising in users' photo feeds.
Oct 23, 2013 The World Series starts and big sporting events like this still bring what advertisers want -- live viewers.
Oct 4, 2013 Imagine you’re a business that relies on advertising revenue, but it’s unclear how many of your customers are bots or not. Meet Twitter.
Oct 4, 2013 Jimmy Choo co-founder Tamara Mellon on the brand's beginnings.
Oct 3, 2013 What happens to a luxury brand when its exclusivity is exhausted?
Oct 9, 2013 Could advertising convince Americans to buy -- or avoid buying -- health insurance?
Sep 18, 2013 Retailers and email marketers are upset that Gmail's new updates are hurting their sales.


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The automotive world is increasingly moving towards making more EVs, which, somewhat ironically, makes picking the best electric cars harder than ever. Where once electric cars were the outliers of the car world, with the likes of Tesla seemingly the machinations of a billionaire, they are now a staple of some of the largest car brands around; Nissan, VW, Porsche, Audi, and more all have electric vehicles.
And with the move towards only zero-emission vehicles as early as 2030 for some car makers, we’re on the cusp of seeing a surge of EVs available, from simple urban runabouts to performance EVs.
But in the here and now there are plenty of impressive EVs to choose from. Tesla has been impressing buyers with EV performance for years and there are electric luxury sedans, exotic supercars, compact commuters, and even pickup trucks coming this year.


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(NYTimes) - Lawrence Eells, the executive chef at the Hyatt Regency Orlando, in Florida, would like his kitchen, or at least its operations, to be as lean as his roast beef. So in April, he welcomed a team of researchers looking at ways to reduce food waste, especially around the abundant all-you-can-eat buffets.
Experts from Ideo, the global design firm known for such creations as Apple's first mouse and Ikea's kitchen of the future, studied all facets of the buffet, from food preparation and presentation to the eating patterns of guests. The idea was to try to measure exactly how much food was consumed or repurposed, versus thrown away. They also aimed to pinpoint areas where innovations might help cut waste.
Their initial finding - that guests ate just over half of the food put out - surprised almost everyone. Perhaps even more striking was that only 10 to 15 percent of the leftovers could be donated or repurposed because of food safety regulations, while the rest ended up in the garbage. The sizable waste generated by coffee, juices and other liquids added to the conundrum.
"It was a shock," said Eells, who oversees some 5,000 event buffets annually and many more buffets in the property's restaurants. "The scope of the problem was an eye-opener beyond belief."
It also presented an opportunity for the hospitality industry to make real headway in addressing a pervasive and costly problem. The United States generates 57.2 million tonnes of food waste annually, at an estimated cost of US$218 billion, according to a 2016 report by ReFED, a group of businesses, nonprofit groups and government leaders devoted to reducing the nation's waste. Of that, roughly 40 percent is estimated to come from consumer-serving business like hotels and restaurants.
Though no good data exists yet about how much hotels or their buffets specifically contribute to the overall waste total, the thinking is that hotels are an ideal place to raise awareness and change behaviors around sustainability issues, as they have for water conservation.
"If we can change the way food service happens in hotels, it has the potential to influence a lot of different hearts and minds," said Pete Pearson, director of food waste at the World Wildlife Fund. Thanks to a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, Pearson is working with Hyatt, Ideo and others to develop a list of best practices for the hospitality industry to combat food waste.
By targetting buffets, Hyatt and Ideo are zeroing in on a hotel staple that by definition oozes excess. The question is why and what can be done to rein it in without shortchanging guests.
This is potentially tricky territory. For starters, hotels are loath to do anything that might upset guests. Ideo discovered that one key contributor to the food-waste problem is a fear of not having enough food, and so hotel personnel and conference organisers both inflate expected head counts to guard against any shortage. At the same time, guests pile their plates high to avoid going back for seconds, and to ensure that they get enough of the dishes they want.
"For all these different stakeholders, running out of food is their worst nightmare," said Hailey Brewer, a director with Ideo in New York. "Each person is a little overinsured."
Once solutions are identified, Hyatt intends to roll them out at properties around the country, and some simple fixes have already been made in Orlando.
Instead of large platters of meats and cheese, guests see sample plates that can be ordered directly from servers. Yogurt will be available in single servings, instead of large bowls. Bountiful baskets of bread and butter, long a buffet standard, are shrinking; because of changing dietary habits, they now rank high among leftover foods. Portion sizes of some items are down, too, while more finger pastries are offered in lieu of whole cakes and pies.
Eells said that these changes have already cut buffet costs by about 10 percent, and that guests haven't objected.
The challenge will be finding the right balance between delivering a high level of service and minimising waste.
"People don't want to be preached to as they are going through the breakfast buffet," Pearson said. "At the same time, we shouldn't allow people to stack everything on their plates and then just toss it away."


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Fishing giant Sea Harvest – a household brand in South Africa – was recently listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) after showing significant growth over the past two years through organic growth and well-timed acquisitions. Top Performing Magazine interviews...read more
An entrepreneurial visionary, and dubbed ‘tech titan’ of the world, Elon Musk has gone where most would not dare to tread. His innovative, revolutionary and often-unorthodox ideas – the steps of one man – resulted in some giant leaps for mankind. We profile Musk in...read more
Strong sectors show significant return for foreign investors. Despite the headlines, foreign and local investors should not lose sight of the fact that South Africa remains a highly attractive – and sound – investment option. But which sectors offer the best...read more
By Dion Shango, CEO: PWC Southern Africa Several years on from the financial crisis, CEO confidence is on the rise – although it still has some way to go back to the levels from what we saw in 2007. Across the globe, there are signs of optimism despite mixed views on...read more
What is tourism’s impact on everyday South Africa? We chat to South African Tourism CEO, Sisa Ntshona
With unemployment stubbornly sitting at more than 25%, job creation continues to be the biggest spin-off from the burgeoning tourism sector. According to Statistics South Africa’s December 2016 report, the industry created more than 32 000 new jobs during 2015,...read more
Aside from fictional characters like Flash Gordon or Superman (even that’s open to debate!), there are very few who can outrun or even match the speed of South Africa’s biggest athletic sensation of the decade, Wayde van Niekerk. In the latest edition of Top...read more
TOP PERFORMING COMPANIES SOUTH AFRICA
Visionary top companies in South Africa and government departments seek to partner with empowered, high performance companies. These partnerships result in an exchange of only the best products and services, most competitive prices and highest levels of service efficiency. Such relationships raise the corporate performance bar higher and uplift the economy as a whole, but they begin here: in the pages of South Africa’s Top Performing Companies.
The Top Performing Companies research team spends a full year ensuring that only genuine corporate leaders are profiled, based on a comprehensive survey across thousands of top companies. This sets the benchmark for measuring actual corporate performance.
The readership includes, but is not limited to premiers, CEOs, CFOs, industry analysts and commentators, senior executives of the DTI, the BMF, the Government Leadership Academy, business schools, representatives of the Presidency and embassies, and many others who are interested in top performance.
Topco Media, the top performing company behind Top Performing Companies, was established in 1996 and has published over 30 major annual B2B publications. Topco Media has mounted 33 national conferences attracting thousands of delegates, and 14 national business award programmes, including the Top Women Awards and the Metropolitan Oliver Empowerment Awards, as well as the prestigious National Business Awards – probably South Africa’s premier awards programme.


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As the end of year period allows some catching up on reading industry news, I came across an interesting year overview by FierceMobile, which nicely sums up the importance of the past year for the mobile industry.
1/ The iPhone pushes the Mobile Internet to the next level
The iPhone was first launched in 2007, but became a worldwide hype in 2008. For the first time, consumers started thinking of their mobile device as more than something that allows voice calls and sms messages. Mobile Internet finally came on the radar of a larger audience. And other mobile manufacturers followed with the launch of new smartphones with lots of interesting new functionalities.
2/ The App Store redefines the mobile user experience
The App Storeallows consumers to download a large variety of applications onto their iPhone. For developers it provides an interesting platform to sell their new applications. This completely changes the user experience: no longer must subscribers troll carrier decks and retailer web sites in search of applications optimized for their particular device or operating system, or suffer through absurdly complicated download protocols. Moreover, the sheer abundance of applications available from the App Store virtually guarantees there is an app tailored for every iPhone owner, regardless of their personal wants and needs.
3/ Google emerges as a mobile superpower
Having conquered the position as #1 web search tool, it was obvious that Google would become a leader in mobile search as well. But they didn’t stop just there. Their open software platform Android encourages innovation on the mobile and their partnership with T-Mobile results in the launch of the G1 smartphone, up for competition with the iPhone.
4/ Mobile reshapes social networking – and vice versa
The mobile hype went parallel with the growing popularity of social networks, such as Facebook and MySpace. It’s only natural that both got intertwined. 46% of social network members have visited their favorite sites on their phones, with more than half of them checking for comments and messages from their friends. A 45% have also posted status updates. In November, Facebook announced its mobile userbase has expanded from 5 million to 15 million since the beginning of 2008. MySpace announced that same month that its integrated mobile solution customized for device maker Research In Motion’s BlackBerry smartphones generated more than 400,000 downloads in its first seven days of release.
5/ Mobile messaging continues to surge
Economic crisis or not, people continue to send SMS text messages. In the 3rd quarter alone, the global volume for mobile messaging increased with 10%. Several mobile trends emerged, among them messaging initiatives tied to social and political change and marketing, mobile messaging for charitable donations and a significant growth in mobile messaging by enterprises and financial institutions. Just think of the importance of the mobile in the presidential campaigns in the US.
6/ The mobile data pendulum swings to the US
While the US was lagging behind for years when it came to mobile data adoption and innovation, they have made up for that in 2008. A new generation of more sophisticated and user-friendly smartphones as well as a mounting number of must-have applications have brought the US into one of the leading positions on the mobile market.
Given the many positive evolutions for the mobile industry in 2008, 2009 promises to be a very interesting year for mobile internet and mobile marketing!
Happy New Year!


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Amazon's free, ad-supported streaming service, IMDb TV, is now available on LG webOS TVs (2018+), PlayStation 4, Nvidia Shield, and more devices.
IMDb TV expansion
IMBb TV came to Roku, Xbox and some Android TV / Google TV devices last month, and this week it is rolling out to even more devices.
The company announced that the app is available on LG webOS TV but, as usual, only later webOS generations from 2018 forward, meaning models like LG B8 and C8 or newer. LG is not providing webOS updates to existing TVs.
IMDb TV user interface on TV platforms
The app is also rolling out to PlayStation 4, Nvidia Shield and the Tivo Stream 4K set-top box.
IMDb TV is a free ad-supported video streaming service that competes with The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Tubi, and other services.
It is currently available only in the US. Amazon announced plans to bring it to Europe in 2019 but it failed to materialize at that time. In late 2020, reports surfaced that Amazon is still planning to launch IMDb TV internationally.


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Soy-based aquaculture a disaster for fish, environment
Not content with the havoc they are causing on land, the likes of giant agribusinesses, Monsanto and Cargill, are now intent on taking over the seas by moving in on the fish farming, or aquaculture, sector. A report, “Factory-fed Fish: How the Soy Industry is Expanding into the Sea”, outlines the fears that accompany the plans to expand the industrial fish farming industry.
Putting profit before people – or fish
Aquaculture faces sustainability issues due to smaller, wild fish being used as a food source to produce the larger, farmed fish that we are familiar with seeing on our plates. It struggles to keep up with demand and is, overall, an inefficient industry. Don’t worry though — the mention of an additional $201 million each year in profits has piqued the interest of the money-hungry big boys and they have decided to “revolutionize sustainable agriculture”, and are hailing soy-based aquaculture feed as a sustainable alternative. And that would undoubtedly be GM soy. Sound familiar? So not content with claiming to have a solution to the world's food problems, Big Biotech reckons it has the answer to resolving the world’s fish shortage — but a sustainable answer at that!
Feeding soy to fish has already proven to produce more waste, and therefore increase the pollution load on the environment. But even more of a worry is that 93-94% of soy produced in the US today is genetically modified (GM). We are constantly being fed the line that GM can solve world hunger, but the truth is that GM poses very real risks to the environment, the animals being fed it or the people being exposed to it. In open ocean fish farming, the whole ocean is at risk of the adverse effects of GM. Some of the fish are very likely to escape and mate with wild fish and any waste, i.e. fecal matter, uneaten food and the chemicals or drugs used in these operations, is free to flow out of the cage and directly into the open sea. The ramifications of this are terrifying, and pretty much irreversible. The Food & Water Watch report reveals that, “while the soy industry stands to make large profits from the expansion of factory fish farming, there is no guarantee that soy-based aquaculture feed can consistently produce healthy fish or promote ecological responsibility.”
Taking responsibility for our resources
As the prevalence of soy in our diet increases, the benefits are being questioned, and the answers are definitely not all positive. And that's just soy – add GM soy to the mix and the risks are likely to be considerably greater – although yet to be fully elucidated. Add to this the recent link of GM to illnesses in farm pigs, mass deforestation of the rainforests to keep up with the demand for GM soy, littering the ocean, as well as the land, and increasing production of this crop paints a particularly dire picture.
As the report points out “Seafood is one of our last wild food sources". We should be doing everything we can to protect our precious seas and everything in it!


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Exeter Finance Corp., an Irving auto finance concern, has announced that Mark Floyd has joined the firm as CEO and vice chairman.
Floyd replaces Exeter co-founder Sam Ellis, who is remaining with the company as president. The change was part of a planned move to bring additional seasoned leadership to get the company to the proverbial next level, officials said.
In an interview Tuesday, Floyd said he doesn't plan to make major changes to the company, which was founded in 2006. "All the pieces are in place to grow the business," he said.
Floyd's main claim to fame is his previous gig at the Fort Worth auto finance company AmeriCredit Corp., where he was chief operating officer and once co-chief operating officer.
Floyd, who spent 12 years in various roles at AmeriCredit, worked at that business with Exeter's four founders — Ellis, Richard Frunzi, Daniel Parry and Kenneth Wardle — as well as Exeter board member Ed Esstman.
Exeter employes 76 people nationwide, including around 45 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It has six branch offices nationwide, and plans to open locations in Atlanta and Philadelphia in the next 30 days, Floyd said.
The business buys auto loans, primarily from franchised auto dealerships, that have been made to people with spotty credit. It then services the loans for as long as they exist.
In the spring, Exeter announced that it had received a $100 million credit facility from Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.


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"We don’t do fantasy politics. Once the elements are proven then the time will come for decisions to be made...[but] the attack "threatens the security of us all" and Russia must explain the UK attack."
Markets appear to be running out of reasons to stay optimistic this week. The White House reshuffle and concerns about protectionist US policy agenda is at the heart of that however yesterday’s soft retail sales report also seemed to put the brakes on the ‘Goldilocks’ data scenario.
Amazon Japan has allegedly been "requesting" its vendors contribute "cooperation payments", claiming that the contributions would be used for system upgrades and other improvements. The requested payments ranged from a few percent to well over 10% of sales prices.
"A bill that began as a well-intentioned effort to satisfy some perhaps legitimate community bank grievances has instead mushroomed, sparking fears that Washington is paving the way for the next financial meltdown."
"There appears to be a huge disconnect here between the EU's professed concern for keeping Europeans safe -- as expressed in the one-hour rule -- and the EU's actual refusal to keep Europeans safe in the offline world..."
"The one notable similarity shared by the very different individuals in this this foursome of exposed spies is that none of them seemed to fully appreciate the simple fact that they would only be treated as true gentlemen as long as they served British interests..."


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Published on February 20, 2013 | by Myriah Towner0
UAL recognised for leading fashion roleUAL has been recognised as a leading university for nurturing cutting-edge fashion in a new industry book.
PATTERN: 100 Fashion Designers, 10 Curators showcases 100 of the most exceptional fashion designers from the top fashion capitals; Paris, London, Milan and New York.
PATTERN explains the processes behind different collections and exposes unseen archive sketches, as well as candid and backstage photographs.
Those featured were selected by other leading designers, editors, stylists, and educators, including CSM lecturer Heather Sproat.
Sproat told ALN: “I think the fact that so many of the designers, chosen by an international selection of experts, were graduates from CSM stands as testament to the richness and creative strength of art and design education that allows us to germinate and nurture talent here.”
History of knowledge
Willie Walters, course director of BA Fashion at CSM explained why UAL graduates are so prominent in the fashion industry.
She said: “Our success is the consequence of 70 years of building a unique educational environment that nourishes creative talent at the highest level and expects and demands the most exacting standards and dedication from students and staff alike.”
“We ask students to answer the questions with their own original thoughts. We are often blown away by their solutions.” CSM lecturer Heather Sproat
Recently showing during London Fashion Week, both LCF and CSM have been gaining international attention for the work of its students and graduates.
LCF believes that encouraging industry experience has led to the success of many alumni.
Sproat said that the reason why so many students go on to be successful after university is largely due to CSM’s teaching methods.
She said: “We teach without limits on creativity and ask students to answer the questions that we pose with their own original thoughts. We are often blown away by their solutions.
“I work amongst a team of incredibly dedicated and inspirational staff. I consider myself privileged to come and be paid to work with such a challenging, directional and talented bunch of students.”
London Fashion Week
Roksanda Illincic and Todd Lynn, who both recently showed their collections at London Fashion Week, represent UAL talent in the book as well.
Rahull Verma, 26, a LCF MA Fashion Design Technology graduate spoke to ALN about being a part of such an established university.
“My career is being shaped by those experts who once mentored designers like Alexander McQueen and Christopher Kane.” LCF student Rahull Verma
Verma said: “Being part of UAL, which has already produced such an array of great designers, naturally gives me the confidence that I am at the right place because my career is being shaped by those experts who once mentored designers like Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane and J.W. Anderson.”
“I aspire to become like them and strive to match up the standards they have set in the past,” he added.
This isn’t the first time the two colleges have been hailed as world leaders, global multimedia network Fashion TV named the colleges two of the most influential design universities.
ALN readers can get 30 per cent off PATTERN: 100 Fashion Designers, 10 Curators by ringing Phaidon publishers on 020 7843 1234 or by clicking here and quoting PUAL001, offer ends May 1 2013.
Central Saint Martins graduates featured in PATTERN: 100 Fashion Designers, 10 Curators
Christopher Kane, Christopher Shannon, Craig Lawrence, David Koma, Emilio de la Morena, Erika Trotzig, Flaminia Saccucci, Fleet Ilya, Gareth Pugh, Graeme Armour, Huishan Zhang, Joseph Li, Kim Jones, Louise Gray, Marios Schwab, Mark Fast, Marques’ Almeida, Mary Katrantzou, Meadham Kirchoff, Michael van der Ham, Umit Benan, Nicholas Kirkwood, Phoebe English, Richard Nicoll, Roksanda Illincic, Sarah Burton, Sharon Wauchob, Uma Wang, Thomas Tait, Qui Hao, Maarten van der Horst, Shaun Samson, Simone Rocha, and Yang Li.
London College of Fashion graduates in PATTERN: 100 Fashion Designers, 10 Curators
J.W. Anderson, Lucas Nascimento, and James Long.


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China's Alibaba has made quite the acquisition by purchasing one of the most popular Android app stores in the region — Wandoujia. While the actual cost of the purchase remains secret, local media in China believe it to be around $200 million. As TechCrunch notes, this is an interesting estimation especially given Wandoujia was valued at more than $1 billion back in January 2014.
From the TechnCrunch report:
"Wandoujia was reportedly valued at more than $1 billion in January 2014 when it landed a $120 million funding round led by SoftBank, however increased competition from carrier-run app stores and rivals like 91 Wireless and Qihoo 360, not to mention reports of internal conflict, appear to have impacted its development over the past two years."
While Google's own services (and app store) remain blocked in China, local companies such as Wandoujia are able to enter into a competitive battle with one another for dominance over apps and games for Android. Wandoujia will now join UC Web as part of Alibaba's mobile-focused portfolio.


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Three Coral Springs Police Officers and former executive board members of the Coral Springs Police Union were charged with grand theft and organized scheme to defraud, according to the Broward County's State Attorney's Office.
The three cops allegedly used police union credit cards for unauthorized ATM cash withdrawals. They also used the credit cards at restaurants, bars, and stores.
Suspicions were aroused in January of 2012 when a new administration took over Coral Springs Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 87, and found figures that didn't add up on the lodge's tax returns.
The lodge consulted with its accountants and attorneys, and the board eventually hired a forensic accountant to investigate the books. That investigation turned up a trail of impropriety that led from January 2006 through December 2011 showing excessive ATM withdrawals, as well as unauthorized charges to grocery stores, bars and restaurants, including Chili's, Fogarty's and Bru's Room.
Officer Doug Williams, 56, turned himself into the Broward County Jail on Thursday. According to authorities, Williams allegedly used the police union credit card to pay for at least ten personal expenses, including a cash withdrawal of $300 and using the card to pay for a $400 purchase at Loews. He also used the card at Publix and Sears. Overall, Williams stole $1,584 from the card and is charged with one count of grand theft.
The second officer charged is Doug's wife, Sherry.
Sherry Williams, 48, is accused of spending well over $30,000, including a $400 chair she purchased for her father. Williams is charged with six counts of grand theft and one count of organized scheme to defraud.
Detective Michael Hughes, 42, is the third officer busted for using the credit card after authorities say he spent $10,000, which included grocery purchases, restaurants and cash withdrawals. Hughes is charged with four counts of grand theft and one count of organized scheme to defraud.
Doug and Sherry Williams tendered their resignations on Thursday. Hughes is suspended with pay pending a meeting with the city manager on the matter.
Coral Springs Police Department Lieutenant Joe McHugh said that the officers had easy access to union funds, which is what made it so easy for them.
"Members of the executive board, they have credit cards that they're able to go ahead and purchase stuff for the union or purchase stuff that, you know, like to go to lunch," McHugh said via WSVN.
"The community needs to know that these are allegations that will have their time in court. The most important thing is, their performance as police officers had nothing to do with these allegations. These allegations are as their positions as executive board members on our union," he added.
The Lodge, meanwhile, says that it has put measures in place to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again.
Current lodge president, Glenn Matonak, called the charges a betrayal of trust.
"In the law enforcement community, we consider ourselves brothers and sisters of our fellow co-workers, and to discover that our leaders were stealing money from us is such a huge betrayal of trust," Matonak said in a release.


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TICKETMASTER is closing two secondary websites in a bid to combat touts — thanks to the combined might of The Sun and superstars Adele and Ed Sheeran.
The firm admitted that Seatwave and Get Me In, designed for fans to offload unwanted tickets, had been exploited by so-called professional sellers who hiked up the prices.
Stars had attacked such sites — with Ed, 27, even banning people from attending his gigs with tickets bought from them. Adele, 30, had seen tickets for some of her shows being resold for up to 30 times their face value and said it would not be tolerated.
Both had recently gone with Twickets as their official resale partner — a fan-to-fan site that allows users to sell on at face value or less.
Ticketmaster has now said fans will be able to do that directly on their site — but for no more than they paid.
There will be a 15 per cent surcharge on every ticket to cover any booking fees paid.
Seatwave and Get Me In will be shut down In the UK and Ireland in October and across Europe later in the year.
There will also be no new events listed on either site with immediate effect. But fans and touts will still be able to sell tickets for a profit on rival sites such as Viagogo and StubHub.
Ticketmaster UK boss Andrew Parsons said: “We know fans are tired of seeing others snap up tickets just to resell for a profit on secondary websites, so we’ve taken action.
"Our number one priority is to get tickets into the hands of fans so that they can go to the events they love.
“Our new exchange lets fans sell tickets they can’t use directly through their Ticketmaster account, for the price originally paid or less.
"Selling tickets through Ticketmaster is really simple.
“We do all the hard work and outline the maximum that can be charged for the ticket — and it doesn’t cost fans a penny to sell them.”
It is a huge victory for Sun readers, who told us countless stories of heartbreak as tickets for their favourite acts sold out in minutes, only to be available on resale sites minutes later but at vastly inflated prices.
Digital and Creative Industries Minister Margot James said: “We want real fans to be able to see their favourite artists and events at a fair price.
"This is a welcome move from Ticketmaster and shows that they’re following our lead and taking a tough stance on cracking down on unacceptable behaviour in the market.”
Alex Neill, from consumer group Which?, said: “It sounds like a step in the right direction for fans and we now hope its new platform will promote much-needed transparency in an industry that has been plagued by sharp practices.”
At it for years
By Daniel Jones, Consumer Editor
TICKETMASTER should be applauded for its U-turn. It is just a shame it couldn’t see how its websites were allowing touts to rip off fans for years.
In The Sun — and when chatting to Ticketmaster, as we did often — we said prices on secondary sites should be capped at the original price.
Now out of the blue Ticketmaster has done what we have been asking for years. But there could be a catch. Ticketmaster has often talked about so-called dynamic pricing for tickets when sold in the first place. Prices go up and down depending on demand.
Ticketmaster have been trialling it in the US. It is likely to come here — perhaps with the website revamp in October.
£7m a year for exploiting 'real' fans
TICKETMASTER boss Michael Rapino owns an £8.6million Malibu beach retreat to go with his £11.5million LA home thanks to his exploitation of real music fans.
Rapino, who runs parent company Live Nation, has seen Ticketmaster become the market leader by taking a cut from the initial sale of concert tickets. But the firm then takes a second cut as touts sell on tickets to fans for sky-high prices through secondary sites he also owns.
In November, Rapino signed a five-year contract to carry on as CEO of Live Nation until 2022, in a deal worth £7million a year plus shares.
MOST READ IN MUSIC
Adele’s sold-out tour in 2015 was a bumper pay day for Live Nation. On the initial sale, Ticketmaster added booking fees of five to ten per cent. With Adele, it varied from £4.75 for the cheapest £38 ticket to £12.85 on the priciest £95 ones. But as owner of Get Me In and Seatwave, it took a second cut from resales.
On Get Me In, as well as a fee of ten per cent of the resale ticket value charged to the seller, the buyer must also pay the firm 15 per cent on top. Some £38 Adele tickets were selling for as much as £714.87 on Get Me In.
Seatwave charges a lower fee of 12 per cent to sellers. But the amount it charges buyers is around 18 to 20 per cent. Asked about secondary ticketing in 2015, Rapino, wed to TV actress Jolene Blalock, said: “We think it is a huge opportunity.”
Dealing blow to greed
THE fan-to-fan ticket exchange on Ticketmaster is aimed at deterring touts who want to rack up vast profits.
Tickets can only be sold on for the price originally paid for them — or less. This includes the cost of any fees paid initially.
Ticketmaster can see the price that was paid and caps it at that.
Selling will be done on the main Ticketmaster website and app, which are being updated in October. Fans who are unable to make an event can simply click a button on the Ticketmaster website to release the ticket on the exchange for the price they set.
From yesterday, no more events were being added to the Get Me In and Seatwave sites.
But sellers can add tickets to existing live events.


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Disney and Havas Media will use Paragone.ai's new AI technology for their social media marketing efforts.
Paragone.ai is an "AI-powered, multi-channel social advertising management platform" with an Actionable Performance Marketing (APM) system that enables marketers to enjoy real-time analytics and predictive analysis to determine ad allocation, automated instant recommendations on tactical adjustments to hit KPIs, and cross-platform ability to aggregated siloed data into a single, convenient dashboard.
According to research from Statista, advertisers are expected to spend over US$56 billion on social media in 2022, a number that is only expected to grow in the years to come.
Paragone.ai is launching its new APM system in Europe and Asia, and its services will also be offered in the US by Undertone, another Perion company.
“Since partnering with Paragone, we have been able to take our social media advertising performance to new heights. Paragone allows us to focus on managing the best campaigns through powerful, automated integrations," said Tijmen Ter Veen, digital marketing supervisor at The Walt Disney Company.
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We break down the big and messy topics of the day so you're updated on the most important developments in Asia's marketing development – for free.subscribe now open in new window


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The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) has announced its latest line up of officials.
Thomas Jingoli, chief compliance officer for Konami Gaming Inc, has been re-elected for a two-year term as AGEM president.
One-year terms have been approved for the following: first vice president – Dan Savage (currently vice president of corporate marketing, Scientific Games Corp); second vice president – Dave Lucchese (executive vice president, client operations, Global Cash Access Holdings Inc); secretary – Mark Dunn (EVP and general counsel, Aristocrat Technologies Inc).
Also serving one-year terms are treasurer – Tom Nieman (vice president of global marketing, JCM Global Inc); vice president of government relations – Steven DiMasi (VP of government relations, International Game Technology); co-general counsel – Mike Dreitzer (president of North American operations, Ainsworth Game Technology Ltd); and co-general counsel – Harper Ko (assistant general counsel, Scientific Games).
AGEM is an international trade association representing manufacturers and suppliers of products and services for the gaming industry. As of November, the trade group comprises 145 members based in 21 countries.
May 21, 2019The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia 2019 conference and trade exhibition for the casino gaming industry is likely to welcome an aggregate of 18,000 local and international visitors, said the event...
"There’s a lot of competition and politics involved, but we are absolutely confident about our bid for Osaka”
Chairman and chief executive of Melco Resorts


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The baby formula shortage has continued to get worse and the Biden administration has been blamed for it’s lethargic response to the crisis. The video shown below highlights how bad it has become and comes amongst news that parents are heading to Tijuana in search of baby formula.
The Biden baby formula crisis has gotten worse in the last few weeks with the out-of-stock rate doubling from April, according to Fox News. Currently, 70% of the nation’s baby formula is out of stock. Take a look at what these parents had to go through in Dearborn, Michigan in response to the shortage.
The reporter in the ABC report refers to the line in Deerborn as nearly “a mile long” and it is assumed it is parents just wanting to make sure they have some for their child. Biden’s administration has given several plausible excuses for what’s caused the crisis, but as the Commander in Chief, his leadership should be scrutinized at such a time.
It’s gotten so bad on the west coast of the United States that some parents have been traveling to Mexico to get their baby formula. Apparently, right across the border in Tijuana, there is no shortage of formula on the shelves.
According to NBC San Diego, Francisco Moreno Fimbres, the public relations director for the chain store Calimax who sells baby formula in Tijuana: “We’ve seen more people coming and asking if we have the product. We do, and they’re pleasantly surprised.”
“We have enough product here in all of our stores,” Fimbes continued. “We invite them to come and purchase here if that’s what they need.”
Most U.S. baby formula production is domestic. Only 2% of the total supply in the United States is imported from countries like Mexico, Ireland and the Netherlands, but the FDA is scrambling to fill the shortage by looking at importing more – after previously rejecting most foreign baby formula.
For any parents that need to know and live near the border in San Diego, NBC 7 asked a Border Protection representative if there was a limit to how much baby formula transported back across the border. He said there are “no issues with a traveler bringing baby formula for personal use across the border.”
The FDA still recommends against using foreign baby formula, but the stores in Tijuana at Calimax are stocked and ready to go.
Biden finally invoked the Defense Production Act earlier in May, a tool reserved for the Executive Branch which allows the US government to force production facilities to make products we need. Many parents have said that it came too late. Watch two mothers fight below over baby formula below.
Jorge, a local from Tijuana, said, “Well, right now, when I got the formula, I’ve seen two, three people getting formula from the other side. They have it everywhere at the pharmacies, any store.”
“For the folks who live in San Diego county, we have more than enough in our stores,” said Fimbres.
How would you rate on a scale from 1-10 – with 10 being the highest: How well has Biden handled the baby formula crisis? Answer in the comments.


text: ALBANY — The American Cancer Society says the marketing of little cigars in flavors including chocolate, blueberry and gummy bears is aimed at hooking kids, while avoiding federal restrictions on flavored cigarettes. The brightly packaged little cigars, chewing tobacco and loose tobacco used in water pipes are sold individually for as little as 99 cents or in packs. They avoid stiff cigarette taxes aimed at dissuading youth smoking. Fruity flavors include double apple, pink berry, peach, strawberry-banana and pina colada. Online sales include a tobacco cookie dough. The New York chapter is pushing for a state law restricting the fruit- and candy-flavored products. The proposal released Friday would limit the sales to stores like smoke shops where more than half the products are tobacco. New York City already has a similar measure.


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The round was led by private equity firm Summit Partners and included Castle Island Ventures, Digital Currency Group, and Brevan Howard. The round's valuation has not been disclosed.
Crypto startups have recently had to raise money at lower valuations, with crypto investments drying up as prices of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether hit new lows.
But demand for security services will increase over time since the crypto industry is still young, said Matthew Hamilton, managing director at Summit Partner, in an interview with Bloomberg.
Yesterday, the FBI published a report in which it identified 244 victims of crypto-related cybercrime since the end of December, with an estimated loss of $42.7 million.
Companies like Halborn aim to mitigate risk in the space and prevent hacks.
Halborn was founded in 2019 and has a staff of over 50 that works with a range of companies like Coinbase and Solana. The team works with non-crypto native brands like Amazon and Nike as well, to educate the companies on how to use crypto. The company also advises financial institutions, family offices, and VCs on mitigating risk.
© 2023 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.


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People spend a lot of money on games this year.
The Q2 2020 Games Market Dynamics: U.S. report from The NPD Group revealed industry consumer spending on video gaming in USA during the second financial quarter (April - June) generated a record of $11.6 billion, which is an increase of 30% compared to last year. The team also noted that the number is a 7% increase compared to the first quarter of 2020.
The report states that sales of video game content generated $10.2 billion in the second quarter thanks to new physical content, digital console, and PC content, mobile and subscription spending. Impressive sales of Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One resulted in a hardware category sales increase of 57% to $848 million.
"Today, we have more video game players playing for more hours, while spending more in the process; and what gamers old and new are discovering is an industry that has a wide array of experiences available to them regardless of device and budget," wrote Mat Piscatella, games industry analyst at The NPD Group. "During the pandemic, many have turned to video games not only to keep them preoccupied, but also to stay in touch with family and friends. This has resulted in an acceleration of what were already established trends towards heightened video game player engagement. I don’t see any signs of this slowing down."
You can learn more here.


text: The SECURE 2.0 Act marked a significant step forward in encouraging small business owners to offer retirement savings plans; however, 65% still do not provide such plans to their employees. A joint survey conducted by the Capital Group and Escalent aimed to comprehend the motivations and barriers behind this trend. Post-SECURE 2.0, small business owners showed 7% increased interest in retirement plans, but implementation timelines appear prolonged due to company size, limited resources, and insufficient knowledge. The passage of the SECURE 2.0 Act has certainly brought progress, but small business owners seem to require further guidance to navigate the available benefits. Owners and employees share similar awareness of the Act, expressing a need for more retirement resources and financial support, and owners offering retirement plans better understand inflation impacts.


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Singrow, the Singapore company that has developed “climate-resilient strawberries” designed to be grown in tropical climates, has announced its intentions to collaborate on agricultural projects in Malaysia and Thailand. The planned farmlands in these countries will be substantial, with some spanning an area of 56 sq km. This will enable Singrow to significantly boost its strawberry production volume, increasing it by at least 100 times. Through franchise agreements, a portion of the strawberries will be exclusively shipped to Singapore, ensuring a year-round supply of strawberries for the nation.
Singrow has stated that its current fruit offers a similar price, quality, and size to strawberries imported from Japan or South Korea, which typically sell for $25 to $50 per pack containing nine to twelve premium strawberries. With its expansion initiatives underway, the company aims to eventually reduce the price of strawberries to approximately $12 to $15 per pack. Furthermore, Singrow has highlighted its capability to cultivate strawberries without the use of pesticides or fertilizers.
Singrow’s technology handles every step of the growth process, from seed breeding to harvesting, and is 40% more energy-efficient than other indoor farms. The company has opened its new R&D hub, where it will be able to apply its agri-genomics technology, which leverages genome sequencing and annotation, and gene adaptation and application — to other crops. In addition to helping farmers produce more climate-resilient crops, it is tackling the challenges of growing food in an age of limited resources. This is especially true in Singapore, where just 1% of the city-state’s land mass is available for farming.
(Sources: AgfunderNews; The Straits Times)


text: PUTRAJAYA: Malaysians' right to access the internet will be proposed to be included in the Federal Constitution, says Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo. He said he will table the proposal to the cabinet, with the final outcome needing parliamentary approval. "The public had been complaining about the quality of internet in Malaysia, which was far inferior to other developed countries. "If I have my way, it should be the constitutional amendment but for our constitutional amendment, of course you need certain numbers in parliament,"Gobind told reporters after visiting Malaysia Digital Economy Corp (MDEC) headquarters in Cyberjaya today. "I'm not sure we will be able to get the support but it is an apolitical matter. Such a policy benefits everyone," he added. Meanwhile, Gobind has given the MCMC a week from now to give a detailed report on consumer data breach reported recently and the commission has to recommend to the government on best methods to combat the data breach cases. "We view data breach cases seriously and I stress that MCMC is currently equipped with enough expertise to enable it to tackle the growing concern. "But some of the cases involve external parties which would take some time and other necessary expertise," he said. The issue came to light when a tech portal claimed last week that the personal data of Astro customers have been offered for sale online. A portal under the Education Ministry introduced in July 2011 to centralise examination results from all states, was also compromised with data breach attack. It was alleged that the site contains some 4.9 million student details, along with their parents' MyKad numbers, which could be compromised and misused. In October 2017, the personal details of some 46.2 million mobile number subscribers in Malaysia were leaked online in what is believed to be one of the largest data breaches ever seen in the country.


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Seasonal high end specialties are under attack in France. A recent murder, growing thefts, and disease threaten oysters and truffles, via Independent UK.
Posts Categorized: Food Politics
Excerpts from the 2010 Star Chefs Conference discussion on if cooking is an art or a craft. Featuring Michael and many more, via StarChefs.
Questioning its role in our society. Scroll down and read 7 interesting objections on bread from Carlos Monteiro, via WPHNA.org.
Phil Karlin, founder and commercial fisherman of PE & DD Seafood of Long Island, New York shows the importance of local fishermen, via The Huffington Post.
Food trucks are very popular at the moment in large cities. Chicago has strict permit guidelines and rules for mobile food units. Violation: parking 200 feet from another restaurant, via Wall Street Journal.


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Air cargo embraces online distribution – and the data it provides
Even the more reluctant airlines are now embracing booking platforms, in a bid to give ...
Air cargo has been in a silo – unconnected to the rest of the supply chain, almost untouched by technology, it has sat alone, nestled between airports.
But not any more: both airlines and the tech industry are adapting.
In fact, increasing numbers of airline managers are moving into the tech industry, helping the two sectors get closer.
From Camilo Garcia Cervera, an IAG Cargo veteran now at Freightos’ WebCargo, to CargoAi’s Magali Beauregard (ex-Lufthansa) and Cargo.one’s latest hire, Simson Demmer of Cargologicair and Lufthansa, there is much movement between the sectors.
And the list includes airline executive (AA, IAG, and Coyne) Tristan Koch, now chief commercial officer at Awery Aviation Software. So what attracted him to switch sides?
“The future of air cargo sales is digitalisation, and Covid has accelerated that at a real pace. The big tech companies are all putting airline people in there.”
But, he adds, the shifting market goes both ways.
“Many of the top managers at airlines now see the IT industry as an opportunity, rather than a threat. We are currently in talks with lots of airlines, and they’ve all been really interested in what we have to say about our products. That old mistrust is melting away. And you can see airlines which have implemented the same system getting closer to each other.
“There is much more collaboration than previously seen.”
He adds that when American Airlines Cargo implemented its iCargo system, it saw it as a change management programme, rather than an IT project.
“And that’s the nice part of this job – seeing the change. It feels like a new career, a new environment.”
One of the major changes Mr Koch sees is an ability for technology to help secure air cargo better into the longer supply chain.
“Airport-to-airport is used to not being connected to the rest of the supply chain. Online booking is easy, it is connecting the rest of the supply chain to air cargo, and that’s the interesting bit.
“Brazil’s Azul, for example, has created a really nice door-to-door solution.
“What we want to get into is door-to-door, and we are talking to first and last mile providers – not carriers, but tech systems. No one has plugged the supply chain into the middle part – the airport-to-airport part. It’s all about synchronising the platforms and combining the two parties.
“When you realise what tech can do, it opens up possibilities, gives you another string to your bow. You need to facilitate cargo processes, but airlines want new and better business – but they can’t easily put that into place, it’s a tech thing.”
He also cites IAG’s van delivery service in the US: “It was a great idea, but it didn’t have the tech behind it to work most effectively. You need to aggregate deliveries, and it’s the tech that can make a service viable.”
Technology, he explains, needs to work for carriers – but doesn’t have to result in redundant staff.
“There is a question over whether this is the end of the cargo sales role; will GSAs become redundant? But there’s another way: automating jobs that should be automated, but maintaining relationships. You don’t need to manually process air waybills. Instead, you should spend the time adding value to customers and creating a better product. All that effort and energy put into the day-to-day can be taken away so you can do more useful things.”
Awery, a 13-year-old company, has developed an online booking platform, CargoBooking.aero, which is using AI.
“Email traffic remains one of the biggest pain points for airlines and forwarders. Our online digital platform uses AI to minimise and, in many cases, reduce this workload.”
Awery has both white label packages and plug-and-play.
“We want to bring tech to the masses. The whole industry has woken up. People have had to adjust quickly. There has been a huge generational shift – my father, for example, had never used contactless before Covid, now he’s the biggest convert.
“It means the user experience must be such that anyone can book a flight – if you can’t do it in a minute or two, it’s not good enough. And if we fall short, we are not going to have a foothold in the marketplace.”
This democratisation via technology still faces hurdles, however.
“One of the areas where nothing has changed is the billing process – you should be able to do business not only as an IATA agent. We want to make capacity available to all, but if you are not protected by CASS, you get no credit. It’s frustrating that you can book a passenger ticket, but not a $300 shipment because you don’t have a credited account.
“E-commerce has accelerated that demand. There are some companies which are solving some of the pay issues – in fact, payment solutions are two-a-penny now, so if a third party can create an easy payment solution for us, great.”
The hardest part so far for tech companies, he says, has been choosing the right solution.
“The challenge for us, as a medium-sized business, is working out what to focus on – there are hundreds of areas where we can help. And everyone is trying to find their space.
“The gloves are off in tech.”
Container freight rates: 'collapse' is the word, says Xeneta
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Mexican rail seizures give near-shoring interests pause for thought
Cargo shifts back to US west coast ports, but some has gone for good
Digital forwarders back in the spotlight: can they compete?
Major box lines still fighting over diminishing supply of smaller ships
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FedEx pilots win ‘tentative agreement’ on new contract after strike threat
Worker no-shows force US west coast port terminal shutdowns
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Magento, the leading open-source e-commerce platform, held an exclusive MagentoLive Australia conference, offering the opportunity to connect with eCommerce and technology experts from across the country. Featuring industry leaders, trailblazers and Magento executives providing insights on the latest tools, and tips to prepare your business for the future.
The Future of Commerce starts here.
Held over two days in the bustling Sydney CBD, our developer Ash was lucky enough to attend the conference and provide a few highlights of his experience and what’s to come for Magento.
With back-to-back keynote speakers, a variety of upcoming changes were discussed, from within Magento as well as for the industry as a whole. A big focus was transforming your business from M1 to M2, and we were provided with an overall roadmap of the Magento 2 platform. The speakers introduced us to a new and upcoming web technology, and gave us insight on how to increase sales by leveraging the Magento platform across both online and physical stores.
The most impacting technology discussed at MagentoLive Australia was Progressive Web Applications. PWAs are cross-platform web applications that load and are discovered similar to web pages or websites, but appear on the user’s device like traditional applications or native mobile apps. PWAs work offline, can be added to the device’s home screen without downloading from an app store, and bring “system level integration” to the web - for example, PWAs can utilise Push Notifications. Magento is set to introduce PWAs, along with PWA Studio, to the Magento 2 platform later this year - “In a year, PWAs will be where responsive is today”.
Another standout presentation, was about the Four R’s –
- Right Message
- Right Person
- Right Time
- Right Channel
Tink Taylor, the Founder and President of dotmailer, explained the importance of context when interacting with customers, and being able to connect with customers on any platform. Stressing the importance of messaging services like Facebook Messenger, and how useful they can be to a business. His company looked into the top 100 United States and Australian companies, and they were able to come back with some very impressive statistics.
Did you know that 95% of companies do not send a welcome email to customers, even though 70% of customers want one?
Or that 89% of consumers want to use a messaging service to contact a business?
Ash was extremely impressed by the work from Accent Group, their Chief Digital Officer Mark Teperson, and his team; they have been able to eliminate the division between physical and online stores. By converting each retail store into a ‘warehouse’, it is now possible to bring ‘Ship from Store’ to customers, dramatically decreasing shipping times. Accent Group are currently working towards 3 hour delivery for customers.
“MagentoLive Australia was an eye opener, and an excellent presentation of the overall state of the eCommerce sector - not just from a developer’s perspective, but also from a business standpoint. It introduced me to many new ideas and concepts that I will take onboard and use for future projects and pass onto the rest of the team at Traff1k D1g1tal. Magento is committed to pushing the industry forward, and blurring the lines between online and in-store experiences.”
At Traff1k D1g1tal we encourage continual growth and development, investing in our staff so we can offer our clients the latest insights and technological advancements. If you’d like to be a part of our team, check out some of our amazing career opportunities we currently have.


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10 things you need to know before the opening bell
Here is what you need to know.
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- Theresa May faces a vote of no confidence. UK Prime Minister Theresa May is fighting for her political life Wednesday as she faces a vote of no confidence following Tuesday's historic Brexit defeat.
- Even the White House admits the government shutdown is causing problems for the US economy. A White House official told INSIDER that an updated internal model now estimates the government shutdown is taking 0.13 percentage points off of quarterly GDP every week.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez now has a huge say over Wall Street. Ocasio-Cortez, the democratic socialist representative from New York, has secured a spot on the House Financial Services Committee.
- The world is swimming in a near record $244 trillion of debt. The amount of debt in the world has topped 318% of global gross domestic product, and is just below the record high of 320% set in 2016, according to a new report from the Institute of International Finance.
- Investors are paying a record premium for the safest stocks. Stock-market investors are paying a 45% premium for low-volatility versus high-volatility names and Keith Parker, UBS' US head of equity strategy, says there's a more efficient strategy.
- Netflix pops after announcing price hikes. Shares rallied more than 6.5% Tuesday after the streaming giant announced it was hiking prices for its plans by as much as 18%.
- A new strategy propels United Continental to an earnings beat. The airline earned an adjusted $2.41 a share in the fourth quarter - easily beating the $2.04 consensus by IBES data from Refinitiv - as United Airlines won back customers by flying more flights out of its main hubs, Reuters says.
- Stock markets around the world were mixed. Hong Kong's Hang Seng (+0.27%) led the gains in Asia and the Euro Stoxx 50 was little changed in Europe. The S&P 500 was set to open flat near 2,609.
- Big banks report. Bank of America and Goldman Sachs were among the names reporting their quarterly results ahead of the opening bell.
- US economic data keeps coming. Import and export prices were to be released at 8:30 a.m. ET and the NAHB Housing Market Index was set to cross the wires at 10 a.m. ET. The Fed's Beige Book was due out at 2 p.m. ET.
- Punjab to bring Bill to earmark welfare budget for SCs in proportionate to their population
- High Pressure car washer price in India
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- Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G to A74 5G: Oppo smartphones launched in India in 2021


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What makes a sustainability leader? Meet supply chain champions Ella’s Kitchen
With the 2021 Sustainability Leaders Awards entry deadline approaching, this new feature series showcases the achievements of the 2020 winners and reveals their secrets to success. Up next: The winner of our Supply Chain Excellence award: Ella's Kitchen.
As an SME, baby food brand Ella’s Kitchen has gone above and beyond its own sphere of influence to drive progress towards a more sustainable future. It has successfully engaged key partners and suppliers with the broad aims and ethos of the B Corp movement. Certified as a B Corp since 2016, Ella’s Kitchen has been recognised by the certification as a “Changemaker” through its work using its voice to inspire others, collaborate and share learnings across the community.
Ella’s Kitchen partnered with BLab UK to develop a bespoke version of its Business Impact Assessment (BIA). B Corp’s BIA Topics cover more than 200 questions including wages, benefits, health and safety, training, sourcing, diversity and inclusion, giving back, environmental management and performance, transparency and ethics. Accessed via an online portal, the B the Change survey invited partners across the value chain to complete up to 92 questions which examined the breadth of their social and environmental impacts, which included information on Ella’s own key environmental usage to help the company improve its own measuring and reporting.
Partners who completed the survey received a bespoke report card and consultation with Ella’s senior sustainability manager who has been trained to discuss B Corp benefits and talk organisations through individual impacts and areas of improvement. As everyone within Ella’s Kitchen has a level of responsibility to deliver the firm’s sustainability strategy, people who held the key relationships with suppliers were tasked with supporting them. Face-to-face briefings, including an introduction to the B Corp movement, were implemented while Ella’s chief executive and commercial teams worked to advocate for the movement and inspire and excite suppliers about the potential of the initiative.
As for the report cards, these are reviewed together by Ella’s Kitchen and the relevant suppliers during quarterly KPI meetings, which examine the changes that can be made to improve their social and environmental impact.
The initial survey not only gathered information about the value chain impact but also encouraged the suppliers to use a robust assessment to review their performance and make improvements. It also resulted in an impressive mindset change that caused suppliers to re-energise behind social and environmental issues. According to Ella’s Kitchen, four out of five of its largest suppliers have now committed to following the organisation in achieving full B Corp status. This impressive change was delivered after an initial pilot achieved 75% compliance from Ella’s largest suppliers that measured the impact of manufacturing partners, raw material partners, logistics partners and service providers.
A B-Analytics tool that sits behind the BIA is being used to benchmark the suppliers against a database of more 65,000 organisations who have engaged with the BIA and also 3,000 certified B Corps. Supplier performances can also be benchmarked against other businesses in their sector, which provided invaluable motivation to improve. When Ella’s Kitchen applied for this award, it was in the process of analysing the data from the initial pilot to help inform progress towards its ‘Our Dream’ corporate targets and has subsequently rolled out the survey to nearly 40 partners.
Overall, it is clear that the business understands that helping partners to improve sustainability ambitions and actions will create a knock-on benefit for the organisation which will make the entire value chain more robust and resilient.
What edie’s judges said: “For an organisation of its size, Ella’s Kitchen is making a real impact. Despite being an SME, the company has taken new approaches to working with suppliers and has, as a result, changed the way they think and act on sustainability.”
Are you our next winner?
Now entering their 14th year for 2021, the RSA-accredited Sustainability Leaders Awards are a unique opportunity to shout about the achievements you and your company have made during this challenging year.
In a digital event on 3 February 2021, entrants will get the chance to celebrate virtually with leaders from across the sustainability, CSR and energy space. Some exciting new categories have been added for 2021 to recognise excellence across the spectrum of sustainable business.
The 2021 Sustainability Leaders are now OPEN for entries. The extended entry deadline is Friday 6 November 2020, so don’t miss your chance to get the recognition you deserve. The Awards will then take place virtually on the night of Wednesday 3 February 2021.