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Intel’s latest Atom plans have been revealed at Computex 2010, and unsurprisingly the company are looking to tablets along with netbooks. Intel Atom “Oak Trail” is the tablet and ultra-sleek netbook platform, a SoC designed for fanless devices with extended battery life and 1080p HD video, while the “Canoe Lake” innovation platform takes the new Pine Trail N Atom CPUs – with their boosted performance but frugal power requirements – pairs them with DDR3 memory and squeezes them into “razor-thin” netbooks like the 14mm thick dual-core machine teased last month.
Video overview after the cut
That netbook – said to be the thinnest in the world – won’t be arriving on shelves in its current form, but Intel are hoping the Canoe Lake platform will spur on some eye-catching products from their manufacturing partners. The platform supports single- and dual-core CPUs, allows for fanless designs and 50-percent thinner netbooks than before. Intel will be shipping the new Atom CPUs in time for the holiday season later this year.
As for Oak Trail, that promises up to a 50 percent reduction in average power consumption with full HD-video playback and support for Windows 7, MeeGo and Google OSes. It pairs Lincroft and Whitney Point, supports HDMI outputs and is 40-percent smaller than current Menlow chips. Expect it to show up in fanless HD-capable tablets – like ASUS’ new Eee Pad, perhaps – at the start of 2011.
Computex: Ambitious Intel® Atom™ Processor Plans, Products Outlined
Intel highlighted new product plans for Intel® Atom™ processor family: “Pine Trail” mobile dual-core and “Oak Trail” processors optimized for tablets and sleek netbook form factors.
Disclosed razor-thin “Canoe Lake” innovation platform – a futuristic dual-core netbook measuring in at 14 millimeters – the world’s thinnest netbook.
Demonstrated cross-device experiences based on Intel’s unique ‘port of choice’ software strategy including Windows*, MeeGo* and Google operating systems.
Outlined expansion: Future System on a Chip (SoC) Intel® Atom™ processors scale to deliver PC-like computing platforms for cars, smartphones, handhelds, TVs, tablets, on a choice of software.
COMPUTEX, Taipei, June 1, 2010 – At Computex today, Intel Corporation unveiled new products and features based on its low-power Intel® Atom™ processor family, including plans to further differentiate the popular netbook category and expand into several new market segments beyond its growing PC, laptop and server businesses.
In the past 45 days, Intel and its Atom™ processor has entered a variety of markets beyond the more than 50 million Intel-based netbooks sold in the past 2 years. Intel announced a processor and MeeGo* software win with Chinese carmaker HawTai Automobile for a future in-vehicle-infotainment platform; a greater than 50-times lower platform idle power reduction with Intel’s next generation Atom™ processor platform for handheld devices including smartphones; and a collaboration with Google*, Sony* and Logitech* to deliver a new Smart TVs experience powered by Intel Atom™ CE products and running Android*-based Google TV*.
Intel recently unveiled the future System on Chip (SoC) Atom™-based “Tunnel Creek” that, for the first time, will allow other companies to connect their own custom silicon to Intel’s SoC product. The Intel® Atom™ processor also powers the Intel® Reader, and the company has received more than 3,000 non-PC design inquiries – most new-to-Intel potential customers – ranging from fish finders to golf carts.
During his keynote, David (Dadi) Perlmutter, executive vice president and co-general manager, Intel Architecture Group, touched on these and other Intel efforts, which included showing off the world’s thinnest netbook running on the upcoming mobile dual-core “Pine Trail.” At just 14mm, the razor-thin “Canoe Lake” innovation platform runs cooler and is 50 percent thinner than any other netbook consumers can find on the market today. In addition, Perlmutter showed a range of other Intel® Atom™-based devices spanning energy efficient blade servers, retailing systems, presentation projectors and multiple tablets.
“Intel believes the strength of the Atom™ franchise can help consumers realize the true potential for a common experience to enable the compute continuum,” said Perlmutter. “With platforms ranging from compact and portable netbooks, to Smart TV experiences and innovative tablets designs, Intel Architecture is driving innovative products based on a unique ‘port of choice’ software strategy.”
Citing a million PCs sold a day1, Perlmutter also highlighted the momentum around the all new 2010 Intel® Core™ processor family, including Intel® Wireless Display and an overview of next-generation Intel® Core™ processors using the Intel microarchitecture codenamed “Sandy Bridge,” targeted to be in production late 2010.
Renee James, senior vice president and general manager of the Software and Services Group at Intel, joined Perlmutter onstage to discuss how software – and software choice – will help drive Intel’s vision for Atom™ and a cross-device experience. This provides consumers consistency and accessibility to their content on a choice of computers and PC-like devices. James also announced that Asus will be the first OEM to ship a pre-installed, customized AppUp client called “asus app store” on netbooks this fall, beginning with Windows and following with MeeGo*-based systems.
Acer CEO Gianfranco Lanci discussed with Perlmutter how future Intel® Atom™-based netbooks and tablets from Acer, running the MeeGo* software platform, will foster an open ecosystem of innovation.
“Acer will be ready with MeeGo-based mobile devices,” said Lanci. “MeeGo’s open software platform will present our customers with another choice of a friendly, easy-to-use operating system. We are pleased to collaborate with Intel in our continuous drive to provide effortless technologies that empower people at work, home – anytime, anywhere.”
New Intel® Atom™ Processors on Tap
In production now and on shelves before the winter holiday season, mobile dual-core Intel® Atom™ processors will deliver a noticeably snappier, more responsive consumer experience in the same compact form factors, and with the same great battery life. Intel® Atom™ processors N455 and N475 with DDR3 support for netbooks are available today and D525 and D425 for entry-level desktop PCs are expected to be available on June 21. Available to customers in early 2011, “Oak Trail” is our upcoming SoC Intel® Atom™ platform optimized for sleek tablet and netbook designs, delivering up to a 50 percent reduction in average power consumption with full HD-video playback and targeting software choice including MeeGo*, Windows* 7 and Google operating systems.


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Medical tenants boost occupancy at large shopping centers
Colliers Baltimore is predicting increased demand for large retail spaces for medical tenants, a trend set by Mercy Medical Center’s conversion of two suburban grocery stores into community health centers.
Mercy’s grocery-turned-medical centers in Overlea and Lutherville, as well as a former furniture store St. Agnes Hospital converted, indicate a move from traditional medical offices toward retail-based one-stop-shops for health care providers, said Colliers Managing Director Robert A. Manekin. Larger retail spaces, Manekin said, provide opportunities to get many medical services under one roof outside of the hospital setting.
“What you are seeing is virtually all health care systems looking for facilities in suburban shopping center environments, where before, those health care systems were content to either having a medical office on their campus or doctors leasing office space on their own or in a medical office building,” Manekin said. “It’s not a separate office for an internist, it’s not a special office for OB-GYN or for an orthopedic. Basically, it’s a comprehensive supermarket approach where someone comes in and can speak with an internist, a radiologist, who are all working out of the same facility.”
The trend is being driven by an increasing number of doctors going to work for medical systems rather than owning their own practices, Manekin said. Operating out of a retail center that is affiliated with a hospital provides access to infrastructure such as medical records systems that many doctors “don’t have the time, effort or energy” to set up.
Kevin Litten covers Commercial Real Estate and Economic Development
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Quiet Corner Innovation Cluster Announces First Partner
The Quiet Corner Innovation Cluster (QCIC) was created to enable economic growth in rural Eastern Connecticut, otherwise known as Connecticut’s Quiet Corner. The QCIC targets small and medium sized technology and manufacturing companies to foster growth and innovation within New London, Tolland and Windham counties. With partners including UConn, the Economic Development Agency and Connecticut Innovations, the QCIC draws upon its resources to develop new products and update business opportunities for manufacturers.
“The QCIC exists to help smaller and medium sized manufacturers thrive in today’s economy. UConn has strong research and development resources that can help these companies stay relevant in the modern world.” said Hadi Bozorgmanesh, the co-executive director of the UConn Entrepreneurship & Innovation Consortium.
Loos manufacturers a wide variety of cable and wire products. Steve Suib, the director of the Institute of Materials Science, said that UConn will work with Loos to analyze and evaluate those products.
“The QCIC will allow researchers at UCONN to work with researchers from Loos to characterize many of their wire materials. State-of-the art microscopy, diffraction, and spectroscopy experiments will be done to study the chemical compositions, structural properties, and physical properties, such as strength,” Suib said.
Representatives from Loos were excited about the potential of the partnership.
“We are thrilled to be chosen as the first manufacturer to partner with QCIC,” said Robert Davis, vice president of sales and marketing at Loos & Co., Inc. “Our visit with Congressman Courtney provided us the opportunity to show him and the rest of the team how well positioned we are to grow well into the future.”
Congressman Joe Courtney, school of engineering leadership and representatives of Connecticut Innovations recently visited Loos to celebrate the start of the partnership. The QCIC will develop new partnerships with other northeastern Connecticut businesses in the coming months and years.


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April 9, 2012 -- Atmel Corporation (NASDAQ:ATML), microcontroller and touch sensor maker, is sampling XSense, a highly flexible film-based touch sensor based on a proprietary roll-to-roll metal mesh technology. XSense touch sensors are an alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO) touchscreens for new smartphone, tablet, industrial, and consumer displays, such as curved, edgeless and flexible electronics.
XSense touch sensors create thinner sensor stacks with high performance and optical clarity, built into larger and lighter-weight designs than conventional touch sensors. The non-semiconductor material offers enhanced noise immunity, low sheet resistance and low power consumption, and lower total system costs, according to Atmel. “Atmel's XSense sensors could offer significant cost advantages over today’s indium tin oxide (ITO) sensors,” noted analysts at FBR Capital Markets. The product can be combined with Atmel maXTouch controllers.
XSense touch sensors are sampling now, with production quantities ramping in Q3 2012. "The combined touchscreen sensor and controller IC industry is over $10 billion dollars currently and is still growing rapidly. There is significant demand in the industry for larger, thinner and lighter touch sensors,” noted Dr. Jennifer Colegrove, VP of emerging display technologies, NPD DisplaySearch.
Atmel Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) designs and manufactures microcontrollers, capacitive touch solutions, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory and radio frequency (RF) components. Learn more at www.atmel.com.


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In a corporate video broadcast to store managers nationwide on Monday, Joe McFarland, Lowe’s executive vice president of stores, pronounced the $99 DeWalt 12-volt cordless drill the “number one power tool for the pros.”
McFarland, wearing a camouflage vest and seated in front of a sign that said “Lowe’s LoweDown,” went on to tout the features of this week’s spotlight item: “The thing is compact. It fits anywhere.”
And a customer profile: “Some of our Hispanic pros with smaller hands, this is perfect for them.”
McFarland’s comments, made during a prerecorded presentation that ran about half an hour, were broadcast in Lowe’s conference rooms throughout the country as part of a weekly gathering of managers to discuss corporate priorities, according to employees who saw the presentation. As part of the meetings, they watch videos often hosted by McFarland.
“Everybody in the room was just like, ‘What? Did he just say that?’” said an assistant manager in the Northwest who watched the video Monday afternoon with more than half a dozen managers and supervisors at his store. He spoke on the condition of anonymity because he feared reprisal.
“Immediately after it happened, everyone was just like, ‘Whoa, why would he say that?’” he said.
Employees from around the country began airing their concerns about the video in online forums. Another employee said the video episodes normally play all week on the company’s internal website but this one has been removed. A clip of it was obtained by The Washington Post.
Lowe’s, based in North Carolina and the second largest hardware chain in the country, issued an apology from McFarland after The Washington Post published its story Tuesday.
“I am sorry for a careless and ignorant comment I made during an associate broadcast yesterday,” McFarland said. “Our associates shared how my statement was harmful and inappropriate. This is a key reflection moment for me.”
McFarland said he takes “full responsibility” for his comment and said he would be spending the coming days and weeks with Lowe’s associates, customers and business leaders to try to “learn and grow from this moment.”
Another employee based in the Northeast who watched the video with a management team called McFarland’s videotaped comments “unacceptable and degrading.”
“What has my team more upset is it feels like our leadership has looked the other way,” the employee said. “By them not posting the video like they always do, they know it was wrong but haven’t addressed it to the employees so it makes me feel like they are trying to sweep it under the rug.”
Lowe’s, which has more than 1,700 U.S. stores, is in the process of laying off thousands of workers, including janitors, maintenance workers and those who assemble grills and furniture. Many of those jobs, the company said, will be outsourced to third-party providers. The company last year reported $71.3 billion in annual sales, and $2.3 billion in profits.
McFarland, who was previously an executive at J.C. Penney and The Home Depot, began working for Lowe’s last August. He received a compensation package worth $3.74 million last year, company filings show.


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US Poultry Industry Provides Jobs, Billions in Economic Impact04 October 2012
US - The US Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, and United Egg Producers have made available a new economic impact study and four new websites that highlight the positive impact the poultry industry has on jobs, wages, and federal and state revenue in the United States.
A dynamic and integral part of the national economy, the poultry industry collectively provides 1,337,030 jobs, $63 billion in wages, $265.6 billion in total economic activity, and $23.4 billion in government revenue.
The study breaks down poultry into three subcategories: chicken, turkey and eggs. Key economic data from each are as follows:
- The chicken industry provides 1,010,250 jobs, $47 billion in wages, $197.5 billion in economic activity, and $17.2 billion in government revenue.
- The turkey industry provides 147,890 jobs, $6.9 billion in wages, $29.5 billion in economic activity, and $3.1 billion in government revenue.
- The egg industry provides 123,100 jobs, $6.1 billion in wages, $25.8 billion in economic activity, and $2.1 billion in government revenue.
“We are pleased to be able to provide this valuable tool across the industry that demonstrates the positive economic impact we have on our communities,” said John Starkey, president of USPOULTRY.
The data is hosted on interactive websites that can be viewed collectively or by individual product, and then sorted nationally, by state, congressional district, state house district or state senate district. For more information about the US poultry industry’s economic impact, visit:
ThePoultrySite News Desk


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Millennials grew up with store brands and they see them for what they are – a brand. Without a doubt, there is a transformation taking place in the private brand mainstream tier where products are moving away from strict equivalency to national brands and becoming true national brand alternatives.
The alt-dairy category experienced significant economic pressure in 2023, but private label performance was strong. Here are a few featured products from the November Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) show.
In trying to control household costs, consumers often turn to private-label products, which the Private Label Manufacturers Association reported grew at 11.3% — to a record $228.6 billion last year. “Lacking the marketing cost component …
The Plant-Based Foods pavilion at the recent Private Label Trade Show hosted numerous exhibitors offering plant-based products to address consumer concerns about health, the environment, and animal welfare.
Shoppers have historically gravitated to store brands when economic times get tough. But despite record-high prices, private label food and beverage sales continue to dip below their national counterparts at retail. Overall, store brand dollar …


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The U.S. House of Representatives passed a third stimulus package on March 27, and the president signed the bill later that day, but the bill, also known as the CARES Act, does not provide stimulus money specifically for the health club industry.
IHRSA, the trade association for commercial health clubs, had lobbied for Congress to include health club operators and fitness suppliers in the bill.
“Congress is well aware that the CARES Act does not address everything small businesses' and effected individuals' needs and has already begun discussing a fourth economic relief package, likely to come at some point in April,” a spokesperson for IHRSA told Club Industry. “IHRSA's GR Team and lobbyists are already looking into it and talking with our contacts in Congress. We expect to have a new lobbying campaign out as soon as there are specifics to lobby on.”
Even though the bill does not specifically address the needs of the fitness industry, it does offer assistance to small businesses, defined as companies with 500 or fewer employees.
Here is a recap of the assistance for small business operators, according to an article summarizing the bill on NPR.com:
“The main features for small businesses are emergency grants and a forgivable loan program for companies with 500 or fewer employees. There are also changes to rules for expenses and deductions meant to make it easier for companies to keep employees on the payroll and stay open in the near-term.
Emergency grants: The bill provides $10 billion for grants of up to $10,000 to provide emergency funds for small businesses to cover immediate operating costs.
Forgivable loans: There is $350 billion allocated for the Small Business Administration to provide loans of up to $10 million per business. Any portion of that loan used to maintain payroll, keep workers on the books or pay for rent, mortgage and existing debt could be forgiven, provided workers stay employed through the end of June.
Relief for existing loans: There is $17 billion to cover six months of payments for small businesses already using SBA loans.”
IHRSA has more details about the bill here and is providing daily updates to IHRSA members.


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Papa John?s pushes mobile ordering via new pizza campaign - Mobile Commerce Daily
Pizza chain Papa John?s is continuing its mobile ordering push with a new ad campaign that not only promotes the company?s new Buffalo Chicken Pizza, but also encourages consumers to order it via their handset.
Registration is open for the Mcommerce Summit: State of Mobile Commerce 2012 conference Thursday, May 3 with speakers from Citi, Zappos, Travelocity, 7-Eleven licensee Alon Brands and mall giant General Growth Properties. Must-attend New York event for retailers and marketers.
Convenience store chain Cumberland Farms has introduced a mobile payments app to make it easier to fill up on gas and, for a limited time, is offering users five cents off per gallon.
Mobile-only hotel booking company HotelTonight is segmenting tablet users in a move to capture last-minute sales by optimizing its application for iPad devices.
Mount Holyoke College is piloting a new mobile payments app that enables students to pay for purchases around campus using a smartphone.
Luxury Daily today - Harrods continues fashion authority dominance via mobile magazine; Saks steps up in-store experience, customer interaction via technology boost.
Mobile Commerce Daily is inviting opinion pieces on mobile commerce issues that affect retailers and marketers as they encourage shopping and transacting via mobile.


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After announcing 2,000 job cuts last week, Thompson has followed up with a memo to all staff, setting out a new company structure to take effect on 1 May.
Advertising sales will be housed in a new division called regions, with the Americas, Asia Pacific and EMEA "fully accountable for Yahoo's revenue in their own regions".
Thompson wrote: "Our regional sales teams will be the advocate and voice for our advertising customers: listening to them and driving their needs into the products we develop.
"Regional sales must bring urgency and tenacious sales execution to all we do for advertisers. In addition, these teams will leverage our unique and vast data resources to position Yahoo! as the place to connect with users and generate the best, measurable ROI on their adspend."
Parcot, who has been vice-president of sales since 2008, will lead EMEA on an interim basis while Yahoo searches for a new leader for the region.
Rich Riley, who was EMEA managing director until very recently and is moving to New York "soon", has been appointed to lead the Americas region.
Thompson praised Riley and the team "responsible for extraordinary strides in EMEA in recent years, putting the region on a path of consistent engagement and revenue growth".
The regions division will be introduced alongside a consumer division and a technology division.
The consumer division will itself split into a media group led by Ross Levinsohn, a connections group led by Shashi Seth and a commerce group with a leader to be named "shortly".
‘Connections’ encapsulates services such as Mail, Messenger, Flickr and Answers, and Thompson wrote its "highest priority … will be to think well beyond how users search, communicate and share online today".
The technology division includes Yahoo’s ad exchange, the Right Media Exchange (RMX) and user data and analytics.
The company is still searching for a chief marketing officer but has appointed Penny Baldwin as interim leader for its corporate marketing and communications teams.
The chief product officer Blake Irving is leaving the company. The new structure decentralises product development, spreading the function around the three main divisions.
Follow Daniel Farey-Jones on Twitter @danfareyjones


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Approximately 15,000 people logging into a live video stream of an eagle’s nest every day will probably not get the happy ending they’re seeking.
Minnesota’s most-watched eagle’s nest is having its patience tested.
Think twice before vandalizing cars in Farmington, Minn., with eggs – or even mustard.
Federal homeland security agents are at the Sparboe Farms facility in Litchfield as part of a criminal investigation.
While waiting for the gridiron grill to heat up in readiness for the classic tailgate food of burgers and brats, the hunger bunnies still have to be satisfied. A delicious accompaniment to your beverage of choice while you wait are these two-bite morsels.
New research shows many kids will outgrow their allergy to a common food — eggs. More than half of all kids who are allergic to eggs will outgrow the problem by age 7.
The Cass-Clay Creamery of Fargo, N.D., is voluntarily recalling some brands of peppermint bon bon-flavored ice cream because they may contain eggs that aren’t listed on the label.
While our oven was out of commission, one of the things I missed most was breakfast. I missed making freshly baked biscuits and gravy while still in my pajamas or the warm scent of caramel rolls rising in the oven as I read the Sunday paper.
With Tax Day rapidly approaching, we need our minds to be sharp. Check out these tasty foods to help you think.
A Minnesota food company is widening its recall of hard-cooked eggs because of a potential for listeria contamination.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is shutting down 259 offices, labs and facilities across the country.
A warning about your Christmas Tree: Something other than presents could be lurking below it.
Egg shortages were reported at some Target stores after the retailer ended its relationship with a producer accused of animal cruelty, and the company scrambled Monday to line up new suppliers before Thanksgiving.
An embattled egg producer that lost McDonald’s and other customers says it’s creating a task force to review its food safety, animal care and sustainability practices.
A number of grocery stores have pulled eggs from Sbarboe Farms off their shelves, in the wake of video showing purported animal cruelty.
Following McDonald’s lead, Target Corp. has now refused to use eggs from Sparboe Farms, where undercover cameras recorded unsanitary conditions and employees harming the chickens.
McDonald’s Corp. said Friday it has dropped a Minnesota-based egg supplier after an animal rights group released an undercover video of operations at the egg producer’s farms in three states.
Many of us grew up watching them in the ’80s and ’90s, and there actually are still some cartoons on TV Saturday mornings, but not many.
Granola, yogurt and berries are my standard breakfast on weekdays although I will switch it up sometimes for peanut butter oatmeal or the occasional piece of toast. Breakfast on the weekends can be quite different […]
A southern Minnesota food processor is expanding and adding jobs.
Thousands of people likely were sickened by salmonella-contaminated eggs from two Iowa companies last summer, but lawyers said far fewer have the proof needed for a successful lawsuit and most cases filed will be settled out of court.
Stevie T. guest hosts for John on this Friday edition of HINESight. In this episode, Steve talks Tom Petters whistleblower Deanna Coleman and Denny Hecker’s troubles with Minnesota Law host Tom Shroyer, everything on the political […]
It’s the first lawsuit filed in Minnesota in connection with the egg salmonella outbreak.
Amy Klobuchar is crediting the University of Minnesota for cracking the case on tainted eggs that have sickened 13-hundred people.
The Minnesota Health Department has linked at least seven cases of Salmonella in the state to a multi-state egg recall.


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By India Yarborough, Loyola Student News Service
What do a clinical psychologist, a marketing consultant and a scientist have in common? They’re three crafty Muses with a passion for glitter.
That is the case, at least, for the owners of a new craft store in Mid-City. NOLA Craft Culture, 127 S. Solomon St., is owned by Lisette Constantin, Nori Pritchard and Virginia Saussy — women who ride together in the Muses parade. All three women left their former occupations to work together for the love of crafting.
“People in New Orleans believe in the city and the culture and what we do,” Saussy said.
She explained the idea of opening a craft store has been on her mind for nearly a decade. About five years ago, at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Saussy and Constantin were glittering Muses shoes at the Louisiana Folklife Village when Saussy’s craft dream moved a bit closer to reality.
“[Lisette] said ‘I wish I owned a craft store just for New Orleans people,’ and I said, ‘That’s so funny you say that because five years ago I wrote up a business plan for a New Orleans cultural craft store,’” Saussy said.
Pritchard, a longtime friend, had similar aspirations. That’s when Saussy told her, “If you want to open a craft store, you need to do it with us.”
The trio went to work developing a business proposal, securing loans and looking at potential properties.
“We looked at probably 50 different places with another Muse, who is a real estate agent – we really worked the sisterhood thing — and one day we walked into this building in Mid-City that was the old Volunteers of America offices,” Saussy said. “It was twice the size we expected to look for, and we were all in love with it.”
The store, which opened Jan. 4, specializes in glitter. Saussy said they have more than 5,000 pounds of glitter on site, but that shimmering store staple isn’t the only thing in stock. NOLA Craft Culture sells just about anything customers might need for year-round costumes.
“This is a store for all seasons,” Saussy said. “We decorate for St. Patrick’s Day, St. Joseph’s Day. We have something going on every season. We’re going to be all dressed up for Jazz Fest. We decorate for everything here.”
They even decorate in store, hosting private parties and crafting workshops for children and adults alike.
“If you can’t find what you need in this store, you don’t need it,” said Tara Luparello, who stopped by NOLA Craft Culture recently in search of supplies to decorate her Muses shoes.
New Orleans resident Rene Baugnon visited NOLA Craft Culture the same day.
“I’m not in a float. I’m not in a krewe. I just like glitter,” Baugnon said.
Saussy hopes the store continues to attract crafters and New Orleans culture enthusiasts.
“I think we’ve learned that our instincts were right, and you have to follow your instincts,” Saussy said. “You have to follow your passions.”
The Loyola Student News Service features reporters from advanced-level journalism classes at Loyola University New Orleans, directed by faculty advisers.


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Zoya Akhtar directorial Gully Boy starring Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh is all set to hit the theaters on February 14, 2019. While the audience is waiting to watch Ranveer and Alia together on the celluloid for the first time, the makers have teased them with the posters of the movie.
On Wednesday, Simmba actor Ranveer took to his official Twitter handle and shared a poster of himself from Gully Boy. He plays the role of a street rapper in the movie. The poster has Ranveer standing in a street wearing the same hoodie which we saw in the first few photos from the sets of the film. The lyrics which are probably written by Ranveer’s character are also inscribed on the poster. The tagline of the film reads, “Apna Time Aayega (Our time will come)”.
Sharing the poster, Ranveer wrote, “The voice of the streets. #GullyBoy #14thFeb.” A few minutes later he shared another poster which features female lead of the film Alia Bhatt as well. The poster looks impressive as both Alia and Ranveer are immersed in their characters.
Earlier, on Tuesday, Alia shared the first poster of the movie which had Ranveer’s back facing the camera and the lyrics of rap were written all over it. “Apna Time Aayega! #GullyBoy #14thFeb #2019,” she captioned the poster.
Even before its release, the Zoya Akhtar directorial is making headlines. The film was selected as part of the Berlinale Special programme at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival. The entire team of the film including producers Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar was ecstatic with the news.
Recently in an interview with indianexpress.com, Ranveer shared that he would have been extremely jealous if Gully Boy starred anyone apart from him. “I swear, if there was any other actor in this teaser and it wasn’t me, I would have been burnt to a crisp. I’d be so jealous. It is Mumbai. It’s hip-hop. It is me! (laughs),” he said.
BBM Aka BlackBerry Messenger to Shut Down in May, but BBM Enterprise Becomes Available to Individual Users
BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is shutting down. Emtek, an Indonesia-based company which had taken over the development of BBM consumer version in 2016, on Thursday announced that it will be winding down the messaging service on May 31, 2019. In light of Emtek’s announcement, BlackBerry has stated it is releasing BBM Enterprise (BBMe) for the individual users. The Android version of the BBMe is already available for download, whereas the iOS version will be coming soon. BlackBerry Messenger once used to be one of the most popular messaging apps in world and a key feature of the BlackBerry devices. It was later introduced on Android and iOS platforms, but its popularity dwindled as competing chat apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger gained momentum.
Emtek blamed the difficulty of bringing new users to BBM as one of the reasons why it is closing down the service. BlackBerry Messenger will continue to remain functional up to May 31, after which the app will cease to operate.
“Three years ago, we set out to reinvigorate BBM consumer service, one of the most loved instant messaging applications, as a cross-platform service where users can not only chat and share life experiences, but also consume content and use payment services,” Emtek wrote in a blog post. “The technology industry however, is very fluid, and in spite of our substantial efforts, users have moved on to other platforms, while new users proved difficult to sign on.”
It is important to note here that BBOS or BlackBerry 10 users will remain unaffected as BlackBerry continues to manage BBM for the platform, but they won’t be able to send and receive messages from BBM for Android/ iOS users after Emtek shuts the app down.
Meanwhile, following Emtek’s decision, BlackBerry has decided to step in, and the company revealed in a press release that it is bringing BBM Enterprise to the individual users. The service was earlier limited to the company’s enterprise customers. BBMe is now available as a free download from Google Play Store and it will be coming to Apple App Store soon.
According to BlackBerry, BBMe will be free to use for the first year, following which the users will have to buy a six-month subscription at $2.49 (roughly Rs. 170).] Given that BBMe includes built-in enterprise-grade end-to-end encryption, which is not available in BBM consumer version, the subscription may be worth price for avid BBM users.
“This decision [to release BBMe for individual users] was made out of BlackBerry’s respect for loyal BBM users and was not a contractual obligation,” BlackBerry said in a statement.
Instagram testing co-watching feature on app
Facebook-owned photo-messaging app Instagram is testing a new feature that would let users co-watch on-platform video content with friends, while being able to see their reactions on the video via the phone cameras.
The option would start with a split-screen view, where users would be able to apply face filters and other visual tools to their personal camera feeds, Social Media Today reported on Thursday. “Instagram’s co-watching media picker is essentially tabs of Explore, Saved and Liked.
It’s somehow also showing me photos though.
Unless Instagram designed co-watching so we can stare at an image together, it will be fixed when released,” reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong tweeted.
The feature would let users watch Instagram videos together with added interactive elements of being able to see and hear their co-viewer in a minimised window.
At present, the option appears to only support two concurrent viewers, alongside the Instagram Live functionality.
“That could be somewhat restrictive, but then again, previous research has shown that 85 per cent of the messages shared on Instagram are distributed to the same three friends, highlighting a desire for more intimate communication on the platform,” report added.
The photo-messaging app’s test feature is similar to Facebook’s previously launched “Watch Party” feature — that lets users watch public videos in real time with a group of friends on the app.
Since launching Watch Parties in groups last July, Facebook says that it has facilitated more than 12 million “Watch Parties” within Groups alone, while “Watch Parties” also garner 8 times more comments than regular videos in Groups, the report noted. Instagram has not commented on testing or availability of the feature as yet.
F&D R3 Wireless Speaker Launched in India, Priced at Rs. 4,990
Audio brand F&D, also known as Fenda Audio, has made a name for itself in the audio accessories space, and sells a wide range of affordable speaker systems, headphones, portable speakers, soundbars, and more. The brand is available both online and offline, and is considered a good entry-level option for aftermarket speaker systems. The latest product from the company is the F&D R3 wireless speaker, which is priced at Rs. 4,990. The product is available online through major portals, as well as offline in retails stores across the country.
The F&D R3 is a portable wireless speaker which uses Bluetooth to connect to various source devices, such as smartphones and computers. The speaker uses two 3-inch full-range drivers along with passive radiators, for a total of 12W of output. The speaker has a frequency response range of 70-20,000Hz, and weighs about 950 grams. For connectivity, the R3 uses Bluetooth 4.2, and also allows for FM radio, TF cards, auxillliary, and USB drives for music playback.
The speaker has a 4,500mAh battery which promises battery life of up to five hours on a single charge. The speaker features an interesting pattern on the exterior, along with controls for power and playback at the top. The speaker has an MRP of Rs. 4,990 and will be available to buy at various online retailers, among other offline retail stores.
F&D is better known for its 2.1-channel and 5.1-channel speaker systems, but also has a large range of wireless speakers, headphones, earphones and soundbars. The company has been present in the Indian market for some years now, and offers buyers affordable options for home and portable audio equipment.
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Analyst Garrett Nelson at CFRA on Friday lowered the rating of his on Tesla Inc. TSLA, 0.01 % stock to sell, saying the shares “have become in advance of underlying fundamentals and don’t correctly reflect” consequences. He placed a 12-month priced goal of $1,100 on the shares. Tesla “is typing a significant investing cycle with all the development of Gigafactories four and also five, that we are planning to work as a major drag on free dollars flow and how much for a next a number of quarters,” Nelson claimed.
A the latest priced slice on the Model Y became a red-colored flag, and thus there’s chance for yet another equity faucet offered the stock’s “meteoric run up,” he mentioned. Tesla is anticipated to report second quarter benefits on Wednesday, with analysts polled by FactSet expecting an adjusted loss of 14 cents on sales of $5.2 billion. Preceding Friday, analysts at giving Credit Suisse brought up their stock price goal on Tesla to $1,400 from $700, expressing the inventory is “priced to perfection.” Tesla shares have gotten 259 % in 2012, although the S&P 500 index SPX, 0.28 % is lowered by 0.4 %.
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Stock markets might have fallen again of their current highs, but presently there has been virtually no stopping the advance of Tesla. Shares from the electric powered automobile company reach an intraday high of around $1,790 this specific week, valuing it at a capture $320bn – more than Toyota and Volkswagen mixed. Tesla’s surge since the start of this season – its shares have nearly tripled – has dumbfounded in fact Elon Musk, its chief executive. Wow was his response quite a bit earlier this specific week after just one Wall Street analyst predicted the inventory might go higher still.
Tesla’s outstanding run demonstrates many signs of being a stock market bubble. Shares in general Motors, which has its own electrical motor vehicles , swap at giving less than 10 times earnings. Based on first quarter earnings a share of $1.24, Tesla trades during at least 1,200 instances earnings. When bubbles pop, investors get hurt – but there’s usually a little something worthwhile left behind.
The dotcom boom of the late 1990s was fuelled by hopes for your digital revolution regardless of whether a slew of start-ups went bust on how. Choosing winners in the midst of a bubble is not easy. Amazon came from the irrational exuberance of the dotcom era but betting on what started out as a web-based bookshop was far out of a positive point at the moment.
Fiscal bubbles are able to go innovation along by mobilising capital directly into technological innovations. Inside the circumstances of Tesla, investors are actually betting that electronic powered automobiles are right here to remain. Nio contained Nikola and also China, an us fuel cell gas guzzler start up, have observed large spikes in their shares to come down with recent weeks, as well. Within the situation of Nikola, the business overtook Hyundai in addition to the Fiat Chrysler in deep worth in merely days or weeks of listing its shares. It does not develop an income and features nonetheless to sell one single automobile.
Previous monetary bubbles bear away identical courses. Britain’s Railway Mania that started during the 1830s brought economic pain to a lot of backers when the reckoning arrived, like The Bronte and charles Darwin sisters. The same happened within the US railroad market towards the conclusion of this century. But both bubbles spurred buy directly into essential infrastructure. They laid the foundations for the railway networking that could develop the backbone of the countries’ manufacturing growing and also conveyance devices. Throughout a similar vein the joy around us telecommunications inside the 1990s spurred investment into huge fibre-optic networks – telecoms infrastructure that made it despite a lot of operators had gone bust.
In the circumstances of Tesla along with other electricity automobile founders, the jury is actually completely whether or not they are going to survive the planet’s drive towards an eco-friendly economic climate. Not every little thing went properly for Tesla. Issues are raised regarding the safety of the batteries of its while Mr Musk’s conclusion to open up his California factory in deep defiance of hometown orders due to the coronavirus pandemic prompted anxiety involving staff members. He does, nevertheless, deserve recognition for creating a pure electric powered car company coming from scratch. The assistance of the investors of his has permitted him to try to push forward with a few primary electronic car systems – not to mention, possibly a lot more notably, made the idea of electric powered cars cool.
Tesla might eventually be overtaken by another innovator or even one of the car industry’s higher established players. Such an outcome may not please its young, upbeat investors who experience aided to operate a vehicle Tesla’s stock price to record highs to come down with recent weeks. But economies develop by experimentation. Whichever company inherits the electrical future, the future version will come to appreciate the feature that has long been fostered inside the progression.


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Our first freight market report of 2023 considers the latest rate and capacity developments and highlights the key developments in air, sea and road freight, to keep you informed and to provide valuable supply chain insights, that will aid your decision making.
In China, rising coronavirus infections following the country’s relaxation of its zero-COVID policy have caused significant disruptions in supply chains.
Our team in China confirm that some shipments are being delayed from factories, due to high numbers of COVID cases among work forces, which are hampering production and delivery output.
Poor cargo demand, softening freight rates and a looming overhang of containership capacity have prompted carriers to aggressive blank sailing programmes and also, increasingly, to avoid the Suez Canal on backhaul voyages from Europe to the Far East.
Carriers have made significant capacity cuts, in increasingly desperate attempts to support rates. 29% of Trans-Pacific capacity was blanked in October, 24% in November and 21% in December. On the Asia-Europe route, 26.5% was blanked in October, 17% in November and 19% in December
Around a dozen ships are currently returning to Asia via the Cape, and the count will likely increase in the coming weeks. Most of the diversions were made by ships of THE Alliance.
The diversion around the African continent adds about 3,500 nautical miles of steaming distance, which means the detour will add nine days to the ships’ transit time.
Meanwhile, global schedule reliability and average delay time improved once again in November, but it remains to be seen what impact the Cape diversions will have.
Schedule reliability rose 4.7% month on month and stood at 56.6% as of the 30th December, while over the same period, average delay time decreased by 0.58 days month on month to 5.04 days.
While the danger of further strikes at UK’s Felixstowe port has been avoided after a pay deal was reached with unions, workers are on a go-slow at Hutchison Ports’ Delta II terminal in Rotterdam, with 82 hour delays for barge operators and shippers waiting seven days for their goods.
There are some instances of backlogs and tight spaces ex-EMEA and ex- China, which is likely to slow rate decreases on certain trade-lanes.
As we move into 2023, high jet fuel price likely to affect rates and fuel surcharges are likely to fluctuate amidst oil price fluctuations.
Air freight volumes remain low and with global inflation levels likely to remain elevated into 2023, demand is likely to decrease even further.
Chinese factory activity fell again in December as the spike in Covid-19 cases disrupted production after Beijing started dismantling its pandemic curbs.
The manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell to 45.3 in December from 46.5 in November. The index has registered below the 50- point mark dividing growth from contraction for five straight months.
Despite raised hopes, eCommerce movements added negligible growth to global volumes over the final two months of 2022.
As ocean freight freight costs reduce and performance improves, we are seeing a shift in transport mode from air to sea
Volumes are expected to witness flat growth in the first two quarters of 2023, although the Lunar New Year may trigger a short volume spike.
The market moderation seen in the second half of 2022 is spilling over into 2023 and the European road freight market is projected to lose speed, expanding by only 1.1% in real terms over the next 12 months.
The energy crisis, high inflation, and economic recession all weigh on consumer purchasing power, which in turn impacts demand for road transport – a development which can be seen across the entire European continent.
And where demand does pick up, driver shortages are impacting the amount of capacity available.
According to TIMOCOM Freight and Cargo Exchange, in certain European countries there has been a significant drop in the vehicle space being offered. One of the key reasons behind this is probably the shortage of drivers.
In Germany for instance, 24% less capacity was posted on the TIMOCOM Freight Exchange in the first nine months of 2022 compared to 2021. A similar pattern can be seen in carrier countries including Hungary and Romania.
Since the beginning of the year, companies from these three countries have placed an average of 8% less vehicle space on the TIMOCOM Marketplace than in the same period in 2021.
Our teams in the UK and across Asia continuously scan the evolving global multimodal operating environment, to identify potential issues and adapt operations, to avoid pitfalls that may challenge our customers’ supply chains.
We share the most important news and developments, so that you can make informed decisions that protect your supply chain.
To discuss any questions or concerns you might have, about the issues highlighted here, please EMAIL for our immediate attention.


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Survey: Mobile IT tech could cut product pick-up, delivery times by close to one-third
The deployment of advanced mobile IT technology could cut product pick-up and delivery times by close to a third, according to a survey of 375 transport and logistics managers in six countries conducted by Vanson Bourne on behalf of Intermec.
These technologies include process automation, GPS, mobile broadband communications, vehicle telematics, and radio-frequency identification. Respondents judged that by adopting these technologies, the time taken for each pick-up and delivery could be reduced by 2.68 and 2.41 minutes, respectively.
Process automation includes eliminating any paper-based processes, such as bar-coding, digital signatures, and optical character recognition technology, explained Jeff Sibio, Intermec industry marketing director for transport and logistics.
A full 60 percent of respondents believe that broadband mobile communications will have the most promising return on investment for their company, followed by integrated vehicle telematics and RFID.
"We asked the respondents what they see as the most promising of the technologies for their future processes. We found that mobile broadband by far was the top choice," Sibio said. "The respondents see that as a barrier elimination technology," he added.
The companies surveyed currently receive an average of 6,677 calls per day from customers asking for order status updates. By providing automated shipment updates using location-based and mobile technologies, these same companies believe they could eliminate 24 percent of these calls. This equates to 1,602 calls per working day.
Improved efficiency could also help with customer engagement, which is a top priority of the firms surveyed, noted Sibio. "They realize that this is going to drive business opportunity, having satisfied customers," he added.
Overall, the respondents said that process re-engineering can improve efficiency levels by over 13 percent, yet more than one-third of companies have failed to complete a process re-engineering effort in the last year. Of these, nearly three-quarters have not evaluated their existing processes for at least two years.
"When consider the fast flowing technology environment we live in today and the changing demands of the customer, I was surprised by those percentages," Sibio commented.
- check out the Vanson Bourne/Intermec survey results


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Nefta Partners with Medieval Empires to Provide Seamless Blockchain Technology
Web3 technology platform, Nefta, has announced a new partnership with Web3 strategy game, Medieval Empires from blockchain gaming studio, MoonGaming, in which they will provide its blockchain technology for its launch.
Medieval Empires is a multiplayer, blockchain, strategy game set in what is now Turkey, in the 13th Century. You will follow Ertuğrul Gazi, portrayed by Turkish TV and film star Engin Altan Düzyatan, a tribal warrior and a celebrated leader of the Kayi tribe as you face off against the future King of England, Edward 1st “Hammer of the Scots”. Build your own empire through trading, fighting, and forging alliances while expanding and building towns, as Edward embarks on the 9th Crusade, across Europe, towards the Holy Land.
Medieval Empire is hosted on the Polygon Blockchain, this proof-of-stake approach allows the developers to keep energy costs, and environmental impact low, securing MoonGaming’s commitment to sustainability. The game will be completely free to enter and will remove any technological blockers that might hinder players. Powered by Nefta’s technology, any web3 elements will be fully integrated into the game to allow seamless gameplay whilst allowing players to integrate their existing wallets across other platforms. The game will be available cross-platform on PC/MAC and mobile.
Land is an integral part of Medieval Empires’ economy and gameplay and will initially be sold by the game through the Polygon network NFT marketplace. The land within the game is divided into 6 tiers with the plots within each tier carrying distinctive features and resource generation capabilities. Tier 0 is reserved for new players, only the upper 5 Tiers can be bought. Land owners will also get the opportunity to upgrade the land with the help of in-game NFT structures.
Geeshan Willink, CEO and Co-Founder of Nefta, said: “The team at MoonGaming have got the experience and backing to create an excellent Web3 product and we are delighted to announce our partnership with them to help create Medieval Empires. By removing the roadblocks commonly found in Web3 gaming projects we can offer a comprehensive, end-to-end solution and foster the next generation of Web3 games.”
Jan Berkefeld, CEO at MoonGaming, said: “Team Medieval Empires is looking forward to providing the next-gen blockchain gaming experience to all – thanks to our strategic cooperation with Nefta. We are glad to have an experienced team assembled with crypto megastar Carl ‘The Moon’ Runefelt at the helm and with actor Engin Altan Düzyatan as the face of this game. Together we are working to create something unique in the Web3 gaming space.”
Assad Dar, Co-founder and Chief Visionary Officer at MoonGaming, said: “Medieval Empires will be accessible and always free-to-enter. It will be sustainable, running on the Polygon blockchain, and it will give players the power to play-and-own and keep everything they make in-game.”
Spielworks Integrates Key Polygon-based NFT Platforms, Enabling Staking via Wombat
Spielworks, a leading blockchain startup specialising in gaming and decentralised finance (DeFi) solutions, integrates its “Dungeon Master” game with Polygon, the leading Ethereum layer-2 scaling platform, to enable NFT staking. Through the integration, “Dungeon Master” users can stake Polygon NFTs from three leading NFT platforms through Spielworks’s Wombat wallet. These include collections from the Blockchain Cuties and Planet IX Web3 games, and NeftyBlocks, a major NFT marketplace on the Wax network whose generative avatar NFTs have a Polygon bridge.
As Web3 gaming continues its growth, it offers intriguing new monetisation mechanisms to the crypto landscape, providing gamers with the ability to win real-world value through NFTs acquired during gameplay. These new mechanisms grant users unique rewards and ownership rights, which fuel the industry’s rising popularity. Among these monetisation mechanisms is NFT staking, which provides gamers with the opportunity to earn rewards and other valuable incentives.
Starting on June 8, Wombat users will be able to stake NFTs from three major Polygon-based platforms through the Wombat Wallet. Additionally, Spielworks’s own NFTs will also be available for staking, enabling users to earn rewards, which include NFT packs, reward points and more.
The Polygon platforms partnering with Spielworks include:
- Blockchain Cuties: An NFT collectible game running across five blockchain networks, offering vast possibilities to explore, trade and create.
- Planet IX: An NFT-based GameFi-strategy platform developed by Nibiru Software that includes a sci-fi game, metaverse and a large marketplace.
- NeftyBlocks: One of the largest NFT marketplaces providing premium tools to create, drop and gamify NFTs.
Spielworks has built one of the fastest-growing blockchain gaming ecosystems in the market, boasting more than 3 million sign-ups and 65 thousand daily users. The ecosystem incorporates its multi-chain non-custodial Wombat Wallet, crypto rewards platform Womplay featuring 40 AA and AAA supported titles, and Top 20 NFT staking game Wombat Dungeon Master, counting more than 1.5 million staked NFTs to date.
“Integrating Polygon NFTs into the Wombat ecosystem is a huge milestone that will enhance our community’s experience. NFT staking is becoming an increasingly sought-after feature within the Web3 gaming space because it provides a new and innovative way for gamers to leverage their assets to earn additional rewards. As a layer-2 blockchain assisting Ethereum’s scalability, Polygon plays a massively important role in the Web3 gaming ecosystem, and these integration partnerships add even more value to the network,” Adrian Krion, CEO and Co-Founder of Spielworks, said.
IPO Bound Yudiz Solutions gets DRHP nod, set to invest approx. 80 Million INR to launch world class gaming studio and multi-gaming platform
IPO bound Yudiz Solutions Ltd, a blockchain, AI, and gaming focussed enterprise technology company has received an NSE approval for an SME IPO. With this approval, the company is set to invest approx 80 Million INR to set up a gaming studio and a multi-gaming platform. The game studio will aim to produce over 40 games in a year.
Yudiz Solutions, which is already known to develop apps, will now be the first game developers to be publicly listed and have its own publishing platform.
The new Yudiz game studio will focus on creating high-quality games for multiple platforms. These games will leverage Yudiz’s cutting edge technology solutions and in-house expertise to design and develop the games. They will also develop games for other publishers and will also allow other developers to publish games on their new publishing platform. This will be the only gaming company to develop and publish their own and others games as well.
Bharat Patel, Chairman & Director, says “The new business ventures will enable sectoral growth, provide us with the necessary resources to drive innovation, expand our game portfolio, elevate the gaming experience and develop gamer communities. It will also enable us to forge strategic partnerships, attract top talent, and cement our position as strong contenders in the space”
With an EBITDA of 21.77% for FY 22-23, and a CAGR of 42.34% for the past three years, Yudiz also has a PAT of INR 2.75 CR in FY 22-23. With the recently approved DRHP the company will offload a public issue consisting of a fresh 27,17,600 equity shares.
Headquartered in Ahmedabad and is recognized as a global IT services providing solutions in AI/ML, AR/VR, IoT, as well as Blockchain, mobile app and web development across North America, Europe and Asia region. Yudiz is set to disrupt the market with their innovative solutions and products. MPL, Zydus, RR Kabel, IRM Energy, SportsBuzz are some of their clients.
Blockchain Technology: A Game Changer for Online Gaming?
The world of online gaming is in a state of constant evolution, with emerging technologies playing a significant role in shaping the future of the industry. One such technology is blockchain. Known primarily as the backbone of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, blockchain’s potential extends far beyond digital currencies. Its potential in the realm of online gaming is particularly intriguing and stands to dramatically reshape the industry.
Understanding Blockchain and its Relevance to Online Gaming
Blockchain technology is a decentralized digital ledger that records transactions across multiple computers. This decentralization ensures the data’s security and transparency. For the online gaming sector, blockchain’s promise lies in its ability to offer a higher degree of fairness and transparency — a crucial aspect for games such as online slots, where players need to trust the system’s impartiality.
Instilling Trust and Enhancing Fairness
In traditional online gaming platforms, players used to place their trust in gaming operators, believing that the system was fair. The introduction of blockchain disrupted this model by allowing the game mechanics to be audited and verified by the players themselves. This level of transparency is possible because the blockchain is a public ledger, where all transactions and changes are recorded and accessible to anyone. Through this, the players can verify the fairness of in-game purchases, loot drops, and even the randomness of outcomes in games, directly reducing the potential for unjust practices. Moreover, the use of blockchain technology also provides enhanced security, reducing the risk of fraud and hacking that can be rampant in traditional online gaming platforms.
Cryptocurrencies and the New Gaming Economy
The integration of blockchain technology in online gaming extends beyond fairness, opening the possibility of using cryptocurrencies for transactions. Cryptocurrencies, with their swift, secure, and low-cost transactions, could revolutionize how players purchase in-game items or credits. Furthermore, blockchain could facilitate true ownership of these digital assets, allowing players to trade them freely on blockchain marketplaces.
The Rising Popularity of Decentralized Gaming
Blockchain’s influence is already visible in the emergence of decentralized gaming — games built entirely on blockchain technology. These games allow players to have complete ownership of their in-game assets, which can be traded or sold independently of the game. This not only enhances the gaming experience but also opens up new economic opportunities for players.
Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) and Gaming
The rise of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), a byproduct of blockchain technology, presents another exciting avenue within the gaming sector. NFTs are unique digital assets that can represent ownership of a particular item or piece of content. In online gaming, NFTs can be used to represent a piece of evidence for assets, such as: characters, equipment, or even virtual real estate.
Future Potential and Challenges
The adoption of blockchain in the online gaming industry is still in its infancy, but the potential is enormous. However, like any disruptive technology, blockchain isn’t without its challenges. Issues such as scalability, regulatory acceptance, and technical complexity need to be addressed for its widespread adoption.
Blockchain technology’s potential to create a more transparent, fair, and user-friendly online gaming experience is undeniable. As the industry continues to explore and embrace this technology, both players and gaming companies stand to reap significant benefits. Navigating the challenges and leveraging the opportunities, blockchain might indeed become a game-changer in online gaming’s evolutionary journey.
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December 7, 2006 |
MUMBAI: Nimbus Communications, the broadcasting, advertising and sports rights management company, is evaluating a foray into the fast-growing DVD rental business. Sources said Nimbus is trying to replicate the Blockbuster model (started by the US-based Blockbuster) of a video rental retail chain with membership programme. The company is reportedly in talks with geographically-focused standalone mom-and-pop DVD rental libraries to work out an arrangement which could give Nimbus a sizeable network of outlets from the onset.
February 7, 2005 |
While our top Bollywood stars struggle with their salsa steps, an Indian in NYC has arrived with a slick dance instruction DVD. Even as The Quick and Dirty Guide to Salsa remains a bestseller in the US occupying the top slot on Amazon for dance video category for more than six months, Kolkata-born Debdoot Das now plans two more videos featuring intermediate and advanced lessons. The second DVD, which Das promises will be the most definitive guide to salsa dance in the world, is being launched on Valentine's Day. Following his huge success, his company DigiFilm has entered into deals with home entertainment products distributor Navarre and DVD rental service NetFlix.
February 1, 2011 |
BANGALORE: The year is 2016. Venue: Eden Gardens . A packed stadium is enjoying the match with pop-out screens on seat arms - to watch replays that they might miss. You are watching the action live at home and the experience is no different from being there since it is through ultra-definition (UD) TV. Its USP is the zoom capability to get a magnified view of the action?a catch in slips or a huge six?with in-built capability to show replays, even if they are not telecast.
March 21, 2012 |
Mark Hollinger , president and CEO, Discovery Networks International was in Mumbai last week delivering a keynote address at FICCI Frames. He took time out to talk to Brand Equity about everything from the channel's performance in India to staying away from 'contrived' reality TV. Excerpts from an interview. How many programming ideas does your network get approached with every year? What percentage of these actually get converted? I don't know.
April 10, 2012 |
SAN FRANCISCO: Thiru Arunachalam and Bala Krishnan have turned your iPhone into a TV remote . Peel, their startup in downtown Mountain View, hopes to 'peel' off the layers of complexities associated with today's TV viewing. All you need is your television set, an Apple device, an iPhone or even an iPod Touch , a wireless router, an odd-looking infrared blaster called the Peel Fruit, and the Peel cable which links directly to your home WiFi router's open ethernet port.
August 31, 2015 |
LOS ANGELES: Streaming service Netflix is losing "Hunger Games" and " Transformers " as it will not renew its deal with Epix that will expire at the end of September. Big movies like "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire", "Transformers: Age of Extinction", "World War Z", "Star Trek: Into Darkness", among others will not be available on Netflix beginning in October, reported Aceshowbiz. Also Read: MTV VMA: Memorable moments from Kanye West to Miley Cyrus "We know some of you will be disappointed by the expiration of the Epix movies.
May 1, 2015 |
NEW DELHI: American telecom giant Verizon's India unit has refuted a claim by the regulator that it had throttled speeds for video streaming services on Netflix in the US. Responding to a consultation paper by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on controlling over-the-top players, Verizon India said, "This is not true now, nor has it ever been true. " It said the Indian regulator's views were based on an oft-repeated misperception generated by certain inaccurate media reports in 2013 and 2014.
May 11, 2015 |
"What do you do on a long bus journey," was a question that repeatedly struck Anand Sinha as he toured the country, carrying out his sales duty at Zomato. Joining Zomato as a sales manager in its very early days, Sinha quickly climbed the ranks to become its National Sales Head in India. As Zomato rapidly expanded, Sinha's bus rides across the country increased and an entertainment starved Sinha often found himself really antsy. "The idea to cater to entertainment during travel was with me and my co-founder George Abraham for a long time, but both of us never wanted to leave Zomato.
June 26, 2015 |
By NATHAN MCALONE Netflix's popularity is soaring around the world, and analysts predict it will have a larger audience than all the major broadcast networks within a year. According to Variety, Wall Street analysis firm FBR Capital Markets said Netflix was already on par with the likes of ABC and NBC, and that given its 40% compound annual growth rate, it will also surpass CBS and Fox by 2016. That said, the analysis is not a perfect comparison. FBR used Nielsen TV ratings for the major networks, which excludes online video views, and only covers DVR and video-on-demand for seven days.
April 21, 2015 |
The crescendo of shrill cries outside forced the top management of Flipkart into quiet introspection within. Last week, it abandoned a 'zero rating' discussion with Airtel only eight days after the telecom operator unveiled it. Under this arrangement, Airtel users would have been able to access Flipkart.com for free, with Flipkart paying Airtel for data consumed by users. "There has been a great amount of debate, both internally and externally, on the topic of zero rating, and we have a deeper understanding of the implications.


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Thank god for that: Having failed to turn up in yesterday's story about HMV opening cinemas in unused space above its stores, Gennaro Castaldo has finally caught up, telling the Irish Examiner:
"Obviously, it if proves successful, as we hope and believe it will, we can consider rolling the concept to other appropriate HMV stores in the chain, and it’s possible some of our larger stores could be considered — although it’s still very early days and I’d say that such a prospect is quite a long way off right now."
I'm no expert, but I suspect that Gennaro is less-than-excited about this idea because it was launched with his boss doing the summation for the papers.
The Examiner has more detail on exactly what HMV are planning:
The first 200-seater, three-screen cinema will open in Wimbledon, London, in autumn. It will be kitted out with luxury seats and an area selling films.
As well as showing new releases the cinemas, which will open at 9am, will screen films for local schools and could beam live music events from concert venues.
Access to the cinema will be through the HMV store during the day and there will be a separate entrance in the evenings.
I'm not familiar with the Wimbledon branch of HMV, but I'm surprised there's room for three screens (and three screens with 'luxury' seats, which tend to be larger.) I can't imagine there's going to be much room for many paying customers in these theatres.
Which makes me wonder if they're really going to be able to offer "new releases" - Stelios tried to break in to the cinema market, he had enormous trouble getting hold of the latest releases because distributors were less than keen on shafting their regular, massive customers by sharing new prints with small operators, especially one that was doing cut ticket prices. And if HMV has to charge the same as proper cinemas, why would you choose a place with a smaller screen?
It's great that HMV is trying to think of ways of staying afloat; it's just a little depressing that their ideas are starting to look like crazy, straw-grabbing crazy plans.


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Plastic packaging systems manufacturer Pretium Packaging has announced plans to cease operations at its site in Pointe Claire, Quebec, Canada by the end of December 2013.
The company’s latest move is tied to its decision in 2010 to de-emphasize the sale of preforms as a product category and to concentrate on its development, design and investment on growth in its core product line of plastic bottles.
The company decided to cease operations as the Pointe Claire site, which was a preform manufacturing site earlier, did not fit within its current and long term market strategy.
Pretium further expects to record a restructuring charge of about $6m. The result of the plan is expected to improve the company’s adjusted EBITDA by more than $2m in fiscal 2014.
Pretium Packaging CEO George Abd said, "This decision will provide immediate benefit to our customers and will strengthen the Company providing growth opportunities at our remaining sites."
Following the plant closure, about 65 employees will be affected, while 30 new positions will be created at the company’s other locations as equipment and work is transitioned to those sites.
According to the company, the decision to terminate operations in Pointe Claire is unrelated to and will have no effect on its other site in Quebec, in Ville St. Laurent, which manufactures specialty bottles for the pharmaceutical, food and personal care markets.


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Four‘N Twenty selling ‘Toppers’
Four’N Twenty is selling a new product, the Four’N Twenty Topper.
The ‘Four’N Twenty Topper’ is a hand-held breadcrumbed parcel designed for Australians who want to eat something quick on the run.
Three Topper flavours are available – Lasagne, Mac ‘N Cheese and Chicken Cordon.
Four’N Twenty Chief Executive Officer, Paul Hitchcock, said Four’N Twenty is proud to launch a completely new product.
“We have bridged the gap between a snack and a meal with delicious food on the move,” Hitchcock said.
In March 2017, Four’N Twenty conducted product testing with 1, 000 consumers, finding more than 60 per cent of its target market were “hungry for the product”.
The Toppers are individually packed in heat up wraps. Each serving is 145 grams and the recommended retail price is AUD $2.50. Toppers will be sold individually only and are available now from the freezer aisle of Woolworths. IGA, Ritchies and Drakes independent supermarkets will stock Toppers from 16 October 2017.
The Four’N Twenty brand is owned by Patties Foods which also owns Herbert Adams, Chefs Pride and some Nanna’s branded products.
- Iconic Aussie meat pie gets into crust of Pizza Hut
- Four’N Twenty now selling Cheese and Vegemite pie
- Four’N Twenty wants to save Aussie slang
- Four’N Twenty spices things up
Woolworths supermarkets are now selling Al and Dan’s ‘Magic Meatballs’ in its freezer section.
American supermarket expert, Phil Lempert, has predicted that “2017 promises to be one of the most e...
Australians are purchasing more Asian vegetables at the supermarket and green grocer according to th...
Nestle has launched an organic version of its popular Nescafe Gold instant coffee.
CSR Sugar has undergone a brand refresh.
An emerging Sydney food company has won the 2017 Telstra NSW New Business Award.
Coffee chain Jamaica Blue has launched a limited edition coffee blend, Costa Rica Single Origin.
An organisation representing Australian wine makers says it has serious concerns about a draft gover...


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Douglas GmbH: Release of results for the third quarter and nine months 2021/22 (ending 30 June 2022) on 23 August 2022
DGAP-News: Douglas GmbH
/ Key word(s): Conference/9 Month figures
Release of results for the third quarter and nine months 2021/22 (ending 30 June 2022) on 23 August 2022
Düsseldorf, 18 August 2022. Douglas, Europe’s leading premium beauty platform, will release its results for the third quarter and first nine months 2021/22 on 23 August 2022.
The results release and accompanying presentation will be available through the Investor Relations website (http://ir.douglas.de/).
A conference call on the results will be held at 11:00 a.m. CET on 23 August 2022.
To participate in the Conference, please make use of one of the following options:
A replay will be available at the Investor Relations website later on 23 August 2022.
DOUGLAS is Europe’s leading platform for premium beauty and health. Offering almost 200,000 beauty, health and lifestyle products in online shops, the partner program and around 2,000 stores, DOUGLAS inspires customers to live their own kind of beauty by offering a previously unparalleled assortment. The further development of our successful omnichannel positioning is at the heart of our #FORWARDBEAUTY.DigitalFirst strategy, under which we are consistently expanding both our strong e-commerce and store experience. In fiscal year 2020/21, DOUGLAS generated sales of 3.1 billion euros in the areas of perfumery, decorative cosmetics, skin and hair care as well as nutritional supplements, health and accessories.
More information is available at https://corporate.douglas.de/investors/?lang=en.
|Listed:||Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart; Dublin|
|EQS News ID:||1424027|
|End of News||DGAP News Service|


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YouTube has once again been blocked by the Chinese government. Google has been given no reason for the blockage, but discovered it themselves after noticing a decline in Chinese traffic around noon on Monday. Many believe the blockage relates to recent videos depicting alleged brutality by Chinese police in Tibet.
There may soon be another option to play video games at home, in a very
different way we have been used to so far. Rather than buying a fairly
expensive console or PC, a small box promises to deliver games through
the Internet to your TV or PC, no matter how powerful your local
hardware is. Will cloud gaming have a chance to break through the
barrier of modern game consoles and high-end PCs?
A new startup company called Zeebo is marketing a game console which only utilizes a wireless 3G network for downloading new games. The console, called simply Zeebo, was unveiled on Monday at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco and will be available to Brazilian retailers at a price of $199 with plans for a price reduction to $179 and potentially $149 next year. The target market for the device will be Russia, Brazil, India and China, the so-called "Next Billion" markets.
Facebook recently underwent a major website and user interface redesign (its second within a year) which changed the layout and feature access significantly. The changes have users frustrated and furious begging to get the "Old Facebook" back. So far, 1.7 million users have joined a Facebook group called "Petition against the New Facebook". They request the site make smaller changes to allow for simpler user transitions, and represent 1% of the site's 175 million registered users.
About nine months ago, we learned that AMD was partnering with Intel
acquisition Havok to enable physics acceleration on its graphics
processors. Now it seems that the company is ready to show what it has
been working on. First Havok physics demos on Radeon GPUs are expected
for GDC 2009, which starts today.
Welcome to the second edition of Clara County, a comic strip portraying a fictional representation of real-world companies. It's a hub of activity and you never know who's going to pop up. In this installment, we meet Moblivious and Cahoo, CEOs of two huge multi-billion dollar corporations that may bear some resemblance to real-world companies. Prepare yourself to enter the world of Clara County.
In character, Apple's allowed a different route than other companies like Sony and Nintendo. Rather than licensing Nvidia's PhysX technology and exposing it to developers via the
iPhone SDK, they've allowed several independent developers who created
PhysX-enabled iPhone games into their App Store. And while you can't overlook how the advanced physics comes at the expense of graphics
quality, their use does serve as testbed example that iPhone too can run the Nvidia PhysX
Apple is now offering box office blockbusters such as "Quantum of
Solace" and "Twilight" in HD for purchase and rent. And yes, you
guessed it, the privilege of owning such a movie isn’t cheap.
The Swedish Finance Supervisory has given preliminary approval in the form of a real banking license to video game maker, MindArk PE AB. Within a year, a person will be able to enter the online sci-fi video game Entropia Universe to conduct some real-world banking business -- forever changing the concept of online banking. Set on planet Calypso, there will be no lines, no hassles, and always the experience you'd expect with a friendly service from virtual bank tellers who never change.
Welcome to Clara County, a comic strip portraying a fictional representation of real-world companies. It's a hub of activity and you never know who's going to pop up. In this installment, we meet Inteligencia and Amdrose, two rival semiconductor manufacturers that may bear some resemblance to real-world companies. Prepare yourself to enter the world of Clara County.
Sony has signed a license agreement with Nvidia that will enable
registered Playstation 3 (PS3) developers to use the binary version of
the PhysX SDK in their games.
A video game called "House of the Dead: Overkill" has now become the world's most profane ever, according to a Guinness World Records spokesman. It drops the F-bomb an amazing 189 times, accounting for a 3% of the game's overall dialogue, at a rate of about one use per minute.
When the new iPod shuffle was introduced last week it got a voice, but that's not all. Websites like BoingBoing Gadgets began taking the new device apart to see what secrets its innards might reveal. During the deconstruction, a chip identified as 8A83E3 was discovered in the earbud of all places. Immediately everybody began claiming "DRM, DRM!" However, was that chip really part of some new DRM? Or is it something else entirely?
Sony has launched into defensive mode following the announcement of Nintendo's 100 millionth DS sale after a mere 4 years 3 months on the market. It took Sony a full 5 years 9 months to achieve the same sales record. Analysts say Sony is heading toward a price cut with its PlayStation 3, and it's anticipated that Sony could potentially reduce the price anywhere from $50 to $100 in the next couple months.
Not to be outdone by AMD's recent achievement of shipping 50 million Wii GPUs (and GPUs for Xbox as well), IBM has announced that their CPUs have now powered all 50 million Wiis built to date.
Chicago (IL) - Unlike Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's PlayStation, the Nintendo Wii is both user friendly and family oriented. Nearly anyone can utilize it. The use of the device as a streaming media player would surely not only boost sales, but it could also give other console manufacturers a run for their money. Currently in the United States, there are 16.2 million Wiis. This number compares to 12.8 million Xbox 360s and 6.3 million PS3s. In fact, the Wii has the potential to dominate the market.
Nintendo has managed to sell its 100 millionth Nintendo DS portable game console sometime this week. The 100M figure includes cumulative sales of Nintendo DS, DS Lite and DSi since its launch in early 2005. While the growth curve remains consistent, the number of game titles selling above the 1 million mark is increasing, now at 83.
gaming industry appears not only alive and well, but also recession resistant. Even as we await a new batch of games to kick console sales
into a higher gear -- like the eagerly-awaited Resident Evil 5, we are still buying more games in 2009. And now a new trend is being seen, we are increasingly using our consoles for more online game play.
As of yesterday, Sony Computer Entertainment America is now offering television programs and movies from NBC Universal. The deal expands content to 1,300 movies and 4,500 TV episodes which can be purchased or rented on Sony's PlayStation network.
Verizon's FiOS TV (Fiber Optics television) service has struck a deal with Turner Networks and Sony, and will now be providing additional on-demand content to their regular lineup.


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Red Ant wins Retail Tech of the Year at the National Technology Awards
What an achievement, and what an amazing team!
We're excited to announce our win at this year's NTAs. Congratulations to the team that made this happen - it's a terrific reward for our hard work, dedication and passion for delivering world-class solutions to our clients. Here's to a brilliant future with even more success!
Find out more about our award-winning solutions
Take the first step and contact us for a demo today.


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rick snyder bill signing
Gov. Rick Snyder on Thursday signed so-called "Main Street Fairness" legislation that will extend sales tax collections to online purchases.
(Emily Lawler | MLive.com)
LANSING, MI -- Gov. Rick Snyder on Thursday signed legislation expanding the situations where Michiganders have to pay sales and use taxes for online purchases.
"We want a fair, level playing environment for people to be successful. That's the way it should be," Snyder said.
Michigan consumers now are charged a 6 percent sales tax on in-state purchases and are supposed to report any online or out-of-state spending and pay it on their annual taxes.
However, many people fail to do this.
SB 658 and SB 659, now Public Acts 553 and 554 of 2014, allow the state to collect sales tax for purchases made through online retailers with a physical presence in Michigan. This is what the state can control, and a tact that several states have taken in the absence of federal legislation that could cast a wider net for taxes on all online interstate commerce.
It's billed as "Main Street Fairness" legislation. The legislation goes into effect with the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1, 2015.
"We still need federal action to really get to where we should be on this topic," Snyder said.
The state can collect an estimated $60 million annually with the legislation signed this week, but Snyder said the state could collect more than $100 million annually if the federal government acted. Still, he bristled at people who framed this as a tax increase, saying instead it was a collections issue.
"Some people like to talk about are you increasing taxes? We are not at all," Snyder said.
Some tea party and conservative groups have come down against the measures, saying they are a tax increase.
Sen. Jim Ananich sponsored the legislation. One problem businesses were seeing is that a customer would come try out their products but then go buy them online to avoid sales tax.
"This really is about fairness. . . it's leveling the playing field so that Michigan businesses can compete with businesses all over the world," Ananich said.
Former Rep. Eileen Kowall sponsored similar legislation in the house. She said it was the local businesses donating to little league teams and paying taxes that help operate cities' police forces.
"Buying local, the money stays local. And it helps to shore up our local communities, the bricks and mortar," Kowall said.


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PARIS — With everything from bamboo skateboards to bags made of recycled billboards, brands are increasingly taking eco messages to the streets.
“Green labels among streetwear brands is one of the hottest trends around,” said Luc Biermé, sales director at the Who’s Next apparel show in Paris.
Not only are streetwear staples such as T-shirts and basic cotton pants easy and cost-efficient to manufacture in an eco-friendly way, but style-conscious adolescents are actively looking for apparel with a conscience, said Martin Wieczorek, head of buying for the Citadium sports store in Paris.
Brands are now touting multiple attributes — from paying fair trade prices for organic materials to recycling — rather than simply emphasizing a respectful approach to the environment, which was fashionable in the Nineties.
“What I find interesting is that brands are going further and further in their approach,” said Biermé. “They take a 360-degree strategy from the product to the marketing.”
He pointed to Manifeste, an uberhip brand sold at Colette and L’Eclaireur here, which traces where and by whom its cotton is picked and offsets the carbon emissions of its air transport with the association Co2 Solidaire, as an example. “They have pushed the concept to the limit,” he said.
Retailers, too, are tapping into youngsters’ quests for conscience-free cool.
In early November, Colette unveiled its “Green Is In” promotion featuring Katharine Hamnett and L.E.N.Y. T-shirts, whose sales go to Al Gore’s The Climate Project, while Barneys New York is promoting a green holiday season and its upcoming green campaign includes a bamboo skateboard.
Meanwhile, late last month, Citadium kicked off its first green promotion “Bio et Joyeux Noel,” or “Organic and Happy Christmas.” It showcases a selection of brands new to the store, including Nu Streetwear’s fair trade and organic jeans, T-shirts and sneakers and Moda Fusion, a brand of funky dresses and accessories made by a co-operative of former prostitutes in Brazilian shantytowns.
Citadium has quietly carried a mix of eco stalwarts like Misericordia apparel, Veja sneakers and Bilum bags made from old advertisements, together with eco subbrands such as Volcom’s V. Co-logical plus organic items from Carhartt, Element and Vans for some time.
The concept also includes the introduction of lower-energy lighting and recycling points, plus the use of recycled cardboard and nontoxic paints for merchandising, as well as advice for customers to green up their lifestyles.
“A large part of streetwear’s target client base of 15- to 25- [year-olds] is aware of and responsive to environmental and social issues,” Wieczorek said. “Every streetwear client is susceptible to this type of offer, as long as the product is authentic and the marketing is not seen as hypocritical. The surf, skate and snowboard clients are especially interested in this,” he added, pointing out surfers traditionally are particularly pollution-conscious.
Though some polls suggest environmental and social issues are not among top concerns for youngsters — a TNS Worldpanel Fashion study in August found that British people under 25 are least likely to buy ethical fashion — designers say that’s because the offer has been lacking.
“Young people tend to be very concerned about the environment and fair trade but there are very few products or streetwear brands that use organic cotton or have a fair trade policy. To me it’s a real paradox,” explained 33-year-old Maxime Guillon, who left his job managing a graphic design agency to found Paris-based Nu Streetwear in January.
Retailing at around 100 euros, or $149, for jeans, Nu Streetwear is targeting between 800,000 and 1 million euros, or $1.2 million and $1.5 million, in first-year retail sales. (All figures are converted at current exchange rates.)
Kate Nolan, 26, who founded women’s streetwear brand Fable in Dublin last year, said she shares Guillon’s view that a younger consumer base is largely untapped.
“I design styles that I want to wear,” Nolan said. “I figure if I exist, there must be others.”
Formerly a designer for an Indian factory supplying British mainstream retailers, Nolan’s wake-up call came when she found out a sequined garment she created had been subcontracted to a factory using child labor.
Fable printed tops retail from 65 euros, or $97, and maxi dresses for 140 euros, or $208. They are certified fair trade and organic, and colored with nontoxic dyes.
Other designers are emerging from activewear backgrounds. Maia Andersen of Sustainable Collective by Convoy, based in California’s Orange County and making organic, reversible tops and dresses using plant colors, said her experiences designing outerwear for Oakley and Cold as Ice helped her tackle the constraints of sustainable design.
“Technical design, with performance-related design challenges, absolutely influenced my passion to pursue the creation of our brand,” she said. The collection ranges from $60 to $140 at retail.
Retailers cautioned eco-friendly status alone does not guarantee success. “Being eco is just one factor in producing a good product that the consumer will respond to,” said Wieczorek. “For the time being, it is not a critical decision factor for most clients.”
However, green appears set to become an increasingly important point of difference. “If we can propose eco-friendly [products] plus style, people will certainly choose it,” said Nadege Winter, Colette’s press officer and resident green guru.
“People are realizing that these aren’t trends that should be taken lightly,” added Biermé. “This isn’t a fashion trend, but an awakening.”
And, in Wieczorek’s view, “I think inevitably this offer will grow to the point that brands not respecting a minimum standard of environmental or social responsibility will be marginalized. So everyone will jump on board.”